eChapters

ABSTRACT

The chapter focuses that information as an economic resources and the role of library to distributing information among the user’s communities. From the economic point of view-the most important properties of information are easy to access and limited money acquire more information i.e. cost benefit. Information economy makes people ware about their goal and library help people to provide resources on need base.

Keyword: Information economy, Library, Information Communication Technology, ICT, Users’ community.

ABSTRACT

With the advancement of mobile technology, the usage of mobile application has increased significantly which leads to change the life style of common people. Library is also not an exception in this context. Library and Information Science Professionals have started to incorporate the changes from the beginning of ICT advancement with an idea “library should be within thumb of people”. Mobile application plays vital role to fulfil the objective of library. Most of the library has started or planning to start the service to its user with various services effectively. But, the process to provide library service through mobile application is not satisfactory till date. No too much usage of libraries mobile apps can be seen; even which mobile applications are in use, most of them are almost inactive form.

But the various recent surveys show us the tremendous growth of the usage of mobile application among people. According to Google, (2017) the user survey shows that mobile can fast-track time to purchase by 20% through facilitating efficiencies in decision-making and enhanced team collaboration, particularly with more complex purchases.

ABSTRACT

World is suffering from coronavirus infection since the end of 2019. Corona virus disease spraying rapidly throughout the world from the beginning of 2020, for that cause it is declared as pandemic by WHO in march 2020. As no proper remedy found for this particular new disease till the date it is become oblivious to maintain social distancing and lock down. Due to the situation each and every sector including the education system totally stopped from March 2020. But we have to maintain the flow of education. Many of the educational institution of India promoted e learning for their students. To avoid coronavirus infection social contact as well as to carry out classes in regular manner, it is become necessary to promote e learning everywhere. But in India the situation is different because Steel we are a poor country where a good number of people do not have a smart phone even. There are many challenges in promotion of e-Learning during this coronavirus pandemic situation in India. In present paper we are going to discuss about some challenges in promotion of e-learning due to coronavirus pandemic situation.

ABSTRACT

With the rapid innovation in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the libraries and information centres have gone through tremendous changes or facing transformation. In this digital era, libraries are facing heavy technological pressure to serve their users on their satisfaction level. Library and information professionals are also struggling more to implement these cutting-edge technologies for learning, research, and information for their users. Therefore, the library and information centres have now been trying to adopt and implementing various emerging or cutting-edge technologies in housekeeping activities as well as in its services. In this paper, an effort has been made to evaluate some of the cutting-edge technologies in libraries’ point of view. An overview is also made to evaluate the concept, advantages and disadvantages of cutting-edge technologies.

Keywords: ICT, Cutting-Edge technology, Emerging technology, Library services, Impact.

10.1 Introduction

The consistent process of rapid urbanization and expeditious developmental activities have severely impacted the environmental components and thereby the quality of life. With limited natural resources, individuals and societies have to learn to bring in attitudinal changes in order to accomplish environment sustainability (UNESCO). From the Book “Our Common Future” (Brundtland Report), the concept of Sustainable Development can be understood as the “development that meets the needs of the present, but does not threaten the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. 

Introduction

With ever-increasing population growth, waste management has become a major challenge threatening environmental sustainability. The total solid waste generation was recorded to be 1.3 billion tonnes per year by the world’s cities in 2012, with an ecological footprint of 1.2 kilograms per person/day. With the intensity with which the population growth is happening coupled with urbanization, predictions are made that by the end of the year 2025, 2.2 billion tonnes of municipal waste will be generated (The World Bank, 2018). 

8. Introduction

The idea of sustainable development stands on the concept of maintaining the best possible environment within the availability of minimal resources and for the convenience of the society. Now-a-day the term “sustainability” gained a lot of attention due to challenges and problems faced in tackling the current situation of global pollution. One of the vital areas of research needs to be addressed in concern with sustainable development is the new innovations to enhance sustainability (Silvestre and Silva, 2014). 

