Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101394
Mari Kosaka
While the engagement of large corporations in sustainability policy has been widely studied, the potential role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this area remains underexplored. This qualitative study aims to clarify how SMEs can participate in sustainability-related policymaking within the context of political corporate social responsibility (CSR). To that end, interviews were conducted with 14 pioneering Japanese SMEs that had received recognition through one of two government-sponsored award programs for their implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To analyze the political activities of these firms, this study adopts the framework proposed by Westman et al. (2020), which conceptualizes SME political engagement through formal political participation, activism, civic engagement, and involvement. Based on this framework, the collected data were classified and analyzed to identify how SMEs engage in political processes. The findings reveal that SMEs influence both sustainability policymaking and informal rule-setting within sectors such as production and healthcare, often through participation in advocacy groups and other collective actions. These results suggest that SMEs are not merely passive recipients of policy but have the capacity to shape it through diverse forms of engagement, acting as policy actors. By positioning SMEs as a previously underexamined unit of analysis, the study contributes to the literature on political CSR and sustainability governance, offering a new perspective on the ways in which smaller firms can participate in and help shape public policy, particularly within the sustainability domain.
{"title":"Pioneering small and medium-sized enterprises’ engagement in sustainability policy in Japan: Toward a new role in policymaking","authors":"Mari Kosaka","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While the engagement of large corporations in sustainability policy has been widely studied, the potential role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this area remains underexplored. This qualitative study aims to clarify how SMEs can participate in sustainability-related policymaking within the context of political corporate social responsibility (CSR). To that end, interviews were conducted with 14 pioneering Japanese SMEs that had received recognition through one of two government-sponsored award programs for their implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To analyze the political activities of these firms, this study adopts the framework proposed by Westman et al. (2020), which conceptualizes SME political engagement through formal political participation, activism, civic engagement, and involvement. Based on this framework, the collected data were classified and analyzed to identify how SMEs engage in political processes. The findings reveal that SMEs influence both sustainability policymaking and informal rule-setting within sectors such as production and healthcare, often through participation in advocacy groups and other collective actions. These results suggest that SMEs are not merely passive recipients of policy but have the capacity to shape it through diverse forms of engagement, acting as policy actors. By positioning SMEs as a previously underexamined unit of analysis, the study contributes to the literature on political CSR and sustainability governance, offering a new perspective on the ways in which smaller firms can participate in and help shape public policy, particularly within the sustainability domain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101394"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145652126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101423
Adam Salifu , Ummu Markwei , Ama Boafo-Arthur , Rosemond Akpene Hiadzi , Abena Asomaning Antwi
Coastal litter remains a significant environmental and public health concern, negatively affecting tourism, marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities. Despite ongoing sanitation interventions, many beach-cleaning initiatives in Ghana are externally driven and lack long-term sustainability. This study examined the role of informal women's community groups in maintaining beach cleanliness in Ghana's Greater Accra Region and explored strategies to strengthen their contributions to sustainable, community-driven sanitation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 192 respondents, comprising 155 beach users and 37 community residents, alongside ten key informant interviews and eight focus group discussions conducted across nine purposefully selected beaches. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and chi-square tests to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics, participation in clean-up activities, and perceptions of beach cleanliness. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results show that although over 80 % of respondents regarded beach cleanliness as highly important, only approximately one-third had ever participated in organised clean-up activities. Approximately 70 % reported that existing women's groups were not actively involved in beach-cleaning efforts, largely due to limited recognition, inadequate resources, and weak institutional coordination issues. Chi-square analyses indicated that participation in clean-up activities was significantly associated with stronger perceptions of shared responsibility for beach cleanliness, whereas educational level showed a modest association with pro-cleanliness attitudes. Qualitative findings further revealed that women's groups—often organised around religious, trade, and community networks—possess substantial social capital, organisational capacity, and culturally grounded commitments to cleanliness that remain largely underutilised. The study concludes that repositioning informal women's associations through targeted capacity building, material and financial support, and stronger institutional partnerships can enhance sustainable community-led coastal sanitation in Ghana.
