Regional Sustainability最新文献

{"title":"Economic significance and environmental impacts of the Song Dam Drinking Water Project (SDDWP) in Garhwal Himalaya","authors":"Vishwambhar Prasad SATI","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100145","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100145","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>With the population growth through natural growth and migration, coupled with the city expansion, it is the fact that Dehradun City in India faces severe water scarcity. Therefore, the Song Dam Drinking Water Project (SDDWP) is proposed to provide ample drinking water to Dehradun City and its suburban areas. This paper examined economic significance and environmental impacts of the SDDWP in Garhwal Himalaya, India. To conduct this study, we collected data from both primary and secondary sources. There are 12 villages and 3 forest divisions in the surrounding areas of the proposed dam project, of which 3 villages will be fully submerged and 50 households will be affected. For this study, 50 heads of the households were interviewed in the 3 submerged villages. The questions mainly focused on economic significance, environmental impacts, and rehabilitation issues of the dam project. The findings of this study indicate that economic significance of the dam project is substantial, including providing ample water for drinking and irrigation, contributing to groundwater recharge, creating job opportunities, and promoting the development of tourism and fisheries in the Doon Valley. In terms of the rehabilitation of the affected people, there are only 50 households in need of rehabilitation. Currently, the arable land of these affected people is not sufficient to sustain their livelihoods. The entire landscape is fragile, rugged, and precipitous; therefore, the affected people are willing to rehabilitate to more suitable areas in the Doon Valley. Moreover, it is essential to provide them with sufficient compensation packages including the compensation of arable land, houses, cash, common property resources, institutions, belongingness, and cultural adaptation. On the other hand, the proposed dam project will have adverse environmental impacts including arable land degradation, forest degradation, loss of fauna and flora, soil erosion, landslides, and soil siltation. These impacts will lead to the ecological imbalances in both upstream and downstream areas. This study suggests that the affected people should be given sufficient compensation packages in all respects. Afforestation programs can be launched in the degraded areas to compensate for the loss of forest in the affected areas.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 2","pages":"Article 100145"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000446/pdfft?md5=8604629caf1fe89aec92a5c1ed659053&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000446-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141961777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Role of self-help groups on socioeconomic development and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among rural women in Cooch Behar District, India","authors":"Debanjan Basak,&nbsp;Indrajit Roy Chowdhury","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100140","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines the transformative role of self-help groups (SHGs) in the socioeconomic development of rural women in Cooch Behar District, India, and their contribution toward achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. In this study, we explored the effect of SHGs on rural women by specifically addressing SDGs, such as no poverty (SDG 1), zero hunger (SDG 2), good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), and gender equality (SDG 5). Given this issue, a cross-sectional survey and comparison analyses are needed to assess the socioeconomic development of rural women and their awareness level before and after the participation of rural women in SHGs. The survey conducted as part of this study was divided into three sections, namely, demographic characteristics, socioeconomic development, and awareness level, with each focusing on different aspects. A group of 400 individuals who were part of SHGs completed the questionnaire survey form. The results showed that the participation of rural women in SHGs significantly improved their socioeconomic development and awareness level, as supported by both mean values and <em>t</em> test results. Memberships in SHGs and microcredit programs were the major elements that boosted the socioeconomic development of rural women, which also achieves SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. This study revealed that participation in SHGs and related financial services significantly aided rural women in economically disadvantaged communities in accumulating savings and initiating entrepreneurial ventures. Moreover, participation in SHGs was instrumental in enhancing the self-confidence, self-efficacy, and overall self-esteem of rural women. Finally, doing so enabled them to move more freely for work and other activities and to make family and common decisions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 2","pages":"Article 100140"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000392/pdfft?md5=65a5dc876b355adeeff608755a584abd&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000392-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141961780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics and influencing mechanisms of production -living-ecological space dynamics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), Chongqing, China","authors":"Xinyi Zhu ,&nbsp;Jinlong Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100139","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100139","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) is an important ecological barrier in the Yangtze River Basin, China. