Adelle Mansour , Maria Rosa Gatto , Samantha Rowbotham , Kathryn Bowen , Rebecca Bentley
{"title":"Climate-related healthy housing risk factors: a scoping review of citizen science approaches","authors":"Adelle Mansour , Maria Rosa Gatto , Samantha Rowbotham , Kathryn Bowen , Rebecca Bentley","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The profound effects of climate change jeopardise the ability of housing to protect human health and wellbeing. Citizen science, with its potential for generating data and engaging individuals and communities in action, is an important addition to the suite of tools needed to prepare our housing for this reality. Our scoping review assessed how citizen science approaches have been used to identify and address climate-related housing risk factors that impact upon health. We searched five electronic databases and conducted forwards and backwards citation searching to identify studies for inclusion. We synthesised data on key study characteristics, as well as their focus, methods, and reported impacts. Fifty-six studies were included. Most studies focused on water quality (53.6 %), followed by toxic substances (35.7 %), air quality (19.6 %), noise (7.1 %), and indoor temperature (1.8 %). Studies utilised quantitative (100 %) and, to a much lesser extent, qualitative data collection methods (8.9 %). Over one-third of studies reported impacts, ranging from benefits to citizen scientists through to influencing government action. Citizen science holds great potential for collecting large amounts of data, incorporating diverse perspectives, generating awareness of issues, and catalysing action to improve housing in the face of climate change. By focusing on a broad set of risk factors and methods, integrating mechanisms to improve data quality, and articulating impacts, citizen science approaches could better meet the needs of research that seeks to involve communities and create change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104102"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144147970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ana Stritih , Constance Brouillet , Manuela Habe, Nicolas Salliou , Gabriel Singer , Anna Scaini
{"title":"Can a Science Week empower scientists for conservation advocacy?","authors":"Ana Stritih , Constance Brouillet , Manuela Habe, Nicolas Salliou , Gabriel Singer , Anna Scaini","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104098","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104098","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scientists feel a growing need to advocate for knowledge-driven policies to address climate change and biodiversity loss, yet few feel empowered to do so. During the Neretva Science Week (NSW) 2023, an international group of scientists conducted research on the threatened Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and had the opportunity to engage with activists and journalists. We used a questionnaire to investigate the perspectives of these scientists on public engagement, scientific advocacy, ecological grief, and perceived political empowerment. To assess how these views might be influenced by participation in the NSW, we administered the questionnaire at the beginning of the NSW, immediately after, and three months following the event. We found high levels of ecological grief and moderate levels of perceived political empowerment. Scientists working outside of academia reported higher levels of empowerment, and local scientists had a more positive attitude towards being involved in decision-making about ecosystem management. Attitudes towards scientific advocacy were already mostly positive before the NSW and did not improve during the week, but most participants reported being motivated to increase their public engagement after the NSW. Although unlikely to change deeply rooted beliefs about the role of science, events such as the NSW can play a critical role in bridging the gap between academia and advocacy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104098"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pau Fortuño , Marina Codina , Jose Luís Herrera , Montserrat Álvarez , Núria Bonada , Jeymmy Milena Walteros-Rodríguez , Nieves López-Rodríguez , José María Fernández-Calero , Carlota Sánchez-Campaña , Raúl Acosta , Narcís Prat , Maria Soria
{"title":"Reading rivers from libraries: A participatory initiative to assess and improve urbanised rivers using citizen science","authors":"Pau Fortuño , Marina Codina , Jose Luís Herrera , Montserrat Álvarez , Núria Bonada , Jeymmy Milena Walteros-Rodríguez , Nieves López-Rodríguez , José María Fernández-Calero , Carlota Sánchez-Campaña , Raúl Acosta , Narcís Prat , Maria Soria","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104099","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104099","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Public libraries can serve as a key starting point for initiating citizen participation projects related to the local environment. To illustrate this, we implemented the <em>Llegim el riu</em> project, a citizen participatory initiative aimed at engaging citizens in the assessment and management of rivers close to urban municipalities in the province of Barcelona. After a training exercise led by researchers, citizens and stakeholders were involved in both the diagnosis and the co-creation process of measures. To that purpose, several approaches were used such as interviews, surveys, workshops, dissemination of science, environmental