ALBERT

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Importance of the indicator-based neighborhood sustainability assessment (NSA) systems is widely accepted. The requirement of NSA systems for assisting and monitoring neighborhood sustainability is evident. Development of such systems needs analysis, frameworks, methods, expertise, etc. However, due to the large geographical area and regional variations, international application of these systems is an issue. Similarly, there lie contextual differences in developing and developed countries. Here, we derive a framework for formulating sustainability assessment system for developing countries. The available literature shows scarce research on NSA systems in developing countries. The study classifies the popular sustainability assessment systems from both context (developed and developing countries), presenting their approaches. Our results help in knowing the focus of NSA systems in each context. The classification is based on parameters (input, evaluation and output) and indicator distribution. The study finds that 〈em〉energy〈/em〉, 〈em〉water and wastewater,〈/em〉 and 〈em〉transportation〈/em〉 themes are given emphasis in NSA systems of developing countries, whereas the social theme is given attention in developed countries. We anticipate the results to be useful for classifying NSA systems. Furthermore, the framework can be a starting point for researchers to formulate new assessment systems for developing countries.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This research work has been performed to institute a proper landfill leachate treatment program by the integrated sequence of air stripping, coagulation–flocculation (CF), and adsorption. In this study, air stripping removes up to 96.3% of NH〈sub〉3〈/sub〉–N, 49.3% of COD, and 74.1% of BOD〈sub〉5〈/sub〉 within an optimum retention period of 36 h. Optimization of CF and adsorption were accomplished by employing central composite design of response surface methodology. The application of CF resulted in the removal of COD by 55.3%, BOD〈sub〉5〈/sub〉 by 83.9%, color by 91.8%, and Hg by 42.2% at the optimized state of pH 5.2 and FeCl〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 dose of 3.1 g/L. In case of adsorption, about 56.1% of COD and 89.2% of Hg removal were observed at the optimum conditions of pH 7, adsorbent dose of 0.6 g/L of chitosan beads, and 66.4 min of contact time. Langmuir isotherm model satisfactorily described adsorption isotherm and fitted with pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Adsorbent was characteristically specified by FTIR and SEM with EDAX analysis. Desorption study showed that 77.2% of adsorbed Hg could be recovered effectively by EDTA. The overall treatment schedule demonstrates a net removal of 96.3% of NH〈sub〉3〈/sub〉–N, 91.8% of color, 95.8% of BOD〈sub〉5〈/sub〉, 90.0% of COD, and 95.8% of Hg.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of community-based organizations (CBOs) on the adoption of agricultural adaptations to climate change impacts. To this end, we first analyze farmers’ perceptions on changes in local climatic condition, its impact and adaptations on agriculture based on information collected through a questionnaire survey of 720 farming households in six districts of Nepal. The findings reveal a widespread feeling of weather getting warmer, decreasing precipitation, and increasing weather unpredictability. It is found that climate change has adversely affected agriculture in Nepal, and farmers have adopted various adaptation practices to minimize the impacts. Second, we employ propensity score matching technique to examine the impact of CBOs on climate change adaptation. About 62% of the sampled farming households were associated with CBOs, and several socioeconomic factors influence such association. This study provides evidence supporting the argument that CBOs play important role in reducing the negative impacts of climate change by enhancing the adoption of adaptation strategies. It is also evident from the study the need of further strengthening and institutionalizing the informal farmers’ groups and institutions for the successful adaptation.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Local governments in developing countries are christened as proadaptation agents. However, global research effort has virtually ignored inherent adaptation policy implementation nuances in developing countries, ostensibly assuming that narratives from existing policy implementation literature could fill the void. Drawing on qualitative data from six LGs from Ghana, this paper examines the motivation, agenda setting processes and teething challenges constricting the implementation of decentralized climate change adaptation governance in Ghana. Though adherents of decentralization argue that local governments are more likely to conceive and implement proadaptation-related interventions, evidence from Ghana provides fascinating lessons. This paper shows that local governments’ ability to mainstream adaptation-related actions into local governance is constricted by taxonomy of local political economy issues and the “science-heaviness” of climate change. It concludes that local government are unlikely to be a fulcrum of adaptation governance as touted if reasonable efforts are not made at strengthening and broadening its resource basket.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Pothole is an exceptional dynamic micro-fluvial erosional landform of the river bed. Subarnarekha River is a rejuvenated antecedent river and occupies a significant part of the Chotanagpur Plateau. The river bed of the Subarnarekha River and the confluence zones of Subarnarekha-Lokjoriya and Subarnarekha-Kharsoti have favourable conditions for the development of potholes. Geological (joint and fracture on river bed) and hydrological (stream power, water discharge, flow velocity) parameters are taken into consideration to understand the mechanism of pothole growth. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) has been done to understand the governing factor influencing the mechanism of pothole development. The results are analysed in a quantitative way, and the micro-scale field observations have been represented using ArcGIS10.2.2 and IBM SPSS 22. Using the MCA it has been inferred that ‘joint length’ is the prime contributing factor responsible for pothole formation in the middle Subarnarekha River basin, Ghatsila. The main significance of this research work is the study of micro-geomorphic landforms mechanism near confluence and other places of the river bed.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Groundwater is envisaged as a valuable common resource. In the present day, groundwater is declining very rapidly due to human intervention. Stress on groundwater in the semiarid locale of West Bengal, especially in Purulia district, is very high due to immense demand and overexploitation. The fundamental goal of the study is to discover potential groundwater zones for the appraisal of groundwater availability in the Kumari river basin, India. Survey of India topographical maps, elevation data (ASTER DEM 30 m), satellite imageries (Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2) and Google Earth images were analyzed using RS-GIS software (ArcGIS 10.3, ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2, MicroImages TNT MIP Pro 2016) to prepare various thematic data layers like altitude, slope angle, drainage density, geomorphology, soil type, geology, land use/land cover, lineament density, distance from rivers and mean annual rainfall. All prepared maps were changed with GIS software utilizing the raster converter apparatus in the raster space. Weighted layer for each thematic data layer was statistically computed by assigning weight values to individual parameters. Class rank was assigned in light of their significance to underground water recharge. Finally, a groundwater potential zone map was prepared utilizing analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and five distinct zones were arranged accordingly. ROC (receiver operating characteristics) curve and groundwater depth map were prepared using the field data to validate the groundwater zonation map of the Kumari river basin.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Day by day, the quantum of “end-of-life tires” (ELT) is increasing at a rapid rate across the globe. The conventional methods, namely landfilling, stockpiling, and burning adopted for the management or disposal of this hazardous waste, are proven to have a greater amount of adverse impact on the environment, ecological systems, and health of human beings. The feasible and voluminous utilization of this inexpedient hazardous waste is only possible either in concrete industries or as an amendment of soil to attain the cleaner production for the rubber manufacturing and tire retreading and regrooving industries. Besides that, it could resolve the problems of authorities associated with the environmental aspect of waste rubber tire disposal. This paper enlightens the published research work carried out by geotechnical investigator’s fraternity on the geotechnical properties of fine-grained soil containing various forms of end-of-life tires, namely shreds, granulates (crumbles), fibres (buffings), chips, and ash. The effects of different forms of end-of-life tires on Atterberg’s limits, compaction parameters, shear strength, tensile strength, consolidation, swelling, permeability, California bearing ratio, durability, dynamic properties, and microstructure of fine-grained soil have been reviewed. Review reveals that inclusions of ELT in fine-grained soil have a promising future for its disposal, but still more in-depth investigations are required to solidify the conclusions drawn by past investigators for its popularization as construction material for embankments of highways and railways, as base and sub-base material for roads, and as filler material behind retaining wall.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Environmental concern has become one of the major global issues that affect all nations individually and/or collectively. One of the most important methods for environmental impact assessment (EIA) is Folchi method. An improvement for Folchi method in EIA is done in this paper by using fuzzy method. A fuzzy expert semi-quantitative methodology is designed to assess the EIA within the Folchi framework. The proposed fuzzy method has the advantage of allowing consideration of uncertainties in the Folchi method in comparison with classic expert semi-quantitative method that only unique codes are used to quantify the effect of each impacting factor on each designed environmental component. Since the fuzzy system is used to minimize subjectivity of the weights which are computed in the Folchi method, the “Fuzzy Delphi” and “Folchi” methods were merged. Due to the high potential of cement plants in the creation of environmental impact, environment impact assessment of the development of cement plants is very important. To test the proposed method, the Shahrood cement plant was selected as a case study. According to the results, the contamination generated by the plant, especially for environmental components such as air quality, soil of the area, area landscape, area usage, and ecology, is more significant than other environmental components. The newly proposed approach is an efficient tool in EIA and hence can be operational in humanistic decision-making systems with existence of uncertainty, vagueness, and imprecision.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Effective protected area (PA) conservation relies heavily on positive social perception, attitude and values, especially by the stakeholders most affected by PA regulations. Random samples of residents around (〈em〉n〈/em〉 = 401) and quota samples of visitors to (〈em〉n〈/em〉 = 542) two emblematic, environmentally similar National Parks (NPs) in Spain: Ordesa y Monte Perdido NP (Ordesa NP) and Sierra de Guadarrama NP (Guadarrama NP) were surveyed on their attitudes, perceptions and values using structured questionnaires. The results show similarities and differences between stakeholder groups and NPs. Most differences can be explained by the different geographic, historical and socioeconomic contexts. Residents near Guadarrama NP visited it less frequently, whereas non-residents visited the NP more frequently than Ordesa NP. Residents’ and visitors’ perception on the conservation state was better for Ordesa NP than for Guadarrama NP. The main perceived threats by both groups were wildfires, massive visitation and insufficient environmental awareness. Local participation in management was deemed improvable in both NPs. Stated importance on both NPs was similarly high for both stakeholder groups. Half of residents and over two-thirds of visitors to both NPs were willing to pay an entrance fee. A daily fee of 3 € per person would be acceptable to most. Willingness to pay (WTP) was negatively correlated with ‘frequency of visits’ in Guadarrama NP. WTP increased substantially with measures that ensure equity, transparency and accountability. These results present PA managers with updated key stakeholders’ attitudes and perceptions, and provide a feasible alternative to regulate massive visitation and enhance financial sustainability of Spanish NPs.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Efforts to slow down and eventually reverse the trend of climate change will take time, and in some cases, the negative impacts of climate change will be felt long before long-term solutions to this problem can bear fruit. Adaptation and mitigation strategies constitute the front line of attack for rural households in developing countries that rely on agricultural production and natural resource use as their main source of income and growth, and whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change. This study models the determinants of adoption of sustainable production practices by coffee producers in the department of Matagalpa, in northern Nicaragua. Using primary survey data, we analyze the extent to which cooperative membership impacts adoption of ten different practices. We find that coffee farmers who belong to cooperatives have adopted sustainable practices at higher rates than non-members, and that the odds of adoption are higher for members than for non-members. A factor analysis was conducted to determine the underlying structural differences between the ten practices, and from this analysis three factors emerged and were modeled. We find that cooperative membership is a significant determinant of practices that promote water conservation, yet not significant for practices that promote soil and plant health, nor for practices related to field management. These findings are valuable for policy makers, donors, and development and extension practitioners in the coffee sector, as they can better inform and guide policies toward more efficient and effective paths of long-term climate change adaptation.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Peri-urban fisheries- and fishing-dependent livelihoods face multiscalar threats of climate change, water pollution, transforming land initiatives and volatile markets. The objectives of this study were to assess the livelihood strategies and assets as well as the vulnerability of peri-urban fisherfolks in Lakes Chivero and Manyame, Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the study investigated the perceptions of fisherfolks towards climate change and its effects on their livelihoods. We employed a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods based on the livelihood indicator approach to assess climate risks and the associated vulnerabilities of peri-urban fisherfolks for the period November 2015–January 2017. Results indicate that the livelihood of the majority of fisherfolks (92.3% in Lake Manyame and 97.1% in Lake Chivero) is predominantly based on fishing and farming. More than 60% of the fisherfolks have attained formal education with some even attaining university education. Most (87%) peri-urban fisherfolks in the Lake Chivero and Manyame are aware of climate change and attest to its negative effects on their fishing-dependent livelihoods. Synergistic and multiplier relations between climatic and non-climatic factors such as water quality and quantity deterioration, obsolete fishing equipment and low working capital are key drivers of vulnerability. Economic diversification is the main adaptive strategy adopted by fisherfolks to reduce vulnerability. Non-significant differences in livelihood strategies, fisherfolk responses and perceptions towards climate change are attributed to the contiguity of the two lakes. Application and implementation of similar climate mitigation and adaptive strategies is a potential solution to reduce current and future vulnerability of fisherfolks in contiguous peri-urban lakes.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Urbanization leads to the expansion of construction land. The rapid and intense construction land expansion in the Jing-Jin-Tang (Beijing–Tianjin–Tangshan) region has had various impacts on the economic development and natural environments. Based on remote sensing images, trajectory analysis was used to depict the dynamic changes of land use types over past three decades and explore the impact of urban expansion on the environment. Adopting Tapio’s decoupling analysis, we considered the relationship between the rate of change in areas of agricultural land occupied by construction land (ALO) and the non-agricultural GDP (NAGDP) growth rate to determine and compare the ecological consequences and economic impacts of urban expansion between cities with different industrial structures in the region. Our results show that: (1) during the study period, expansion of construction land in Beijing, Tianjin and Tangshan increased first and then decreased. (2) Early in the study period, most of areas converted to construction land had originally been agricultural land, but this gradually changed to include more other land use types. (3) The expansion of construction land not only occupies a large amount of agriculture land and ecological land, but also aggravates urban ecological problems. (4) The decoupling state of Tianjin was more ideal compared with those of Tangshan and Beijing. (5) Finally, the rate of change in ALO area began to decrease over the study period, even though the NAGDP growth rate continually increased in the whole region, meaning that the decoupling states were moving in an ideal direction.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The emergent water paucity calls for more resourceful alternatives of water conservation. Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is one of the most capable systems to increase availability of water and agriculture output in the semi-arid regions. Nevertheless, the assessment of RWH potential and selection of appropriate RWH locations pose a great challenge for the water managers due to lacking biophysical data and infrastructure. The present study attempts to assess the RWH potential and identifying probable RWH locations in the Betwa sub-basin using geospatial and multiple criteria decision analysis techniques (MCDA). The spatial theme such as land use land cover was derived by supervised classification method and lineament and drainage by edge enhancement method from Landsat ETM + satellite image and other secondary published maps. The surface runoff was determined from modified Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method. These parameters were assigned suitable weights and integrated with a geospatial (GIS) technique to generate RWH site suitability map and to identify possible locations for RWH structures. SCS-CN technique displays that the water-body and built-up areas have high runoff potential, while forest area shows low runoff. The analysis indicates that 5.6% (87.7 km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) is suitable for percolation tanks, 3% (46.6 km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) suitable for farm ponds and for check dams (0.7 km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) of the study area. The study reveals combined methodology of geospatial and MCDA procedures in planning of rainwater harvesting at a regional scale.