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Sustainable agriculture is being transformed by drone-IoT integration, improving precision, efficiency, and sustainability. This study examines the pros and downsides of using various technologies to handle connectivity, data management, and power consumption issues. We assess existing integration methods, such as multispectral imaging, real-time IoT monitoring, and machine learning-driven predictive analytics, to gain actionable insights into soil health, crop conditions, and pest control. We also explore regulatory frameworks and technical constraints, including data security and affordability that prevent widespread use. Research shows that drone IoT solutions improve agricultural output, resource consumption, and farm efficiency, but cost and infrastructure hurdles limit availability, especially for smallholder farmers. These findings show that supporting regulatory frameworks and economical technology solutions are needed to increase adoption. Advances in agricultural autonomous decision-making could increase food security and sustainable farming worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses how integrating renewable energy, AI, and IoT becomes important in promoting climate-smart agriculture. Due to the changing climate, rise in energy costs, and ensuring food security, agriculture faces unprecedented challenges; therefore, development toward innovative technologies is emerging for its sustainability and efficiency. This review synthesizes existing literature systematically to identify how AI and IoT could optimize resource management, increase productivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within an agricultural context. Key findings pointed to the importance of managing resources sustainably, the scalability of technologies, and, finally, policy interventions to ensure technology adoption. The paper further outlines trends in the global adoption of renewable energy and smart agriculture solutions, indicating areas of commonality and difference and emphasizing the need for focused policies and capacity-building initiatives that will help, particularly in the developing world, the benefits of such innovations. Eventually, this research covers some gaps in understanding how AI, IoT, and renewable energy could jointly contribute to driving towards a greener and more resilient agriculture sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Festuca grass, a multipurpose and vital resource, is experiencing crises of sustainability and degradation due to increased demand and mismanagement. Through a survey research approach, this study aimed to develop sustainable management and utilization strategies for Festuca grass. We employed purposive and random sampling techniques for data collection, focusing on the Festuca grass potential in Borena‐Sayint Worehimenu National Park. Interviews, key informant surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations were also conducted. We employed quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques to ensure a comprehensive approach to deriving insights from the collected data. The findings indicate that Festuca grass has a lifespan of two to four years and fully matures within two years. Products derived from Festuca grass vary according to the maturity level. The results also highlight the demand for Festuca grass and the potential availability of market demand. Harvesting frequency, inappropriate management practices, biased resource sharing, and unauthorized exploitation are basic challenges related to grass resource sustainability. The establishment of certified user groups, domestication of private stocks, revision of resource‐sharing protocols, and periodic monitoring are among the possible potential strategic utilization options identified by user groups. A modified strategic framework for the sustainable management and utilization of Festuca grass was developed. This framework outlines four dominant management clusters that are interconnected with each other. Sustainable management of Festuca grass contributes to both environmental conservation and community wellbeing. It advocates for inclusive, community‐based approaches that balance ecological preservation with socioeconomic needs. The sustainability of Festuca grass resources is precarious and could face a significant decline or total loss if the current management practices remain unchanged in the coming decades. To ensure the effective utilization and management of Festuca grass, it is imperative to implement periodic resource monitoring, conduct stakeholder meetings, and apply a sustainable management framework. The responsibility for sustaining Festuca grass resources lies with governmental organizations, academic and research institutions, nongovernmental organizations, professional associations, and user communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sustainable agriculture is being transformed by drone-IoT integration, improving precision, efficiency, and sustainability. This study examines the pros and downsides of using various technologies to handle connectivity, data management, and power consumption issues. We assess existing integration methods, such as multispectral imaging, real-time IoT monitoring, and machine learning-driven predictive analytics, to gain actionable insights into soil health, crop conditions, and pest control. We also explore regulatory frameworks and technical constraints, including data security and affordability that prevent widespread use. Research shows that drone IoT solutions improve agricultural output, resource consumption, and farm efficiency, but cost and infrastructure hurdles limit availability, especially for smallholder farmers. These findings show that supporting regulatory frameworks and economical technology solutions are needed to increase adoption. Advances in agricultural autonomous decision-making could increase food security and sustainable farming worldwide.

Abstract Background Climate change is increasingly affecting the supply of resources such as water and food. From 2015 to 2018, Cape Town endured its most severe drought on record. Yet, resource management often occurs in isolation, which contrasts with the holistic perspective provided by the nexus concept that recognizes the interdependence of resource sectors. This study employs system dynamics modeling, to examine the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) water-food trade-offs and interactions using qualitative and quantitative approaches. It assesses various policies proposed by the CoCT, to improve system resilience and to boost future water supplies, examining their efficacy and potential drawbacks. These policies are tested against future scenarios including population growth and climate change predictions of different severities. Results The simulation results show an increase in food demand, which is mainly linked to population growth and a significant decrease in water availability. Without intervention, the CoCT is expected to experience serious water shortages within the 40-year simulation period. Conclusions The findings indicate that the CoCT’s strategies will effectively secure adequate water for its expanding population. However, a major concern was found to be the proposed intensification of aquifer exploitation. The model predicts that such an approach could lead to overabstraction of some aquifers, compromising their sustainability.

