Pub Date : 2022-05-18DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2076400
H. Sepehrdoust, Davood Javanmard, Marziyeh Rasuli
ABSTRACT The main objective of the present study is to investigate the determinants of environmental impacts, focusing on the impact of construction and energy consumption on the environment in Iran from 1994 to 2019. The results confirmed the existence of a long-term relationship between the variables of construction, energy consumption, and environmental index. The variables of construction and energy consumption had a positive and significant impact on the country’s environmental index. The estimated coefficient for the variable of housing investment also showed a positive effect on the environmental index. In general, it is concluded that to reduce the negative impact of construction on the environmental index, it is necessary to change the old construction styles and instead apply new construction strategies in favor of lower energy consumption and less CO2 emissions into the environment.
{"title":"Environmental impact of building construction and energy consumption; case study of Iran","authors":"H. Sepehrdoust, Davood Javanmard, Marziyeh Rasuli","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2076400","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2076400","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The main objective of the present study is to investigate the determinants of environmental impacts, focusing on the impact of construction and energy consumption on the environment in Iran from 1994 to 2019. The results confirmed the existence of a long-term relationship between the variables of construction, energy consumption, and environmental index. The variables of construction and energy consumption had a positive and significant impact on the country’s environmental index. The estimated coefficient for the variable of housing investment also showed a positive effect on the environmental index. In general, it is concluded that to reduce the negative impact of construction on the environmental index, it is necessary to change the old construction styles and instead apply new construction strategies in favor of lower energy consumption and less CO2 emissions into the environment.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82478138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-05DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2066811
Haile Fentie, G. Sime
ABSTRACT The depletion of bioenergy sources has caused significant deforestation, low agricultural production, and energy crisis. This study evaluates factors associated with biogas technology adoption and the amount of biomass fuels, kerosene, and chemical fertilizer that can be replaced or saved upon adoption by rural households. Questionnaire household survey, key informant interview, focus group discussion and field obervation were used for data collection. Biogas technology adoption reduced the use of firewood, charcoal, dung cake, and kerosene consumption by 58%, 36%, 71%, and 74%, respectively. It also reduced the use of chemical fertilizer by 94% and the combined use of chemical fertilizer and manure by 91%. Adoption turned the majority of households (65.4%) to use a combination of bio-slurry and chemical fertilizer as well. It helped the majority (89.95%) of adopters to construct and connect toilets to biogas operational system. In doing so, the adoption reduced defecation in the field and improved environmental sanitation and human health. It further enabled saving of about 38% of adopters’ time, which otherwise would be expended for firewood and dung collection. It similarly enhanced adopters’ income through decreasing expenses for chemical fertilizer, kerosene, and other fuel sources. Biogas technology has huge potential of replacing traditional fuel sources for domestic consumption, and of reducing the consumption of kerosene and chemical fertilizers as well as of increasing income and decreasing labor for biofuel collection. The adoption of biogas technology could also reduce deforestation rate, improve agricultural production and improve energy supply of rural households.
{"title":"Biogas technology adoption and its potential of replacing biomass fuels, kerosene, and chemical fertilizer in rural Gonder, Northern Ethiopia","authors":"Haile Fentie, G. Sime","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2066811","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2066811","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The depletion of bioenergy sources has caused significant deforestation, low agricultural production, and energy crisis. This study evaluates factors associated with biogas technology adoption and the amount of biomass fuels, kerosene, and chemical fertilizer that can be replaced or saved upon adoption by rural households. Questionnaire household survey, key informant interview, focus group discussion and field obervation were used for data collection. Biogas technology adoption reduced the use of firewood, charcoal, dung cake, and kerosene consumption by 58%, 36%, 71%, and 74%, respectively. It also reduced the use of chemical fertilizer by 94% and the combined use of chemical fertilizer and manure by 91%. Adoption turned the majority of households (65.4%) to use a combination of bio-slurry and chemical fertilizer as well. It helped the majority (89.95%) of adopters to construct and connect toilets to biogas operational system. In doing so, the adoption reduced defecation in the field and improved environmental sanitation and human health. It further enabled saving of about 38% of adopters’ time, which otherwise would be expended for firewood and dung collection. It similarly enhanced adopters’ income through decreasing expenses for chemical fertilizer, kerosene, and other fuel sources. Biogas technology has huge potential of replacing traditional fuel sources for domestic consumption, and of reducing the consumption of kerosene and chemical fertilizers as well as of increasing income and decreasing labor for biofuel collection. The adoption of biogas technology could also reduce deforestation rate, improve agricultural production and improve energy supply of rural households.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82002772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-19DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2062825
