Environmental and Sustainability Indicators最新文献

This cross-sectional study set out to examine the effect of conservation agriculture (CA) adoption on the food security of smallholder maize farmers in the Adansi Akrofuom District in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. Using the multistage sampling technique, 400 small-scale farmers who have been introduced to CA were selected. The findings of the study show that crop rotation, row planting, fertilizer application, improved seeds and cover cropping were the CA practices often implemented by the farmers. Age of the farmer, household size, years of education, religion, access to extension, frequency of group visits, and the area under CA cultivation were significant predictors of farmers' adoption of CA practices. Implementation of CA practices has a significant effect on household level of food security. There was an agreement among the farmers that access to credit is the greatest challenge they face in using CA practices. The paper proposes that efforts towards the continuous and high adoption of CA practices must be given more attention since they can affect farmers’ household food security.

Pollination services by insects contribute strongly to food security and ecosystem stability. However, especially in Africa, little is known about farmer's knowledge and awareness of pollination services. Here, we first surveyed home garden farmers about their knowledge on pollination services, and their ability to recognize insect pollinators. Then we evaluated their home gardens for the availability of pollinator forage resources. We found that a majority of the farmers (89.1%) were not aware of pollination services and that awareness was higher for males and those with higher education levels. All farmers were able to recognize at least one insect species (especially, Apis mellifera) but most farmers did not know them as pollinators. We also found that 293 woody plant species from 62 families in Chagga home gardens (CHGs), provided insect pollinator forage. There was higher alpha diversity for exotic forage plants but higher gamma diversity for natives. The increase in diversity of pollinator forage plants reduced the temporal variability of flower richness. Our findings suggest that farmers should be made more aware of pollination services as well as insect pollinators specifically regarding their benefits to increase willingness to conserve them. Awareness programs should be accessible to women and those with little formal education as they exhibit the least knowledge. Also, various media tools should be used for effective dissemination to the different target audiences. Our findings also provide evidence that if managed properly some traditional agricultural land use systems can enhance pollination services by providing diverse forage resources for insect pollinators.

Introducing sustainable practices in farms' value chains to transform their business models into sustainable business models (SBMs) is a priority for farmers and policymakers. This paper first aims to provide a framework for implementing sustainable agriculture practices. We explain managerial practices, key drivers, and the agents involved through different theories and in four main stages. Secondly, using a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), we offer an update and a complete list of 133 sustainable (economic, social, and environmental) key performance indicators, which can be used to measure farms' sustainability performance and the success of the SBM applied. Our insights show that there are different drivers that may affect farms’ commitment to sustainability practices. However, the importance of these drivers is not equal. Similarly, not all the agents have the same relevance since this depends on the stage.

Due to the world's population growth, poor air quality (PAQ) has become a major health and environmental issue. Cities, in particular, have had to face the challenge of PAQ as a result of traffic and, in the case of the developing world, the use of diesel generators for domestic and industrial energy supply. As with other societal issues, such as corruption, that have perceptual indices to aid with their assessment, an Air Quality Perception Index (AQPI) could be pivotal in the assessment of air quality (AQ). The use of reference or instrument-measured information has been at the forefront of environmental assessment, but a perception-based index could provide a valuable supplementary approach. This paper discusses the potential for an AQPI based on research that took place on perceptions of air quality by residents in two cities, Abuja and Enugu, in Nigeria. The research was based on a survey of respondents who were asked to score various perceptual indicators of AQ. Utilizing the three most frequently perceived indicators of AQ identified in the survey, dust, smoke and smell/odour, an AQPI is presented and illustrated. The proposed AQPI follows a similar logic to that set out for the Human Development Index, with values that range from 0 to 1, with higher values suggesting better AQ. The paper makes the case for the AQPI as a complement to instrument-measured outcomes especially when the latter are rarely available such as in many cities of the global south due to high cost and operational capacity requirements.

