Environmental Sustainability

The judicial systems of many countries contemplate the notion of "environmental crime". A crime always involves suffering; then, through the notion of environmental crime, the law recognizes the existence of a pain inflicted to the entire Earth. A narrative focused on "Environmental Crimes" allows readers to experience (virtually) this "pain of the planet." The purpose of this intervention is to illustrate how the thriller, thanks to the identification mechanisms, may contribute to the formation of an "environmental consciousness" able to feel empathically the planet's pain and prevent it. In other words, it is assumed that fiction can play an important role in environmental education projects.

In this paper, a PRA study was carried out in Khorwad watershed located on the bank of the river Mahi in Umreth taluka of Anand district in Gujarat state during December, 2011. The farmers' perception towards adoption of bamboo in Mahi ravines was studied with the help of PRA techniques in detail. Mapping of social habitation and resources availability in Khorwad watershed was done. It was found out that few farmers of Khorward watershed were cultivating bamboo in ravine wastelands and boundaries of their farms, whereas they were cultivating crops and fruits trees on leveled lands on upper side of Mahi ravines. Seasonal analysis of bamboo cultivation activities in Mahi ravines is also dealt in the paper. The different activities of bamboo cultivation were carried out by the farmers and they were very much busy in the month of April to June. The transect walk was also carried out along with the local farmers to verify and observe the information provided by the villagers during PRA exercise. The preference of bamboo adoption in Mahi ravines by the farmers was studied and it was found out that the 33.3 per cent of farmers of Khorwad village preferred bamboo plantation in ravine beds. A few farmers of other villages preferred bamboo plantation in ravine wastelands. The problems faced by farmers in bamboo adoption in Mahi ravines were found out with the help of matrix analysis technique. The farmers of Khorwad watershed perceived the wild animals attack and termite attack as major problems in the Mahi ravines area in bamboo cultivation.

"Dr. Mahboob’s book is not a conventional academic monograph. It stands as an evocative blend of poetry and critical thought, offering a fresh perspective on knowledge creation and dissemination. For the academic reader rooted in sociolinguistics, this work provides more than theoretical reflection—it offers healing through its poetic prose. Mahboob disrupts the expectations of academic writing, challenging the hegemony of English as both the subject and the medium of scholarship. His poetic form invites readers to reconsider how knowledge is produced, shared, and consumed, especially within the constraints of Western academic conventions."

The study is focused on mapping geophysical settings on the margins of the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP). Active volcanism and seismic situation along the margins of the Philippine Sea Basin (PSB) shows earthquake events demonstrating high seismicity of the region caused by tectonic plate subduction. The aim was to perform cartographic mapping of the earthquake events using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) modules, to analyze seismic situation through visualization of the geophysical datasets. The data was processed by GMT using multi-source data: GEBCO, CMT and ISC seismic data. Technically, a set of GMT modules was used ('psmeca' , 'psvelo' , 'grdtrack' , 'grdimage') for data modelling and mapping. An application of GMT functionality is presented by selected code snippets with selected code snippets for 'psmeca ' and 'psvelo' , 'img2grd' , 'img2grd' modules. Current paper presents a report on the cartographic techniques applied for geophysical mapping. Centroid moment tensor solutions are visualized for shallow depth earthquakes of Mw <10 along the PSB margins from 1976 to 2010. Earthquakes along the tectonic plate subduction zone are shown by GMT. Data from Global Centroid-Moment-Tensor (CMT) Project. Presented and explained GMT code snippets contribute to the development of methods in geological mapping using GMT scripting toolset, for visualizing focal mechanisms.

In the present research, a scripting cartographic technique for the environmental mapping of Ethiopia using climate and topographic datasets is developed. The strength of the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) is employed for the effective visualisation of the seven maps using high-resolution data: GEBCO, TerraClimate, WorldClim, CRUTS 4.0 in 2018 by considering the solutions of map design. The role of topographic characteristics for climate variables (evapotranspiration, downward surface shortwave radiation, vapour pressure, vapour pressure deficit and climatic water deficit) is explained. Topographic variability of Ethiopia is illustrated for geographically dispersed and contrasting environmental setting in its various regions: Afar, Danakil Depression, Ethiopian Highlands, Great Rift Valley, lowlands and Ogaden Desert. The relationships between the environmental and topographic variables are investigated with aid of literature review and the outcomes are discussed. The maps are demonstrated graphically to highlight variables enabling to find correlations between the geographic phenomena, their distribution and intensity. The presented maps honor the environmental and topographic data sets within the resolution of the data. Integration of these results in the interpretation maps presented here brings new insights into both the variations of selected climate variables, and the topography of Ethiopia.

