Environmental Sustainability

This study has been undertaken to examine the feasibility analysis of Industrial waste unlike Foundry sand, Ferromanganese slag and Tyre Chips in Wet Mix Macadam (WMM) by partial replacement to the natural aggregates and stone dust used in WMM. Various mix designs were conducted using different proportions of the Industrial waste and aggregated mix together by partial replacement of industrial waste products to the natural aggregates especially fine aggregates and stone dust. Various laboratory tests i.e. Grain Size Analysis, Standard Proctor Test to determine the MDD and OMC of the mix, Permeability Test, California Bearing ration (CBR) were carried out to analyze the properties of the newly formulated mix in accordance with the conventional mix design of WMM. Further field applications and field results were conducted to analyze the practicability of the mix.

Electricity generation from geothermal in Kenya started in 1981 with construction of Olkaria I (45 MW) geothermal station. The current output in Kenya is 130 MW, which is about 11% of the country's effective capacity. However, there is a plan to increase generation from geothermal by an additional 576 MW by 2026. The current geothermal capacity is located in Olkaria Geothermal field, a large part of which is within Hell's Gate National Park. Kenya has over the last 26 years gained experience in managing the environmental issues associated with geothermal development in Olkaria. This has proved that geothermal energy development activities can harmoniously coexist with wildlife conservation with maximum benefit from both resources. Kenya plans to rely on these experiences in the other geothermal sites in Kenyan Rift, some of which are located in either National Parks or Game Reserves.

Collection of abstracts from the BKT 2025 International Conference on Reimagining and Reclaiming the Knowledge Traditions of Bharat: Beyond Boundaries and Definitions, 3rd & 4th March 2025.

Sponsored by ICSSR AND MAKAIAS
In Association with Prajna Pravah
Organised By
Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy
School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi – 110067 (India)

A história ambiental é um campo historiográfico relativamente novo. No entanto, seu desenvolvimento no campo científico tem se pautado pela utilização de ferramentas e metodologias que nem sempre foram utilizadas pela historiografia tradicional, sobretudo por lidar, de forma interdisciplinar com o meio ambiente. Esse artigo objetiva relacionar os estudos de geoprocessamento com as questões históricas, evidenciando o exercício do saber ambiental em sua dimensão interdisciplinar, auxiliando na quantificação das mudanças sofridas pelo meio ambiente no decorrer do tempo. Esse artigo procura refletir sobre o papel da tecnologia nas análises temporais para a uso histórico e também para o saber ambiental sobre efeitos perturbadores ao ambiente e à sustentabilidade.Palavras-chave: Geoprocessamento. História Ambiental. Saber Ambiental.

Agro-ecosystems supply provisioning, regulating and cultural services to human society. This study focuses on the agro-ecosystem provisioning services regarding the production of agricultural biomass. These services strongly respond to the socio-economic demands of human beings, and are characterised by an injection of energy in the ecosystems production cycle which is often exceeding the ecological capacity of the ecosystem, i.e. the overall ability of the ecosystem to produce goods and services linked to its bio-physical structure and processes that take place during the agricultural production. Agricultural production is identified as ecosystem service in widely recognised ecosystem service frameworks, but currently there is no clear agreement within the scientific and policy communities on how the ecological-socio-economic flow linked to this provisioning service should be assessed, beyond a mere accounting of yields. This study attempts to provide a new insight to this issue by...

In this paper we describe a procedure for disaggregating agricultural land use choices at NUTS 2 level to about 18.000 homogeneous spatial units completely covering the usable agricultural area of the EU. The disaggregation procedure uses 40.000 sampling points and aggregate data from administrative regions and requires two steps: First, we employ crop specific, spatial binary choice models to regress land use decisions on local natural conditions (soil, relief, climate) based on the sample information. Results allow predicting crop shares in each spatial unit. Second, consistency with data from administrative regions is achieved by maximising the posterior density of crop shares subject to aggregating equations using the forecast distributions as prior information. Comparison with actual crop shares shows the validity of the procedure.

U radu se analiziraju sastavnice prirodnoga kretanja stanovništva te teme vezane uz vjenčanja, porode i strukturu kućanstava u prvoj polovici 19. stoljeća sa završnim osvrtom na proces demografske tranzicije kroz usporedbu rezultata ovoga rada s dosad objavljenim analizama.

TesisLima NorteEscuela Profesional de ContabilidadTributaciónEl presente trabajo de investigación tiene como título “Externalidad y su relación con los Tributos en el Sector Gastronómico de Miraflores, año 2017”, se estudió con el objetivo general de analizar de qué manera la Externalidad se relaciona con los Tributos en el Sector Gastronómico de Miraflores, año 2017. El desarrollo de la investigación fue realizada a través de la recopilación de diversos textos de autores que abordaron sobre las variables presentadas: Externalidad y Tributos. El diseño de investigación utilizado en la investigación fue No experimental y el tipo de diseño de estudio fue Transversal o transeccional teniendo un enfoque cuantitativo. En este trabajo se ha considerado dos variables las cuales son: Externalidad como la variable Nª 1 y Tributos como variable Nª 2. Se ha considerado como hipótesis general que la Externalidad se relaciona con los Tributos en el Sector Gastronómico de Miraflores, año 2017. Ad...