7.1. Developing Sector in Scientific and Technological Approach of Waste Management

From the very past, many traditional practices have been put into use for waste management like landfilling, composting, and recycling, which are practiced even today. However, the boundless upsurging waste compels the modern world to modify the traditional methods or to introduce innovative techniques with the grace of technology

6.1 Introduction

Urbanization is now a global phenomenon, but in developing countries the implications are more pronounced. Natural growth of population, reclassifications of habitation and migration trends are important in urban population in India. The population of India, which accounts for 27 per cent of the total population, was 285 million according to 2001 census. International experience shows that the pace of urban development accelerates when a country’s urban population crosses close to 25 percent of the total population (like in India).(Kumar and Chakrabarti, 2010). 

Definitions: Before starting the chapter, it is better to understand the basic definitions of the terms commonly used in this chapter.

Waste: Waste is any material or object which is discarded after its primary use by its holder. A holder means the person who produces and keeps the waste. 

4.1. Introduction

Presently, in the world, there are 195 countries according to the United Nations, and the number would even go up to 247 if we consider the disputed territories like Isle of Man, Hong Kong, etc. (United Nations, 2016) (Kershner, 2020). But the majority of the countries are still struggling to provide basic life-supporting amenities like nutrition, shelter, and employment. Conjointly, termed as emerging and developing countries such as India, Vietnam, Venezuela, Utopia, etc. (Ahmed and Shimada, 2019). Most of the developing countries are situated mainly in the continent of Africa, Asia and South America. They have got independence for the European countries like England, France, Portugal and Spain in the mid and late 20th century. 

3.1 Introduction

A Massive increase in population, urbanization and industrialization have led to an increase in the quantity and composition of waste. The waste is increasing day by day and is estimated to reach up to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025, according to the reports by World Bank. It becomes a necessity for every nation to fore look upon the waste management system for their respective countries. From the collection, segregation, transportation, disposal all have become an important criterion to deal with. Among the available disposal options; the easiest and environment friendly is “Recycling”. 

1.1 Introduction

Increased emission of greenhouse gases results in climate change which becomes one of the most prominent environmental issues to the world today. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the major greenhouse gas whereas nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) are other substantial contributors to climate change (IPCC, 2014, Tongwane et al., 2016). However, these gases are emitted in minimal quantities in comparison to carbon dioxide but impart more global warming effect by absorbing more infrared radiations (Oertel et al., 2016). The warming potential of one kg of CH4 is 23 times more than one kg of CO2 while  in the case of N2O, it was nearly 300 times more than CO2 (Ramaswamy et al., 2001, Bharti et al., 2019; Biswas et al., 2010). Around one-third of methane and two –thirds of nitrous oxide come from soil (Prather et al., 1995, Tubiello et al., 2015, Smith, 2016).

1.1. Background Introduction

We live in a world with “throw-away” societies that are involved in a pattern of consuming packaged products that don’t even last past a single use or even a year and discarding the waste. This lifestyle generating waste is negatively impacting public health, environment and imposing socio-economic problems on us. The waste is continuously consuming our land, resources, and energy for storage, management, treatment, and disposal. Solid waste was an urban issue initially but has reached every corner nowadays. 

18.1 Introduction

The commercially available water quality simulation models with various dimensions (1D, 2D and 3D) and database software designed to quantify movement and concentration of contaminants in lakes, streams, estuaries, and marine environments. The following water quality models were described below (Table 18.1).

18.2 Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code

The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC) is a multifunctional surface water modeling system, which includes hydrodynamic, sediment-contaminant, and eutrophication components. It has been applied to over 100 water bodies including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal ocean regions in support of environmental assessment and management and regulatory requirements. IT is a state-of-the-art hydrodynamic model that can be used to simulate aquatic systems in one, two, and three dimensions. It has evolved over the past two decades to become one of the most widely used and technically defensible hydrodynamic models in the world. It uses stretched or sigma vertical coordinates and Cartesian or curvilinear, orthogonal horizontal coordinates to represent the physical characteristics of a waterbody. It solves three-dimensional, vertically hydrostatic, free surface, turbulent averaged equations of motion for a variable-density fluid. Dynamically-coupled transport equations for turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent length scale, salinity and temperature are also solved. The model allows for drying and wetting in shallow areas by a mass conservation scheme.

17.1. Introduction

Throughout human history, the coastal plains and Lowland River valleys have usually been the most populated areas over the world (Wolanski et al., 2004). At present, about 60% of the world’s population live along the estuaries and the coast (Lindeboom, 2002). This is degrading estuarine and coastal waters through pollution, eutrophication, increased turbidity, overfishing and habitat destruction. The pollutant supply does not just include nutrients; it also includes mud from eroded soil, heavy metals, radionuclides, hydrocarbons, and a number of chemicals including new synthetic products.

