Natural Resource Management in Transition

On the path to sustainable development, humanity is facing a series of global challenges induced by the last 200 years of industrialisation and increasing global population: climate change and related natural disasters, loss of biodiversity, availability of fresh and clean water, food security, depletion of oceans, and continuous deforestation, just to name a few. Central to these challenges is their fundamental link to global human demand of natural resources and the ever increasing rate of consumption. The current patterns of production and consumption are beyond carrying capacity in many parts of the world thus leading to dramatic degradation of the environment. Even though we are already consuming more natural resources than is environmentally stable, it is predicted that the peak of the use of resources has yet to be reached. Therefore, a complete change - a transition - in resource management approaches will be needed to keep pace with soaring demand for energy, fresh water, food, and raw materials. The new Springer book series, Natural Resource Management in Transition, aims to engage its readers in the discussion of the most current and emerging trends which define the shift to sustainable and responsible use of natural resources. It will cover such issues as sustainable use of resources in international law and policy; strategies to increase resource efficiency; a transition in raw material use, including the energy transition towards renewable energies; transition to ‘green economy’ and decarbonisation of economic growth; tools and approaches for measuring sustainability of production and consumption; legal and voluntary standards for sustainability.