A tese aqui apresentada diz respeito a uma “discussão filosófica acerca do tema do desenvolvimento”. Esta se caracterizou por uma abordagem que identificasse formalmente os limites dos esforços teóricos existentes sobre o desenvolvimento. Para isso, optou-se pela leitura fenomenológica dos sentidos e significados históricos e semânticos do desenvolvimento desde o pensamento de Heidegger. Com efeito, ela serviu para: diagnosticar os fundamentos do desenvolvimento econômico, denominada como a Questão do Desenvolvimento; e prognosticar uma nova compreensão do desenvolvimento a partir do próprio locus (o fenômeno do habitar) da conceitualidade ocidental, ou seja, rever os
fundamentos ontológicos para o desenvolvimento. O procedimento utilizado, a fim de descrever o desenvolvimento como um fenômeno, revelou duas estruturas (capítulos): uma ôntica, cujo diagnóstico é o desvelamento do fenômeno do desenraizamento; e uma
ontológica, desde a qual o desenvolvimento é intentado em sua possibilidade ontológica, qual seja o desenvolvimento local. Deste modo, a discussão ôntico-ontológica do fenômeno do desenvolvimento permitiu abrir os seguintes problemas, respectivamente: a crítica da ideia de sujeito moderno e o lugar do homem no desenvolvimento, o problema
do território (a matematização e a desterritorialização do local) e o problema da erradicação do desenvolvimento por meio da Economia global; e, diante disso, é possível teorizar uma superação do sentido moderno da Economia e recolocá-la, ontologicamente, desde um geodesenvolvimento. Por meio desta realocação, pensa-se ser possível projetar uma ontologia do desenvolvimento

Design professions have been attempting to develop environmental methods to reduce the impacts of built structures on natural surroundings for generations. Green Infrastructure (GI), together with Nature-based Solutions (NbS), represents one the latest iterations in a long lineage of land–water professional practices dating back to greenbelts, parks, greenways and ecological corridors, wetland conservation, floodplain protection, efficient utility operations, and stream daylighting. The scientific background of Green Infrastructure comprises a symbiosis of the natural environment and engineered systems aimed at enhancing nature and human living. Low-Impact Development infrastructure can potentially augment the ecological and socio-economic resilience of cities and urban systems. The scientific background of resilience thinking was pioneered by C. S. Holling in the 1970s with the four-phase cycle of system adaptation and change. Urban resilience gained increased notoriety in the last two decades due to the impact of major socio-economic, environmental, and health crises and the need to identify adequate solutions to serious issues of carrying capacity, resource overshoot, and planetary boundaries, among others. Green Infrastructure has been deployed at multiple scales from site to city, regional, and watershed levels. While Green Infrastructure is now commonly found in newly master-planned areas in cities, its deployment in consolidated neighbourhoods requires a higher degree of commitment and creativity from urban planners, landscape architects, urban designers, engineers, and stakeholders. To what extent can most areas of cities be retrofitted with Green Infrastructure in order to augment their resilience to climate change? The aim of this Special Issue is to provide answers to this fundamental question. MDPI’s Sustainability’s broad coverage of themes central to the technical, environmental, cultural, economic, and social sustainability of human beings makes it the ideal outlet to publish the latest and most novel research on the subjects of Green Infrastructure and urban resilience. This Special Issue of Sustainability seeks reviews and articles examining the conceptualization, design, deployment, construction, maintenance, and monitoring of Green Infrastructure in the context of urban resilience. Scholars and practitioners working on the main themes of Green Infrastructure and Urban Resilience are asked to contribute their studies for peer-review assessment and publication.

ICTs, the global financial crisis, austerity urbanism, and the COVID-19 pandemic created major challenges to human settlements in both the Global North and Global South. Whilst urban resilience has helped to circumvent some of these crises’ most severe distresses, structural transformations within contexts of anticipatory planning and green governance require systemic thinking and the deployment of proactive management practices, of which Green Infrastructure is just one such innovation. In an attempt to fill the theory–practice gap and make research findings available to all, this Special Issue may include (but will not be limited to) the following novel and reconsidered research areas:

- Ecological theories;
- Community design;
- Urban planning and design;
- Sustainable urbanism;
- Plans, programs, and codes;
- Pilot and demonstration projects;
- Financing mechanisms;
- Collaborative interventions;
- Certification systems.

Dr. Carlos José Lopes Balsas
Guest Editor

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability/special_issues/KPGADSW659

This article continues to present some considerations regarding an integrated approach of product strategies from a 'green'perspective, from the Specific aspects of the Green Customer Satisfaction, related to Company, Product/service and Price, being part of ...

To mark the l00th Birthday of Rudolf Steiner's Agriculture Course, DrJohn Paull and I made a car journey in the summer of 2024 to trace the origins of those who pioneered biodynamic practice in Britain. It was a tour initially arranged by Chloe Hindmarsh from Ruskin Mill. John had just come from giving a keynote address at the Biodynamic Federation Members Assembly l00th anniversary gathering at Kobierzyce (Koberwitz) in Poland.