{"title":"Fostering coastal beach hygiene in Ghana: Exploring the role of informal community women associations","authors":"Adam Salifu , Ummu Markwei , Ama Boafo-Arthur , Rosemond Akpene Hiadzi , Abena Asomaning Antwi","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101423","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal litter remains a significant environmental and public health concern, negatively affecting tourism, marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of coastal communities. Despite ongoing sanitation interventions, many beach-cleaning initiatives in Ghana are externally driven and lack long-term sustainability. This study examined the role of informal women's community groups in maintaining beach cleanliness in Ghana's Greater Accra Region and explored strategies to strengthen their contributions to sustainable, community-driven sanitation. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered to 192 respondents, comprising 155 beach users and 37 community residents, alongside ten key informant interviews and eight focus group discussions conducted across nine purposefully selected beaches. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and chi-square tests to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics, participation in clean-up activities, and perceptions of beach cleanliness. Qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results show that although over 80 % of respondents regarded beach cleanliness as highly important, only approximately one-third had ever participated in organised clean-up activities. Approximately 70 % reported that existing women's groups were not actively involved in beach-cleaning efforts, largely due to limited recognition, inadequate resources, and weak institutional coordination issues. Chi-square analyses indicated that participation in clean-up activities was significantly associated with stronger perceptions of shared responsibility for beach cleanliness, whereas educational level showed a modest association with pro-cleanliness attitudes. Qualitative findings further revealed that women's groups—often organised around religious, trade, and community networks—possess substantial social capital, organisational capacity, and culturally grounded commitments to cleanliness that remain largely underutilised. The study concludes that repositioning informal women's associations through targeted capacity building, material and financial support, and stronger institutional partnerships can enhance sustainable community-led coastal sanitation in Ghana.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101423"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Waste management at HEIs presents peculiar challenges as an educational institution operates like a mini municipality. Therefore, this work will discuss the waste management practices at IITIand the quantification of both organic and inorganic waste. Residential hostels, on average, produce 68 kg of waste per day, but married scholar residences exceed this mark, thus demanding suitable and effective management strategies. Advanced time series models, including SARIMA, Prophet, and Holt-Winters, were utilized to predict waste trends; ARIMA was the most accurate of the three (RMSE = 27.24 kg). A techno-economic analysis of the proposed on-site waste treatment facilities revealed that the biogas plant could achieve a payback period of 20 months, with a cumulative cash inflow of INR 3.14 Million (approximately 35,356.18 USD) over three years. Similarly, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is expected to break even in four years with a Net Present Value (NPV) of INR 15.18 Million (170,894.28 USD) over a decade. The results indicate that, in HEIs, source segregation, stakeholder engagement, and infrastructure development for integrated waste management systems minimize environmental impacts and are financially viable. The proposed predictive waste management framework will integrate cost-effective treatment options with waste reduction strategies to promote a circular economy. These results can serve as recommendations for policymakers and campus administrators to enhance sustainability in their waste management practices.
{"title":"Economic and environmental prospects of implementation of waste management systems in higher educational institutions (HEIs): A study on IIT Indore campus","authors":"Sugato Panda, Sayak Chakravorty, Isha Pankaj Pathak, Chetanya Sharma, Mayur Shirish Jain","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2026.101439","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2026.101439","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Waste management at HEIs presents peculiar challenges as an educational institution operates like a mini municipality. Therefore, this work will discuss the waste management practices at IITIand the quantification of both organic and inorganic waste. Residential hostels, on average, produce 68 kg of waste per day, but married scholar residences exceed this mark, thus demanding suitable and effective management strategies. Advanced time series models, including SARIMA, Prophet, and Holt-Winters, were utilized to predict waste trends; ARIMA was the most accurate of the three (RMSE = 27.24 kg). A techno-economic analysis of the proposed on-site waste treatment facilities revealed that the biogas plant could achieve a payback period of 20 months, with a cumulative cash inflow of INR 3.14 Million (approximately 35,356.18 USD) over three years. Similarly, a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) is expected to break even in four years with a Net Present Value (NPV) of INR 15.18 Million (170,894.28 USD) over a decade. The results indicate that, in HEIs, source segregation, stakeholder engagement, and infrastructure development for integrated waste management systems minimize environmental impacts and are financially viable. The proposed predictive waste management framework will integrate cost-effective treatment options with waste reduction strategies to promote a circular economy. These results can serve as recommendations for policymakers and campus administrators to enhance sustainability in their waste management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101439"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173482","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2026.101433