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the spatio-temporal variation and the driving factors of production-living-ecological spaces for sustainable and high-quality development in the TGRA. This study investigated the dynamic variation of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA by employing land use data in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018, and detected the influencing factors by using the Geographic detector (GeoDetector). Results implied that the structure and dynamic trajectories of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA varied in both horizontal and vertical directions, and the study area was dominated by ecological space. A spatial orientation towards the northeast was detected in the evolution of production-living-ecological spaces during 2000–2018. In terms of quantity, the transition from ecological space (grassland and woodland) to agriculture land accounted for the largest proportion from 2000 to 2018. However, the reverse transition from agriculture land to ecological space has increased since 2000 with the efforts of “Grain for Green”. In terms of temporal scale, there was a fluctuating trend in production space with the continuous expansion of living space, while ecological space showed an inverted U-shaped trend during 2000–2018. The dynamic pattern of production-living-ecological spaces in the TGRA was influenced by both physical and socio-economic variables as basic determinants and dominant driving factors, respectively. Finally, the harmonization and protection of production-living-ecological spaces still require policy-makers’ efforts. This work may have potential in advancing our understanding about land use conflicts, and provide a reference for rational layout of spatial functions and the realization of sustainable development in the TGRA.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 2","pages":"Article 100139"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000380/pdfft?md5=048b61f11a88c4f82f8a7aeac555a04c&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000380-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141961779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatio-temporal variation and relationship between agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity in a semi-arid region of India","authors":"Shibu Das ,&nbsp;Kaushal Kumar Sharma ,&nbsp;Suranjan Majumder ,&nbsp;Debabrata Das ,&nbsp;Indrajit Roy Chowdhury","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A surging population in Karnataka State, a semi-arid region in India, poses a threat to both food security and livelihood sustainability, necessitating a concentrated effort to bolster agricultural efficiency and achieve United Naton’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 (zero hunger). Therefore, in order to address the pressing issue of food scarcity in Karnataka, this study meticulously examined the spatio-temporal variation of agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity in Karnataka, uncovering its significant dependence of agricultural efficiency on irrigation intensity. Specifically, this study used a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to ascertain significant differences in the means of agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity during 2004–2005 and 2018–2019. This study showed that the maximum improvement in agricultural efficiency index was recorded in Belgaum (40.24), Gulbarga (24.77), and Yadgir districts (22.92) between 2004–2005 and 2018–2019, which indicated the progressing trend and better scope for agriculture extension. On the contrary, some districts expressed threat (a decline of above 20.00 of agricultural efficiency index) and needed special care for the improvement of agricultural efficiency in four northern districts (Bagalkot, Bidar, Raichur, and Bijapur), three southern districts (Chitradurga, Chikballapur and Hassan), and two southern districts (Koppal and Gadag) in Karnataka. During 2004–2005, irrigation intensity varied from 3.19% to 56.39%, with the lowest irrigation intensity in Kodagu District and the highest irrigation intensity in Shimoga District. During 2018–2019, irrigation intensity changed from 0.77% to 72.77%, with the lowest irrigation intensity in Kodagu District and the highest in Dakshin Kannad District. Moreover, the research scrutinized the complex relationship between agricultural efficiency and irrigation intensity, with the correlation coefficient increased from 0.162 during 2004–2005 to 0.255 during 2018–2019. It implies that in both periods, a low positive correlation existed between these two variables. Over time, several factors (high-yield seeds and chemical fertilizers) other than irrigation intensity gradually became essential for agricultural efficiency. This research offers a wealth of valuable insights for regional planners and policy-makers contending with comparable challenges in various regions of India and other developing countries.