This book examines prospective climate adaptive building materials in desert and drylands in the context of climate change, desertification, urbanisation demands, and the consequent sustainable urban development challenges.This preliminary collection of ecological materials covers the characterisation of biotic and abiotic resources for materials, their specifications and benefits for adequate bio-climatic design and construction. Particular emphasis is given to ecological composit...

This book with 22 chapters from eminent scholars focuses on the role of AI-enabled technology in surveillance and coercive ‘welfare’, bringing into view how advanced technology is used to shift the boundaries between welfare, penal, and carceral state and its very real impact on social work education and practice.It focuses on the way emerging digital technologies, often combined under the heading Artificial Intelligence (AI), are fundamentally changing our lifeworld and the social...

This book explores interfaces between land and sea and their geostrategic, ecological, urban, productive, indigenous, legal, historical, and artistic dimensions. The oceans, comprising two-thirds of the earth's surface, were initially utilised mainly for transportation and fishing. Today they serve diverse purposes such as supplying energy, freshwater, mineral resources, supporting leisure activities, and providing habitat. Additionally, the UN set up the first international agreement esta...

This book highlights the research outcome of Cities Research Institute's SeaCities group at Griffith University and a panel with the same title which took place at the World Expo in Dubai 2021/22 supported by the UN.It reflects on topics which are relevant for a future aquatic urbanism like the evolution of a taxonomy for aquatic urbanism, island and ecological wetland development, the planning aspects of seascapes, as well as drivers for floating communities and aquacultural urban...

Right-wing nationalist populism poses direct attacks on social tolerance, human rights discourse, political debates, the survival of the welfare state and its universal services, impacting on the roles of social work. This book demonstrates how right-wing nationalist populism can and must be countered.Using case studies from around the world, this book shows how a revitalised radical social work where community organisation, building alliances, trade union commitment and social act...

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a critical juncture in the development of the welfare state affirming its importance for its citizens’ economic, health and wellbeing, and safety, especially for its most vulnerable populations. It demonstrated that the crisis preparedness that is crucial for an effective protection of its citizens, the ultimate purpose of the welfare state, unquestionably exceeds the narrow horizon of a corporatised welfare industry with its singular focus on the maximisat...