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Exploring the structure, function, and dynamics of regional sustainability system (as ecosystem) can help providing insights into the importance of how environmental management answers to socioeconomic and environmental changes for transitioning to sustainable development. The connectivity (structure) and stability (function) of regional sustainability system are investigated through making regional radiation capability model and spatial coordination index model, which is relied on how keystone province influences the other provinces from society, economy and environment dimensions. The brand new models are then applied to the two largest urban agglomerations in China during period 2001–2014. The results show that the connectivity and stability in BHR are distinctly weaker than in YRD, and reveal the essential characteristics and underlying drivers of regional sustainability system. To be specific, initially, it reflects that on the whole BHR harbors larger difference and lower radiation capability than YRD. Additionally, the regional sustainability system of YRD has much higher stability and better interactive function than of BHR. Thirdly, although the sustainable development level of both BHR and YRD increases at a certain speed year by year, the disparity among various provinces shows an apparent decline and the contribution mainly comes from intra-BHR. Finally, it also provides that how the key province and the surrounding province interact and what the main contributors to the dynamics of regional sustainability system are. Overall, taking regional sustainability system as ecosystem can well reveal this complex system and can provide references to any other urban agglomerations in worldwide.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The paper assessed the existing adaptation strategies implemented by farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana to reduce the adverse impacts of climate change and variability. The paper used data collected through a series of participatory methods including focus group discussions, questionnaire surveys and key informant interviews in 4 farming communities with different socioeconomic backgrounds in the Bongo and Talensi-Nabdam Districts of the Upper East Region. Results showed that farmers’ adaptation to climate change and variability may be categorized under agricultural, water management, communal pooling and livelihood diversification techniques. Specific livelihood diversification adaptation practices identified in the study communities include charcoal or fuel wood sales, temporal and permanent migration to urban areas in search of non-existing jobs. Communal pooling, involving joint ownership and sharing of wealth, labor or incomes across households, is not widely practiced and should be enhanced. The findings showed that male and female farmers may engage in different set of adaptation practices to cope with climate change. Further, the results showed that farmers, especially female farmers, were constrained by a lack of property rights of farmlands, lack of credit facilities and lack of access to irrigation facilities, inadequate climate change information and inadequate seeds for planting. The paper recommends that farmers should be encouraged to form farmer-based associations to network socially, access credit facilities, land, insurance products, extension services and training to empower communities and women. Fostering peer exchange of information between communities will ensure best practices, and lessons learnt are shared and scaled-up. This paper contributes to the literature on mechanisms employed by farmers in dryland farming systems to cope with climate change and variability.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Disposing waste on land is one of the major effects of urbanization and has adversely affected the urban landscape quality of the cities especially in developing countries. In the process, the quality of the wastes which has the potential for reuse in productive landscape purposes is not considered/tapped. This paper considers unused land/existing dumpsites as specific example cases that can be transformed or upgraded to a productive landscape space by exploiting up the nutrient potential of the major fraction of urban waste that is organic in nature. In order to achieve this idea, the work proposes a waste management strategy developed based on an onsite experiment at the neighbourhood level. Here the organic waste from the households in the neighbourhood is segregated, collected and brought to an identified vacant/unused land area within a neighbourhood where it is processed, maintained and transformed to a green space simultaneously as a cyclic process. The onsite experiment has helped to come out with a nomogram which incorporates depths, degradation time of the waste and plant growth period as variables based on the number of households, and their expected quantity of waste generation within the neighbourhood premises. Wherever applicable a refinement of this neighbourhood level attempt can be replicated at an urban scale to develop productive landscape spaces that cater to larger user group. The work thus analyses the process of developing any vacant land/dumpsite as a space having the potential to naturally process the waste adding to the aesthetic appeal of the city in a structured manner.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Green Parties are not the most popular in polls. However, their electoral scores have been achieving more significance since the 1990s, especially in European elections. This paper discusses the role of various Green seats occupied in 36 democracies in terms of the country’s control of pollution. Using different specifications for system GMM, the regressions here discussed concluded that higher shares of parliamentary seats occupied by Green Parties tended to be observed in countries with the most significant reductions in estimated levels of different pollutant gases (CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O, SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉, CH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉, and GHG). Additional robustness checks have also been discussed.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The present study assessed the air quality of an industrial town Mandi Gobindgarh, one of the critically polluted areas specified by Central pollution control board, India. Air quality was assessed in terms of Indian Air Quality Index (IND-AQI) by analyzing concentration of the air pollutants like particulate matter (PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉, PM〈sub〉2.5〈/sub〉), sulfur dioxide (SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉), and nitrogen dioxide (NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉). Half-yearly wind roses were prepared from wind data from October, 2013 to March, 2015 for selecting sites on the basis of prevailing wind direction and speed. On the basis of wind roses, land use pattern and industrial clusters, 11 sampling sites were selected, i.e., 7 were industrial, 2 were residential, and 1 was agricultural. AQI was calculated for different seasons from March, 2015 to February, 2016; on the basis of IND-AQI. Results indicate that pollutant responsible for maximum sites for higher AQI was PM〈sub〉10〈/sub〉 and industrial sites were having “Poor” air quality, making area more susceptible to a large number of airborne disease. Annual cycle shows highest concentration of pollutants and water soluble ions to be higher in winter season and the lower during monsoon season. The concentration of water soluble ions for samples collected during winter season at commercial site was found to vary in the order of NH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 〉 Cl〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 〉 SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉2−〈/sup〉 〉 Na〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 〉 Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 〉 K〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 〉 NO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 〉 Mg〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉. Values of SO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉/NO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 obtained vary from 1.23 to 1.99 at various selected sites which depict that the impacts of vehicular sources were marginally less, when compared to industrial sources.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is the market-based mechanism introduced to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) during various activities. Enormous literature has been available on the GHG mitigation activities in energy, transport, agriculture, construction, waste handling activities, afforestation and reforestation sectors using CDM. However, no single study has been carried out for reduction of fugitive emissions or leakages which releases during the industrial activities. Therefore, this paper presents a critical assessment of CDM projects implemented to reduce fugitive emissions during industrial activities. Out of entire 7749 registered CDM projects (in all sectors of CDM), only 154 (1.98%) fugitive emission reduction projects were implemented up to 2016. These 154 projects contribute up to 147,563,247 MTCO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉e (8.87%) estimated emission reduction out of total 1,663,533,108 MTCO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉e estimated emission reduction in all sectors of CDM (〈a href="https://cdm.unfccc.int/about/index.html"〉https://cdm.unfccc.int/about/index.html〈/a〉). Out of these 154 registered fugitive projects, 125 projects were assessed for fuel emissions, 19 for halocarbons (HCF) emissions and 10 for sulphur hexafluoride (SF〈sub〉6〈/sub〉) emissions. The details of the projects were gathered from Project Design Document (PDDs) of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) project cycle search and further verified by monitoring the reports of each project. These projects were studied to examine estimated emission reductions with special emphasis on the achieved emission reductions in terms of Certified Emissions Reduction (CERs) to calculate financial benefits. Available CDM methodologies to reduce fugitive emissions were also studied. Further, the distribution of these projects across India was mapped using Arc-GIS. Findings show India is second most country after China in registration of CDM projects. Westerns and northern part of India covers maximum CDM activities. Amongst various methodologies, abatement of methane from coalmines (ACM0008), approved methods decomposition of fluoroform (HFC-23) and point of use abatement device to reduce SF〈sub〉6〈/sub〉 emissions (AM0078) were used extensively for reduction of fuel, HFC and fluoride gas emissions. 260,064,195 MTCO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉e of CERs (14.5%), i.e. emission reduction was achieved from these projects till 2016 (〈a href="https://cdm.unfccc.int/about/index.html"〉https://cdm.unfccc.int/about/index.html〈/a〉). Therefore, some key challenges or barriers are discussed for development and disclosure of carbon strategies to get transparency in entire CER trading processes.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This study addresses the perceptions of indigenous people in Bangladesh in relation to the causes and impacts of climate change and how they use their indigenous knowledge to manage their forest resources and apply a variety of coping strategies in the face of climate change. This study selected two indigenous communities living in Lawachara Punji (Khasia community, 18 households) and in Dolubari/Dulahazra (Tripura community, 60 households). This study used purposive sampling and collected information through a survey questionnaire as well as in-depth interviews. Findings show some differences between the two indigenous communities in terms of their beliefs about the causes and impacts of climate change, as well their perceptions, techniques, and knowledge as indigenous people in terms of managing their forest resources and coping with the effects of climate change. Tripura respondents believe that climate change has had adverse impacts on humans and that human activities are responsible for climate change, while Khasia respondents hold different beliefs in these respects. Khasia respondents emphasize government responsibility, raising public awareness, and the various roles people need to perform to mitigate the effects of climate change. Findings from this kind of study can provide a deeper understanding of people’s views of the causes and impacts of climate change and related dimensions, including forest resource management and coping strategies in terms of indigenous beliefs and practices. These findings can contribute to policy making in countries like Bangladesh that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, contributing to environmental sustainability in developing countries.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This paper assessed environmental sanitation implication of the disposal of the dead in two traditional African cities (Ile-Ife and Oyo in Nigeria) based on residents’ perception. Each of the cities was stratified into three residential zones: traditional zone, transition and peripheral zones. Across the residential zones, questionnaires were administered on 331 and 397 residents in Ile-Ife and Oyo, respectively. Findings revealed that dumping was the commonest method of the disposal of carcasses and burial was the commonest for corpses. The practices of the disposal of dead in the cities were without concern for environmental sanitation and public health. The study recommended enforcement of environmental sanitation laws and the need for planning for the dead as feeders for policy making, review and implementation on the disposal of the dead and other related issues in environmental studies both in the cities and others with similar setting.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The increasing interest in water protection creates a new complex business environment. On account of firms’ large-scale impacts on the environment and water resources as well as the important role of specific industry sectors, such as water utilities, in water protection, various groups of stakeholders have lately requested for firms to provide transparent and extensive information about their water management strategies implemented to deal with water risks and opportunities. In this regard, sustainability reports play a critical role in informing stakeholders about their water risk performance and management practices. Despite the popularity of sustainability reports as a communication tool for environmental and water-related information, there is not a widely applied technique for evaluating and reporting water risk information. To advance the water risk reporting practices, this paper develops an evaluation framework which could assist firms, especially water utilities, in disclosing accurate and detailed information and data about water risks. The proposed methodological framework was applied in a sample of water utilities in order to examine its applicability, highlighting the strong and weak points.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This study investigates the overall effect of individual-level variables on predicting recycling in a cross-cultural context. The objective of the study was to investigate the role of social norms and perceived behavioral control as moderators and/or mediators of the relations between culture and reported recycling behavior. A survey was conducted among 172 Jewish and Muslim-Bedouin residents of a rural regional council in Israel. The survey included scales measuring social norms, perceived behavioral control, and reported recycling. Results revealed strong cross-cultural differences in reported recycling behaviors, with higher reported recycling among Jewish than among Muslim-Bedouin residents. Perceived behavioral control made an almost identical contribution to the explained variability of recycling among both Jewish and Muslim-Bedouin residents. Social norms were a significantly stronger predictor in explaining recycling among Muslim-Bedouin than among Jewish residents, yet, no significant interaction effect was found between culture and social norms in explaining recycling. Both social norms and perceived behavioral control mediated the relations between culture and recycling.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Ghana’s oil city—the Sekondi–Takoradi Metropolis—has rapidly urbanized over the past three decades. Combined with the effects of climate change, changes in land use and cover (LULC) threaten the hydrological cycle of the metropolis. It is, therefore, prudent to examine how the LULC change over time has impacted its watershed and the potential threats that such changes pose. This paper’s objective was to investigate and discuss the potential impacts of land development intensity (LDI) on the local hydrology of the metropolis, using remote sensing and GIS. Our results revealed interesting dynamics in the LULC changes in the metropolis that may have immensely affected and continued to impact the local hydrological cycle. Of the overall urban expansion in the metropolis, more than 50% occurred within its main watershed, which covers about only 35% of the entire metropolis. Urban expansion within the watershed occurred at the expense of forest and agricultural lands. The continual LDI increase in the watershed has potential significant hydrological consequences in terms of flooding, groundwater subsidence, and saltwater intrusion. To achieve sustainable water management, it is critical that policy decisions recognize and incorporate the potential impacts of LULC changes to limit future impacts.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The southern part of Bangladesh is one of the most affected regions facing the devastating impacts of climate change particularly in case of crop production. Impacts of climate-induced disasters and climatic variability on cropping pattern and crop production in 〈em〉Satkhira〈/em〉 district have been studied. Thirty-five year (1980–2014) climatic data (temperature, humidity, and rainfall) were used for seasonal (〈em〉Kharif〈/em〉-〈em〉I, Kharif〈/em〉-〈em〉II,〈/em〉 and 〈em〉Robi)〈/em〉 trend analysis. It has been identified that the cropping pattern needed to be modified by local farmers due to climate change impacts and crop production has declined severely in the study areas. For instance, in the 〈em〉Kharif〈/em〉-〈em〉II〈/em〉 season, during the period 2008–2009 with an agricultural land area of 13,670 hectares, the average production was only 2.58 mt per hectare. The study shows a significant strong positive correlation between seasonal average rainfall and seasonal average humidity (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = 0.75, 〈em〉p 〈/em〉〈 0.05) during the 〈em〉Robi〈/em〉 season. A significant strong negative correlation between seasonal average temperature and seasonal average humidity (〈em〉r〈/em〉 = − 0.60, 〈em〉p〈/em〉 〈 0.05) during the 〈em〉Kharif〈/em〉-〈em〉I〈/em〉 season was also found. We suggest some adaptation strategies to cope with the changing condition such as increased use of salt- and flood-tolerant varieties, floating bed vegetable cultivation, and dyke cropping system (mainly for vegetable), which can eventually reduce vulnerabilities and increase food security.