Moses Asori , Yetimoni Kpeebi , Muwaffaq Usman Adam
Cities in developing countries are rapidly urbanizing, often in ways that undermine urban livability. Yet, in Ghana, evidence on geographic disparities in livability conditions remains limited. We developed a comprehensive single-index urban livability (ULI) score based on 18 contextually relevant factors for Greater Kumasi in Ghana. Physical environmental factors were derived from Landsat 8 imagery; particulate matter (PM2.5) was extracted from the Socioeconomic Data and Application Center (SEDAC). All other variables were derived from data obtained from OpenStreetMap. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to weight our variables and a weighted sum function to develop the final models. We then modeled population exposure to unlivable conditions and geographic disparities in the ULI scores. Results indicate that 39.7 % of Greater Kumasi falls within the high to very high livability range, while 40 % is categorized as unlivable. Kumasi Metro ranks highest overall, though it exhibits significant disparities in livability, with an entropy score of 2.67 (SD: 0.32). Social amenities and convenience were the strongest predictors of livability, with R2 values of 85.6 % and 76 %, respectively, while the health sub-model showed weaker correlations (R2 = 14 %). We found pronounced geographic inequalities, especially in access to social services and environmental quality, with central areas enjoying more benefits than the outskirts. Based on the study's findings, we offer recommendations for policymakers and urban planners to address these disparities and enhance urban livability.
{"title":"Toward equitable urban development: Modeling urban livability and its associated spatial disparities in Greater Kumasi using remote sensing and GIS-MCE","authors":"Moses Asori , Yetimoni Kpeebi , Muwaffaq Usman Adam","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2026.101433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2026.101433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cities in developing countries are rapidly urbanizing, often in ways that undermine urban livability. Yet, in Ghana, evidence on geographic disparities in livability conditions remains limited. We developed a comprehensive single-index urban livability (ULI) score based on 18 contextually relevant factors for Greater Kumasi in Ghana. Physical environmental factors were derived from Landsat 8 imagery; particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub>) was extracted from the Socioeconomic Data and Application Center (SEDAC). All other variables were derived from data obtained from OpenStreetMap. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to weight our variables and a weighted sum function to develop the final models. We then modeled population exposure to unlivable conditions and geographic disparities in the ULI scores. Results indicate that 39.7 % of Greater Kumasi falls within the high to very high livability range, while 40 % is categorized as unlivable. Kumasi Metro ranks highest overall, though it exhibits significant disparities in livability, with an entropy score of 2.67 (SD: 0.32). Social amenities and convenience were the strongest predictors of livability, with R<sup>2</sup> values of 85.6 % and 76 %, respectively, while the health sub-model showed weaker correlations (R<sup>2</sup> = 14 %). We found pronounced geographic inequalities, especially in access to social services and environmental quality, with central areas enjoying more benefits than the outskirts. Based on the study's findings, we offer recommendations for policymakers and urban planners to address these disparities and enhance urban livability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101433"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-02DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101426
Ridha Rizki Novanda , Leo Rio Ependi Malau , Tri Yulni
Although waste sorting has been widely recognized as a key aspect of solid waste management and extensively studied using the TPB, previous empirical findings remain varied and inconsistent, particularly regarding the relationships among TPB variables, which limits the formulation of constructive insights for stakeholders and policymakers. This article aims to quantitatively synthesize the relationships among the core constructs of the TPB in relation to waste sorting behavior and to examine whether income level and continent moderate these relationships. A meta-analysis was conducted to identify and statistically integrate 39 empirical studies comprising 26,001 respondents, all of which were related to waste sorting intention and behavior. These studies were retrieved from two reputable databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science (WoS), and were evaluated using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The results of the analysis indicate that the TPB effectively explains both the intention (INT) and behavior (BHV) associated with waste sorting. Attitude toward the behavior (ATB), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) all exhibit a positive and significant influence on waste sorting intention. Intention is also found to be a significant predictor of actual behavior. However, the analysis of moderating variables reveals that the core constructs of TPB are significantly related only in upper-middle income countries and in Asia. This study successfully synthesizes and statistically integrates the factors influencing waste sorting intention and behavior, thereby providing greater clarity regarding the core constructs of the TPB in this context. This study also demonstrates the influence of contextual factors, namely income level and continent, highlighting the need for waste sorting policies to consider the unique characteristics of each location.