S. Wiafe, Eric Awuah Yeboah, E. Boakye, S. Ofosu
ABSTRACT The activities of illegal mining have caused devastating effect to the environment, particularly, water and soil. There is therefore the need to ascertain the extent of pollution these activities have caused both soil and water bodies. To this end, this study seeks to identify the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in soil and surface water, determine the correlation between the dominant heavy metals and to ascertain the ecological risk of pollutants in both the waterbody and the soil. The levels of nine predominant heavy metals within Prestea-Huni Valley District of artisanal mining sites were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The extent of pollution within the soil and surface water was determined using Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Pollution Index (PI) and Contamination Factor (CF). The concentration of metals in water were below WHO permissible limits, except Ni and Co. The mean concentration of Hg and Cd in the soils of the study area were 2.02 mg/kg and 13.2 mg/kg respectively, which exceeded the WHO permissible limits. The study revealed that the soil and water samples were polluted with heavy metals, particularly Hg and Cd. It is recommended that the polluted sites should be remediated using eco-friendly approach. In addition, Artisanal Mining activities need to be properly regulated to protect both water and soil from further pollution.
{"title":"Environmental risk assessment of heavy metals contamination in the catchment of small-scale mining enclave in Prestea Huni-Valley District, Ghana","authors":"S. Wiafe, Eric Awuah Yeboah, E. Boakye, S. Ofosu","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2062825","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2062825","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The activities of illegal mining have caused devastating effect to the environment, particularly, water and soil. There is therefore the need to ascertain the extent of pollution these activities have caused both soil and water bodies. To this end, this study seeks to identify the prevalence of heavy metal contamination in soil and surface water, determine the correlation between the dominant heavy metals and to ascertain the ecological risk of pollutants in both the waterbody and the soil. The levels of nine predominant heavy metals within Prestea-Huni Valley District of artisanal mining sites were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (AAS). The extent of pollution within the soil and surface water was determined using Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Pollution Index (PI) and Contamination Factor (CF). The concentration of metals in water were below WHO permissible limits, except Ni and Co. The mean concentration of Hg and Cd in the soils of the study area were 2.02 mg/kg and 13.2 mg/kg respectively, which exceeded the WHO permissible limits. The study revealed that the soil and water samples were polluted with heavy metals, particularly Hg and Cd. It is recommended that the polluted sites should be remediated using eco-friendly approach. In addition, Artisanal Mining activities need to be properly regulated to protect both water and soil from further pollution.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73539737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-19DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2062824
Feng Kong, Yifei Wang
ABSTRACT Understanding the scientific goals and practical processes of carbon neutrality is a hot topic of current interest to both academic and practical communities. A scientific and correct understanding of carbon neutrality is an important prerequisite for all mankind to deal with climate change and is of great significance to promote the smooth implementation of carbon neutral related policies. Firstly, this paper describes the scientific connotation and practical significance of carbon neutrality from three aspects: the concept of carbon neutrality, the object of carbon removal, and carbon neutrality in macro and micro perspectives. Then, starting from the current characteristics of global carbon emissions, this paper summarizes the main progress, specific implementation measures, policies, resources, technologies, markets and major problems faced by countries in the current global carbon neutrality process. Finally, this paper describes Chinas carbon neutrality goals and roadmap, summarizes the challenges facing Chinas carbon neutrality implementation, and proposes key measures to advance the carbon neutrality process in the future. That is to promote the efficient and clean use of coal, accelerate the replacement of clean energy, enhance the role of natural gas as a bridge in the low-carbon transformation, vigorously develop the “green hydrogen” industry and its industrial chain, increase the application and promotion of CO2 burial and storage, develop carbon conversion and forest carbon sinks, and establish a market mechanism to control carbon emissions.