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Well-organized ethnic diversity plays a crucial role in performing quality environment and international trade. Discrimination, segregation and bigotry are escalating the pressure on world’s population and spreading prejudice, later as a consequence may lead to social exclusion. This study aims to investigate whether ethnic or religious diversity affects international trade and the environmental performance by using the data of 187-countries (including 56 high-income, 102 middle-income and 29 low-income countries) of the world. The results indicate that diversity (ethnic and religious) plays a significant positive impact on international trade and environmental performance of high- and middle-income countries and vice versa with low-income countries. This study further suggested that diversity cannot be abbreviated; however, its disastrous effects may be curtailed by providing equal opportunities and peace in society to ensure the well-being of people through cohesiveness.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉In large part of the world, rivers are polluted with sewage, industrial and agricultural wastes. The objective of this study is to determine farmers’ willingness to pay to improve the water quality of the Aksu River in Kahramanmaras Province. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with 236 farmers in the study area and the contingent valuation method and binomial probit model were used to evaluate river quality. As a result of the analysis, it is determined that average farm size was 188.2 decares, average annual income was $ 40377.56 and 87.3% of the respondents want to do good agricultural practices, which is a form of production that does not harm the environment, human and animal health. Model results showed that the region (polluted and not polluted area) and the use of fertilizers according to soil analysis results affect farmers’ willingness to pay positively. On the other hand, the education level of farmers and bid price have a negative effect on the willingness to pay. As a result of the analysis, it is determined that the farmers wanted to pay $8.03 per decare to improve the river water quality.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This study mainly focuses on the source identification of various ions in meltwater and estimation of CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 consumption rate by chemical weathering in the Batal glacier basin on the basis of 2 years of study (2015 and 2017). The glacier meltwater has been monitored as slightly acidic in nature having mean pH value of 6.6. Ca〈sup〉2+〈/sup〉 was observed as the most dominant cation contributing about 76% of TZ〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 (total cations), whereas SO〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉2−〈/sup〉 was observed as the most dominant anion contributing about 70% of TZ〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 (total anions) in the stream meltwater. High ratios of (Ca + Mg) versus TZ〈sup〉+〈/sup〉 (mean value: 0.89 ± 0.02) and (Ca + Mg) versus (Na + K) (mean value: 8.51 ± 2.07) elucidate that stream water chemistry of the Batal glacier is largely controlled by carbonate weathering. Concentration of total dissolved solid in the glacial stream water was higher during the low-melt season (September) and lower during the high-melt period (July). The average value of daily mean TDS flux of the study area was calculated to be 12.4 t/day. The mean values of CWR (carbonate weathering rate) and SWR (silicate weathering rate) for the Batal glacier basin were calculated to be 97.4 and 22.8 t/km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/year, showing higher contribution of CWR as compared to SWR in the investigation area. CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 consumption rate by the combined silicate and carbonate (chemical) weathering was estimated to be 11.1 × 10〈sup〉5〈/sup〉, 28.8 × 10〈sup〉5〈/sup〉 and 35.5 × 10〈sup〉5〈/sup〉 mol/km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉/year during the study period September 2015, June 2017 and July 2017, respectively. The annual CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 drawdown by the Batal glacier basin on the basis of CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 consumption rate by chemical weathering is much lower as compared to the Gangotri glacier, which may be due to bigger size and higher meltwater runoff of the Gangotri glacier as compared to the Batal glacier. 〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Indicators are one of the tools available in planning and management projects that aid in the decision-making process and the monitoring of those decisions on the path to sustainable use and management of water and natural resources. However, the quality and trustworthiness of the indicators depend on the constant improvement in the means to assess and design criteria sets. The identification of criteria to evaluate indicators and its subsequence selection are not an ordinary task. The research identified a proliferation of unconsolidated criteria in use in the sustainability and water resource management domains. In response, a process of synthesis and consolidation was undertaken in order to reduce the level of redundancies and to identify possible candidates for “core criteria” that are identified as being a relevant part of most evaluation frameworks. A representative collection of sources from the specialized literature was screened for evaluation criteria. Altogether, 74 sources were assessed, comprising 346 mentions of criteria applied for indicator assessment. A detailed synthesis was performed to organize the criteria and identify possible redundancies. The analysis allowed a reduction from the 346 initial criteria to 60 unique criteria. The study offers a standard title and description for each criterion, contributing to improve clarity and avoid ambiguity. The criteria were also ranked to identify which criteria were in more systemic use. Of the 60 criteria found, the 12 most cited were identified as possible core criteria for framework development. Also, in order to facilitate the design of indicator sets, all 60 criteria were divided into two approaches (scientific/top-down or end-use/bottom-up). This study identified significant redundancies and a lack of standardization in the use of criteria, and it also ranked criteria to facilitate multi-method framework development. Thus, it is essential that indicator designers not only consider criteria that have some level of standardization to be able to compare and communicate with other agencies and communities but also consider how to utilize core criteria in the design of indicator sets.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉In this paper, thermal performance of a solar air heater (SAH) having arc-shaped ribs with symmetrical gaps has been investigated experimentally and compared with that of smooth SAH. An experimental investigation has been carried out to observe the effect of various gap widths on heat transfer and friction characteristics. The investigation includes the roughness parameter; relative gap width (〈em〉g〈/em〉/〈em〉e〈/em〉) ranging from 2 to 5 and flow parameter; and Reynolds number ranging from 3000 to 18,000. The fixed parameters for this study were relative roughness height (〈em〉e〈/em〉/〈em〉D〈/em〉) of 0.047, arc angle (〈em〉α〈/em〉) of 60° and relative roughness pitch (〈em〉P〈/em〉/〈em〉e〈/em〉) of 12. Results of the present work have also been compared with previously published work. Nusselt number and friction factor for roughened absorber surface is found to be 3.66 and 2.77 times higher than that obtained for smooth plate, respectively. Maximum value of thermo-hydraulic performance parameter is found to be 2.66 at 〈em〉g〈/em〉/〈em〉e〈/em〉 = 4. Heat transfer and friction factor correlations for proposed roughness have also been developed.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This paper shows strategic neuro-fuzzy (N-fis) control scheme for wind-driven-based doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG) using artificial neural network (ANN)-controlled solar PV array. The complete system of DFIG is designed using neuro-fuzzy control scheme for harnessing the maximum power from both solar and wind. The output solar PV array is connected to DC link terminal of DFIG through boost converter. ANN is used to trigger the IGBT switch of the boost converter which consists of 30 neuron structure arranged in three hidden layer. Selection of 30 neuron structure for ANN using back-propagation delay is decided by methodology which gives least square error and best regression analysis. Initially, the Simulink model of 15 kW DFIG is designed in which rotor and grid-side converter is controlled by using neuro-fuzzy (N-fis) scheme. The N-fis scheme is used for switching the GSC and RSC converter with the help of PWM converter. The wind turbine acts as mechanical input to rotor shaft of DFIG which is controlled by pitch angle, tip-to-speed ratio and power coefficient. Further 20 kW ANN-controlled solar PV array is designed which is equipped with DC link terminal of DFIG. The complete system shows the dependency, reliability and truthfulness of DFIG on renewable energy (wind & solar both). Comparative analysis is shown for 10 kW DFIG of wind–solar combination and with wind only. This also shows the significance of solar in wind power-based DFIG which reduces the requirement choke coil filter that makes the system economical and efficient.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The study assessed the sustainability of community-managed water supply services drawing empirical evidence from a small town water supply system in Ghana. The study followed a fully quantitative research approach. Data were collected from 387 respondents who were almost all public standpipe users (98.45%) using a structured survey questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were reported, and MACBETH was the method of analysis. The study revealed that quality drinking water and reliability are the most important criteria in the opinion of survey respondents for small town water supply system. Building on this empirical understanding, the differences in importance that respondents attributed to each of these criteria were measured, and, for example, implementation of policies and public disclosure was their lowest priority. The results revealed that survey respondents believe that all criteria are currently within a range that indicates a sustainable water supply system. The paper recommend among other things that management of community-managed water supply system should be well positioned to ensure continuous water quality testing while designing drinking water quality improvement plans.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉In this study, wastewater formed in marble mines operated as open mines with the aid of a cutting slope in the soil clarification tanks, which were made impermeable by using membranes and similar impermeable elements, was collected after the sedimentation process. The reusability of the water during the process was also investigated. In the marble mines where the study was carried out, an average of 25 m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉/day of water is used as the process water for cutting operations. It is thought that ~ 10 m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉/day of this water is evaporated or remains between the marble blocks. However, in the facility, 15 m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉/day of wastewater was collected in the clarification tank that was made impermeable with a plastic cover. The initial (I) and final (F) values for the suspended solid (SS), pH, colour (C), oil and grease (OG) and Cr〈sup〉6+〈/sup〉 were determined as SS〈sub〉I〈/sub〉 = 106.5 mg/l, SS〈sub〉F〈/sub〉 = 58.3 mg/l, pH〈sub〉I〈/sub〉 = 8.06, pH〈sub〉F〈/sub〉 = 7.93, 〈em〉C〈/em〉〈sub〉I〈/sub〉 = 83.5 (Pt–Co), 〈em〉C〈/em〉〈sub〉F〈/sub〉 = 47.5 (Pt–Co), (Cr〈sup〉6+〈/sup〉)〈sub〉I〈/sub〉 = 〈 0.05 mg/l, (Cr〈sup〉6+〈/sup〉)〈sub〉F〈/sub〉 = 〈 0.05 mg/l, OG〈sub〉I〈/sub〉 = 8.7 mg/l and OG〈sub〉F〈/sub〉 = 2.3 mg/l. The fact that these values are below the required limits in the Water Pollution Control Regulation applied in Turkey indicates that the treatment is successful and that the clarification tank is working effectively. Therefore, this method can be used successfully in marble mines.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Natural disasters, such as flood, earthquake or hurricane, can cause environmental damage, infrastructural destruction, economic disruption and result in the loss of human lives. The goal of this paper is to assess vulnerability of the interdependent sectors and to determine the impact of a disaster. As part of our investigation, we explore the inoperability input–output model (IIM) to obtain ballpark estimate of losses. IIM can quantify the effect on production level and measure ripple effect of perturbation on the interdependent system by calculating the economic loss and inoperability level. Furthermore, PROMETHEE (preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations) is integrated with IIM, incorporating the criteria of economic system linkages, economic losses and percentage of the inoperability. It will help to analyze the effect of disaster and rank the most vulnerable sectors—based on the defined criterion. A case study is performed in Pakistan (an Asian developing country) which was hit by floods in 2011–2012, perturbing the demand in various sectors. To analyze the perturbation level and system linkages, an interdependent input–output matrix—based on the Pakistan’s economy—is constructed. Further research analysis gives perspicacity in terms of describing criticality and sensitivity of the independent economic system. It is concluded that the agriculture and service sectors have suffered with the highest inoperability level. The results also identify significant sectors of the economy after flood strikes; these sectors can be prioritized for policymaking activities to reduce the sector-specific impact in the aftermath of a catastrophic event.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Transport sustainability is an important foundation for achieving sustainable development in an economy. Particularly, environmental policies cannot overlook the growing importance in the transport sector as the economy expands. In this context, it is necessary to investigate the relationship between transport energy consumption (TEN), transport economic growth (TGDP), and transport CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 emissions (TCE) to formulate the reasonable and specific transport policies. This paper investigated the long-run elasticity and causality between TEN, TGDP, and TCE for the case of China using the panel data covering 30 provincial regions during the period 2004–2016. Firstly, the stationary of each variable series was examined using the panel unit root test. Secondly, the cointegrating relationship in bivariate models was investigated by employing the panel Pedroni cointegration test. Thirdly, based on the fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), the long-run elasticity coefficients in bivariate models were estimated. Finally, the panel Granger causality test based on the vector error correction model was utilized to determine whether the causality existed between the variables. The empirical results indicated that: (1) each variable was found to be integrated of order one, and the cointegrating relationship existed in all bivariate modes. (2) The panel FMOLS tests revealed that the long-run elasticity of TCE to TEN was almost equal to the long-run elasticity of TEN to TCE; the long-run elasticity of TCE to TGDP was significantly higher than the long-run elasticity of TGDP to TCE; and the long-run elasticity of TEN to TGDP was significantly higher than the long-run elasticity of TGDP to TEN. (3) Importantly, the bidirectional causal relationships existed between the TEN, TGDP, and TCE both in the short-run and in the long-run.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This paper compares the effectiveness of activated carbon prepared by khat and neem leaves in treating the wastewater collected from automobile service stations. Wastewater was collected from service stations in the Haramaya city of Ethiopia. Proximate analysis of different leaves, such as khat, neem and gudhal, was tested, and the fixed carbon percentage is 81, 78 and 72, respectively. On the basis of high percentage of fixed carbon, khat and neem activated carbon are selected for further study. Zinc chloride is used for activation, and the samples khat and neem activated carbon are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The turbidity and pH of wastewater was tested before and after the treatment. In the case of khat activated carbon, turbidity was reduced up to 30 mg/lit and the combination of khat and neem activated carbon removed up to 15 mg/lit. In both the cases, khat activated carbon is effective in neutralizing pH and reducing turbidity.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The urban agglomeration is the unplanned growth of a city into its surrounding peri/rural areas causing unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. This leads to an increase in the land surface temperature that in turn results in climatic issues ranging from local to global scales. In the current study, an attempt has been made to map the urban growth and its associated land surface temperature variations in and around Vijayawada city of Andhra Pradesh state, India. Temporal Landsat satellite images from 4 years, viz. 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2018, were used to generate land use/land cover maps with four major classes such as built-up, vegetation, water body, and others. Change detection and transition of the natural land cover to man-made land use were statistically computed for the study area. Sprawl analysis of the city was carried out by generating multiple buffer rings over the study region to evaluate the urban density and annual urban growth rate. Shannon’s entropy was employed to identify the nature of city expansion. The seasonal variation of the land surface temperature was studied using Mono-window algorithm. The temperature variation over individual classes was computed with the aid of a self-designed random point method. Results showed a steady increasing trend in the urban density and land surface temperature with the distinct formation of a heat island over the city, especially during winters throughout the study period. The settlement area has increased from 28.20 km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 in 1990 to 138.01 km〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 in 2018. The directional growth analysis captured the pattern of city growth as tentacle-type development in conjunction with infill development. The sprawl happening around Vijayawada ignores the depletion of natural resources, leading to anomalies in the land surface temperature.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The microalgae culture medium should contain essential nutrients for their optimal growth. However, landfill leachate contains these nutrients; merely, the use of leachate in the cultivation of microalgae is not conceivable because of its high toxicity. This survey proposes to demonstrate the growth performance in terms of biomass production, chlorophyll contents and cell morphology of two microalgae, namely 〈em〉Chlorella〈/em〉 sp. and 〈em〉Scenedesmus〈/em〉 sp., in different concentrations of leachate (10%, 30%, 50%, 80% and 100% (v/v) crude leachate). Changes in chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammoniacal nitrogen (NH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉+〈/sup〉–N) and salinity content were also monitored. Results showed that when the two algae were mixed, the culture medium containing 10% (v/v) of leachate caused an optimal and selective growth of 〈em〉Chlorella〈/em〉 and a total mortality for 〈em〉Scenedesmus〈/em〉 cells. Also, this culture medium containing 10% (v/v) of leachate promoted the cell growth of 〈em〉Chlorella〈/em〉 sp., of around 2 times in terms of cell density and 10 times in terms of chlorophyll content as compared to the result obtained for the standard culture medium “Bold’s Basal Medium (BBM).” Abatement rates of COD, NH〈sub〉4〈/sub〉〈sup〉+〈/sup〉–N and salinity of 60%, 100% and 10% were, respectively, achieved by pure cultures of 〈em〉Chlorella sp〈/em〉. Therefore, the strain of 〈em〉Chlorella〈/em〉 sp. appeared resistant in this unfriendly environment as compared to the strain of 〈em〉Scenedesmus〈/em〉 sp. As a perspective, the tested landfill leachate could be convenient for culturing 〈em〉Chlorella〈/em〉 sp. for leachate purification and biofuel production.