Background: Climate change is increasingly affecting the supply of resources such as water and food. From 2015 to 2018, Cape Town endured its most severe drought on record. Yet, resource management often occurs in isolation, which contrasts with the holistic perspective provided by the nexus concept that recognizes the interdependence of resource sectors. This study employs system dynamics modeling, to examine the City of Cape Town's (CoCT) water-food trade-offs and interactions using qualitative and quantitative approaches. It assesses various policies proposed by the CoCT, to improve system resilience and to boost future water supplies, examining their efficacy and potential drawbacks. These policies are tested against future scenarios including population growth and climate change predictions of different severities. Results: The simulation results show an increase in food demand, which is mainly linked to population growth and a significant decrease in water availability. Without intervention, the CoCT is expected to experience serious water shortages within the 40-year simulation period. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the CoCT's strategies will effectively secure adequate water for its expanding population. However, a major concern was found to be the proposed intensification of aquifer exploitation. The model predicts that such an approach could lead to overabstraction of some aquifers, compromising their sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The consequences of corporate corruption control (CCC) have either been investigated outside the firm (e.g. foreign direct investment inflows) or inside the firm (e.g. profitability). Yet prior research addresses these implications separately, treating them as distinct phenomena, ignoring questions at their intersection. However, corruption control can be leveraged to benefit both organizations (internally) and environments (externally). In line with open systems theory, this study aims to explore a ripple effect of corruption control not only inside organizations (efficiency through adoption of sustainable resource management practices) but also outside [community-centered corporate social performance (CSP)]. Design/methodology/approach: Using a longitudinal sample of multinational enterprises from Forbes list of "The World's Largest Public Companies," the authors use a cross-lagged panel design to provide clarity regarding causal effects. Findings: Results confirm causal directionality and support the positive effect of corruption control on resource management and community CSP, contributing toward understanding implications at the organization–environment interface. Originality/value: The authors examine both internal and external implications of CCC. The use of a cross-lagged design that is relatively novel to the management field allows to check for casual effects between CSP elements that were previously assumed to have reciprocal casual effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition towards renewable energy is not as impressive as expected when considering the wide array of efforts undertaken. Energy-abundant countries do not have sufficient stimuli to curb the use of fossil fuels; some of them even work on increasing international supply. Greenhouse gas emissions remain high. As the world population grows, more attention must be devoted to the transition towards renewables. This transition requires additional resources and leaves behind waste that must be recycled. Without a circular economy, the transition towards renewable energy will require extra power, resulting in a spiral that is very detrimental to the environment of our planet. This paper provides a picture of the current situation, discusses tendencies, and systemizes issues that must be tackled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of food security continues to be a prominent global concern, affecting a significant number of individuals who experience the adverse effects of hunger and malnutrition. The finding of a solution of this intricate issue necessitates the implementation of novel and paradigm-shifting methodologies in agriculture and food sector. In recent times, the domain of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a potent tool capable of instigating a profound influence on the agriculture and food sectors. AI technologies provide significant advantages by optimizing crop cultivation practices, enabling the use of predictive modelling and precision agriculture techniques, and aiding efficient crop monitoring and disease identification. Additionally, AI has the potential to optimize supply chain operations, storage management, transportation systems, and quality assurance processes. It also tackles the problem of food loss and waste through post-harvest loss reduction, predictive analytics, and smart inventory management. This study highlights that how by utilizing the power of AI, we could transform the way we produce, distribute, and manage food, ultimately creating a more secure and sustainable future for all.

Simple Summary: Managing fish feeding well is important for both making fish farming better and keeping aquatic environments healthy. By looking at the sounds fish make, this study suggests a new way to learn about how they eat. We turn these sounds into pictures and use advanced computer methods to figure out the different ways people eat. Our method uses a strong deep learning model that can correctly group the eating habits of a certain type of fish, which helps us figure out how much and how often they eat. With a 97% success rate, this method shows a lot of promise for better running fish farms and protecting marine ecosystems. In the future, researchers might be able to add more types of data to this method, which could give us even more information about how to farm fish sustainably and manage ecosystems. Understanding the feeding dynamics of aquatic animals is crucial for aquaculture optimization and ecosystem management. This paper proposes a novel framework for analyzing fish feeding behavior based on a fusion of spectrogram-extracted features and deep learning architecture. Raw audio waveforms are first transformed into Log Mel Spectrograms, and a fusion of features such as the Discrete Wavelet Transform, the Gabor filter, the Local Binary Pattern, and the Laplacian High Pass Filter, followed by a well-adapted deep model, is proposed to capture crucial spectral and spectral information that can help distinguish between the various forms of fish feeding behavior. The Involutional Neural Network (INN)-based deep learning model is used for classification, achieving an accuracy of up to 97% across various temporal segments. The proposed methodology is shown to be effective in accurately classifying the feeding intensities of Oplegnathus punctatus, enabling insights pertinent to aquaculture enhancement and ecosystem management. Future work may include additional feature extraction modalities and multi-modal data integration to further our understanding and contribute towards the sustainable management of marine resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economies and livelihoods in the Caribbean strongly depend on the terrestrial and marine natural resource base. There are critical gaps in quantitative data and the contextual and compositional factors affecting perceptions of changes in ecosystems and natural resources. This paper used interview data from 441 households in Belize, Dominican Republic, and Suriname to explore the contextual