Monitoring wetlands of Kenya is critical for analysis of environmental changes since they present unique ecosystems with special hydrological balance and biodiversity. In this study, the Landsat 8-9 OLI/TIRS satellite images for 2015-2022 were classified using GRASS GIS scripts to evaluate changes in the Lorian Swamp wetland, north-eastern Kenya. The results of the image analysis presented maps of land cover changes including wetlands. The study demonstrated technical effectiveness of the GRASS GIS for image analysis, and contributed to the environmental monitoring of African wetlands. Cartographie des zones humides du Kenya à l'aide de données de télédétection et de scripts de GRASS GIS. La surveillance des zones humides du Kenya est essentielle pour l'analyse des changements environnementaux car elles présentent des écosystèmes uniques avec un équilibre hydrologique et une biodiversité particuliers. Dans cette étude, les images satellite Landsat 8-9 OLI/TIRS pour 2015-2022 ont été classées à l'aide de scripts SIG GRASS pour évaluer les changements dans la zone humide du marais de Lorian, au nord-est du Kenya. Les résultats de l'analyse d'images ont présenté des cartes des changements d'occupation du sol, y compris les zones humides. L'étude a démontré l'efficacité technique du SIG GRASS pour l'analyse d'images et a contribué à la surveillance environnementale en Afrique. REZUMAT: Cartografierea zonelor umede din Kenya folosind date de teledetecție și scripturi GRASS GIS. Monitorizarea zonelor umede din Kenya este esențială pentru analiza schimbărilor de mediu, deoarece acestea prezintă ecosisteme unice cu echilibru hidrologic și biodiversitate deosebite. În acest studiu, imaginile satelitului Landsat 8-9 OLI/TIRS pentru 2015-2022 au fost clasificate folosind scripturile GRASS GIS pentru a evalua schimbările din zona umedă Lorian Swamp, din nord-estul Keniei. Rezultatele analizei imaginii au prezentat hărți ale modificărilor acoperirii solului, inclusiv zonele umede. Studiul a demonstrat eficacitatea GIS GRASS pentru monitorizarea mediului în zonele umede africane.

Automated classification of satellite images is a challenging task that enables the use of remote sensing data for environmental modeling of Earth’s landscapes. In this document, we implement a GRASS GIS-based framework for discriminating land cover types to identify changes in the endorheic basins of the ephemeral salt lakes Chott Melrhir and Chott Merouane, Algeria; we employ embedded algorithms for image processing. This study presents a dataset of the nine Landsat 8–9 OLI/TIRS satellite images obtained from the USGS for a 9-year period, from 2014 to 2022. The images were analyzed to detect changes in water levels in ephemeral lakes that experience temporal fluctuations; these lakes are dry most of the time and are fed with water during rainy periods. The unsupervised classification of images was performed using GRASS GIS algorithms through several modules: ‘i.cluster’ was used to generate image classes; ‘i.maxlik’ was used for classification using the maximal likelihood discrimi...

The paper concerns GMT application for studies of the geophysical and geomorphological settings of the Weddell Sea. Its western part is occupied by the back-arc basin developed during geologic evolution of the Antarctic. The mapping presents geophysical settings reflecting tectonic formation of the region, glaciomarine sediment distribution and the bathymetry. The GlobSed grid highlighted the abnormally large thickness of sedimentary strata resulted from the long lasting sedimentation and great subsidence ratio. The sediment thickness indicated significant influx (>13,000m) in the southern segment. Values of 6,000-7,000 m along the peninsula indicate stability of the sediments influx. The northern end of the Filchner Trough shows increased sediment supply. The topography shows variability -7,160-4,763 m. The ridges in the northern segment and gravity anomalies (>75 mGal) show parallel lines stretching NW-SE (10°-45°W, 60°-67°S) which points at the effects of regional topography. The basin is dominated by the slightly negative gravity >-30 mGal. The geoid model shows a SW-NE trend with the lowest values <18 m in the south, the highest values >20m in the NE and along the Coats Land. The ripples in the north follow the geometry of the submarine ridges and channels proving correlation with topography and gravitational equipotential surface.

This study demonstrated the use of GRASS GIS scripts for satellite image analysis. The aim is to perform topographic and environmental analysis in eastern China, Shandong Province, Qingdao region. Variables include land surface temperature evaluated by correlation between the Landsat ETM+ channels and colour composites. The methodology is based on scripting by GRASS GIS modules. Data include two satellite Landsat TM images with a 5 years span (2009 and 2004). The images were imported to GRASS GIS using GDAL library by 'r.in.gdal' module. The topography (DEM) was assessed by GRASS GIS 'd.rast' module with isolines plotted using 'r.contour' and 'd.vect'. The map elements were displayed by 'v.in.region', 'd.vect', 'v.info'. The slope and aspect maps based on DEM were plotted using module 'r.slope.aspect' and visualised by a consecutive combination of 'd.rast', 'r.colours ', 'd.legend', 'd.text' and 'd.grid' modules. The scatterplot of pairwise correlation of the selected Landsat TM7 channels (10 and 20, 50 and 70) was done by 'd.correlate'. The applied code from the 'r.mapcalc' was used for image calibration from the DN to apparent radiance at sensor. Two maps showing land surface temperature for 2009 and 2004 were plotted by 'r.mapcalc'. The land surface temperature maps show lower values over the water and forests, while higher values in cities. Plotting land surface temperature map was made to analyse variations in climate settings in Shandong during 5 years based on the comparative analysis using 'r.mapcalc' module. The images were plotted by natural and false colour band composites using 'd.rgb' module and band combinations: 1) colour infrared with focus on vegetation (5-4-3); 2) natural colour composites (1-2-3); 3) contrasting slopes for topography (4-5-7); 4) vegetation analysis (2-3-4); 5) focus on land/water borders (5-6-7). The study has shown cartographic functionality of GRASS GIS scripts specifically for remote sensing data processing and topographic analysis. The environmental modelling has shown variations in land surface temperature, slope steepness and orientation (aspect). The GRASS GIS demonstrated to be an effective tool for remote sensing. Full codes are available on the GitHub repository of the author with provided link to scripts.

