Sustainability & Emerging Technologies: Cross-Sector Innovations in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Climate Resilience

Introduction

The special issue titled “Sustainability & Emerging Technologies: Cross-Sector Innovations in Healthcare, Agriculture, and Climate Resilience”, aims to explore how advanced technologies can address urgent global sustainability challenges across multiple critical domains. Healthcare, agriculture, and climate resilience are deeply interconnected sectors where technological innovation has the potential to drive transformative change while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, big data analytics, and digital twins are enabling predictive insights, efficient resource utilization, and improved system resilience. In healthcare, these tools are fostering sustainable service delivery and secure digital infrastructures. In agriculture, they support precision farming, supply chain transparency, and climate-adaptive practices. For climate resilience, they facilitate accurate risk modeling, renewable energy optimization, and ecosystem monitoring. At the same time, security, privacy, and governance concerns remain central to ensuring that these innovations are implemented responsibly and equitably. By integrating research and practice across disciplines, this special issue will provide a platform for knowledge exchange on sustainable, secure, and ethical deployment of emerging technologies. This collection will be of interest to researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders who are working at the intersection of technology, sustainability, and security. The special issue will highlight cross-sector innovations, share global perspectives, and provide actionable insights for building resilient, secure, and sustainable futures. This special issue will: • Provide actionable insights on how emerging technologies contribute to sustainability and resilience. • Bridge healthcare, agriculture, and climate change under a security-conscious framework. • Inform policymakers and industry leaders about best practices for sustainable technology adoption. • Offer a truly interdisciplinary perspective, connecting technical, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability.

Keywords

Sustainability, Emerging Technologies, Healthcare Innovation, Smart Agriculture, Climate Resilience, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain and Data Security, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Cybersecurity and Governance, Machine Learning

Sub-topics

Healthcare

1.      1.  AI and IoT for sustainable healthcare delivery.

2.       Green health IT, energy-efficient hospitals, and carbon-aware digital health systems.

3.       Wearables and telemedicine for reducing environmental footprints.

4.       Cybersecurity and privacy-preserving frameworks in eHealth and digital medicine.

Agriculture

1.      1.  Smart farming and precision agriculture for resource-efficient production.

2.       Blockchain for food supply chain transparency and traceability.

3.       AI/ML for crop yield prediction and soil health monitoring.

4.       IoT-enabled irrigation, water management, and climate-resilient farming.

Climate Change and Sustainability

1.      1.  AI and digital twins for climate risk modeling and adaptation.

2.       Sustainable energy technologies and carbon neutrality.

3.       Big data analytics for biodiversity, ecosystems, and resource monitoring.

4.       Cyber-physical resilience in smart grids, renewable energy, and climate-sensitive infrastructures.

Security and Governance

1.      1.  Cybersecurity frameworks for healthcare and agricultural IoT.

2.       Data governance, privacy, and ethics in AI-driven sustainability.

3.       Trust, accountability, and transparency in sustainable technology adoption.

       4.     Regulatory and policy perspectives for sustainable, secure technology ecosystems