{"title":"How to understand carbon neutrality in the context of climate change? With special reference to China","authors":"Feng Kong, Yifei Wang","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2062824","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2062824","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Understanding the scientific goals and practical processes of carbon neutrality is a hot topic of current interest to both academic and practical communities. A scientific and correct understanding of carbon neutrality is an important prerequisite for all mankind to deal with climate change and is of great significance to promote the smooth implementation of carbon neutral related policies. Firstly, this paper describes the scientific connotation and practical significance of carbon neutrality from three aspects: the concept of carbon neutrality, the object of carbon removal, and carbon neutrality in macro and micro perspectives. Then, starting from the current characteristics of global carbon emissions, this paper summarizes the main progress, specific implementation measures, policies, resources, technologies, markets and major problems faced by countries in the current global carbon neutrality process. Finally, this paper describes Chinas carbon neutrality goals and roadmap, summarizes the challenges facing Chinas carbon neutrality implementation, and proposes key measures to advance the carbon neutrality process in the future. That is to promote the efficient and clean use of coal, accelerate the replacement of clean energy, enhance the role of natural gas as a bridge in the low-carbon transformation, vigorously develop the “green hydrogen” industry and its industrial chain, increase the application and promotion of CO2 burial and storage, develop carbon conversion and forest carbon sinks, and establish a market mechanism to control carbon emissions.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"11 6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79351641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-05DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2051268
Manju Sharma, Sandeep Kumar
ABSTRACT The phenomenon of urban growth is a complicated one. It is the outcome of numerous social, economic, ecological, cultural, and even political circumstances. Rapid urbanization generally occurs due to the disbursement of peripheral prime agricultural land, destroying the natural landscape in the process. Rohtak city is a fast-growing city in India’s National Capital Region (NCR). The physical development of the city and land use/land covers are measured using Landsat satellite data. ArcGIS and Erdas software have been used for making the map, image processing and classification. In this study, five major land use and cover categories, built-up area, agricultural land, vegetation, bare/open land and water bodies, are used. The spatial arrangement and urban growth trends in Rohtak are examined using Shannon’s Entropy index. Results show that Rohtak city has witnessed four-fold growth in its built-up area (from 1640.79 hectares in 1991 to 6686.36 hectares in 2021) in thirty years of the study. However, the planned and unplanned residential and commercial arrangements have appeared on all sides throughout the periods. Yet, the city expanded its limits mainly in north, north-eastern and south-eastern sides along with the major transport routes to New Delhi, Sonipat and Panipat. It is primarily a result of government policies and proximity to the capital city.
{"title":"Analysing the spatial patterns and trends of urban growth in Rohtak city, India","authors":"Manju Sharma, Sandeep Kumar","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2051268","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2051268","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The phenomenon of urban growth is a complicated one. It is the outcome of numerous social, economic, ecological, cultural, and even political circumstances. Rapid urbanization generally occurs due to the disbursement of peripheral prime agricultural land, destroying the natural landscape in the process. Rohtak city is a fast-growing city in India’s National Capital Region (NCR). The physical development of the city and land use/land covers are measured using Landsat satellite data. ArcGIS and Erdas software have been used for making the map, image processing and classification. In this study, five major land use and cover categories, built-up area, agricultural land, vegetation, bare/open land and water bodies, are used. The spatial arrangement and urban growth trends in Rohtak are examined using Shannon’s Entropy index. Results show that Rohtak city has witnessed four-fold growth in its built-up area (from 1640.79 hectares in 1991 to 6686.36 hectares in 2021) in thirty years of the study. However, the planned and unplanned residential and commercial arrangements have appeared on all sides throughout the periods. Yet, the city expanded its limits mainly in north, north-eastern and south-eastern sides along with the major transport routes to New Delhi, Sonipat and Panipat. It is primarily a result of government policies and proximity to the capital city.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78647678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-17DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2046324
M. Weerasooriyagedara, A. Ashiq, S. R. Gunatilake, D. Giannakoudakis, M. Vithanage
