To effectively address escalating environmental crises, it is crucial to understand the behavioral roots of human–environment disconnection; yet, the concept of Environmental Alienation (EA) remains empirically underdeveloped. This study introduces and empirically grounds the concept of EA as a critical theoretical framework for understanding the escalating contemporary human–environment crisis. Initially, the research examines the systemic drivers of this profound detachment, analytically dissecting the underlying Value-Attitudinal-Emotional Drivers (VAEDs) that precipitate human disconnection from nature. Transitioning from theoretical drivers to empirical manifestations, the study employs a qualitative research design, conducting thematic analysis on 36 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with environmental experts to systematically identify and categorize alienated behaviors. This rigorous process yields the first comprehensive taxonomy of Environmental Alienation Behaviors (EABs), structured along a dual-axis framework comprising 15 sub-themes and 64 specific behavioral indicators. The first axis, destructive behaviors, encompasses Instrumental Appropriation, Ecological Vandalism, and Structural Malfeasance. These themes collectively manifest a dominant instrumental worldview and exacerbate the metabolic rift between human societies and ecological systems. The second axis, passive behaviors, is characterized by Ecological Indifference, Civic Withdrawal, and Abdication of Accountability, which together signify a profound and pervasive state of alienated agency. Finally, by synthesizing the analysis of systemic drivers with these behavioral manifestations, the study proposes targeted socio-cultural, educational, and governance interventions. These empirically derived insights provide an actionable and strategic roadmap for mitigating EA and supporting the transition of modern societies from a paradigm of passive observation and destructive behaviors to actively engaged ecological stewardship.
The impacts of anthropogenic climate change on food systems have been widely documented from the biophysical and economic perspectives; however, the cultural dimension remains insufficiently integrated into vulnerability assessment. In this context, we examine the case of Mexico, internationally recognized for its gastronomy and characterized by a strong biocultural foundation, high climatic variability, and significant exposure to drought. We assessed the vulnerability of 48 native crops relevant to Mexican gastronomy to drought events occurring between 1990 and 2023 and examined how this vulnerability translates into a potential risk of erosion of traditional dishes. We identified 22 native crops with a medium to high vulnerability level. The most sensitive crops were those produced predominantly under rainfed systems, whereas irrigated systems functioned as buffers, exhibiting smaller reductions in yield. Overall, crop vulnerability could potentially affect 628 traditional dishes. These findings suggest that climate change threatens not only agricultural production but also Mexico's food diversity and gastronomic heritage, underscoring the need to integrate the cultural dimension into climate assessment and adaptation strategies.
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with one of the fastest-growing populations in the world, is experiencing rapid urbanization and the emergence of a growing middle class. However, agricultural production falls short of meeting the projected food demand, hindered by a lack of access to modern energy. Improving the productivity of smallholder farmers and expanding local crop processing are vital strategies for addressing food security and improving the livelihoods of farmers. Supplying electricity for irrigation and crop processing can stimulate entrepreneurship, foster local wealth creation, and support the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals, while improving the cost-effectiveness of clean energy plans in rural areas. This article argues that Africa's energy planning should prioritize clean and modern energy solutions aimed at accelerating economic growth extending beyond basic household services. The argument applies specifically to rural smallholder contexts in SSA, typically served by mini-grids or off-grid systems. Drawing on a synthesis of recent literature and illustrative projects from rural Tanzania, this manuscript shows that the benefits of productive energy use extend beyond mechanizing agriculture and crop processing. These initiatives enhance local economic development by integrating electricity into household business operations, such as milling and agro processing, which create jobs and diversify income, while acknowledging that local context, water governance and market access critically shape outcomes. They also enhance communication and provide critical market information, empowering rural communities. By prioritizing productive energy uses, these projects increase electricity consumption, improving the financial sustainability of electrification efforts.
