Regional Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Exploring the interdependencies among social progress index (SPI) components and their impact on country-level sustainability performance based on Bayesian Belief Network","authors":"Abroon QAZI","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The social progress index (SPI) measures social and environmental performance beyond traditional economic indicators, providing transparent and actionable insights into the true condition of societies. This study investigates the interdependencies among SPI components and their impact on country-level sustainability performance. Using a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) approach, the analysis explores the interdependencies among 12 SPI components (including advanced education, basic education, environmental quality, freedom and choice, health, housing, inclusive society, information and communications, nutrition and medical care, rights and voice, safety, and water and sanitation) and their collective influence on sustainability performance. Data from the Sustainable Development Report and SPI datasets, covering 162 countries (including Australia, China, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and so on), were used to assess the relative importance of each SPI component. The key findings indicate that advanced education, inclusive society, and freedom and choice make substantial contributions to high sustainability performance, whereas deficiencies in nutrition and medical care, water and sanitation, and freedom and choice are associated with poor sustainability performance. The results reveal that sustainability performance is shaped by a network of interlinked SPI components, with education and inclusion emerging as key levers for progress. The study emphasizes that targeted improvements in specific SPI components can significantly enhance a country’s overall sustainability performance. Rather than visualizing countries’ progress through composite indicator-based heat maps, this study explores the interdependencies among SPI components and their role in sustainability performance at the global level. The study underscores the importance of a multidimensional policy approach that addresses social and environmental factors to enhance sustainability. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how SPI components interact and shape sustainable development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 3","pages":"Article 100230"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633353","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":"Spatiotemporal characteristics and driving factors of the fractional vegetation coverage in the Ertix River Basin","authors":"LIU Yixuan ,&nbsp;Alim SAMAT ,&nbsp;L.I. Wenbo ,&nbsp;Jilili ABUDUWAILI","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100227","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100227","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid acceleration of global warming and intensifying human activities have exacerbated the fragility and climate sensitivity of ecosystems worldwide, particularly in arid regions. Vegetation, a key component of ecosystems, is critical in enhancing the ecological environment. The Ertix River Basin (ERB) is a transboundary watershed that spans multiple countries, mostly in arid regions. However, research on the fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) and its driving factors in the ERB remains limited. Investigating the spatiotemporal changes in the FVC and its relationship with various factors in the ERB can offer scientific support for optimizing regional vegetation restoration policies and promoting the coordinated development of human–environment interactions. The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) MYD13Q1 V6 data were obtained via the Google Earth Engine platform, and methods including the pixel dichotomy method, Theil–Sen median trend analysis, and Mann‒Kendall test were employed to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of the FVC in the ERB from 2003 to 2023, with future trend forecast using the Hurst index. The impacts of natural and socioeconomic factors on the FVC were evaluated through the partial least squares-structural equation model (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that the FVC in the ERB showed a slight degradation trend with an average annual decrease of 0.046% during 2003–2023, with significant changes occurring in 2004, 2010, and 2019. Spatially, 53.380% of the study area was degraded, and the change in the FVC increased gradually from southeast to northwest. The FVC in 63.000% of the study area was highly stable and displayed long-term persistence; and the direct impact of natural factors (path coefficient of 0.617) on the FVC was significantly higher than that of socioeconomic factors (0.167). Among the natural factors, precipitation (0.999) was the most significant. This study reveals the significant impacts of natural and socioeconomic factors on vegetation dynamics in arid regions, and provides a scientific basis for transnational ecological conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 3","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":"144633350","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":"Factors influencing greenhouse gas emissions from road transport and energy consumption in the Extended Bangkok Metropolitan Region, Thailand","authors":"Sutinee CHOOMANEE ,&nbsp;Vilas NITIVATTANANON ,&nbsp;Kampanart SILVA ,&nbsp;Kunnawee KANITPONG ,&nbsp;Jai Govind SINGH","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Road transport plays a crucial role in facilitating mobility and the movement of goods, particularly in the Extended Bangkok Metropolitan Region (EBMR), Thailand. This area is undergoing rapid industrialization and urbanization, resulting in significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study examined the relationships among individual socioeconomic factors, travel characteristics, and energy consumption characteristics and their impacts on GHG emissions