{"title":"The quantum shift: achieving education for sustainability development through a transformative teaching and learning approach","authors":"Ling Xiao , Lucy Gill-Simmen , Anupam Mehta","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environmental and socioeconomic challenges arising from climate change and ongoing regional conflicts pose a significant threat to the future of our world. This emphasises the need for a new form of education that fosters future generations’ vision of a sustainable world, one that relies on environmental integrity, social justice, and economic prosperity. To achieve this, sustainability competencies are prioritised as essential learning objectives for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). However, most publications on sustainability competencies remain theoretical or are based solely on literature reviews. This study aims to address this gap by conducting an empirical investigation of teaching interventions and pedagogies aimed at fostering sustainability competencies. This paper proposes a teaching and learning approach grounded in transformative learning theory to advance ESD. As a universal framework, this approach encourages critical thinking and reflection, enabling learners to confront their assumptions and beliefs and to develop new perspectives that drive transformative change. An illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the practical implementation. Another main objective is to examine whether and how sustainability competencies can be developed through a transformative approach. Focus group interviews and surveys were used to collect and analyse data to evaluate this approach. In summary, this study advocates a holistic approach to education that integrates sustainability competencies into the curriculum, highlighting the importance of teaching and learning approaches that cultivate transformative change and actively promote a sustainable world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100236"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534589","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}
Jaba Rani Sarker , Siddhartha Shankar Roy , Mallika Roy
{"title":"Evaluating agricultural decision-making: A systematic review of discrete choice experiments and producers' preferences","authors":"Jaba Rani Sarker , Siddhartha Shankar Roy , Mallika Roy","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Producers’ preferences are considered one of the key concerns that can be steered to formulate policies in crop farming. However, despite the extensive body of literature available on producers’ preferences and their drivers, producers’ preferences for specific crop farming have received less attention. This systematic review synthesizes findings from 14 primary studies that utilized discrete choice experiments (DCEs) to assess farmers' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for various crop attributes. The review employs the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to select the relevant articles. This systematic review identifies key attributes influencing crop choices, including agronomic factors, market conditions, socio-demographic characteristics, and risk perceptions. The findings reveal that farmers prioritize yield stability, pest resistance, and market access when selecting crops, with WTP varying across different farming contexts. Moreover, economic and environmental risks significantly shape decision-making, emphasizing the need for policies that align with producers’ preferences. These insights can guide policymakers, researchers, and agribusinesses in developing targeted interventions that promote sustainable and profitable agricultural practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100231"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489440","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}
Joni Kutu' Kampilong, Anneke Elisabeth Rattu, Nicolas Willem James Mandagi
{"title":"Sustainable Construction Integration Theory (SCIT): A triple-layer approach an empirical study of technical, operational, and organizational integration","authors":"Joni Kutu' Kampilong, Anneke Elisabeth Rattu, Nicolas Willem James Mandagi","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental concern and the stringent regulations of the construction sector are leading to increasing pressure for the adoption of sustainable practices; however, this is accompanied by technical, operational, and organizational challenges. Little is known about how these factors, taken together, affect implementation effectiveness. Through the first empirical validation of Sustainable Construction Integration Theory (SCIT), this study examines the complex dynamics between the technical, operational, and organizational layers of sustainable construction. Through structural equation modeling with thematic analysis of 429 building projects, this research demonstrates HRC and Performance (β = 0.38, <em>p</em> < 0.001) interactions, as well as the critical moderating role of organizational commitment and support (OCS). The second finding indicates that HRC acts as a mediator between technical and operational characteristics and the outcomes of implementation (Q2 = 0.695). The results also show that energy efficiency has a big effect on how sustainable a project is (β = 0.42, <em>p</em> < 0.001), and that capacity and organizational barriers are very important things to think about when putting the plan into action, as they cause 16 % of implementation problems. This study leverages institutional theory and the dynamic capacity framework to demonstrate that SCIT enhances the implementation success rate by 38 percent. These insights contribute to practical guidelines for sustainable construction organizations that emphasize combined human resource development and robust organizational support for sustainable outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100232"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144534588","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":"Fruit peel waste: A sustainable food source for fish culture","authors":"Aditi Thakur, Amit Kotiyal, Joshi Thoudam","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fruit peels that are usually discarded as agricultural residues serve as a rich source of various nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, necessary for the growth and development of any