Climate change and socio-economic inequities pose major challenges to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the housing sector. Despite an urgent need for sustainable and affordable housing, traditional financial systems often hinder progress by prioritizing speculative activities and fossil-fuel lock-in over societal and ecological value creation. This research addresses this gap by investigating how a collective, bottom-up strategy can support a positive finance transformation in the affordable housing sector, enabling a future that is community-oriented, nature-positive, and climate-resilient. The study builds on the European project “Turnaround Money”. The Belgian case explored how actors involved in transformative shifts within housing and finance can co-create strategies to integrate innovative niche practices into mainstream systems. The research tailors the MISC (Mapping Innovations on the Sustainability Curve) methodological framework by specifying its distinctive steps compared to other co-creation models and by analyzing its outputs. The main contribution lies in a systematic way of designing co-creation trajectories that align affordable housing renovations with alternative conceptions of finance. The application of this framework enabled the co-creation of a systems map and the identification of strategic levers for advancing sustainable finance in the housing sector. The visualization of these direct results turned out to be valuable instruments for understanding and addressing systems complexities. Finally, the research highlighted that collaborative solutions inherently involve uncertain outcomes, as co-creation is an emergent and non-linear process. This challenges conventional planning models and underscores the need for adaptive approaches that remain open to unforeseen results.
Characterizing the motivating components of individual or group narratives can help understand how different stakeholders and communities engage with each other, and how information, values, and beliefs are used to arrive at decisions affecting social-ecological systems (SES). A set of “resonances”, factors depicting what people care about and are willing to express, is presented along with applications relating to water and environmental management in New Zealand and in the USA. The resonances describe commonly encountered preferences, beliefs, needs, and motivations (PBNM) expressed in individual and/or group narratives. Resonance analyses can be used to record expressed PBNM. Recognition of resonances could also be used, possibly in real-time and aided by AI tools, to plan, track progress, facilitate, and enhance critical reflective thinking for participatory modeling and stakeholder/community engagement processes. Resonance analyses could be applied to more transparently document, understand, and improve management and decision-making for SES resource and environmental issues over longer-term periods, even with changes in decision actors and redistributions of decision powers. The set of resonances presented in this paper is an important tool that can be used to create, curate, and add to knowledge bases and records of engagement and decision-making for natural resource and environmental issues and for SES.
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is widely promoted through global frameworks, yet how these translate into practice in super-diverse urban secondary schools remains insufficiently understood. This study applies the ESDUC framework as an analytical lens to examine how its four building blocks: competences, teaching strategies, community engagement, and school culture are implemented in Dutch-speaking secondary schools in Brussels, and which factors influence their implementation. Drawing on a qualitative multiple-case study with interviews and focus groups involving pupils, teachers, and school leaders, the findings show that ESD implementation is partial and fragmented across schools and actor groups. Sustainability is predominantly framed in ecological terms, while transformative, culturally responsive, and community-based approaches remain weakly developed. Implementation is strongly shaped by urban realities such as multilingualism, socio-economic vulnerability, and a structural mismatch between pupils’ lived experiences and school practices. By mapping these dynamics, the study identifies facilitating and constraining factors in applying ESDUC and offers context-sensitive insights for research, policy, and practice in Brussels and other metropolitan settings.
What are the potential drivers of changes in population abundance in KwaZulu-Natal protected areas? To answer this question, we analyzed the data from a survey of seven species that are hunted regularly in the province: four predators (leopard, caracal, jackal and serval) and three prey species (blue duiker, red duiker and grey duiker). An eighth species (feral dogs) is analyzed in the GIS with regards to impact on prey species. A presence-absence survey was conducted in 2013, and compared with results from a previous survey in 1990. Distribution maps were developed indicating where species were increasing, decreasing, stable or absent. A spatially explicit system dynamics model was soft coupled with the GIS data to investigate whether population abundance is driven by hunting pressure or predator behaviour. The resulting model is a multi-species (eight species), multi-region (11 districts), predator-prey model that also estimates hunting pressure. The model was used to project forward different population scenarios. Existing populations are low relative to their unhunted (carrying capacity) levels. Habitat and climatic factors certainly do play a role in species distribution, and there is also evidence to suggest that hunting pressure and other anthropogenic influences are affecting the abundance of predator and prey species in KwaZulu-Natal. Additional investment in protected areas management in the province is crucial.