Climate change and desertification are global issues that are affecting agricultural activities in Sub-Saharan Africa. These phenomena have made it challenging for smallholder farmers to cope with the emerging global food crises. This article examines the evidence of desertification and climate change and how smallholder farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana are responding to these threats. Primary data was analysed through interviews and focus group discussions. We used Landsat satellite-based annual mean Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, climate, crop production data, and reports from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and other NGOs as secondary sources. We interviewed eighty respondents using case history and snowball sampling. The mean annual NDVI declined from 0.5 in 1998 to −0.10 in 2022. NDVI values suggest a decline in green vegetation health to a negative value, suggesting a non-vegetative surface. This means that the process of desertification has progressed to severe levels, resulting in little to no vegetation cover on the land surface. Similarly, rainfall data suggests a sharp decline in annual rainfall while farmers change the types of crops and the timing of planting. Farmers discussed the impact of climate change and desertification on their livelihoods. They have implemented approaches like using synthetic fertilisers, planting drought-resistant crops, practising dry-season farming, irrigating their crops, and building social support networks. Food insecurity and land degradation are major issues due to continuous cropping and population growth. Smallholder farmers suggest providing them with affordable, drought-resistant seedlings with shorter gestation periods to increase food production and avoid insecurity.

Agricultural insurance plays a crucial role in managing and mitigating damages from natural disasters, while also providing support to farmers through equitable risk distribution. This study focuses on identifying vulnerabilities of the Agricultural Insurance Fund (AIF) in Iran during natural disasters and proposing solutions for maintaining preparedness and adapting to new circumstances. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research involved a three-stage classic Delphi technique with 24 experts in agricultural insurance which purposefully selected using snowball sampling. Three open-ended questions on AIF vulnerabilities in facing natural disasters, AIF's adaptive capacity, and forecasting strategic measures for the future, were provided in the first research round. After refining in subsequent rounds, a consensus was reached on 19 vulnerability points, 7 adaptive capacity factors, and 20 strategic actions. Key indicator of vulnerabilities includes the “weak financial capacity of the insurance fund”. “Designing an integrated agricultural insurance system” was the most crucial factor in enhancing AIF's adaptive capacity. Finally, the study proposes strategies like "strengthening financial capacity and ensuring sustainable credit resources," "developing capacities of the insurance system with location-based technologies," and "differentiating catastrophic damages in the insurance tariffing system" to address vulnerabilities and enhance agricultural insurance resilience.

Climate change is one of the main crises in the world primarily due to greenhouse gas emissions. The agricultural sector is a key factor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, this study aims to analyze farmers' intentions to use low-carbon agricultural technologies. Based on a theoretical framework adapted from the comprehensive action determination model, data were collected through questionnaires distributed among 373 farmers in the southern region of West Azarbaijan province, Iran. Factors influencing farmers' intentions were identified using a structural equation model. The results indicated that attitude (β = 0.532), habits (β = 0.282), and objective constraints (β = 0.105) significantly influenced farmers’ intentions to adopt low-carbon agricultural technologies. The model predicted 68.4% of the variance in farmers' intentions. All predictors in the comprehensive action determination model demonstrated robustness and significant positive relationships, except for subjective constraints. Additionally, the model effectively explained normative processes, habitual processes, situational influences, and intentional processes among farmers. This research suggests policy solutions to promote the adoption of low-carbon agricultural technologies by farmers in response to climate change, thereby fostering sustainable agriculture in the region. When developing future plans for climate change adaptation, planners should use the comprehensive action determination model as a fundamental guideline. This model is essential for both mitigating climate change and enhancing behavioral intentions, which are critical objectives.

