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Accelerating the rate of genetic gain has in recent years become a key objective in plant breeding for the Global South, building on the availability of new data technologies and bridging biological interest in crop improvement with economic interest in enhancing the cost efficiency of breeding programs. This paper explains the concept of genetic gain, the conditions for its emerging status as an indicator of agricultural development and the broader implications of this move, with particular emphasis on the changing knowledge-control regimes of plant breeding, the social and political consequences for smallholder farmers and climate-adaptive agriculture. We analyse how prioritising the variables used to derive the indicator when deciding on agricultural policies affects the relationship between development goals and practice. We conclude that genetic gain should not be considered as a primary indicator of agricultural development in the absence of information on other key areas (including agrobiodiversity, seed systems and the differential impact of climate change on soil, crops and communities), as well as tools to evaluate the pros and cons of the acceleration in seed selection, management and evaluation fostered by the adoption of genetic gain as a key indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a set of digitalisation indicators focused on measuring the different digital capabilities and infrastructure of electricity distribution systems, as opposed to previous indicators which have mainly focused on performance and quality of service aspects. The indicators are classified according to the pillars of digitalisation: sensor and actuator, connectivity, data processing, and digital culture. They are use-case-agnostic and do not require a huge amount of information. In addition to this, three possible new applications of these indicators for distribution system operators and regulatory authorities are identified and discussed. The extensive use of these indicators in Europe could allow the development of fruitful collaborations between distribution system operators, allow the identification of cause–effect relations between grid performance and digital infrastructure, and improve the replicability of innovative smart grid solutions. However, this will only be possible if regulators promote the adoption of the proposed indicators and the dissemination of their results. • Smart grid indicators are required by European Directive 2019/944. • Indicators on sensors/actuators, connectivity, data processing, and digital culture. • Indicators to provide an overview of the distribution grid. • Indicators to study relation between performance and digital infrastructure. • Indicators to generate information for the replicability of solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transportation systems play a vital role in contributing to the economic growth and social development of urban areas. However, a number of transportation-related issues continue to plague many urban areas. Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) were introduced to solve some of these urban issues by combining advanced technologies and operational management into existing transportation systems; and many researchers and transportation professionals have contributed numerous theoretical and practical solutions toward the evolution of ITS. As transportation agencies continue to invest in existing transportation facilities, an understanding of their current status for ITS needs and the effects of investments made is required for a strategic long-term policy goal for intelligent transportation. This paper presents indicators we found that can be utilized for a consistent ITS development strategy for road appurtenances and operational management to promote intelligent road infrastructure (IRI) in urban cities. We developed these indicators utilizing a text mining technique that generated a total of 23 indicators under the service categories of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Using the indicators enables city officials to establish a consistent strategy in assessing the current status of urban roads and monitor the effects of investments made towards a long-term policy goal for ITS. Another contribution of our indicators is their dedicated use for urban road appurtenances and operational management, differentiating them from other ITS-related indicators. Our indicators can be assimilated easily into the need analysis at city-wide ITS planning programs due to their compatibility and can be extended to future research to develop factors to prioritize ITS needs and decision-making for cost-effective investments. • Indicators were developed to apply for road appurtenances and operational management. • City officials can use the indicators to establish a consistent ITS development strategy. • The indicators were developed to be compatible with city-wide ITS planning programs. • The indicators can potentially be extended to prioritize the ITS performance of urban road infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Overheating regulations and calculation methods in 26 European countries were compared. • Most of the existing calculation methods are outdated and do not fit climate-proof buildings. • France requires a mixed-mode operation of naturally ventilated households. • The UK developed a heatwave-based calculation approach. • Comfort-based, multi-zonal, and time-integrated calculation approaches are needed. With the ongoing significance of overheating calculations in the residential building sector, building codes such as the European Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) are essential for harmonizing the indicators and performance thresholds. This paper investigates Europe's overheating calculation methods, indicators, and thresholds and evaluates their ability to address climate change and heat events. e study aims to identify the suitability of existing overheating calculation methods and propose recommendations for the EPBD. The study results provide a cross-sectional overview of twenty-six European countries. The most influential overheating calculation criteria are listed the best approaches are ranked. The paper provides a thorough comparative assessment and recommendations to align current calculations with climate-sensitive metrics. The results suggest a framework and key performance indicators that are comfort-based, multi-zonal, and time-integrated to calculate overheating and modify the