Environmental Development最新文献

{"title":"When access to education matters more than income inequality: a structural equation modelling analysis of climate adaptation and mitigation","authors":"Marcelo Furlan ,&nbsp;Walter Leal Filho","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper aims to assess the effects of the educational level of a country on the climate actions (adaptation and mitigation) that it adopts, and measure the extent to which social inequality, educational quality and access to schooling contribute to such actions. To achieve this aim, the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to a sample of 195 countries from 18 indicators related to education, income inequality, adaptation and mitigation that exist in global databases. The main results are a) the level of education has a positive effect on adaptation (.824) and mitigation (.927) actions; b) inclusion of the quadratic term for educational level further underscores its central importance in explaining mitigation action (.460); c) Likewise, the quadratic effect of income inequality emerges only as a propensity to mitigate carbon emissions (−.140); d) in absolute values, the difficulty of accessing education has an indirect effect (−.721) that is greater than that of educational quality (.302). These results indicate that, in addition to the need to guarantee education for all, countries also need to reduce their inequalities. Furthermore, developing countries should prioritize actions to include children and young people in climate change education initiatives, so that the indirect effects of climate change adaptation are realized, while reducing inequality can help to foster carbon emissions mitigation efforts. The policy implications of this paper are twofold. First, the paper highlights that improving access to education is more impactful than reducing income inequality for climate adaptation and mitigation. Second, policymakers should prioritize expanding educational opportunities, particularly in vulnerable regions, to enhance climate resilience and sustainable practices. Investments in education can drive long-term climate action more effectively than income redistribution alone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 101309"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144861002","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":"Floods, land loss, and gendered vulnerability: Assessing the social impacts of small hydropower in Vietnam","authors":"Khin Nilar Swe ,&nbsp;Ho Thi Phuong ,&nbsp;Tran Duc Thinh ,&nbsp;Nyien Chan","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small hydropower projects (SHPs) are often promoted as environmentally sustainable energy solutions in the Global South. However, their socio-environmental impacts, especially on vulnerable and marginalized communities, remain underexplored. This study examines the impacts of the Xoong Con SHP in north-central Vietnam through an integrated approach combining remote sensing, household surveys, random forest classification, focus group discussion and key informant interviews. Grounded in the frameworks of livelihood vulnerability, political ecology of water, and energy justice, the study investigates how flood exposure, land loss, and governance structures affect local well-being and equity. Our findings reveal that land loss is the most significant structural driver of near-poverty, particularly among households that lost agricultural or aquaculture land. Gender and age emerged as key determinants of economic vulnerability, with single female-headed households disproportionately affected. Remote sensing analysis confirmed significant flooding in downstream agricultural areas, corroborating local perceptions of hydrological change. While the hydropower company has provided some community support, limited awareness and unequal benefit distribution undermine its effectiveness. This study highlights critical gaps in both distributive and procedural justice in SHP development. It underscores the importance of disaggregated social impact assessments, gender-sensitive planning, and inclusive benefit-sharing mechanisms. Without such measures, small-scale hydropower risks reinforcing structural inequalities and livelihood insecurities rather than promoting sustainable development. The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, planners, and energy developers to ensure SHPs contribute to both low-carbon transitions and socially just outcomes across hydropower-dependent regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 101312"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841106","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":"The effect of using indigenous and scientific forecasts on arable farmers’ crop yields: Evidence from Rwenzori region, Western Uganda","authors":"Michael Robert Nkuba ,&nbsp;Edward Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change is already a reality, but adaptation is still low in sub-Saharan Africa as reported in several quantitative studies. One of the reasons for low adoption has been cited as lack of information including weather information. This paper investigates the role of weather information comparing arable farmers using a hybrid of Scientific forecasts and indigenous forecast with farmers solely using indigenous forecast in bolstering adaptation. In this study, we assess whether farmers who use hybrid forecasts (HF) are better off in terms of crop productivity than their comparable counterparts who use only IF based on two quasi-experimental estimations using the Propensity Score matching estimation approach. Farmers who use both scientific forecasts (SF) and indigenous forecasts (IF) (hybrid forecasts) are better off in terms of crop productivity than their comparable counterparts who use only IF. Based on a cross sectional household survey of 580 smallholders in the Rwenzori region of Western Uganda, we find that farmers who used HF had significantly higher crop yields compared to farmers that only depended on IF forecasts. The crop yields for maize and beans were significantly higher for farmers who used hybrid forecasts than those who used IF only. The average effect on the treated was over 300 kg for maize and beans. Farmers who used HF had also better access to improved crop varieties and also showed better response to effects of rainfall onset changes. Rural institutions such as access to agricultural extension, credit, improved crop varieties are impact pathways of climate information. Two policy implications can be drawn from this study's findings. First is that there is a need to increase farmers' access to credible climate information in developing countries. Climate information is associated with higher crop productivity hence contributing to farmers' resilience and welfare improvement. The second policy implication is that it’s imperative to integrate IF and promote the use of hybrid forecasts in national meteorological systems. Increasing the meteorological station and rain gauge density in farming communities, capacity building of farmers in management, analysis and use of locally generated rainfall data from rain gauges and validating IF with locally generated rainfall data will enhance the adaptive capacity to climate change in arable farming.