education activities and citizen science tools. In particular, the project comprises 8 steps, where steps 1–5 were considered as the first round of the project, conducted in a training format and dynamized by university researchers and an NGO, while steps 6–8 were considered as the second round and conducted as a reinforcement. These steps consisted of: (1) a local tandem training (i.e. environmental and library technicians from each municipality), (2) a stakeholder field trip using the RiuNet citizen science tool to assess an urban river from each municipality, (3) an analysis of all available data from each sampling site, (4) a co-creation process of measures, (5) a second local tandem training, (6) same as step 2 but dynamized by both researchers and local tandem, (7) a review of the co-created measures, and (8) an implementation of at least one of the co-created measures. The third and subsequent rounds were the same as the second, but entirely dynamized by the local tandem. Citizen participation enhances the effectiveness of adaptive river management approaches by creating resilient and sustainable solutions for urban rivers, crucial for tackling current and future global challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104099"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining indicators of quality green and blue space: A mixed method study investigating multifunctionality","authors":"Hebe Nicholson, Michaela Roberts, Chloe Thompson, Kuang-Heng Li, Katherine N. Irvine","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We are in a time of multiple crises, with record declines in biodiversity, a rapidly changing climate, and increasing economic divides. Governments are recognising the need for policies and management to address these multiple domains. Green and blue spaces are one such area where delivery of multiple functions is required. Understanding how quality of these spaces is measured in relation to their multifunctionality can contribute to improving policy, management, and decision making to produce better outcomes, for both people and the environment. The purpose of this study is to understand the indicators used to explore multifunctional green and blue quality, using Scotland as a case study. We apply the ‘Four Capitals’ (environment, people, community, business) framework to explore green and blue space quality, through a mixed methods design, including a scoping literature review, a survey, and stakeholder workshops. Our research identified 72 indicators of green and blue space quality. When categorised into the Four Capitals, the majority aligned with the environment or people categories. We consider the Four Capitals categories, along with the identified use and importance of the various indicators, to understand how well these account for multifunctionality. In addition to practical and policy implications of the quality indicators, our work also highlights the application of the Four Capitals framework, potential mismatches between policy needs, and the multiple demands placed on green and blue spaces, and the available scientific evidence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104100"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144123860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Jeff Birchall , Nicole Bonnett , Desiree Rose , Erin Gilchrist
{"title":"Factors contributing to climate adaptation lag in practice: Insights from local and territorial government interactions","authors":"S. Jeff Birchall , Nicole Bonnett , Desiree Rose , Erin Gilchrist","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104097","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104097","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Local governments across the globe are facing worsening climate impacts. In response, many decision-makers have initiated processes of planning for climate change adaptation. However, implementation frequently lags in practice. Scholarship exploring adaptation lag often focuses on the role of governance, specifically as it relates to interactions between various common levels of government (e. g., provincial, state, federal). However, there is a dearth of academic literature that targets the relationship between local and territorial governments, particularly in a northern context. To contribute to the narrowing of this gap, we explore the relationship between local and territorial governments in Canada in an effort to shed light on the ways in which government interactions influence progress on adaptation. Specifically, this qualitative study focuses on three local governments (Dawson City, Haines Junction and Whitehorse) in Yukon, a territory in northwest Canada, to explore how enablers and barriers emerge and influence climate adaptation action. Results demostrate that local government decision-makers (e. g., elected officials and senior managers) are eager to adapt. However, challenges impede implementation of adaptation policies in practice. Application of an evolutionary governance lens reveals that path dependencies associated with an awareness of the need to respond to climate impacts facilitate buy-in for adaptation. In contrast, goal dependencies that prioritize mitigation over adaptation stymie momentum on adaptation. Moreover, interdependencies and complex power dynamics related to the local-territorial relationship create unclear roles, further constraining the implementation of adaptation policies in practice. Recommendations geared towards overcoming these challenges are provided.