Nature-Based Solutions (NBSs) have gained prominence in urban planning as integrative strategies that utilize natural processes to address complex environmental and societal challenges while advancing green infrastructure development. Despite growing academic interest, the practical integration of NBSs into urban green infrastructure remains hindered by fragmented methodologies and limited understanding of context-specific implementation dynamics. This study contributes to addressing these gaps through a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of 90 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024. It examines the range of NBSs employed in urban green infrastructure, the factors shaping their successful implementation, and the barriers, financial, technical, social, and political, that constrain their adoption. The analysis also explores the roles of key stakeholders, including local governments, private actors, and communities, in the planning, execution, and maintenance of NBS projects. The findings reveal both conceptual convergence and contextual variation in how NBSs are deployed and evaluated, highlighting critical enablers, such as spatial justice, governance integration, financial viability, and technical capacity. By clarifying the conditions under which NBSs function effectively, this review offers insights for researchers and policymakers seeking to embed these approaches within sustainable urban development frameworks.

The fashion industry increasingly turns to artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline design processes, enhance creativity, and address sustainability challenges. This paper dives into the intersection of AI and sustainable fashion, investigating how AI technologies are leveraged throughout the fashion lifecycle. This research explores how AI tools facilitate sustainable fashion design and stimulate creativity. By leveraging big data analytics, machine learning, and computer vision, AI enables designers to optimise material usage, minimise waste, and develop eco-friendly manufacturing techniques. Additionally, AI-driven personalisation enhances consumer engagement, reducing returns and unsold inventory. The paper also examines the implications of AI adoption on creativity, ethics, and the overall ecological footprint of the fashion industry while addressing challenges such as data privacy. By shedding light on the potential of AI to support sustainable fashion initiatives, this study aims to inform about the opportunities and challenges in integrating AI into the quest for a more environmentally conscious and socially responsible fashion ecosystem.

Climate change adaptation is crucial for urban resilience, particularly in developing countries vulnerable to extreme weather. In Turkey, metropolitan municipalities, housing 80 % of the population, have voluntarily developed Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs) to address mitigation and adaptation challenges, despite the lack of a legal mandate. This study aims to classify the LCCAP types prepared by Turkish metropolitan municipalities, assess their adaptation components, and evaluate their alignment with national policies while offering policy recommendations. The findings show that 23 out of 30 municipalities prepared LCCAPs, and 18 of these municipalities developed their LCCAPs as Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs), which include both mitigation and adaptation actions. Using ATLAS.ti software, adaptation actions were categorized into 15 sectors, with water management, disaster risk management, green spaces, and infrastructure being most prominent. The study highlights a growing reliance on nature-based solutions for addressing flood and heatwave risks. While international network memberships influence LCCAP targets, a gap remains in addressing vulnerable groups. Additionally, 11 of the 18 SECAPs were funded by municipal resources, showing strong local commitment. The findings emphasize the need for improved institutional coordination, data for vulnerability assessments, and monitoring systems for adaptation. Strengthening adaptation actions in urban climate policies is vital for resilience in Turkey.

The authors present an overview of cultural and social resilience during more than two thousand years of fluctuating environmental circumstances in the Greek Bronze and Iron Ages. Central for discussions are four case studies focusing on discontinuities during periods of ...

Despite the importance of Social Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (S-LCSA), little research has addressed its integration into Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems. This paper presents a structured review of relevant research and practice. Also, to address practical aspects in more detail, it focuses on challenges and potential for adoption of such an integrated system at an electronics company. We began by reviewing literature on implementations of Social-LCSA and identifying research needs. Then we investigated the status of Social-LCSA within the electronics industry, both by reviewing literature and interviewing decision makers, to identify challenges and the potential for adopting S-LCSA at an electronics company. We found low maturity of Social-LCSA, particularly difficulty in quantifying social sustainability. Adoption of Social-LCSA was less common among electronics industry suppliers, especially mining & smelting plants. Our results could provide a basis for conducting case studies that could further clarify issues involved in integrations of Social-LCSA into PLM systems.

Back to basics: What is the Nature of Nature, Religion, Arts, Morals, Ethics, and Sciences?
Is Nature to be seen as Matter-Life-Mind-Soul-Spirit in Qualitative Degrees of Being and Knowing, from surface appearances to Universal Divine Love, not as modernity’s Cartesian body-mind bifurcation, which tends to radically reduce Nature to res extensae, measurable entities?
Is Religion to be seen as participation in Divine Qualities, like Beauty, Goodness, Truth, Joy, Love, from exterior observances to Heart-Centred Living in Universal Divine Love, not as our one-right-way exclusive communities, claiming privileged means of access to divinity?
Are Arts and Sciences to be seen as various qualitative and quantitative methods of knowing, using mixes of skills in memory, sentiments, will, imagination, and reason, in everybody, not as restricted communities, prioritising our privileged means of accessing special truths?
Are Morals and Ethics to be seen as being true within oneself with each other, not as prescribed codes of conduct for individuals and communities?
We ask these questions because we are seeing today determined economic elites focused on accumulating ever more power and material wealth for themselves without deep care for the dignity of life in all human beings and in the web of creatures in nature.
Given these toxic habits to be seen in many individuals, communities, organisations, and nations, current norms and hopeful aspirations for each person living well with every other person across all generations of human beings within secure social foundations within our societies, at local, regional, national, and international scales, and for nature living well within the limited carrying capacities of our planet’s atmosphere, natural waters, and healthy lands in various polar, temperate, and tropical ecological habitats are in deep existential crises.
Given these dire living conditions in the USA, Australia, and other nations, we must join with each other to reinvigorate dignity for every human being and restore dignity for every living creature within the full variety of the natural rhythms in Nature (Pneuma/Nous-psyche-soma [Greek], Spiritus/Intellectus-anima-corpus [Latin], Rūḥ/‘Aql-nafs-jism [Arabic], Tribhuvana — the three worlds, Heaven, sky, and earth; or Heaven, earth, and the lower regions [Sanskrit], Heart-soul-body [English]).

