Sustainable Horizons最新文献

{"title":"PLAY+ (Play, Land, Animals, You and +) framework: The role of active outdoor play in advancing One Health","authors":"Eun-Young Lee ,&nbsp;Yeong-Bae Kim ,&nbsp;Joy Cheng ,&nbsp;Mia Carbone ,&nbsp;Karim Abu-Omar ,&nbsp;Elijah Bisung ,&nbsp;Ding Ding ,&nbsp;Pedro C. Hallal ,&nbsp;Justin Y. Jeon ,&nbsp;Joseph Kangmennaang ,&nbsp;Jacquline M. Klopp ,&nbsp;Steven Lâm ,&nbsp;Louise de Lannoy ,&nbsp;Taru Manyanga ,&nbsp;Shawnda A. Morrison ,&nbsp;Diego Augusto Santos Silva ,&nbsp;John C. Spence ,&nbsp;Lucy-Joy Wachira ,&nbsp;Kyoung June Yi ,&nbsp;Mark S. Tremblay","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100172","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There has been growing recognition of the interconnections between human health, environmental sustainability, and ecosystem resilience. Positioning active outdoor play as a potential catalyst and ally in advancing human, animal, and environmental health, this study developed and validated a framework linking active outdoor play and One Health. The framework development followed a structured, multi-step process incorporating a scoping review, conceptual mapping, and expert consultations. Based on the results of the scoping review, a conceptual mapping exercise was undertaken to visually represent the interconnections between active outdoor play and One Health, which was then validated by key informants (<em>n</em> = 16) selected based on their expertise and leadership in the relevant topic areas. A total of 23 scholarly articles addressed the potential interconnectedness of active outdoor play, human-animal relationships, and environmental responsibility. Three themes emerged: 1) outdoor play environments and climate resilience (<em>n</em> = 6), 2) human-animal interactions and public health (<em>n</em> = 10), and 3) environmental stewardship and responsibility toward planetary health (<em>n</em> = 7). Nine policy documents were identified, of which eight did not make direct references to active outdoor play. Informed by the evidence, the <em>PLAY+ (Play, Land, Animals, You and +) framework</em> was created. Insights from an expert survey further refined the framework. While the framework highlights the interconnected benefits of active outdoor play across human, animal and environmental health domains, it is equally important to recognize associated risks and unintended consequences. As such, the framework should be views as conceptual, heuristic tool that encourages precautionary approaches, continued empricial evaluation, and context-sensitive implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100172"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146045210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functionalized nanoplastics alter physiology and toxin production in Alexandrium pacificum through surface charge effects","authors":"Li’ang Li ,&nbsp;Menghong Hu ,&nbsp;Shanza Gul ,&nbsp;Yuanxiong Ma ,&nbsp;Xinfeng Dai ,&nbsp;Qiang Hao ,&nbsp;Jinping Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei Huang ,&nbsp;Youji Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100171","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100171","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nanoplastics have emerged as a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Those with functional modifications particularly impact biological processes, as their surface potential governs particle-organism interactions and electron transfer. Here, we evaluated the endpoints related to growth, photosynthesis, antioxidant defence, and paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) content in <em>Alexandrium pacificum</em> exposed to 100 nm functionally modified nanoplastics (NP, NP-NH₂ and NP-COOH) of 0, 0.1 and 1 mg/L for 21 days. Our findings indicate that: Exposure to 1 mg/L NP increased microalgae growth by 31.4%, while NP-NH₂ (1 mg/L) promoted growth throughout the experiment. Significant nanoplastics accumulation occurred on microalgae surfaces. NP (1 mg/L) induced a significant increase in photosynthetic activity. Toxicity of nanoplastics exhibited a concentration-dependent increase that was independent of functional modification, which, together with concentration, significantly interacted to affect cell membrane permeability. In addition, NP-NH₂ altered the PSTs composition, increasing C1/C2 levels by 121.2% (1 mg/L) and 159.88% (0.1 mg/L) compared to controls. In summary, NP-NH₂ exhibited higher bioavailability than NP-COOH and NP. Our study underscores the critical role of functional groups in mediating the effects of nanoplastics on harmful microalgae physiology, particularly intracellular PSTs dynamics, which may profoundly impact ecosystems through food chain transfer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100171"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A concise review on cadmium in fertilizers: Soil-plant interactions, health risks, and solutions","authors":"Tsun Man Lee,&nbsp;Chun Fung Wong,&nbsp;Yu Bon Man,&nbsp;Ming Hung Wong","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that can cause serious health issues, such as kidney problems and Itai-Itai disease, mainly due to contaminated crops. The primary source of Cd intake occurs primarily through consuming crops that accumulate Cd, which have a bioconcentration factor (BCF) exceeding 10, indicating their ability to accumulate Cd. Using fertilizer inputs contributes to Cd pollution, especially fertilizers made from phosphate rock and power plant ash, because these fertilizer sources