This paper presents a case of the script-based cartographic data processing by the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) and R language for geophysical mapping. The study area is located in Rwanda, Africa, which is notable for complex geological setting due to its specific location within the East African Rift. The active continental zone of the East African Rift extending in western Rwanda has importance on seismicity of the country. It affects gravity anomaly and influences the distribution and shape of the geomorphological landforms, as reflected in the topography of Rwanda. The aim of this study is to apply the cartographic command-line techniques for mapping. The geophysical goal is to highlight the correlations between the distribution, depth and magnitudes of earthquakes, topography and geophysics. Visualizing the geophysical anomalies and topography for the morphometric setting of Rwanda's terrain supports geological monitoring. The data include the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), Earth Gravitational Model of 2008 (EGM2008), satellite derived gravity and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Nine new thematic maps on Rwanda are presented and evaluated to demonstrate the influence of the East African Ridge on regional distribution of the earthquakes and volcanos in Rwanda. The maps demonstrated accurate and effective mapping achieved due to the functionality of R and GMT scripts. A regional analysis shows that the distribution of the earthquakes and volcanoes is the highest in the western part of Rwanda and the lowest in the east proving the correlation of the active seismicity with the tectonic setting and geology of the country. The console-based scripts of R and GMT are presented with provided link to the author's GitHub repository with a full access to the codes.

This paper presents a GMT scripting technique for mapping seismic moment tensor solutions. The underlying geophysical properties and settings of the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) situated on the margins of the Pacific Ocean are analysed. Active volcanism and high seismicity of this region located along the margins of the Philippine Sea Basin (PSB) results in a series of earthquake events caused by geodynamic processes of tectonic plate subduction. The proposed console-based framework of cartographic workflow is designed to perform mapping of the earthquake events using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) modules, to analyse seismic setting through visualisation of the geophysical dataset. The materials include General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO), Centroid Moment Tensor (CMT) and International Seismological Centre (ISC) seismic data. Technically, the algorithm of mapping by GMT consists in a consecutive use of modules used in a script run from a command line: 'psmeca', 'psvelo', 'img2grd', 'grdtrack', 'grdimage'. The GMT functionality is illustrated by the key snippets of code. The path to the full codes is provided with a link to the author's GitHub repository for technical repeatability. Furthermore, the algorithm of GMT enabled to visualise CMT solutions for shallow depth earthquakes of M w < 10 along the PSB margins from 1976 to 2010. Thus, the paper also demonstrated and presented the performance of the GMT on a geophysical dataset that features complete earthquakes data along the zone of tectonic plate subduction from the Global CMT Project. In both technical and geophysical cases, this approach of GMT-based mapping presents cartographic workflow better than state-of-the-art traditional GIS programs through increased automation of the cartographic workflow. The study contributed to the development of methods of geophysical and seismic mapping using GMT scripting toolset by visualising focal mechanisms and seismic moment tensor solutions.

The study presents the 2D and 3D mapping of the Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin, Iraq, and the adjacent areas using integrated cartographic approach of multi-source data visualization by Generic Mapping Tools (GMT), R language and QGIS. The geomorphological and geological mapping is based on multiple datasets containing raster and vector layers of the geological, geophysical, topographic, lithological and geodetic data captured from the open source repositories and resulted in 8 new maps. This study develops and presents an integrated cartographic method combining the use of various tools for different tasks in data visualization: QGIS for geological mapping, GMT for mapping geoid, gravity anomalies, 3D mesh visualization and 2D topographic mapping, R language (libraries 'raster' and 'tmap') for modelling relief (slope and aspect) of Iraq. The topography shows variation in data from minimum at -69 m below sea level in the Arabian Gulf, to maximum at 3754 m asl in the NE of Iraq. The map of geologic units of Iraq shows dominating types are Quaternary (Q) and Tertiary (T) that roughly divide the country into two segments (SW and NE). The Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin is dominated by Quaternary (Q). The 3D model of the Iraqi relief presented perspective view of the Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin and Zagros Mts with azimuth rotation at 165°/30°. The geoid undulations increase in NW direction: the lowest, negative values of geoid (-17 m) are over the Arabian Gulf which reflects the continuum of the Indian geopotential minimum. Maximal values of geoid reach 19 m in the SW and NW. The Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin has geoid variations ranging from -15 to 5 m showing correlation with topographic depressions. Free-air gravity model shows correlation of the values with topography proving general trend of the deficit of landmasses causing the negative or lower values in gravity. The values of Faye's gravity anomalies differ from minimum at -124.945 mGal to maximum at 327.724 mGal. The Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin has clearly negative values. The generated cartographic outputs (8 new maps) contribute to the increase of knowledge on the geomorphology, geology and distribution of geophysical anomalies of Iraq with a special focus on Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin. The technical research questions covered by this study relate to the cartographic data formatting, processing, integration and modelling using thematic multi-source datasets covering Iraq. The paper contributes both to the cartographic aspect of integrated mapping and to the regional studies of Iraq, Middle East and the Mesopotamia Foredeep Basin.