In recent years there has been a notable increase in social work responses to sustainability and Environmental Justice (EJ). While the attention on education and professional training has also grown, the role of reflective personal experiences of teaching and practitioner training remains largely uncharted. This chapter uses the collaborative autoethnography (CAE) method to better understand the experiences of university teaching and training social work in Central and Eastern Canada. The findings shed new light on the experiences, practices, and objectives of integrating EJ and sustainability into professional training and university education. The chapter reveals the role of shared experiences and multidirectional communication channels in the study setting while advocating for enhanced consciousness in relation to self and others and emphasizing environmental justice and sustainability. Furthermore, it argues for policy advocacy in educational settings that address the negative impacts on vulnerable and marginalised groups, including Indigenous populations. The study draws on the collaboration among social work scholars and educators and their unique, reflective experiences. The chapter encourages mutually supportive learning environments and the co-development of practice-oriented teaching and training materials, contributing towards an inclusive and accountable social work curriculum.

This paper evaluates the impact of circular economy interventions on waste management in urban centers of Greece, focusing on four key areas: Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Product-as-a-Service (PaaS) models, Industrial Symbiosis (IS), and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted using
structured questionnaires completed by 175 policymakers, environmental management specialists, and urban planners. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analyses to assess the effectiveness of these interventions in addressing urban waste challenges.  Findings revealed that 41.7% of participants considered MRFs highly effective in reducing landfill waste and enhancing recycling processes. Additionally, 42.9% expressed strong support for PaaS models to improve resource efficiency, minimize waste generation, and encourage sustainable consumption patterns. Industrial Symbiosis was deemed highly beneficial by 48.0% of respondents, promoting collaboration between industries to optimize resource utilization. Meanwhile, 38.9%
believed EPR policies significantly improved waste management by enforcing producer accountability and fostering sustainable production. Regression analysis demonstrated that all four variables had positive, significant correlations with urban waste management, with an R-squared value of 0.901, indicating that 90.1% of the variation in waste management
outcomes could be explained by these interventions. The study underscores the importance of circular economy strategies in promoting sustainable urban development, responsible waste disposal, and efficient resource management in Greece. To enhance effectiveness, policymakers should increase funding for MRFs, raise public awareness of PaaS models,
introduce favorable policies for Industrial Symbiosis, and strengthen the implementation of EPR regulations. Additionally, investing in technological advancements and fostering stakeholder collaboration can further optimize waste reduction strategies. Future research should explore long-term impacts, integrate qualitative insights, and assess policy adaptability
to emerging environmental challenges for a more comprehensive and resilient circular economy framework.

Across industriesfrom hospitality to education, healthcare to retailmaintaining health standards is more important than ever. Public health concerns, client expectations, and government regulations all demand a higher level of hygiene. But how do you ensure that your business consistently meets these requirements? It starts with a plan. More specifically, it starts with a well-structured cleaning plan. Whether you're preparing for a surprise inspection or striving to create a safer space for your customers and employees, consistent and effective cleaning routines form the foundation of your compliance strategy. Cleaning isn't just about visual appeal; it's a documented, measurable, and strategic operation.

The unforeseen COVID-19 has spread over the world, affecting almost 5 million people in 213 countries. Lockdown measures havebeen implemented in several nations, limiting people to their homes and substantially curtailing economic and social activity. Theimplementation of lockdown halted all the industrial, social, and commercial activities, and had a positive impact on environmentalparameters viz., air, water, noise, biodiversity, and wildlife. The decrease in PM10, PM2.5, CO, NO2were recorded with an average value of43, 31, 10, and 18%, respectively because of the reduction in transportation and industrial emission in India. Considerable recovery ofwater quality in lotic ecosystems was observed at several places in the world. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the global lockdown hasalso dropped the noise level ranging from 2.1 dB to 6 dB at several places viz., Europe, Colombia and USA. Wildlife and biodiversity ofthe world had responded to the COVID-19 shutdown. Human movements in na...

This chapter discusses and analyzes the phenomenon of pathological
bifurcation among French engineering students. Pathological bifurcation occurs when sustainable development succeeds in inspiring student activism, but that passion expresses itself destructively. The chapter answers two questions. First, we interrogate whether pathological bifurcation is a product of lacunae with current SD education practices. Having answered af!rmatively, we reflect on how to treat this diagnosis. Our suggestion is that if SDG related curricular innovations are desirable, so too is an extensive grounding in the traditional teachings of what we call planetary humanities. These are lessons drawn from around planet inculcating the very traditional moral art of controlling one’s passions in such a way as to best foster collective flourishing.

