Pub Date : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101138
Luigi Operato , Andrea Gallo , Erika Amaranta Eva Marino , Daniele Mattioli
This manuscript explores how organizations can adapt to the new EU sustainability regulations, specifically focusing on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It highlights the distinct approaches to sustainability in academia and industry, and the role of regulatory governance in bridging these perspectives to promote sustainable practices. We argue that compliance with the CSRD requires a structured framework to guide sustainability assessments, ensuring reliability, comprehensiveness, manageability, and transparency. These principles support the creation of quantitative metrics for sustainability reporting, facilitating third-party verification and integrating sustainability into corporate governance. Key findings include the strategic benefits of using science-based metrics for sustainable business development and long-term value creation. The proposed framework enables reaching these benefits by balancing methodological rigor with contextual relevance. Hence, it bridges the gap between regulatory compliance and strategic business development. The adoption of a forward-looking approach not only ensures compliance but also enables leveraging sustainability reporting as a tool for strategic planning. While the framework introduces key principles to guide the sustainability assessment, further research is needed to develop specific guidelines and tools to facilitate the implementation of the proposed principles in the organizational contexts.
{"title":"Navigating CSRD reporting: Turning compliance into sustainable development with science-based metrics","authors":"Luigi Operato , Andrea Gallo , Erika Amaranta Eva Marino , Daniele Mattioli","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101138","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101138","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This manuscript explores how organizations can adapt to the new EU sustainability regulations, specifically focusing on the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). It highlights the distinct approaches to sustainability in academia and industry, and the role of regulatory governance in bridging these perspectives to promote sustainable practices. We argue that compliance with the CSRD requires a structured framework to guide sustainability assessments, ensuring reliability, comprehensiveness, manageability, and transparency. These principles support the creation of quantitative metrics for sustainability reporting, facilitating third-party verification and integrating sustainability into corporate governance. Key findings include the strategic benefits of using science-based metrics for sustainable business development and long-term value creation. The proposed framework enables reaching these benefits by balancing methodological rigor with contextual relevance. Hence, it bridges the gap between regulatory compliance and strategic business development. The adoption of a forward-looking approach not only ensures compliance but also enables leveraging sustainability reporting as a tool for strategic planning. While the framework introduces key principles to guide the sustainability assessment, further research is needed to develop specific guidelines and tools to facilitate the implementation of the proposed principles in the organizational contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101138"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395483","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 : 2025-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101139
Jihye Jeong , Kerstin Jantke , Livia Rasche , Annette Eschenbach , David Uchezuba , Barbara Reinhold-Hurek , Uwe A. Schneider
Namibia, as many Sub-Saharan countries such faces increasing food insecurity due to a combination of climatic and socio-economic challenges. Despite having limited arable land, agriculture remains crucial for rural livelihoods in the country. Cowpea, a legume known for its resilience to water and temperature stress, plays an important role in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Namibia. This study aims to explore the potential of cowpea cultivation in Namibia and its impact on resource use. To investigate the resource demand of cowpea production, to assess the impact of irrigation and inoculation on cowpea productivity, and to analyze trade-offs between water and land resources in cowpea production, we integrate crop growth simulations with resource allocation optimization. Field experiment data inform our simulations of cowpea production, covering both rainfed and irrigated systems for standard and inoculated cowpeas. Our results show that both irrigation and inoculation substantially enhance cowpea productivity in northern Namibia, with yields reaching a maximum of 5.73 tons per hectare. In particular, inoculation emerges as a promising strategy for improving yields and resource efficiency without exacerbating water stress, unlike irrigation. Our simulations indicate that inoculated cowpea cultivation alone has the potential to meet the protein needs of the entire Namibian population using 10% of the current cropland and water resources. Therefore, inoculation is a viable strategy for smallholder farmers in Namibia to sustainably increase yields and reduce food insecurity under resource scarcity. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of exploring innovative agricultural practices to address food insecurity in sub-Saharan countries such as Namibia and emphasizes the role of cowpea cultivation in achieving sustainable food production in the region.
