AI-Enabled Digitalization and Environmental Practices in Municipal Waste Management: Pathways to Climate Sustainability in Pakistan

IF 3.4 3区环境科学与生态学 Q3 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Environmental Management Pub Date : 2026-08-04 DOI:10.1007/s00267-026-02573-3

Muhammad Ahsan Iqbal, Asifa Muhammad Sabir, Kundan Kumar, Md Mahfujul Islam

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Abstract

Rapid urbanization and the intensifying pressures of climate change have elevated solid waste management (SWM) as a critical public service challenge. Evidence on the joint mediating effects of digital transformation and environmental governance between municipal SWM and climate sustainability remains questionable. This study examines the role of SWM in promoting climate sustainability by evaluating environmental management practices and AI-enabled digitalization. Data were collected from 406 employees across seven Water and Sanitation Service Companies (WSSCs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, using a cross-sectional survey with a structured and validated instrument. The analytical approach involved Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with bootstrapped mediation analysis (5000 resamples), executed in SPSS and AMOS software. The study measured waste management effectiveness, environmental practices, AI-enabled digital systems, and sustainability outcomes across economic–environmental–social nexus. Findings reveal a significant positive relationship between effective SWM and climate sustainability (β = 0.41, p < 0.001). Environmental practices including regulatory compliance, pollution control, and workforce training along with AI-driven digital capabilities including real-time tracking, route optimization, electronic service reporting, and data dashboards play a strong mediating role (indirect effects: ENV = 0.13; DIG = 0.12; joint = 0.21). The results suggest that municipal waste systems achieve greater climate benefits when routine operations are supported by integrated environmental management and smart digital technologies. The study contributes to the research on sustainable models, circular economy, and smart urban governance, offering policy guidance for municipal authorities in Pakistan, through AI-enabled tools and solutions, environmental governance practices, and SDG-aligned incentives.

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城市废物管理中的人工智能数字化和环境实践：巴基斯坦实现气候可持续性的途径。

快速的城市化和日益加剧的气候变化压力使固体废物管理（SWM）成为一项关键的公共服务挑战。数字化转型和环境治理在城市SWM与气候可持续性之间的联合中介效应证据仍存在疑问。本研究通过评估环境管理实践和人工智能支持的数字化，考察了SWM在促进气候可持续性方面的作用。数据来自巴基斯坦开伯尔-普赫图赫瓦省七家供水和卫生服务公司（wssc）的406名员工，采用结构化和验证工具进行横断面调查。分析方法包括验证性因子分析（CFA）和结构方程模型（SEM）与自举中介分析（5000个样本），在SPSS和AMOS软件中执行。该研究衡量了废物管理的有效性、环境实践、人工智能支持的数字系统以及经济-环境-社会关系的可持续性成果。研究结果表明，有效SWM与气候可持续性之间存在显著的正相关关系(β = 0.41, p

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来源期刊

Environmental Management 环境科学-环境科学

CiteScore

6.20

自引率

2.90%

发文量

178

审稿时长

12 months

期刊介绍： Environmental Management offers research and opinions on use and conservation of natural resources, protection of habitats and control of hazards, spanning the field of environmental management without regard to traditional disciplinary boundaries. The journal aims to improve communication, making ideas and results from any field available to practitioners from other backgrounds. Contributions are drawn from biology, botany, chemistry, climatology, ecology, ecological economics, environmental engineering, fisheries, environmental law, forest sciences, geosciences, information science, public affairs, public health, toxicology, zoology and more. As the principal user of nature, humanity is responsible for ensuring that its environmental impacts are benign rather than catastrophic. Environmental Management presents the work of academic researchers and professionals outside universities, including those in business, government, research establishments, and public interest groups, presenting a wide spectrum of viewpoints and approaches.