尽管废物分类已被广泛认为是固体废物管理的一个关键方面,并使用TPB进行了广泛的研究,但先前的实证研究结果仍然存在差异和不一致,特别是关于TPB变量之间的关系,这限制了利益相关者和政策制定者的建设性见解的形成。本文旨在定量地综合城市垃圾分类的核心结构与垃圾分类行为之间的关系,并考察收入水平和大陆是否调节了这些关系。通过荟萃分析,对39项涉及26001名受访者的与垃圾分类意愿和行为相关的实证研究进行识别和统计整合。这些研究从两个著名的数据库,即Scopus和Web of Science (WoS)中检索,并使用系统评价和荟萃分析首选报告项目(PRISMA)协议进行评估。分析结果表明,城市规划有效地解释了与垃圾分类相关的意图(INT)和行为(BHV)。行为态度(ATB)、主观规范(SN)和感知行为控制(PBC)对垃圾分类意愿均有显著正向影响。意向也被发现是实际行为的重要预测因子。然而,对调节变量的分析表明,TPB的核心结构仅在中高收入国家和亚洲显著相关。本研究成功地综合并统计整合了影响垃圾分类意愿和行为的因素,从而更清楚地了解了在这种背景下城市垃圾处理中心的核心构建。本研究还显示了环境因素的影响,即收入水平和大洲,突出了废物分类政策需要考虑每个地点的独特特征。
{"title":"A meta-analysis of waste sorting behavior: Examining the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the role of contextual factors","authors":"Ridha Rizki Novanda , Leo Rio Ependi Malau , Tri Yulni","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although waste sorting has been widely recognized as a key aspect of solid waste management and extensively studied using the TPB, previous empirical findings remain varied and inconsistent, particularly regarding the relationships among TPB variables, which limits the formulation of constructive insights for stakeholders and policymakers. This article aims to quantitatively synthesize the relationships among the core constructs of the TPB in relation to waste sorting behavior and to examine whether income level and continent moderate these relationships. A meta-analysis was conducted to identify and statistically integrate 39 empirical studies comprising 26,001 respondents, all of which were related to waste sorting intention and behavior. These studies were retrieved from two reputable databases, namely Scopus and Web of Science (WoS), and were evaluated using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. The results of the analysis indicate that the TPB effectively explains both the intention (INT) and behavior (BHV) associated with waste sorting. Attitude toward the behavior (ATB), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) all exhibit a positive and significant influence on waste sorting intention. Intention is also found to be a significant predictor of actual behavior. However, the analysis of moderating variables reveals that the core constructs of TPB are significantly related only in upper-middle income countries and in Asia. This study successfully synthesizes and statistically integrates the factors influencing waste sorting intention and behavior, thereby providing greater clarity regarding the core constructs of the TPB in this context. This study also demonstrates the influence of contextual factors, namely income level and continent, highlighting the need for waste sorting policies to consider the unique characteristics of each location.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101426"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145925597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101410
Suman Dutta , Sumanta Das , Subrata Gorain , Santanu Kundu , Mahadev Bera , Malini Roy Choudhury , Subrata Bag , Dhananjay Paswan Das
The Sundarbans, the largest continuous mangrove forest on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is under growing threat from human activity and climate change. Over the last two decades, the region has faced rising sea levels, increasing salinity, biodiversity loss, more frequent cyclones, deforestation, and poorly planned development. These issues are affecting the ecosystem and also making life harder for local communities. Although researchers have studied the area extensively, there is still a lack of a unified analysis that brings together research trends and key knowledge areas. This study aims to fill that gap by offering a systematic review followed by a bibliometric analysis of studies from 2000 to 2024. It explores how human and climate-related pressures interact and affect both the environment and people living in the Sundarbans, while also looking for ways to support long-term sustainability. Here, we followed PRISMA guidelines and used tools like VOSviewer, Bibliometrix (based on R), and content analysis to review peer-reviewed articles (n = 269), screened out from the Web of Science database. Findings indicate a growing body of work, but one that is often fragmented. Common themes included climate change, degradation of ecosystem services, vulnerability to disasters, human migration, and policy approaches. Interestingly, studies that cross disciplines or focus on community-based solutions are still relatively rare, even though they are essential for sustainable outcomes. The study, further, points to the need for stronger, more connected governance, cooperation across borders, and better use of traditional local knowledge to improve adaptability. It also stresses the importance of inclusive, grassroots planning and smart policies that protect biodiversity while also promoting fairness and equity. Overall, this paper offers an improved understanding of the complex environmental and socio-economic challenges in the Sundarbans by bringing together two decades of research. The insights can help guide local conservation efforts, as well as global conversations on climate justice, delta sustainability, and resilience in vulnerable ecosystems.