EU's next building energy efficiency regulations. The results can help policymakers and building professionals to develop the next overheating calculation framework and approach for the future development of climate-proof and resilient residential buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article is in reaction to the new Directive (EU) on the resilience of critical entities. • It was created using the Critical Entities Resilience Failure Indication tool (CERFI Tool). • The CERFI Tool connects threat knowledge and the resilience of critical entities. • The CERFI Tool contributes to improving the safety of energy and transport infrastructures. • The use case focuses on the assessment of a physical attack on an electricity substation. The adoption of the new Directive (EU) 2022/2557 on the resilience of critical entities has raised the question of how to assess the level of resilience of these entities in relation to current security threats. Until now, approaches have focused only on assessing the resilience of critical infrastructure elements. However, the new Directive exemplifies the need to pay attention not only to the element resilience, but also and more importantly to the resilience of their owners and operators, i.e., critical entities. Based on this fact, the authors of the article created a tool for Critical Entities Resilience Failure Indication (CERFI Tool). The essence of this tool is a probabilistic algorithm that predicts the relationship between the threat intensity and the protective part of critical entity resilience through indicators (to be created by the assessors themselves). The result of this prediction is an indication of the critical point of failure of the critical entity's resilience in phases of prevention and absorption of impacts. The CERFI Tool thus contributes to increasing the safety of technically oriented infrastructures, especially those of an energy and transport nature. The paper concludes with an example of the practical application of the developed tool on a selected critical entity in the energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There is high consistency in the extent of land degradation. • There are consistent hydrothermal change characteristics in the land degradation hotspots area. Land degradation is a major impediment to achieving sustainable development. However, there is currently no harmonized global map of land degradation status and hotspots. This paper aims to obtain the status and hotspots map of global land degradation by multiple methods and indicators to give essential references for land degradation neutrality. The results show that there are significant differences in the distribution and degree of land degradation between the different methods and indicators. Validation through observation points reveals that most of the methods and indicators can reflect land degradation in arid and semi-arid areas, while there are suitable methods or indicators in tropical and high-latitude areas. The degree of degradation has a large difference after overlay analysis, which shows that there are shortcomings of different methods and indicators for monitoring the degree of land degradation. However, the overlay of land degradation extent displays a high consistency, reflecting the current state of global land degradation to a certain extent. These areas with high overlay value can be recognized as hotspots of land degradation. It is also found there are consistent water-energy change characteristics in the hotspot area, such as increased land surface temperature and air temperature and decreased soil moisture and precipitation. These results conclude that studies on the degree of land degradation need to be considered in an integrated manner about the regional background. The combination of multiple methods and indicators is recommended for land degradation extent studies in large areas. Comparison of different methods and indicators is important guidance for global land degradation research. Accelerating ecological monitoring and restoration of land degradation hotspots is the first step towards land degradation neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their limitations as proxy measures, indicators can serve as leverage points in encouraging policy change. Facing the global urgency of climate change and increasingly recognizing the role of education in providing the social and political impetus for climate action, indicators on climate change education can help. However, despite the encompassing of climate change education in several Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets, the associated global indicators currently rely on country self-reported and otherwise inadequate data. This paper describes a collaborative process of developing publicly available third-party data sources to support more robust indicators of climate change education, including in relation to the SDGs. • Climate change education is closely intertwined with the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular target 4.7. • High quality indicators can be useful to support necessary policy change. • The few existing indicators that on climate change education are based on self-reported and otherwise inadequate data. • Collaboratively developed indicators based on third-party data offer a path to the development of more robust indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address sustainability challenges in agriculture, private and multi-stakeholder initiatives increasingly use sustainability indicators to monitor the sustainability impact of farms. These indicators can be part of standards for certification or assessment tools to measure farm performance. While these initiatives play an important role in navigating the sustainability transition, insight in how these governance initiatives operationalize sustainability in crop farming is lacking. This paper examines how private and multi-stakeholder governance initiatives, which increasingly regulate the sustainability of a sizeable portion of agriculture globally, operationalize the concept of sustainability. It provides understanding into which sustainability themes are commonly included in sustainability initiatives, and those that are not, which can give insight into the direction these initiatives are steering crop production worldwide. We developed an overview of governance initiatives using databases and existing research on sustainable agriculture initiatives. Documentation about these initiatives was gathered and used to systematically