ABSTRACT A composite material prepared from municipal solid waste-derived biochar and montmorillonite (MSW-BC-MMT) was studied as a remediation medium for the removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) from aqueous systems. The morphological characterization using SEM images revealed that the composite had a heterogeneous flaky, plate-like surface appearance. Based on N2 adsorption experiments and compared to the pristine biochar, the composite showed an increased specific surface area by 1.5 folds. The three-parameter Redlich Peterson isotherm model and two-parameter Temkin isotherm model were best fitted with R2 = 0.998 and 0.997, respectively, both for the pristine biochar and the MSW-BC-MMT composite. Additionally, the kinetics was best described using the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting that OTC adsorption onto the composite takes place via chemisorption. A capacity of 233 mg g−1 was observed for the MSW-BC-MMT, which is suggested to be predominantly governed by π-π electron donor–acceptor interactions, electrostatic attraction and surface complexation. As evidenced by FTIR results, OTC was presumed to be adsorbed via hydrogen bonding as well. The value addition of MSW by producing MSW-derived biochar is considered a favorable solution for solid waste management. Therefore, the production of the MSW-BC-MMT composite becomes useful due to its significance in acting as a simultaneous MSW management technique and a low-cost material for antibiotic OTC remediation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
摘要以城市生活垃圾生物炭和蒙脱土为原料制备复合材料(MSW-BC-MMT)，研究其对水中土霉素(OTC)的修复效果。利用SEM图像进行形貌表征，发现复合材料表面呈非均匀片状、片状。通过氮气吸附实验和与原始生物炭相比，复合材料的比表面积增加了1.5倍。对于原始生物炭和MSW-BC-MMT复合材料，三参数Redlich Peterson等温线模型和两参数Temkin等温线模型的拟合系数分别为R2 = 0.998和0.997。此外，动力学最好用伪二阶模型来描述，表明OTC在复合材料上的吸附是通过化学吸附进行的。MSW-BC-MMT的容量为233mg g−1，表明其主要受π-π电子供体-受体相互作用、静电吸引和表面络合作用的影响。FTIR结果表明，OTC也可以通过氢键吸附。通过生产生活垃圾衍生的生物炭来增加生活垃圾的价值被认为是固体废物管理的一个有利解决方案。因此，MSW- bc - mmt复合材料的生产具有重要意义，因为它可以同时作为城市生活垃圾管理技术和抗生素OTC修复的低成本材料。图形抽象
{"title":"Surface interactions of oxytetracycline on municipal solid waste-derived biochar–montmorillonite composite","authors":"M. Weerasooriyagedara, A. Ashiq, S. R. Gunatilake, D. Giannakoudakis, M. Vithanage","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2046324","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2046324","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A composite material prepared from municipal solid waste-derived biochar and montmorillonite (MSW-BC-MMT) was studied as a remediation medium for the removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) from aqueous systems. The morphological characterization using SEM images revealed that the composite had a heterogeneous flaky, plate-like surface appearance. Based on N2 adsorption experiments and compared to the pristine biochar, the composite showed an increased specific surface area by 1.5 folds. The three-parameter Redlich Peterson isotherm model and two-parameter Temkin isotherm model were best fitted with R2 = 0.998 and 0.997, respectively, both for the pristine biochar and the MSW-BC-MMT composite. Additionally, the kinetics was best described using the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting that OTC adsorption onto the composite takes place via chemisorption. A capacity of 233 mg g−1 was observed for the MSW-BC-MMT, which is suggested to be predominantly governed by π-π electron donor–acceptor interactions, electrostatic attraction and surface complexation. As evidenced by FTIR results, OTC was presumed to be adsorbed via hydrogen bonding as well. The value addition of MSW by producing MSW-derived biochar is considered a favorable solution for solid waste management. Therefore, the production of the MSW-BC-MMT composite becomes useful due to its significance in acting as a simultaneous MSW management technique and a low-cost material for antibiotic OTC remediation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78311726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-16DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2046959
M. Denboba
ABSTRACT Rangelands occupy more than half of the terrestrial ecosystems and their management has a significant impact on the global carbon cycle. They are often managed for pasture and forage for livestock. This study examined impact of grazing management practices on biomass and carbon stock in dry lowland rangelands. A systematic transect sampling was applied to measure vegetation data, and to collect soil and herbaceous samples from the field. Allometric and species-specific equations were used to determine the woody biomass. Herbaceous biomass and soil carbon were analyzed in a laboratory. The results showed that herbaceous vegetation accounted for 5–15% of the total carbon stock while the woody vegetation accounted only for 0.3–1% of the total carbon stock. The soil is the largest carbon pool holding more than 90 % of the total carbon. Enclosures and bush clearing favored more herbaceous growth and changed the vegetation dynamics. As a result, the grasslands sequestered significantly high (P < 0.05) amount of soil carbon compared to the bush lands and the tree savannah. The management practices improved total carbon sequestration by 12.2%—26% in the system. There is high seasonal dynamics in the herbaceous carbon with a significant increase (P < 0.5) during the wet season. Soil carbon showed an inverse relationship with stem density, soil bulk density and slope. Rainfall and altitude have a positive influence on soil carbon. Total carbon stock in the managed rangelands was 19.8% higher than in the unmanaged rangelands. It can be concluded that enclosures and bush clearing enhance soil carbon sequestration. At the estimated annual sequestration rate of 1.6–3.5 t CO2e ha−1 yr−1 into the soil and 2.2–5.6 t CO2e ha−1 yr−1 into the total carbon stock in the system, the rangelands can make significant contribution to climate change mitigation.