{"title":"Managing scarce water and land resources: The potentials of cowpea production in Namibia","authors":"Jihye Jeong , Kerstin Jantke , Livia Rasche , Annette Eschenbach , David Uchezuba , Barbara Reinhold-Hurek , Uwe A. Schneider","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101139","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101139","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Namibia, as many Sub-Saharan countries such faces increasing food insecurity due to a combination of climatic and socio-economic challenges. Despite having limited arable land, agriculture remains crucial for rural livelihoods in the country. Cowpea, a legume known for its resilience to water and temperature stress, plays an important role in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Namibia. This study aims to explore the potential of cowpea cultivation in Namibia and its impact on resource use. To investigate the resource demand of cowpea production, to assess the impact of irrigation and inoculation on cowpea productivity, and to analyze trade-offs between water and land resources in cowpea production, we integrate crop growth simulations with resource allocation optimization. Field experiment data inform our simulations of cowpea production, covering both rainfed and irrigated systems for standard and inoculated cowpeas. Our results show that both irrigation and inoculation substantially enhance cowpea productivity in northern Namibia, with yields reaching a maximum of 5.73 tons per hectare. In particular, inoculation emerges as a promising strategy for improving yields and resource efficiency without exacerbating water stress, unlike irrigation. Our simulations indicate that inoculated cowpea cultivation alone has the potential to meet the protein needs of the entire Namibian population using 10% of the current cropland and water resources. Therefore, inoculation is a viable strategy for smallholder farmers in Namibia to sustainably increase yields and reduce food insecurity under resource scarcity. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of exploring innovative agricultural practices to address food insecurity in sub-Saharan countries such as Namibia and emphasizes the role of cowpea cultivation in achieving sustainable food production in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101139"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143329650","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101143
Claudia Stuckrath, Jesús Rosales-Carreón, Ernst Worrell
Higher education institutions (HEI) have the potential to catalyse the sustainability transition, but effective collaboration among their various units and faculties is essential. Living labs have emerged to address this gap, yet a unified terminology and concept for this phenomenon remains lacking. This research aims to clarify and establish a unified terminology and definition for living labs within the university context for the sustainability transition, i.e. “Campus Living Lab” (CLL). An integrative literature review was conducted first to develop a Living Lab Categorization Framework to classify living labs in a specific domain and second to apply it to case studies of university-based living labs focused on sustainability transitions. The study introduces the term “campusian” to describe the users or citizens in a CLL. CLLs are conceptualised as systems for innovation and learning where real-life experimental and research activities are co-produced by students, researchers, teachers, and operational staff to integrate sustainability in the different processes within higher education institutions, prioritising the needs and preferences of the “campusian”. Additionally, the research presents the Campus Living Lab Model with four distinct modes: Educational, Test-bed, Strategic, and Grassroots, each uniquely contributing to the campus's sustainability goals. These findings offer a shared understanding and framework for implementing and analysing CLLs to catalyse sustainability transition from within universities.