review descriptive and institutional characteristics of the 29 sustainability assessment and standard initiatives. Moreover, we analyzed the kinds of indicators (i.e., performance, practice, and target) and the themes that are prioritized in the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability. The analysis shows that the 29 initiatives are very diverse in their characteristics. While some specifically focus on one crop or country, others operate across production chains and at a global scale. Within specific sectors or countries, certain standards are quite influential, for instance, the Better Cotton Initiative covers 22% of global cotton production, while in Ireland, 70% of horticulture farmers are Origin Green certified. Globally, 2% of the crop land is certified under one of the 14 standards that reported land use. Our analysis of sustainability themes show an imbalance across environmental, social, an economic sustainability, with environmental sustainability being prioritized. In particular, social themes such as quality of life, food sovereignty and fair trading practices were less often included (38, 24 and 21% respectively). Sustainability standard and assessment initiatives govern a substantial and growing portion of global cropland. They play a central role in determining what is considered sustainable and thereby influence which farming practices are applied worldwide. The impact of these initiatives is likely to continue to grow as sustainability assessments and standards become more widely adopted. In examining a large sample of standard and assessment initiatives, this study presents a comprehensive overview of the current state of sustainability indicators for crop farming globally. [Display omitted] • This paper analyzes both assessment and standard initiatives in crop production. • It analyzes the operationalization of sustainability in crop farming globally. • Imbalances are found across environmental, social, and economic sustainability themes covered. • Variation in the use of practice, target, and performance metrics can be recognized. • Continuous improvement is not widely incorporated into sustainability governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses historical energy consumption trends of the EU road transport sector and examines the role of key determinants, such as economic and population growth, fuel prices, passenger and tonne-kilometres and vehicle fleet characteristics. In light of the EU 2030 and 2050 energy and climate targets, the paper assesses the energy efficiency and decarbonisation progress from 2000 to 2018. A detailed analysis is carried out using a balanced panel dataset from 1995 to 2018 and a test for causality between energy consumption and the selected explanatory variables. The results suggest that the declining trend of the normalised energy consumption of cars, trucks and light vehicles, which both dropped significantly in 2018 compared to 2000, can be related to energy efficiency and decarbonisation policies adopted by the EU and its Member States over the studied period. Decomposition analysis based on the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index technique confirms the role of energy efficiency gains in curbing energy consumption of road transport, even with the strong upward force exerted by motorisation and population effects, especially in passenger transport. It also suggests that during the recession years (2008–2013), road transport consumption fell due to a sharp drop in the mileage but not in the motorisation effect, which continued to drive up consumption even in this period. Despite some positive developments, the increased demand for road transportation has led to continued energy consumption growth. This has been further compounded by differences between real-world and vehicle certification fuel consumption data. The article highlights the need to strengthen the current policy framework at the EU and MS levels in the next decade to reach the long-term decarbonisation targets. In the context of these targets, a more in-depth investigation of the real impact of energy efficiency and decarbonisation efforts will also become increasingly important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swiss agri-environmental data network (SAEDN) encompasses farm management data, which are collected and processed annually to calculate indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, potential biodiversity impact, or erosion risk. These indicators are yearly published in the framework of an agri-environmental monitoring programme and serve as decision support for policy makers and other stakeholders. Furthermore, the collected data are frequently used for research projects. This paper compares the SAEDN farms with the whole of Switzerland. It addresses the question of how appropriate the data collected are for monitoring purposes as well as research projects. The data collection procedure of the SAEDN is described in detail, including automated tests that improve the data quality. Furthermore, key figures of the SAEDN farms are analysed and compared with the whole of Switzerland in order to assess the significance of the farm network. The time-consuming data collection has resulted in a relatively small, non-random sample of Swiss farms (approx. 300 farms per year). The farms participating in the SAEDN represent the dominant agroecosystems of Switzerland reasonably well, while certain crop specialisations (viticulture and field vegetable production) and small ruminant husbandry are only marginally represented. The latter can partially be explained by an underrepresentation of farms located in southern Switzerland and in the mountains. Another problem is the continuously changing composition of the farm network. Thus, robust time series cannot be produced for all desired farm classifications (e.g. special crops). The collected data offer valuable insights into Swiss land use and farm management practices. To our knowledge, the presented dataset is the most comprehensive source of agronomic data in Switzerland covering many aspects such as complete crop rotations, field-specific fertilisation, and plant protection product use. The data thus provide an important basis for research projects, decisions in the political and legal context, and the development of a future monitoring system. [Display omitted] • The Swiss agri-environmental data network (SAEDN) is presented in this paper. • The suitability of the sampled data for agri-environmental monitoring and research projects is