SMART VILLAGES AND SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Smart Villages and Sustainable Rural Development is a comprehensive resource compiling existing and emerging knowledge for transforming rural areas into sustainable and resilient communities. The construction industry accounts for over 37% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Moreover, rapid urbanisation, coupled with extending traditional construction practices to meet the needs of rural areas, risks further worsening current climate challenges. How can we satisfy this need for development, while not further damaging our environment?

Departing from the conventional wisdom surrounding infrastructure planning and development that focuses on urban settings, the book consolidates a comprehensive suite of technical and non-technical resources, innovations and indicators that rationalise fit-for-purpose planning, development and operations of rural infrastructure. By doing so, it presents a fresh perspective on needs-based infrastructure provisions in a rural context.

Drawing from global cross-sector practices and research-based evidence, the book argues for promoting location-specific infrastructure development, encompassing wider social, cultural and economic contexts unique to rural settings, across multiple perspectives. Dividing the chapters into four key sections, namely: Smart Villages, Sustainability and Development; Implementing Programmes and Strategies; Implementing Project-based Solutions; and Technological Systems, Policies and Governance in Smart Development, the book elaborates on how the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be conceptualised for a context-specific implementation at the core of developing rural communities with necessary infrastructure provisions that are purpose-built, affordable, risk-averse and resilient.

Contents:

• Introduction to Sustainable Rural Development (Hemanta Doloi)
• The Concept of Smart Villages (Hemanta Doloi)
• Community-Led Approaches for Inclusive Smart Villages: Harnessing Local Knowledge for Sustainable Rural Development (Luisa Lombardo and Samuele Morvillo)
• Demystifying Myths Around Sustainability in Affordable Housing in the Indian Context (Akash Deep, Masa Noguchi, Prerona Kaushik, and Aditi Dev)
• Sustainable Rural Developments in India (Chandan Ghosh)
• Governance and Policy Frameworks for Remote Area Construction: Lessons from the Olkola Cultural Knowledge Centre Prototype (Hannah Robertson, Debbie Symonds, Andre Grant, Hamish Banks, and Robert Lees)
• Fostering Sustainable Rural Tourism Through Ecosystem Services and Traditional Knowledge: An Indian Perspective (Kshitiz Agarwal, Kumar Abhinay, and Mahua Mukherjee)
• Education and Capacity Building for Sustainable Rural Development (Santhosh Loganathan)
• The Circular Economy as a Framework for the Development of Smart Villages (Steven Liaros)
• Social Equity and Inclusivity in Placemaking Sandbox and Knowledge Co-Production in Tonga: Shaping Climate-Positive Futures For Indo-Pacific Island Communities (Iderlina Mateo-Babiano)
• Financing Sustainable Rural Development (Samir Baruah)
• Conserving the Heritage of Traditional Architecture and the Context-Based Design (Swathy Manohar)
• Water Management in Rural Areas (Arup Kumar Sarma and Hemanta Doloi)
• Energy Efficiency in Rural Construction (Sajal Chowdhury and Rezuana Islam)
• An Affordable Approach to Scientific Waste Management (Pradip Baishya)
• The Reuse of Waste Materials in the Construction of Smart Villages (Hammadhu Haitherali, Salman Shooshtarian, and Anjali Gopakumar)
• Integrated Transport Network Plan for Smart Villages: A Pathway to Sustainable Rural Development and Climate Resilience (Ravindra Kumar and Manoranjan Parida)
• Opportunities and Challenges in Adopting Alternate Fuel Technologies for Sustainable Long-Haul Freight Transportation (Blessy Kirubakaran and Anmol Pahwa)
• Surveyor-Led Development Solution in the Context of Rapid Urbanisation (Jim Mason)
• Urban-Rural Linkages, Precarity and Extortion in the Platform Economy in Bangladesh (Lutfun Nahar Lata)
• Future Directions and Conclusion (Hemanta Doloi)

Readership: International development agencies, rural universities and colleges, non-governmental organisations, public authorities responsible for rural infrastructure and development, community self-help groups, engineering colleges, and readers interested in developing policies targeted at addressing climate challenges.