Achieving sustainable food supply chains is a global policy priority in response to climate change, resource depletion, biodiversity loss and social inequities embedded in contemporary food systems. However, many interventions remain narrowly focused on individual behavior change rather than on practices and collaborations. This study adopts a social practice theory lens to evaluate practice-based interventions aimed at promoting collaborative sustainable food supply chains (SFSCs) across five countries: Thailand, Taiwan, Germany, Turkey and Sweden. It examines how practice-based interventions informed by social practice theory can support the development of collaborative SFSCs across diverse national contexts. This research uses a framework of three modes of practice change: (1) re-crafting practices, (2) substituting practices and (3) changing how practices interlock. This study analyzes how collaborative intervention strategies address sustainability challenges in food supply chains. The research team follows a critical engaged research approach, working actively with stakeholders to co-create intervention strategies. Data were collected through visioning and back-casting workshops, interviews and stakeholder consultations. The findings show that interventions change how practices interlock, through the reorganization of relationships, revised coordination mechanisms and altered governance arrangements among stakeholders. While contextual conditions in each case shaped the form of interventions, collaboration emerged as a key enabling mechanism for the expansion of SFSCs. This study contributes to social practice theory by operationalizing an analytical and intervention-oriented framework for collaborative food supply chains. The findings offer lessons for policymakers and practitioners by demonstrating how co-created, practice-oriented intervention strategies can support a sustainable transition across varied food systems.
Urban ecosystem services (UES) are the benefits that natural or semi-natural spaces within cities provide to human well-being, while urban ecosystem disservices (UEDS) represent their negative impacts. Managing this balance is particularly challenging in Latin America, where over 80% of the population lives in urban areas. However, research on UES/UEDS remains unevenly distributed across the region, with Peru receiving limited attention. Additionally, a gap persists between technical ecosystem terminology and the everyday language residents use to describe urban nature, limiting inclusive participation in planning processes. This study addresses both gaps by developing a repository of colloquial descriptors that links citizens’ vernacular expressions with formal ecosystem service frameworks. Using an online photovoice approach, 140 university students in Lima, Peru, photographed and described campus open spaces they “like” (UES) or “dislike” (UEDS). After quality control, 98 “like” and 62 “dislike” images were analyzed through a three-phase process: data collection, inductive extraction of colloquial descriptors, and inferential coding using the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) framework. The resulting repository includes 33 descriptors associated with 18 UES categories and 13 UEDS. Chi-square tests showed no significant associations with gender, district of origin, or academic year, although academic major influenced UEDS identification (p < 0.05). The repository offers a practical translation tool for surveys and citizen consultations, provides empirical insight into locally relevant UES/UEDS, and demonstrates a replicable methodology for culturally responsive urban ecosystem planning.
Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges of the present era, and migration has increasingly emerged as a key strategy for adapting to its adverse impacts. South Asian countries, particularly Bangladesh, are highly exposed to climatic events that compel vulnerable populations to relocate and adopt migration as a coping strategy. Each year, individuals from various marginalized regions move to Sylhet in northeastern Bangladesh in response to severe flooding. This study explores the effects of extreme flood events on migrants in Sylhet, analysing both the opportunities available to them and the challenges they encounter. Using a qualitative research approach, the study collected and analyzed data through in-depth interviews with 25 migrants residing in Sylhet. And, two focus group discussions were conducted with 5 male and 6 female participants using semi-structured interview techniques. The findings show that some participants reported a sense of relief in securing shelter, along with improved availability of services, resources and employment opportunities, despite ongoing uncertainty. However, the majority described persistent challenges in their daily lives even after relocating to an urban setting. The key difficulties identified include socio-cultural disruption, financial instability, socio-economic vulnerabilities and obstacles related to administrative processes. This study underscores the urgent need for targeted governmental interventions to address the sociocultural, economic and institutional challenges encountered by climate-induced migrants. It further advocates for a human rights-based framework to ensure migrants' access to fundamental entitlements, such as housing, food security and healthcare, during the post-migration phase, thereby enhancing their living conditions and overall well-being.