摘要:草地占陆地生态系统的一半以上，其管理对全球碳循环具有重要影响。它们通常被管理为牧场和牲畜的饲料。本研究考察了放牧管理措施对干旱低地牧场生物量和碳储量的影响。采用系统样带取样法测量植被数据，并从田间采集土壤和草本样品。采用异速生长方程和种特异方程测定木本生物量。在室内对草本生物量和土壤碳进行了分析。结果表明，草本植被占总碳储量的5-15%，木本植被仅占总碳储量的0.3-1%。土壤是最大的碳库，占碳总量的90%以上。围护和灌木清除有利于草本植物的生长，改变了植被动态。结果表明，草地固碳量显著高于灌丛地和乔木草原(P < 0.05)。这些管理措施使系统的碳固存总量提高了12.2%-26%。草本碳具有较强的季节动态，在雨季显著增加(P < 0.5)。土壤碳与茎密度、土壤容重和坡度呈反比关系。降雨量和海拔高度对土壤碳具有正向影响。受管理的草地总碳储量比未受管理的草地高19.8%。综上所述，围护和灌木林清理可增强土壤固碳能力。据估计，放牧地每年将1.6-3.5 t CO2e ha - 1 year - 1固存到土壤中，2.2-5.6 t CO2e ha - 1 year - 1固存到系统的总碳储量中，可对减缓气候变化作出重大贡献。
{"title":"Grazing management and carbon sequestration in the Dry Lowland Rangelands of Southern Ethiopia","authors":"M. Denboba","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2046959","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2046959","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Rangelands occupy more than half of the terrestrial ecosystems and their management has a significant impact on the global carbon cycle. They are often managed for pasture and forage for livestock. This study examined impact of grazing management practices on biomass and carbon stock in dry lowland rangelands. A systematic transect sampling was applied to measure vegetation data, and to collect soil and herbaceous samples from the field. Allometric and species-specific equations were used to determine the woody biomass. Herbaceous biomass and soil carbon were analyzed in a laboratory. The results showed that herbaceous vegetation accounted for 5–15% of the total carbon stock while the woody vegetation accounted only for 0.3–1% of the total carbon stock. The soil is the largest carbon pool holding more than 90 % of the total carbon. Enclosures and bush clearing favored more herbaceous growth and changed the vegetation dynamics. As a result, the grasslands sequestered significantly high (P < 0.05) amount of soil carbon compared to the bush lands and the tree savannah. The management practices improved total carbon sequestration by 12.2%—26% in the system. There is high seasonal dynamics in the herbaceous carbon with a significant increase (P < 0.5) during the wet season. Soil carbon showed an inverse relationship with stem density, soil bulk density and slope. Rainfall and altitude have a positive influence on soil carbon. Total carbon stock in the managed rangelands was 19.8% higher than in the unmanaged rangelands. It can be concluded that enclosures and bush clearing enhance soil carbon sequestration. At the estimated annual sequestration rate of 1.6–3.5 t CO2e ha−1 yr−1 into the soil and 2.2–5.6 t CO2e ha−1 yr−1 into the total carbon stock in the system, the rangelands can make significant contribution to climate change mitigation.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"2020 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78539763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-03-13DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2022.2048465
Christian Dzah, Jonathan O. Agyapong, Michael W. Apprey, Kafui T. Agbevanu, Patrick K. Kagbetor
ABSTRACT Attitudes and behaviours towards e-waste management among commercial consumers in Ho Municipal, the capital city of the Volta Region, Ghana, will become detrimental to humans and the environment at large. This research aims to examine the perception and practices of e-waste among commercial consumers in the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana and to document the overall characteristics of e-waste management to help raise awareness about the growing e-waste threats to the environment and to engender discussions to find a lasting solution to the issues. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ho municipality during May and June of 2021. The purposive sampling approach was used to select 200 participants from institutions/organisations. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire, which was then entered and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16. The significance of relationships was determined using binary logistic regression analysis with <0.05 p-value and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and Likert scale analysis with mean response values. Among the 200 participants, there is a high level of knowledge of e-waste and its negative impact on commercial consumers, but there was a low level of awareness of laws and government regulations. The participants’ knowledge of the awareness of e-waste was significantly related to their qualification; 2.472 (95% CI: 1.476–4.142), p = 0.001(<0.05). Moreover, most respondents were aware of toxic/hazardous compounds in e-waste materials, yet they ranked the environmental effect of e-waste as minimal and exhibited poor practices for disposing of their e-waste. We recommend that the existing legislation passed by the parliament of Ghana should be made known and available to the public through continuous televised programs on national television to educate the general public on e-waste management practices due to the lack of awareness and practices in e-waste management.