{"title":"Conceptualisation of Campus Living Labs for the sustainability transition: An integrative literature review","authors":"Claudia Stuckrath, Jesús Rosales-Carreón, Ernst Worrell","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Higher education institutions (HEI) have the potential to catalyse the sustainability transition, but effective collaboration among their various units and faculties is essential. Living labs have emerged to address this gap, yet a unified terminology and concept for this phenomenon remains lacking. This research aims to clarify and establish a unified terminology and definition for living labs within the university context for the sustainability transition, i.e. “Campus Living Lab” (CLL). An integrative literature review was conducted first to develop a Living Lab Categorization Framework to classify living labs in a specific domain and second to apply it to case studies of university-based living labs focused on sustainability transitions. The study introduces the term “campusian” to describe the users or citizens in a CLL. CLLs are conceptualised as <em>systems for innovation and learning where real-life experimental and research activities are co-produced by students, researchers, teachers, and operational staff to integrate sustainability in the different processes within higher education institutions, prioritising the needs and preferences of the “campusian”</em>. Additionally, the research presents the Campus Living Lab Model with four distinct modes: Educational, Test-bed, Strategic, and Grassroots, each uniquely contributing to the campus's sustainability goals. These findings offer a shared understanding and framework for implementing and analysing CLLs to catalyse sustainability transition from within universities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101143"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-20DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101140
Aayushma KC , Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi , Ilse Eigelaar-Meets , Anastasia Aldelina Lijadi , Claudia Reiter , Erich Striessnig , Wolfgang Lutz
The ultimate end of sustainable development can be defined as achieving sustainable human wellbeing. With the intention of measuring this, an indicator that aims to capture the universal constituents of sustainable human wellbeing titled “Years of Good Life” (YoGL) was designed (Lutz et al., 2021). Based on the demographic life table approach, YoGL assumes that being alive is the fundamental prerequisite for enjoying any quality of life. However, as mere survival is not seen as sufficient, being above minimum thresholds in the dimensions of material, physical and cognitive wellbeing, as well as the subjective dimension of life satisfaction, is required. This paper aims to explore the concept of sustainable wellbeing and assess it in Africa through YoGL, using a mixed methods approach.
Firstly, the paper presents results from focus group discussions in South Africa aimed at understanding cultural differences in the perception of human well-being. Secondly, a comparative analysis of YoGL across 46 African countries over the period of 1950–2015 is carried out, giving special emphasis to the differentiation by gender. Again, taking South Africa as a case study, trends in the different constituents of gender-specific wellbeing are examined. Turning to the future, the paper looks at YoGL as the output variable in a multi-sector global systems model which also incorporates feedbacks from social, economic and environmental change on human wellbeing over the rest of this century.
{"title":"Assessing sustainable wellbeing in Africa through “Years of Good Life”","authors":"Aayushma KC , Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi , Ilse Eigelaar-Meets , Anastasia Aldelina Lijadi , Claudia Reiter , Erich Striessnig , Wolfgang Lutz","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ultimate end of sustainable development can be defined as achieving sustainable human wellbeing. With the intention of measuring this, an indicator that aims to capture the universal constituents of sustainable human wellbeing titled “Years of Good Life” (YoGL) was designed (Lutz et al., 2021). Based on the demographic life table approach, YoGL assumes that being alive is the fundamental prerequisite for enjoying any quality of life. However, as mere survival is not seen as sufficient, being above minimum thresholds in the dimensions of material, physical and cognitive wellbeing, as well as the subjective dimension of life satisfaction, is required. This paper aims to explore the concept of sustainable wellbeing and assess it in Africa through YoGL, using a mixed methods approach.</div><div>Firstly, the paper presents results from focus group discussions in South Africa aimed at understanding cultural differences in the perception of human well-being. Secondly, a comparative analysis of YoGL across 46 African countries over the period of 1950–2015 is carried out, giving special emphasis to the differentiation by gender. Again, taking South Africa as a case study, trends in the different constituents of gender-specific wellbeing are examined. Turning to the future, the paper looks at YoGL as the output variable in a multi-sector global systems model which also incorporates feedbacks from social, economic and environmental change on human wellbeing over the rest of this century.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101140"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101136
Ning Zhang , Xiaohui Sun , Salman Majeed , Amin Hu , Zhimin Zhou
To protect the natural environment, research on environmental protection communication through the lens of mobile gaming applications remained fragmented and underexplored in the existing literature. Drawing on the background of the Ant Forest mobile game application, a relatively new phenomenon promoting green behavior for environmental protection in China, this study investigates how the impact of environmental communication gamification (ECG) on consumer green value co-creation intention (GVCI) under the spotlight of green perceived value (GPV) and expected eudaimonic (i.e., psychological and social) well-being. Findings from 421 Chinese respondents reveal that ECG significantly impacts GVCI, with the mediating effects GPV, expected personal growth (i.e., expected psychological well-being), and expected social contribution (i.e., expected social well-being). This study introduces novel theoretical insights, outlines practical implications, and suggests avenues for future research aimed at fostering low-carbon initiatives by influencing consumer attitudes towards environmental protection.