The purpose of this research is to study the potential of coastal floods to enhance both biodiversity and recreational ecosystem services in urban environments, with a particular focus on Helsinki, Finland. This research explores the paradigm shift in flood risk management from traditional and technically complex hard systems to nature-based solutions. These solutions leverage natural processes to manage flood risks while simultaneously enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. In this paper, research through designing methods are used to demonstrate how the interplay between practical applications and research leads to innovative approaches. First, three distinct urban coastline typologies in Helsinki are identified and classified by GIS analysis. Then, suitable nature-based solutions to these typologies are proposed to assess the potential of the urban coastline to provide flood protection, support biodiversity and offer recreational benefits. These findings confirm the need for paradigm shift to flood risk management, where floods are considered as opportunities for creating novel ecosystems that contribute to urban resilience and liveability. The research sheds new light on the need for innovative, nature-based adaptation approaches that benefit both human and ecological communities and present a novel approach to co-created urban sustainability.
The interconnectedness of climate change and biodiversity challenges necessitates integrative approaches and cross-sectoral collaboration. Although this is widely acknowledged, it remains poorly understood how actors at the operational level can address multiple environmental challenges simultaneously. To close this knowledge gap, we examine the dynamics of cross-sectoral integration. We apply three dimensions of wickedness - contestation, complexity, and uncertainty - to deduce problems and solutions. These three dimensions constitute the empirical problem-solution space where actors strive to integrate problems and solutions across sectors. The integration of flood risk adaptation and nature conservation challenges in the Netherlands serves as a case study. Data were collected through participatory action research in a Community of Practice (CoP). Over a period of 2.5 years, the CoP brought together actors from flood risk and nature sectors. They sought integration by crossing borders, on maps, across sectors, and between projects. Contestation was triggered by diverging understandings of nature and flood risk. Systemic and organizational factors increased complexity which caused actors to feel confined. Nature-based solutions are seen as promising, but their effectiveness and legal procedures are uncertain. Our results indicate that cross-sectoral collaboration enlarges the problem-solution space. Therefore, integrative approaches require additional space for navigating wickedness. We confirm that collaborative learning and producing knowledge are essential for the convergence of wicked problem-solution spaces. The CoP provided actors with a sense of belonging and space for creativity and innovation. This allowed them to collectively learn about the wickedness of integrating flood risk adaptation and nature conservation.
The tightly coupled social-ecological nature of fisheries calls for science and management to work in tandem across knowledge systems to address the complex issues impacting fisheries productivity and associated benefit flows. However, the pragmatics of how to accomplish this in an equitable manner are rarely discussed. In this paper we provide a real-world example of how to effectively and meaningfully weave ecological and social sciences with diverse knowledge and ways of knowing in order to revive an ancient Indigenous aquaculture practice to address climate-related resource management and community health concerns. Specifically, we present the detailed steps of our transdisciplinary clam garden site selection process: 1) create Technical Advisory Group, 2) develop initial exclusion map, 3) collect ecological data and conduct multi-criteria decision analysis, 4) collect socio-cultural data, and 5) select a site. Our methodical, stepwise framework included collaborative management through community participation and decision-making, and utilization of multiple perspectives. This resulted in a transparent, inclusive process that garnered community support and increased the likelihood for successful implementation. Our work is specific to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community; however, the process can be adapted to address the place-based needs and values of other coastal communities.
