Heterogeneity, collective action and management sustainability in common property forest resources: case study from the Indian state Odisha

Several studies have revealed that the presence of heterogeneity amongst the user groups of common property natural resources considerably affects the effectiveness of resource management and their sustainable use. Primary research conducted in six sample villages from three districts of the Indian state Odisha has found that heterogeneity in economic and social dimensions amongst the members of the management committee acts as major determinants in respect of common property forest resource management. The findings of this piece of work reveal that common property forests are best managed in the villages where the management committee is homogeneous by both social and economic considerations; better managed where the committee members are economically homogeneous but socially heterogeneous; and least managed where the members are socially homogeneous but economically heterogeneous. The same result has been obtained from the composite index developed for the user group’s assessment about the functioning of the forest management institutions in the three study districts of the state Odisha.     

Exploring paradoxes in the search for sustainable livelihoods: a case study from Tanzania

Many aspects of the relationship between conservation and livelihoods are well documented in the literature both the positive synergies and the negative implications of pursuing one priority over the other. This paper describes research that explored the specific influences in household decision-making in park adjacent communities in Tanzania to determine whether conservation and sustainable resource utilization was an influencing factor. While conservation did not appear to be a significant influence, productivity of the natural resource base to maintain livelihood activity and well-being was a prime driver of household decisions. However, in articulating the challenges faced by households a number of paradoxes became apparent. This paper highlights four paradoxes from the research relating to: the need for capital to support productivity improvement; the approaches for perceived needed intensification of resource utilization; the dependence on government for solutions; and the assessment process of the range of livelihood options. We present the research findings related to these four paradoxes and present potential actions for resolving these dilemmas.     

Outdoor recreation planning and management considering FROS and carrying capacities: a case study of forest wetland in Yeongam-gum,South Korea

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Since demand for outdoor recreation in forests has been increasing, a structural planning framework for sustainable use while minimizing ecosystem...     

Exploring the interaction relationship between Beautiful China-SciTech innovation using coupling coordination and predictive analysis: a case study of Zhejiang

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Exploring interaction of Beautiful China and SciTech Innovation is an important way to realize economic transformation and sustainable development in...     

Sustainable forest management in Iran: a factor analysis

Since 1996, several Forest Resources Management Plans (FRMPs) have been launched by the Iranian government in order to approach sustainable forest management in the Zagros area in west and south-west Iran. This survey study aimed to provide some policy recommendations in order to launch more successful FRMPs. Using a proportional cluster random sampling method, data were collected from 208 forest-dwellers (beneficiaries) and 90 practitioners. The results showed that the FRMPs are far from satisfactory. There are several reasons for this failure. First, the financial resources allocated to these plans are being used for other purposes. Second, the inputs and supplies needed for effective forest management interventions were not in place in a timely manner. Third, the forest management in the area is far from being decentralized. Both the beneficiaries and practitioners believe that forest-dwellers play a weak role in forest management interventions. Factor analysis revealed that three main factors influencing the Zagros management effectiveness are “the management capabilities of forest-dwellers”, “the professional capabilities of practitioners in forest management”, and “public support for forest-dwellers”. The correlation analysis revealed that all the three factors are also positively and significantly associated with the success of the government’s forestry programs. Accordingly, the main recommendation of this study was to reformulate forest management policies in the Zagros area by highlighting participatory approaches, not only as a tool, but also as a goal of FRMPs.     

Potential climate change induced modifications in mangrove ecosystems: a case study in Benin,West Africa

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Mangroves are one of the most threatened ecosystems globally. Likewise, they benefit many restoration efforts. However, these efforts have often...     

Developing a sustainable operational management system using hybrid Shapley value and Multimoora method: case study petrochemical supply chain

Environment, Development and Sustainability - In this research, a new method to determine the supply chain performance based on its sustainable strategies is proposed. This method consists of a...     

