Advances in Environmental Sustainability, Energy and Earth Science: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference AESEE-2024

This book presents the proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Advances in Environmental Sustainability, Energy and Earth Science (AESEE-2024), held on March 14 - 16, in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, India. The conference offers a platform to discuss frontier areas of research and disseminate scientific information in the fields of environmental sustainability, energy and earth science, and it also offers an opportunity to learn and connect with the leading experts from academia, industry, policy makers, scientists and other professionals. These proceedings report on environmental challenges and the latest sustainable solutions by discussing biodiversity, climate action, water resources, biogeochemistry, biotechnology, and perspectives from diverse fields. The book outlines cutting-edge solutions like carbon sequestration strategies, and smart agricultural practices, emphasizing the role of innovation in achieving sustainability goals. Particular attention is given to green technologies and applications of biotechnology for pollution prevention. The inclusion of topics such as Women in Science & Engineering underscores the importance of diversity in environmental research. The book not only outlines scientific advancements but also recognises and celebrates the contributions of underrepresented groups, promoting inclusivity in the pursuit of sustainable solutions for the future. This book has a broad appeal, and students, researchers, professionals and policymakers interested in the fields of environmental sustainability, energy and earth science will find it a valuable account.

Pankaj Pathak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at SRM University AP, India. Her research domain includes valorization of resources from solid and hazardous waste, circular economy and supply chain in metal industry, sustainable metal recovery from e-waste and solar panels. Her research area is also aligned with the plastic degradation and its conversion into resourceful materials. Her research is entirely focused on acquiring secondary resources from waste materials to build the sustainable future. She has published several research articles, patents, and books with Springer, CRC press, ACS publications.

Sadia Ilyas is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering at Luleå University of Technology in Sweden. Dr. Ilyas has a strong presence in the research domain of aqueous-based extraction of energy-critical elements. Her academic background in inorganic chemistry drives her research towards hydrometallurgical exploitation of ores, minerals, industrial and post-consumer wastes, etc. for an efficient, low-cost, and less emission technology. In addition, the usage of microbial activity in metal extraction (i.e., biohydrometallurgy) from lean-grade ores, tailing, urban mine resources, and biomineralization is her expertise. The unique combination of solution chemistry of metals, metals-to-microbes interactions, organometallic complexation, life-cycle assessment, etc. has further led her research towards integrated process for sustainable metallurgy. Due to the vitality of her research, she has been listed among the top-2% of scientists worldwide and ranked among the top-100 in the sub-field of mining & metallurgy. Dr. Ilyas has published over 75 research articles in high-impact journals some of which are among highly cited articles, several patents, edited books and laboratory manuals, and contributed books chapters.

Rajiv Ranjan Srivastava is an academician, industrial researcher, and consultant with his specialization in hydrometallurgy, resource management, and reaction thermodynamics for the exploitation of exploitation of energy-critical elements. 
He earned his Ph.D. in 2017 from the University of Science and Technology (South Korea) in the major of Resources Recycling, and currently, he is Lecturer at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University (Da Nang), and Senior Researcher at the Center of Advanced Chemistry, Institute of Research and Development (Da Nang), Vietnam. He started his research career with CSIR―National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur, and remained associated with different industries in various capacities. Notably, a few of technology developed by Dr. Srivastava, particularly related to the recycling of critical metals from industrial and post-consumer waste materials, is currently running at the commercial scale of production.
Dr. Srivastava has several patents and published about 50 research articles in high-impact journals, some of which are among highly cited articles. He has also been listed among the top-2% of scientists worldwide.

Javid Ahmad Dar is a forest ecologist, working on forest biomass carbon & nitrogen dynamics, CO2 efflux, plant functional trait analyses with special reference to their structure, composition and other ecological parameters.

Subashree Kothandaraman is currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh, India. She works towards understanding the influence of disturbance events like plant invasion and forest fires on plant distributions. She also assesses crop productivity patterns of different agro-climatic zones in the country.