In this paper, we present a hybrid multi-criteria evaluation method which integrates the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). It takes subjective judgments of decision makers into consideration. The criteria weights are calculated by using the AHP. Then rankings of the alternatives are determined by the TOPSIS method. Our method is used for evaluating the performance, from the sustainable agricultural point of view, of seven counties from the South Muntenia Region of Romania. The criteria taken into consideration are grouped under the concepts of sustainable agriculture in economical, social and environmental criteria. The proposed method enables the decision makers to understand better the whole evaluation process. It provides a more accurate, effective, and systematic decision support tool.

A floresta de miombo desempenha um papel importante a nível social, económico e ambiental, além de ser um importante centro de biodiversidade vegetal. O objectivo deste estudo foi de avaliar o efeito da degradação florestal na estrutura, diversidade e stock de carbono em florestas de miombo nos distritos de Gurué (miombo húmido) e Marrupa (miombo seco). Para o efeito, uma amostragem aleatória estratificada com probabilidade proporcional ao tamanho com base no nível de degradação florestal nomeadamente baixa, média e alta foi aplicada dentro de cada tipo florestal. No total, 223 parcelas foram amostradas, sendo 105 para o miombo húmido e 118 para o miombo seco. No miombo húmido, nos estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal foram amostradas 48, 37 e 20 parcelas respectivamente e para o miombo seco foram amostradas 60, 24 e 34 parcelas respectivamente. Foram medidos os DAPs ≥ 5cm e levantadas todas as espécies com o diâmetro mínimo de medição e posteriormente foram calculados os parâmetros de estrutura horizontal (densidade de árvores e área basal), a diversidade (Shannon e Simpson), a similaridade (Sørensen), a biomassa e o stock de carbono. Resultados encontrados indicam que a densidade de árvores para o miombo húmido é de 106 ± 20 ha-1, 154 ± 50 ha-1 e 316 ± 89 ha-1 para os estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente e para o miombo seco foi de 543 ± 80 ha-1, 771 ±143 ha-1 e 888 ± 174 ha-1 para alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. A área basal foi de 1.87 ± 0.56 m2 ha-1¬, 3.91 ± 0.86 m2 ha-1¬ e 7.32 ± 1.65 m2 ha-1¬ para o miombo húmido e para o miombo seco foi de 3.67 ± 0.73 m2 ha-1,7 ± 1.29 m2 ha-1 e 10.18 ± 1.43 m2 ha-1 para alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. Para a diversidade de espécies, o miombo húmido apresentou uma riqueza de espécies, índice de Shannon e índice de Simpson maiores no nível de média degradação florestal, seguido baixa e alta degradação florestal respectivamente. No miombo seco, a riqueza de espécies foi maior no nível de alta degradação seguido de média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. O índice de Shannon foi maior para a alta degradação florestal, seguida da baixa e por fim da média degradação florestal. O índice de Simpson foi maior no nível de média, seguido de alta e baixa degradação florestal respetivamente. O stock de carbono para os estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal em Gurué foi de 5.77 ± 1.92 Mg ha-1, 12.84 ± 3.07 Mg ha-1 e 25.12 ± 6.47 Mg ha-1 respectivamente. Para Marrupa, o stock de carbono foi de 9.80 ± 2.41Mg ha-1, 19.04 ± 3.95 Mg ha-1 e 28.18 ± 4.07 Mg ha-1 para os estratos de alta, média e baixa degradação florestal respectivamente. O estudo concluiu que a estrutura diamétrica segue o formato de J-invertido em todos os estratos dos dois tipos de miombo, a densidade de arvores, a área basal, a biomassa e carbono reduzem com o aumento do nível de degradação florestal, a diversidade de espécies mostrou-se elevada no nível de alta degradação florestal no miombo seco enquanto no miombo húmido esta reduziu com o aumento do nível de degradação florestal. O estudo recomenda o uso do presente estudo no desenho de estratégias de reflorestamento em florestas de miombo.
Palavras-chave: Floresta de miombo, Estrutura da floresta, Diversidade e Stocks de carbono.

stad-als-rotslandschap-over-surtsey-en-de-zuidas It could have started like this: water stretching far beyond the horizon, nothing but water, and all of a sudden HE divides the water from the land, and land arises from the water. Nothing but stone and sand, simply waiting for life. And this life comes into being as if by a miracle. Mosses and plants start the colonization. Somewhere in a far-off distance, millions of years later, insects will populate this land, millions of more years later, birds and mammals and near the end, even our own kind. We look at the beginning in amazement. But Surtsey was a beginning in the middle of a created world. As early as a few days after its emergence, colonization already started. Birds, seeds and then even the irst mammal, a seal.

The study focused on evaluating the performance of biogas plant among the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan state. Data from existing biogas plant located in Chittorgarh District was used for the study. Survey of 32 randomly selected biogas plant was completed. Only Deenbandhhu biogas plants were identified. 27 biogas plants were found operational and 5 biogas plants were found nonoperational. Lack of dung availability and water was main reason for nonfunctional biogas plant. Farmers are practiced to collect bio-slurry in a pit and used it as organic manure twice in a year.