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉In the construction industry of developing countries, the term sustainability has still not been adequately perceived. These countries are trying to overcome barriers to sustainable construction. In this study, managerial perceptions at various levels on main barriers to sustainable construction: firm level and project level, will be analysed. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to respondents in Vietnam to collect data. First, barriers are ranked based on their mean. Kendall test affirmed that a consistency of responses given by both directors and project managers significantly exists regarding the barriers. Moreover, Mann–Whitney 〈em〉U〈/em〉 test proved there are no statistically significant differences among these two groups responding to the five main barriers. Through statistical analyses, the study identified the five most significant barriers, namely incompetence of project managers, limited sustainable materials and technologies, maintaining the current practice and resisting the change towards sustainability, lack of government incentives, and low implementation level of sustainable practices. From the findings, measures are also given to help stakeholders, especially directors and project managers, initially overcome the most significant barriers as well as gradually acquaint with the sustainable construction concept in developing countries.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Climate change is a serious environmental problem, to be solved only with global participation. However, implementation of global policies is associated closely with national, regional and local processes. For this reason, it is critically important to strengthen our understanding of the diversity of experiments because such urban climate change initiatives may affect the expectations and demands that will be placed on future projects. Moreover, to reveal the effect of the factors, such as participation in transnational networks, on the experiments at local level is also critically important in contextually different settings. From this point of view, the present study aims to present experimentation in addressing climate change in the case of the Nilüfer Municipality in northwestern Turkey and to examine the effect of joining an international network, as a key factor that may support urban climate experiments. The research is designed as a case study built on both primary and secondary sources. The Nilüfer Municipality is selected as the case area as it is the only signatory of Mayors Adapt and one of sixteen signatories of the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) among the 1397 municipalities within the Turkish Republic. Finally, this case study shows that although local governments have not been involved in the climate change policies at the national level in the Turkish context, the Nilüfer Municipality was able to develop its own experiments by being part of a transnational network, especially after signing the Covenant of Mayors in 2014. This finding leads us to the conclusion that supranational organizations can have significant impact on the climate experiments initiation of local governments that are important actors in the implementation of policies to address climate change as a global problem.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The present study demonstrates the efficacy of information entropy for the development of water quality index (WQI) for irrigation purpose and its application on Bharalu River. Water quality for irrigation suitability was assessed by using derived parameters such as permeability index (PI), Kelly’s ratio (KR), magnesium adsorption ratio (MgR), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) using annual data from April’2008 to April’2013 and April’2016, April’2017 over a period of 8 years. Values obtained in the study varied from 1.85 to 39.35% for SSP, 0.08 to 1.37 for SAR, 31.7–60.0% for MgR, 0.0–5.45 for RSC, 0.33–2.36% for PI, an 0.01–0.52 for KR. The derived parameters values indicate that water of Bharalu River is suitable for irrigation except April’2008 and April’2011. United States Salinity Laboratory (USSL) and Wilcox diagrams were used for categorizing of water quality. USSL and Wilcox diagrams categorized the water samples as S1-C2 and S1-C3, and ‘Excellent to Good’ and ‘Good to Permissible’ respectively, which suggest River Bharalu’s irrigation suitability. Entropy weighted irrigation water quality index (EIWQI) has been proposed and applied on Bharalu River data for assessing its suitability and variability for irrigation. EIWQI was found to be less than 1 for all the years except April’2011, which showed its appropriateness for irrigation. This study can be of great help for policymakers and researchers to effectively manage water resources.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Opencast coal mining has caused severe environmental degradation globally. In India, Jharkhand is infamous for the environmental damage already caused by unregulated coal mining practices so far. In the present investigation, surface water samples from 31 locations in Charhi and Kuju coal mining areas were analysed for physical and chemical parameters of water. Statistical analysis was performed to understand the magnitude of contamination and suitability of the water samples for agricultural as well as domestic uses. Analysis of variance indicated significant site-wise (6 out of 15 parameters) and seasonal variations (13 out of 15 parameters), while Pearson correlation indicated significant positive correlations between TDS-EC (〈em〉r〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 = 0.74–0.99) and total hardness—HCO〈span〉 〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 〈sup〉−〈/sup〉 〈/span〉 (〈em〉r〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 = 0.95–0.98). Scatter plot between Ca, Mg and HCO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 revealed a positive interrelationship in all the three seasons. Surface water quality indices exhibited variable results of sustainable utilization potential of the water for various uses. Though water quality index advocated the quality of water to be good in the majority of the samples, health water quality index based on selected parameters hinted, the majority of the samples to be of poor category. Observations collated together suggest that though the area is in the initial phases of mining, contamination of the surface water bodies is increasing gradually and higher concentrations of metals (As, Fe, Mn, Se) are the most significant problem now. This study can serve as a baseline data and an early sentinel towards the increasing pollution and its effective environmental management in similar mining regions of the world.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This study examined the interactions between social and ecological dynamics in a savannah ecosystem in Mali. In a context of cotton crises and of forest reform with the creation of rural woodfuel markets managed by woodcutters’ cooperatives, we assessed the impact of changes in savannah characteristics (biomass, biodiversity) on the delivery of fuelwood by comparing woodcutting practices in selected savannah sites and households from 2003 to 2010. Our findings show that changes in the delivery of fuelwood over the study period led to a shift in activities and roles and consequently affected the social status of different savannah users. Marginalized users (women and young men) benefited from the changes in savannah structure to secure independent livelihoods, and opportunities emerged for women and young men to increase their economic autonomy. Although the observed trends did not produce a radical transformation of existing (unbalanced) gender- and age-based power relations, this study demonstrates how changes in the savannah structure may offer vulnerable people an opportunity to change certain power imbalances and limitations. 〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Landslide susceptibility map provides a useful tool to the decision-makers to prevent and mitigate landslide hazards. For this study 16 spatial parameters and past landslide inventory have been taken into consideration and these are categorized under six factors clusters. For providing relative importance to the parameters modified analytic hierarchy process is taken into consideration. Landslide susceptible zone (LSZ) is prepared compositing all those multiparametric spatial data layers. The obtained result shows that 7.80% area of total basin is highly susceptible for landslide. Correlation and regression analysis suggests that lithological factors cluster is the dominant one for determining very high LSZ. The validation shows that very high LSZ is associated with very high landslide frequency density. Besides this, receiver operating characteristics curve also shows 90.20% predicted area under the curve. So, this model can be treated as valid.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Estimation of incinerability of municipal solid waste (MSW) can play a crucial role in the feasibility assessment of waste incineration. A composite indicator called incinerability index or 〈em〉i〈/em〉-Index was developed to estimate the incinerability of MSW incorporating the 3-E concept, i.e. the potential to impact the environment, energy recovery and economy of operation. Eight input parameters that encompass the 3-E concept form the part of the index structure. While some of these parameters may be readily available, a few other input parameters may need to be estimated either experimentally or theoretically. The objective of this study is to effectively demonstrate the estimation of the input parameters, thus facilitating the quantification of incinerability using 〈em〉i〈/em〉-Index. A theoretical approach to the computation of parameters is introduced as an alternative technique, which can simplify the computation of the index for practical purposes. Following these approaches, the input parameters for MSW generated in South Delhi were estimated and the corresponding 〈em〉i〈/em〉-Index amounted to 66.1. In comparison with the 〈em〉i〈/em〉-Index of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) which amounted to 80, the incinerability of MSW generated in South Delhi thus quantified was low. Further, the paper also provides a brief account of a few potential applications of incinerability estimation using 〈em〉i〈/em〉-Index.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉In this study, the levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in various components in the Meric-Ergene River Basin which is one of Turkey’s intensive industrialization centers and which accordingly has faced significant environmental pollution and has about 1300 industrial plants within its boundaries. In the river basin, 16 USEPA PAHs were measured in a total of 192 samples consisting of soil, lichen, pine needle and total deposition samples for 1 year to represent the four seasons at a total of 12 points in 4 different regions which were determined as intensive industrial area, industrial + residential area, agricultural area and background. According to the results obtained, the total PAH values, in all sampling points, varied between 69.6 and 1277.7 ng/g (dry wt) for soil, lichen and pine needle samples and between 0 and 937.8 ng/m〈sup〉2〈/sup〉-day for the total deposition samples. The highest values were determined in the fall season for the lichen samples and industrial area. The data obtained were evaluated in terms of spatial and seasonal variations, and according to their molecular weights. The incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) of exposing to soil PAHs were calculated, and maximum ILCR values were observed in industrial areas for child and adults. The diagnostic ratios were performed for determining the source, and the comparison of bioindication features was made for lichen and pine needle samples by comparing with Koa and Kow values of PAHs.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Surface water quality parameters are important means for determination of water’s suitability for irrigation. In this research, data from 32 irrigation stations were used to calculate the sodium adsorption rate (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), Kelly index (KI), permeability index (PI) and irrigation water quality index (IWQI) for evaluation of surface water quality. The obtained SAR, KI and Na% values, respectively, varied between 0.10 and 9.43, 0.03–1.37 meq/l and 3.16–57.82%. The calculated PI values indicate that, 93.75% of the water samples is in “suitable” category, and 6.25% is in “non-suitable” category. The IWQI values obtained from the research area varied between 30.59 and 81.09. In terms of irrigation water quality, 12.5% of the samples is of “good” quality, 15.62% is of “poor” quality, 68.75% is of “very poor” quality, and 3.12% is of “non-suitable” quality. Accordingly, IWQI value was estimated on the basis of SAR, Na%, KI and PI values using multiple regression and artificial neural network (ANN) model. The regression coefficient (〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉) was determined as 0.6 in multiple regression analysis, and a moderately significant relationship (〈em〉p〈/em〉 〈 0.05) was detected. As the calculated 〈em〉F〈/em〉 value was higher than the tabulated 〈em〉F〈/em〉 value, a real relationship between the dependent and independent variables is inferred. Four different models were built with ANN, and the statistical performance of the models was determined using statistical parameters such as average value (〈em〉µ〈/em〉), standard error (SE), standard deviation (〈em〉σ〈/em〉), 〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉, root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The training 〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 value belonging to the best model was found to be significantly high (0.99). The relation between the estimation results of ANN model and the experimental data (〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 = 0.92) verifies the model’s success. As a result, ANN proved to be a successful means for IWQI estimation using different water quality parameters.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉One of the major wastes from mining and automobile sectors is tailings and waste tires, respectively. Their voluminous nature calls for urgent action for safe disposal and to reduce the growing threat on the environment. Under the present study, laboratory model footing and toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) tests were conducted on tire chip-reinforced copper tailings (TRCT) to explore the feasibility of its use as structural fill and its potential impact on surroundings. Parameters considered for the laboratory study were tire chip quantity, relative density of copper tailings and depth of reinforced zone. The test results indicate that there is a significant enhancement in bearing capacity of copper tailing at all the studied strains by the addition of waste tires. Bearing capacity increased by more than nine times compared to unreinforced tailings when reinforced with 30% tire chips by weight. The TCLP tests conducted on copper tailings established that concentrations of the leached elements were well below the regulatory standards. Furthermore, a neural network model was trained via the experimental results of the tests to quickly predict the bearing capacity of TRCT for quick use in field applications. Therefore, the proposed technique can help in the effective waste management and safe disposals of large quantities of copper tailings as well as waste tires and also promoting sustainability in construction.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Using animals and their products to treat patients suffering from a range of health conditions has a long history and is still common in many parts of the world. We investigated such zootherapeutic uses among two tribes who inhabit different areas of North-East India: the Tangsa and the Wancho. Overexploitation of the animals they use, however, could endanger some species’ survival and create imbalances in the ecosystem that ultimately could affect humans and animals of the region. In order to find solutions how humans and animals can continue to coexist harmoniously, it is essential to know which species and their products are sought after by the local healers. We found that the Tangsa make greater use of animals than Wancho and use predominantly a variety of mammals (47%) followed by birds (16%) of the 55 species of animals considered therapeutic by them. The Wancho informed us of using 20 species, of which birds and their products account for 37%, while mammals and insects feature in 26% and 21%, respectively. In both tribes, the remainder are distributed across different animal taxa. To treat ailments and diseases like joint, bone and muscle pains, Tangsa prefer to use the body fats of tiger, civet, hornbill, eagle and python. Wancho do not use any animal fats very often and prefer animal parts and marrow to be given to a sick person in cooked or roasted form. The bile of bears is used by both Tangsa and Wancho in that it is supposed to ameliorate pain-causing conditions such as stomach, head and toothaches and to reduce labour pains. The use of leeches to remove blood clots and the consumption of earthworms to ward off malaria has been recorded only from the Wancho, while Tangsa treat malaria sufferers with tortoise carapace extracts. The use of the flesh of roasted bat wings fed to children older than 4 years of age to stop bed-wetting seems unique to the Tangsa. Being aware of such folk medicinal traditions is important not just with regard to safeguarding the animal resource, but also in connection with the introduction of possible alternative treatment methods not involving animal zootherapies.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Better management of water resources, by dam construction, is crucial for human survival due to climate change and water scarcity. With the growing demand for fresh water in modern societies, the movement of the large dams’ construction started, and global river systems have been increasingly altered by dams for water and energy needs. Dams have played an important role for human development for centuries, but in recent decades dams projects have become mired in controversy. Critics of dams believe that benefits have been grossly overstated, while the social and environmental costs have been largely ignored. Therefore, the aim of this research is to conduct a sustainability assessment of dams’ impacts to offer insights for construction of dams and their management. We used analytical hierarchy processing to address the question of socio-ecological sustainability impacts of an illustrative dam, Raees-Ali Delvari Dam (RADD), under climate change condition. The results showed that among the three pillars of sustainability, economic dimension of RADD was the most important. The criteria analysis indicated that experts perceived the negative factors (weakness and threats) to be relatively more important in sustainability of the dam than positive factors (strengths and opportunities). Environmental threats such as climate change can diminish the positive impacts and increase the environmental, social and economic weaknesses of the dam. Farmers in benefited and less-benefited regions had conflicting views regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the RADD. Unequal distribution of benefits among farmers of different regions is a major source of conflict and concern in sustainable management of dams. The results were used to develop a key dams’ sustainability assessment checklist for management and building of new dams.