Environmental Management最新文献

Although general standards have been established for wetland park design, current understanding of the long-term impacts of human disturbance on ecological risk within wetland parks remains limited. This limitation may lead to the underestimation of prolonged anthropogenic effects and obscure potential threats to future ecological security and the effectiveness of conservation efforts in wetland parks. Therefore, this study takes Xiazhuhu National Wetland Park (XNWP), a representative national wetland park, as a case study. By employing a human disturbance intensity (HDI) assessment model and a landscape ecological risk index (ERI) evaluation model, the study quantitatively analyzes the impacts and threshold effects of human disturbance on landscape ecological risk over a 10-year period. Results show that both HDI and ERI have exhibited a rapid upward trend over the past 10 years, mean HDI increasing from 0.28 to 0.36 (+29%), while the ERI range expanded from 0.076–0.351 to 0.107–0.956, with clear thresholds at HDI = 0.24 and HDI = 0.39, demarcating three distinct threshold intervals. These findings highlight the long-term impact of human activities on ecological security and offer valuable insights for sustainable wetland park planning.

Strategic and regional assessments (SAs/RAs) can influence subsequent project impact assessments (IAs) in various ways. This can include contributing information, analysis, mitigation and context to later assessments, as well as proactively addressing complex and pervasive issues through larger effects management and planning approaches. In Canada, IA legislation and processes that include SA/RA provisions often refer to their consideration and use in later project assessments, but are seldom prescriptive around how and to what degree this should occur. Through on-line surveys of Canadian IA regulators and practitioners, this study gathered perspectives on whether and if so how SAs/RAs should seek to inform and improve project assessments, including which of their outputs are likely to be most useful and influential in IA scoping and conduct. Its findings show clear interest in seeing SAs/RAs help improve project IA effectiveness and efficiency. However, given differences in scale/resolution and other practical and procedural matters, they are seen primarily as a starting point and for providing overall context, rather than streamlining IA requirements through the direct transfer of information, analysis and mitigation. The main influence of SAs/RAs on project IAs may therefore be more indirect and nuanced, particularly by helping address larger issues and requirements prior to and outside of project-specific IA reviews.

South Korea’s forest restoration efforts are globally recognized as a leading example of successful reforestation, transforming barren landscapes into thriving ecosystems. While comprehensive national plans and strong administrative capacities have been key contributors, the country’s ability to overcome repeated reforestation failures offers a critical insight for countries pursuing large-scale forest restoration. This study reinterprets South Korea’s forest restoration achievements through the lens of a revised PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) framework, referred to here as RPDCA, which integrates research-driven planning and adaptive management, using textual analysis of more than 9000 archival records and national forestry statistics covering 1953–2020 related to Korea’s reforestation efforts. The RPDCA framework emphasizes the importance of pre-reforestation research (Research), evidence-based planning (Plan), rigorous implementation supported by strong administration and community participation (Do), multi-level monitoring and evaluation (Check), and iterative improvements including field-based policy adjustments and institutional enhancements (Act). By linking each stage of the RPDCA framework to quantitative indicators such as degraded area, planted hectares, achievement rates, and survival rates, the analysis clarifies how Korea’s restoration strategy evolved over time, explains why earlier failures were eventually overcome, and distills practical, stage-specific lessons for countries facing similar ecological and policy challenges. The findings underscore the importance of integrating scientific research, continuous feedback, and stakeholder participation to break the cycle of reforestation failures and achieve sustainable forest management. At the same time, the Korean case demonstrates that while structured and research-driven approaches can deliver large-scale restoration success, their applicability elsewhere depends on careful adaptation to different social, institutional, and ecological contexts.

This study examines the ethical dimensions of environmental degradation in Sundarban, with a particular focus on intergenerational responsibilities and environmental justice. Adopting a systematic qualitative meta-synthesis approach, the research integrates insights from over 65 peer-reviewed scholarly works and policy documents to analyze ethical governance frameworks relevant to Sundarban conservation. Drawing on environmental ethics, intergenerational justice, and philosophical debates such as the non-identity problem, the study synthesizes how moral responsibilities toward future generations are conceptualized within conservation discourse. The findings demonstrate that the ecological fragility of the Sundarban intensifies ethical obligations to preserve ecosystem integrity, mitigate climate risks, and safeguard the life prospects of future populations. The synthesis further highlights that environmental degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities, underscoring the need to reframe conservation not merely as a technical or ecological challenge but as a moral and governance imperative. By articulating an integrated ethical framework, this study contributes to policy-relevant debates on sustainable environmental governance and offers normative guidance for protecting the Sundarban as a shared ecological and moral heritage for future generations.