N o . 1 lic supports renewable energy and energy effi ciency as priority GHG mitigation options (Curry et al., 2007), their economic potential to cut emissions over the mid-term is likely insuffi cient to prevent the more serious impacts of climate change. Many experts believe that every climate mitigation option, including CCS, must be employed to stabilize atmospheric concentrations at a viable level (Socolow, 2004). Figure 1 offers one illustration SUMMARY Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) could become an important option to limit carbon dioxide emissions that are now causing global climate change. Interest in CCS has grown in North America, Europe, and Asia over the past 5 years. Selected challenges facing the technology include: developing a policy driver to incentivize deployment; defi ning a fl exible and adaptable regulatory framework; and funding large-scale demonstration projects to resolve technical and integration uncertainties as well as reduce high costs. Addressing these three challenges will help solve a fourth: public acceptability. Debate over the timing of CCS deployment is likely to continue, but it is clear that this climate mitigation option is critical to eventual stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. This policy brief outlines high-level issues related to deployment of carbon dioxide capture and geological sequestration (CCS). It serves as a broad introduction to some of the key challenges that must be addressed for wide-scale deployment of CCS. Forthcoming papers in this WRI series will address selected issues in greater depth. CCS is one option for reducing anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions that are now altering the global climate system. The CCS process starts with capturing carbon dioxide from power plants or other large industrial point sources, transporting it to suitable locations, and injecting it into underground reservoirs. Interest in CCS has grown in recent years as it would significantly reduce emissions from fossil fuels, which are expected to continue to meet the world's energy needs for decades to come due to their widespread availability and low cost. Challenging economic, technical, social, and institutional hurdles remain, however, before CCS can contribute signifi cantly to a larger climate solution. POTENTIAL FOR REDUCING CO 2 EMISSIONS The global community must reduce greenhouse gas emissions signifi cantly and quickly to prevent catastrophic climate change. According to the latest UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, even to hold global mean temperature increases to 2.6°C (4.7°F) or less, global emissions should peak and then begin declining by 2020 (IPCC, 2007). Even then, more frequent heat waves, droughts, severe storms, sea level rise, and other signifi cant climate change impacts are expected. Currently, fossil fuels meet about 80 percent of global energy needs, and demand for energy will increase as populations and incomes rise. While surveys have indicated that the general pub-

The notion of X-minute cities has gained significant popularity in recent years, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the growing recognition of the importance of enhancing urban resilience to other stressors, such as climate change. This notion encompasses concepts such as the 5-minute city, 10-minute city, 15-minute city, and 20-minute city. It has emerged as a novel approach in urban design and planning, focusing on sustainable, smart, and and climate-resilient cities characterized by proximity and efficient accessibility. Despite this growing interest, there is a lack of a literature review on this notion. This study employs bibliometric analysis techniques utilizing Bibliometrix and VOSviewer software tools to analyze bibliographic data, identify trending topics and terms, identify research gaps, and explore future research directions. The findings showed that interest in X-minute cities began with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and intensified as the pandemic affected urban communities worldwide. Results showed that topics such as accessibility, mobility, food, walkability, quality of life, and smart city have garnered relatively more attention. Separate analyses of articles related to X-minute cities, 15-minute cities, and 20-minute showed that the thematic focus of 15-minute and 20-minute cities is different. The most important clusters identified by co-occurrence analysis for X-minute cities, 15-minute cities, and 20-minute cities were urban planning and neighborhoods, mobility and accessibility, and socioeconomic aspects, respectively. Based on the findings, we identified nine future research directions that require further development. Among other things, future research should pay more attention to implementation challenges and topics related to energy, artificial intelligence, public preferences, health, and regulations. The results of this research contribute to the advancement and development of the notion of X-minute cities, enhancing its integration into both practice and theory.

中国正处于有机农业⾰命的开端。从 2000 年到 2006 年，中国有机农业管理⾯积从世界第 45 位跃升⾄第 2 位。中国现在有机园艺种植⾯积⽐任何其他国家都多。2005/2006 年，中国有 机农业种植⾯积增加了 12%。这占世界有机农业年增⻓量的 63%，中国现在拥有世界有机农 业管理⾯积的 11%。本⽂探讨了中国有机农业⾰命的先例，揭⽰了中国有机农业部⻔的进⼀步 增⻓潜⼒。对中国粮⻝⽣产统计数据的纵向分析显⽰，中国粮⻝⽣产呈现爆炸式增⻓，随之⽽ 来的出⼝能⼒对粮⻝出⼝国具有重要意义。中国通过绿⾊⻝品⾛上了⼀条实现有机未来的创新 之路。这⼀转型战略可能成为其他寻求快速扩⼤有机农业的国家效仿的典范。未来，⻝品出⼝ 国可以预⻅其化学农产品将与中国经过认证的有机农产品展开竞争。

ABSTRACTHuman land use threatens global biodiversity and compromises multiple ecosystem functions critical to food production. Whether crop yield-related ecosystem services can be maintained by few abundant species or rely on high richness remains unclear. Using a global database from 89 crop systems, we partition the relative importance of abundance and species richness for pollination, biological pest control and final yields in the context of on-going land-use change. Pollinator and enemy richness directly supported ecosystem services independent of abundance. Up to 50% of the negative effects of landscape simplification on ecosystem services was due to richness losses of service-providing organisms, with negative consequences for crop yields. Maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is therefore vital to sustain the flow of key agroecosystem benefits to society.