and compositional determinants of perceptions of change in the quality of the terrestrial, coastal/marine environment and natural resources as a composite variable. The outcome variable comprised changes in fishing effort, marine and coastal environment, forest cover, agricultural land area, and soil fertility, and relationships with predictor variables were explored using univariate, bivariate, and three multivariate models. At the univariate level, most respondents in Belize and Suriname reported perceiving a significant increase in fishing effort (i.e. days and fuel spent at sea) and a decrease in forest cover, quality of the coastal/marine environment, area of agricultural land, and fertility and productivity of soils. Sex, marital status, household size, and years of experience were not significantly associated with the terrestrial variables and fishing effort. Sex was only significantly associated with the quality of the marine environment. At the multivariate level, the elderly, high school education, and household incomes were associated with a lower perception of the outcome variable. It is concluded that policy and interventions should strongly consider ethnicity and community, and improve education and household incomes to enhance perceptions of changes in the quality of the terrestrial and coastal/marine environment in the studied countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of food security continues to be a prominent global concern, affecting a significant number of individuals who experience the adverse effects of hunger and malnutrition. The finding of a solution of this intricate issue necessitates the implementation of novel and paradigm-shifting methodologies in agriculture and food sector. In recent times, the domain of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a potent tool capable of instigating a profound influence on the agriculture and food sectors. AI technologies provide significant advantages by optimizing crop cultivation practices, enabling the use of predictive modelling and precision agriculture techniques, and aiding efficient crop monitoring and disease identification. Additionally, AI has the potential to optimize supply chain operations, storage management, transportation systems, and quality assurance processes. It also tackles the problem of food loss and waste through post-harvest loss reduction, predictive analytics, and smart inventory management. This study highlights that how by utilizing the power of AI, we could transform the way we produce, distribute, and manage food, ultimately creating a more secure and sustainable future for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the increasingly critical issue of environmental optimization in the context of rapid economic development, with a focus on wind farm layout optimization. As the demand for sustainable resource management, climate change mitigation, and biodiversity conservation rises, so does the complexity of managing environmental impacts and promoting sustainable practices. Wind farm layout optimization, a vital subset of environmental optimization, involves the strategic placement of wind turbines to maximize energy production and minimize environmental impacts. Traditional methods, such as heuristic approaches, gradient-based optimization, and rule-based strategies, have been employed to tackle these challenges. However, they often face limitations in exploring the solution space efficiently and avoiding local optima. To advance the field, this study introduces LSHADE-SPAGA, a novel algorithm that combines a binary genetic operator with the LSHADE differential evolution algorithm, effectively balancing global exploration and local exploitation capabilities. This hybrid approach is designed to navigate the complexities of wind farm layout optimization, considering factors like wind patterns, terrain, and land use constraints. Extensive testing, including 156 instances across different wind scenarios and layout constraints, demonstrates LSHADE-SPAGA's superiority over seven state-of-the-art algorithms in both the ability of jumping out of the local optima and solution quality.

This paper discusses how integrating renewable energy, AI, and IoT becomes important in promoting climate-smart agriculture. Due to the changing climate, rise in energy costs, and ensuring food security, agriculture faces unprecedented challenges; therefore, development toward innovative technologies is emerging for its sustainability and efficiency. This review synthesizes existing literature systematically to identify how AI and IoT could optimize resource management, increase productivity, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within an agricultural context. Key findings pointed to the importance of managing resources sustainably, the scalability of technologies, and, finally, policy interventions to ensure technology adoption. The paper further outlines trends in the global adoption of renewable energy and smart agriculture solutions, indicating areas of commonality and difference and emphasizing the need for focused policies and capacity-building initiatives that will help, particularly in the developing world, the benefits of such innovations. Eventually, this research covers some gaps in understanding how AI, IoT, and renewable energy could jointly contribute to driving towards a greener and more resilient agriculture sector.

In the face of growing challenges in modern agriculture, such as climate change, sustainable resource management, and food security, drones are emerging as essential tools for transforming precision agriculture. This systematic review, based on an in-depth analysis of recent scientific literature (2020–2024), provides a comprehensive synthesis of current drone applications in the agricultural sector, primarily focusing on studies from this period while including a few notable exceptions of particular interest. Our study examines in detail the technological advancements in drone systems, including innovative aerial platforms, cutting-edge multispectral and hyperspectral sensors, and advanced navigation and communication systems. We analyze diagnostic applications, such as crop monitoring and multispectral mapping, as well as interventional applications like precision spraying and drone-assisted seeding. The integration of artificial intelligence and IoTs in analyzing drone-collected data is highlighted, demonstrating significant improvements in early disease detection, yield estimation, and irrigation management. Specific case studies illustrate the effectiveness of drones in various crops, from viticulture to cereal cultivation. Despite these advancements, we identify several obstacles to widespread drone adoption, including regulatory, technological, and socio-economic challenges. This study particularly emphasizes the need to harmonize regulations on beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights and improve economic accessibility for small-scale farmers. This review also identifies key opportunities for future research, including the use of drone swarms, improved energy autonomy, and the development of more sophisticated decision-support systems integrating drone data. In conclusion, we underscore the transformative potential of drones as a key technology for more sustainable, productive, and resilient agriculture in the face of global challenges in the 21st century, while highlighting the need for an integrated approach combining technological innovation, adapted policies, and farmer training.