from road transport. The path analysis technique was applied to identify the key driving factors and their causal relationships. The data were collected through 1600 questionnaire surveys with road drivers in representative areas of the EBMR from December 2022 to May 2023. The results revealed that individual socioeconomic factors significantly influenced GHG emissions from road transport. Among the drivers, factors such as income, age, education, and driving experience indirectly influenced travel characteristics and energy consumption characteristics, impacting GHG emissions. Similarly, individual socioeconomic factors affected the travel characteristics of tourists and personal travelers. Driving experience was a crucial factor for public road transport and freight vehicle drivers, influencing travel characteristics and contributing to GHG emissions. These findings highlight the importance of key policy recommendations, such as promoting the adoption of electric vehicles, optimizing public transport, incentivizing low-emission tourism, and modernizing freight transport with clean technologies, to enhance efficiency, reduce emissions, and support regional sustainability. This study provides policy-makers with insights into the key factors influencing GHG emissions across different driving factors, revealing how individual socioeconomic factors impact travel characteristics and energy consumption characteristics. The findings will inform the development of targeted emission reduction strategies and sustainable transport policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 3","pages":"Article 100231"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633356","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":"Would resettlement be better? Understanding how poverty alleviation resettlement influences the well-being of poverty alleviation migrants in China","authors":"LIU Bingsheng ,&nbsp;YIN Yimeng ,&nbsp;MA Li","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Poverty remains one of the most pressing global challenges of this era, affecting millions of people across both developing and developed countries. The poverty alleviation resettlement (PAR) is a policy with Chinese characteristics for eradicating poverty. By integrating the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach, this study developed a theoretical framework to analyze the factors influencing the well-being of poverty alleviation migrants (PAMs). A telephone survey conducted between July and August 2022 in Hubei Province, Guizhou Province, Shaanxi Province, and Chongqing Municipality of China yielded 259 valid questionnaires. Using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), this study revealed that financial accessibility, health level, living conditions, and social networks significantly enhanced the well-being of PAMs, with living conditions having the strongest impact on the well-being of PAMs. Furthermore, the factors affecting well-being varied across age groups. Social networks played a more significant role in the elderly group, whereas health level had a greater impact on the young and middle-aged group. These findings deepen the understanding of the PAR and its effects on the well-being of PAMs, offering valuable insights for policy-makers and practitioners to refine poverty alleviation strategies and enhance social welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 3","pages":"Article 100228"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633351","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":"Relationship between environmental performance indices and blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies: Evidence from countries in Europe and America","authors":"Hussain Mohi-ud-Din Qadri ,&nbsp;Hassnian Ali ,&nbsp;Atta UL. Mustafa","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100214","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100214","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As the world grapples with increasing environmental challenges, innovative technologies are essential for promoting sustainability and accountability. This study examined the impact of environmental performance indices (EPIs) on the growth and investment trends of blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies in 15 countries (Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States) from Europe and America during 2010–2022. This study used the negative binomial regression model to assess the relationship between EPIs and blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies based on the data from the CrunchBase and EarthData. Results indicated that in ecosystem vitality, national terrestrial biome protection efforts were negatively correlated the formation of blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies, while global terrestrial biome protection efforts and marine protected areas had a positive impact on the formation of these companies and the number of funding rounds. In environmental health, PM_2.5 exposure had a positive impact on the number of funding rounds. Conversely, pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and ocean plastics deterred the formation of blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies and reduced the number of funding rounds. In climate change performance, adjusted emission growth rate for carbon dioxide (CO₂), adjusted emission growth rate for F-gases, and adjusted emission growth rate for black carbon had a significantly positive impact on the formation of blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies. Conversely, adjusted emission growth rate for Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) and projected greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 negatively affected the formation of these companies. These findings highlight the dual role of EPIs as driving factors and barriers in the development and investment of blockchain-based sustainability-focused companies in countries from Europe and America.