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 2","pages":"Article 100144"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000434/pdfft?md5=65f7788c7f47b73761108fa35764b4b7&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000434-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141961683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agricultural intensity for sustainable regional development: A case study in peri-urban areas of Karawang Regency, Indonesia","authors":"Setyardi Pratika Mulya ,&nbsp;Delik Hudalah","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Peri-urban areas are playing an increasingly crucial role in the agricultural development and intensification in Indonesia. Peri-urban agriculture is highly vulnerable to change compared with urban and rural agriculture, due to its location in transitional areas. Indicators of peri-urban agricultural intensity can help guide regional development. In this study, we assessed the sustainability of peri-urban areas based on agricultural intensity in Karawang Regency, Indonesia. We developed a village-based index to assess the region’s agricultural intensity by rescaling the village agriculture index (VAI) and combining the local sustainability index (LSI) with factor analysis. Since the unit of analysis is the village, we modified the LSI to the village sustainability index (VSI). In addition, we also developed a logical matrix analysis to determine the level of agricultural sustainability (LoAS) of each village. The combined results of the three indices (VAI, VSI, and LoAS) generated information about agricultural sustainability. The results indicated that peri-urban villages with high agricultural intensity tended to exhibit low levels of social welfare, economic development, and disaster risk. Moreover, high agricultural intensity did not necessarily ensure the prosperity of the people. Instead, there was the economic disparity among the villages in the study area. Encouraging diversity of agricultural intensity seems to be more critical than promoting agricultural intensity itself. Overall, this study highlights the distinctive characteristics and dynamic of peri-urban areas. New approaches, variables, and information regarding the combination of agricultural intensity and sustainability need to be developed as valuable tools for regional planning.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"Article 100117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000161/pdfft?md5=efdda3bb58490d6425963961bca4ca20&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000161-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140842920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of soil erosion in the Irga watershed on the eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, India","authors":"Ratan Pal,&nbsp;Buddhadev Hembram,&nbsp;Narayan Chandra Jana","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Human activities to improve the quality of life have accelerated the natural rate of soil erosion. In turn, these natural disasters have taken a great impact on humans. Human activities, particularly the conversion of vegetated land into agricultural land and built-up area, stand out as primary contributors to soil erosion. The present study investigated the risk of soil erosion in the Irga watershed located on the eastern fringe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand, India, which is dominated by sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil with low soil organic carbon (SOC) content. The study used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Geographical Information System (GIS) technique to determine the rate of soil erosion. The five parameters (rainfall-runoff erosivity (<em>R</em>) factor, soil erodibility (<em>K</em>) factor, slope length and steepness (<em>LS</em>) factor, cover-management (<em>C</em>) factor, and support practice (<em>P</em>) factor) of the RUSLE were applied to present a more accurate distribution characteristic of soil erosion in the Irga watershed. The result shows that the <em>R</em> factor is positively correlated with rainfall and follows the same distribution pattern as the rainfall. The <em>K</em> factor values in the northern part of the study area are relatively low, while they are relatively high in the southern part. The mean value of the <em>LS</em> factor is 2.74, which is low due to the flat terrain of the Irga watershed. There is a negative linear correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the <em>C</em> factor, and the high values of the <em>C</em> factor are observed in places with low NDVI. The mean value of the <em>P</em> factor is 0.210, with a range from 0.000 to 1.000. After calculating all parameters, we obtained the average soil erosion rate of 1.43 t/(hm²•a), with the highest rate reaching as high as 32.71 t/(hm²•a). Therefore, the study area faces a low risk of soil erosion. However, preventative measures are essential to avoid future damage to productive and constructive activities caused by soil erosion. This study also identifies the spatial distribution of soil erosion rate, which will help policy-makers to implement targeted soil erosion control measures.