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Socioecological systems transformations in Borana rangelands have reduced the resilience of the Borana pastoral system. However, Borana pastoral households have not been passive victims; rather, they have demonstrated significant capabilities to respond to their changing environment through technical and institutional innovations. This paper examined Borana pastoral households’ adaptive responses to deal with contemporary climate and sociopolitical variations and factors determining households’ adaptation patterns. The study is based on household survey data generated from in-depth interview of 186 households drawn from six purposively selected pastoral associations in Yabello district in southern Ethiopia. To analyze the collected data, both descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, independent-sample 〈em〉t〈/em〉 test, and Chi-square test and econometric model were employed. Most of the Borana pastoral households were found to have already embraced diverse non-pastoral activities such as crop farming to sustain their life in the face of mounting internal and external pressures. Nevertheless, they are still less likely to totally abandon pastoral ways of life. The model outputs revealed that the likelihood of pastoral households to use herd mobility as an adaptive response is explained by availability of labor force, size of livestock holdings, and access to climate information. Interestingly, the size of livestock holdings determined the pastoral household’s adaptation patterns, indicating that livestock production still plays major economic and sociocultural roles in Borana pastoral contexts. Based on the findings, it is recommended that pastoral responses such as long-established mobility practice and current herd diversifications should be backed by responsive institutional support services. Finally, the study suggests that current hasty private range enclosures for both crop cultivation and fodder reserves should be reframed and supported by well-structured institutions for sustainable future and equitable resource use rights.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Climate vagary has exposed farming communities in Semien Mountains (North West Ethiopia) to repeated droughts and famines in recent years. Most of the farming communities in this area have failed to produce sufficient food and have become dependent on foreign food donations. Yet, the impact, vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the community to climate change in the above-mentioned mountain areas are not well documented. This paper examined the temporal temperature and rainfall trends, and the communities’ vulnerability to climate change as well as their adaptive capacities to the changing climate to fill the existing information gaps regarding issues called forth in the Semien Mountains and other highland environments. Data were gathered using questionnaires, interviews, focus group discussions and field observations. Information from meteorological recordings was also collected for this study. The collected data were analyzed using standardized precipitation index, livelihood vulnerability index, bi-logit model and descriptive statistics. The results confirmed highest climatic variability manifested in rainfall and temperature changes. Rainfall decreased by a total of 573.46 mm (by ≈ 16.38 mm per year on average) from 1979 to 2013. Mean annual temperature increased from 18.54 °C in 1979 to 20 °C in 2013. In this light, majority of the respondents (85%) reported facing climatic hazards. About 70% of them perceive that climate change has decreased land productivity and numerous others (74%) felt its future implications on farmlands. Recurrent crop and animal diseases were indicated by 95.21 and 93.41% of the sampled households, respectively. These climate change-induced incidents were exacerbated by lower adaptive capacities and limited institutional services. Livestock rearing, livelihood diversification, stone bund building, tree planting, organic fertilizer application, selling home articles, soil bund construction, rainwater harvesting, utilizing synthetic fertilizers and preparing hand-dug wells were important adaptive strategies used and ranked 1–10, respectively, by the studied households. Extension services, family size, farm income, access to training and livestock ownership found influential during the use of composting, terracing and tree planting to reduce the negative impact of climate change. Farmer-to-farmer extension appeared to significantly reduce composting, terrace building and tree planting at 〈em〉p〈/em〉 〈 0.01 level. This calls for further social and cultural related studies to explore the reasons. Climate change adaptation strategies should thus focus on enhancing households’ access to key livelihood assets such as education (training), family size, farm income, extension service, and livestock ownership opportunities.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Sub-Saharan Africa needs to produce more food, feed and fibre to support its growing population, and the sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture is a crucial component of any strategy towards achieving this goal. Conservation agriculture (CA) has been widely promoted as a means to this, yet African smallholder farmers who have expressed interest in CA have generally not progressed to implementation on their farms. Examinations of this trend remain underanalysed, particularly from non-econometric explorations of farmers’ lived experiences and perspectives. This presents an opportunity to understand what drives farmers’ expression of interest in CA and if such expression of interest could be targeted for other farmers (particularly if CA is to continue to be promoted to African smallholder farmers). We implement in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 58 farmers who have expressed interest in and are currently evaluating CA for their situation to explore their perspectives on what drives their interest in, and limits their progression to higher intensities of, CA. Respondents indicated mixed perceptions of the benefits, feasibility and relevance of CA to their livelihoods, adding to the ongoing discourse regarding the applicability of CA to African smallholder agriculture. If CA is to continue to be promoted, the respondents indicated a need to address issues related to financial viability, stover competition, small-scale mechanisation and informational exchange mechanisms. If farmer interest in CA is to be based on the technology itself and not perverse incentives, and that interest is to be progressed to implementation, respondents indicate that CA will need to be further adapted to fit within their contextual realities. To achieve this, more flexible and transitional promotion of CA by its components facilitated through greater community participation in research and extension systems will be required.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉It is well known that urbanisation and climate change are likely to induce more floods in existing flood-prone African cities. Previous contributions on the causes of flooding in urban areas mostly do not consider the actors involved in adaptation and do not acknowledge the diversity of knowledge they possess. In this study, the causes of urban floods in an African city are explored from an actor-oriented perspective. The Kendall coefficient of concordance method is used to analyse interviews with household members and community leaders living in flood-prone communities as well as technocrats involved in public flood adaptation at the metropolitan level. The level of agreement on the causes of flooding is low among the actors, making the case for integrating informal actors into the formal flood adaptation structures at the metropolitan level. This will harness the diversity of knowledge on how flood risk unfolds for the purpose of local adaptation to urban floods in African cities. 〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Hydropower is one of the most reliable and inexpensive forms of renewable energy that has maximum potential to replace conventional energy resources. However, due to the variations in climatic parameters along with the increased rate of urbanization, the reliability of hydropower plant in satisfying the increased demand requires additional measures which upsurges the operational expenditure. As a consequence, smart mitigation techniques are required to be adopted which can identify the trade-off between optimization of power production considering economic constraints, climatic variability and increased demand. This paper aims at proposing an intelligent mitigation measure to control the trade-off with the help of some group of indicators which have the maximum impact on production reliability of a power plant. This significance-based parameter modification entails recognition of the indicators and their significance in controlling reliability of a hydropower plant with the help of objective decision making methods and validating the selection by laboratory-based physical models as well as real-life case studies. A number of multi-criteria decision making methods which were popular in the identification of best decision out of many options were utilized in the detection of the significant indicators and their importance where the ensembled output from multiple multi-criteria decision making methods was used to detect the priority indicators and their priority. The results were validated by the physical replication of a hydropower plant which seconded the output from the decision making techniques. According to the results, the efficiency of the prime mover and the generators was found to be most substantial in regulating the reliability of the plant production. The physical model and real-life scenario both supported the selection.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉A comprehensive groundwater quality investigation of 98 representative groundwater samples collected from Chincholi MIDC area has been carried out to identify the impact of different land uses on groundwater quality during pre- and post-monsoon seasons of 2014. Hydrochemical results confirm that groundwater is slightly alkaline and hard to very hard type. The contents of TDS, Na, Ca, NO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉 and K exceeded the permissible limit prescribed by BIS in industrial land use in both the seasons. The ionic ratios suggest that silicate weathering is dominant hydro-geochemical process followed by carbonate weathering and ion exchange. The correlation and principal component analysis identifies the relation among different parameters and mixed sources of ionic constituents. The cluster analysis differentiates the samples affected due to anthropogenic activities through the classification of groundwater samples in different clusters, and principal component analysis identifies the EC, Ca, Mg, Cl, NO〈sub〉3〈/sub〉, TH and TDS as major causative factors. The spatiotemporal maps depict the enrichment of specific ions mainly observed at industrial and agricultural sites. Samples located in industrial area vicinity are not suitable for drinking and irrigation. From an industrial perspective, groundwater is corrosive and incrusting in nature. Groundwater sample numbers 14 and 15 located in agricultural area and 29, 30, 41, 42, 43 and 47 in the vicinity of industrial area found problematic represent that the change in water quality is caused due to alteration in land use type. Therefore, it becomes immensely important to identify the negatively impacted groundwater quality and mitigate the cause.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Interdependence of social-ecological systems (SES) across the globe is rapidly increasing through increased connectivity, for example, through flow of information and trade. This case study of highly remote Himalayan villages in West Sikkim, India, explores how cross-scale interactions can shape the development of a local SES. In-depth interviews across four different institutional scales—state, district, 〈em〉gram panchayat〈/em〉 unit and ward, show a rapid shift from subsistence farming to commercial monocultures of large cardamom in the lowland villages of the region. This, alongside a failure to address diverse needs within the policy implementation context, has resulted in economic inequality between lowland and upland villages. The interaction between state policies for conservation, national agriculture and food subsidies, and the effects of globalization are reducing the diversity of foods for the communities, as they become dependent on external markets and government subsidies for income and food. The case study is an example of how imposing uniform institutions can threaten SES to become increasingly homogenized and vulnerable to shocks.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Investigating agricultural drought is very important in semiarid areas, and it has a significant impact on people’s livelihood, which depends on farming. This research tried to examine the capability of six Landsat surface reflectance bands, vegetation indices (VIs), and drought indices (DIs) for drought monitoring in the agricultural lands of Bandar-e-Turkmen and Gomishan cities in 1986 and 2015. Statistical analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, and correlation matrices between the VIs and DIs with land surface temperature (LST) were monitored separately for each date. In addition, the spatial and temporal drought extents using the Standardized Evapotranspiration Precipitation Index (SPEI) and the Vegetation Health Index (VHI) approaches were determined and compared for both study periods. The correlations between the LST and VIs were negative and significant in both study periods. The range of VI values decreased with increasing temperature in 2015 compared to 1986. The mean surface reflectance of the visible bands (blue, green, red), NIR (near-infrared), SWIR (shortwave infrared), and MWIR (mid-wave infrared) increased in 2015 compared to 1986. A higher spectral reflectance of the visible bands indicated a reduction in vegetation cover or increase in stress in 2015 compared to 1986. Meanwhile, the SWIR and MWIR bands showed that the average surface reflectance increased in 2015, while they showed a lower reflectance in 1986. The results of the Water Supplying Vegetation Index (WSVI) implied that the crop water stress in 2015 was more than that in 1986. The VHIs were separately compared with the NDVI and LST in each period of study. The maximum LST increased from 38 °C in 1986 to 44 °C in 2015. The moderate drought extent was 65% in 2015, while the study area did not experience any drought in 1986. The SPEI maps showed that the entire study area experienced moderate drought in 2015, while no drought was observed in 1986. The results showed that the DIs and VIs and the visible, SWIR and MWIR surface reflectance bands can be effectively used by sampling plots in future drought assessment studies. The present study also emphasizes that there is a similarity between traditional and remote sensing methods and indicates that remote sensing data can be effectively used instead of traditional approaches when there is no meteorological station. The results would be useful in food security and sustainable agriculture management plans.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉With the objective to contribute to improving the education practises turned to sustainability, as well as to the training of sustainable individuals, this research has two main goals. The first one concerns the identification of the main EfS guiding principles turned to primary education, which aims at bringing some relevant theoretical contribution to the area through the proposition of an integrating framework. The second goal concerns identifying and analysing how education for sustainability is developed in a primary school, in the light of the framework suggested in the research, and how the EfS practises developed in this school can be improved. The present qualitative research follows the interpretative paradigm assumptions and has a phenomenological approach. Its main research method is the case study. The school which is the subject of study in this research is located in north-eastern Brazil. The research encompasses 2nd, 3rd and 5th graders, as well and Teachers and Principals. At first, the results enabled the proposition of a framework composed of 14 guiding principles from Education for Sustainability turned to primary schools, which, despite being an initial proposition, is believed to be strong enough in order to significantly contribute to the introduction of assertive practises in this area. Then, it becomes evident that, in relation to how Education for Sustainability is developed at the school under discussion, and how it can be improved, the institution is already working fully in accordance with 08 out of the 14 principles of the framework suggested in this study. Four other principles are partly met and 02 others have not been met yet.〈/p〉

