Environmental and Sustainability Indicators最新文献

{"title":"Public participation in environmental decision-making: A water sector perspective","authors":"Sarpong Hammond Antwi ,&nbsp;Caroline Gilleran Stephens ,&nbsp;Alec Rolston ,&nbsp;David Getty ,&nbsp;Suzanne Linnane","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100656","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100656","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Public participation in water governance and management has evolved significantly, with various institutions and measures established to enhance public input. This study employs a two-step qualitative approach, combining stakeholder perspectives with the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum and the Aarhus Convention as analytical frameworks. The findings reveal that public participation in decision-making and implementation processes remains a work in progress, with significant gaps in fully integrating public perspectives into water governance and management decisions. Drawing on international best practices and stakeholder insights, this study proposes targeted interventions to promote inclusive participation, including the integration of digital technologies to enhance accessibility and transparency while balancing digital and traditional engagement approaches. It also underscores the role of environmental and sustainability education in promoting long-term public commitment and shared responsibility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100656"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143576791","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":"Assessing land use and carbon storage changes using PLUS and InVEST models: A multi-scenario simulation in Hohhot","authors":"Jiaping Zhang ,&nbsp;Penghui Cao ,&nbsp;Ruhizal Roosli","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100655","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100655","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The impact of land-use change on regional carbon sequestration is a crucial concern in the context of global climate change and rapid urbanization. This study utilized the Patch-Generating Land-Use Simulation (PLUS) model and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade -offs (InVEST) model to predict land-use patterns in Hohhot, China. The dynamics of carbon stocks under various scenarios were evaluated using historical land-use data and 15 influencing factors. From 2000 to 2020, Hohhot City experienced a net loss of 1.58 million tonnes of carbon storage, mainly due to the conversion of arable land and grassland into developed land. By 2030, carbon storage is projected to reach 147.67 million tonnes in the natural-development scenario, 148.46 million tonnes in the ecological-protection scenario, and 147.33 million tonnes in the economic-growth scenario. The highest carbon storage was expected under the ecological-protection scenario, highlighting the importance of environmental regulations in reducing carbon loss and promoting sustainable development. This study presents a replicable methodology that integrates scenario-modeling with policy-oriented interventions, providing valuable insights for land-use planning and carbon management in rapidly urbanizing regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100655"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563354","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":"Removal of previously planted tree and shrub species and the impacts on the shallow groundwater chemistry of coastal dune systems in northern Ireland","authors":"Debbie White ,&nbsp;Paul Wilson ,&nbsp;Mark Cooper ,&nbsp;Daren Gooddy ,&nbsp;Kyle Hunter ,&nbsp;Rebecca Ní Chonchubhair","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100654","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100654","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nitrogen (N) input to naturally oligotrophic dune systems is a global issue. This study assessed the groundwater nitrogen impact of growing sea buckthorn, sea buckthorn and tree removal, a golf course and a small stream on two coastal sand dune systems over several years. Groundwater nitrogen concentrations were monitored at both sites, during and after the removal of previously planted species. Sea buckthorn and Corsican Pine were removed in a single season from site one, however a series of sea buckthorn removal events occurred at site two over a 4 year period. Sea buckthorn was pulled up with the roots and burnt at site, but the tree roots were left in the ground. Concentrations of NO₃-N and total N from shallow piezometers and eluted sand samples were assessed against pre-defined criteria which treat N as a groundwater contaminant in coastal dune systems. It was found that neither the management of the golf course at the first site, or the removal of the Corsican pines at the second increased groundwater nitrogen above the ‘level of concern’, set at &lt;0.2 mg/l N. Growing sea buckthorn was seen to cause ‘possible contamination’ in groundwater (between 0.2 and 1 mg/l N). Sea buckthorn removal increased the groundwater NO₃-N concentrations above the Threshold Value of 3 mg/l NO₃-N and subsequent attenuation of groundwater nitrogen concentrations to ‘below concern’ took &lt;5 years. Dual nitrate isotopes provided strong evidence for denitrification as the primary