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000112/pdfft?md5=8cead511e13737111869e4ffdd10c115&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000112-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140842915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial distribution and potential ecological and health risks associated with heavy metals in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site, Nigeria","authors":"Johnson Adedeji OLUSOLA ,&nbsp;Adeyinka Oluyemi ATURAMU ,&nbsp;Olufunke ASAOLU ,&nbsp;Olusesan Sola OGUNLEYE","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Artisanal gold mining, a labor-intensive and antiquated technique, is a growing industry and the source of income for rural communities all over the world. However, artisanal gold mining has potential negative and long-term effects on economy, environment, and society. This study collected soil samples from 16 sample points including a control point to examine the pollution degrees and spatial distribution of heavy metals, as well as ecological and health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site, Nigeria. Geographical Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technologies were used to identify regions with high concentrations of heavy metals and assess the environmental impact of gold mining activities. The results show that the mean heavy metal concentrations of 16 soil pointa are 8.94 (±5.97) mg/kg for As, 0.18 (±0.54) mg/kg for Cd, 0.11 (±1.06) mg/kg for Co, 14.32 (±3.43) mg/kg for Cr, 6.89 (±0.64) mg/kg for Cu, 48.92 (±11.77) mg/kg for Fe, 135.81 (±30.75) mg/kg for Mn, 5.92 (±0.96) mg/kg for Ni, 5.72 (±1.66) mg/kg for Pb, and 13.94 (±1.38) mg/kg for Zn. The study reveals that heavy metal concentration in soils follows the order of Mn&gt;Fe&gt;Cr&gt;Zn&gt;As&gt;Cu&gt;Ni&gt;Pb&gt;Co&gt;Cd. An analysis of soil samples indicates that 3 principal components (PCs) account for 70.008% of the total variance and there are strong positive correlations between various pairs of heavy metals. The total potential ecological risk index (309.599) in the study area is high. Non-carcinogenic risk suggests that there may be long-term health impacts on people who work in the mining areas due to chronic exposure to the environment. Based on the study, the hazard index of carcinogenic health risks associated with heavy metals through ingestion is 520.00×10^–4. Dermal contact from As and Cr also increases the risk of cancer, with the highest hazard index value of 18.40×10^–4. The lowest exposure pathway, with the hazard index value of 0.68×10^–4, indicates that the inhalation of heavy metals has a comparatively low risk of cancer. This study recommends the formulation of policies to monitor the Ijero-Ekiti mining site and other regions in Nigeria where indiscriminate artisanal gold mining activities exist.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"Article 100110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000094/pdfft?md5=fa1de8d94bacb8b571321d6e65a7a3df&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000094-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140843814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of vegetation cover changes and the contributing factors in the Al-Ahsa Oasis using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)","authors":"Walid Chouari","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The abandonment of date palm grove of the former Al-Ahsa Oasis in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia has resulted in the conversion of delicate agricultural area into urban area. The current state of the oasis is influenced by both expansion and degradation factors. Therefore, it is important to study the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation cover for the sustainable management of oasis resources. This study used Landsat satellite images in 1987, 2002, and 2021 to monitor the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation cover in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, applied multi-temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data spanning from 1987 to 2021 to assess environmental and spatiotemporal variations that have occurred in the Al-Ahsa Oasis, and investigated the factors influencing these variation. This study reveals that there is a significant improvement in the ecological environment of the oasis during 1987–2021, with increase of NDVI values being higher than 0.10. In 2021, the highest NDVI value is generally above 0.70, while the lowest value remains largely unchanged. However, there is a remarkable increase in NDVI values between 0.20 and 0.30. The area of low NDVI values (0.00–0.20) has remained almost stable, but the region with high NDVI values (above 0.70) expands during 1987–2021. Furthermore, this study finds that in 1987–2002, the increase of vegetation cover is most notable in the northern region of the study area, whereas from 2002 to 2021, the increase of vegetation cover is mainly concentrated in the northern and southern regions of the study area. From 1987 to 2021, NDVI values exhibit the most pronounced variation, with a significant increase in the “green” zone (characterized by NDVI values exceeding 0.40), indicating a substantial enhancement in the ecological environment of the oasis. The NDVI classification is validated through 50 ground validation points in the study area, demonstrating a mean accuracy of 92.00% in the detection of vegetation cover. In general, both the user’s and producer’s accuracies of NDVI classification are extremely high in 1987, 2002, and 2021. Finally, this study suggests that environmental authorities should strengthen their overall forestry project arrangements to combat sand encroachment and enhance the ecological environment of the Al-Ahsa Oasis.