This paper analyzes two scripting approaches for topographic and geodetic visualization and geomorphological modeling of Bulgaria: R language and Generic Mapping Tools (GMT). The data include high-resolution raster grids: topographic datasets (GEBCO, SRTM), geoid model based on Earth Gravitational Model 2008 (EGM-2008) and DEM for geomorphological modeling of terrain: slope, aspect, hillshade and elevation. Scripting mapping was used as a replacement of the standard GIS methods of data visualization by a programming approach which is beneficial for the mapping workflow in terms of effectiveness of data processing. The paper presents 7 new maps and concludes that mapping by R and GMT that incorporate shell scripting and finely adjusted controlling on cartographic plotting, along with expanded functionality of data visualization in GMT and geospatial modeling in R, have the greatest potential for contemporary cartographic and geodetic techniques.

Integrated geophysical mapping benefits from visualizing multi-source datasets including gravity and satellite altimetry data using 2D and 3D techniques. Applying scripting cartographic approach by R language and GMT supported by traditional mapping in QGIS is presented in this paper with a case study of Iranian geomorphology and a special focus on Zagros Fold-and-Thrust Belt, a unique landform of the country affected by complex geodynamic structure. Several modules of GMT and ’tmap’ and ’raster’ packages of R language were shown to illustrate the efficiency of the console-based mapping by scripts. Data sources included high-resolution raster grids of GEBCO/SRTM, EGM-2008, SRTM DEM and vector geologic layers of USGS. The cartographic objective was to visualize thematic maps of Iran: topography, geology, satellite-derived gravity anomalies, geoid undulations and geomorphology. Various cartographic techniques were applied to plot the geophysical and topographic field gradients and cat...

This research describes a script-based method of Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) for mapping the seismicity, geophysics, geology and topography of Ecuador. The advances of GMT include the following points: (1) automation of workflow; (2) refined aesthetics of graphics; (3) speed console-based mapping; (4) multi-format data handling; (5) advanced syntax. An explanation of scripting with the examples of code snippets is provided. The results present six new maps of Ecuador. The distribution of geophysical phenomena and seismicity is compared to the terrain elevation, showing remarkable correlations with the topography and geoid. The data demonstrated low values in the depression of the Andes, the Gulf of Guayaquil, and the Peru-Chile Trench. The peaks in gravity are representative for the Andean topography. Local decreases in gravity correspond to the depressions in the coastal shelf and the Gulf of Guayaquil. The increase in seismicity is detected along the tectonically active areas. The...

This paper explores spatial variability of the ten climatic variables of Mongolia in 2019: average minimal and maximal temperatures, wind speed, soil moisture, downward surface shortwave radiation (DSRAD), snow water equivalent (SWE), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), vapor pressure anomaly (VAP), monthly precipitation and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). The PDSI demonstrates the simplified soil water balance estimating relative soil moisture conditions in Mongolia. The research presents mapping of the climate datasets derived from TerraClimate open source repository of the meteorological and climate measurements in NetCDF format. The methodology presented the compiled observations of Mongolia visualised by GMT coding approach using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) cartographic scripting toolset. The results present 10 new maps of climate data over Mongolia made using automated cartographic techniques of GMT. Spatial environmental and climate analysis were conducted which determine rel...

Cartographic visualization is a key means for the analysis of the Earth's environmental processes. In view of the rapidly increasing multi-source data, cartographic approaches are updated accordingly. Mapping of countries characterized by complex geologic settings, such as Tanzania, requires implementation of advanced approaches. Cartographic solutions for the best visualization aim to provide elaborate content in an understandable and interoperable way in multi-disciplinary studies. This study presents such an approach by using Generic Mapping Tools (GMT), R and QGIS for cartographic mapping of Tanzania, with five maps addressing the natural setting (geology, topography, geophysics) and four maps showing the geomorphometric analysis. The 2D maps and the 3D mesh model were made by the traditional Geographic Information System (GIS) and scripting approaches. The features of the geomorphometric maps (slope, aspect, hillshade, elevation) were plotted by means of R. The technical methods are illustrated by the example of scripts. The paper contributes to the regional studies of Tanzania.

Calculation of vegetation indices, especially Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), has become one of the most successful, popular and traditional attempts in biogeographical research methods, because NDVI has certain advantages over other vegetation indices or band combinations. The NDVI is less depending on soil properties of the research area as well as to the daytime illumination comparing to simple red-infrared bands combination [5]. NDVI is well adjusted specially for the analysis of vegetation properties, which can be indirectly interpreted from the objects colors, as shown on the raster image. However, the correlation of the results received from the satellite spectral signals may not necessarily precisely correlate with real data on biomass and vegetation quality which is caused by the local climatic settings and biogeochemical background of the research area. Methodology of this work consists in following. Producing vegetation indices has been done in this researc...