fish. Moreover, their low cost and available nutritional composition provide a solution for resource limitations and waste disposal issues, and they can also be used as a cheap and green substitute for conventional fish diets. Several researchers have pointed out that fruit peel waste is an acceptable culture feed resource for aquatic animals, especially tilapia catfish and carp fish. This improves the growth performance of the fish, feed utilization efficiency, and their well-being in general. Furthermore, utilizing fruit peel waste is also favorable in meeting sustainable development goals by improving food security, environmental protection, and resource efficiency in aquafeed production. Advances in technology are also necessary if the solution is to be widely accepted. This includes nutritional diversity, processing methods, politics, and public opinion. More research is needed, as well as studies to optimize processing methods for assessment of nutritional value and acceptance of fruit peel waste in aquafeed formulations for the development of the aquaculture sector without putting a toll on the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100234"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510751","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}
Jalal Rajeh Hanaysha , Mohammed Abusharbeh , Said Yousef Dwikat , Mohammad Fawzi Shubita , Muhammad Naeem Sharif , Sajead Mowafaq Alshdaifat
{"title":"Impact of corporate social responsibility, technological capability, and green entrepreneurial orientation on green innovation and sustainable performance","authors":"Jalal Rajeh Hanaysha , Mohammed Abusharbeh , Said Yousef Dwikat , Mohammad Fawzi Shubita , Muhammad Naeem Sharif , Sajead Mowafaq Alshdaifat","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The primary purpose of this paper was to explore the effect of green entrepreneurial orientation, technological capability, and corporate social responsibility on sustainable performance and green innovation. It also aimed to verify if green innovation has any significant effect on the sustainable performance of small and medium enterprises. A quantitative research approach was utilized for data collection using a survey tool being distributed on several small and medium enterprises’ owners/managers in the United Arab Emirates. The samples SMEs are from services, manufacturing and trade industries. A total of 226 usable responses were obtained from all the respondents. The software of SmartPLS was employed to analyze the data and verify the hypotheses of this research. The findings confirmed that the effect of green innovation on sustainable performance is significant. Furthermore, the outcomes displayed that green entrepreneurial orientation, technological capability and corporate social responsibility positively affect green innovation and sustainable performance. Overall, the paper contributes to the literature via the examination of the predictors of sustainable performance and green innovation by bringing original insights from small and medium enterprises in the United Arab Emirates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100233"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144510750","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}
Selvaraj Rajendrakumar , D. Mavhaire , S. Shimly , Dil Bahadur Rahut , N. Tharanidevi , V.S. Ramachandran , Raja Rajendra Timilsina
{"title":"Drivers and barriers towards achieving SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation for all - an Indian perspective","authors":"Selvaraj Rajendrakumar , D. Mavhaire , S. Shimly , Dil Bahadur Rahut , N. Tharanidevi , V.S. Ramachandran , Raja Rajendra Timilsina","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Access to clean water and sanitation is a fundamental requirement for sustainable development. However, many low and middle income countries, such as India, continues to face significant challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), i.e., access to clean water and sanitation. Despite enormous initiatives taken by India, issues such as groundwater depletion, water pollution, and sanitation gaps persist. Population growth, urbanisation, and industrial expansion have put pressure on water resources, reducing water quality and sanitation services. This paper assesses the key barriers and drivers influencing India’s efforts and on the way forward to achieve the global 2030 Agenda. The present study follows the PRISMA methodology approach, combining secondary data, policy reviews, case studies, and government reports to assess the progress, barriers, and future outlook for SDG 6 in India. The key findings revealed that India's major drivers to SDG 6 are substantial progress in toilet construction,water supply expansion through government missions, technological breakthrough, public awareness campaigns, and public-private partnerships. Key barriers to achieve SDG 6 include inadequate wastewater treatment capacity, over-extraction of groundwater, rapid population growth, the adverse effects of climate change on water availability and sanitation infrastructure. Strengthening regional institutions, developing climate-resilient infrastructure, and innovative financing models could accelerate progress towards SDG 6. Additionally, the study recommends water and sanitation courses in the school curriculum and policy reforms, could help in realizing SDG 6 by 2030.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100228"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144365752","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}
Tobias Tseer , Elias Danyi Kuusaana , Moses Naiim Fuseini , Gordon Yenglier Yiridomoh , Kasim Salifu
{"title":"From policing to sustainability: Rethinking pathways for safer neighbourhoods in border communities","authors":"Tobias Tseer , Elias Danyi Kuusaana , Moses Naiim Fuseini , Gordon Yenglier Yiridomoh , 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}
Nohora España , Jackeline Murillo-Hoyos , Eduardo Caicedo
{"title":"Social acceptance assessment of alternative urban sustainable transport technologies in intermediate cities using AHP and SUMO","authors":"Nohora España , Jackeline Murillo-Hoyos , 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 , 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)>interim (23.59)> 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 , 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}