The accelerated pace of urbanization and industrialization in China has given rise to air pollution in the form of PM_2.5. This pollution poses significant threats to the atmospheric environment and human health. Traditional statistical models often lack the required data precision for medium or small-scale epidemiological and pollutant exposure studies. Therefore, alternative approaches must be developed. This study employs the Random Forest (RF) model, utilizing measured PM_2.5 concentration and auxiliary data, to simulate PM_2.5 concentration with 1 km spatial resolution for 2015–2019. The results showed that: (1) The RF model was sufficiently accurate with a 10-fold CV, resulting in a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.75, a root-mean-square error (RMSE) measuring at 13.24 μg/m³, and a mean absolute error (MAE) of 9.12 μg/m³ (2) A notable variation and dynamic pattern in the concentration of PM_2.5 were observed. The geographical distribution displayed elevated levels in the northern regions and subdued levels in the southern regions, with the most elevated PM_2.5 values recorded in Xinjiang and Northern China. (3) Pollution levels in the five major urban agglomerations, ranked from high to low, were as follows: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH), the Guanzhong Plain (GZP), the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), the Chengdu-Chongqing (CY), and the Pearl River Delta (PRD). (4) The PM_2.5 concentration of the whole country generally showed a downward trend. These findings offer valuable scientific insights to support atmospheric environmental protection and epidemiological research endeavors. Finally, policy implications for the coordinated development of the economy and environment in the national sustainable development experimental zone major urban agglomerations were proposed to achieve more equitable and balanced development. This paper provides policy recommendations and empirical evidence for further promoting environmental balance in national sustainable development experimental zones.

The compounding and cascading effects of climate change induced by anthropogenic activities threaten the livelihoods of indigenous communities living in fragile ecosystems and practicing shifting agriculture in mountainous regions. This study assessed differences in household-level climate change vulnerability and socioeconomic profiles of indigenous communities practicing shifting agriculture in the Indian Himalayas using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) framework. A total of 120 randomly selected households spread across 12 randomly chosen villages were surveyed, making sure that at least 10 households per village in Dima Hasao, Karbi Anglong, and Cachar districts of the state of Assam using the indicator-based household-level questionnaire to examine the cause and characteristics of vulnerability in the study region. Furthermore, focus group discussions were held in each village to delve into the community-based adaptive strategies employed by hill farmers, aiming to acquire an in-depth understanding of their approaches. The results revealed that villages with higher susceptibility to climate change are characterized by lower literacy levels, smaller land holdings with poor soil fertility, greater losses of crops due to extreme events, greater dependency on natural capital, and lower livelihood diversification. Villages with better land management techniques, higher decision-making abilities, agricultural diversification, and good market access had better adaptability to climate change. Agricultural diversification, transitioning from shifting agriculture to high-value cropping such as agroforestry, coupled with indigenous knowledge of the communities, provided tangible and intangible benefits and ecosystem services. Integrating high-value crops in shifting agriculture contributed to greater economic returns. In conclusion, shifting agriculture plays a vital role in the survival of ethnic culture, heritage, religious beliefs, and the livelihoods of nature-oriented hill farmers. Furthermore, improving fallow land management is crucial for maintaining ecological equilibrium and ensuring the sustainability of hill farmers’ lifestyles by fostering a community-environment-development nexus. Finally, we discuss the methodological implications of vulnerability assessment in the context of this study.

Climate change is global threat and the world is now facing its outcomes more than the last decades. Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of flooding among other extreme weather events. The execution of knowledge management in different phases of disaster management can be effective in mitigating damages caused by floods to natural and human environments. The present study identified effective actions to implement the five stages of knowledge management in the stages before, during and after the flood event. For this purpose, a systematic review of sources and qualitative content analysis have been applied to evaluate the published research in four stages of items collection, descriptive analysis, selection and classification, and assessment. According to the findings, the pre-crisis stage requires 13 actions in knowledge creation, 20 actions in knowledge acquisition, 7 actions in knowledge organization and storage, 23 actions in knowledge sharing, and 20 actions in knowledge use and development. The crisis phase requires 12 actions in knowledge sharing and 10 actions in knowledge use. In the post-crisis stage, 5 actions in the knowledge sharing, 11 actions in the knowledge use, and 12 actions in the knowledge evaluation phases have been identified. To prevent and manage the flood crisis, knowledge improvement and management is an effective and necessary aspect that should be considered among the organizations and communities involved in emergency management.