Environmental resilience and sustainability through green technologies: A case evidence from rural coastal India

Abstract

Rural coastal regions in developing countries are generally neglected with respect to environmental issues. The present study examined the feasibility of green technologies such as rainwater harvesting (RWH), sand filtration (SF), and composting (in-vessel and pit) to recover from the environmental issues in the coastal rural regions using survey and geographic information systems considering a rural Indian case study. According to the results, RWH yielded 0.140 million litres per 100 m² rooftop in the area, while a maximum total dissolved solids removal of 52% was achieved using the SF alleviating the water concerns. Meanwhile, with a solid waste generation of 0.207 kg d-1 capita-1 comprising 79.81% organic fraction, composting becomes the best waste resource recovery option in the area. Pilot-scale studies of composting transformed organic wastes into compost manure rich in nutrients improving the soil quality. Further analysis using a multi-criteria decision-making approach revealed that the public interest in applying these technologies depends on investment costs, additional resources requirements, and governmental policies. With the scope of improved lifestyle and quality, the study proposes more future research over green technologies and their implementation and is also directed towards developing decentralized site-specific rural governmental policies to achieve sustainability goals.