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104097"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gaps in public perceptions of extreme heat highlight UK’s lack of preparedness","authors":"Candice Howarth , Heidi Zamzow , Niall McLoughlin , Ganga Shreedhar","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104101","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104101","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under a changing climate, heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, prolonged and extreme, posing substantial risks to populations around the world. Public perceptions of extreme heat are chronically under-researched, despite being important precursors to heat protective actions, policy acceptance and community heat resilience. We present and discuss findings from a nationally representative survey of 1750 UK residents conducted in summer 2023, where we identify gaps and contradictions in heat perceptions concerning national and individual-level preparedness, heat behaviours and communication. We find that firstly, whilst heat is viewed as life-threatening, the public believes the UK is not prepared; secondly that increasing risks of heatwaves and hot weather to other people are acknowledged, however few individuals see themselves at risk; and thirdly underlying vulnerabilities and geographies are important factors in perceptions of heatwaves and hot weather. The findings make an important contribution to the literature and particularly highlight that proactive, people-centred measures must bear in mind the gaps discussed in this paper to minimise the impacts of extreme heat and safeguard those most vulnerable in the UK and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104101"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144105127","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kayla Schulte, Andrew Grieve, Benjamin Barratt, Timothy Baker, Hima Coonjobeeharry, Mohammed Mead
{"title":"Advancing participatory sensing and knowledge production methods for city air quality governance: Applying the Breathe London Community Programme model","authors":"Kayla Schulte, Andrew Grieve, Benjamin Barratt, Timothy Baker, Hima Coonjobeeharry, Mohammed Mead","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104092","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Air pollution remains a pressing global issue, contributing to millions of deaths annually and disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities. While conventional air quality governance has relied on costly, specialized instruments, recent advances in lower capital cost sensors and digital infrastructure have enabled broader participation in environmental monitoring. This shift creates opportunities for integrating scientific, local, and practical knowledge into air quality governance. However, significant barriers persist, including inequities in access to data, technical resources, capacity constraints, and entrenched power imbalances. The Breathe London Community Programme was developed to address these challenges by integrating community-based knowledge with scientific air quality monitoring. Implemented within a hybrid network of over 400 real-time calibrated air pollution sensors, the BLCP distributed free sensors to 60 community groups across London from 2021 to 2023. The program enabled communities to choose sensor locations, fostering data contextualized by local experiences and redistributing decision-making power. This participatory approach helped facilitate actionable insights that informed local policy changes aimed at reducing pollution exposure. It also expanded governance networks and highlighted pathways for aligning community-based knowledge with institutional frameworks. The findings emphasize the importance of designing participatory methodologies that adapt to diverse community needs, strengthen grassroots capacity, and integrate non-dominant knowledge into decision-making practices. This study demonstrates how democratizing environmental data production and use can enhance the efficacy of air quality governance, providing a model for embedding community-driven knowledge into policy development and decision-making processes globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104092"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144090190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura J. Brown , Hannah Buddry , Blenda Milagros Abarca Díaz , Renan Espezua , Carla Cortez-Vergara , Hattie Lowe , María Calderón , Jenevieve Mannell
{"title":"“To care and improve little by little, that's how we can do it”: Exploring Indigenous perspectives on environmental health and community solutions through participatory workshops in Amantaní, Peru","authors":"Laura J. Brown , Hannah Buddry , Blenda Milagros Abarca Díaz , Renan Espezua , Carla Cortez-Vergara , Hattie Lowe , María Calderón , Jenevieve Mannell","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104093","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104093","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the conceptualisation of environmental health, environmental concerns, and ideas for change within the Amantaní community, an Indigenous Quechua-speaking population in the Peruvian Andes. Through participatory, group-based, and creative activities, community members engaged in reflective discussions about their environment, drawing upon their rich cultural heritage and intimate connection with the land. Thematic analysis of workshop discussions revealed three key