{"title":"Investigating the impact of environmental communication gamification on green perceived value and green value Co-creation intention: The mediating role of psychological and social well-being","authors":"Ning Zhang , Xiaohui Sun , Salman Majeed , Amin Hu , Zhimin Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101136","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101136","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To protect the natural environment, research on environmental protection communication through the lens of mobile gaming applications remained fragmented and underexplored in the existing literature. Drawing on the background of the Ant Forest mobile game application, a relatively new phenomenon promoting green behavior for environmental protection in China, this study investigates how the impact of environmental communication gamification (ECG) on consumer green value co-creation intention (GVCI) under the spotlight of green perceived value (GPV) and expected eudaimonic (i.e., psychological and social) well-being. Findings from 421 Chinese respondents reveal that ECG significantly impacts GVCI, with the mediating effects GPV, expected personal growth (i.e., expected psychological well-being), and expected social contribution (i.e., expected social well-being). This study introduces novel theoretical insights, outlines practical implications, and suggests avenues for future research aimed at fostering low-carbon initiatives by influencing consumer attitudes towards environmental protection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101136"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158958","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 : 2025-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101134
Bo Wang
{"title":"Obituary for professor Jerry McBeath (1942–2024)","authors":"Bo Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101134","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101134","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101134"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158687","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 article focuses on the climate change vulnerability and adaptation among flood-affected communities in Bangladesh from a multidimensional poverty perspective. The study was conducted in the Kaijuri and Sadia Chandpur Union areas of Shahjadpur and Chauhali Upazila in Sirajganj, a region known for frequent floods and river erosion. The research examines three main areas: climate change vulnerability, multidimensional poverty, and adaptation strategies. The study surveyed 385 households from six major communities in the two Unions. Climate change vulnerability was measured using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based weighting approach, considering nineteen indicators across seven principal components. The vulnerability extent was categorized into low, moderate, and high vulnerability, with 32.21% of households classified as highly vulnerable, 14.03% as low vulnerable, and the rest as moderately vulnerable. Kaijuri Union, being more agricultural and vulnerable (37.04%), contrasted with Sadia Chandpur (27.55%). The analysis revealed that social factors (social capital, human capital) had a more decisive influence on vulnerability than physical factors (non-productive asset value, infrastructure, flood frequency). Adaptation strategies, particularly in agriculture, were more significant in the highly vulnerable Kaijuri Union. The study also identified four clusters of co-existing multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and climate change vulnerability index. The ‘worst-case’ category represented households that were MPI poor with high vulnerability (23.90%), whereas the ‘best-case’ represented MPI non-poor with low vulnerability (24.16%). The remaining households were either MPI non-poor with high vulnerability (26.75%) or poor with low vulnerability (25.19%). The adaptation strategies of the worst-case households included early planting andearly harvesting as agricultural adaptations, and house relocation as non-agricultural adaptation. In contrast, the best-case households practiced various crop varieties, crop rotation, and homestead farming among agricultural adaptations. They invested in repairing, reinforcing, or rebuilding their houses with sturdy materials, among non-agricultural adaptations. The findings highlight the need to prioritize vulnerable rural marginal farmers in flood-affected communities in Bangladesh. This research can aid stakeholders, including local government, NGOs, and central government organizations, in planning effective climate vulnerability, adaptation, and poverty eradication strategies. Differentiating communities based on vulnerability and multidimensional poverty can facilitate targeted and efficient beneficiary selection and speed up recovery during crises.