Description: 〈p〉Co-author, Weena Gera’s institutional affiliation at the time of publication also includes the University of the Philippines Cebu, Cebu, Philippines.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Climate change mitigation behaviors (CCMB) are actions required to decrease the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for anthropogenic climate change. The present study examines the influence of social and physical situational factors on CCMB in a sample of two hundred individuals living in a Mexican city. Participants responded to a series of scales focused on assessing CCMB such as household thermic comfort, pro-environmental family orientation, and perceptions of the city’s pro-environmental public facilities, services, and community values. All of these situational factors were significantly interrelated, which suggests that they all affect CCMB. Yet, according to a structural model, the only factor that resulted in a significant (and more salient) direct influence on CCMB was pro-environmental family orientation. A second structural model indicated that household thermic comfort, pro-environmental public facilities/services, and pro-environmental public values had an indirect effect on CCMB mediated by pro-environmental family orientation.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Removal of personal care products (PCPs) has become one of the challenging aspects around the globe. From the last few decades, it has been introduced as one of the emerging pollutants to the environment that affects directly or indirectly our ecosystem mainly aqueous environment. From biodegradation to photo-degradation mechanism, there are different categories of treatment methods, while the priority is based upon being cheaper, effective, reliable, environmental and economically friendly that should be compatible to water chemistry. Currently, photo-catalysis is considered as one of the most reliable and efficient non-conservative technologies for the degradation of PCPs industrial effluents from the aqueous environment. A recent development of photo-catalysis technology for the removal of PCPs gives efficient performance by using carbonaceous TiO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 composites. By using hybrid nature of photo-catalyst, one can achieve suitably high and attractive efficiency with comparable low cost. In this review article, the different photo-catalysis mechanism while moving from non-photo-catalysis to photo-catalysis approach and its practical application for the removal efficiency of various polluting agents have been discussed. A critical evaluation on the various parameters for this approach is highlighted. Future perspective refers to the need for coupling of different semiconducting nano-materials with photo-catalysis that could yield higher efficiency than those of previous one. This facilitates further insight into photo-catalysis approach for the efficient degradation of PCPs to ensure healthy aqueous environment, and some points regarding fate of PCPs should be discussed in future perspective.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The groundwater system in the Rafsanjan aquifer perpetuated sustainably for decades before 1950s; however, its groundwater resources have been overexploited in the recent decades. In this paper, we aim to investigate the water governance system to understand the reasons behind the ongoing overexploitation. Sustainability processes are considered a policy implementation problematic. As such, we employ the contextual interaction theory as a policy implementation framework to assess the groundwater governance as part of the context for the conservation policy. Data for this qualitative research were gathered from legal texts, articles, technical reports, and multiple interviews with authorities and groundwater users. The assessment results revealed that the poor quality of the governance system is central to the ineffectiveness of the conservation policies. Findings of this paper can be relied on to devise tools to underpin an appropriate context to sustain groundwater resources.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Industrial spatial agglomeration is the most prominent geographical feature of economic activities. This paper examined the current situation of manufacturing industry agglomeration in Hebei Province by using the industrial location quotient and exploratory spatial data analysis. The results showed that (1) the industrial location quotient of 11 cities’ 31 manufacturing industries in Hebei Province indicated that there was a significant difference among manufacturing industry agglomeration of the 11 cities in Hebei Province. (2) Global spatial autocorrelation of manufacturing industry agglomeration showed that TA (Manufacture of Textile, Apparel), T (Manufacture of Textile), PFM (Manufacture and Processing of Ferrous Metals), CF (Manufacture of Chemical Fibre), LFF (Manufacture of Leather, Fur, Feather and Its Products and Footwear), AAE (Manufacture of Articles for Culture, Arts and Crafts, Education, Sport Activities and Entertainment Goods) and RP (Manufacture of Rubber and Plastic) showed agglomeration characteristics. (3) According to the industrial location quotient and local spatial autocorrelation, the spatial cluster of manufacturing industry agglomeration in Hebei Province was divided into “Diffusion Centre”, “Primary Diffusion Centre”, “Polarization Centre” and “Less Developed Area”.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The increasing food demand and deteriorating climate change require improvement in current strategies for enhancing nitrogen (N) retention and mitigating nitrous oxide (N〈sub〉2〈/sub〉O) emission in agricultural soils. This paper has discussed and compared the mechanisms, effects and affecting factors of major contemporary strategies, including soil amendment with biochar, biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) and applications of synthetic nitrification inhibitor (NI), urease inhibitor (UI), hydrogel and slow-/controlled-release fertilizer (SRF/CRF). Among these strategies, soil amendment with biochar seems to be the most promising, considering its demonstrated effectiveness and sustainable nature. Despite the large number of biochar-relevant studies in the recent years, the data have not been systematically utilized. A database model has been proposed in this review to link the production, properties and performance of biochar and delve into the valuable information scattered in current and future biochar studies. At the same time, the other strategies should also be continuously studied for improvement. NIs and UIs need to be more stable and lasting; hydrogels and SRFs/CRFs have to be more environmentally friendly and economically sound; BNI deserves broader investigations and its future applications can be more widespread. Future studies may also explore strategic combinations of two or more contemporary strategies. More long-term studies should be conducted to improve the evaluation of benefits and flaws of these strategies.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The rapid increase of residential buildings in Kuwait is a major contributor in resource consumption, waste generation and CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 emissions. This paper aims to introduce a new concept of green buildings in Kuwait for saving water, energy and using eco-friendly materials in residential houses to develop more sustainable and high-performance buildings. For the purpose of evaluating the conventional buildings impacts and clarifying the resident’s awareness towards the green building concept, a survey questionnaire was designed using Google Forms. In addition, a case study of converting a conventional building into a green building was studied, with assurance that the owner requirements were implemented. The overall water saved (in terms of consumption and bill cost) was 46%. Energy waste from light consumption was reduced by approximately 86% by using LED lights, timers and sensors, with annual cost savings of 54%. Due to this reduction, a great decrease in CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 and greenhouse gas emissions was achieved (approximately 65,893 kg per year). Moreover, two different design software tools (HAP and SketchUp) were applied for HVAC cooling loads and PV panels, respectively. By installing high-quality insulation and ducts and double-glass low-e windows, the HVAC cooling load was reduced by approximately 25%, which contributed to the decrease in greenhouse gas emissions (approximately 90,262 kg per year). The annual electricity production generated from the PV panel system was 6770 kW h. To enhance indoor air quality, an eco-friendly paint was used as an alternative to normal paint, resulting in an 88% reduction in VOCs.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Agriculture in South Asia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to increasing variability in rainfall and rising temperatures leading to the incidence of extreme climatic events such as floods, droughts, heat/cold waves, and storms. Agriculture sector also contributes to the causes of climate change through the emission of greenhouse gasses (GHGs). Hence, adaptation-led mitigation measures are required to sustain agricultural productivity, farm income and reduce GHG emissions wherever possible. This study presents a systematic review of agriculture emission reduction opportunities with a particular focus on agricultural production systems in South Asia. Our review indicates that the adoption of better soil, water, nutrient management practices, and technologies has enormous potential to reduce GHG emissions from agriculture, thereby contributing to the mitigation of climate change. Many existing practices and technologies have the potential to improve both adaptation and mitigation in agriculture which can significantly contribute to complying with nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of South Asian countries. However, barriers to the adoption of GHG mitigating agricultural practices, mainly the financial and institutional barriers, need to be appropriately addressed to achieve the desired level of mitigation.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Vision 2030, Kenya’s development blueprint for the period 2008–2030, envisions transforming the country into middle-income status where citizens enjoy a high quality of life. The blueprint has three pillars: economic, political and social. The thread that binds the three pillars is the natural environment, which supplies both renewable and non-renewable resources. Unfortunately, development in the other sectors may easily compromise the conditions of the natural environment and put the supply of clean water, food and fiber in jeopardy. For example, processing of agricultural products may increase gains from agriculture and lead to rapid expansion of the sector. If this is not carefully done, it may be characterized by wastage of resources, cutting down of forests to provide fuel and more land for cultivation, disposal of raw wastes into water bodies and over-exploitation of the soils. Using the example of small-scale tea processors in the country, this study sought to understand the environmental efficiency of the small-scale agro-processors. Small-scale tea processors were chosen because they have been implementing environmental efficiency-enhancing techniques in their production, yet no study had endeavored to test whether their initiatives were yielding positive results. The study adopted the innovative inverse data envelopment analysis approach on panel data to generate environmental efficiency scores, in the first step. In the second step, it analyzed the predictors of environmental efficiency using Tobit regression. Overall, the results showed that small-scale tea processors in Kenya were still environmentally inefficient, recording a mean efficiency index of only 49%, despite previous initiatives to improve efficiency. Thus, the processors could reduce 51% of the environmentally detrimental inputs without compromising output. Environmental inefficiency could be attributed to pursuit for higher profits and higher cost of investible funds. This shows that investment in environmental conservation is expensive and eats into the profits of the processors. Therefore, the small-scale processors may lack the incentives, in the short term, to invest in environment-friendly technologies. This may be compounded by the high cost of finance to be invested in such initiatives. Policy implication is that government should intervene in terms of tax concessions for firms that invest in environmental conservation, subsidies on technologies that guarantee environmental efficiency and access to cheaper funds for purchase and maintenance of environment-friendly technologies.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉For an efficient management of solid waste across the cities, proper allocation of waste bins has become a subject of paramount importance. At present, most of the cities of developing countries are facing the problem of lack of waste bins in appropriate places. This deficiency in the number of waste bins results in littering habit and increases the number of waste collection points for the local authorities. Large numbers of collection points increase the collection cost and carbon emission in the environment. In this paper, a mixed integer linear programming model has been formulated to determine the total number of bins required in any site considering different factors like multiple types of sources, waste bins and wastes types along with safety and rag-picking. An efficient method has been proposed for the allocation of bins such that the bins are able to provide service to the entire targeted site. The developed model is tested using the data obtained from an Indian city to demonstrate its applicability. The result manifests the effectiveness of the model in terms of reduction in collection points (15%), idling cost (25%) and carbon emission (35%).〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The groundwater modelling tool is an important structural tool for solving many groundwater-related problems. Visual-MODFLOW is one of such tool that uses finite-difference (FD) method to unravel the problems. In this paper, Visual-MODFLOW 2000 has been utilized for analysing the groundwater-level simulation in Purba (East) Midnapur, West Bengal, India. The data of pumping well discharge have been collected at two different time periods 2002 and 2012. The simulated pumping well records for 2012 based on the pumping well discharges measured in 2002 and the observed records in 2012 have been critically examined, compared, and correlation coefficients are found out to signify data validity. Also simulated groundwater-level data of 2019 to 2023 based on well discharge records in 2002 and 2012 have also been correlated for its justification. This paper concluded that the groundwater flow occurs from south to north direction of East Midnapur, as the saline water intrusion from the nearby sea takes place into the aquifers towards inland direction. It confirms a good agreement with future simulation data. In the real field situation, saline water encroachments have affected the aquifers and it has covered up to 50 km of location from Kalindi (near seashore) to Nandakumar (inland) location. This paper focuses on the groundwater-level forecasting in prospective groundwater managing scenarios in the region concern.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Debates about safeguarding the rights of people displaced by mining focus on three levels of governance. The first is the international system of sustainability polices and performance standards preferred by lenders such as the World Bank and the IFC. The second is the commitments and enacted performance of mining corporations. The third is the country-level mechanisms of host jurisdictions as they appear in legislation and government policy. In this article, we focus on country-level mechanisms as simultaneously setting the operational context for mining and for demonstrating the rate of uptake and relevance of the international system of regulatory protections. Country-level systems of governance is becoming increasingly important as observers have noted both the generally low levels of performance by mining companies against existing standards and the overall absence of specific legislated instruments as a basis for enforcement and accountability at the country level. Moves by international financial institutions, such as the Asian Development Bank, to progressively recognise country systems as equivalent safeguard proxies necessarily brings such systems into closer scrutiny. The authors provide a comparative review of country-level governance arrangements for guiding resettlement in mining across six jurisdictions.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) is a most proficient innovation which depends on broad physical and biogeochemical forms in the underground water and aquifer for water quality change. In this investigation, the conveyance, quantitative changes and, in addition, the speciation qualities of heavy metals in various depths of soils of a 2-year worked laboratory-scale SAT are investigated. A greater part of the heavy metals in the energized secondary effluent are effectively caught by the consistent state worked SAT. Here, the removal efficiency of SAT with and without adsorbent is conveyed for parameters like pH, total dissolved solids, total solids, chloride, COD, TKN, potassium, phosphate, copper, zinc, nickel and hexavalent chromium. The investigations are completed by utilizing toxic wastewater and fluctuating adsorbents, for example, eucalyptus leaves, sawdust and mosambi peel (MP). Here, the soil types of clayey sand, inorganic silt with sand (MI SAND) and silty sand are utilized and their properties are resolved. To enhance the removal efficiency of SAT for expulsion of heavy metals, distinctive adsorbents and, in addition, different soil tests are utilized. In the light of investigation, the SAT system with adsorbent is more effective in treating toxic wastewater.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The present study tries to utilize the advantage of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods in the selection of an ideal location for installation or relocation of surface water treatment plant (SWTP). But among the existing MCDM methods, the selection of features and their importance is determined by the decision-maker. Also a decision from the method varies with a change in the decision-maker or change in the methods. In this aspect, the present study tries to propose a new MCDM which introduced Gini coefficient method in analytical hierarchy process to make the resultant priority value clearly differentiated and easily separable from the other alternatives. This new method was applied to find a suitable location for SWTP installation or relocation, and according to the results, the decision of the method is coherent with the existing installations where locations with active SWTP receive higher rating compared to the areas where SWTP is not installed. Result displays that the labour cost (LC) and construction cost were found to be most significant compared to others. Both X-chart and analytic hierarchy process have identified water quality as the most significant parameter whereby the Gini method located the LC parameter to be the most vital.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Only a third of the people living in Sub-Saharan Africa have access to electricity. While the benefits of electricity services for the society continue to increase, solar home system (SHS) provides a long-term rural electrification and development solution. SHS is thought out to be a robust and cost-effective option for supplying basic electrification under Kenya’s metrological conditions. This paper begins with an in-depth justification of the need for SHS in rural areas, and then it presents an overview of SHS financing, benefits and barriers, followed by a crucial component of existing SHSs in Kenya, Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) technology. It ends with succinct analysis of the payment models highlighting the benefits, challenges and methods adopted in overcoming those challenges. Lessons from this review suggest that solar firms face a myriad of challenges operating in poor rural areas in Kenya; credit risk is a major concern for solar firms as well as financiers which makes payment models notably challenging. Technical performance of SHS is becoming well proven, and end users desire a wide range of component preferences and service levels that are of benefit. The challenges faced by solar firms using different payment models show that there is a dire need for integration of SHS with rural electrification policy in Kenya. The principal conclusion is that PAYG model offers the best option for SHS dissemination, though energy-as-a-service implementation has a great potential of improving the dissemination process in rural communities as it offers a promising mechanisms from a sustainability point of view.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Indiscriminate harvest of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) from their natural habitats affects availability and endangers existence of these plants. Therefore, approaches for promoting cultivation must be sought for the maintenance of these plants and the improvement of livelihood in local communities. Understanding factors affecting cultivation of MAPs is of paramount importance, particularly in developing countries, but research on this issue is scarce. This study aimed at identifying and prioritizing driving and inhibiting factors affecting cultivation of MAPs in Rasht, Iran, using the Delphi method. Multiple-response techniques were used to analyze the content (effective factors), using properly designed questionnaires. Data were analyzed using conventional techniques such as means, variation ratios, Shannon entropy, and triangular fuzzy numbers. Crucial factors promoting the cultivation of MAPs in the region were: (1) the identification of important native medicinal species compatible with the ecological conditions of the province, (2) the establishment of facilities for processing MAPs, and (3) providing experimental spaces for the domestication of wild medicinal species. On the other hand, the most important factors inhibiting the cultivation of these plants in the region were: (1) the lack of information that would motivate cultivation of medicinal plants, (2) the lack of herbal medicine companies in the province area, and (3) the lack of coordination between research centers and environment agencies in the context of decision making. Values of Kendall’s W were found to be 0.203 for the driving factors and 0.219 for the inhibiting factors, implying agreement of the experts, so that an additional round of Delphi was not required. Findings shed light on factors that could help policy-makers at national and international level to promote the cultivation of MAPs, thus linking regular quantity of MAPs for the pharmaceutical industry and ensuring livelihood and socioeconomic development of the local communities as well as conservation of the natural resource base.