assessed. • The farms participating in the SAEDN represent only the dominant agroecosystems of Switzerland reasonably well. • The usefulness of the data for monitoring purposes is limited due to a rather small and time-varying sample. • The data offers valuable insights into Swiss land use and farm management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2018 European bioeconomy strategy sets a new vision for Europe's sustainable development: a transition to regenerative resource usage that embraces circular principles. Similarly, various member states have developed national bioeconomy strategies. To be effective, such strategies require methodologically sound monitoring tools that support the alignment of national and urban policies. Indeed, cities are central to the bioeconomy, mobilizing ever increasing amounts of biogenic materials. To better understand the suitability of national bioeconomy strategies for guiding urban circular bioeconomy transitions, this paper examines the composition, features, and topical coverage of national bioeconomy indicator sets with a threefold analysis: (1) assessment of the integration of circularity principles in the sets and their alignment with existing policy frameworks; (2) appraisal of quality and the fulfillment of the sets' functional purposes; (3) evaluation of the breadth and depth of tackled issues. Of the 27 EU member states, only nine have a dedicated bioeconomy strategy, of which four propose an indicator set. While there is a general lack of sophisticated monitoring, the tools proposed after the publication of the 2018 bioeconomy strategy (Germany and Italy) follow indicator development standards rigorously. They include circularity in their notion of bioeconomy and combine indicators for a comprehensive, substantial, informative and politically relevant analysis. These characteristics strongly improve the potential for alignment and coherence with urban-level bioeconomy monitoring efforts. Although national measuring tools are not intended to cover all urban needs, the findings of this paper give insight into their remaining gaps and highlight improvement pathways for an efficient EU-wide circular bioeconomy transition. [Display omitted] • Most EU national bioeconomy strategies lack sophisticated indicator sets. • National bioeconomy strategies should favor alignment with other policy levels. • Thoroughly developed indicator sets allow targeted answers to environmental change. • Recent strategies follow indicator development standards more rigorously. • Recent indicator sets enable monitoring of urban circular bioeconomy transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frugal innovation can help to foster sustainability and address global challenges, like building economic growth, addressing various social needs, and protecting the environment. However, if one wants to measure the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation or enable companies to make empirically informed decisions between frugal and alternative innovation, the question of how to assess these empirical impacts arises. The main objectives of this paper are the identification of approaches and indicators for assessing the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation and the analysis of empirical findings relating to prior assessments. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted, which identified 15 texts, and a qualitative content analysis was employed to evaluate their contents. From these analyses two main approaches for assessment emerged. First, the assessment based on the triple bottom line or the dimensions of sustainability (ecological, social, and economic). Second, assessment against the Sustainability Development Goals. In the identified texts, the sustainability dimensions are preferred over the Sustainable Development Goals for assessing the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation. From the 15 identified texts, 13 use qualitative indicators and two quantitative (conceptual) indicators. To answer the research question of the paper, a set of 47 qualitative indicators relating to integrated dimensions of sustainability for the assessment of the sustainability impacts of frugal innovation is proposed. In addition, this paper presents new insights relating to the empirical evidence of sustainability impacts of frugal innovation. Approximately 60% of 334 empirical findings from 70 different cases related to the Sustainable Development Goals contribute to the five (socially and economically focused) SDGs 8, 3, 10, 12, and 9. After a transformation to the Triple Bottom Line, these findings contribute predominantly to the economic and social dimensions (in each case 45%), and only slightly to the ecological dimension (the remaining 10%). In turn, 164 empirical results from 77 different cases related to the Triple Bottom Line show an almost similar contribution to all three sustainability dimensions with a small lead of the economic dimension. Nonetheless, in the opinion of the author, these findings confirm other studies, that from an empirical perspective, frugal innovation can be described as inherently socially and economically sustainable and ecological sustainability is mostly not the primary focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Five decades of academic research related to bioindicators for soil quality. • Bibliometrics and systematic review of soil bioindicators. • Network visualization mapping of bioindicator co-occurrence in soil quality. • Twenty-five most widely applied soil quality bioindicators. Biological indicators of soil quality express the capacity of a soil to maintain its ecosystem functions and services between socio-ecosystem inflection thresholds; therefore, they are determinants in management and land use decisions. However, their development until a few decades ago was limited for several reasons: reductionism and early development of other dimensions, such as physical and chemical indicators or their methodological complexity, thus affecting the importance given to biological factors and the integral evaluation of soil quality or health. Thus, this review presents a mapping of the scientific contributions of the last 50 years oriented to the theoretical and methodological development of biological indicators of soil quality, identifying their development and application in these decades. We conducted a bibliometric analysis that allowed us to present an overview of the field with respect to scientific production: temporality, geographical