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, popular buzzwords for businesses, consumers, and government officials, 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. 

A further aim of this book is to explain why, in spite of plenty sustainability indicators available, there is a need to validate existing or new indicators to assess sustainability. The sustainability status of a system is regulated by its internal and external environment, climate, availability of resources, etc.). An indicator developed for one geographical or climate region, depending upon it elasticity, 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. One of the objectives of this book is to develop a database of indicators targeting different aspects of SU and SD, and discuss the indicators? elasticity, range, advantages and disadvantages. Another objective of this book is to provide theoretical and applied information regarding selection of indicators online and/or design new indicators. Because indicators differ in characteristics and properties, one approach may not always yield satisfactory results.

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.