will contain high concentrations of Cd. Phosphorus fertilizers lower soil pH and increase Cd absorption, while ash fertilizers raise soil pH and decrease Cd bioavailability. However, overapplication of both types of fertilizers can significantly increase Cd levels in the soil. Therefore, necessitating mitigation strategies such as reducing Cd content in raw materials by leaching methods. Hyperaccumulators favor phytoextraction of Cd, such as intercropping, crop rotation, and selective breeding of low-Cd varieties, which are crucial for food safety. Effective regulatory soil amendments can further enhance Cd removal from agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100166"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145419092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A multi-objective optimization framework for sustainable rural wastewater treatment and agricultural reuse","authors":"Pengyu Li ,&nbsp;Tianlong Zheng ,&nbsp;Haishu Sun ,&nbsp;Feixiang Zan ,&nbsp;Wenjun Wu ,&nbsp;Minghuan Lv ,&nbsp;Xiaoqin Zhou ,&nbsp;Xinyuan Wang ,&nbsp;Jianguo Liu ,&nbsp;Yingqun Ma ,&nbsp;Lin Li ,&nbsp;Junxin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2026.100175","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2026.100175","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rural wastewater management stands at the nexus of public health, environmental stewardship, and climate resilience. Addressing the growing demand for sustainable sanitation in decentralized contexts, this study presents a multi-objective optimization framework that integrates classical process modeling with machine learning to enhance the performance of bio-ecological treatment systems. By coupling the Activated Sludge Model with a fully connected neural network, our integrated approach provides near real-time decision support for meeting stringent discharge standards and agricultural reuse requirements. The framework demonstrates strong predictive capability, achieving coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.860, 0.854, 0.879, and 0.871 for COD_Cr, NH₄⁺-N, TN, and TP, respectively, on an independent validation dataset. The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is incorporated to guide adaptive aeration strategies. Results indicate an energy reduction of 1.19 kWh/day under high-standard discharge mode and a nutrient retention benefit of 22.5 g/day of ammonia nitrogen under irrigation reuse mode, thereby supporting circular nutrient flows. This work offers a scalable and resilient pathway toward low-carbon, resource-recovering sanitation in rural areas by combining data-driven control with ecological design, contributing to sustainable development and climate adaptation goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100175"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the role of renewable energy and government consumption in reducing CO2 emissions: A dynamic panel data analysis","authors":"Mehedi Hasan ,&nbsp;Hafsha Talukdar Eiti ,&nbsp;Md. Saddam Hossain ,&nbsp;Mohammad Bin Amin ,&nbsp;Md. Atikur Rahaman ,&nbsp;Judit Oláh","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100164","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100164","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reducing CO₂ emissions poses a critical challenge for rapidly industrializing lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), where economic expansion pushes enhanced energy consumption, industrial activity, and transportation emissions. While previous research has separately examined the roles of renewable energy adoption and government spending in mitigating emissions, this study uniquely investigates their combined and interactive effects on CO₂ emissions in LMICs, providing novel empirical insights through dynamic analysis. This research employs panel data from 26 LMICs spanning 2002 to 2022, utilizing fixed-effects, random-effects, and generalized method of moments (GMM) approaches to address endogeneity, autocorrelation, and unobserved heterogeneity. The robust GMM estimators, handling these issues effectively, ensure reliable and complete causal inferences. The findings from the preferred GMM model indicate that a 1 % increase in renewable energy consumption results in a 0.025 % reduction in CO₂ emissions, but a 1 % rise in government expenditure contributes to a 0.0531 % decrease, when spending is environmentally aligned. However, the interaction term between renewable energy and government consumption demonstrates a small but significant positive effect, indicating that poorly targeted fiscal spending may dilute the environmental benefits of renewables. GDP growth and energy use dramatically rise emissions, supporting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, while urbanization and education show mixed effects. These results underscore the necessity of integrating renewable energy expansion with strategic government fiscal interventions to promote sustainable emission reductions. The study adds to the body of knowledge on sustainable development literature by elucidating the complex interplay between fiscal policy and renewable energy adoption. We recommend that policymakers in LMICs prioritize green-aligned spending and phase out fossil incentives to maximize synergies, fostering scalable models for global climate goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100164"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145323267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wildfires significantly enhance light absorption