Mountains are social-ecological systems exposed to multiple climatic and socioeconomic drivers. The Pyrenees are a clear example of the concomitant challenges that these regions face, as they are exposed to stressors linked to depopulation, an economic shift towards tourism, and climate change. To understand how these multiple stressors affect the system’s resources, it is useful to study them from a social-ecological system (SES) perspective. Focusing on a Pyrenean SES, we use piecewise structural equation modeling and network analysis to quantitatively describe the interactions between water resources, biodiversity, and the social and economic elements of the system. Our results show that the current economic focus and dependency on tourism severely impact water resources and biodiversity. Future climatic scenarios forecast a worsening of the pressures on the hydrological system and may threaten winter tourism. Actions to alleviate the pressures on water and biodiversity and to increase socioeconomic resilience are a priority. We argue that such actions will have to include both a diversification of the region’s touristic offer and of the economy, coupled with a more sustainable use of water resources. Our findings highlight the importance of studying the interactions and causal relationships between SES elements. This can help gain a comprehensive understanding of how the SES functions and its sustainability challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine Society 5.0, defined as a future framework where advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and other digital innovations are integrated into society for sustainable resource management. Society 5.0 represents an evolution from the industrial focus of Industry 4.0, aiming for a harmonious balance between technological progress and human-centric values, consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our methodology involves a detailed literature review, focusing on identifying and evaluating the roles of AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies in enhancing resource efficiency, particularly in the water and energy sectors, to minimize environmental impact. This approach allows us to present a comprehensive overview of current technological advancements and their potential applications in Society 5.0. Our study's added value lies in its synthesis of diverse technological strategies, emphasizing the synergy between circular economy practices and sustainable economic development. We highlight the necessity for resilience and adaptability to ecological challenges and advocate for a collaborative, data-informed decision-making framework. Our findings portray Society 5.0 as a holistic model for addressing contemporary global challenges in resource management and conservation, projecting a future where technology aligns with sustainable, equitable, and human-centered development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign exchange reserves (FER), especially dollar assets, are vital for a developing country to maintain economic stability, foster growth, and protect against unexpected amendments. In recent years, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, several emerging countries have experienced significant economic hardship due to a crisis in foreign reserves. This has led to inflation and disruptions in supply chains, healthcare, and various service facilities. Despite the gravity of this issue, previous studies have not investigated the causes and consequences of such sudden crises. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the causes and consequences of sudden FER crises in a developing country, specifically Bangladesh, through a systematic review. The study also explores innovative process-oriented policies to mitigate the immediate FER crisis. The systematic literature review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. It included 90 articles published between 2020 and 2023. The results discovered that the FER crisis in Bangladesh has been triggered by both external factors (such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, trade imbalances, and remittances) and internal factors (including large infrastructure projects, complexities in the banking sector, local project subsidies, a managed floating exchange rate, and an over-reliance on the ready-made garments sector). These factors escorted deflation of the national currency, causing further inflation, declining domestic purchasing capacity, and raising concerns about food security. Additionally, price hikes and unauthorized storage of daily necessities made accessing daily essentials challenging for locals. The government has implemented three policy interventions, including managing consumer demand, safeguarding the supply of goods, and regulating continuous market monitoring to overcome the challenges. This study proposes eight innovative process-oriented policy recommendations for mitigating the immediate foreign exchange crisis and promoting sustainable economic development. Overall, this study offers valuable contributions in developing sustainable global economic policies. It fosters improved recovery and reuse of materials and energy while advancing long-term growth in developing nations.

The transition towards renewable energy is not as impressive as expected when considering the wide array of efforts undertaken. Energy-abundant countries do not have sufficient stimuli to curb the use of fossil fuels; some of them even work on increasing international supply. Greenhouse gas emissions remain high. As the world population grows, more attention must be devoted to the transition towards renewables. This transition requires additional resources and leaves behind waste that must be recycled. Without a circular economy, the transition towards renewable energy will require extra power, resulting in a spiral that is very detrimental to the environment of our planet. This paper provides a picture of the current situation, discusses tendencies, and systemizes issues that must be tackled.

Policy plays a significant role in accelerating or hindering a circular shift; Governments can set long-term visions and drive legislative change to create an enabling environment. Reflecting the regional picture, Zambia is experiencing increasing waste burdens due to a growing population and economic development. The current management approach is linear, characterized by low collection rates, inadequate disposal, and limited waste revalorization. From a sustainable development perspective, how waste is managed impacts pressing issues such as climate change and public health. The concept of the Circular Economy (CE) has gained global and regional interest given its potential to transform how resources are viewed and managed. Circular strategies may help to reduce waste burdens and create local socioeconomic opportunities while safeguarding the environment. This qualitative study uses document review and expert interviews to explore the current waste management regime in Zambia and understand if and how circularity is embedded into the policy approach. The findings suggest that the CE is potentially highly relevant for Zambia, but there are various policy challenges that could impede its successful integration into the national agenda. These challenges relate to ownership and coordination; gaps in implementation and enforcement; a restrictive licensing approach; obstacles to innovation and new entrants; as well as the role of informal sector actors. The challenges point to opportunities to overturn these policy shortfalls, which also presents future research avenues.