themes: (1) Nature, health, and heritage: the interconnectedness of Indigenous wellbeing; (2) Environmental concerns: threats to Indigenous lands and livelihoods; and (3) Community mobilisation and solutions: Indigenous responses to environmental challenges. The findings underscore the importance of culturally informed approaches to environmental conservation, emphasising the need for inclusive governance that respects Indigenous autonomy. The study highlights the value of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in fostering resilience, the pressing challenges posed by tourism, and the emotional toll of environmental degradation. Mental health co-benefits should be integrated into climate strategies in Indigenous communities and fostering community agency through inclusive partnerships is crucial for long-term sustainable development and resilience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104093"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143941605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Grace Rodgerson , Megan Farrelly , Rob Raven , Darren Sharp
{"title":"Framing of innovation in urban Australian municipal climate policy","authors":"Grace Rodgerson , Megan Farrelly , Rob Raven , Darren Sharp","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104094","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite growing recognition of the importance of innovation in achieving net zero transitions, it remains unclear how to govern transformative innovation. Urban municipalities are consistently recognised for going above and beyond their state and national counterparts in their policy stances on climate change, yet there is limited investigation into how municipalities engage with and frame innovation in their decarbonisation policies, plans and strategies. In this study, we operationalise the three frames of innovation by Schot and Steinmueller (2018) to investigate the positionality of urban Australian municipalities in their innovation trajectory. Through a discourse analysis exploring 116 policy documents across 101 urban Australian municipalities, we find that despite ambitious rhetoric around innovation and system change, there is little evidence of transformative innovation within the policy deliverables. This has significant repercussions on the feasibility of locally driven net zero transitions and the consistent championing of municipalities within the literature. We call for greater attention to municipalities within the transformative innovation literature and propose a capability uplift in the sector is required to facilitate locally driven net zero transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104094"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143941604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Louis Tanguay , Jean-François Bissonnette , Sophie Calmé , Konstantia Koutouki , Katrine Turgeon
{"title":"Avoiding an anticipated social-ecological trap in biodiversity conservation on private lands in Quebec province, Canada","authors":"Louis Tanguay , Jean-François Bissonnette , Sophie Calmé , Konstantia Koutouki , Katrine Turgeon","doi":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104095","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envsci.2025.104095","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During the last decades, global conservation efforts shifted from a mostly top-down process to preserve ecosystems on public lands to diverse governance processes involving stakeholders and conservation on private lands. Following these trends, the Quebec government (Canada) also engaged in biodiversity conservation efforts on private lands to reduce perceived environmental injustice arising from imposed conservation measures. However, citizen involvement has remained mainly a communicative or consultative participation, lacking effective citizen contribution. Based on our work with conservation actors in Quebec, we present a double-loop social-ecological (SE) trap that we foresee for conservation measures implemented on private lands used for production purposes. We used the SE-AS framework to illustrate the SE trap which suggests that including merely consultative landowner participation in the design of conservation measures might lead to a misunderstanding of both the production ecosystems dynamics and the interests and concerns of landowners. This misunderstanding could result in a mismatch between conservation measures and production ecosystems, lower production, lost opportunities and disengagement from conservation measures on the part of landowners. Such a context could, in turn, induce decision-makers to perceive participative efforts as failures, resulting in the re-establishment of top-down decision-making. Ultimately, landowners might react to these imposed conservation measures just as they did in the past, perceiving them as environmental injustice and refusing to comply. We conclude that effective landowner participation through active involvement in cooperative planning and co-management, supported by a systemic perspective, would allow better integration of the knowledge and concerns of landowners, and ultimately, better integration of conservation efforts with production activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":313,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Science & Policy","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 104095"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143931754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}