Differences in soil types, climatic conditions, history and culture, policies and the proximity of input and output markets in a region have, over the ages, led to substantial differences in the agriculture of a region. Over time, these regional differences in agricultural systems have contributed to the creation of typical landscapes, typical fauna and flora in a region, diversity in agricultural products, traditions and cultural elements. However, as a result of globalization, technological developments and social migration, these regional differences are threatened to disappear which causes typical elements of local farming systems to gradually fade away. Another consequence of these processes is an increasing marginalization of regionally embedded small scale farms and farming systems. This paper argues that a possible solution to these problems is to stimulate the multifunctionality of agriculture by emphasizing its territorial embeddedness, its contribution to the identity of a region and as such to the competitiveness of regions. For this strategy to be successful there is a need for a territorial approach in agricultural policy and a polycentric governance system with different elements which strengthen each other.

Potato production is one of the main branches of crop production in the Russian Federation. The Leningrad region is the leading potato-growing region in the northwest of Russia. The sustainability of potato production depends on many factors, such as the level of agricultural technology, seed quality, soil characteristics, weather, climatic conditions, etc. Among weather and climatic factors, air temperature and precipitation are the main meteorological variables. The article analyzes the relationship between regional agrometeorological conditions and potato yields over the past 15 years. Based on the results of the study, it is possible to identify favorable weather conditions for the production of potatoes and increase its yield in the region, in order to optimize the decisions made on the sustainable provision of the population of the region with potatoes.

This study examines Nigeria's level of preparedness in achieving SDG 13 on climate action before the 2030 deadline. The study adopted a qualitative approach using a case study of two institutions responsible for the implementation of SDG 13 in Nigeria. Two national policies were appraised; these include National Policy on the Environment (NPE) of 2016 and the National Climate Change Policy Response and Strategy (NCCPRS), 2012. The study used the baseline finding and the interview conducted with the institutions to determine Nigeria's Government level of preparedness in achieving SDG 13 on Climate action. The findings showed that Nigeria has the right set of policies to enable the achievement of the SDG 13 and its targets since the 2016 revised NPE and the 2012 NCCPRS have captured all the targets of SDG 13. Hence, it is possible to meet the targets before the deadline of 2030. However, the findings also revealed, despite having the right policies, the two main institutions responsible for the goal implementation are not well-prepared due to lack of structures at the local government level and insufficient funding as well as inadequate personnel. The study recommends that the government should ensure the provision of adequate funding and the establishment of structures at the Local government level to enable them to implement the policies.

In an era defined by unprecedented volatility and interconnectedness, the Indian insurance industry stands at a critical juncture. Global events, from the 2008 economic crisis to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, have demonstrated with stark clarity that a reactive, siloed approach to risk is no longer tenable. The traditional model of managing risks within independent departmental functions-underwriting, claims, investment-is insufficient to address the complex, enterprise-wide threats that now characterize the operating environment. This plan outlines a strategic imperative for the adoption of a mature Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework, shifting risk management from a compliance-focused activity to a core strategic capability essential for long-term viability and success.

ZeroBuild Journal started publication life as of 01.01.2023. ZeroBuild Journal accepts scientific papers in every topic related to Zero Energy Buildings. The papers will be published in English language with an extended Abstract prepared in Turkish at first page.
ZeroBuild Journal invites scientific studies in the disciplines of Architecture, Mechanical, Industrial, Construction, Chemistry, Environmental, and Electric Engineering for publication.
As one of the first scientific magazines on zero energy buildings, we hope that the ZeroBuild Journal will make a very important contribution to the field. ZeroBuild Journal will share a perspective that shows researchers the trends of the industry, and make significant impacts both in the industry and in the current science.

Afghanistan is one of the developing countries in South Asia with an enormous renewable and nonrenewable energy resources. Since 1893, utilization of secondary (modern) form of energy in Afghanistan has been pursued. The trends of sustainable energy provision have been reinforced after the post-conflicts in Afghanistan. The Sustainable Development Goal-7 (affordable and clean energy access) encourages nations to assess their resource development of renewable, affordable, and accessible energy. Unlike many developing countries that struggle to identify domestic sources of clean, sustainable energy, Afghanistan has hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal resources as assets. This literature review analyzes Afghanistan's potential for renewable energy to identify obstacles and challenges like security, economics, and technology. Using surveys conducted by national and international organizations. This research evaluates Afghanistan's progress in meeting SDG-7, identifies the main barriers for renewable energy development, and offers recommended solutions. This study reveals the facts of energy sector development in Afghanistan to enable students, researchers, and practitioners with an overview of the current situation and future direction of the energy sector. Also, this study offers a concise outlook for energy sector investors and donors at the national and international stages.

Title Many assessment systems have been introduced to measure the environmental sustainability of buildings that aim to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions over the last decade. Examples are the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) in the UK, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in the US and Canada, the Green Star and Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) in Australia, and the Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Plus in Hong Kong. Some of the systems, such as BASIX, apply a mandatory approach for implementation; others, such as BEAM Plus, are voluntary with incentives. This paper aims to compare the difference between BASIX and BEAM Plus and discuss their different approaches to building sustainability. The comparison is important because it would then be possible to evaluate the implications of the environmental assessment policy tools in which two different approaches are used. The paper will first study and compare both the BASIX an...

