World Development Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"From policing to sustainability: Rethinking pathways for safer neighbourhoods in border communities","authors":"Tobias Tseer ,&nbsp;Elias Danyi Kuusaana ,&nbsp;Moses Naiim Fuseini ,&nbsp;Gordon Yenglier Yiridomoh ,&nbsp;Kasim Salifu","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While scholars have explored the dynamics of African border communities focusing on context-specific everyday practices of crime prevention and safer neighbourhood strategies, attention is often directed to community policing than other strategies. Relatively little attention has been dedicated to exploring how sustainable and fair development practices can make neighbourhoods safer. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring how sustainable and fair development practices intersect to prevent crime and encourage the emergence of safer neighbourhoods. The study employed a qualitative methodology where fifty participants were purposively selected to take part in the study due to their expert insights on community policing and sustainable development practices. Data for the study were gathered through key stakeholder interviews and focus group discussions with security operatives, household heads, youth leaders, and chiefs in the border community of Paga. To link sustainable development practices and safer neighbourhoods, the study looked at both international conversations about preventing crime and making neighbourhoods safe, as well as local discourses about crime and making a living. Youth employment, equitable access to common resources, education, skills development, environmental protection, and equal opportunities within communities, demonstrated the ability to make criminal activities less attractive, thus, prompting the emergence of safer neighbourhoods. The study argues that when individuals are offered decent livelihoods and feel well integrated in their communities, they are less likely to engage in criminal activities. The findings of the study contribute to the broader literature on crime prevention and safer neighbourhood by introducing an economic and social sustainable dimension. The findings, thus, inform the development and implementation of youth empowerment initiatives in border communities and other contexts in Ghana and Africa for effective crime prevention and community safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100230"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329891","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":"Social acceptance assessment of alternative urban sustainable transport technologies in intermediate cities using AHP and SUMO","authors":"Nohora España ,&nbsp;Jackeline Murillo-Hoyos ,&nbsp;Eduardo Caicedo","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Colombian government is promoting the transition to electric vehicles in metropolitan areas; however, a lack of decision-making in intermediate and small cities hinders local sustainable objectives. The transition to clean technologies must be aligned with the realities intrinsic to cities. Therefore, a holistic methodology to quantify the social acceptance of sustainable transport technologies in intermediate cities is proposed, through an AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) model integrating four dimensions: technical, economic, environmental, and social. In the absence of local experience with low-emission vehicles, simulations were carried out in SUMO (Simulation of Urban Mobility) to evaluate Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle (ICEV), Electric Vehicle (EV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), and Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV), considering the dynamics of individual public transport mode in the city under study (Pasto, Colombia). Five criteria were selected: energy consumption, autonomy, accumulated cost, government incentives, and life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions. The results show that NGV obtained the highest social acceptance rating, mainly due to its cost-effectiveness and infrastructure reliability under economic and technical dimensions. Prioritizing environmental factors improved EV scores, but infrastructure and financial constraints continue to limit their uptake. Evaluation robustness was enhanced by the AHP-TOPSIS approach. As institutional capacity and infrastructure advance, NGV seems to be a promising transition technology that will allow for a gradual switch to EVs. This research presents an approach adapted to contexts with limited experience in low-emission technologies, contributing to the sustainable modernization of individual public transport.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100229"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144263231","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":"Sources, consumption patterns and challenges assessment of freshwater in the coastal regions of Bangladesh","authors":"Md. Shohel Khan ,&nbsp;Shitangsu Kumar Paul","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100227","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100227","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The entire coastal Bangladesh faces significant challenges in maintaining a consistent supply of freshwater due to salinity intrusion and various climatic hazards. This study aimed to assess the sources, consumption patterns, and challenges in freshwater management across three coastal villages. Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira Districts were purposively selected based on their proximity to the coastline, categorized as shoreline, interim, and inland areas. Total 338 households were surveyed using simple random sampling to gather data through self-determined questionnaires. Additionally, three group discussions (GDs) and sixteen key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted to explore the challenges and possible solutions. In the shoreline area, most respondents primarily utilized pond sand filter (PSF) water during the winter and rainwater in the rainy season for drinking purposes. In contrast, inland respondents relied on tube-wells and sono arsenic filter (SAF) water in the winter and rainwater during the rainy season. Furthermore, tube-wells were the predominant source used in the interim area during both seasons. The mean water consumption pattern exhibited an upward trend from winter to rainy season. The mean duration of the freshwater crisis was found to increase from the shoreline to inland area, showing shoreline (24.62)&gt;interim (23.59)&gt; inland (16.57). The trend of mean weighted average index (WAI) indicating sources of pollution was higher in the inland area (0.409) compared