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100214"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167556","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":"Promoting sustainable mangrove tourism through payments for ecosystem services: Insights from Tongke-Tongke Village, South Sulawesi, Indonesia","authors":"Abdul Malik ,&nbsp;Muhammad Ichsan Ali ,&nbsp;Abdul Rasyid Jalil ,&nbsp;Abdul Mannan ,&nbsp;Rahma Musyawarah","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100213","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100213","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mangrove ecosystems support biodiversity, protect coastal areas, and provide sustainable livelihoods. However, they face significant threats from deforestation and unsustainable land use practices. This study examines the viability of the payments for ecosystem services (PES) programs in promoting sustainable mangrove tourism in Tongke-Tongke Village, Sinjai District, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. We collected data through household surveys, semi-structured stakeholder interviews, and tourist questionnaires to evaluate the economic value of mangrove tourism and tourists’ willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation. Analytical methods included quantitative descriptive analysis, thematic analysis, travel cost analysis, and contingent valuation method. The results indicated strong community support, with 70.00% of respondents acknowledging sustainable mangrove tourism’s economic, environmental, and cultural benefits. Economic estimates revealed that mangrove tourism generated 943.00 USD/(hm²•a), while tourists’ WTP for conservation ranged from 0.21 to 0.56 USD/(person⋅month), contributing approximately 11.39 USD/(hm²•a). Despite challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, socioeconomic disparities, and land privatization, this study advocates for integrating the PES programs, enhancing governance frameworks, and fostering local community engagement to ensure equitable benefit distribution and maximize the potential of mangrove tourism. These strategies aim to bolster conservation efforts, improve local livelihoods, and strengthen the resilience of mangrove ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100213"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167554","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":"Renewable energy and its impact on agricultural and economic development in the Netherlands and South Africa","authors":"Saul Ngarava ,&nbsp;Alois Aldridge Mugadza","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100209","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100209","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of renewable energy is an important way to achieve sustainable agricultural and economic development. However, there are differences in access to renewable energy between the Global North and Global South. This study utilised an autoregressive distributed lag-error correction model and the data spanning from 1991 to 2021 to comparatively analyse the dynamic relationship among renewable energy consumption, the value of agricultural production, gross domestic product (GDP), economic diversification index, urban population, the total water extraction for agricultural withdrawal, and trade balance in the Netherlands and South Africa. In the short run, renewable energy consumption was increased by the value of agricultural production but decreased by GDP in South Africa. In the long run, renewable energy consumption and GDP increased the value of agricultural production, while the value of agricultural production also increased GDP in South Africa. However, in the Netherlands, there was no short- and long-run relationship between renewable energy consumption and agricultural and economic development. The results revealed that there was a short- and long-run relationship in South Africa. Moreover, in the Netherlands, the adjustment speed was –1.46 for renewable energy consumption with an error correction of 0.68 a (8.22 months). In South Africa, the adjustment speed was –1.28 for renewable energy consumption with an error correction of 0.78 a (9.38 months). Therefore, compared to South Africa, renewable energy consumption in the Netherlands takes less time to return to balance after a shock. These findings signify different trajectories on sectoral and economic transition initiatives spurred using renewable energy between the Netherlands and South Africa. Policy relating to initiatives such as “agro-energy communities” in Global South countries such as South Africa should be emphasised to promote the use of renewable energy in the agricultural sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167558","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 environmental taxes, hydroelectricity consumption, economic globalization, and gross domestic product (GDP) on the load capacity factor in the selected European Union (EU) member countries","authors":"Funda Kaya ,&nbsp;Badsha Mia ,&nbsp;Most. Asikha Aktar ,&nbsp;Md. Shaddam Hossain ,&nbsp;Md Mahedi Hassan ,&nbsp;Muhammad Abdur Rahaman ,&nbsp;Liton Chandra Voumik","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intersection of economic development, energy dynamics, environmental policy, and environmental sustainability presents complex challenges for European Union (EU) countries. This study investigated the impact of environmental taxes, hydroelectricity consumption, economic globalization, and gross domestic product (GDP) on the load capacity factor (LCF) in the 10 EU member countries (including Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, and Sweden) using data from 1995 to 2020. To ensure the reliability and validity of the data, this study applied several advanced econometric tests, including the Pesaran and Yamagata slope heterogeneity test, Pesaran cross-sectional dependence (CSD) test, second-generation unit root test, and Westerlund cointegration test. The data showed important statistical issues such as slope heterogeneity across panels, CSD, mixed-order unit root structures, and long-run associations between variables. To address these