Recent Advances in Environmental Science from the Euro-Mediterranean and Surrounding Regions (3rd Edition)

This edited book includes over one hundred and eighty short papers that were presented during the third edition of EMCEI, which was held in Sousse, Tunisia, in June 2021. Nowadays, experts as well as most of the general public know that the Mediterranean and surrounding regions are facing environmental degradation that is accelerating at an unprecedented rate. The main causes are the natural and human induced climate change, increasing pollution, urban growth, and the overexploitation and unsustainable use of resources due to rapid population growth. The effects are seen in several indicators such as the warming, more frequent extreme events, severe droughts, water shortages, contraction of natural resources, changes in land use and landscape deterioration, decreasing agricultural yields, biodiversity loss, deterioration of the ecosystems, corrosion of the natural coastal environment, sea-level rise, and ocean acidification. In addition to these more recent issues, the Mediterranean and surrounding region naturally experience a number of hazards such as floods, droughts, desertification, fires, catastrophic forest diebacks, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.  By presenting a wide range of environmental topics and new findings relevant to a variety of problems in these regions, this book appeals to anyone working in the subject area and especially students interested in learning more about new developments in environmental research initiatives in light of the worsening environmental degradation of the Mediterranean and surrounding areas, making environmental and resource protection an increasingly important issue that impedes sustainable development and social well-being. The book addresses emerging environmental issues along with new challenges by focusing on innovative approaches that contribute to achieving a sustainable environment in and around the Mediterranean Sea and by highlighting to decision makers from relevant sectors the environmental considerations that should be integrated into their own activities.

Mohamed Ksibi: High Institute of Biotechnology, University of Sfax, Tunisia Mohamed Ksibi, completed his Ph.D. in 1993 in Applied Chemistry at the University of Poitiers, France. He also gained the Habilitation (HDR) in Chemistry from the University of Sfax, Tunisia, in 2003. He was appointed as Full Professor of Chemistry in 2009 at the Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Sfax (ISBS)). His areas of research interest include removal and toxicology assessment of persistent organic pollutants in the environment (water and sediment/soil). He has supervised 13 theses to completion and examined a further 4 Ph.D.s. He has also supervised 15 M.Sc. theses. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Euro-Mediterranean Journal of Environmental Integration (h-index 27). He had been Institute’s Deputy Director of the ISBS from August 2011 until December 2017; he served as Director of the Department of Biotechnology and Health at ISBS from May 2008 until May 2011. Abdelazim Negm: Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt Abdelazim Negm is Professor of Hydraulics (and Water Resources) at the Faculty of Engineering, Zagazig University, Egypt, since 2004. He got his Ph.D. in 1992 from Zagazig University (ZU) and his M.Sc. from Ain Shams University in the year 1990. He was Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of ZU from 12/2008 to 12/2011 and was Head of the Environmental Engineering Department at Egypt-Japan University of Science and Technology (E-JUST), Egypt, from October 2013 to March 2016. Some of his papers were awarded the prize of the best papers. He is Editor of more than 35 Springer books with 12 volumes published in the Springer Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Series (HEC Series). He is Member of the scientific committee of several international conferences and Member of organizing committee of others and participated in more than 90 conferences as well. Olfa Hentati: Higher Institute of Biotechnology, Sfax, Tunisia Dr. Olfa Hentati is Associate Professor (2019) at the Higher Institute of Biotechnology (ISBS), University of Sfax. She is Research Member in the Laboratory Environmental Engineering and Ecotechnology (GEET—LR16ES19) at the National School of Engineers of Sfax (ENIS) since 2006.  She received her Diploma in Biology and Functional Exploration from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tunis, Tunisia, in 1988 and her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Cell Biology from the University of Poitiers, France, in 1993 and 1994, respectively, and Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Physiology from the University of Poitiers, France, in 1999.   In 2017, she earned her Habilitation in Biological Engineering. The focus of her research is on the use of terrestrial and aquatic organisms as bioindicators of chemical pollution, with particular emphasis to the influence of biological and environmental factors on the bioaccumulation of trace metals, raw and chemically treated dying wastewater, phenols and pharmaceutical residues. Achraf Ghorbal: ISSAT, Gabes, Tunisia Professor Achraf