{"title":"Unraveling climate change vulnerability and adaptation in flood-affected communities of northern Bangladesh: A multidimensional poverty perspective","authors":"Tasin Islam Himel , Md Zakir Hossain , Khan Rubayet Rahaman","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101135","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101135","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article focuses on the climate change vulnerability and adaptation among flood-affected communities in Bangladesh from a multidimensional poverty perspective. The study was conducted in the Kaijuri and Sadia Chandpur Union areas of Shahjadpur and Chauhali Upazila in Sirajganj, a region known for frequent floods and river erosion. The research examines three main areas: climate change vulnerability, multidimensional poverty, and adaptation strategies. The study surveyed 385 households from six major communities in the two Unions. Climate change vulnerability was measured using a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based weighting approach, considering nineteen indicators across seven principal components. The vulnerability extent was categorized into low, moderate, and high vulnerability, with 32.21% of households classified as highly vulnerable, 14.03% as low vulnerable, and the rest as moderately vulnerable. Kaijuri Union, being more agricultural and vulnerable (37.04%), contrasted with Sadia Chandpur (27.55%). The analysis revealed that social factors (social capital, human capital) had a more decisive influence on vulnerability than physical factors (non-productive asset value, infrastructure, flood frequency). Adaptation strategies, particularly in agriculture, were more significant in the highly vulnerable Kaijuri Union. The study also identified four clusters of co-existing multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and climate change vulnerability index. The ‘worst-case’ category represented households that were MPI poor with high vulnerability (23.90%), whereas the ‘best-case’ represented MPI non-poor with low vulnerability (24.16%). The remaining households were either MPI non-poor with high vulnerability (26.75%) or poor with low vulnerability (25.19%). The adaptation strategies of the worst-case households included early planting andearly harvesting as agricultural adaptations, and house relocation as non-agricultural adaptation. In contrast, the best-case households practiced various crop varieties, crop rotation, and homestead farming among agricultural adaptations. They invested in repairing, reinforcing, or rebuilding their houses with sturdy materials, among non-agricultural adaptations. The findings highlight the need to prioritize vulnerable rural marginal farmers in flood-affected communities in Bangladesh. This research can aid stakeholders, including local government, NGOs, and central government organizations, in planning effective climate vulnerability, adaptation, and poverty eradication strategies. Differentiating communities based on vulnerability and multidimensional poverty can facilitate targeted and efficient beneficiary selection and speed up recovery during crises.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101135"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158937","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 : 2025-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101137
Alyssa S. Thomas , Sangeeta Mangubhai , Katherine Chaston Radway , Margaret Fox , Stacy D. Jupiter , Watisoni Lalavanua , Marita Manley , Alisi Rabukawaqa
Coastal communities in the south Pacific are vulnerable to cyclones which are projected to increase in intensity due to climate change. We conducted a study 2–3 months after a Category 5 tropical cyclone passed through Fiji in 2016 to examine socio-economic impacts from the cyclone and the changes to livelihood strategies of fisheries-dependent communities. Key informant interviews were done in 154 Indigenous Fijian (iTaukei) coastal villages across six provinces. Questions focused on changes to participation in different fisheries and livelihoods, as well as dietary changes and impacts to fishing gear and infrastructure. We found that the affected villages had not returned to many of their pre-cyclone livelihoods, and many villages had stopped fishing altogether. Instead, in the short-term communities coped through livelihood reprioritisation, and a high reliance on external aid (e.g. food packages). The heterogeneity of livelihood strategies, the diversity of species targeted and lack of specialised gear requirements suggested many fisheries can serve as a buffer to natural hazards and external shocks for vulnerable coastal communities. Gender also had an influence on the experienced effects of the cyclone and coping strategies. Women had fewer changes to their fisheries activities post-cyclone and were less likely to have stopped fishing at the time of the survey, as they harvest from a wider diversity of habitats, glean and use low technology gear such as hand nets, and hooks and lines. Understanding how communities are impacted by intense cyclones through a gender lens can help local people better prepare for and mitigate impacts to their livelihoods, while also providing valuable information to assist authorities with their disaster preparedness, response, and recovery strategies.