La révolution cubaine se trouve confrontée depuis plus d’une décennie à de profonds changements sociaux, économiques et politiques liés à l’insertion toujours plus grande de l’île à l’économie de marché global à la suite de la chute du bloc socialiste. Alors que plusieurs études avancent que Cuba s’engage à son tour dans une période de « transition », une analyse anthropologique de ce contexte révèle un scénario plus complexe. À l’aide de l’examen des nouvelles formes de gouvernance étatique en matière de santé et de recherche universitaire sur l’environnement, ainsi que des pratiques informelles des sujets, cet article analyse comment, à travers l’insertion de nouvelles formes de capital, ces politiques visent à maintenir et à reproduire l’idéologie socialiste dans les institutions locales et les pratiques individuelles quotidiennes en forgeant chez les individus un sentiment identitaire (lerevolucionario) en accord avec la rationalité de la gouvernance socialiste. Cependant, ces p...

Being a basic need for people all over the world, access to healthy and adequate food is indispensable for the survival of human kind. Yet there is a considerable inequality with regard to the access to food, as is the case with many other crucial resources. The global food policies purporting to address this inequality are in fact further exacerbating the problem towards becoming a chronic one. This paper will investigate the concept of food security and neoliberal food policies from a critical perspective. To this end, it will first touch upon the definition of human security concept and the relevance of food security within this context. Secondly, the policy proposals of institutions established under the United Nations for food security will be listed. Moreover, the global trade regime laid down by the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, and its implications on the food security will be analyzed. Finally, the problems emerging from the global food policies, and the opposition movements that have developed as a reaction to these will be investigated.

Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of the most attractive investment destinations with the highest degree of openness and the strongest economic vitality in China. This paper phases out the current state and prospect of environmental regulation in the GBA, especially unscramble the risks of environmental infringement and the benefits of proactively taking environmental responsibility from the standpoint of multinational corporations. Within the applicable environmental stipulates in international investment arbitration, the problems of the domestic environmental legislation, justice and governance include legislation gaps, professional barriers to the application of provisions in the judiciary, and the breadth of administrative powers. The underlying causes of these risks include the complexity of the environmental litigation triad, the unpredictability of the transition policies, and the all-encompassing developing of international investment arbitration. Against thi...

Price: DKK 25.00 (VAT included) DIIS publications can be downloaded free of charge from www.diis.dk DIIS Working Papers make available DIIS researchers' and DIIS project partners' work in progress towards proper publishing. They may include important documentation which is not necessarily published elsewhere. DIIS Working Papers are published under the responsibility of the author alone. DIIS Working Papers should not be quoted without the express permission of the author. Acknowledgements This Working Paper is based on a study funded through a research grant from the Rural Poverty and Environment programme initiative of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The grant was administered by the Overseas Development Institute, London. Many people provided useful comments to earlier versions of this paper, which are highly appreciated. From ODI, comments were given by Jonathan Mitchell, Jodie Keane, Pamela Muckosy, Kate Schreckenberg and Andrew Shepherd. Comments were also received from Peter Gibbon and other members of the Trade and Development Group of the Danish Institute for International Studies. Thank you also to the participants of the 'Methodology Workshop' at the University of Western Cape, South Africa, in October 2007 for very fruitful discussions, and to the participants of the 'IDRC Inception Workshop on Integrating Poverty and Environmental Concerns into Value Chain Analysis' in Cairo, December 2007 and again in April 2008.

Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on the planet but are declining because of human activities. Despite general recognition of the human role in the plight of coral reefs, the vast majority of research focuses on the ecological rather than the human dimensions of reef ecosystems, limiting our understanding of social relationships with these environments as well as potential solutions for reef recovery. General frameworks for social-ecological systems (SESs) have been advanced, but system-specific approaches are needed to develop a more nuanced view of human-environmental interactions for specific contexts and resource systems, and at specific scales. We synthesize existing concepts related to SESs and present a human dimensions framework that explores the linkages between social system structural traits, human activities, ecosystem services, and human well-being in coral reef SESs. Key features of the framework include social-ecological reciprocity, proximate and underlying dimensions, and the directionality of key relationships and feedback loops. Such frameworks are needed if human dimensions research is to be more fully integrated into studies of ecosystem change and the sustainability of linked SESs.

The following on-going research work intends to highlight the relevant contributions that Green Virtual Enterprise Breeding Environments (GVBEs) can have in the development of new sustainable industrial development models, able to address the threefold sustainability challenges of environmental protection, economic growth and social progress by means of collaborative networks and systems. Focusing on a well-integrated socio-technical strategy, the Sustainable Development Maturity Model for GVBEs proposes a new generation of [virtual] industrial eco-systems contributing to the eco-restructuring of industrial processes and systems in support of a new sustainable industrial landscape. Different ecoindustrial networking strategies are explored in this direction towards a Circular Economy.