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉A wide variety of mathematical and empirical models have been implemented as practical tools for land-use planning, and multilayer perceptron (MLP), logistic regression or LR (mathematical model) and multi-criteria evaluation or MCE (empirical) are among widely applied models. One of the main drawbacks of the mathematical models is that they require dependent data and the process of data collection can be so costly and time-consuming for large areas. As such, we investigated the possibility of providing dependent data set through the MCE method for tourism planning in Golestan Province, Iran. The accuracy of MCE-based algorithms was investigated using ground truth data collected during field observations from early spring up to late summer 2016. The MCE-based and ground-based outputs were investigated and compared for spatial accuracy and connectivity and compactness of the results using receiving operator characteristic (ROC) and landscape configuration metrics. ROC statistics were scored at 0.886, 0.834, 0.82 and 0.814 for ground-based MLP, ground-based LR, MCE-based MLP and MCE-based LR, respectively, showing no meaningful differences between MCE-based and ground-based methods in terms of spatial accuracy. Landscape metrics also indicated that MCE-based methods have resulted in a more connected and manageable pattern for tourism planning. According to the results of this study, MCE can serve as a preliminary approach to define field sampling spots or even as an alternative to field observation efforts in case of limited time and financial resources.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Vietnam is one of most vulnerable countries to acid rain in Asia. In the Vietnamese Northern Mountains, acid rainwater affects negatively to local agricultural ecosystems. This paper analyzes how major agricultural stakeholders living in the mountains assess the impacts of acid rain and their responses on agricultural ecosystems. A two-round Stakeholder Delphi combined with the pressure-state-response (PSR) model allows ranking effects, mitigation and adaptation measures. Eight themes, 14 sub-themes, and 35 indicators for acid rain are structured in the PSR model. The results show that deforestation and rainfall variability relate to changes in the concentrations of acid ions in rainwater. Energy consumption in the industry and transportation, chemical fertilizer use in agriculture, and air pollution from neighboring areas contribute significantly to acid rain. Acid rain affects agriculture and decreases crop yields, causes arable land loss, reduces nutrients and organic matter, and accumulates heavy metals. Panel members perceive that applying local knowledge in agricultural practices, rational energy use, promotion of integrated agricultural policies, and changing farmer behaviors are measures to mitigate acid rain and its adverse effects. The results contribute to a vision on local adaptation actions and policy to foster the capacity and the resilience of major local groups.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Subsistence farming in urban gardens may be a strategy for food and nutrition security, particularly in socially disadvantaged families, because it eases access to food. This study aimed to assess the following factors in socially disadvantaged families: (1) prevalence of food insecurity, (2) characterization of gardens and cultivation of edible plants in urban areas, and (3) relation between characteristics of urban gardens and cultivated edible plants and food security in families. A survey was conducted on the management and cultivation of plants in gardens and on the perception of food security according to the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale for 118 families living in urban areas in the municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. We observed that 78.8% of families were exposed to food insecurity and were socially vulnerable. Among these, 56.8% experienced mild food insecurity conditions, 15.3% moderate conditions, and 6.7% severe conditions. Management of urban gardens and cultivation of edible plants vary widely according to families’ needs and interests, available space, age of farmers, cultivation time, and previous relationship between the family and rural environments. There was no relation between characteristics of gardens, management, and cultivation of edible plants in urban gardens and the perception of food security of socially disadvantaged families.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉A multi-story stacked protected farm is a high-tech structure for growing vegetables on multi-stacks in each floor under optimally controlled environments in a location where the weather or the soil is not conducive. An attempt has been made in this paper to evaluate economic of a six-story protected farm on a land in Delhi city, India, that having 3-layered stacked in each story. The study revealed that crop yield under the multi-story stacked protected farming system is significantly high. The initial unit cost of construction of the farm is high, but the operating cost is very less. It has several eco-friendly advantages compared with open field farming. Importantly, growing food within cities prevents the need for transportation of crops from distant farmlands to urban areas which reduces the food transportation carbon footprint.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Mangrove ecosystems constitute valuable resource all over the world. They provide habitats for flora and fauna species, protect the coast against erosion and supply various products for local communities. Currently, mangroves are overused and degraded. Up to now, perceptions of local communities on the dynamic of mangrove forest and their acceptable participation forms for mangroves restoration have not been entirely understood. This study was undertaken in order to assess human pressure on mangroves from user perspective and to provide baseline information for its sustainable management in three districts (Grand-Popo, Ouidah and Sèmè-Kpodji) located in the coastal area of Benin. Structured and semi-structured questionnaire surveys regarding perceptions of mangrove forest dynamic, causes of mangrove forest degradation, indigenous restoration strategies and forms of participation were conducted among randomly selected informants. It has been reported that Beninese mangrove ecosystems supply timber and non-timber forest products, rich fishing grounds and salt for local communities. Local communities are aware of the need of restoring and ensuring sustainable conservation of mangrove ecosystems. Dominant measures for restoration and conservation indicated by informants for mangrove users include the reintroduction of traditional rules, avoidance of uncontrolled settlements, planting of mangrove trees, planting alternative fuelwood, use of solar energy for salt production and creation of alternative income generating activities. Planting mangrove trees and alternative cooking energy sources supplying to local communities to avoid mangrove destruction are urgent needs for the coastal area of Benin.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Historically, human interactions with other animals have been marked by an attitudinal affinity–aversion polarization, depending on the animal involved and its local utilitarian value, as well as whether it is related to conflict situations or not. In this sense, the present study aimed to analyse the attitudes (affinity–aversion) of urban and rural students in relation to wild vertebrates and the factors that influence them. Data were obtained from three public schools, one urban and two rural, in the city of Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brazil. Questionnaires were given to 990 students (528 urban and 462 rural), distributed among all levels of basic education (students 6–17 years of age). We used the technique of “content analysis” to categorize the descriptive data and tests of significance and correlation for statistical analyses. No differences were observed in attitudes of affinity (preservation) and/or aversion (elimination) about vertebrates between urban and rural students. However, there was variation in preferences regarding animals as a function of these contexts. There was a common tendency between genders for aversion for snakes, followed by amphibians, mammals, turtles and birds, with slight differences in the specificities of the animals considered. Significant positive correlations (〈em〉p〈/em〉 〈 0.05) between affinity (preservation) and curricular development, age and family income were observed. Attitudinal antagonism (affinity–aversion), expressed by the variation in preferences for certain animals and repulsion by others, has consequential implications for the conservation of wild fauna, thus demonstrating the relevance of incorporating this reality into the context of educational strategies.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The paper presents results of a study conducted to identify and modify the prevalent traditional multipot cookstoves in rural areas of Maharashtra, India. The flaws in the existing traditional stoves were identified through a survey comprising measurement of geometrical features of different specimens in the field and face-to-face interaction with the end-users. The end-users answered a structured questionnaire including the information about existing cooking practices, per day fuel consumption, willingness to adapt to a new stove type and related things. A popular model was then modified to develop an improved multipot cookstove, which was compared against the popular cookstove by conducting a set of experiments. The parameters evaluated during the experimentation were specific fuel consumption, burning rate, thermal efficiency, time taken to do a specific cooking task and CO emissions. It was found that the modifications to the popular stove resulted in increase in thermal efficiency, decrease in burning rate and specific fuel consumption but a decrease of firepower and turn-down ratio. The activity resulted in developing a better cookstoves for the targeted community.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The article proposes to construct and analyze the research landscape on the sustainability performance evaluation of agricultural cooperatives’ operations. The research was characterized as a systematic review of the literature, carried out through the ProKnow-C structured process, complemented by a procedure known as Snowball to form the portfolio of articles, theses and dissertations to be studied. The research results highlight models for the evaluation of the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives’ operations that are still under construction. There are few studies that explain what a performance evaluation is, and there are no authors who have stood out in the research on this theme. Most sustainability assessment models for cooperatives do not address the three dimensions of sustainability in an integrated way, and the uniqueness of the decision maker is not proposed, since there is a predominance of Normativistic and Descriptive approaches. Mapping and organizing the body of knowledge on the theme of sustainability in agricultural cooperatives in the topic of performance evaluation is the main contribution of the article, since many previous studies did not address this. To that end, a conceptual map that outlines the thematic categories of sustainability performance evaluation of agricultural cooperatives’ operations was constructed, identifying where future research is needed, both for the construction of new theories and models and for the execution of empirical studies.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉 To evaluate the economic impact of artificial reefs on small-scale fishing community, we investigated fishers’ income and perception after 3 years of artificial reef deployment in Lang Suan District, Chumphon Province, Thailand. Ninety-two small-scale fishing households were randomly selected for survey. Half of households relied on squid fishing as a major source of income. Squid fishing contributed three-quarter of the total fishery income in this artisanal fishing community. Percentage of households having decrease in fishery income after artificial reef deployment households was 24%. While percentages of households experiencing no change and increase in fishery income were equal at 38%. Ordered logistic regression model identified that fisher characteristics such as family size, sub-district, squid fishery as the major income, fishing time, and fishers’ rest were significant factors affecting changes in fishery income. Differences in fishery income after AR program were estimated by propensity score matching method and showed that annual community fishery income has increased by 6%. Also, most of the respondents showed satisfaction toward artificial reef program in enhancement of marine resources and environment.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Green housing (GH) has been regarded as an effective and sustainable solution for alleviating the energy crisis and reducing environmental pressure in China, but currently, consumers rarely select GH when purchasing houses. This study aims to explore the influencing factors of consumers’ willingness to purchase GH in China. The research model was developed using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and norm activation theory (NAM), and it tested hypotheses using data from a questionnaire collected from 355 consumers in Shandong Province, China. Partial least squares structural equation model analysis showed that the testing of hypotheses was significant, in which personal norm and perceived behavioural control as direct influencing variables had a significant influence on consumers’ willingness to purchase GH. Therefore, GH purchase is driven by the comprehensive rational and moral factors of consumers. In addition, part of the mediating effect testing reveals that subjective norm indirectly influences personal norm through perceived behavioural control, and awareness of consequences indirectly influences personal norm through ascription of responsibility. In general, the integration of the structure of TPB and NAM, comprehensive self-interest (rational) and altruism (moral) aspects significantly improve the prediction capability of the theoretical framework. Results show the influence of the consumer to GH purchase willingness with regard to internal psychological factors, design and implementation of related policies and measures for the government to provide a frame of reference.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The main objective of this study is to investigate the linkages between oil price, oil reserve, economic growth and oil consumption to forecast future oil demand in China. A structural time series technique is used to expose the underline energy demand trend (UEDT) for total oil consumption and transport oil consumption over the period of 1980–2015. In both models, the elasticity of GDP and oil reserve remains positive and significant, while the elasticity of oil price shows negative and significant relationship with oil demand. Moreover, the results suggest that GDP, oil price, oil reserve and UEDT are found to be important drivers for oil demand. Furthermore, UEDT is found to be an increasing trend in total oil consumption as well as for transport oil consumption. It is also predicted that total oil demand will be 9.9 thousand barrels per day by 2025, while transport oil demand will be 9.0 thousand barrels per day by 2020 in China.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Customary institutions have existed in parallel with statutory institutions for many years in Africa. These traditional water management systems were employed to manage the use of water resources and resolve conflicts associated with them. Although national governments introduced conventional water management approaches, which operate more effectively in urban areas, customary institutions’ activities in water governance continue to exist in rural Africa. Long before the advent of colonialism, most rural communities which have now transformed into modern African societies had various rules, norms, taboos and values governing the use of water. Although not legally recognised in the wake of colonialism, the concept of legal pluralism has continued to gain ground in colonial Africa. Rooted in the mass–elite theory and the cultural lag concept, the paper adopts a critical literature review approach to explain the dissonance in customary and statutory water management institutions in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Analysis of existing water management documents revealed that the post-independence statutory water institutions continue to weaken the customary approach to water use and management. Findings indicate that statutory institutions emphasise on the economic conception of water despite the fact that the resource has also a social value. This absolute conceptualisation of water as an economic commodity creates the dissonance in water management, especially in rural areas and most especially in the Okavango Delta where water is still perceived to have cultural values.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉This paper estimates the influence of air pollution on population health outcomes through measuring direct and indirect pollution health effects. Multiple group studies show that air pollution increases population morbidities. The wealthy–health endogeneity link is discussed, and omitted variable biases of health impact assessments are addressed. Hausman specification test for regional panel data was performed, and the results were in favor of fixed effect estimations. The obtained data for 25 regions in Ukraine result that air emissions are causality factor for 10.3% of cardiovascular disease (CVD); 11% of gastrointestinal morbidity, 16% of respiratory morbidity, 10.5–30% of the lung cancer in industrial populations. Air pollution does not increase incidents of alcoholism and alcoholic psychosis, rubeola (measles), and diabetes. Average age, urbanization, and alcohol consumption are positive and significant factors in all CVD morbidity regressions. Total economic costs attributed to air pollution and selected morbidities range from 0.7 to 1.3% of the regional gross product (1.14–2.12 billion of USD). To internalize air pollution externalities, all air pollution taxes have to be raised up to 7–13 times to reach the level of Pigovian taxes.