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Marine and coastal environments play a critical role in sustaining life. Covering nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface, marine and coastal waters are the earth's largest and most vital environment, influencing global energy cycles, biological, economical and sociocultural processes. Marine environmental quality is related to the functioning of marine ecosystems. The understanding of these relationships provides a foundation for management and policy recommendations in order to achieve sustainability. Good environmental quality, sustainability, and marine and coastal areas governance is

This book addresses the links between climate change and the threats it poses to sustainable development, from a distance education perspective. Discussing current trends and challenges in sustainable development education, climate literacy and innovations in climate change education, it contributes to the global debate on the implementation of education for sustainability. It also assesses the role that e-learning can play in this process, addressing pedagogical concepts as well as the wide range of technological options now available

Purpose
The study aims to examine the vertical integration of the sustainable development goals (SGDs) in Portuguese public higher education institutions, namely, at the level of undergraduate and master's degrees, and the extent to which Portuguese higher education institutions (HEI) are preparing for the United Nations' call to promote SDGs.


Design/methodology/approach
A content analysis of the designations and objectives of the 2,556 undergraduate and master's degrees (in 33 Portuguese public higher education institutions) was done to determine whether they promote at least one SDG.


Findings
The results show that 198 courses directly address at least one SDG; on average, each higher education institution (HEI) has six courses that explicitly address at least one SDG; universities have more courses in SDG areas than in polytechnics; more master's degrees embrace SDGs than undergraduate degrees; and most of the courses addressing SDGs are from the social sciences and humanities areas and from natural and environmental sciences.


Originality/value
This paper serves to raise the awareness of Portuguese HEIs of their role and responsibility in furthering SGDs.

This collected volume deals with emerging issues related to climate variation, climate change and adaptation technologies, with a special focus on Latin American countries. Presenting a variety of adaptation strategies and projects currently being undertaken and implemented, the book showcases how Latin American nations are struggling to meet the challenges of climate change. Latin America as a whole and Central America in particular is one of the most vulnerable regions of the world and is severely affected by recurrent extreme climate-related events. This volume documents and analyzes the main challenges and lessons learned, serving to disseminate knowledge beyond the region and enhance international research and policy cooperation.

As the curricula of higher education institutions around the world are infused with the concept of sustainability, this major contribution to the debate on good practice details a range of assessment tools for evaluating how 'green' these institutions really are.

1. Sustainability Science and Education for Sustainable Development in Universities: A Way for Transition -- 2. Being scared is not enough! Motivators for Education for Sustainable Development -- 3. Time and sustainability metrics in higher education -- 4. Integrating sustainability into the university: past, present and future -- 5. Sustainability assessment methodologies -- 6. A strategy and a toolkit to realize System Integration of Sustainable Development (SISD) -- 7. Assessing Sustainability and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. Assessment Frameworks explained -- 8. Alternative University Appraisal (AUA): Reconstructing Universities' Ranking and Rating toward a Sustainable Future -- 9. Sustainability Assessment in Higher Education: Evaluating the Use of the Auditing Instrument for Sustainability in Higher Education (AISHE) in Belgium -- 10. Perspectives on sustainability governance from universities in the US, UK and Germany: How do change agents employ different tools to alter organizational cultures and structures? -- 11. Developing a university sustainability report: Experiences from the University of Leeds -- 12. A whole sector approach: Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in Wales -- 13. Integration of Operational and Academic Efforts in Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions -- 14. An Indicator-Based Approach to Sustainability Monitoring and Mainstreaming at Universiti Sains Malaysia -- 15. The Unit-based Sustainability Assessment Tool and its use in the UNEP Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities partnership -- 16. A Syllabus for Resilience in Higher Education -- 17. A Discipline-Based Model for Embedding Sustainability in University Curricula -- 18. A Methodology for Reorienting University Curricula to Address Sustainability: The RUCAS-Tempus Project Initiative -- 19. The Low Carbon Curriculum at the University of Newcastle, Australia -- 20. Assessing sustainability in university curricula: Case studies from the University of Leeds and the Georgia Institute of Technology -- 21. ICTs and the Design of Sustainable Higher Education Teaching Models: An Environmental Assessment of UK Courses -- 22. Action research in communities of practice to develop curricula for sustainability in higher education -- 23. Education for and through Sustainability: Towards Interdisciplinary Dialogue -- 24. Education for Sustainable Development: Trends in Indian Business Schools and Universities in a Post Liberalization Era.