The existing literature widely addresses countries' specific challenges and priorities in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, these efforts mostly remain either global-generalist or local-narrower scales, containing a big gap for the studies holistically exploring the issue through geographic and economic scales in a global manner. Aiming to provide a contribution to bridging the gap, this study presents a holistic approach by conducting a multi-scaled content analysis on voluntary national reviews (VNRs) of 188 countries, delivering comparative research on global, geographic, and economic challenges and priorities of their SDGs achievement. The prominent findings indicate that global and economic groups' challenges are clustered around poverty and crises, accounting for more than 60%, while the leading priorities include education, strong governance, and source protection within the same range. In all geographic classifications, over 50% of countries identify the challenges as crises, poverty, and climate change, and verbalize priorities as governance, source protection, education, and climate change. The findings advise policymakers to consider and prioritize geographical differences in SDGs analyses. While climate change is a common priority across all geographic and economic scales, policymakers should focus on strategies based on governance and local needs on a geographic scale rather than an economic one. For governments, lack of data and inadequate reporting initiatives are vital challenges in policymaking and international cooperation. These issues necessitate more effective monitoring of SDGs achievement processes and adaptation to local contexts.

The first International Peat Congress (IPC) held in the tropics - in Kuching (Malaysia) - brought together over 1000 international peatland scientists and industrial partners from across the world ("International Peat Congress with over 1000…

A Deus, pela força que me deu durante a realização desse trabalho. Aos meus pais, que investiram em minha educação. Aos amigos e professores da UFPE, que proporcionaram momentos enriquecedores, durante o curso. Aos amigos e colegas de turma, que enriqueceram as aulas com seus exemplos e experiências. Aos alunos da graduação de Engenharia de Produção, Davi, Diego e Armando que me ajudaram no processo de validação do modelo proposto. Agradecemos todos os pesquisadores e alunos (graduação e pós-graduação) da iniciação científica do

The aim of this work is to study the effects of utilizing cleaner technologies in district heating networks and assess their contribution to the energy transition within densely populated urban areas. In this context, this study presents a methodology using Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) with a place-based approach to assess the potential of integrating solar thermal collectors for space heating and hot water production services. Moreover, it compares their feasibility with photovoltaic panels. The proposed methodology can be applied to various urban contexts with different climate conditions using an open-source tool and available databases. The methodology adopts a bottom-up approach with a building as the territorial unit, and it takes into account site specific climate condition, building characteristics, urban features, and local constraints. The key step presented in this work is a detailed roof segmentation method used to evaluate the available areas on different roof orientations. The results show an increase in self-consumption and self-sufficiency levels when solar production is utilized for multiple energy services compared to a single service. This increase is threefold in self-consumption index when hot water is added to the space heating service (a rise from 10% to 31%), and double for self-efficiency index, that is, from 12 to 24%. By using energetic, economic and social indicators, this study contributes to defining target indicators and indexes, while considering local constraints, to achieve the overarching goal of sustainability in energy system. This is aligned with the efforts that are being made to create sustainable cities through collective actions.

Sustainability assessment tools and certification systems generally assess environmental impacts of buildings in use phase. Nevertheless, the tools and systems often ignored the interaction between building construction process and the environment. However, we should take environmental impacts of buildings into account during design process not only considering use phase but also by making decisions related to construction activities. In this study, the author introduces an approach for external wall systems, which aims to reduce environmental impacts of construction process by taking decisions in design process. Within the scope of the method, the author developed a database based on a proposed assessment system for selecting and comparing construction techniques of external walls to reduce environmental impacts of construction process.

Environmental efforts of European Union are currently going towards circular economy. Tools like Extended Producer Responsibility and Eco-design were established. The circular economy deals with resources availability issue on one hand and waste management on the other hand. There are few pioneering companies all over the world with some kind of circular economy practice. Generally the concept is not very wide-spread. The paper aims to evaluate possibility of transition towards circular economy in Slovak industrial companies. They need to have an active approach to material treatment of their products after usage stage. Innovation is another important pre-condition for the transition. Main problem of current cradle to grave system is landfilling of valuable materials after one cycle of usage. Their potential value for next manufacturing cycles is lost. Companies may do not see connection between waste management and material resource prices and volatility of supplies. Municipalities are responsible for municipal waste collection and treatment in Slovakia. The circular economy operates by cradle to cradle principle. Company manages material flow until the material comes back to the beginning of manufacturing process by itself or by another partners. Stable material supplies with quite low costs are provided this way. It is necessary to deal with environmental problems in phase of product design. Questionnaire survey results show on one hand low involvement of industrial companies in waste management area, however on the other hand they are open to environmental innovations in future.

Unatoc problemima u kojima se istarski seljak nalazio tijekom druge polovice 19. stoljeca, a koji su se ocitovali u nerijesenim agrarnim odnosima i s tim u vezi otežanim gospodarskim uvjetima, te u politickoj inferiornosti u odnosu na austrijsku upravu i na Talijane kao manjinski narod u Buzetu, demografski pokazatelji ipak daju naznaku pozitivnih promjena u procesu modernizacije koji je vec zahvatio Europu, a i pojedine dijelove Hrvatske. U razdoblju od 1870. do 1880. u Buzetu se ocituju prvi simptomi demografske tranzicije: od smanjenja mortaliteta i rasta stanovnistva, prosjecne stope prirodnog prirasta koja nadmasuje 10 promila, pa do prilicno visoke ženidbene dobi i produljenja ljudskog vijeka, o cemu govori i relativno visok udio starijih ljudi među umrlima. U Buzetu je tranzicija mortaliteta zapocela produljenjem ljudskog vijeka, a ne smanjenjem smrtnosti dopencadi.