What is 'community-led housing'? The phrase is used these days with increasing frequency, but what does it mean? How can it embrace the resource and advice hub set up by the London Mayor to build more affordable housing, and which has just been allocated £38 million of funds, and, at the same time, proposals made by campaigners trying to save the Old Tidemill Wildlife Garden in Lewisham, which has been condemned to demolition and redevelopment by a council and housing association acting with the financial support and planning permission of the same London Mayor? Beyond its rhetoric of government decentralisation and resident empowerment, what does 'community-led' mean in practice? Is it an initiative by London communities in response to the threat to their homes of estate demolition schemes implemented by councils in which they no longer have any trust? Is it emblematic of the kind of initiative envisaged by the former Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, in his image of a Big Society www.architectsforsocialhousing.co.uk January 2019 2 that takes back responsibility for housing UK citizens from the state and places it in the hands of entrepreneurs, whether small developers or housing co-operatives? Is it a way to relieve London councils of the responsibility for housing their constituents? Is it just another term in the increasingly duplicitous lexicon of Greater London Authority housing policies designed to hand public land and funds over to private developers and investors under the guise of being 'community-led'? Or is it a genuine, if limited, solution to London's crisis of housing affordability, one that will finally build and manage at least some of the homes in which Londoners can afford to live? In this article we address these questions through looking at 'Brixton Gardens', a proposal for a co-operative housing development that was made last year by Architects for Social Housing in partnership with the Brixton Housing Co-operative. The Architects for Social Housing/Brixton Housing Co-operative proposal was made in response to the London Mayor's Small Sites x Small Builders programme, which was published by the Greater London Authority (GLA) in January 2018. According to the guidance for proposals and submission proforma, this programme aims to:] 1 Bring forward small, publicly-owned sites for residential-led development, in a streamlined way; 2 Invigorate new and emerging 'sources of supply', including small developers, small housing associations and community-led housing organisations. The GLA invited bids from small innovative developers, addressing what they call 'challenging' sites with creativity and a desire to deliver new homes. They state that they welcome a range of new entrants to the market, including community land trusts, housing co-operatives, co-housing groups, and custom-or self-builders, as well as registered providers of social housing who may be looking to develop new housing. There is no eligibility criteria for those making proposals, with the GLA stating they are interested in organisations who intend to deliver their proposed scheme and help build more homes for Londoners.

This article investigates the impact of cross-border movement from Lesotho to the eastern Free State towns of Ficksburg, Ladybrand and We p e n e r. The many Basotho who visit these towns have a tangible impact on economic activity and service provision. The findings include, among other things, the major economic benefits for the border towns and the impact on South Africa's health and education services. Stakeholders attributed both the fast growth of informal settlements and the high rate of unemployment to the movement of Lesotho citizens, but this could not be verified. Policy recommendations include the need to facilitate the flow of people and to garner reliable information on which to base planning and decision-making. In die artikel word die impak van die oorgrensbeweging van die bevolking van Lesotho na die Oos-Vrystaatse dorpe Ficksburg, Ladybrand en Wepener ondersoek. Die groot getalle Basotho's wat die grensdorpe besoek het 'n betekenisvolle impak op ekonomies aktiwiteite en diensverskaffing. Die bevindinge sluit onder meer in die omvangryke ekonomiese voordele vir die grensdorpe en die beperkte impak op Suid-Afrikaanse gesondheidsdienste en onderwys. Alhoewel rolspelers die snelle groei van informele nedersettings en hoë werkloosheid toeskryf aan die teenwoordigheid van die burgers van Lesotho, kan dit nie bevestig word nie. Beleidsaanbevelings behels onder meer die behoefte om die vloei van die mense te reguleer en die behoefte aan betroubare inligting vir toekomstige besluitneming en beplanning.

The case of Cuba offers a unique opportunity to investigate the dynamism of climate vulnerability. This paper takes a closer look at recent economic and social developments in Cuba, and how these affect patterns of vulnerability. Faced with the ongoing processes of climate change and economic globalization, Cuban households are carefully trying to sustain livelihood. Findings suggest that social networks are important as means of accessing coping strategies. Their access is on the other hand not equally distributed. Language of report: English Rapporten kan bestilles fra: CICERO Senter for klimaforskning P.

Climate adaptation has become a pressing issue. Yet little attention has been paid to the consequences of adaptation policies and practices for sustainability. Recognition that not every adaptation to climate change is a good one has drawn attention to the need for sustainable adaptation strategies and measures that contribute to social justice and environmental integrity. This paper presents four normative principles to guide responses to climate change and illustrates the significance of the 'sustainable adaptation' concept through case studies from diverse contexts. The principles include: first, recognize the context for vulnerability, including multiple stressors; second, acknowledge that differing values and interests affect adaptation outcomes; third, integrate local knowledge into adaptation responses; and fourth, consider potential feedbacks between local and global processes. We argue that fundamental societal transformations are required in order to achieve sustainable development pathways and avoid adaptation funding going into efforts that exacerbate vulnerability and contribute to rising emissions. Despite numerous challenges involved in achieving such change, we suggest that sustainable adaptation practices have the potential to address some of the shortcomings of conventional social and economic development pathways.