This study presents a comprehensive subsurface characterization methodology integrating electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) geophysics with traditional geotechnical investigations for river restoration planning at a former dam site. The investigation was conducted on Little Sugar Creek (contributing watershed area of 222 km² and mean annual discharge of 7 m³/s) in Bentonville, Arkansas, following the 2021 failure of the 5-m tall Lake Bella Vista dam. Eleven ERT surveys, incorporating both terrestrial and underwater electrodes, were validated with thirteen borehole investigations to characterize subsurface conditions across the study area. Results showed that near-surface low-resistivity zones (<100 Ωm) corresponded to water-saturated fine-grained sediments are prone to erosion, while moderate-resistivity layers (100–600 Ωm) indicated more stable coarse-grained materials. High-resistivity zones (>1000 Ωm) marked competent bedrock. The findings indicate that the creek is currently undergoing distinct geomorphic adjustment phases in different reaches after dam failure, characterized by the accumulation of coarse-grained deposits such as gravel bars and increased susceptibility to erosion in cases of severe flooding. The “event-driven” phase of adjustment is particularly erosive in the upstream area, where thick sediment deposits and shallow shale bedrock provide less resistance to erosion. The integrated approach enabled detailed mapping of bedrock topography, identification of erosion-susceptible areas, and characterization of subsurface material distribution, providing valuable information for restoration design. This methodology demonstrates the value of combining geophysical and geotechnical techniques for comprehensive subsurface characterization in river restoration projects. Additionally, the approach outlined in this study can be adapted to other river systems undergoing geomorphic adjustments, particularly in post-dam removal environments, to better inform restoration and erosion mitigation strategies.

Tourism is a vital economic pillar, but is also highly vulnerable to disaster impacts. Social capital is one of the characteristics of both tourism and society and plays a crucial role in post-disaster recovery and resilience-building. However, research examining the influence of social capital and tourism on post-disaster recovery is sporadic yet emerging. A review was conducted to explore the research evidence and gaps identified in the literature between 2010 and 2023. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed, and after screening and prioritizing 267 published papers listed in Scopus and Science Direct between 2010 and 2023, a total of 100 publications were deemed eligible for full-text review. The review revealed mounting scholarly interest in assessing the influence of social capital and tourism in post-disaster recovery. Three types of social capital – bonding, bridging, and linking- were considered while evaluating the intersection between social capital, tourism, and post-disaster recovery. Research has established the positive role that social capital can play in post-disaster recovery, although this is contextual, and the importance can vary from case to case. Evidence suggests that there are interlinkages between social capital and tourism; however, there is a dearth of research specifically in a post-disaster setting.

This study assesses the perceived participatory governance effectiveness of Ethiopia’s church forests versus state-led exclosure systems using a multidimensional Participatory Governance Effectiveness Index (PGEI) across five dimensions: Participation, Rule Enforcement, Adaptive Governance, Equity and Inclusion, and Legitimacy and Trust. Drawing on mixed-methods data from household surveys and participatory observations, church forests consistently outperformed exclosures across all dimensions, with the largest differences observed in Legitimacy and Trust, Equity and Inclusion, and Adaptive Governance. Women and youth consistently rated governance lower, particularly in participation and enforcement, revealing persistent inclusion deficits. The study demonstrates that while cultural traditions provide legitimacy to forest governance, they do not in themselves secure inclusive participation in decision-making. Evidence from church forests and exclosures suggests that integrating customary authority with inclusive practices could offer a more resilient and equitable pathway for forest restoration.