to the interim (0.389) and shoreline (0.365) area. The study recommends that immediate measures will be taken to ensure continuous access to freshwater, as the crisis is likely to worsen in the near future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100227"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144241297","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":"On smallholder crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship: empirical evidence from Ndumo-B and Makhathini irrigation schemes, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa","authors":"Edilegnaw Wale ,&nbsp;Eliaza Mkuna","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study was conducted to examine the presence and empirical validity of the link between on-farm entrepreneurship and crop productivity in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A sample of 221 smallholder farmers was drawn from Ndumo-B and Makhathini Irrigation Schemes, Jozini Local Municipality. Principal component analysis was employed to estimate a continuum proxy for on-farm entrepreneurship. Gross margin analysis, Cobb-Douglas production analysis, and the one-limit Tobit model were used to analyze the link between crop productivity and on-farm entrepreneurship. Compared to independent irrigators with better entrepreneurial attributes, scheme irrigators were found to have the lowest levels of entrepreneurial competency, followed closely by community gardeners. Due to the freedom they enjoy in making their own decisions, independent irrigators were more entrepreneurial, unlike scheme irrigators, where decisions are made collectively, free-riding behaviour is rampant, and incentive challenges are prevalent. The productivity of cabbages was found to increase at an increasing rate as farmer entrepreneurship increased. The study recommends that future training focus not only on entrepreneurial skills but also on entrepreneurial mindset and collective marketing of agricultural products. Future on-farm entrepreneurial development pathways should be planned, accounting for the heterogeneity and complexity of their farming systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100226"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144177935","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 multiscale integrated analysis of six developing countries with established tourism economies: the case of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Malaysia, Jordan, and Tunisia","authors":"Valeria Andreoni ,&nbsp;Julia Jeyacheya","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100223","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper investigates the socio-economic and the energy changes that have taken place in six developing countries characterized by established tourism economies. By considering the years 2000 and 2021, the MuSIASEM approach is used to analyse the energy allocation and use that have taken place in Cuba, Dominic Republic, Jamaica, Jordan, Malaysia, and Tunisia. Results show that for all the countries the percentage variation of GDP has been higher than the energy consumption increase, denoting efficiency improvements across all the sectors, with exception of the service compartment of Tunisia and Jamaica. Tunisia has also been the only country to increase the exosomatic metabolic rate of the household and the paid sectors, denoting an energy consumption rise per unit of human time. All the areas have increased the percentage contribution of the service sector to employment and GDP generation. Given the extensive role that tourism activities are playing in these countries, further analysis should be devoted to investigating alterative development approaches and the related sustainability goals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100223"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147043","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":"Impact of municipal wastewater use on urban and peri‑urban agricultural productivity: the endogenous treatment-effects approach","authors":"Mohammed Abdulai ,&nbsp;Mohammed Tanko ,&nbsp;Alhassan Andani","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100224","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100224","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current trends in urbanization and climate change in many arid and semi-arid countries across sub-Saharan Africa are threatening the sustainability of Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture (UPA) and food systems due to rapidly growing competition for scarce resources such as water and land. Water scarcity in the sub-region is currently recognized as a multidimensional problem, affecting urban farm productivity, food safety, food security and poverty, as well as public health systems. The use of treated or untreated municipal wastewater (MWW) in agriculture has increasingly become a relevant option for freshwater conservation, optimizing the agronomic and economic gains, and increasing urban food security and nutrition. This study investigates empirically the link between MWW use and productivity of vegetable farmers in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Using survey data from 416 vegetable farmers, we employed a semi-log production function augmented with an endogenous binary-treatment effect equation to estimate the drivers and impact of MWW use on value of vegetable output, accounting for selection bias and omitted variable problem. We find that MWW use alone is associated with higher value of vegetable output. However, regulation through contacts with extension agents reduces the agronomic and economic benefits of using MWW for irrigation. This study proposes a provision of small but efficient wastewater treatment technologies with the support of extension agents and a redesign of extension education that promotes safer MWW use to maximize its productivity benefits for all farmers. We also suggest that future research should explore the long-term impact of MWW use on soil health and the effect of extension education content and mode of delivery on vegetable production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100224"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138208","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":"Bank sustainability: Do corporate governance and internal audit quality matter?","authors":"Prince Gyimah ,&nbsp;Richard Owusu-Afriyie","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100222","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100222","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the nexus between corporate governance, internal audit quality, and the sustainability of banks within in a developing country context. This study adopts a