Dr. Lalit Kumar is a Professor in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at the University of New England, NSW, Australia. He received his PhD in GIS/remote sensing at the University of New South Wales in 1998, has authored or co-authored 20 books or book chapters, and has published over 220 scientific papers in reputable journals. Additionally, he is an editor on a number international journals, such as Remote Sensing; ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing; Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk; PLoS ONE; Sustainability; and Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment. At UNE he teaches courses in GIS, remote sensing and image analysis, and spatial analysis and modeling. His research interests include the applications of spatial technologies, environmental modeling, ecological remote sensing, and climate change impacts on small island states in the Pacific and the Himalayas.
Chapter1. Climate Change and the Pacific Islands.- Chapter2. Islands in the Pacific - settings, distribution, classification.- Chapter3 Climate Change Scenarios and Projections for the Pacific.-Chapter4. Comparison of the physical susceptibility of Pacific Islands to risks potentially associated with variability in weather and climate.- Chapter5 Downscaling from Whole Island to an island-coast assessment of coastal landform susceptibility to metocean change in the pacific.- Chapter6. A review of South Pacific tropical cyclones: Impacts of natural climate variability and climate change.- Chapter7. Impacts of Climate Change on Coastal Infrastructure in the Pacific.- Chapter 8 Population distribution in the Pacific islands, proximity to coastal areas, and risks.- Chapter9. Agriculture under a changing climate.- Chapter10. Impacts of climate change on marine resources in the Pacific Island region.- Chapter11. Freshwater availability under climate change.- Chapter12. Climate change and impacts on biodiversity on small islands.- Chapter13. Economic impacts and implications of climate change in the Pacific.- Chapter14. Adaptation to climate change: contemporary challenges and perspectives.