origin, institutional origin, journals that promote the development of the field, articles with greater influence by citation in the field of study, and the co-occurrences of these indicators in research. This analysis was complemented at the second stage by a systematic review of the literature with the greatest impact by citation. We found 2320 scientific papers distributed mainly in the United States (17.8%), China (12.2%), Brazil (8.3%), India (6.3%), and European Mediterranean countries, such as Spain, France, and Italy (14.2%). Our review showed 25 biological indicators with the highest occurrence; for example, microbial biomass (1 1 8), enzymatic activity (90), and organic matter (78); other indicators, such as earthworms, nematodes, or springtails, are also reported. All indicators showed relationships, to a greater or lesser extent, with soil biodiversity and its functions in the landscape. Important advances in soil indicators have developed gradually in the last few decades, with scientific efforts mainly concentrated in developed and emerging countries. In the last decade, the production curve continues with a growth trend., and research questions in the field revolve around the linkage of diversity and function from a molecular point of view. The scope goes beyond productivity, manifesting the real need to conserve and manage the ecosystem services of a limited and non-renewable natural resource. Pioneering research should begin to report on the scope of soil biological monitoring and its influence on policy, management, and land use. Finally, the promotion of research networks with developing countries can foster the development of regional and local soil monitoring policies in these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Review of indicator frameworks for urban sustainability and coastal adaptation. • Comparison of frameworks and analysis of differences and similarities. • Consistency among sustainability frameworks; ambiguities in coastal adaptation. • Varying scopes of city functions and risk create barriers to integrated assessment. • Integrated assessments can obviate unintended consequences and foster synergies. Current adaptation responses to sea-level rise tend to focus on protecting existing infrastructure resulting in unsustainable adaptation pathways. At the same time, urban development compromises a city's adaptive capacity if the climate risk component is ignored. While fighting for the same space, these two domains are currently widely analyzed separately. This paper develops a framework for integrating sustainability assessments of sustainable urban development (SUD) and coastal adaptation to climate change (CACC). Through a systematic literature review, we collected more than 2,700 indicators for SUD and 1,800 indicators for CACC. The indicators occurring most frequently are extracted and structured into frameworks. The study highlights the differences and similarities between the two frameworks. We further identify complementary and conflicting objectives that can advance or inhibit the effective integration of SUD and CACC. CACC tends to focus on assessing specific adaptation measures and their immediate impact on the city's vulnerability, ignoring wider impacts on socioeconomic systems. SUD considers the city and its functions as a whole but ignores vulnerability assessments across urban subsystems. We develop a combined framework for sustainability assessment that may serve as a basis for both qualitative and quantitative integrated studies under the paradigm of sustainable adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism brings great opportunities of growth with relatively small investments in physical and human capital, but it also comes with important negative externalities. This paper looks at the environmental cost of tourism in terms of solid waste produced in municipalities. Using the Data Envelopment Analysis developed by Charnes et al. (1978) and Banker et al. (1984), the paper estimates the efficiency of Tuscan municipalities in waste management and relates this measure to spatial and touristic variables. The scale of operations is also considered to see if tourism seasonality has an impact on the ability to operate at optimal scale. The empirical analysis suggests that seasonality has a negative effect on the efficiency of solid waste management and that this effect is primarily due to difficulties in operating at optimal scale. The seasonality of presences has a strongly negative impact on efficiency while tourists' average stay has a positive effect once scale effects are considered. The implications are that more effort should be made to flexibly manage waste collection in localities affected by seasonal tourism and reduce seasonality by incentivizing visitors to stay longer, for example by introducing a flexible tourist taxation as a function of presences and duration of stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pandemic preparedness and COVID-19 response indicators focus on public health outcomes (such as infections, case fatalities, and vaccination rates), health system capacity, and/or the effects of the pandemic on the economy, yet this avoids more political questions regarding how responses were mobilized. Pandemic preparedness country rankings have been called into question due to their inability to predict COVID-19 response and outcomes, and COVID-19 response indicators have ignored one of the most well documented secondary effects of the pandemic – its disproportionate effects on women. This paper analyzes pandemic preparedness and response indicators from a feminist perspective to understand how indicators might consider the secondary effects of the pandemic on women and other equity deserving groups. Following a discussion of the tensions that exist between feminist methodologies and the reliance on indicators by policymakers in preparing and responding to health emergencies, we assess the strengths and weakness of current pandemic preparedness and COVID-19 response indicators. The risk with existing pandemic preparedness and response indicators is that they give only limited attention to secondary effects of pandemics and inequities in terms of who is disproportionately affected. There is an urgent need to reconceptualize what 'successful' pandemic preparedness and response entails, moving beyond epidemiological and economic measurements. We suggest how efforts to design COVID response indicators on gender inclusion could inform pandemic preparedness and associated indicators. • A feminist perspective