孙德尔本斯是地球上最大的连续红树林,也是联合国教科文组织的世界遗产,它正受到人类活动和气候变化日益严重的威胁。在过去的二十年里,该地区面临着海平面上升、盐度增加、生物多样性丧失、更频繁的气旋、森林砍伐和规划不周的发展。这些问题正在影响生态系统,也使当地社区的生活更加艰难。尽管研究人员对该领域进行了广泛的研究,但仍然缺乏将研究趋势和关键知识领域结合起来的统一分析。本研究旨在通过对2000年至2024年的研究进行系统回顾和文献计量分析来填补这一空白。它探讨了人类和气候相关的压力是如何相互作用并影响孙德尔本斯的环境和居民的,同时也在寻找支持长期可持续性的方法。在这里,我们遵循PRISMA的指导方针,使用VOSviewer、Bibliometrix(基于R语言)和内容分析等工具,从Web of Science数据库中筛选出同行评议的文章(n = 269)。研究结果表明,这方面的工作越来越多,但往往是零散的。共同的主题包括气候变化、生态系统服务退化、对灾害的脆弱性、人类迁移和政策方法。有趣的是,跨学科或以社区为重点的解决方案的研究仍然相对较少,尽管它们对可持续成果至关重要。此外,该研究还指出,需要更强有力、更紧密的治理、跨境合作以及更好地利用传统的地方知识来提高适应性。它还强调了包容性的基层规划和明智政策的重要性,这些政策既要保护生物多样性,又要促进公平和公正。总的来说,本文通过汇集二十年的研究,对孙德尔本斯地区复杂的环境和社会经济挑战有了更好的理解。这些见解可以帮助指导当地的保护工作,以及关于气候正义、三角洲可持续性和脆弱生态系统恢复力的全球对话。
{"title":"Unraveling anthropogenic and climate stressors in the Sundarbans and their ripple effects on livelihoods and ecosystems, and adaptation strategies for a sustainable future – A systematic review","authors":"Suman Dutta , Sumanta Das , Subrata Gorain , Santanu Kundu , Mahadev Bera , Malini Roy Choudhury , Subrata Bag , Dhananjay Paswan Das","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Sundarbans, the largest continuous mangrove forest on Earth and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is under growing threat from human activity and climate change. Over the last two decades, the region has faced rising sea levels, increasing salinity, biodiversity loss, more frequent cyclones, deforestation, and poorly planned development. These issues are affecting the ecosystem and also making life harder for local communities. Although researchers have studied the area extensively, there is still a lack of a unified analysis that brings together research trends and key knowledge areas. This study aims to fill that gap by offering a systematic review followed by a bibliometric analysis of studies from 2000 to 2024. It explores how human and climate-related pressures interact and affect both the environment and people living in the Sundarbans, while also looking for ways to support long-term sustainability. Here, we followed PRISMA guidelines and used tools like VOSviewer, Bibliometrix (based on R), and content analysis to review peer-reviewed articles (n = 269), screened out from the Web of Science database. Findings indicate a growing body of work, but one that is often fragmented. Common themes included climate change, degradation of ecosystem services, vulnerability to disasters, human migration, and policy approaches. Interestingly, studies that cross disciplines or focus on community-based solutions are still relatively rare, even though they are essential for sustainable outcomes. The study, further, points to the need for stronger, more connected governance, cooperation across borders, and better use of traditional local knowledge to improve adaptability. It also stresses the importance of inclusive, grassroots planning and smart policies that protect biodiversity while also promoting fairness and equity. Overall, this paper offers an improved understanding of the complex environmental and socio-economic challenges in the Sundarbans by bringing together two decades of research. The insights can help guide local conservation efforts, as well as global conversations on climate justice, delta sustainability, and resilience in vulnerable ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101410"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101424
Imre Fertő , Gergely Csurilla , Szilárd Podruzsik
Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) are a key policy tool within the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aimed at promoting sustainable farming practices and mitigating environmental externalities. However, their effectiveness in reducing input use in high-value, resource-intensive sectors such as viticulture remains uncertain. This study evaluates the impact of AES participation on input expenditures in Hungary's wine sector, focusing on fertilizer use, crop protection costs, and energy consumption. Using a robust econometric approach - Propensity Score Matching (PSM), Entropy Balancing (EB), and Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) - the analysis addresses selection bias and estimates the causal effects of AES participation. Findings indicate that AES participation significantly reduces crop protection costs, suggesting a shift towards more sustainable pest management practices. However, no significant effects are observed on fertilizer or energy expenditures, highlighting potential gaps in AES design concerning these critical inputs. Additionally, results suggest that AES participants manage larger, resource-abundant farms, raising concerns about the inclusivity of the scheme. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy refinements to enhance the effectiveness of AES in viticulture, particularly by improving accessibility for smaller farms and strengthening incentives for input reduction. The study contributes to the broader discourse on agri-environmental policy by providing empirical evidence to inform the design of more effective and inclusive sustainability interventions in the European wine sector.
{"title":"Assessing the impact of agri-environmental schemes on input use in Hungary's wine sector: Implications for sustainability and policy design","authors":"Imre Fertő , Gergely Csurilla , Szilárd Podruzsik","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agri-Environmental Schemes (AES) are a key policy tool within the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aimed at promoting sustainable farming practices and mitigating environmental externalities. However, their effectiveness in reducing input use in high-value, resource-intensive sectors such as viticulture remains uncertain. This study evaluates the impact of AES participation on input expenditures in Hungary's wine sector, focusing on fertilizer use, crop protection costs, and energy consumption. Using a robust econometric approach - Propensity Score Matching (PSM), Entropy Balancing (EB), and Inverse Probability Weighting (IPW) - the analysis addresses selection bias and estimates the causal effects of AES participation. Findings indicate that AES participation significantly reduces crop protection costs, suggesting a shift towards more sustainable pest management practices. However, no significant effects are observed on fertilizer or energy expenditures, highlighting potential gaps in AES design concerning these critical inputs. Additionally, results suggest that AES participants manage larger, resource-abundant farms, raising concerns about the inclusivity of the scheme. These findings underscore the need for targeted policy refinements to enhance the effectiveness of AES in viticulture, particularly by improving accessibility for smaller farms and strengthening incentives for input reduction. The study contributes to the broader discourse on agri-environmental policy by providing empirical evidence to inform the design of more effective and inclusive sustainability interventions in the European wine sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101424"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-25DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101418
Tarek Ben Noamene
In many emerging economies, ESG commitments remain largely symbolic, signaling alignment with global sustainability norms without transforming organizational practices. This study examines how this dynamic unfolds in Tunisia, where voluntary ESG reporting guidelines introduced in 2021 created early regulatory momentum but lacked effective enforcement. Drawing on 18 semi-structured interviews and internal documents from six publicly listed firms across diverse sectors, the study explores how mid-level ESG implementers navigate ambiguous mandates and weak organizational infrastructures.
An integrated framework combining implementation theory, institutional decoupling, and role conflict theory is used to explain how symbolic board-level commitments (macro) produce organizational fragmentation (meso) and role ambiguity (micro) sustaining a cycle of symbolic adoption.
Four mechanisms are identified: symbolic board compliance, unclear ESG roles, fragmented interdepartmental coordination, and leadership ambivalence reinforced by cultural resistance. Sectoral differences reveal that banks exhibit more sophisticated reporting but remain largely symbolic in practice, while manufacturing and retail firms engage minimally.
The study highlights policy levers—such as stronger enforcement, targeted ESG literacy initiatives, and empowered mid-level actors—that can shift ESG from reputational signaling to operational integration.