The increased expansion of agricultural areas in central Brazil has been cited as a contributing factor to deforestation, soil degradation and water pollution. The impact of this expansion extends beyond the boundaries of the territory of the Xavante indigenous group. These protected areas have experienced a marked decline in available food resources and an unreliable energy supply. The term “indigenous bioeconomy” represents a holistic approach that aims to enhance the well-being of indigenous communities. It recognises indigenous knowledge and promotes the sustainable use of resources. The indigenous bioeconomy contributes to climate protection, by avoiding deforestation and replacing the use of fossil fuels in isolated areas with biogenic alternatives. This paper analyses the local biomass potential of a community within the Pimentel Barbosa Indigenous Territory of the Xavante ethnic group. Participatory research was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of the customary Xavante practices. The theoretical biomass potential was estimated at around 2700 tonnes per year (t/a), which is defined as the total amount of selected biomass types available in the investigated area. Local practical biomass potential considers the per capita consumption of this biomass by the indigenous population. Furthermore, the authors quantified the unused biomass potential, representing biomass that could be used for various purposes including food, medicine and energy. Biomass residues have an untapped potential of around 180 t/a. The paper outlines possible utilisation scenarios for these residues and considers the challenges associated with food and energy security in indigenous territories.
The expanding landscape of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) faces increasing complexity, marked by evolving definitions and a surge in projects. While standardized frameworks are advocated, they risk excluding context-specific, innovative initiatives. This piece addresses the challenges of defining NbS, integrating diverse knowledge systems, and evaluating project success. We argue that rigid criteria can hinder inclusivity and overlook valuable local and Indigenous practices, central to sustainable ecosystem management. To address this, we propose a shift towards flexible evaluation frameworks that prioritize project outcomes, stakeholder inclusion, and long-term sustainability. Emphasizing adaptability and transparency, we advocate for integrating NbS into broader sustainability efforts, recognizing diverse approaches and supporting community-driven initiatives. This perspective aims to ensure NbS effectively contributes to environmental resilience and social equity, promoting a more inclusive and dynamic approach to achieving sustainability goals.
Complex social problems are increasingly being addressed by research in labs in real-world settings. These labs pursue two goals: first, to contribute to solving societal problems by experimenting in collaboration with societal actors and thereby generate long-term societal effects and, second, to understand how these effects have unfolded. However, many of the experiments performed within these labs are short-term and their long-term effects are questionable. Developing a project’s Theory of Change can be helpful to address this issue. This methodological step for impact orientation can be supported by reflecting generic models for impact pathways that have been generated by comparing several projects with similar characteristics. A weakness of existing generic impact pathways is that they are on a high abstraction level and do not explicate relations between impacts beyond the project duration in detail. In this paper, we develop a generic impact pathway for real-world experiments that iteratively test innovative socio-technical solutions. Derived from an impact-oriented formative evaluation of two real-world experiments, our generic impact pathway presents a detailed structure of phases, related societal effects and preconditions that can be addressed by adaptive research management. Reflecting on this impact pathway model provides valuable support for designing and managing sustainability-oriented transformative experiments in real-world settings. Our generic pathway also demonstrates that real-world experiments are highly effective settings for developing and institutionalizing new practices, which are often regarded as core elements of sustainable transformation processes.
Research on spatial imaginaries, or collective sense-making processes relating to spaces and the material practices these frame, has shed light on smallholder farmers’ transformative power to facilitate sustainability transitions. Based on insights from participatory workshops to encourage transdisciplinary knowledge co-creation with smallholders in South Punjab, Pakistan, this study addresses farmers’ spatial imaginaries, their determinants and the challenges inherent in proposing alternative strategies for agrarian transformation. Despite taking a critical stance on existing technocratic and modernist agricultural policies, the farmers proposed alternative visions and strategies that did not encapsulate radical change but, paradoxically, aligned with the existing paradigms of industrial agriculture they criticized in the first place. Based on our findings, we reveal how this paradox can best be understood using the lens of “constrained spatial imaginaries”. Our results reveal how historical legacies of the Green Revolution, structural constraints of an increasingly neoliberal political economy of agriculture and pressing livelihood vulnerabilities come together to constrain farmers’ imaginaries, leading to pragmatic strategies within existing systems rather than challenging them. Constrained spatial imaginaries refer thus to visions of spatial restructuring held by farmers that are aligned with the principles of industrial agriculture. We emphasize herein that transdisciplinary researchers should bring to the forefront the spatial imaginaries of smallholders, and the constraints these represent. Decision-makers in the field of agricultural policy and practices should take these constrained imaginaries seriously in order to foster agricultural innovation and sustainability in smallholder farming communities.