on debates about the use of indicators in global health. • Pandemic preparedness and response indicators consideration of gender is limited. • COVID-19 has led to the development of innovative gender-based approaches. • These can be built upon through greater integration of feminist approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • DDA and weighted RVA approaches were developed to assess hydrologic alterations. • DDA outperforms in detecting and calculating hydrologic alterations. • Flood control measures have altered the Gharnaveh watershed's hydrologic regime. • A high conformity exists between DDA and weighted RVA results and other approaches. Assessing the natural or man-made alterations in the hydrological characteristics of watershed systems is a prerequisite to develop watershed management, restoration, and conservation strategies and plans. The Range of Variability Approach (RVA), based on a suite of Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA), is most widely used to assess hydrologic alterations. However, the traditional RVA and its revised versions and alternatives all suffer from major challenges such as binning the data and using only the target range to compare the probability distributions of the hydrologic variables in the pre- and post-impact periods through applying simplified statistical analyses. This paper proposes the Density Difference Approach (DDA) and the weighted RVA to overcome these challenges. Despite the previous approaches, which divide the time series of the continuous variables into discrete groups, DDA uses the continuous probability density function (pdf) estimated by the Gaussian Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) technique. It considers the magnitude, frequency, and order position of all individual data in the alteration analysis. Furthermore, to account for the variations in the values and frequencies of the variables beyond the target range, which is neglected in the traditional RVA, the weighted RVA approach has been proposed. These suggested approaches, along the other widely used alteration assessment approaches, have been applied to quantify the hydrologic alteration in the Gharnaveh watershed in the northeast of Iran using 50 years of daily discharge data recorded at the Tamar hydrometry station at the outlet of the watershed. The performance of the alteration analysis approaches was further evaluated using the randomly generated time series with the arbitrary changes in the probability distribution parameters. The results indicate a significant difference in the alteration values and ranks calculated by different alteration analysis approaches. Compared to the traditional RVA, the weighted RVA resulted in higher alteration degrees for most of the IHA indicators. DDA outperformed the other alteration analysis approaches for both the observed and randomly generated data. It better accounted for the alteration in the key characteristics of the probability distribution (including the location, dispersion, and skewness parameters) of the randomly generated data series. We recommend DDA as an appropriate hydrologic alteration assessment approach that assists water resource managers and decision-makers through accounting for multi-dimensional attributes of hydrologic alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the European Commission's main objectives within its Green Deal strategy is to encourage organisations to adopt a circular economy (CE). Although the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) regulation is highlighted as a tool to help firms evaluate, report and improve their advances in this direction, no studies have been found that empirically validate the usefulness of EMAS as a circularity measuring tool. To address this gap, this paper analyses the information reported in the EMAS statements and determines whether it really is useful to be able to measure the level of adoption of the circular model in companies. Content analysis and statistical methods (Kendall rank correlation coefficient and Pearson's Chi-Square Test) are employed to provide empirical evidence from 122 companies. Results show that the information reported in the statements analysed is neither extensive enough nor provided as scalable and comparable quantitative data to be able to consider EMAS as a valid tool to measure and report the progress of companies in the transition towards a more circular model. Outcomes of the study have useful implications for policy makers and companies. Recommendations to regulators centre on establishing specific circular key performance indicators within the EMAS regulation, which would help companies transition towards a CE. Recommendations to managers include using EMAS reporting in a more comprehensive and indicator-focused way, which could help them visualise their current situation more clearly and be able to compare themselves to others more effectively, thus moving towards circularity in a more targeted way. • Using environmental performance reports as a tool to measure circular transformation in industrial companies. • The Environmental Management System as facilitators in the implementation of Circular Economy practices. • Waste recovery, sustainable raw materiales and renewable energy use are the most mentioned practices for companies with Environmental Management System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We reviewed the progress, indicators, and methods of agroecosystem services. • Agroecosystem services are closely related to agroecosystem functions and human agricultural practices. • Multi-source data fusion for integrated model will be the tendency for agroecosystem service assessment. • Agricultural landscape planning and governance can help to improve agroecosystem services and achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Agroecosystems benefit from many ecosystem services and are frequently managed to increase productivity. In recent years, agricultural industrialization has caused the loss of some important ecosystem services in agroecosystems, hindering some sustainable development goals (SDGs). In order to promote sustainable agricultural development, it is necessary to restore the damaged agroecosystems and improve agroecosystem services (AES). However, there are relatively few studies on AES, and fewer studies concerning the definition or connotation of AES. Therefore, this paper reviews current AES research, indicators, and assessment methods, as well as directions for future research. AES are determined by agroecosystem