{"title":"Stuck between strategy and practice: Why ESG fails to take root in tunisian firms","authors":"Tarek Ben Noamene","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In many emerging economies, ESG commitments remain largely symbolic, signaling alignment with global sustainability norms without transforming organizational practices. This study examines how this dynamic unfolds in Tunisia, where voluntary ESG reporting guidelines introduced in 2021 created early regulatory momentum but lacked effective enforcement. Drawing on 18 semi-structured interviews and internal documents from six publicly listed firms across diverse sectors, the study explores how mid-level ESG implementers navigate ambiguous mandates and weak organizational infrastructures.</div><div>An integrated framework combining implementation theory, institutional decoupling, and role conflict theory is used to explain how symbolic board-level commitments (macro) produce organizational fragmentation (meso) and role ambiguity (micro) sustaining a cycle of symbolic adoption.</div><div>Four mechanisms are identified: symbolic board compliance, unclear ESG roles, fragmented interdepartmental coordination, and leadership ambivalence reinforced by cultural resistance. Sectoral differences reveal that banks exhibit more sophisticated reporting but remain largely symbolic in practice, while manufacturing and retail firms engage minimally.</div><div>The study highlights policy levers—such as stronger enforcement, targeted ESG literacy initiatives, and empowered mid-level actors—that can shift ESG from reputational signaling to operational integration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101418"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study aims to evaluate the spatiotemporal impacts of climate-induced drought on crop production across the USA from 2003 to 2023, with a focus on understanding how different climatic factors influence agricultural yield in drought-prone regions. This study exclusively considered climatic factors, including precipitation, temperature, and drought severity, with no anthropogenic influences. To understand the different aspects of drought, four drought indices were selected: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for short-term precipitation anomalies; Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for temperature-adjusted drought; Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) for atmospheric demand; and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for long-term drought conditions. These indices were quantified using Google Earth Engine, providing a consistent and large-scale geospatial dataset. Factors such as surface temperature and precipitation distributions were also investigated. Investigating surface temperature and precipitation helps explain their direct role in driving drought variability and crop yield changes, thereby strengthening the study's objective of assessing climate-induced impacts on agriculture. The results revealed an increase in drought-prone and wet-attributed areas along with expanded croplands (corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and rye) during study period. Surface temperatures have increased across the southwestern regions, while precipitation rates have increased across the eastern regions. Further, using Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) algorithms, the climate-induced drought impacts on crop yield were investigated more in consideration of the magnitudes of factors, which suggests that the impacts of drought and climatic factors varied in different years, while precipitation had the highest impact on crop fields in almost every phase. Furthermore, spatiotemporal trend analysis and classification of precipitation regimes were conducted using Google Earth Engine to detect shifting patterns over the past two decades. The impact of precipitation on crop yield has intensified over time, particularly in regions with declining rainfall. It also shows how the precipitation impact changed from high precipitation to low precipitation over the last 20 years using geospatial analysis. The study also characterized drought events based on their frequency, duration, intensity, and spatial extent across different U.S. regions. Findings revealed an increase in the occurrence and severity of moderate to extreme droughts, especially in the western and central parts of the country. Overall study demonstrates the significant impacts of climate-induced drought on crop production as well as food security across the USA, highlighting the need for targeted water management and adaptive agriculture practices.