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000100/pdfft?md5=09e140b90622c1e789b241f989024e87&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000100-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140843815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial differences of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among counties (cities) on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains","authors":"Tao WANG ,&nbsp;Daojing ZHOU ,&nbsp;Jie FAN","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The county (city) located on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains is the primary area to solidify and extend the success of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China in poverty alleviation. Its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are intertwined with the concerted economic and social development of Xinjiang and the objective of achieving shared prosperity within the region. This study established a sustainable development evaluation framework by selecting 15 SDGs and 20 secondary indicators from the United Nations’ SDGs. The aim of this study is to quantitatively assess the progress of SDGs at the county (city) level on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains. The results indicate that there are substantial variations in the scores of SDGs among the nine counties and one city located on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains. Notable high scores of SDGs are observed in the central and eastern regions, whereas lower scores are prevalent in the western areas. The scores of SDGs, in descending order, are as follows: 62.22 for Minfeng County, 54.22 for Hotan City, 50.21 for Qiemo County, 42.54 for Moyu County, 41.56 for Ruoqiang County, 41.39 for Qira County, 39.86 for Lop County, 38.25 for Yutian County, 38.10 for Pishan County, and 36.87 for Hotan County. The performances of SDGs reveal that Hotan City, Lop County, Minfeng County, and Ruoqiang County have significant sustainable development capacity because they have three or more SDGs ranked as green color. However, Hotan County, Moyu County, Qira County, and Yutian County show the poorest performance, as they lack SDGs with green color. It is important to establish and enhance mechanisms that can ensure sustained income growth among poverty alleviation beneficiaries, sustained improvement in the capacity of rural governance, and the gradual improvement of social security system. These measures will facilitate the effective implementation of SDGs. Finally, this study offers a valuable support for governmental authorities and relevant departments in their decision-making processes. In addition, these results hold significant reference value for assessing SDGs at the county (city) level, particularly in areas characterized by low levels of economic development.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"Article 100108"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000070/pdfft?md5=e6f30a55c6d5a5993ffaf27343791637&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000070-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140843812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coupling coordinated development among digital economy, regional innovation, and talent employment: A case study in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle, China","authors":"Luyi QIU ,&nbsp;Sharina OSMAN ,&nbsp;Yidi HUA","doi":"10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2024.100115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Coordinative development across various systems, particularly the economic, social, cultural, and human resources subsystems, is a key aspect of urban sustainability and has a direct impact on the quality of urbanization. The Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle, comprising Hangzhou City, Huzhou City, Jiaxing City, and Shaoxing City, was the first metropolitan circle approved by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) as a demonstration of economic transformation in China. To evaluate the coupling coordination degree of the four cities and analyze the coordinative development in three systems (including digital economy, regional innovation, and talent employment), we collected panel data during 2015–2022 from these four cities. The development level of the three systems was evaluated by the standard deviation method and comprehensive development index. The results are as follows: (1) the level of coupling coordinated development of the three systems in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle was relatively low; (2) the coupling coordination degree of the four cities in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle showed significant regional differences, among which Hangzhou City was in the leading position, and Huzhou, Jiaxing, and Shaoxing cities made steady but slow progress in the coupling development of the three systems; and (3) the development of digital economy and talent employment needs to be strengthened. This study contributes to the coordinative development of Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle by innovatively focusing on the coupling coordination relationship among digital economy, regional innovation, and talent employment, which also meets the industrial layout of Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle. In this way, the optimal allocation and sustainable development of digital economy, regional innovation, and talent employment in the Hangzhou Metropolitan Circle can be achieved.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34395,"journal":{"name":"Regional Sustainability","volume":"5 1","pages":"Article 100115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X24000148/pdfft?md5=4508bc1bc9fe3d8a90eb7f134d1ae74a&pid=1-s2.0-S2666660X24000148-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140842918","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}