of black carbon and brown carbon aerosols in Moscow urban atmosphere","authors":"Feng Xie ,&nbsp;Fang Cao ,&nbsp;Olga Popovicheva ,&nbsp;Ze-Liang Huang ,&nbsp;Marina Chichaeva ,&nbsp;Yu-Chi Lin ,&nbsp;Wen-Huai Song ,&nbsp;Roman Kovach ,&nbsp;Yulia Zavgorodnyaya ,&nbsp;Chang-Liu Wu ,&nbsp;Nikolay Kasimov ,&nbsp;Yan-Lin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large-scale wildfires are essential sources of black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC), affecting aerosol-induced radiative forcing. This study investigated the impact of two wildfire plumes (Plume 1 and 2) transported to Moscow on the optical properties of BC and BrC during August 2022. During the wildfires, the total light absorption at 370 nm (b_{abs_370nm}) increased 2.3–3.4 times relative to background (17.30 ± 13.98 Mm⁻¹), and the BrC contribution to total absorption increased from 14 % to 42–48 %. BrC was further partitioned into primary (BrC_Pri) and secondary (BrC_Sec) components. Biomass burning accounted for ∼83–90 % of BrC_Pri during the wildfires. The b_{abs_370nm} of BrC_Pri increased 5.6 times in Plume 1 and 11.5 times in Plume 2, due to the higher prevalence of peat combustion in Plume 2. b_{abs_370nm} of BrC_Sec increased 8.3–9.6 times, driven by aqueous-phase processing, as evidenced by strong correlations between aerosol liquid water content and b_{abs_370nm} of BrC_Sec. Daytime b_{abs_370nm} of BrC_Sec increased 7.6 times in Plume 1 but only 3.6 times in Plume 2, due to more extensive photobleaching, as indicated by negative correlations with oxidant concentrations and longer transport times. The radiative forcing of BrC_Pri relative to BC increased 1.8 times in Plume 1 and Plume 2. In contrast, this increase for BrC_Sec was 3.4 times in Plume 1 but only 2.3 times in Plume 2, due to differences in chemical processes, which may result in higher uncertainty in its radiative forcing. Future work should prioritize elucidating both the emissions and atmospheric processes to better quantify wildfire-derived BrC and its radiative forcing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100169"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145883627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Iron recovery from water clarification sludge as ferric chloride","authors":"Juan Antonio Ramírez-Pérez ,&nbsp;F.J. Soto-Cruz ,&nbsp;Manuel Jesús Gázquez-González ,&nbsp;Silvia Pérez-Moreno ,&nbsp;Juan Pedro Bolívar","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2026.100176","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2026.100176","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The circular economy (CE) promotes strategies aimed at waste minimization, treatment, and resource recovery, integrating industrial development with environmental and socioeconomic priorities. In this context, the present study investigates the recovery of iron from an oil refinery sludge generated during the water clarification stage of a steam production plant. This residue exhibits a high iron content (37 wt.%), highlighting its potential as a secondary raw material and alternative iron source. Iron recovery was carried out by hydrochloric acid (HCl) leaching under different operating conditions, including HCl concentration, reaction time, temperature, and solid/liquid ratio (S/L). These parameters were investigated to optimize iron dissolution and obtain ferric chloride, a coagulant widely used in water treatment processes. Optimal leaching conditions (37 wt.% HCl, room temperature, 24 h of agitation, S/<em>L</em> = 1/3.5) produced leachates containing 13.4 wt.% Fe, a value comparable to that of commercial ferric chloride solutions (≈ 14 wt.%). The recovered ferric chloride was subsequently evaluated as a coagulant in three types of water (irrigation, tap, and distilled water). Removal efficiencies of up to 98.7% for Fe, 95.2% for Cr, 99.8% for Zn, 82.4% for Cu, and 82.6% for As were achieved. These efficiencies are comparable to or approaching those obtained using a commercial reagent. The results demonstrate the technical feasibility of valorizing oil refinery sludge into a marketable coagulant, providing environmental benefits while supporting circular economy principles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100176"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rethinking net zero: A new perspective on achieving net zero energy buildings","authors":"Orhan Ercal,&nbsp;Muhammad Shafique","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100163","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100163","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>\"Energy\" is an essential component of modern civilization, driving economic growth, technological innovation, and urbanization. However, the desire of the energy contributes to several geopolitical conflicts, emissions, and environmental deterioration. Since the building sector is highly energy-intensive with its construction and operations, addressing its energy requirement is crucial. A solution is provided by The Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) strategy, applies to buildings whose annual energy consumption is equal to the amount of energy produced from renewable sources. This paper presents a new framework for designing energy-efficient buildings by developing the NZEB approach and integrating BIM. It introduces the Realistic Net-Zero Energy Building (RNZEB) method, that highlights the necessity for buildings to balance not only their operational energy consumes, also the embodied energy of materials