{"title":"Impact of severe tropical cyclone Winston on fisheries-dependent communities in Fiji","authors":"Alyssa S. Thomas , Sangeeta Mangubhai , Katherine Chaston Radway , Margaret Fox , Stacy D. Jupiter , Watisoni Lalavanua , Marita Manley , Alisi Rabukawaqa","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101137","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101137","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal communities in the south Pacific are vulnerable to cyclones which are projected to increase in intensity due to climate change. We conducted a study 2–3 months after a Category 5 tropical cyclone passed through Fiji in 2016 to examine socio-economic impacts from the cyclone and the changes to livelihood strategies of fisheries-dependent communities. Key informant interviews were done in 154 Indigenous Fijian (<em>iTaukei</em>) coastal villages across six provinces. Questions focused on changes to participation in different fisheries and livelihoods, as well as dietary changes and impacts to fishing gear and infrastructure. We found that the affected villages had not returned to many of their pre-cyclone livelihoods, and many villages had stopped fishing altogether. Instead, in the short-term communities coped through livelihood reprioritisation, and a high reliance on external aid (e.g. food packages). The heterogeneity of livelihood strategies, the diversity of species targeted and lack of specialised gear requirements suggested many fisheries can serve as a buffer to natural hazards and external shocks for vulnerable coastal communities. Gender also had an influence on the experienced effects of the cyclone and coping strategies. Women had fewer changes to their fisheries activities post-cyclone and were less likely to have stopped fishing at the time of the survey, as they harvest from a wider diversity of habitats, glean and use low technology gear such as hand nets, and hooks and lines. Understanding how communities are impacted by intense cyclones through a gender lens can help local people better prepare for and mitigate impacts to their livelihoods, while also providing valuable information to assist authorities with their disaster preparedness, response, and recovery strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101137"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158959","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 : 2024-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101133
Beata Fornal-Pieniak , Magdalena Pawełkowicz , Marcin Ollik , Anna Podlasek , Agnieszka Kiersnowska , Jan Winkler , Eugeniusz Koda , Magdalena Daria Vaverková
The environmental impacts of transportation are multidirectional and primarily affect the atmosphere, surface water, groundwater, soil and biodiversity. Urban forests on the outskirts of cities are often surrounded by highways with heavy traffic which generates heavy metal (HM) pollution. Little work has been done on the lower layers of forests that have to cope with the roadside environment. The study was conducted in 2021 in an urban forest located in eastern part of Warsaw (Poland). The forest is part of the Mazowiecki Regional Park, which is represented by a fresh coniferous forest (Peucedano-Pinetum) growing on mostly poor, sandy soil with low humus content. The forest adjoins to the road, which is part of the national road with two lanes in each direction. Festuca ovina L., a species typical of the Peucedano-Pinetum forest in the herbaceous layer, was selected as the plant for the analysis. The aim was to analyze the accumulation of HM in the immediate vicinity of road traffic, in the upper soil layers and in the plant Festuca ovina L. The results show that heavy metals (HM) are present in the soil and that their amounts decrease with increasing distance from the pollution source. It has also been shown that HM are efficiently accumulated by the herbaceous plant Festuca ovina L. The presented results indicate that meadow vegetation and urban forests play a very important role in environmental decontamination. The results obtained provide a basis for more appropriate planning of urban green spaces.