This review underscores the escalating global research trend in this field since 2000. The primary scientific disciplines contributing to extensive research on smart water meters are engineering, computer science, and energy. In terms of countries, the analysis reveals that the United States, India, and China exhibit the highest scientific production. Concerning affiliations, prominent contributors include Griffith University, Politecnico di Milano, and the Università degli Studi di Salerno. Regarding worldwide research trends, an examination of distinct clusters defined by their principal keywords was conducted. The following clusters were identified in order of significance based on the number of publications: Urban Water Meters, IoT Connection, Communication and Security, Grid Management, Water Networks, Hot Water, Groundwater Monitoring, and Smart Irrigation. Of particular note is the growing use of machine learning applications, especially in the management of distribution networks. This trend opens up a promising avenue for addressing complex problems in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches have established themselves in science and science policy as an adequate response to the pressing problems of global change. Despite a longstanding discourse on their potential, the promised successes of joint knowledge production seem to be stuck in rhetoric. A critical reflection of their own practice and an analysis of the causes of the difficulties are largely missing from the debates. As part of the dissertation, a transdisciplinary research project dealing with sustainable land management in southern Africa was accompanied and analysed in its process. The underlying structures, power relations and constellations of interests were analysed and their influence on the resulting difficulties and potentials of this new research practice was worked out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of a circular bioeconomy focuses on the sustainable use of biological resources, minimizing waste and negative environmental impacts. Soil ecosystem services are crucial in this context as they support agricultural production, biodiversity conservation, and nutrient recycling. The circular bioeconomy offers benefits like resource efficiency, reduced waste, lower environmental impacts, and economic opportunities, with soil ecosystem services playing a significant role in achieving these benefits. Soil provides various services for human well-being, including security, protection from ecological shocks, access to balanced diets, clean water, clean air, and energy for temperature control. This review highlights the importance of soil ecosystem services in circular resource management and bio-based sustainable production systems. These services encompass provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting roles, providing resources like food, fibre, and fuel, controlling erosion and temperature, offering aesthetic value, and sustaining plant and animal diversity. The bioeconomy comprises knowledge, research, technology, and innovation related to biological resource production, use, conservation, and regeneration. The application of circular bioeconomy strategies benefits from the ecological services soil provides to bio-based industries. The policy that converts farming, grazing, and woodland systems into renewable operations is bound to protect soil functions while relieving pressure on other critical ecosystem functions. Overall, a holistic understanding of soil ecosystem services is crucial for successfully implementing circular practices across different bioeconomy sectors. Soil conservation, sustainable management, and the protection of soil resources are vital for maintaining the services that support a circular bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of a circular bioeconomy focuses on the sustainable use of biological resources, minimizing waste and negative environmental impacts. Soil ecosystem services are crucial in this context as they support agricultural production, biodiversity conservation, and nutrient recycling. The circular bioeconomy offers benefits like resource efficiency, reduced waste, lower environmental impacts, and economic opportunities, with soil ecosystem services playing a significant role in achieving these benefits. Soil provides various services for human well-being, including security, protection from ecological shocks, access to balanced diets, clean water, clean air, and energy for temperature control. This review highlights the importance of soil ecosystem services in circular resource management and bio-based sustainable production systems. These services encompass provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting roles, providing resources like food, fibre, and fuel, controlling erosion and temperature, offering aesthetic value, and sustaining plant and animal diversity. The bioeconomy comprises knowledge, research, technology, and innovation related to biological resource production, use, conservation, and regeneration. The application of circular bioeconomy strategies benefits from the ecological services soil provides to bio-based industries. The policy that converts farming, grazing, and woodland systems into renewable operations is bound to protect soil functions while relieving pressure on other critical ecosystem functions. Overall, a holistic understanding of soil ecosystem services is crucial for successfully implementing circular practices across different bioeconomy sectors. Soil conservation, sustainable management, and the protection of soil resources are vital for maintaining the services that support a circular bioeconomy.

Wastewater treatment involves the extraction of pollutants, removal of coarse particles, and elimination of toxicants. Moreover, wastewater treatment kills pathogens and produces bio-methane and fresh manure for agricultural production. The connection between waste management and sustainability created the basis for this research. Wastewater treatment is part of the efforts to minimize water waste, minimize pressure on natural sources of water, and create a pathway for clean energy. A systematic literature review was selected for this study to evaluate and synthesize the available evidence in support of wastewater treatment for both economic and environmental sustainability. The articles were evaluated using the PRISMA framework to identify the most appropriate articles for inclusion. A total of 46 articles were selected based on their content validity, relevance to the research question, strength of evidence, year of publication (2000–2023), and relevance to sustainable resource management. The findings indicate that wastewater treatment enables sustainable resource management by improving the supply of clean water, and minimizing pressure on natural resources, energy recovery, and agricultural support. Wastewater treatment provides one of the most sustainable approaches to water conservation, energy production, and agricultural productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper explores the principles, methods, and responsibilities related to environmental purification, as elucidated in the Sirah (biography) of the Prophet Muhammadﷺ. Drawing upon historical accounts and primary sources, the study delves into the Prophet's exemplary practices and teachings concerning environmental conservation, sustainable living, and ecological responsibility. The research highlights key rules derived from the Sirah that emphasize the sanctity of nature, the preservation of biodiversity, and the promotion of sustainable resource management. It examines the Prophet's teachings on concepts such as moderation, stewardship, and accountability, which encourage believers to adopt a balanced and harmonious approach towards the environment. Additionally, the paper investigates the practical methods employed by the Prophet in maintaining cleanliness, managing waste, and utilizing resources responsibly, providing valuable insights for contemporary environmental practices. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the collective responsibility of individuals, communities, and societies in preserving and protecting the environment, as exemplified by the Prophet's efforts to instill environmental consciousness among his followers. By analyzing the environmental aspects of the Sirah, this research sheds light on the Islamic perspective on environmental purification, offering practical guidelines and lessons for addressing contemporary environmental challenges. Ultimately, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding of Islamic environmental ethics and inspire individuals and communities to adopt responsible practices that promote environmental sustainability and stewardship, aligning with the timeless teachings of the Prophet Muhammadﷺ.