issues, we applied an augmented mean group (AMG) model as the main regression approach, and used the pooled mean group-autoregressive distributed lag (PMG-ARDL) method to check the robustness. Specifically, the AMG results indicate that a 1.000% rise in hydroelectricity consumption results in a 0.048% rise in the LCF, while a 1.000% increase in environmental taxes leads to a 0.175% increase in the LCF. Contrary to this, a 1.000% increase in economic globalization results in a 0.370% decrease in the LCF, and a 1.000% increase in GDP leads to a 0.850% decrease in the LCF. Environmental taxes have a more beneficial impact on the environment, and GDP has the most detrimental effect. The findings provide empirical evidence on the role of environmental taxes, hydroelectricity consumption, economic globalization, and GDP in driving the LCF. Additionally, the findings provide valuable information to policy-makers, academicians, and stakeholders shaping energy and environmental policies in the 10 EU member countries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100210"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144168082","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":"Controlling agricultural product price volatility: An empirical analysis from Cameroon","authors":"Ivette Gnitedem Keubeng ,&nbsp;George Achu Muluh ,&nbsp;Vatis Christian Kemezang","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100215","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100215","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Motivated by a significant impact of price volatility on food security and economic stability in Cameroon, this study aims to understand the factors influencing agricultural product price volatility (APPV) and formulate effective policies for mitigating its negative impact and promoting sustainable economic growth. Specifically, this research used the autoregressive distributed lag-error correction model (ARDL-ECM) to analyse the impact of agricultural productivity, agricultural product imports, population, temperature variation, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and government expenditure on APPV based on the annual data from 2000 to 2021. The ARDL-ECM estimation results revealed that agricultural productivity (<em>β</em>=4.901), agricultural product imports (<em>β</em>=1.012), population (<em>β</em>=13.635), and GDP per capita (<em>β</em>=2.794) were positively related to APPV, while temperature variation (<em>β</em>= –0.990) and government expenditure (<em>β</em>= –8.585) were negatively related to APPV in the long term. However, temperature variation had a positive relationship with APPV in the short term. Moreover, the Granger causality test showed that there were bidirectional causality of APPV with agricultural productivity and agricultural product imports, and unidirectional causality of APPV with population, temperature variation, GDP per capita, and government expenditure. The findings highlight the importance of public policies in stabilizing agricultural product prices by investing in agricultural research, improving access to agricultural inputs, strengthening farmer capacities, implementing climate adaptation measures, and enhancing rural infrastructure. These policies can reduce APPV, improve food security, and promote inclusive economic growth in Cameroon.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100215"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167557","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":"Analysis of environmental protection priority zones and their impacts on urban planning in small- and medium-sized cities of Indonesia","authors":"Rizal Imana ,&nbsp;Andrea Emma Pravitasari ,&nbsp;Didit Okta Pribadi","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2025.100211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanization in small- and medium-sized cities has often been overlooked in urban studies. Research on urbanization has predominantly focused on large metropolitan cities; however, urbanization in small- and medium-sized cities also contributes to the acceleration of urban sprawl. Urban growth boundary (UGB) is an ecological approach designed to limit urban development. This study aimed to analyze environmental protection priority zones by combining ecological quality and sensitivity indices to identify the areas suitable for UGB implementation. Tegal City and its surrounding areas (including Tegal and Brebes regencies) of Indonesia were selected as the study area. The ecological quality index was calculated using the normalized difference vegetation index, humidity index, land surface temperature, and normalized difference bare soil index. These indices were subsequently subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to extract orthogonal factors, which were summed to derive the final index value. In parallel, we mapped and evaluated ecological sensitivity based on spatial planning policies and regulations. The results revealed that ecological quality in Tegal and Brebes regencies was predominantly categorized as good and very good ecological quality, whereas Tegal City exhibited moderate and poor ecological quality. Additionally, over 45.00% of the area in Tegal and Brebes regencies demonstrated very high ecological sensitivity. Consequently, more than 50.00% of the area in Tegal and Brebes regencies, along with 27.00% of Tegal City, were classified as ecological constraint zone, making them potential regions for UGB development. The UGB is expected to curtail urban expansion, promote compact city planning, and preserve ecosystem services to achieve urban sustainability. This study implies that planning small- and medium-sized cities is important to prevent urban sprawl and maintain environmental health. Designing UGB to limit urban expansion should be enhanced by better knowledge about its ecological functions in supporting urban sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"6 2","pages":"Article 100211"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167549","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}