{"title":"Heavy metal loading from transport using the indication species Festuca ovina L.","authors":"Beata Fornal-Pieniak , Magdalena Pawełkowicz , Marcin Ollik , Anna Podlasek , Agnieszka Kiersnowska , Jan Winkler , Eugeniusz Koda , Magdalena Daria Vaverková","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101133","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environmental impacts of transportation are multidirectional and primarily affect the atmosphere, surface water, groundwater, soil and biodiversity. Urban forests on the outskirts of cities are often surrounded by highways with heavy traffic which generates heavy metal (HM) pollution. Little work has been done on the lower layers of forests that have to cope with the roadside environment. The study was conducted in 2021 in an urban forest located in eastern part of Warsaw (Poland). The forest is part of the Mazowiecki Regional Park, which is represented by a fresh coniferous forest (<em>Peucedano-Pinetum</em>) growing on mostly poor, sandy soil with low humus content. The forest adjoins to the road, which is part of the national road with two lanes in each direction. <em>Festuca ovina</em> L., a species typical of the <em>Peucedano-Pinetum</em> forest in the herbaceous layer, was selected as the plant for the analysis. The aim was to analyze the accumulation of HM in the immediate vicinity of road traffic, in the upper soil layers and in the plant <em>Festuca ovina</em> L. The results show that heavy metals (HM) are present in the soil and that their amounts decrease with increasing distance from the pollution source. It has also been shown that HM are efficiently accumulated by the herbaceous plant <em>Festuca ovina</em> L. The presented results indicate that meadow vegetation and urban forests play a very important role in environmental decontamination. The results obtained provide a basis for more appropriate planning of urban green spaces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101133"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158936","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 : 2024-12-13DOI: 10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101132
Zeynab Karimzadeh Motlagh , Mortaza Tavakoli , Mohammad Hossein Sayadi
Coastal areas are vital for their ecosystem services, but rapid urbanization and industrialization in these regions present significant challenges, particularly with heavy metal pollution and microplastics. This research focuses on thoroughly investigating heavy metals (HMs), microplastics, and how marine pollution affects ecosystem services. As microplastic (MPs) pollution becomes an increasingly concerning environmental issue, understanding its ecological impact is essential for effective pollution control. The toxicity of MPs in marine ecosystems is exacerbated by their interactions with other pollutants, such as HMs resulting from human activities. A comprehensive review of English-language articles in the Scopus database, covering the years 2010–2024, was conducted with a focus on heavy metals and microplastics in marine environments. The search utilized keywords like "marine pollution" and "risk assessment," alongside specific terms like "microplastic" and "heavy metals," to capture a broad range of marine pollution topics and their effects on aquatic and coastal ecosystems. The strategy targeted articles mentioning interventions in their abstracts or keywords, leading to the identification of 207 relevant studies. The data collected were then analyzed using VOSviewer software for deeper insights. This research underscores the potential ecological risks posed by MPs and HMs to marine life, while also highlighting the importance of environmental conservation within the framework of sustainable development. Addressing pollution effectively requires a detailed analysis of MPs, a thorough examination of pollution sources, an assessment of their ecological impacts, and the formulation of effective reduction strategies. This study provides a theoretical foundation that fills a crucial research gap, offering valuable insights into pollution in coastal and marine environments.
{"title":"Microplastics and heavy metals in the coastal areas: Marine health assessment and ecosystem services values","authors":"Zeynab Karimzadeh Motlagh , Mortaza Tavakoli , Mohammad Hossein Sayadi","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coastal areas are vital for their ecosystem services, but rapid urbanization and industrialization in these regions present significant challenges, particularly with heavy metal pollution and microplastics. This research focuses on thoroughly investigating heavy metals (HMs), microplastics, and how marine pollution affects ecosystem services. As microplastic (MPs) pollution becomes an increasingly concerning environmental issue, understanding its ecological impact is essential for effective pollution control. The toxicity of MPs in marine ecosystems is exacerbated by their interactions with other pollutants, such as HMs resulting from human activities. A comprehensive review of English-language articles in the Scopus database, covering the years 2010–2024, was conducted with a focus on heavy metals and microplastics in marine environments. The search utilized keywords like \"marine pollution\" and \"risk assessment,\" alongside specific terms like \"microplastic\" and \"heavy metals,\" to capture a broad range of marine pollution topics and their effects on aquatic and coastal ecosystems. The strategy targeted articles mentioning interventions in their abstracts or keywords, leading to the identification of 207 relevant studies. The data collected were then analyzed using VOSviewer software for deeper insights. This research underscores the potential ecological risks posed by MPs and HMs to marine life, while also highlighting the importance of environmental conservation within the framework of sustainable development. Addressing pollution effectively requires a detailed analysis of MPs, a thorough examination of pollution sources, an assessment of their ecological impacts, and the formulation of effective reduction strategies. This study provides a theoretical foundation that fills a crucial research gap, offering valuable insights into pollution in coastal and marine environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"54 ","pages":"Article 101132"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143158963","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}