The impact on estuaries is commonly still ignored when dams and irrigation farming are proposed on rivers. In addition, estuaries are often regarded as sites for future development and expansion, and have been increasingly canalized and dyked for flood protection, and their wetlands infilled for residential areas.

All these factors impact on the biodiversity and productivity and hence, the overall health of estuaries and the ecosystem services they provide to humans. They increasingly lead humans away from the possibility of ecologically sustainable development of the coastal zone. Integrated coastal zone management plans are drawn up worldwide but, in the presence of significant river input, most are bound to fail because they commonly deal only with local, coastal issues, and do not consider the whole river catchment as the fundamental planning unit. It is as if the land, the river, the estuary, and the sea were not part of the same system. When dealing with estuaries and coastal waters, in most countries land-use managers, water-resources managers, and coastal and fisheries managers do not cooperate effectively due to administrative, economic and political constraints, and the absence of a forum where their ideas and approaches are shared and discussed (Wolanski et al., 2004). 

16.1 Introduction

Littoral drift is a geological process by which sediments such as sand or other materials, move along a beach shore.Long Shore Drift is the movement of eroded material, in a zig zag way, along the coast. The process arises when waves approach the shore obliquely. That is to say, at an angle other than 90°. The effect of this is determined by factors such as the direction and fetch of the present wind and, in the long term, of the prevailing wind.

Waves striking the shore at an angle as opposed to straight on will cause the wave swash to move up the beach at an angle. The swash moves the sediment particles up the beach at this angle, while the backwash brings them, solely under the influence of gravity, directly down the beach. Some geologists consider a beach to be merely a shoreline feature of deposited material, but William Bascom (1980) has argued that a beach is the entire system of sand set in motion by waves to a depth of ten meters or more off ocean coasts. Submerged, longshore bars are therefore also part of the beach, and thus beaches can be viewed as either:

15.1 Introduction

A tsunami is a series of waves created when a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Earthquakes, mass movements above or below water, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, large meteorite impacts and testing with nuclear weapons at sea all have the potential to generate a tsunami. The effects of a tsunami can range from unnoticeable to devastating. The term tsunami comes from the Japanese words meaning harbor (“tsu”,) and wave (“nami”,). The term is created by fishermen who returned to port to find the area surrounding their harbor devastated, although they had not been aware of any wave in the open water. Tsunamis are common throughout Japanese history; approximately 195 events in Japan have been recorded.

A tsunami has a much smaller amplitude offshore, and a very long wavelength (often hundreds of kilometers long), which is why they generally pass unnoticed at sea, forming only a passing “hump” in the ocean (Fig. 15.1). Tsunami have been historically referred to as tidal waves because as they approach land, they take on the characteristics of a violent onrushing tide rather than the sort of cresting waves that are formed by wind action upon the ocean (Iwan, W.D., 2006).

14.1 Introduction

An oil spill (or slick) is the intentional or unintentional release of oil into the natural environment as a result of human activity. The term often refers to marine oil spills where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters (Fig. 14.1).

Oil can refer to many different materials, including crude oil, refined petroleum products or by-products, oily refuse, oil mixed in waste, or oily ballast. Oil is also released into the environment from natural geologic seeps on the seafloor, as along the coastline. The fate, behavior, and environmental effects of spilled oil can vary depending upon the type and amount of material spilled. In general, lighter refined petroleum products such as diesel and gasoline are more likely to mix in the water column and are more toxic to marine life, but tend to evaporate relatively quickly and do not persist long in the environment. Heavier crude or fuel oil, while of less immediate toxicity, can remain on the water surface or stranded on the shoreline for much longer. Oil from the Exxon Valdez and Gulf War oil spills, while weathering over time, has persisted along the shoreline for years after the spill.

13.1 Introduction

Eutrophication, means an increase in chemical nutrients — typically compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorus in an ecosystem. It may occur on land or in water. The term is however often used to mean the resultant increase in the ecosystem’s primary productivity (Fig. 13.1), in other words excessive plant growth and decay and even further impacts, including lack of oxygen and severe reductions in water quality and in fish and other animal populations.