对电子废物管理的态度和行为在何市的商业消费者，首都城市沃尔特地区，加纳，将成为不利于人类和环境在大。本研究旨在研究加纳首都沃尔塔地区商业消费者对电子废物的看法和做法，并记录电子废物管理的总体特征，以帮助提高对日益增长的电子废物对环境的威胁的认识，并引发讨论，以找到解决问题的持久办法。2021年5月和6月在何市进行了一项横断面研究。我们采用有目的的抽样方法，从机构/组织中选取200名受访者。使用标准化问卷收集数据，然后使用社会科学统计软件包(SPSS)第16版进行输入和分析。采用二元logistic回归分析(p值<0.05)和校正优势比(AOR)(95%置信区间(CI))和李克特量表分析(平均反应值)来确定关系的显著性。在200名参与者中，对电子垃圾及其对商业消费者的负面影响有很高的认识，但对法律和政府法规的认识水平较低。参与者的电子废物意识知识与其资格显著相关;2.472 (95% CI: 1.476 ~ 4.142)， p = 0.001(<0.05)。此外，大多数受访者都知道电子废物中的有毒/有害化合物，但他们将电子废物的环境影响列为最小，并表现出处置电子废物的不良做法。由于缺乏对电子废物管理的认识和实践，我们建议通过国家电视台的持续电视节目，使加纳议会通过的现行立法为公众所知和提供，以教育公众关于电子废物管理的做法。
{"title":"Assessment of perceptions and practices of electronic waste management among commercial consumers in Ho, Ghana","authors":"Christian Dzah, Jonathan O. Agyapong, Michael W. Apprey, Kafui T. Agbevanu, Patrick K. Kagbetor","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2048465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2048465","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Attitudes and behaviours towards e-waste management among commercial consumers in Ho Municipal, the capital city of the Volta Region, Ghana, will become detrimental to humans and the environment at large. This research aims to examine the perception and practices of e-waste among commercial consumers in the capital city of the Volta Region of Ghana and to document the overall characteristics of e-waste management to help raise awareness about the growing e-waste threats to the environment and to engender discussions to find a lasting solution to the issues. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Ho municipality during May and June of 2021. The purposive sampling approach was used to select 200 participants from institutions/organisations. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire, which was then entered and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 16. The significance of relationships was determined using binary logistic regression analysis with <0.05 p-value and the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), and Likert scale analysis with mean response values. Among the 200 participants, there is a high level of knowledge of e-waste and its negative impact on commercial consumers, but there was a low level of awareness of laws and government regulations. The participants’ knowledge of the awareness of e-waste was significantly related to their qualification; 2.472 (95% CI: 1.476–4.142), p = 0.001(<0.05). Moreover, most respondents were aware of toxic/hazardous compounds in e-waste materials, yet they ranked the environmental effect of e-waste as minimal and exhibited poor practices for disposing of their e-waste. We recommend that the existing legislation passed by the parliament of Ghana should be made known and available to the public through continuous televised programs on national television to educate the general public on e-waste management practices due to the lack of awareness and practices in e-waste management.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79042159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-02-12DOI: 10.1080/27658511.2021.2022569
Mercy Kiremu, F. Scrimgeour, J. Mutegi, Richard Mumo
ABSTRACT A significant increase in low carbon investments is required to limit global warming to less than 2° C. For example, about USD 900 billion should be invested annually in the energy sector up to 2030 to meet this target. Climate finance provides opportunities for investments in climate-smart projects. Such investments could enhance Africa’s adaptive capacity, food security and economic growth. Nonetheless, Africa lags behind in the access and utilisation of these funds. Climate finance readiness plays a major role in enhancing access to these funds. This paper analyses policy and institutional frameworks that would enhance Kenya’s readiness for climate finance. Publicly available scholarly articles, government and development partners reports were profiled using the following key words: Kenya, climate change, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Then the keywords; climate finance, climate policy and legislation were used to identify the most relevant publications. These were reviewed to assess Kenya’s readiness for climate finance. The study finds that considerable efforts have been made to enhance Kenya’s readiness for climate finance as evidenced by the formulation of climate-related policies, legislation and the creation of institutions tasked to address climate change. Nonetheless, some policy areas could be enhanced. For instance, the role of the private sector could be better recognised and supported. This study provides an important reference for the government, development partners and private sector involved in negotiations and decision making on climate financing in Kenya.