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Humans have established relations with non-human animals since the dawn of their existence on Earth through a wide variety of uses of faunal resources. Among these is the utilization of fauna for therapeutic purposes, which is a fairly widespread practice in Brazil and an important alternative to the use of pharmaceutical medicines. Mammalian species play a prominent role in zootherapy and are widely used for this activity in the semiarid areas of Northeastern Brazil. This study aims to survey the main species of mammals used for zootherapeutic practices in the municipality of Sumé, state of Paraíba, Brazil, and to identify the conditions and diseases treated with mammals species or their body parts. This is the first study that accesses zootherapeutic resources from information of local hunters, who are responsible for capturing these resources and represent the initial link in the chain of animal use for medicinal purposes. Fifty-one informants were interviewed; most of them male. The informants reported 19 species of mammals used for the treatment of diseases, of which 13 were wild animals found on the endangered species list. The study recorded at least 20 animal products or by-products commonly utilized in the administration and preparation of medicines for the treatment of 14 categories of diseases, with diseases related to problems of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue being the most often mentioned. This study revealed a wide variety of mammal species being used in folk medicine for the treatment of numerous diseases, as well as various animal products and by-products being employed in zootherapeutic practices. This type of research plays an important role in understanding the impact of zootherapeutic activities on faunal resources and assists in the implementation of techniques for the management and conservation of mammals.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Land-use change of a region acts as an indicator of human impact on the landscape. Increasing urban growth has induced adverse landscape alterations which need to be predicted and controlled, especially in the urban areas and ‘rurban’ fringes, to prevent the trends of urbanization from engulfing the ecology. The present discussion makes an attempt to address this issue by assessing the present and predicting the future spatio-temporal dynamisms in land use and land cover along the urban and rurban fringe area of eastern Kolkata, stretching from the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass to Bhangar areas in West Bengal, India. For the fulfilment of the work, Landsat imageries of 1991 and 2016 have been chosen to depict the present urban growth, following which the results have been predicted and validated to show how the various land-use categories might change, using the Markov model. The study has depicted that urban growth continues to shift eastwards, resulting in greater number of urban patches in eastwards. The validation of positive and negative growth of respective land-use patterns with Markov model is within 10%. So, if the current reclamation activities continue, the original land cover shall decrease by 70% of the study area and these shall be replaced by urban areas.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The headwater stream Bal Ganga is a famous perennial, snow-fed tributary of the River Bhilangana. It emanates from the Khatling glacier and then mixed with the Dharam Ganga in Chamiyala and ultimately merges with the River Bhilangana in Muniprayag near the Ghansali town. The altitudinal gradient of Bal Ganga stream is not very high. The total basin reflects a network of various streams, rivulets of various dimensions beautifully representing a dendritic drainage or river system pattern. A total of three sites were identified for the collection of water samples in the study area. Analysis of physicochemical profile of mountain fluvial system of Bal Ganga had been undertaken for a time span of 12 months during October, 2016 to September, 2017. A total of thirteen physicochemical parameters were recorded during the study period. The water velocity was recorded between 0.47 and 2.24 m s〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Hydro median depth was recorded within a range of 3.14–4.89 m. Total dissolved solids were found within a range of 84.3–101.1 mg l〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Turbidity was found between 10.3 and 27.3 NTU. The concentration of dissolved oxygen was recorded within a range of 7.06–11.6 mg l〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Concentration of free CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 was recorded within a range between 2.2 and 13.2 mg l〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. Concentration of chlorides was recorded within a range between 2.84 and 9.66 mg l〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉, and hardness concentration was recorded within a range of 14–28 mg l〈sup〉−1〈/sup〉. A total of 15 species from two major groups of phytoplanktons and periphytons were identified that were Cocconeis, Cymbella, Diatoma, Fragilaria, Gomphonema, Navicula, Nitzschia, Synedra, Tabellaira, Cosmarium, Ulothrix, Spirogyra, Zygnema, Chlamydomonas and Cladophora.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The main aim of this article is to identify how the pressures from the external environment, in relation to the adoption of practices for sustainability in the environmental dimension, interfere with the organizational routines of companies involved in the plastic transformation chain. This research used a qualitative method because we sought to understand the meaning of managerial decisions regarding the routines that make up an organizational structure. For this purpose, secondary sources of evidence were used, which provided information on the history, infrastructure and products of 107 companies associated with the Brazilian Association of the Plastic Industry (Abiplast). In addition, six individuals directly linked to the plastics industry were also interviewed in order to obtain more evidence about the changes in the routines of this industry. For the analysis of the data, the constant comparison method was used based on the coding technique to identify patterns of behavior. The qualitative data were analyzed using the Atlas.ti version 7 software. The results demonstrate that the routines can be categorized as isomorphic or evolutionary, which is the main contribution of this research. In addition, the type of routine adopted may be associated with the company being reactive or proactive in relation to the pressures from the external environment. Furthermore, we can also say that the activities involved in the creation of new routines for environment sustainability are linked to three actions: building an infrastructure for sustainability, managing a circular flow of resources and innovation for sustainability.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The present investigation discusses the capacity of 〈em〉Cephalosporium〈/em〉 species (sp.) and 〈em〉Mucor〈/em〉 species (sp.) to degrade polystyrene. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried out to analyze the degradation of polystyrene with fungal cultures. Shifting in the position of peaks after fungal treatment was observed by FTIR analysis. Changes in the surface texture from smooth to the rough surface were visualized by SEM analysis. The decrease in the thermal stability was showed by TGA when 95% weight reduction is chosen as a point of comparison. Further results were interpreted in terms of various parameters like pH, total dissolved solid (TDS), and conductivity. The pH of mineral salt media decreases while the value of TDS and conductivity increases after incubation with fungal cultures. Eight-week incubation of polystyrene with 〈em〉Cephalosporium〈/em〉 sp. showed a weight loss of 2.17 ± 0.16% and 1.81 ± 0.13% with 〈em〉Mucor〈/em〉 sp. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometer (GC–MS) and gel permeation chromatography analysis were carried out to determine the by-products and molecular weight of samples.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉As policy is developed to manage the declining Ogallala Aquifer, it is imperative to understand and manage the relationship between irrigated agriculture and human well-being in the High Plains region. We use a path analysis model to estimate the impact of the gallons of groundwater extracted for agricultural use and the percentage of irrigated farmland on Human Development Index scores for 234 High Plains counties between 1980 and 2010. Controlling for population, state, and the previous decade’s Human Development Index score, we find that the prevalence of irrigated agriculture on the High Plains, as measured by the percentage of farm acres irrigated and the number of gallons of groundwater extracted, has a negligible impact on county-level human development, as measured by the Human Development Index. This suggests that policymakers may employ a range of strategies for managing irrigation withdrawals from the Ogallala Aquifer without harming the well-being of area residents.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Indonesia is the major contributor of peatland areas in the tropics; however, exploitation of peatlands for various needs with improper management such as illegal logging activities, conversion to plantations, and expansion of smallholder agriculture has caused peatland degradation. In Central Kalimantan Province, only 1.5 million ha (57%) of the total 2.6 million ha peatland is categorized as pristine peatlands forest and the remaining 1.1 million ha is categorized as degraded. Degraded peatland is a significant source of CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉 emissions as well as one such alternative for agricultural expansion. There is scientifically unfounded belief that drained peatland agriculture can be made “long-term sustainable”; therefore, the main idea is only short-term utilization of degraded peatlands for agriculture in a relatively sustainable manner, while effort for conservation and reforestation for long-term sustainable keeps going on. Prospective structural analysis was used to identify the most influential and sensitive variables to be influenced for determining the locally most crucial areas of improvement for enabling short-term agricultural utilization of degraded peatlands in a relatively sustainable manner. This method is a part of strategic foresight toolbox for scenario building process, which observes interrelation and influence among different variables in order to understand the most relevant factors for the development of a specific area. Based on the analysis, the strategies considered for enabling short-term agricultural utilization of degraded peatlands in a relatively sustainable manner include improvement in soil fertility and suitability for agriculture, infrastructure related to peatlands agriculture, institutional capacity, innovation technology and dissemination, farmer knowledge in sustainable peatlands agriculture, and plant productivity. Agricultural expansion implemented in connection with these improvements would enhance the welfare of farmers as well as maintain ecological systems.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The monitoring of water requirement in irrigation areas is mostly performed by on-farm methods like utilization of soil probes, tensiometers, or neutron probes. The probes are placed into the soil collected from different depths of the root zone of the crop. But such procedures are found to be time-consuming. As a result, non-portable capacitance-based probes were nowadays utilized for monitoring of soil moisture. However, the sensor-based non-portable system is expensive and out of reach of ordinary farmers. But an absence of on-time monitoring of soil moisture in the root zone of the soil often results in crop failure and incurs a substantial loss on the cultivators. In the present investigation, a real-time inexpensive water monitoring system was proposed to monitor soil moisture in the root zone of a crop such that both time and expenditure can be reduced. The present study is an attempt to develop a real-time monitoring process for crop water requirement (CWR) in protected farm irrigation systems as a function of the significant parameters such as soil porosity (SP), water availability, crop biomass equivalent (CBE), frequency of nutrient application, frequency of irrigation, and CWR. A systematic literature review was performed to identify parameters for CWR, which were then selected by a relevant group of experts on the field. A two-step methodology was followed to develop a function that can automatically estimate water requirement in the root zone of the crop. In the first step, a new probability optimization technique (POT) was proposed for the identification of the priority value of the selected parameters to generate an ideal scenario. In the second step, the index, developed from the parameters and respective priorities selected in the first step, was predicted recurring to polynomial neural network models. The implementation of the nonlinear transfer function in the development of the neural network framework ensures generation of a platform-independent model, which can be embedded to monitor watering requirement for crops cultivated in a protected farm concept. The data of SP and CBE were retrieved from two separate indices (index of soil porosity and biomass index) calculated from images captured from the root and surface areas of the crops. Here, the POT method was used followed by the 〈em〉z〈/em〉 score of priority function of the selected parameters estimated by polynomial networks and was fed for the calculation of the water requirement index (WRI). The normalized relative difference of the WRI of two consecutive days provides the information about the necessity of watering and accordingly, the crops in the system are irrigated. The results from the decision-making method indicated that the most significant parameter among the compared factors is CWR. The peak pixel value of each column of the image, for retrieving information from captured images and to identify soil porosity and biomass, was found to be the most contributing factor. The polynomial neural network (PNN) model trained with the information from POT method was found to be the best predictive variant among all the considered configuration of the model having a mean absolute accuracy of 99.08% during the testing phase of the PNN model. This real-time system, when implemented in a real-life scenario, can conserve both water and energy expended in running the watering networks of protected farms.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉The study examined the nature of community-level mechanisms and strategies for the management of sustainable water supply systems in the Bongo district through the lens of the structural functional theory perspective. The study employed a multiple-method approach with a total of 167 respondents through face-to-face interviews and household survey. The evidence suggests that community-level participation in water resource systems management is seen in decision-making, rule formulation and general day-to-day management via regular community meetings and consultation with community members, elders and opinion leaders. Beneficiaries of water systems were solely in charge of the operations and maintenance of water systems in the community with very limited government support and involvement. The evidence also points to women playing a major role in local-level management of water resource systems. Interestingly, traditional cultural practices (e.g. taboos) as well as social norms previously used in the management of water resource systems have gradually become obsolete and ineffective with the advent of formal education and Christianity in the local communities.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Natural resources are consumed in food production, and food loss is consequently accompanied with a loss of resources as well as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study analyses food loss based on India-specific production data (for the year 2013) and reported food loss rates during production and post-harvest stages of major food crops and animal products in India. Further, the study evaluates the environmental impacts of food loss in terms of utilization of water, land resources and GHG emissions. The total food loss in harvest and post-harvest stages of the food supply chain for the selected food items amounted to 58.3 ± 2.22 million tonnes (Mt) in the year 2013 with the highest losses by mass in sugarcane and rice. The volume of water associated with the food losses was found to be 115 ± 4.15 billion m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉, of which 105 ± 3.77 billion m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 was direct water use (blue + green) and 9.54 ± 0.38 billion m〈sup〉3〈/sup〉 was indirect water use (grey). Wasted sugarcane and rice were found to be the largest contributors for water loss. Land footprint and carbon footprint associated with food loss were found to be 9.58 ± 0.4 million hectares (Mha) and 64.1 ± 3.8 Mt CO〈sub〉2〈/sub〉eq, respectively, with rice accounting for the largest impact in both. This highlights the immediate need for quantification and taking measures for minimization of losses across the food supply chains in India.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is the main economic instrument developed for natural resource conservation. Evidence has shown the importance of local context in PES design and implementation and the complexity of defining and specifying that context. Using the socio-ecological systems framework, through surveys and interviews conducted in San Antonio, an indigenous community in Mexico with a forest socio-ecological system, this paper analyzes 13 variables as a way to approximate local context. The results show that the main contextual variables are forest cover, opportunity costs, livelihood, income, motivations and attitudes toward conservation, confidence and cooperation, traditional management practices, internal organization, land tenure, rules for the management and use of natural resources, presence and history of non-governmental organizations, economic and conservation history and distance to markets. In addition, the analysis of local context and PES outcomes in San Antonio leads us to conclude that a close relationship exists between the local context variables and the variables defined as causes of the PES outcomes.〈/p〉

Description: 〈h3〉Abstract〈/h3〉 〈p〉Improving access to good quality and sustainable housing environment for residents in urban areas in the developing world has been engaging the attention of housing scholars, researchers and developers. Consequently, the extent to which government-constructed residential estates in urban areas are providing residents with good quality housing environment has been investigated in many cities in developing countries. However, in a rapidly growing megacity like Lagos, Nigeria, the situation has not been adequately investigated. This study relied on data collected via a questionnaire survey of 379 residents to investigate housing quality (HQ) and its predictors in 15 government-constructed residential estates in Lagos State, Nigeria. The outcomes of descriptive statistics and categorical regression analyses (CATREG) show that over 50% of the respondents in the survey perceived the buildings and their neighbourhood environments and the overall quality of housing to be good. Around 66% of the variance in 〈em〉R〈/em〉〈sup〉2〈/sup〉 was explained by the regression model, with adequacy of housing units’ characteristics, type of housing, level of security in the estates and state of repairs of the buildings emerging as the top four predictors of HQ. This study is very instructive by revealing that in order to achieve improved quality of housing environment in government residential estates, public housing developers should give adequate attention to the design and construction of dwelling units, the right mix of housing types, security of lives and property and the use of easily maintainable building materials in the development of such schemes in urban areas in Nigeria.〈/p〉