reason for this decrease in concentration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100654"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143593406","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":"Adapting farm-level sustainability assessment: Challenges for Florida strawberry agriculture","authors":"Elizabeth Wolcott ,&nbsp;Suzanne Thornsbury","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100653","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100653","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper evaluates the applicability of farm-level sustainability indices for measurement and identification of community-oriented issues in a high-value, rapidly urbanizing agricultural region. Agricultural sustainability indices must be measurable, operational, and tractable to be effective. As rural communities develop, it is paramount for agriculture industries, governments, and researchers to have effective frameworks for assessing sustainability.</div><div>We apply the Initiative for Sustainable Productive Agriculture's (INSPIA) indicator index as an assessment tool and Florida strawberries as an example industry. INSPIA's index is farm-level and ideally applied based on primary data (INSPIA, 2024). Cost, time, and confidentiality concerns often limit primary data collection, so we assess the indicators with secondary data. The accessibility of secondary data is crucial to evaluate communities, industries, and regions over time.</div><div>Communities in the region face pressures due to climate change, urbanization, and globalization and could benefit from effective sustainability assessment to track and evaluate their efforts. We find 87.8% of the variables required to evaluate INSPIA's indicators have measurement issues due to scope, compatibility, and data availability. The measurement issues represent index limitations but especially highlight the dearth of official (or even accessible) agricultural data available in the United States. More secondary data, particularly for specialty crops and rapidly urbanizing environments, and more tractable assessments are needed to enable accessible large-scale replication. Despite these issues, 51.6% of the indicators can be measured, if imperfectly, and provide a snapshot of the pressures on a community in transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100653"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563353","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":"Relationships between mean species abundance (MSA) and potentially disappeared fraction of species (PDF) are consistent but also uncertain","authors":"Koen JJ. Kuipers ,&nbsp;Adam Melki ,&nbsp;Stephane Morel ,&nbsp;Aafke M. Schipper","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The potentially disappeared fraction of species (PDF) and the loss in mean species abundance (MSA) are two commonly used indicators to quantify losses in local biodiversity integrity associated with production and consumption of goods and services (biodiversity ‘footprints’). However, it is unclear to what extent these two indicators align. Here we explore if and how losses in MSA are related to PDF based on both simulated data from virtual species communities and empirical pairwise comparisons of impacted and reference communities (n = 19,891). We find a significant positive but uncertain relationship between MSA loss and PDF. Based on the empirical data, PDF leaves about half of the variance in MSA loss unexplained. Our results further highlight that MSA loss and PDF reveal distinct aspects of community change. At a PDF of zero, we find an average decline in MSA of 0.20 (95% CI = 0.09–0.42), reflecting that abundance loss precedes species extinction and that MSA loss is a more sensitive indicator of biodiversity change than PDF, particularly at low PDF values. Given the intrinsic differences between the indicators and the large residual heterogeneity in the relationship between them, we conclude that MSA loss and PDF provide complementary information. We recommend either making an informed choice for one of the indicators in view of the goals and scope of the application, or using them in parallel for a more comprehensive assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100652"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529055","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":"Connecting the water footprint with the water-energy-food-ecosystems nexus concept and its added value in the Mediterranean","authors":"Ali Rhouma ,&nbsp;Georg Seitfudem ,&nbsp;Jerome El Jeitany ,&nbsp;Tommaso Pacetti ,&nbsp;Floor Brouwer ,&nbsp;José M. Gil","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100640","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100640","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Mediterranean region faces significant challenges within the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus due to water scarcity, increasing agricultural and energy demands, and ecosystem degradation exacerbated by climate change. This research addresses these challenges by integrating two water footprint (WF) methodologies, the volumetric Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) and the impact-oriented Water Scarcity Footprint (WSF) and then correlating the results with the WEF Nexus Index and other sustainability indicators, to explore trade-offs and