{"title":"Climate finance readiness: A review of institutional frameworks and policies in Kenya","authors":"Mercy Kiremu, F. Scrimgeour, J. Mutegi, Richard Mumo","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2021.2022569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2021.2022569","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A significant increase in low carbon investments is required to limit global warming to less than 2° C. For example, about USD 900 billion should be invested annually in the energy sector up to 2030 to meet this target. Climate finance provides opportunities for investments in climate-smart projects. Such investments could enhance Africa’s adaptive capacity, food security and economic growth. Nonetheless, Africa lags behind in the access and utilisation of these funds. Climate finance readiness plays a major role in enhancing access to these funds. This paper analyses policy and institutional frameworks that would enhance Kenya’s readiness for climate finance. Publicly available scholarly articles, government and development partners reports were profiled using the following key words: Kenya, climate change, climate mitigation and climate adaptation. Then the keywords; climate finance, climate policy and legislation were used to identify the most relevant publications. These were reviewed to assess Kenya’s readiness for climate finance. The study finds that considerable efforts have been made to enhance Kenya’s readiness for climate finance as evidenced by the formulation of climate-related policies, legislation and the creation of institutions tasked to address climate change. Nonetheless, some policy areas could be enhanced. For instance, the role of the private sector could be better recognised and supported. This study provides an important reference for the government, development partners and private sector involved in negotiations and decision making on climate financing in Kenya.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91007951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
ABSTRACT Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, large quantities of wastes are released into the rivers of Kombolcha city. The vegetables grown on the polluted sites can take up potentially toxic trace metals at concentrations, which are toxic to human health. The current study determined the amount of potentially toxic trace metals in soil and vegetable samples grown around polluted river and assessed the potential health risks to consumers. Samples were collected in June 2020, digested using the wet digestion method and analyzed quantitatively using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The concentrations of selected trace metals in soil samples were much lower than the recommended limit; however, the levels of nickel, lead and cadmium in vegetable samples were above the international guideline values. The result also indicated that the average target hazard quotient of lead, nickel and cadmium in most studied areas were higher than the limit. The target hazard quotients of these potentially toxic trace metals were higher in lettuce vegetables especially in children consumer. Thus, frequent consumption of lettuce may cause a health risk in children.
{"title":"Assessment of trace metals in soil and vegetable samples irrigated from Borkena river, South Wollo Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia","authors":"Yirgalem Assefa Welde Amanuel, Alemnew Berhanu Kassegne","doi":"10.1080/27658511.2022.2035045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/27658511.2022.2035045","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, large quantities of wastes are released into the rivers of Kombolcha city. The vegetables grown on the polluted sites can take up potentially toxic trace metals at concentrations, which are toxic to human health. The current study determined the amount of potentially toxic trace metals in soil and vegetable samples grown around polluted river and assessed the potential health risks to consumers. Samples were collected in June 2020, digested using the wet digestion method and analyzed quantitatively using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The concentrations of selected trace metals in soil samples were much lower than the recommended limit; however, the levels of nickel, lead and cadmium in vegetable samples were above the international guideline values. The result also indicated that the average target hazard quotient of lead, nickel and cadmium in most studied areas were higher than the limit. The target hazard quotients of these potentially toxic trace metals were higher in lettuce vegetables especially in children consumer. Thus, frequent consumption of lettuce may cause a health risk in children.","PeriodicalId":29858,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Environment","volume":"101 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2022-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88967167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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