Lake ecosystems are increasingly threatened by multiple stressors, notably climate warming and microplastic (MP) pollution, which have emerged as a major environmental concern. Although there is evidence of harmful effects on aquatic organisms, their interactive effects on macrophyte litter decomposition in lake ecosystems remain poorly understood. Here, we conduct a 30-day microcosm experiment to examine the individual and combined impacts of warming and polystyrene MPs (PS MPs) on Vallisneria natans litter decomposition dynamics and linked microbial structure and function in the lake ecosystem. The results demonstrated that combined warming and PS-MPs treatments did not significantly affect litter decomposition at low PS-MPs concentrations but promoted it at high concentrations, indicating a concentration-dependent effect. The combined warming and PS-MPs significantly increased bacterial biomass and some extracellular enzymatic (β-1,4-xylosidase, acid phosphatase, and leucine-aminopeptidase) activities; this enhancement is likely attributable to the abundance and diversity of bacteria at higher PS concentrations. Notably, the combined warming and PS-MPs significantly increased the bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of unclassified Paludibacteraceae and Treponema. The presence of pathogens such as unclassified Paludibacteraceae and Treponema on MPs highlights significant potential risks to public health and aquatic food webs. These shifts suggest that warming and PS-MPs selectively enrich taxa with functional traits adapted to disturbed environments, thereby driving enhanced decomposition. Our findings highlight the need to consider stressor interactions when assessing the ecological and health risks posed by global change to lake ecosystems

In light of global efforts to advance a circular economy for plastics, this study examines Latin America’s transition through three core objectives. First, it analyzes secondary data on plastic production and consumption and the generation, mismanagement, and transboundary trade of plastic waste. Second, it scrutinizes government-led initiatives across the region based on official policy documents. Third, it conducts a SWOT analysis, evaluating the initiatives’ strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to assess the current landscape of circular product design and business models, as well as their potential to mitigate the environmental impacts of the triple planetary crisis. Findings reveal that plastic production, consumption, and waste are steadily increasing in the region, while waste management and sustainable trade remain insufficient. The circular economy for plastics has gained traction through national strategies, roadmaps, and legal instruments. Its adoption has been notable in Chile and Uruguay, but negligent in several countries. Governments are supporting research into recycled materials and polymer innovation, yet policy gaps persist around microplastics and harmful additives in plastic product design. Most initiatives prioritize circular supply chains and resource recovery business models, while giving limited attention to other models and the underlying drivers and barriers. Furthermore, initiatives often address plastic pollution with weak linkages to climate change and biodiversity loss. This research strengthens the understanding and implementation of actions positioning circular design as pivotal to reducing plastic waste at the source, circular business models as catalysts for low-carbon economies, and the fight against the triple planetary crisis as an environmental objective of circular economy initiatives.

The quest for cleaner and more sustainable energy sources has become imperative due to escalating carbon emissions and their impact on the environment. Coal-fired thermal power plants remain a dominant source of electricity worldwide but are also among the largest contributors to CO₂ emissions, underscoring the importance of developing effective mitigation strategies. With the critical need to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change, the study investigates the pre-combustion CO₂ capture processes as a promising strategy for reducing carbon emissions and fostering cleaner energy generation. The analysis focuses on conventional processes such as coal gasification, syngas cleaning, and chemical looping combustion, which enable CO₂ removal from high-pressure, CO₂-rich gas streams with reduced energy penalties compared to post-combustion capture. In addition, emerging process-intensification strategies, including plasma-assisted gasification and sorption-enhanced reforming, are examined for their potential to enhance hydrogen yields, improve CO₂ capture efficiency, and minimize operational costs. These technologies demonstrate significant promise when integrated with Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plants offering opportunities to produce hydrogen-rich fuels while simultaneously capturing concentrated CO₂ streams suitable for storage or utilization. Findings highlight that pre-combustion CO₂ capture can achieve capture efficiencies above 90% with lower solvent or sorbent requirements, although challenges such as high capital costs, oxygen demand, sorbent regeneration, and scale-up limitations remain. Future development should focus on material innovation, pilot-to-demonstration deployment, and integration with renewable and circular energy systems. Overall, pre-combustion CO₂ capture represents a technically robust pathway to mitigate coal-based emissions and advance the transition toward sustainable, low-carbon energy futures.