Transhumant pastoralism,sustainable management of natural resources and endemic ruminant livestock in the sub-humid zone of West Africa

Transhumant pastoralism is one of the dominant livestock production systems in West Africa, and it is characterized by seasonal and cyclical movement of varying degrees between complementary ecological areas. The common pattern of transhumance is moving herds from areas with pasture and water scarcity such as the Sahelian zone to areas where the forage and water are found, often in the sub-humid zone. Whereas the transhumant herds from the Sahel are mainly Zebu breeds, endemic ruminant livestock (ERL) are the dominant breeds in sub-humid zone of West Africa because of their tolerance to tsetse-borne trypanosomosis disease. These livestock fulfill different functions in the livelihood of rural communities in the region. To identify potential areas of interventions for sustainable natural resource management to improve ERL productivity, a desk study that included spatial mapping was performed to review and document the existing knowledge on transhumance in West Africa. Additionally, group discussions were held to analyze the (actual or potential) effects of transhumant herds on natural resource management and ERL in the sub-humid zone. This study covered sub-humid zone in The Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Senegal. The key question we addressed in this study was as follows: What are the key trends and changes in transhumant pastoralism and how do these impact sustainable management of natural resources including endemic livestock? The results of the desk study and group discussions showed that there have been more southerly movements by transhumant pastoralists into the sub-humid zone over the past three decades and this has contributed to growing competition for grazing resources. The presence of transhumant herds in the sub-humid zone has a potential impact on management and conservation of ERL through crossbreeding with transhumant Zebu breeds from the Sahel but only study sites in Mali showed a high risk.     

Status differences in collective action and forest benefits: evidence from joint forest management in India

Does status matter in community-based forest management? If so, are the high-status households more benefited than the low-status households? What drives status differences, if any, in the appropriation of forest resources? To address these questions, we draw on a theory of status and resource use that defines one’s status as one’s relative position in a group on the basis of power, prestige, honor and deference. Following this perspective, we surveyed the heads of 341 forest-based rural households in India from 2009 to 2010. We find that collective actions themselves are status-driven and the high-status households are more interested and involved in status-maintaining collective actions such as decision-making and implementation, while the low-status households perform general tasks like forest patrol. Moreover, the high-status households derive benefits from local forest significantly more than the low-status households. Further, decomposition analysis shows that a household’s prestige and honor measured by its access to social resources, problem faced and useful contacts explain about 56 % of the status gap in forest benefits, while socioeconomic characteristics explain only 16 % of the gap. Thus, due emphasis on household status from a broader socioeconomic perspective is required to reduce inequality in participation and the distribution of forest benefits in co-management.     

Water management in Saudi Arabia: a case study of Makkah Al Mukarramah region

Environment, Development and Sustainability - In the hydrologic design of water management infrastructures, rainfall characteristics are often used and the available historical rainfall events in...     

Resilient and sustainable supplier selection via a new framework: a case study from the steel industry

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study addresses the problem of selecting a supplier bound by sustainability and resilience criteria, focusing on the steel industry as a case in...     

Factors influencing the performance of faecal sludge management services: case study in Thailand municipalities

In most low- and middle-income countries, the service coverage of faecal sludge management is very limited resulting in uncontrolled disposal that directly impacts to water resources and public health. Similar to other countries, Thailand is facing faecal sludge management problems which lead to serious challenge to its local government authorities who are responsible for services provision. Local factors may strongly affect faecal sludge management services. Because of this problem, the management measures should be formulated in responding to significant factors affecting the performance of FSM services. This study aimed to evaluate existing faecal sludge management services in Thailand, their strengths, and weaknesses, and identify the significant factors influencing the performance of services. Based on data collected from 160 municipalities in Thailand, factors influencing the faecal sludge management services were identified using multiple regression analysis. The indicators involving operational efficiency, service performance, and treatment feasibility were used for the assessment of faecal sludge management performance. Significant factors encompassing technical, financial, social, and institutional aspects were identified based on each indicator. The findings identified the significant factors and proposed effective measures for improving faecal sludge management services such as providing technical assistance, implementing awareness programmes for private operators and households, and subsidizing investment and operation costs of faecal sludge management facilities.     

Life cycle assessment of municipal solid waste management methods: Ankara case study

Different solid waste management system scenarios were developed and compared for the Municipal Solid Waste Management System of Ankara by using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The solid waste management methods considered in the scenarios were collection and transportation of wastes, source reduction, Material Recovery Facility (MRF)/Transfer Stations (TS), incineration, anaerobic digestion and landfilling. The goal of the study was to determine the most environmentally friendly option of MSWM system for Ankara. The functional unit of the study was the amount of solid waste generated in the system area of concern, which are the districts of Ankara. The life cycle inventory analysis was carried out by IWM Model-1. The inputs and outputs of each management stage were defined and the inventory emissions calculated by the model were classified in to impact categories; non-renewable energy sources exhausting potential, final solid waste as hazardous and non-hazardous, global warming, acidification, eutrophication and human toxicity. The impacts were quantified with the weighing factors of each category to develop the environmental profiles of each scenario. In most of the categories, Source Reduction Scenario was found to be the most feasible management method, except the global warming category. The lowest contribution to GWP was calculated for the anaerobic digestion process. In the interpretation and improvement assessment stage, the results were further evaluated and recommendations were made to improve the current solid waste management system of Ankara.     