With the Appalachian Trail (AT) as our research setting, grounded theory as our methodological approach, and qualitative interviews and archival analysis as our methods, we investigate the role crowdsourced data, social media, and smartphone apps could play in sustainable resource management (SRM). Centering the perspectives of AT resource managers, our analysis reveals that digital technologies can create new challenges and exacerbate existing ones. Place-centered challenges intensified by digital technologies are overcrowding and trail infrastructure degradation. Experience-centered challenges posed by digital technologies include information overload, limited operational capacity, and tensions between the traditional "AT experience" and digital life. Further, our analysis illuminates the technological, organizational, ethical, and experiential challenges and barriers to the systemic adoption of digital technologies for SRM. These empirical insights result in a management framework that focuses attention on the humanistic and organizational needs of resource managers that could be used for designing and implementing socio-technical systems that better align with social and cultural values of resource management contexts. [Display omitted] • Digital technologies create challenges for sustainable resource management (SRM). • There are organizational and humanistic barriers to technology adoption for SRM. • Technology design is incongruent with humanistic and organizational needs. • We identify management needs for the integration of socio-technical systems in SRM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems face various emergent uncertainties owing to factors such as climate change and accelerating anthropogenic impacts. Uncertainty is a major challenge and a barrier that ecosystem management faces, because it is difficult to precisely predict a priori risks that can have significant impacts on ecosystems. Hence, management with adaptive capacity is recommended to deal with such uncertainties, and feedback structures are central mechanisms for such flexible management. This study used mathematical models to clarify the specific impacts of feedback structures on ecosystem management, such as resource and wildlife management. In particular, the impact of errors in estimating ecosystem status when providing feedback and the impact of the time lag before feedback effects were implemented into management were examined. Overestimation of ecosystem status or a large time lag led to undesirable temporal oscillations in ecosystem status. However, these scenarios can be avoided when combined with management practices that limit the impact of management on the ecosystem, such as input control. Ecosystem management tends to have a large spatiotemporal scale, and implementing highly accurate monitoring and sophisticated feedback structures is difficult. However, the results suggest that effective ecosystem management with a simple feedback structure can be achieved through such complementary institutional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine fisheries and beaches (i.e., backshore, foreshore and shoreface) are essential for providing ecosystem services globally, with coastal states being at the forefront of this benefit. Consequently, several policies, legislations, and governance processes must be formulated to ensure their sustainable use due to the impact of anthropogenic and natural pressures. This study aims to analyse the legal and institutional frameworks for the management of marine fisheries and beach resources (such as flora (coconut), fauna (ghost crabs), dunes, and rocky components) under key international laws and conventions, using Ghana as a case study. The study identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) within resource management, as well as their impact on the country's progress in the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa Union Agenda 2063. Data was collected through interviews with fishers, coastal residents, and other relevant stakeholders, as well as a review of secondary data. The results unveil a distinctive contrast in the regulatory landscape between fisheries and beach resources. While numerous policies have been formulated to ensure the sustainable management of fisheries, the same level of attention and commitment has not been extended to beach resources. The SWOT analysis revealed that some of the strengths in the governance of marine fisheries and beach resources rest on the availability of institutions and laws. The weakness lies in inadequate enforcement and data gathering and analyses to inform decision making. This study provides as an illuminating exploration into the legal and institutional underpinnings of marine fisheries and beach resource management in Ghana, shedding light on the critical junctures where improvements are needed. ● Fisheries resource governance has an extensive legal and institutional framework. ● The legal and institutional framework for coastal beaches is inadequate. ● Climate change and data deficiencies, among others are threats to fisheries resources. ● The land tenure system and urbanisation are threats to coastal beach resources. ● Opportunities exist in reducing fleet capacity and achieving blue flag status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine Society 5.0, defined as a future framework where advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and other digital innovations are integrated into society for sustainable resource management. Society 5.0 represents an evolution from the industrial focus of Industry 4.0, aiming for a harmonious balance between technological progress and human-centric values, consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Our methodology involves a detailed literature review, focusing on identifying and evaluating the roles of AI, IoT, and other emerging technologies in enhancing resource efficiency, particularly in the water and energy sectors, to minimize environmental impact. This approach allows us to present a comprehensive overview of current technological advancements and their potential applications in Society 5.0. Our study’s added value lies in its synthesis of diverse technological strategies, emphasizing the synergy between circular economy practices and sustainable economic development. We highlight the necessity for resilience and adaptability to ecological challenges and advocate for a collaborative, data-informed decision-making framework. Our findings portray Society 5.0 as a holistic model for addressing contemporary global challenges in resource management and conservation, projecting a future where technology aligns with sustainable, equitable, and human-centered development.