Solid waste management (SWM) is one of the key responsibilities of city administrators and one of the effective proxies for good governance. Effective SWM mitigates adverse health and environmental impacts, conserves resources, and improves the livability of cities. However, unsustainable SWM practices, exacerbated by rapid urbanization and financial and institutional limitations, negatively impact public health and environmental sustainability. This review article assesses the human and environmental health impacts of SWM practices in the Global South cities that are the future of global urbanization. The study employs desktop research methodology based on in-depth analysis of secondary data and literature, including official documents and published articles. It finds that the commonplace SWM practices include mixing household and commercial garbage with hazardous waste during storage and handling. While waste storage is largely in old or poorly managed facilities such as storage c...

Coastal reclamation for residential, tourism, and commercial developments in the Arabian Peninsula and other global regions has dramatically increased in recent decades. This phenomenon is undoubtedly innovative and novel; however, it disrupts the natural balance of marine environments and degrades coastal and marine resources. Moreover, the long-term sustainability of such developments might be undermined by rising water levels, earthquakes, and the behavior of filling material and others. This paper analyzed the extent of land reclamation in the Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) along the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia within the last two decades and its environmental sustainability impacts. The study used satellite images to compare the coastal boundary of the study area from 2000 to 2020. The study analyzed five major reclamation projects and found that a total of 6081 hectares of land has been reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf, thereby altering the coastal profile of DMA significantl...

Finally, we note something remarkable about both the visionary agroecopreneurs and service providers we interviewed. Both work in holistic ways to respond to a new market and a new climate through agroecology. Agroecopreneurs are using all of their skills and leverage to both train and organize farmers to adapt traditional and new techniques and embrace diverse crop mixes, as well as organize themselves into economic units and market to consumers.

A sustentabilidade ambiental e um aspecto crucial para o projeto de equipamentos de mobiliario urbano, tendo em vista a reducao dos impactos nas diversas fases do ciclo de vida, como extracao de materias-primas, fabricacao, transporte, montagem, manutencao e destinacao final apos o periodo de vida util. Este artigo apresenta a avaliacao dos aspectos de sustentabilidade ambiental relacionados a um novo modelo de abrigo de onibus desenvolvido para a cidade de Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais – Brasil, no qual se percebe a ausencia de integracao dos aspectos de ecoeficiencia do produto. Para uma possivel melhoria dos resultados ambientais, algumas prioridades sao apontadas e devem ser consideradas no projeto de design. Os metodos utilizados para avaliacao foram as ferramentas Diagrama de Estrategias de Ecodesign (DEE); Listas de Verificacao para Design do Ciclo de Vida; e Matriz MET (Materiais, Energia, Toxicidade). Um ponto importante observado e a capacidade de reciclabilidade do aco que...

Brick making is a significant economic activity in Bangladesh. There are more than 5,000 operating kilns, contributing about 1 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employing an estimated one million people [pdf]. The sector is also an important source of livelihood for large numbers of rural poor during the dry summer months, when agriculture offers limited opportunities for income generation.

Capital natural y funciones de los ecosistemas: explorando las bases ecológicas de la economía. La naturaleza es a la vez fuente de recursos y sumidero de los residuos generados por el sistema económico. Otros beneficios se obtienen directamente de los ecosistemas sin pasar por procesos de transformación ni por los mercados, como en el caso del aire limpio. Así, la buena salud de la economía y el bienestar humano están en el largo plazo supeditados al mantenimiento de la integridad y la resiliencia de los ecosistemas que la engloban. El que la teoría económica estándar haya ignorado este hecho, ha sido identificado como una causa fundamental de la actual crisis ecológica. Aproximaciones como la economía ecológica y ambiental tratan de poner coto a este tipo de carencias analíticas, desarrollando conceptos y formas de contabilidad que incorporen el papel de la naturaleza y los costes ecológicos derivados del crecimiento económico. Conceptos como el capital natural o las funciones y servicios de los ecosistemas están jugando un papel fundamental en la articulación de una nueva forma de entender la economía. Este artículo ofrece una breve revisión de dichos conceptos y discute posibles aproximaciones para medir su importancia (valor). Palabras clave: capital natural, servicios de los ecosistemas, valoración económica, economía ecológica. Natural capital and ecosystem functions: exploring the ecological basis of the economy. Natural ecosystems provide both resources and act as a sink of wastes generated by the economic system. Other benefits are obtained directly from nature without passing through transformation processes or the mediation of markets, as in the case of clean air. Economic health in the long term thus depends on the maintenance of the integrity and resilience of the natural ecosystems in which it is embedded. The fact that standard economic theory neglects this aspect has been identified as a main cause of the current environmental problems and ecological crises. Approaches such as ecological and environmental economics attempt to deal with these shortcomings of standard economics through the development of concepts and accounting methods that better reflect the role of nature in the economy and the ecological costs derived from economic growth. Concepts such as natural capital, ecosystem functions and ecosystem services are playing a key role in the articulation of a new form of understanding economics. This paper will give a brief overview of these concepts and discuss possible ways to measure their importance (value).