Accurate modeling of harvesting is key for projecting future forest dynamics: a case study in the Slovenian mountains

Maintaining the provision of multiple forest ecosystem services requires to take into consideration forest sensitivity and adaptability to a changing environment. In this context, dynamic models are indispensable to assess the combined effects of management and climate change on forest dynamics. We evaluated the importance of implementing different approaches for simulating forest management in the climate-sensitive gap model ForClim and compared its outputs with forest inventory data at multiple sites across the European Alps. The model was then used to study forest dynamics in representative silver fir–European beech stands in the Dinaric Mountains (Slovenia) under current management and different climate scenarios. On average, ForClim accurately predicted the development of basal area and stem numbers, but the type of harvesting algorithm used and the information for stand initialization are key elements that must be defined carefully. Empirical harvesting functions that rigorously impose the number and size of stems to remove fail to reproduce stand dynamics when growth is just slightly under- or overestimated, and thus should be substituted by analytical thinning algorithms that are based on stochastic distribution functions. Long-term simulations revealed that both management and climate change negatively impact conifer growth and regeneration. Under current climate, most of the simulated stands were dominated by European beech at the end of the simulation (i.e., 2150 AD), due to the decline of silver fir and Norway spruce caused mainly by harvesting. This trend was amplified under climate change as growth of European beech was favored by higher temperatures, in contrast to drought-induced growth reductions in both conifers. This forest development scenario is highly undesired by local managers who aim at preserving conifers with high economic value. Overall, our results suggest that maintaining a considerable share of conifers in these forests may not be feasible under climate change, especially at lower elevations where foresters should consider alternative management strategies.     

Regional landscape futures to moderate projected climate change: a case study in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of North China

Regional Environmental Change - Pacific Island Countries, despite significant variation in levels of exposure and internal adaptive capacities, are often portrayed homogenously as the world’s...     

Current status of coastal zone issues and management in China: a review

This paper identifies and examines social-economic and environmental issues recently emerged in China's coastal zone. Evaluation of management scheme and progress in perspectives of coordinated legislation, institutional arrangement, public participation, capacity building, and scientific research (mainly coastal planning and functional zoning) in China's coastal zone are made. The Chinese government has made a significant effort in developing legislation for the coastal zone. Jurisdictional and zoning boundaries, and allocating use rights for coastal and marine resources have been established. State Oceanic Administration is the leading agency responsible for China's ocean policymaking and overall management of ocean and coastal affairs. A demonstrated project for integrated coastal management in Xiamen has been implemented, and is characterized as "decentralization" approach in decision-making process. In view of the above, comprehensive coastal management in China is a big challenge, facing with many difficulties. Finally, recommendations are raised for tackling these issues for China's coastal zone management.     

Modeling spatio-temporal change patterns of forest cover: a case study from the Himalayan foothills (India)

The present study used temporal remote sensing data for 1990, 2001 and 2006 to assess spatio-temporal patterns of forest cover changes in Shiwalik range of the Himalaya, Dehradun forest division. Forests are innately associated to human well-being. However, with the increasing anthropogenic activities, deforestation has increased. Quantitative change analysis of the forest cover for the past two decades provides valuable insight into the forest conservation vis-à-vis anthropogenic activities in the region. Spatio-temporal datasets along with biotic and abiotic variables provide opportunities to model the forest cover change further. The present study investigates forest cover change and predicts status of forest cover in the Dehradun forest division. Land Change Modeller (LCM) was used to predict status of forest cover for 2010 and 2015 using current disturbance scenarios. Comparing actual LULC of 2006 with the predicted LULC of 2006 validated change prediction model and agreement was 61.03%. The forested areas are getting degraded due to anthropogenic activities, but deforestation/degradation does not contribute much in expanding urban area. Agricultural areas and fallow lands are the main contributors to increased urban area. The study demonstrates the potential of geospatial tools to understand spatio-temporal forest cover change and generate the future scenarios.