Railway Technical College "Unirea" in Paşcani embarked on the ambitious two-year Erasmus KA220 project, "GIS FOR GIST OF EUROPE," commencing in December 2022. This endeavor is significant for both the institution and the local community. The project focuses on using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to study the impact of climate change on the European environment. Interactive GIS maps allow users to explore the regions most affected by climate change, assess its effects on biodiversity and natural resources, and develop strategies to mitigate these environmental challenges. Within the Erasmus+ initiative, "GIS for Gist of Europe," GIS plays a central role, aiding urban planning, territorial development, and sustainable resource management. It also contributes to efficient communication networks and waste management systems. Project activities include online and in-person meetings, as well as Learning, Teaching, and Training (LTT) sessions. Key objectives involve creating two eLearning platforms, one with STEM educational resources featuringGISmaps and another forGIS training. The project fosters the advantages of GIS in data accessibility, correlation, and localized database creation. This project employing GIS will address climate change's impact on Europe, enhancing education and advancing climate-resilient strategies. The digitization of Geography remains pivotal in modern education and research, deepening our understanding of our ever-changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper explores the principles, methods, and responsibilities related to environmental purification, as elucidated in the Sirah (biography) of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Drawing upon historical accounts and primary sources, the study delves into the Prophet's exemplary practices and teachings concerning environmental conservation, sustainable living, and ecological responsibility. The research highlights key rules derived from the Sirah that emphasize the sanctity of nature, the preservation of biodiversity, and the promotion of sustainable resource management. It examines the Prophet's teachings on concepts such as moderation, stewardship, and accountability, which encourage believers to adopt a balanced and harmonious approach towards the environment. Additionally, the paper investigates the practical methods employed by the Prophet in maintaining cleanliness, managing waste, and utilizing resources responsibly, providing valuable insights for contemporary environmental practices. Furthermore, the research emphasizes the collective responsibility of individuals, communities, and societies in preserving and protecting the environment, as exemplified by the Prophet's efforts to instill environmental consciousness among his followers. By analyzing the environmental aspects of the Sirah, this research sheds light on the Islamic perspective on environmental purification, offering practical guidelines and lessons for addressing contemporary environmental challenges. Ultimately, the findings of this study contribute to the understanding of Islamic environmental ethics and inspire individuals and communities to adopt responsible practices that promote environmental sustainability and stewardship, aligning with the timeless teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phrase 'sunshine is the best disinfectant' is commonly used to suggest that transparency can counter corruption and ensure accountability. In the policy world, several analytical tools have been developed to obtain information on what policy decision would bring about the biggest positive effect for the least amount of effort. There is a tendency to view transparency as the silver bullet in that respect. This paper aimed to shed light on how measures of transparency can serve as a leverage point for sustainable resource management. We begin by analysing the concept of transparency and then draw from Donella Meadows' work on leverage points to analyse the transformative potential of increasing transparency towards sustainable resource management. We then demonstrate the use of this analytical approach by applying it to three case studies on resource management systems in Ukraine, Romania, and Iceland. The results suggested that transparency in resource management needs to be accompanied by widely accepted standards and accountability mechanisms for it to serve as an effective leverage point. If these factors are neglected, the credibility of transparency can be undermined. Prioritising transparency as a policy intervention to alleviate corruption risks, in the absence of accountability mechanisms and clear rules, might be misplaced, and require deeper leverage points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social innovations are grassroots processes aiming to achieve impacts beyond an individual level and towards a broader societal good. The environmental dimension of impacts refers to any direct change to the environment resulting from social innovation activities, products, or services, which are not addressed by pre‐existing systems. In this paper, we determine the role of social innovation in addressing environmental impacts by analyzing a database of social innovation examples in European and circum‐Mediterranean rural areas, compiled within the H2020 Project SIMRA. We conceptualize the overall aim of environmentally‐focused social innovation initiatives as furthering the sustainable development of their territories. To address the environmental impacts of initiatives in a structured way, we use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) classification, to describe social innovation environmental impacts in relation to specific targets. We analyzed 238 initiatives from the SIMRA catalog and associated initiative websites to identify and classify their direct environmental impacts. Our results indicate that 68% of the cases have at least one direct environmental impact that aligns with a SDG target. The most common impacts are related to sustainable natural resource management (SDGs target 12.2), sustainable food production systems (2.4), and equal access to land (2.3). This SDG‐based classification proved to be a useful analytical tool for categorizing internationally policy‐relevant environmental impacts of social innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of biochar as a soil amendment is highly dependent on local physical and chemical soil properties. Although the literature has already addressed biochar in several studies, there are still knowledge gaps. One the one hand, the relevant studies have primarily focused on field trials and small-scale applications at regional levels, overlooking the global perspective and regional differences. One the other hand, geospatial assessments lack quantitative evaluations and explanation, which are crucial for the model's applicability and the optimisation of biochar supply chains. Thus, this study addresses this gap by examining the impact of biochar on agriculture at a global scale. First, correlations between climate, soil, and fertiliser data, and maize yield are derived through Random Forrest machine learning algorithm. Subsequently, the relevant soil properties are adjusted to simulate the