Environmental Development最新文献

Prior studies suggest that climate disasters increase corruption due to the windfall of donations. However, is it possible that corruption increases the probability of occurrence and consequences of climatic disasters? This paper investigates the intricate relationship between corruption and climate risk using a comprehensive panel dataset spanning 171 countries from 2006 to 2019. Employing robust econometric methodologies, including fixed effects and a two-step generalised method of moments, we explore whether corruption exacerbates the probability and severity of climate-related disasters. Our findings reveal a significant positive association between corruption levels and climate risk, indicating that corruption amplifies both the frequency and consequences of climate disasters. Importantly, this relationship holds across diverse geographical locations and development statuses, with a particularly pronounced impact observed in developing countries where corruption compounds existing infrastructural vulnerabilities. These findings highlight the imperative for policymakers to address corruption alongside environmental and geographical factors in crafting effective strategies to mitigate climate-related disasters and enhance global resilience.

In contemporary literature, extensive research has focused on the influence of environmental taxation on the environmental performance of industrial sectors. However, it is still uncommon in the existing literature how corporate statutory tax rate (CTR) affects environmental performance. Therefore, this study aims to empirically investigate the relationship between CTR and environmental quality (ENQ) as well as environmental innovation (EIN). To conduct this analysis, we utilized 19 years of financial data spanning from 2001 to 2019 across all 48 Asian economies. Our research employed both panel quantile regression (PQR) and system GMM models for the regression analysis. The empirical findings reveal that the corporate statutory tax rate has a positive impact on CO2 emissions, leading to deterioration of the environmental quality, while simultaneously exerting a negative influence on environmental innovation, inhibiting green innovation. These effects of the CTR on ENQ and EIN remained consistent even when controlling for factors such as economic growth, foreign capital, financial development, and environmental taxation. These findings have significant policy implications, suggesting the need for a reevaluation of current tax policies and the introduction of tax rebates for companies striving to enhance their environmental sustainability. This study contributes to the literature by shedding light on the adverse consequences of high taxation on the environmental performance of businesses.

Urban development in African countries significantly impacts environmental sustainability and city resilience, particularly in flood risk management. The Accra Metropolis, in particular, faces increasingly prevalent annual floods that disproportionately affect the urban poor living in informal settlements, resulting in significant loss of life and disruption of livelihoods. This study developed a GIS-based flood risk mapping framework that integrates artificial neural network (ANN) and cellular automata (CA) modelling with multi-criteria decision analysis. This hybrid approach was employed to predict flood scenarios for the Metropolis in 2032 and 2042. The framework incorporated six hydro-geomorphological indicators influencing extreme events: LULC, slope, elevation, drainage density, soil type, and proximity to rivers. The study analysed LULC projections, revealing a trend of substantial urban expansion with an estimated 10.9% increase in built-up areas within the next 20 years. This growth is expected to significantly heighten future flood risk in both the central upstream and downstream portions of the Metropolis, particularly in low-lying informal settlements close to the Odaw River and Korle Lagoon. Model performance was validated by ROC curve analysis, with AUC values of 0.927 and 0.922 for 2032 and 2042, respectively, which resonates with the records of previous flood distribution studies of the area. This study highlights the crucial need for sustainable urban development, improved infrastructure, and proactive flood mitigation measures in Accra to assist urban planners, policymakers, and stakeholders in managing flood risks effectively.

Bush cover is high in some semi-arid African grasslands, and these woody plants have various socio-cultural uses and potential as livestock feed resources. The current study was conducted in northern Tanzania to investigate the changes in bushland cover, identify general uses of woody plants by agro-pastoral farmers, determine livestock preferences, and the nutritional values of selected plants. We determined bush cover changes from 2000 to 2022 by Google Earth Engine using the Random Forest algorithm during land cover classification. Livestock observation and participatory rural appraisal were used to sample woody plants foraged by livestock. Farmers named woody plants in a local language, listed their uses and ranked them as livestock feed. Farmer-preferred plants were analysed for nutritional values and screened for preference using goats. Bush cover had increased by 6.9–90.2% at 0.6–4.5% per year in the studied area, where 32 woody plant species were ranked and had other socio-cultural uses. These uses were medicine (78%), firewood (59%), a food source (31%) and construction (28%), with Grewia bicolor and Cordia sinensis possessing many of the uses. Farmers ranked woody plants highly as the feed if they were available all year round, readily eaten by livestock (palatable) and led to high performance. The coefficient of preference (COP) varied (p < 0.001) among goats fed the selected plants. Grewia similis (COP = 1.8) and Haplocoelum foliolosum (COP = 1.7) were highly preferred, while Combretum campestris and C. sinensis were the least preferred. There were differences in nutritional values among key woody plants, and G. similis had the highest digestibility (59%), making it a suitable species for agroforestry. Encroaching non-invasive woody plants can be used as livestock feed or serve other socio-cultural uses; their control should be informed by participatory appraisal involving locals in semi-arid areas.

Arribadas present many research challenges, such as establishing historical baselines and the elucidation of their formation and evolution. For local communities arribadas mean addressing shifts in areas such as tourism, sea turtle egg extraction and animal predation dynamics, representing a potential catalyst for changing attitudes towards sea turtle conservation. This study aims to provide insights about the onset and evolution of Corozalito, a nascent Costa Rican arribada beach, by compiling local ecological knowledge (LEK), and by identifying the local perceptions towards the mass nesting event and its socio-economic and conservation impacts. From October to December 2018, we conducted two types of semi-structured interviews: 10 to key informants (KIs) gathering LEK of Corozalito arribada and 15 to local respondents assessing perceptions about this phenomenon. According to KIs, Corozalito arribadas started in the late 1990s, early 2000s, exhibiting a growing trend in magnitude and frequency, which is consistent with published monitoring data. There was a general basic understanding among community members about the importance of sea turtle conservation. Regarding threats to sea turtles during arribadas, animal nest predation was the most frequently mentioned; nonetheless, most respondents attributed it to a natural process. In contrast, sea turtle egg extraction presented the most divided opinions, being reported as a source of conflict in the past for the community. Most respondents expressed concerns about egg removal for commercial purposes. Clutch density, nest destruction, and legal egg extraction in similar arribada sites, were occasionally mentioned as arguments favoring sea turtle egg extraction. Additionally, there was a general feeling that tourism should be promoted with regulations for economic revenue in the short-term. Overall, this study provides useful information about the establishment and evolution of Corozalito arribadas along with its impacts on the local community, which can inform future management and conservation strategies.