quantitative explanatory research design to analyze a panel dataset comprising 15 Ghanaian banks over the period 2007 to 2021. An ordered probit regression model is employed to identify the key determinants of bank sustainability.The results demonstrate that corporate governance attributes—specifically board size, board expertise, and the extent of corporate governance disclosures—significantly influence bank sustainability. Furthermore, internal audit quality, assessed through audit experience, internal audit presence, and audit function size, emerges as a critical determinant of sustainability outcomes. Control variables such as bank size, age, and affiliation with Big Four auditing firms enhance the robustness of the model. The findings underscore the imperative of strengthening governance structures and internal audit mechanisms to ensure long-term financial sustainability. This research contributes to the accounting and finance literature by offering empirical insights relevant to emerging markets, and provides actionable implications for regulators, policymakers, and financial institutions aiming to align governance frameworks with strategic sustainability objectives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100222"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069682","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":"Assessing the environmental impacts of urban sprawl on vegetation cover and ecosystem integrity in Wa municipality, Ghana","authors":"Justice Aduko ,&nbsp;Mohammed Aminu Yakubu ,&nbsp;Kwame Anokye","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the environmental implications of urban sprawl on biodiversity conservation in Wa Municipality, Ghana, with particular emphasis on the reduction of vegetation cover due to the expansion of built-up areas. Using a combination of remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, and household surveys, the research analyzes land cover changes between 1986 and 2018 to assess the extent to which urban growth has contributed to ecological degradation. The findings reveal a significant increase in built-up areas, primarily at the expense of open and riparian woodlands, leading to the fragmentation and loss of habitats essential for native species. The study further identifies key drivers of urban sprawl—including population growth, housing demand, and institutional weaknesses—which have collectively intensified pressure on natural ecosystems. Local perceptions and field observations also confirm a noticeable decline in biodiversity, such as reduced tree species, wildlife presence, and natural vegetation cover. Through linking spatial urban expansion patterns directly to ecological impacts, this study highlights the urgent need for sustainable land use planning and biodiversity-sensitive urban development in Wa Municipality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100225"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143931885","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":"Adaptive governance in the water-energy-food-ecosystem nexus for sustainable community sanitation","authors":"Evi Siti Sofiyah ,&nbsp;Imelda Masni Juniaty Sianipar ,&nbsp;Ari Rahman ,&nbsp;Naila Putri Caesarina ,&nbsp;Sapta Suhardono ,&nbsp;I Wayan Koko Suryawan ,&nbsp;Chun-Hung Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100220","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100220","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the intensity of global environmental challenges increases, so does the need to understand and strengthen the resilience of interconnected systems. This research underscores the crucial role of adaptive governance in navigating the complexities of the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem nexus, particularly under the pressures of changing climatic conditions. The study conducts an in-depth analysis of adaptive capacities by identifying critical components such as assets, flexibility, organization, learning, and agency as fundamental elements of adaptive governance in sanitation practices. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using binary probit and logit models to examine how these attributes influence community engagement in sanitation. Descriptive analysis was also used to summarize respondent characteristics and attribute distributions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100220"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069681","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":"The impact of land tenure on deforestation and reforestation in Quilombola territories from 1985 to 2020 in Brazil","authors":"Rayna Benzeev ,&nbsp;Cauê Bráz ,&nbsp;Colleen Scanlan Lyons ,&nbsp;Peter Newton","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Land tenure for Indigenous peoples and local communities in forested areas can improve livelihoods and protect forests while recognizing territorial and human rights. Yet little is known about the relationship between land tenure and deforestation within <em>Quilombola</em> territories (QTs) of Afro-descendant populations in Brazil. Understanding these relationships is important given that only 176 of the more than 5,900 QTs have been recognized with legal land tenure rights throughout Brazil. In this study, we conducted a difference-in-differences analysis to estimate the average treatment effect of land tenure on rates of deforestation, reforestation, and net forest cover change from 1985 to 2020 in 313 QTs across all of Brazil as well as 104 more specifically in the Brazilian Amazon and 81 in the Atlantic Forest biome. We additionally tested changes in forest outcomes before and after an earlier stage of the tenure process (incomplete tenure). We found no evidence that formalized land tenure had influenced forest outcomes in QTs. As the first rigorous analysis of the effect of formalized tenure specifically in QTs, our study also reveals several primary knowledge and data gaps relating to <em>Quilombolas</em>. We emphasize the need for much more data to be systematically collected and disseminated on QTs, as well as the need for more research to be conducted to fully understand how tenure influences forest cover in QTs. We highlight that there are considerable opportunities to improve the state of research and understanding about rights, tenure, and forest conservation among <em>Quilombolas</em>, as an important but largely-overlooked (in terms of research) category of traditional peoples in Brazil. We additionally contribute to a growing body of literature on the role of rights-based approaches to conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100221"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923658","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}