potential changes upon implementing biochar. Finally, the model projects the estimated maize yield following the introduction of biochar. Our findings demonstrate diverse effects of biochar, with notable increase in maize yield in arid regions of Africa and Asia. A substantial increase in maize yield is particularly expected in regions with a high bulk density, as biochar effectively loosens the soil, and in areas with a low soil organic carbon content, which is enhanced by biochar. Contrariwise, in northern South America, Central and North America, South-East Asia, and parts of Europe show low potential or even maize yield decreases. The model was also validated by comparing the results with 8 field trials from different countries, demonstrating a high level of accuracy. The outcomes are crucial for optimising biomass utilisation pathways, as it predicts the impact of biochar in different regions. Consequently, policy frameworks can be tailored to encourage biochar use in agriculture, especially in regions with the highest potentials, to fully leverage its sustainability and productivity benefits., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Johannes Kern reports financial support, administrative support, and writing assistance were provided by RWTH Aachen University Chair of Operations Management. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Land-based litter and leakages from inadequate waste management are among the primary sources of marine litter. Plastic packaging and small non-packaging plastic items (PPSI) represent the most extensive application of virgin plastics produced and the largest fraction of post-consumer plastic waste. Moreover, PPSI are amongst the top recognizable litter items recorded on European beaches. This study aimed to estimate mismanaged PPSI waste generated in 33 countries in Europe, as well as in coastal territories bordering European seas. A material flow analysis was performed for each country for 2012 and 2018. The results indicate that most countries generated higher amounts of PPSI waste in 2018, both in absolute amounts and per capita. We estimate that 26.1 million tons of PPSI waste were generated in 2018 in the whole region, corresponding to 42.9 kg per capita (compared to 38.7 kg in 2012). This was also the case for mismanaged PPSI waste, with 3.01 million tons estimated for 2018, compared to 2.90 million tons in 2012, even if most countries managed to reduce their shares of mismanaged PPSI waste. Furthermore, differences in litter pressure around the regional seas are clear, with 90% of the estimated mismanaged PPSI in European coastal territories being generated in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions. Limitations related to data gaps and reporting lead to significant uncertainties in our estimations, even if the study made use of officially reported data from European countries. Our study suggests that reductions in the share of mismanaged PPSI waste seem to be mainly driven by efforts at the end-of-life stages of plastics (i.e., waste collection, recycling, disposal) but that these were not sufficient to offset higher amounts of PPSI waste generated in 2018, compared to 2012. Furthermore, exports of plastic waste, including from EU countries, may result in intensified shares of mismanaged PPSI. Responses on both waste management and waste prevention are needed to transition to a circular economy and to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the marine environment.

[Display omitted] • AD reduces environmental risks, achieving energy conversion efficiencies up to 50%. • Digestate hydrothermal processes can increase electric biogas plant output by 42%. • Intensive treatment of digestate liquid fraction can cost up to €13/m3. • Optimised nature-based solutions can achieve about 90% of pollutant removal. • LCA and TEA aid sustainable IDM decisions, boosting economic viability. Anaerobic digestion (AD) has the potential to catalyse the shift from a linear to a circular economy. However, effective treatment and management of both solid (DSF) and liquid (DLF) digestate fraction treatment and management require adopting sustainable technologies to recover valuable by-products like energy, biofuels, biochar, and nutrients. This study reviews state-of-the-art advanced technologies for DSF and DLF treatment and valorisation, using life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) in integrated digestate management (IDM). Key findings highlight these technologies' potential in mitigating environmental impacts from digestate management, but there's a need to improve process efficiency, especially at larger scales. Future research should prioritize cost-effective and eco-friendly IDM technologies. This review emphasizes how LCA and TEA can guide decision-making and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Ultimately, sustainable IDM technologies can boost resource recovery and advance circular economy principles, enhancing the environmental and economic sustainability of AD processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oyedotun, T.D.T.; Hamer, E.; Nedd, A.G., and Burningham, H., 2024. Advancing coastal monitoring: Integrating spatiotemporal analyses and machine algorithms in G-CAS. In: Phillips, M.R.; Al-Naemi, S., and Duarte, C.M. (eds.), Coastlines under Global Change: Proceedings from the International Coastal Symposium (ICS) 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 113, pp. 315-320. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208 The diverse role that climate change plays in coastal environments includes changing spatiotemporal patterns in flood and erosion risk which impacts vital coastal infrastructure supporting significant coastal populations, and critical habitats supporting important species. The intricate interplay between climate change and coastal areas necessitates comprehensive adaptation strategies and more sustainable development practices, that should be supported with near-real-time monitoring that can mitigate the adverse effects on, and improve the resilience of, these critical regions. This study explores the application of spatial analyses, data fusion, time-series methodologies, and machine algorithms in the development of the Guyana Coastal Analysis System (G-CAS). G-CAS, a prototype online system, is being designed for the monitoring and analysis of coastal dynamics in a local region of Guyana. The primary objective is to enhance the understanding of complex coastal processes and provide a tool for coastline management and conservation. Here, the spatial analyses undertaken in G-CAS facilitate the fusion of geospatial data, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic interplay between various environmental factors. By incorporating time-series methodologies and machine learning algorithms, the prototype system being developed in Google Earth Engine captures temporal trends, facilitating the identification of short- and long-term patterns and anomalies of coastlines critical for informed decision-making. Findings from this research show the potential of this low-cost online tool for coastal monitoring, serving as a model for other coastal areas facing similar challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]