synergies across water, energy, food, and ecosystem dimensions at multiple scales. Findings highlight that the most significant impacts of water consumption stem from the cultivation of water-intensive crops in water-scarce regions, both within and beyond the Mediterranean. This underscores the pivotal role of virtual water trade and the global implications of local water management practices. The results further reveal critical disparities in water resource use and stress among Mediterranean countries, emphasizing the need for targeted policy interventions and international cooperation to address these challenges. By elucidating the interdependencies between water and the other WEFE Nexus dimensions, this study contributes valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders striving to achieve sustainable resource management and resilience in the Mediterranean region and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100640"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143637621","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":"Evaluating the effectiveness of the ecological redline policy in conserving mangroves via assessment on coverage and carbon storage","authors":"Jin Liang ,&nbsp;Yisheng Peng ,&nbsp;Hanxi Chen ,&nbsp;Yafei Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Xing ,&nbsp;Yan Liao","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mangrove ecosystems are famed for their crucial ecological functionalities in moderating global carbon cycling process. To safeguard these ecosystems, the Chinese government implemented the Ecological Redline Policy (ERP) in 2017. This study evaluated the effectiveness of ERP in protecting mangroves and enhancing their carbon storage potential using multi-temporal Landsat-8 OLI images via InVEST Carbon Storage and Sequestration model, and field surveys conducted in Guangdong Province, which hosts the largest mangrove distribution in China. The results revealed a total increase of 2094 ha in mangrove area, with approximately 65.2% of mangroves increase currently included in the ERP zoning plan. Within ERP zones, the mangrove increment was 1365.55 ha, with a lower expansion rate of 20.7% while the Non-ERP zones exhibited an increment of 729.32 ha at a higher expansion rate of 38.3%. Furthermore, around 80.0% of carbon storage in mangroves was managed within ERP zones, with no significant difference in carbon density between ERP and Non-ERP zones, though both groups showed an overall increase in carbon density by 2021 compared to 2013. It is suggested that the ERP zone not only enhances carbon storage but also improves other ecological traits of ecosystem. However, the current ERP appeared to fall short of fully meeting strategic needs, emphasizing the necessity of optimized planning to minimize tradeoffs between environmental quality and development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100650"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143552114","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":"Advancing air quality monitoring systems towards sustainable green development: Insight for metropolitan cities in Indonesia","authors":"Hunggul Yudono Setio Hadi Nugroho,&nbsp;Tyas Mutiara Basuki,&nbsp;Pratiwi,&nbsp;Endang Savitri ,&nbsp;Agung Budi Supangat,&nbsp;Pamungkas Buana Putra,&nbsp;Purwanto,&nbsp;Nining Wahyuningrum,&nbsp;Rahardyan Nugroho Adi,&nbsp;Ogi Setiawan,&nbsp;Ryke Nandini,&nbsp;Sigit Andy Cahyono,&nbsp;Diah Auliyani,&nbsp;Firda Maftukhakh Hilmya Nada,&nbsp;Dian Pratiwi,&nbsp;Muhammad Hasani","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban development, industrialization, higher living standards, and growing population, which have led to a decline in environmental quality, including air pollution, have become major concerns for decision-makers in many major cities in Indonesia. Air quality monitoring adopted by the Indonesian government has not produced timely, complete, continuous, and relevant data for effective policy and decision-making. This paper aims to provide insight for decision-makers on the potential implications of implementing an inclusive advanced air quality monitoring system in building effective and efficient air pollution mitigation for metropolitan cities in Indonesia. The method comprehensively reviews literature and other data sources on air quality monitoring and its significance. The results show that current air pollution monitoring systems failed to provide reliable data for effective control and mitigation, so more advanced and inclusive monitoring systems integrating Artificial Intelligence, cutting-edge technologies, and stakeholder involvement are urgently needed. The four main values of advanced air quality monitoring systems are: 1) real-time hotspot monitoring, 2) decision-making based on data/evidence, 3) increasing public awareness, and 4) improving the quality of spatial planning towards sustainable green development. This paper recommends implementing an advanced air quality monitoring system that combines technological infrastructure development with strengthening stakeholders' roles through the implementation of a quadruple helix interaction model, namely the interaction of four main innovation components: research/education, policy, business, and society. Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (National Research and Innovation Agency) has developed SI PUBER, an IoT-based mobile air quality monitoring system to monitor urban pollution spatially and temporally in real-time and continuously.