Soil Health and Environmental Sustainability

This book demonstrates the measurement, monitoring, mapping and modelling of soil pollution and land resources. This book explores state-of-the-art techniques based on open sources software & R statistical programming and modelling in modern geo-computation techniques specifically focusing on the recent trends in data mining/machine learning techniques and robust modelling in soil resources. Soil and agricultural systems are an integral part of the global environment and human well-being, providing multiple goods and services essential for people worldwide and crucial for sustainable development. Soil contamination is an environmental hazard and has become a big issue related to environmental health. The challenge of the twenty-first century is to reduce the contaminant load and bring it to below permissible level. The contamination is not only a problem affecting local environments at the place of occurrence but also spreading to other regions because of easy transportation of pollutants. This leads to direct and indirect contamination of land and aquatic systems, surface water and groundwater, inducing significant risks for natural ecosystems.  In this context, the spatial modelling, prediction, efficient use, risk assessment, protection and management of soil resources in the agriculture system are the key to achieving sustainable development goals and ensuring the promotion of an economically, socially and environmental sustainability future. The aim of this book on soil contaminants and environmental health: application of geospatial technology is to identify the soil and sediment quality, sources of contaminants and risk assessment and focuses on the decision-making and planning point of view through GIS data management techniques. This book covers major topics such as spatial modelling in soil and sediments pollution and remediation; radioactive wastes, microbiology of soil and sediments, soil salinity and sodicity, pollution from landfill sites, soil erosion and contamination from agricultural activities, heavy metal pollution and health risk; environmental impact and risk assessment, sustainable land use, landscape management and governance, soil degradation and risk assessment, agricultural soil pollution, pollution due to urban activities, soil pollution by industrial effluents and solid wastes, pollution control and mitigation in extreme environments. The content of this book is of interest to researchers, professionals and policy-makers whose work is in soil science and agriculture practices. The book equips with the knowledge and skills to tackle a wide range of issues manifested in geographic data, including those with scientific, societal and environmental implications.