Quantitative Assessment of Sustainability and Sustainable Development: Principles, Processes and Challenges

This volume discusses and analyses the use of quantitative indicators to assess sustainability across sectors, with the goal of offering readers the tools to choose and validate indicators. Sustainability (SU) and sustainable development (SD) are critical for survival of humanity, but fraught with both definitional and measurement issues. SU and SD are complex multidimensional processes exhibiting (i) social, cultural, and economic variabilities, (ii) a lack of unified definition, and (iii) conceptual vagueness. These deficiencies complicate attempts to measure the effectiveness of SU/SD efforts and make comparisons across programs and geographies difficult. This book explains, in clear terms, the causes, consequences, and assessment of SU and SD deficiencies. 

An indicator developed for one geographical or climate region may or may not accurately assess sustainability status of another system in different region. That is why, in spite of plenty indicators currently available, there is a need to validate existing or new indicators to assess sustainability. This book develops a database of indicators targeting different aspects of SU and SD and discusses the indicators’ elasticity, range, advantages and disadvantages. The book also provides theoretical and applied information regarding selection of indicators online and/or design new indicators. This volume is targeted toward faculty and graduate/postgraduate scholars working in research areas relevant to sustainability, especially those looking for assessment methodologies and advice on selection and validation of relevant indicators.

The author, Ashok K. Singh, is an associate professor in the department of Veterinary Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus. He has earned MS and PhD (research in protein hormones) in Biochemistry from Banaras Hindu University in India and PhD (research in Neuro-Adrenal Toxicity) from Simon Fraser University, Canada. His academic interests include Analytical and mechanistic toxicology, Alcohol addiction and toxicity, Human impacts on the Planet’s health in Anthropocene, Sustainability and Sustainable Development, and Post sustainability development.