functions and human agricultural practices, with both positive and negative effects, scale effects, and trade-offs and synergies between AES. AES indicators can be classified as provisioning services, regulating services, and cultural services, with a few studies including supporting services. Currently, the main AES assessment methods include public participation, empirical model, mechanism model, and value estimation. Multi-source data fusion for integrated models to assess multiple AES will be the future research trend. In addition, AES research should develop additional promising topics, including considering both AES and agroecosystem disservices (AEDS); assessing AES supply, demand, and flow; and analyzing AES trade-offs and synergies comprehensively. This will extend the research field to the links between AES and SDGs and their applications in agricultural landscape planning and governance. This review highlights the importance of AES research to more effectively manage agroecosystems and promote sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metapenaeopsis andamanensis , a deep-water penaeid shrimp, plays a significant ecological role in the deep-sea food web. However, studies on its feeding ecology and trophic relationships in the tropical region remain limited. This study aimed to investigate the diet composition of M. andamanensis from the southwest coast of India, focusing on intrinsic factors (size, sex, maturity) and extrinsic factors (seasons), as well as the fatty acid profile. Our findings revealed that M. andamanensis is an active feeder, with females exhibiting higher feeding intensity than males, while immature individuals of both sexes showed minimal feeding activity. Additionally, females displayed a more pronounced carnivorous feeding behavior compared to males. Gut somatic index ranged between 1.1 and 1.42. Feeding conditions varied significantly with seasons, maturity stages, and ontogenetic classes. The primary diet components comprised detritus, foraminifera, and crustaceans, followed by gastropods and fish. Statistical analysis using PERMANOVA indicated significant differences in diet components between sexes and seasons (p < 0.05), sexes and size (p < 0.1), and sexes and maturity stages (p < 0.05). Notably, the percentage composition of diet components exhibited substantial variation with seasons, sex, ontogenetic classes, and maturity stages. Fatty acid analysis revealed an omnivorous-carnivorous feeding strategy of M. andamanensis , characterized by high proportions of essential fatty acids such as 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3, and 18:1n-9, indicating bentho-pelagic feeding activity. The shrimp exhibited notable levels of palmitic acid, oleic acid, EPA, and DHA, which are nutritionally valuable. Seasonal variations in fatty acid profiles were associated with the availability of different food sources. Principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the fatty acid profiles explained 72.4% of the total cumulative variance using the first two dimensions, highlighting the distinct dietary patterns of M. andamanensis based on its stomach contents. • Metapenaeopsis andamanensis plays a significant ecological role in the deep-sea food web. • M. andamanensis exhibit higher feeding intensity with pronounced carnivorous feeding behavior. • Fatty acid profiling of stomach contents provides insights into the trophic relationships. • Feeding intensity varied significantly with seasons, maturity stages, and ontogenetic classes. • Fatty acid analysis of stomach contents serve as trophic markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Intermittent rivers provide numerous ecosystem services. • This study provide 133 indicators to evaluate IRES ecosystem services. • A subset of indicators was applied to two Mediterranean rivers. • Ecosystem services provision strongly depended on hydrological phases. • This new framework can improve the management and restoration of IRES. In these times of strong pressure on aquatic ecosystems and water resources due to climate change and water abstraction, intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) (rivers that periodically cease to flow and/or dry) have become valuable assets. Indeed, not only do they supply water but they also offer services for humanity. Despite a growing recognition towards IRES, information for assessing their ecosystem services (ES) remains scarce. In a first step, an international interdisciplinary group of researchers developed a methodological framework to acknowledge ES provided by IRES using 109 indicators. A subset of selected ES indicators was then applied to two case studies: the Rio Seco in the Algarve (Portugal) and the Giofyros River in Crete (Greece). This paper discusses the applicability of these indicators, including the temporal and spatial variability of IRES flow regimes. Aspects of the framework, such as the methods and time required for data collection, the nature (demand or supply) and functionality of each indicator are discussed. The new framework accounts for flow intermittence in ES analyses and can help scientists and water managers to i) increase the ease and justification for IRES use in management approaches and ii) improve their conservation and restoration with a comprehensive set of appropriate indicators for IRES. In addition, the comprehensive nature of the proposed indicators ensures that they can be understood by a broad audience and easily applicable. Since they were designed through a public participation process, the setting has been prepared for holistic stakeholder analysis and education around IRES functions and associated ES. From a management point of view, it would be particularly relevant to perform an economic evaluation with this new framework to understand the value of each ES category and their trade-offs. For the scientific community, however, it is important to consider public preferences to design socially accepted policies. The proposed indicators can successfully bridge these elements, hereby establishing a solid basis for the assessment of ES provided by IRES. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There are considerable limitations to existing natural resource measurements. • Inaccurate measurements have biased studies on the impact of natural resources on development. • Natural resource wealth is multidimensional and come in several shapes. • The MINDEX represents a rethinking of natural resource measurements. • It also provides a diagnostic and policy evaluation tool for the extractives sector. Despite the vast amount of academic work estimating the impact of natural resources on development, very little attention has been devoted to the implications of using one type of natural resource measurement over another. This study fills this important gap in two ways. Firstly, it puts forward the biases and statistical misconceptions associated with different measurements of resource wealth, which have often led to the wrong classification of resource-poor countries as resource-rich and vice versa. As a result of the limitations of existing measurements, the discourse around extractives-based development has tended to lump various countries together, considering them all to be 'resource-rich', which is misleading. Instead, this paper shows that resource wealth and dependence are multifaceted. Secondly, in contrast to the conventional measurements that have relied on different indicators of resource wealth in isolation from one another, this study sheds light on the need for a multidimensional approach to measuring resource endowment. I propose a new indicator, the MINDEX, which weights six different variables of both resource abundance and dependence across several dimensions (extractives reserves, production, exports, and government revenues) that relate to the different steps of resource exploitation chain to harness natural resources for development. Because of its methodology, the MINDEX can also serve as a diagnostic tool that contributes to identifying some of the extractives-related policy challenges that a given country may face at a given time (such as illegal commodity smuggling, poor appropriation/taxation of commodity revenues, limited production capacity of existing deposits, vulnerability to commodity price fluctuations, and acute commodity dependence). It therefore also responds to the need for a new measure of extractives-based development to indicate whether a country is moving in the right or wrong direction over time and has clear relevance for informing resource mobilization dynamics and development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities account for 75% of resource consumption and 80% of CO 2 emissions. With rising urbanization, achieving urban sustainability becomes crucial. The Circular Economy (CE) concept has been proposed to reduce resource consumption, although its link to sustainability remains unclear from theoretical and practical perspectives. This paper provides an in-depth comparative analysis of 57 indicator sets used in academia or practice to measure either CE in urban areas or urban sustainability. Indicators were extracted and categorized according to three conceptual frameworks, namely: the STEEP categories, the Sustainable Development Goals, and inductively-created thematic groups. The similarities among the 57 sets were analyzed to derive clusters. Results show that CE represents a subset of urban sustainability, while offering more indicators to assess specific thematic groups (e.g., waste). In the discussion, the value added by targeting a CE rather than sustainability is questioned, and insights are provided to support actors involved in an urban transition to develop well-informed city targets. The results offer theoretical, practical, and methodological contributions, and aid involved actors, especially those leading urban transition agendas, to unravel the conceptual link between CE and sustainability, specifically at the urban scale. • Focus on how urban sustainability and circular economy are measured. • Indicators categorized according to complementary conceptual frameworks. • Indicator sets are analyzed to obtain and discuss clusters. • Circular Economy lacks novelty of topics covered, compared to urban sustainability. • For some topics, Circular Economy offers more indicators (e.g., about waste). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 17610 questionnaires, referring to 3892 students, are collected on several courses taught in Social Sciences degrees. • The multivariate nature of the data is explored using Multiple Correspondence Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering. • Degree- and student-specific characteristics are linked to response patterns. • Course organization and lecturer's ability drives the overall students' satisfaction. Students' evaluations of teaching is a common practice in higher education institutions, with the main purpose of improving course quality and effectiveness. In this paper we would like to contribute to the existing literature on course and teaching evaluation by providing an empirical analysis based on questionnaires collected by an Italian private institution, namely the Libera Università Maria Ss. Assunta (LUMSA), for several degrees in Social Sciences. In order to identify the main factors affecting students' satisfaction, we use not only teaching indicators and degree-specific characteristics, but also control for student-specific characteristics. Our analysis is based on a Multiple Correspondence Analysis for categorical variables, which represents a very useful method to study the multidimensional relationship among qualitative variables, along with a hierarchical clustering, in order to better summarize the results. Our findings reveal that student satisfaction relates to teaching and course organization. Moreover, we find some evidence that students typically evaluate their course on the basis of their experience rather than their personal interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, the peri-urbanization literature has attracted a lot of attention and many scholars have tried to examine these areas from different dimensions, leading to a comprehensive understanding of peri-urban areas. However, a review of domains, approaches, methods and indicators associated with peri-urbanization has received less attention. To this end, the current paper seeks to review them to fill out the gap in the field of researches related to peri-urban areas. The results reveal two thematic domains of peri-urban changes and peri-urban guidance. The methodological approaches were divided into three objective, subjective and pragmatic. Methods were analyzed under the subheadings of quantitative, qualitative and mixed and indicators were categorized in the form of procedural and substantive indicators. These categories form the methodological framework of peri-urbanization literature, leading to an increase in scientific awareness, understanding, supporting and validating of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]