Addressing global challenges necessitates innovative forms of knowledge production such as various forms of science-society interactions (SSI), increasingly endorsed by international initiatives like the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme and its biosphere reserves. Despite strong policy support advocating for SSI characterized by knowledge co-production and local collaboration, scholarly exploration of SSI within biosphere reserves remains sparse. This study employs the semi-quantitative Q-method to identify viewpoints of SSI among representatives of mountain biosphere reserves and examine the extent to which these correspond to the international UNESCO MAB policies. Following the qualitative development of the statements and data collection, principal component analysis was conducted and revealed four distinct viewpoints. Viewpoint 1 emphasizes SSI as inclusive, collaborative endeavours, prioritizing the active involvement of diverse actors in decision-making. Viewpoint 2 frames SSI as science-driven, with a focus on environmental research, monitoring, and expert knowledge, reflecting historical conservation-focused biosphere reserve approaches. Viewpoint 3 emphasizes the relevance of SSI for knowledge integration and diffusion. Viewpoint 4 positions biosphere reserves as catalysts for SSI, dynamic platforms for fostering co-creation, research and innovation. The study illustrates that despite a strong conceptual basis, the nuanced and subjective nature of SSI presents significant challenges for researchers and other actors in understanding them. UNESCO policies guiding SSI implementation and co-creation in biosphere reserves may not align with diverse on-the-ground perspectives, highlighting the difficulty of translating policy into practice and the need for further exploration to develop effective, context-specific SSI initiatives.
Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CC(U)S) technology faces both technical and non-technical challenges that significantly impact its large-scale deployment. This study focuses on socio-political challenges, particularly in the context of recent developments in Europe, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This research is based on an extensive literature review, a stakeholders' workshop, and an expert survey, leading to a thematic analysis that identifies major socio-political factors influencing CC(U)S deployment in Europe. Our analysis suggests a conceptual framework that addresses these challenges and identifies two core conceptual domains - socio-political context and background environment - as critical factors for the future development of CC(U)S. The findings indicate that political development and social acceptability are pivotal drivers of CC(U)S deployment. Political development is increasingly linking energy security to national security, prompting a shift towards leveraging domestic resources. Social acceptability beyond social acceptance has the potential to become the focus of future discourses. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of trust- a factor that is prevalently discussed in the literature- in policymakers and industry in post-trust societies affected by major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion. Finally, we propose a preliminary evaluation model to assess the socio-political readiness of European countries for CC(U)S deployment. The paper concludes by discussing the political implications and recommendations of this study.
Climate change poses a significant threat to goat production in semiarid savannas, disrupting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who rely on these hardy animals for both income and food security. This review analyses the unique vulnerabilities of goats in this ecosystem, focusing on how rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and altered vegetation impact their browsing behaviour, feed availability, and overall health. A systematic search of globally indexed scientific databases to identify relevant peer-reviewed literature on the impacts of climate change on goat production in semiarid regions was performed. This review mainly focused on studies published within the last two decades to capture the latest research advancements. Climate change negatively affects goat productivity through decreased availability of high-quality forage, impaired reproductive function due to heat stress, and increased incidence of diseases associated with changing weather patterns. These challenges disproportionately impact smallholder farmers who rely on goats for subsistence and income generation. However, promising mitigation strategies offer hope for building resilience. Emerging practices such as developing heat-tolerant goat breeds and utilizing drought-resistant forage species through selective breeding programmes and ecological restoration initiatives can be enhanced and adopted. Additionally, studies highlight the effectiveness of improved animal husbandry techniques, including strategic water resource management and diversified feed sources, in enhancing goat health and productivity under changing environmental conditions. By quantifying the potential impact of climate change on goat production and highlighting the positive outcomes of novel adaptation techniques, this review emphasizes the urgency of fostering resilient goat farming practices.
