10th anniversary of RESB

Abstract

The Journal ReViews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology (RESB) caters for the review work of scientists, engineers and practitioners that are curious about the impact of pollution and apply measures to protect or remediate our environment. Its interest ranges from full scale bioreactors and bioremediation projects, through the scaling of metabolism, physiology and biofilms, to the fine-level molecular adaptations that allow microorganisms to function in diverse natural, man-made or engineered environments. The broad focus of RESB encompasses all disciplines of (micro)biology, bio(geo)chemistry, (colloid) chemistry, geology and (bio)process engineering. The objectives of RESB are two-fold: (1) to bring together and synthesize the latest research results in the field and (2) to encourage more research activities in the field. With the huge amount of data/information published in the last decades in peer review journals, magazines, books and on the Web, RESB wants to contribute to make best use of these resources to mine useful data/information and to integrate these via review and mini-review papers, and in the last 2 years also via special section contributions, i.e. Horizon papers, Switch monitor, Stockholm Water Perspectives, Science Career, Technology Career, Project Updates, Symposium Watch and Web Alerts. The public is usually somewhat informed about environmental problems. However, people do not fully understand the basis of these problems or how to deal with them in a sustainable way. Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only for the present, but also for the future generations. RESB presents researchers, practitioners and senior managers with science, technology and engineering to support and enable sustainable development. RESB started in 2001, at the time environmental science and technology focused on pollution of organic and inorganic compounds as threats to the environment and our natural heritage. The contributions mainly dealt with the human impact on the environment and scientific solutions for sustainable development. Contributions related to the human impact on the environment covered many aspects of interaction between humans, natural resources, ecosystems, special climates or unique geographic zones, and the earth. Manuscripts have covered water, air and soil pollution, soil deterioration, pesticides pollution, water resources, global warming, energy crisis, sea level rise, tropical deforestation and coral reef whitening. RESB also published on a spectrum of scientific solutions for sustainable development, such as pollution prevention, waste minimization, reuse and recycling, green chemistry, new energy and P. N. L. Lens (&) Pollution Prevention and Control Core, UNESCO-IHE, PO Box 3015, 2601 DA Delft, The Netherlands e-mail: p.lens@unesco-ihe.org