Purpose
– This paper aims to connect participatory sustainability implementation with sustainability assessment, exploring learning theories, the principles of Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD) and respective indicators applied in the university context. Even though participation is partly considered in existing assessment practices, it is still unclear what and how to measure participatory processes that envision implementing sustainability principles in higher education institutions. Holistic approaches are often proclaimed, but reductionist assessment methods are frequently followed.


Design/methodology/approach
– The study followed a qualitative approach, inspired by the Delphi method, and includes semi-structured expert interviews (N = 15) and two focus group discussions (N = 23), with participants coming from a total of 17 different countries. Data were analysed and compared according to qualitative content analysis and systemized according to the underlying theoretical strands.


Findings
– The findings suggest that participatory processes can be better assessed from a social learning and organisational learning perspective, emphasizing non-linear criteria for the quality of the process in terms of depth and meaningfulness as well as criteria for the quality of the outcome in terms of knowledge generation and innovation. The findings also point implicitly to the need of considering double- and triple-loop learning, if a culture of participation towards sustainability is to be pursued, and underline the high impact of institutional governance.


Originality/value
– Although a great volume of literature about sustainability implementation in higher education exists, studies focusing on participatory processes in this context are rather scarce. This research pays attention to sustainability experts working in universities rarely heard in a more systemic manner and also applies a reflective participatory approach itself by using qualitative methods.

Preface -- Chapter 1. Moving towards sustainable agriculture through higher education -- Chapter 2. Balancing Sustainable Livelihoods and Conservation in the Marine environment -- Chapter 3. Linking Biodiversity and Human Health to Achieve Sustainability -- Chapter 4. Understanding scale in wicked problems of sustainable development: Who needs dedicated courses in higher education? -- Chpater 5. Presenting an interdisciplinary teaching approach to involve university students in issues of sustainable development -- Chapter 6. Methods of transdisciplinary collaboration within sustainable research and development projects -- Chapter 7. Universities as 'global citizens': reflections and learning from a project on female leadership for sustainable development of fishing communities in Colombia -- Chapter 8. Geography of Food Summer School: International exchange for sustainable food value chains.

Intro -- Editorial -- Contents -- 1 Biodiversity and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD): Tendencies and Perspectives -- Abstract -- 1ƒIntroduction -- 2ƒEcosystem Services and Biodiversity -- 3ƒ2010 Biodiversity Target-The Convention on Biological Diversity -- 4ƒStrategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 -- 5ƒEducation for Biodiversity Conservation in the 21st Century: Beyond 2015 -- 6ƒEducation for Biodiversity: Tendencies and Perspectives -- References -- Part I Education Research on Biodiversity -- 2 Conservation of Biological Resources: Why Does It Matter? -- Abstract -- 1ƒIntroduction -- 2ƒReasons for Taking Action -- 3ƒForests' Ecosystems and Species Richness -- 3.1 The Easter Island as an Example of Human Unsustainable Practices -- 4ƒThe Relevance of Biological Resources: From Basic Needs to Economic Development -- 5ƒBiodiversity Unknown -- 6ƒThe Extinction of Species -- 7ƒConclusion -- References -- 3 Urban Biodiversity and Cities' Sustainable Development -- Abstract -- 1ƒIntroduction -- 2ƒUrban Ecosystems -- 3ƒUrban Development, Land Use Change, and Environmental Impacts -- 4ƒRecognizing the Importance of Urban Biodiversity -- 5ƒUrban Sustainable Development -- 5.1 Greening Cities -- 5.2 Public Participation -- 6ƒFinal Remarks -- References -- 4 Education on Biodiversity in the Polar Regions -- Abstract -- 1ƒImportance of Polar Regions -- 2ƒImportance of Polar Biodiversity -- 3ƒImportance of Linking Education and Biodiversity Issues Related to the Polar Regions -- 4ƒExamples of Polar Activities Related to Biodiversity -- 5ƒTackling the Challenging Issues on Polar Education Related to Biodiversity: Step 1. Evaluation of Impact -- 6ƒFinal Considerations -- Acknowledgements -- References -- 5 Teaching Mycology Worldwide -- Abstract -- 1ƒIntroduction -- 2ƒCollecting -- 3ƒMorphological Analyses.