{"title":"Unraveling the climate induced drought impacts on crop pattern distribution using explainable machine learning algorithms","authors":"Rhyme Rubayet Rudra , Fazla Rabbi , Niamat Ullah Ibne Hossain , Showmitra Kumar Sarkar","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to evaluate the spatiotemporal impacts of climate-induced drought on crop production across the USA from 2003 to 2023, with a focus on understanding how different climatic factors influence agricultural yield in drought-prone regions. This study exclusively considered climatic factors, including precipitation, temperature, and drought severity, with no anthropogenic influences. To understand the different aspects of drought, four drought indices were selected: Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) for short-term precipitation anomalies; Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) for temperature-adjusted drought; Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) for atmospheric demand; and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for long-term drought conditions. These indices were quantified using Google Earth Engine, providing a consistent and large-scale geospatial dataset. Factors such as surface temperature and precipitation distributions were also investigated. Investigating surface temperature and precipitation helps explain their direct role in driving drought variability and crop yield changes, thereby strengthening the study's objective of assessing climate-induced impacts on agriculture. The results revealed an increase in drought-prone and wet-attributed areas along with expanded croplands (corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and rye) during study period. Surface temperatures have increased across the southwestern regions, while precipitation rates have increased across the eastern regions. Further, using Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) algorithms, the climate-induced drought impacts on crop yield were investigated more in consideration of the magnitudes of factors, which suggests that the impacts of drought and climatic factors varied in different years, while precipitation had the highest impact on crop fields in almost every phase. Furthermore, spatiotemporal trend analysis and classification of precipitation regimes were conducted using Google Earth Engine to detect shifting patterns over the past two decades. The impact of precipitation on crop yield has intensified over time, particularly in regions with declining rainfall. It also shows how the precipitation impact changed from high precipitation to low precipitation over the last 20 years using geospatial analysis. The study also characterized drought events based on their frequency, duration, intensity, and spatial extent across different U.S. regions. Findings revealed an increase in the occurrence and severity of moderate to extreme droughts, especially in the western and central parts of the country. Overall study demonstrates the significant impacts of climate-induced drought on crop production as well as food security across the USA, highlighting the need for targeted water management and adaptive agriculture practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101397"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737766","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2025-12-05DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101413
Weeberb J. Requia, Hosana Gomes da Silva, Danilo Guimarães Dantas
Wildfires in Brazil have intensified over the past two decades, posing escalating threats to biodiversity, public health, and climate stability. In response, the Brazilian government has enacted several public policy interventions aimed at curbing wildfire incidence. This study evaluates the causal impact of two major federal interventions—the PPCerrado Plan (2010) and the Forest Code reform (Law No 12.651/2012)—on national wildfire activity between 2003 and 2017. Using Bayesian structural time-series models, we estimated counterfactual wildfire trends in the absence of policy interventions and compared these to observed records, adjusting for key climatic variables and temporal confounders. Results reveal that both policies produced statistically significant reductions in wildfire activity, particularly during peak fire months such as August. The PPCerrado Plan was associated with an average monthly reduction of 5120 wildfires (−54.2 %) during effective periods, while the Forest Code yielded an average reduction of 28,880 wildfires per month (−73.1 %) across selected months. However, these effects were temporally limited and not consistently sustained across all post-intervention years. Our findings suggest that while policy frameworks can mitigate wildfire risks, their long-term success is contingent on effective implementation, cross-scale coordination, and alignment with local socioeconomic realities. We conclude that integrating legal enforcement with economic incentives, institutional capacity-building, and culturally adaptive fire management is essential to achieving durable reductions in wildfire activity in Brazil.
{"title":"Evaluating public policy effectiveness in reducing wildfires in Brazil","authors":"Weeberb J. Requia, Hosana Gomes da Silva, Danilo Guimarães Dantas","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wildfires in Brazil have intensified over the past two decades, posing escalating threats to biodiversity, public health, and climate stability. In response, the Brazilian government has enacted several public policy interventions aimed at curbing wildfire incidence. This study evaluates the causal impact of two major federal interventions—the PPCerrado Plan (2010) and the Forest Code reform (Law No 12.651/2012)—on national wildfire activity between 2003 and 2017. Using Bayesian structural time-series models, we estimated counterfactual wildfire trends in the absence of policy interventions and compared these to observed records, adjusting for key climatic variables and temporal confounders. Results reveal that both policies produced statistically significant reductions in wildfire activity, particularly during peak fire months such as August. The PPCerrado Plan was associated with an average monthly reduction of 5120 wildfires (−54.2 %) during effective periods, while the Forest Code yielded an average reduction of 28,880 wildfires per month (−73.1 %) across selected months. However, these effects were temporally limited and not consistently sustained across all post-intervention years. Our findings suggest that while policy frameworks can mitigate wildfire risks, their long-term success is contingent on effective implementation, cross-scale coordination, and alignment with local socioeconomic realities. We conclude that integrating legal enforcement with economic incentives, institutional capacity-building, and culturally adaptive fire management is essential to achieving durable reductions in wildfire activity in Brazil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 101413"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145737764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}