Sustainability of Natural Resources: Planning, Development, and Management

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy in most countries and its output can be impacted by climate change effects. India, as well as other countries which are predominantly agricultural are facing various challenges due to increasing population which can be met by technological innovations for sustainable agriculture. Advanced and innovative technologies in agriculture will not only solve the problems of fulfilling the food requirement of the growing population but also sustain agriculture in the future. Sustainability of Natural Resources Planning and Management addresses the advancement of innovative techniques to address the issues of water scarcity and agricultural yield. It discusses various aspects of natural resource management, agriculture micro irrigation, AI applications for water management and impacts of climate change on water resources. This book also deals water resource exploration, planning, recent geographic information system-based studies, groundwater modelling, and related applications. It highlights the optimal strategies for sustainable water resource management and development. It also examines precision farming using remote sensing and GIS techniques.

Rohitashw Kumar (B.E., M.E., Ph. D.) is Associate Dean and Professor in College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Srinagar, India. He worked as Professor Water Chair (Sheikkul Alam ShiekhNuruddin Water Chair), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, at the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar (J&K) for three years. He is also Professor and Head, Division of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Water Resources Engineering from NIT, Hamirpur, and Master of Engineering Degree in Irrigation Water Management Engineering from MPUAT, Udaipur. He got gold medal award in 2022, leadership award in 2020, Special Research award in 2017 and Student Incentive Award-2015 (Ph.D. Research) from the Soil Conservation Society of India, New Delhi. He also got the first prize in India for best M. Tech thesis in Agricultural Engineering in 2001. He has published over 130 papers in peer-reviewed journals, more than 25 popular articles, 8 books, 4 practical manuals, and 30 book chapters. He has guided two Ph.D students and 16 M.Tech in soil and water engineering. He has handled more than 12 research projects as a principal or co-principal investigator. Since 2011, he has been Principal Investigator of ICAR- All India Coordinated Research Project on Plastic Engineering in Agriculture Structural and Environment Management.

Kanak N. Moharir is working as Assistant Professor at Banasthali University, Jaipur, India. With more than 5 years teaching and research experience, and published more than 40 research papers in national and international journals and 15 papers has presented in national and international conferences with citations more than 870. She is working in remote sensing, watershed management, hydrology, land use and land cover, aquifer mapping, groundwater modeling, hydrogeology, geomorphology and geology.

Vijay P. Singh is a Distinguished Professor, a Regents Professor, and the inaugural holder of the Caroline and William N. Lehrer Distinguished Chair in Water Engineering at the Texas A&M University. His research interests include surface-water hydrology, groundwater hydrology, hydraulics, irrigation engineering, environmental quality, water resources, water-food-energy nexus, climate change impacts, entropy theory, copula theory, and mathematical modeling. He graduated with a B.Sc. in Engineering and Technology with emphasis on Soil and Water Conservation Engineering in 1967 from the U.P. Agricultural University, India. He earned an MS in Engineering with specialization in Hydrology in 1970 from the University of Guelph, Canada; a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with specialization in Hydrology and Water Resources in 1974fromthe Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA, and a D.Sc. in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering in 1998 from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He has published extensively on a wide range of topics. His publications include more than 1365 journal articles, 32 books, 80 edited books, 305 book chapters, and 315 conference proceedings papers. For his seminar contributions he has received more than 100 national and international awards, including three honorary doctorates. Currently he serves as Past President of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and previously he served as President of the American Institute of Hydrology and Cahir, Watershed Council, ASCE. He is Editor-in-Chief of two book series, three journals, and serves on the editorial boards of more than 25 journals. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of three other journals. He is a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an Honorary Member of the American Water Resources Association, an Honorary Member of International Water Resource Association, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Association of Global Groundwater Scientists. He is a fellow of five professional societies. He is also a fellow or member of 11 national or international engineering or science academies.

Chaitanya B. Pande has been completed Ph.D. in Environment Science from Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University, Amravati and M.Sc. in Geoinformatics from Amravati University in 2011. He has more than 11 years of teaching, research and industrial experience. He is a reviewer for several scientific journals of the international repute with editorial board member in Journal of American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences. He has published 57 research papers, 1 textbook, 3 edited book entitled ＂Groundwater Resources Development and Planning in the Semi-Arid Region＂ in springer platform, 19 conference papers and 18 book chapters with more than 1349 citations. His research interests include Remote Sensing, GIS, Google Earth Engine, Machine Learning, Watershed management, Hydrogeology, Hydrological Modeling, Drought Monitoring, Land Use and Land Cover analysis, Groundwater Quality, urban planning, Hydro-geochemistry, Groundwater Modelling, Geology, Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, Remote Sensing and GIS application in natural resources management, watershed management and Environmental Monitoring and assessment subjects.

Abhay M. Varade is working as a Associate Professor at Post Graduate Department of Geology, Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University, Nagpur. He has completed his M.Sc. in Geology from Amravati University, Amravati and M.Tech.in Petroleum Exploration from the renowned Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad. Before joining the post of Lecturer in Department of Geology, RTM Nagpur University Nagpur, he obtained experience at Central Mining Research Institute (CSIR Lab., Dhanbad) and SGS India Pvt. Limited, Mumbai. Presently he is associated with different Earth-science related societies. Till date he has published 77 research papers in the journals/ books of International (25 International) and National (52 National) repute, and also edited (Editor) 3 (Three) Special Volumes of Gondwana Geological Society (Journal of Geosciences Research). His publications mainly cover the topics like Sedimentology, Coal bed methane technology, Coal petrology, Quaternary geology and Vertebrate palaentology, Hydrochemistry, Applications of RS/GIS and geophysical/ geostatistical techniques in groundwater and agricultural based studies, pumping test analysis for aquifer characterization, watershed characterization, prioritization and management, etc. He is a reviewer for Elsevier, Taylor and Francis; Springer linked high impact factor journals along with several other Indian referred Journals and has worked as a Co-Chairman/ Rapporteur in many Scientific/Technical sessions. As an Organizing Secretary, he has organized 05 National/ State level seminars/ Conferences. Presently, he is working on a International Book Proposal related to Climate Change Impact - Uzbekistan (Springer Nature, Switzerland). His noteworthy contribution includes Advisory Committee Membership of UGC-SAP Programme for Department of Geology, RTM NU (2016-2021); Core Member of RTM NU Nagpur for NAAC (2020 NAAC); Member of Task Force Committee-Board of Studies in Geology (2016-2018); Ex-Executive Member of Alumni Association of Department of Geology, RTM NU (2016-2018), Ex-Executive Member (Joint Secretary) of Gondwana Geological Society, Nagpur, Deputy Chief Officer for Examination of RTM NU (2012-2013), Training and Placement In-charge (2004-2009; 2016-2017; 2017-2021) etc.