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100649"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563470","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":"Assessing provincial inter-provincial carbon flow and economic inequality in China's construction industry","authors":"Guo Xiaomin ,&nbsp;Fang Chuanglin","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100647","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100647","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inter-regional trade leads not only to the movement of goods and economies, but also to the shifting of emissions<strong>.</strong> As one of the largest emitters in China, the carbon flow and economic inequality in the construction industry due to inter-provincial trade need to be further investigated, which is essential for developing sustainable models. Based on various data sources, this study applied the emission coefficient method, multi-regional input-output analysis, and carbon inequality index to investigate the inter-provincial transfer of carbon emissions within China's construction industry. This study found, there are substantial disparities in the embodied flows of carbon emissions and the economic benefits across provinces, with a high concentration of emissions in the northern coastal regions. Henan stands out as the province with the highest carbon emissions supporting its own development, with 172.09 <span><math><mrow><mo>×</mo></mrow></math></span> 10⁴ t and importing the largest economic benefit,5732.89 billion yuan,. Zhejiang is the biggest contributor, of 40.92 <span><math><mrow><mo>×</mo></mrow></math></span> 10⁴ t and 969.30 billion yuan, respectively. Additionally, the study reveals a significant correlation between net carbon emissions transfer and GDP per capita. Regions in the southeast and northeast generate higher economic output per unit of carbon emissions from the Construction Industry, in contrast to the northwest and southwest, where severe carbon inequality persists. These results highlight the need for reductions in embodied carbon emissions within the construction Industry and the implementation of carbon compensation mechanisms. This study can also serve as a reference for other emerging nations confronting similar challenges of carbon inequality and the pursuit of sustainable regional development models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100647"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143510716","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":"Balancing ecosystem services for environmental sustainability: An integrated assessment method in region 4 of Iran's spatial plan","authors":"Mehrdad Kashef ,&nbsp;Hassan Esmaeilzadeh ,&nbsp;Naghmeh Mobarghaee Dinan ,&nbsp;Seyed Mohammad Moein Sadeghi ,&nbsp;Marina Viorela Marcu","doi":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.indic.2025.100634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human activities and overpopulation have disrupted the balance of ecosystem services (ESs), leading to environmental instability. This study introduces an integrated assessment method for assessing ecosystem functions by identifying ecological functional zones based on supply-demand ratios for key services, including water yield, soil retention, food production, and carbon storage. Additionally, we assess regional carrying capacity using these ratios. By integrating land suitability with carrying capacity, we identified areas suitable for agricultural, urban, and industrial development within Region 4 of Iran's spatial plan. The findings reveal considerable spatial variability, with over 90 % of the region experiencing water yield deficits. Notably, strong synergies exist among carbon storage, soil retention, and water yield, with statistically significant explanation coefficients of 0.85 and 0.61, respectively (p &lt; 0.01). Based on ecosystem functionality, we classified the landscape into four zones: reconstruction (61 %), restoration (21 %), protection (6 %), and developable areas (12 %). The 6 % protection zone primarily within the Central Zagros—a critical water-supplying region—encompasses forested and mountainous areas such as Lordegan, Koohrang, and parts of Farsan, Izeh, Andika, and Borujen counties. These counties exhibit high water yield and carbon storage with minimal soil erosion. We recommend designating this zone as a protected area and implementing integrated watershed management strategies to enhance environmental sustainability. Alarmingly, only 0.2 % of the region is deemed suitable for future agricultural, industrial, and urban development, underscores the urgent need to prevent excessive agricultural expansion in Khuzestan and Isfahan provinces to protect regional sustainability. This approach highlights the necessity of integrating ecosystem science into spatial planning to support—an adaptable framework, for other Middle Eastern regions facing similar environmental challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":36171,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Sustainability Indicators","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 100634"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143644243","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}