utilises renewable resources throughout their whole lifespan. This study uses information collected from a conceptual residential project in London to demonstrate how the RNZEB approach is effective and how different structural systems (steel, reinforced concrete, timber) and building operations impact total energy consumption. The result demonstrates embodied energy of traditional steel house is 308,599.2 kWh, concrete house is 240,247.2 kWh, and timber house is 151,902.7 kWh. Employing low embodied energy materials reduces the energy footprint by 33.90 % for steel, 24.70 % for concrete, and 11.05 % for timber. Additionally, applying cutting-edge technologies results in impressive operational energy savings of up to 84.45 %. The RNZEB method's goal is to reset these reduced energies with renewable resources. Steel house in its 49th year, concrete in its 43rd, and timber in its 32nd year achieve the RNZE target.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100163"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145419093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Systematic Review on Life Cycle Assessment of Prefabricated Buildings","authors":"Alberto Pietro Damiano Baltrocchi ,&nbsp;Muhammad Shafique ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Torretta","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100168","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The construction sector has a significant impact on the environment, highlighting the need for sustainable building practices to decrease the emissions and propose alternative construction solutions. In this framework, prefabricated construction methods offer a promising solution, providing benefits such as reduced material waste, improved energy efficiency, and alignment with net-zero principles. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach represents a key tool for evaluating the environmental performance of buildings throughout their entire life cycle, enabling a direct comparison between prefabricated and traditional construction methods. This systematic review examines the application of LCA methodologies to assess the environmental impacts of modular and prefabricated buildings. By analysing recent peer-reviewed articles, this study investigates the use of key LCA elements, including software, databases, System Boundaries, Functional Unit, and environmental impact categories. The impact categories analysis indicates that, in terms of global warming potential, 1 m² of structure impacts an average of 325, 327, and 389 kg CO₂ eq for steel, wood, and concrete, respectively, for phases A and C. Furthermore, this review highlights and discusses the main limitations and the research gaps of the current studies of LCA methodology applied to modular construction, emphasising the need to intervene on five potential improvement areas: (i) methodological development, (ii) policy implications, (iii) stakeholder engagement and awareness, (iv) digital tools and innovation and (v) Circular Economy (CE) integration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100168"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145976267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human perturbations reshape hydrological responses in riverine systems: Insights from a reach-level quantification framework to the Pearl River Basin","authors":"Haomei Lin ,&nbsp;Peirong Lin ,&nbsp;Kaihao Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100174","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100174","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human perturbations greatly threaten the health of riverine systems, producing ecological and hydrological consequences that challenge progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet existing quantifications of these perturbations remain coarse and static, limiting the assessment of their fine-scale impacts on streamflow responses. This study proposes a dynamic reach-level framework to track human-perturbed precipitation–streamflow (P–Q) relationships. By mapping 35 years of dam and urban datasets (1985–2019) onto 17,329 river reaches in the Pearl River Basin, we quantify longitudinal and lateral confinements using annually varying Degree of Regulation (DOR) and urbanized floodplain percentage (URB). We then classify reaches by their perturbation levels and evaluate how these confinements alter streamflow response intensity (conversion efficiency) and response variability (ratio of Q to P variability). Our results show that past static assessments substantially underestimated confinement levels, with longitudinal underestimation in the main channel ranging from 4.07 % to 18.80 %, and lateral underestimation in the Pearl River Delta ranging from 3.9 % to 16.96 %. These gaps arise from intensified damming shifting downstream and urbanization expanding inland. Where both confinements intensify, hydrological responses are characterized by reduced conversion efficiency due to damming and increased variability linked to urbanization, demonstrating that variability changes are more sensitive to lateral confinement. These results delineate regions with elevated flood sensitivity in rapidly urbanizing lowlands and emerging ecological fragility in heavily regulated uplands, which can inform adaptive, sustainability-oriented river management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101199,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Horizons","volume":"17 ","pages":"Article 100174"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}