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 101303"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144829611","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":"A modified semi-quantitative framework for assessing the impacts and sustainability of iron ore mining in a biodiverse forest","authors":"Rahul Kumar,&nbsp;Ashish Kumar,&nbsp;Pranjal Pathak,&nbsp;Biswajit Samanta","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mining in biodiversity-rich forest regions presents complex trade-offs between economic development and ecological integrity. This study assesses the sustainability of a major iron ore mine in eastern India using an integrated framework that combines a modified Folchi (2003) impact matrix with Phillips's (2010) sustainability scoring method. Three key innovations distinguish the proposed approach: (1) incorporation of forest-specific indicators such as biodiversity sensitivity, ecosystem services, and waste and infrastructure pressures; (2) use of signed impact scores to explicitly distinguish positive and negative effects across sustainability components; and (3) application of fuzzy similarity aggregation to reduce uncertainty in expert judgment by weighting inputs from 20 domain experts.</div><div>Results show pronounced environmental degradation, with high negative scores in use of territory (62.50), flora and fauna (54.14), biodiversity (51.05), and air quality (38.67), primarily driven by land resource alteration, ecological disturbance, and vehicular activity. In contrast, strong positive contributions were found in the economy (−78.29), livelihood (−40.90), and social development (−33.45), mainly due to employment generation and infrastructure development. Despite the mine's environmental initiatives, the overall sustainability score (S = 0.204) classifies it as ‘very poor’, indicating that environmental costs currently outweigh socio-economic benefits. The study demonstrates a more reliable, transparent, and context-sensitive approach for sustainability assessment in forested mining regions. It emphasizes the need for stricter environmental safeguards to balance development with biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 101306"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144809409","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":"Enhancing flood risk communication in Namibia: Participatory flood early warning for early action","authors":"Deolfa Josè Moisès,&nbsp;Yong Sebastian Nyam","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101318","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101318","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flood disasters are uniquely complex phenomena with severe implications for those affected, especially rural riparian communities, who rely on the natural environment for their livelihood. As such, developing risk communication strategies that lead to appropriate early action has shifted to the forefront of the global hazard risk reduction agenda. Empirical evidence suggests that risk communication approaches adopted in developing countries are often ‘top-down’, bureaucratic approaches that disregard the unique environmental, economic, and social contexts of target communities. Adopting a case-study approach, this study explores the benefits of leveraging existing governmental resources and innate community capacities to develop a bilateral and impact-based flood risk communication system tailored to community needs. The study demonstrates that knowledge of the social, economic, and environmental dynamics within a target community not only defines the appropriate risk communication strategy required but also determines the community's capacity to respond. The study presents several cost-effective, participatory, and people-centred opportunities for systems enhancement and, consequently, long-term resilience building.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 101318"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144826518","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":"Heat-induced labour capacity loss- future climate change scenario prediction","authors":"Vidhya Venugopal,&nbsp;Rekha Shanmugam,&nbsp;PK Latha","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In developing countries that rely heavily on manual labour, heat stress is expected to worsen, affecting health and productivity. No study has been conducted to date on predicting seasonal heat stress and Labour Capacity Loss (LCL) in India; therefore, the present study aims to examine the impact of climatic change scenarios on heat-induced LCL among informal outdoor workers in Southern India. We studied cross-sectional changes in Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and surveyed 1247 workers in five informal outdoor sectors in Tamil Nadu (TN). We use Dunne's empirical approach to measure regional LCL variations throughout three periods till 2099. The results are described using descriptive and multivariate analysis. The results showed that the seasonal WBGTs increase by 1.6 ± 0.2 °C and 2.3 ± 0.2 °C (summer) and 0.7 ± 0.4 °C and 1.4 ± 0.4 °C (winter) under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 6.0 and RCP 8.5, respectively. Perception data collected from this region's workers already shows significantly higher odds of productivity loss with WBGT exposures (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR): 1.6; 95 % CI: 1.2–2.1), hot season (AOR: 15.3; 95 % CI: 11.4–20.5), and heavy workload (AOR: 3.4; 95 % CI: 2.4–4.7). While summer WBGTs exceed 30 °C in all three time periods under RCP6.0 and RCP8.5, winter WBGTs surpass safe working conditions in many districts of TN in the third period under RCP8.5. By 2099, under RCP6.0, high/moderate workload summer LCL ranged from 4.5 to 13.3 %, and 1.0–10.1 % under RCP8.5. Our findings show drastic changes in future WBGT and LCL, resulting in significant individual and regional economic losses. To safeguard millions of impoverished informal workers in tropical and subtropical countries, climate mitigation, adaptation, and intervention initiatives are urgently needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"57 ","pages":"Article 101304"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144826515","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":"Advancing technocratic capacity in local climate policy: Insights from theory of planned behavior and participatory learning and action","authors":"Arif Budy Pratama","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101301","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101301","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many national governments have established regulatory frameworks for climate change adaptation (CCA); however, the development of climate policies at the local level remains insufficiently addressed. Drawing from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA), this study investigate how civil servants at the local government engage with local climate policy-making. The research project was conducted in collaboration with the Regional Development Planning Agency (Bappeda) of Magelang City, Indonesia. It aimed to enhance the technocratic capacity in developing local climate policy. Structured around three phases-preintervention, intervention, and post-intervention- the study facilitated reflective and co-learning processes among local civil servants. The findings identify potentials and barriers faced by the local government in formulating and integrating climate-related issues into the urban development agenda. Instead of aiming at direct policy-making, the research project emphasis on how attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norm shape policy intention. Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature by revealing tensions within local government actors and the role civil servants play in local climate policy-making. Practically, it provides local governments with technocratic capacity building model to accelerate the integration of climate policy into urban planning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 101301"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144770636","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":"Adopting a global ocean goal: Learnings for goal setting","authors":"Simon Beaudoin","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the importance of goals in global environmental politics, how and why global goals are adopted requires further investigation. The case of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a noteworthy example of global goal setting. How specific goals were adopted, however, remains largely understudied. This article analyses the negotiation processes that led to the adoption of the SDG 14, also known as the ocean and “Life Below Water” goal. Process tracing, semi-directed interviews with decision-makers and experts, and historical analysis are combined to offer a detailed account of the past of ocean governance, with a focus on the 1945–2015 period, and an in-depth analysis of the negotiations that led to the adoption of SDG 14. The study provides a novel account of the drivers of goal setting by highlighting the interplay of cognitive, relational, and contextual factors. Contributing to existing knowledge and research on goal setting, international diplomacy, and global environmental politics, the research identifies learnings for ocean governance and future global goal setting efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 101302"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738921","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":"Heat-related health impacts on primary schoolchildren's health: measured and estimated risks in Gauteng, South Africa","authors":"Shalin Bidassey-Manilal ,&nbsp;Joyce Shirinde ,&nbsp;Thandi Kapwata ,&nbsp;Caradee Y. Wright","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Schoolchildren spend a substantial amount of time in classrooms and therefore, the classroom environment should be acceptable and tolerable with an aim to support their welfare and comfort. Globally, temperatures are projected to increase between 1.4 °C and 4.4 °C; however, Southern Africa will likely experience a temperature increase at twice the global rate, resulting in the prevalence of extreme temperatures and more intense heatwaves. An increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves can lead to overheating in classrooms. This study aimed to describe classroom thermal conditions and understand possible impacts on schoolchildren's health.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted among 904 grade 4 primary school children. The study collected meteorological data, i.e, hourly temperature and humidity data from the South African Weather Service's (SAWS) weather station closest to the participating schools and took place during summer. This data was used to calculate apparent temperature to determine the perceived human body temperature when exposed to the combined effects of temperature and humidity and analyse the potential health implications linked to the symptoms category developed by the United States National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Schoolchildren also participated in this study by completing a self-reported hourly heat-related health symptom questionnaire. Data was analysed using STATA. Linear regression was used to investigate the association between apparent temperature and heat-related symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The hourly temperature (mean of 34 °C) and humidity levels (maximum of 80.38 %) exceeded the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency's recommended levels. Out of the 456 apparent temperature range, 203 (44,5 %) of the readings was associated with no health risks, 226 (49,6 %) ranges fell within the caution category and 27 (5,9 %) within the extreme caution category these ranges were associated with health effects such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and a heat stroke were possible with prolonged exposure. Regression results showed that for every 1 °C in apparent temperature, a 0.05 unit increase in the number of learners who report feeling tired between 8:00–9:00 is predicted; however, this was not statistically significant.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Future research should incorporate physiological measures to better assess the direct impact of heat on learner health and longitudinal and intervention-based studies are encouraged to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based heat adaptation strategies in low-resource settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 101305"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738920","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":"Effectiveness of governmental and policy initiatives in reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions: An empirical analysis of West Africa","authors":"Iskid Jacquet ,&nbsp;Jianjun Zhang ,&nbsp;Ke Wang ,&nbsp;Sen Liang ,&nbsp;Shu Fu ,&nbsp;Shidong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101297","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envdev.2025.101297","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture significantly contribute to global climate change. In West Africa, this issue is compounded by complex socio-economic and environmental dynamics. This study assesses the effectiveness of governmental and policy initiatives in mitigating agricultural GHG emissions across 16 countries between 2015 and 2020. By integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches with eco-political evaluation, the research identifies how policy efforts influence emission outcomes.</div><div>Despite challenges, countries such as Benin and Cape Verde have achieved reductions or stability in emission levels, illustrating the potential of context-specific strategies. The study highlights effective policy measures and explores regional disparities through a comparative framework. Results demonstrate actionable pathways to sustainable agriculture and provide targeted recommendations for climate policy, institutional capacity-building, and regional cooperation. Overall, the findings inform policy development and contribute to climate action aligned with global commitments and regional realities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54269,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Development","volume":"56 ","pages":"Article 101297"},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144722437","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}