Este trabalho tem o objetivo de contextualizar a responsabilidade social corporativa aplicada nas micros e pequenas empresas da cidade de Maceió, onde é analisado quais os benefícios de uma organização com pouco espaço de mercado em nível nacional ao realizar um projeto englobando os aspectos da responsabilidade social corporativa. E tornar-se referência na cidade que está inserida, além disso, passando a ter pelos seus clientes um novo conceito. Serão analisados aspectos estratégicos de uma política de RSC juntamente com uma análise de itens que incidem diretamente no cotidiano das organizações.

This is a short introduction to the papers presented at the 3rd Workshop on Games-Human Interaction GHItaly19, that was held in connection with CHItaly 2019. This series of workshops focuses on the multifaceted issues related to the design and development of human-game interfaces. This entails multidisciplinary competences and skills, and the nal quality of the User eXperience depends on how consistently and smartly they are exploited. As a matter of fact, users’ engagement and satisfaction rely on the wise design and skilled evaluation of the produced (multidimensional) artifacts. This gains even more critical importance since the application of video games has long overcome the borders of amusement, to spur new possibilities for, e.g., continuous healthcare and education.

Zile; siyasi, dini ve kü ltü rel açıdan Antik Çağ Anadolü tarihine damğasını vürmüş çok o nemli olaylara ev sahipliğ i yapan kadim bir yerleşmedir. Nitekim, Hititler Do nemi'nde Anziliya, Antik Çağ 'da Zela, ğü nü mü zde ise Zile olarak adlandırılan bü yerleşme, kadim ğeçmişini halen isminde taşımakta ve yaşatmaktadır. Yerleşmenin dini kimliğ i, Hititler Do nemi'nde bir "kü lt merkezi", Antik Çağ 'da (Pers, Hellenistik ve Roma do nemlerinde) ise bir "tapınak devleti" olmasından ileri ğelmektedir. Bü sü reçte so z konüsü yerleşme; siyasi, dini ve kü ltü rel bakımdan ilk bü yü k değ işimi, Persler'in Anadolü eğemenliğ iyle bağ lantılı olarak, büranın Persler tarafından ele ğeçirilmesiyle birlikte yaşamaya başlamıştır. Bü dürüm Strabon'dan o ğ rendiğ imize ğo re, Zela'da Persler'in bir hileyle Sakalar'ı yenmesiyle ilğilidir. Persler bü zaferi, tanrıçaları Ana hita /Anaı tis'e borçlü oldüklarını dü şü ndü kleri için ona karşı minnettarlıklarını, büğü nkü Zile Kalesi Ho yü ğ ü 'ne karşılık ğelen Semiramis Tepesi ü zerine ona bir tapınak inşa ederek ve o zafer ğü nü nü de bir festivale do nü ştü rerek ve Sakaia olarak adlandırarak ve yine bü tanrıçaya adayarak ğo stermek istemişlerdir. Gü nü mü zde halen dü zenlenen Zile Panayırı'nın ko keninin bü Sakaia Festivali oldüğ ü dü şü nü lmektedir. Bü makalede konü, bo yle bir bağ lantının olüp olmadığ ını ortaya çıkarma amacı doğ rültüsünda, ilk kez Antik Çağ merkezli bir şekilde ele alınmış ve bü festivalin Zela'da ortaya çıkışından ğü nü mü ze kadar tarihte izlerinin takip edilebildiğ i bir kapsamda değ erlendirilmiştir. Neticede, Zile Panayırı'nın Sakaia Festivali'nin değ işime ve do nü şü me üğ ramış bir üzantısı oldüğ ü anlaşılmıştır.

This work presents the use of remote sensing data for hydrological and environmental analysis with a case of Dolomites Mountains, north Italy. The data includes remote sensing based micrometeorological measurements key hydrological parameters to calculate vertical turbulent fluxes within atmospheric boundary layers in coniferous forests. The period of measurements covered data from 2015. The operational workflow included statistical data processing in which the data were classified into categories of evapotranspiration, temperatures, precipitation, water pressure deficit and radiation obtained from various land cover types. The approach was implemented with aim at climate change and hydrological research and implications in forest ecohydrology in European Alps.

Critical animal law studies have evolved as a subfield of animal law scholarship to compliment the mainstream liberal approaches including animal welfarism and animal rights. Critical animal law studies draw from, amongst other things, critical animal studies, continental philosophy, critical legal studies, and critical theory. This chapter explores the extent to which critical animal studies now inform the theoretical basis of animal law scholarship, mapping this scholarly landscape and highlighting how researchers can contribute to critical animal law studies. This is done by collecting, organizing and assessing scholarly literature published on critical animal studies and animal law and reflecting on the future of the subfield. The scholarship of Maneesha Deckha is considered to be central in this regard. The conclusion is reached that critical animal law studies enhances animal law's contribution to socio-legal studies and should be considered by animal law scholars when justifying their choice of theoretical framework.