Strategies to Enhance Environmental Security in Transition Countries

It is the goal of environmental security to protect people from the short- and long-term ravages of nature, man-made threats and deterioration of the natural environment. Environmental security includes activities related to pollution prevention, environmental conservation, compliance with regulations and environmental restoration. It is a challenge for transition countries to support all of these activities, due to limited resources, competing priorities and the fact that most environmental regulations, assessment methods and procedures, and restoration techniques were developed in countries where resources were not limited. This volume presents the main environmental security challenges facing transition countries, as well as practical methods and approaches for addressing them. These approaches are equally applicable to all countries. The four basic topics this volume addresses are (I) Introduction to Environmental Security Challenges (II) Strategies, Methods and Approaches for Addressing these Challenges (III) Lessons Learned as Illustrated via Research and Case Studies (IV) Issues Related to Metals in the Environment. The final chapter of the book is a summary of the discussions and working group sessions, entitled "Environmental Security in Transition Countries: Knowledge Gaps, Hurdles and Effective Strategies to Address Them".

Presents the main environmental security challenges facing transition countries, as well as practical methods and approaches for addressing them The approaches described are equally applicable to all countries Lessons learned are presented both via research and case study results A summary is presented of the discussions and working group sessions, entitled "Environmental Security in Transition Countries: Knowledge Gaps, Hurdles and Effective Strategies to Address Them" May be used by university professors in their teaching of environmental issues across the globe, by government agencies in their planning and implementation of initiatives related to environmental security challenges, and by consulting firms in their marketing and completion of environmental projects in transition countries

Inhalt
to Environmental Security Challenges.- to environmental security.- Environmental Security: Priority Issues and Challenges in Romania and European Transition Countries.- Strategies and Methods/Approaches.- Developing highly effective environmental security policies for a sustainable development of the future. Case study: Romania.- DSS-ERAMANIA: A decision support system for site-specific ecological risk assessment of contaminated sites.- Enhancement of environmental security by mathematical modelling and simulations of processes.- Application of computer modeling for the analysis and prediction of contaminant behavior in groundwater systems.- Integrated management strategy for environmental risk reduction at postindustrial areas.- Industrial ecology in transition countries: historical precedent and and future prospects.- Potential of strategic environmental assessment as an instrument for sustainable development of the countries in transition.- The integrated indicator of sustainable development and policy tools.- Socioeconomic and communication tools to enhance environmental security: a case study in Egypt.- Sensors and communications in environment monitoring systems.- Teaching and research in environmental microbiology/ biotechnology to enhance environmental security in transition and other countries.- Lessons Learned as Illustrated via Research and Case Studies.- Lessons learned from the north: balancing economic development, cultural preservation, and environmental protection.- A process for focusing cleanup actions at contaminated sites: lessons learned from remote northern sites in Canada.- Decoupling environmental problems from the overall aspects of political disputes: Is it possible? The case of the PM2.5 project.- Watersheds management (Transylvania/Romania):implications, risks, solutions.- Water supply emergency for Lake Sevan.- Sediment biobarriers for chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons in groundwater reaching surface water (SEDBARCAH Project).- Bulgarian nuclear plants' strategy and environmental security on the Balkans.- Role of renewable energy sources in enhancement of environmental and energy security of Belarus.- Evaluation of radiation risk: cytogenetic and molecular markers of low-dose radiation effects.- Bioindication approach for an assessment of technogenic impact on the environment.- Management of agricultural buildings to protect animal health and ensure building maintenance.- Issues Related to Metals in the Environment.- Which human and terrestrial ecological receptors are most at risk from smelter emissions?.- Integration of metal bioavailability in risk assessment policy decision making.- Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Romania and neighboring countries: comparative evaluation on the basis of all European moss monitoring.- Pollutant uptake on agricultural land: practical modeling.- Plantmicrobe symbiosis for bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil: perspectives for Belarus.- Summary Chapter.- Environmental security in transition countries: knowledge gaps, hurdles, and effective strategies to address them.