The transition from the Green Revolution to biomass-based energy in India is marked by ecological stress and institutional constraints. Punjab, a state pivotal to the food security of India, is confronting severe groundwater depletion and persistent stubble-burning challenges arising from increasingly compressed cropping cycles. Employing a mixed-methods framework, the study integrates Propensity Score Matching (PSM) for the estimation of income effects with Ethnographic Decision Modelling (EDM) to interrogate the socio-institutional logics underpinning ex-situ crop residue management (CRM) adoption. The PSM estimates indicate that adopters realize an income premium of INR 21,800 to 26,300 (USD 264 to 319) per hectare annually, with adoption mediated by access to extension services, institutional credit, asset ownership, and proximity to procurement centres. Ethnographic evidence further reveals that adopters prioritize timely field preparation, express dissatisfaction with in-situ alternatives, and value the presence of stubble collection facilities, while non-adopters report rigid sowing schedules, infrastructural deficits, and the normalization of burning as binding constraints. Survey responses indicate negligible divergence on broad policy instruments but pronounced differences on decentralized interventions. The viability of biomass management is contingent on local infrastructure, targeted incentives, and coordinated co-governance among the Union, state, and farmer unions, reconciling environmental objectives with social priorities.
This study provides a spatio-temporal analysis of urbanization and land-use efficiency in Assam, India (2000-2025) using Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) datasets. Evaluating SDG 11.3.1, we integrated the Land Consumption to Population Growth Rate (LCRPGR) with supplementary metrics: Achieved Population Density in Expansion Areas (AAPDEA) and Marginal Land Consumption per New Inhabitant (MLCNI). Findings reveal severe spatial heterogeneity and rising land-use inefficiency. Built-up areas expanded significantly - Kamrup Rural grew from 55.44 to 81.53 km2 -while population growth decelerated. Consequently, peripheral districts experienced uncoordinated sprawl. Goalpara's LCRPGR spiked from an efficient 0.76 (2000-2005) to a highly inefficient 5.37 (2020-2025). This sprawl is evidenced by precipitous density drops; Barpeta's AAPDEA plummeted from 78,650 to 12,170 persons/km2, and Goalpara's MLCNI reached an alarming 191 m2 per new resident. Conversely, the urban core, Kamrup Metropolitan, functioned efficiently, maintaining LCRPGR below 0.5 and consuming only 9 m2 of new land per added resident. These statistical disparities highlight a critical divergence between compact core development and fragmented peri-urban sprawl. To meet SDG 11.3 targets, this study emphasizes the urgent need for context-specific interventions, such as strict peri-urban growth boundaries, to halt inefficient land consumption
Regional development theory has long emphasized proximity, interaction, and territorial context, yet the built environment remains unevenly specified within its core conceptual frameworks. Traditions including industrial districts, clusters, regional innovation systems, learning regions, and entrepreneurial ecosystems all rely on spatial assumptions, but they often invoke broad territorial categories without adequately clarifying the material and institutional-spatial conditions through which economic interaction is organized. This paper argues for a more explicit treatment of the built environment within regional development theory. It develops an analytical framework organized around urban form, accessibility, land-use configuration, governance coordination, and the spatial organization of economic activity. The framework is used to examine Copenhagen and East London as analytically contrasting illustrative cases. The comparison shows that familiar regional development categories may refer to materially different spatial configurations: Copenhagen exhibits a more coordinated and distributed metropolitan structure, whereas East London is characterized by more selective concentration, redevelopment pressures, and fragmented governance. The paper contributes by positioning the built environment as a conditioning dimension of regional development rather than an external backdrop, and by offering a more precise basis for interpreting spatial variation across regional contexts.
The surface urban heat phenomenon and global warming share a mutual relationship, representing major environmental challenges of the 21st century. This study examines spatio-temporal variations of Surface Urban Heat Islands (SUHIs) in 16 major Iranian cities across different climatic regions to identify areas with intense surface warming and explore their relationship with urban characteristics. MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST) data from 2001 to 2020 and Landsat-derived NDVI were used to assess vegetation cover. Temporal trends were quantified using the Mann - Kendall and linear regression methods, and Ward's hierarchical clustering classified cities based on SUHI intensity patterns. The results showed four and six main clusters during daytime and night-time, respectively. The Surface Urban Cool Island (UCI) effect dominated during the day, while SUHI prevailed at night. UCI mainly occurred in urban areas surrounded by barren lands in arid and semi-arid regions. LST trends confirmed UCI formation through decreasing daytime temperatures, while night-time SUHI exhibited higher temperatures at city centres. NDVI time-series analysis indicated minimal vegetation change during the 17-year period. Overall, the spatial pattern of LST across Iran is influenced by elevation, latitude, vegetation, and proximity to the sea under different climatic conditions.
Despite aiming towards objectivity, researchers remain influenced by their intersecting identities (e.g. gender, age, origin) and by multiple overlapping contexts across scales (e.g. family, cultural, geographical, and temporal contexts). These factors shape how researchers interact with others, interpret observations, collect data, and draw conclusions. Drawing on my own fie work experience, this paper analyses how these factors manifest in practice through participant observation conducted in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It shows how my intersecting identities and contexts subjectively shaped my fieldwork experiences, influencing data collection and the interpretation of situations. These dynamics may lead to assumptions, biases, and ethnocentrism. This paper argues that such resulting subjectivities should not be treated as sources of distortion but as analytically meaningful elements of the research process. Reflexively engaging with them by acknowledging our own intersecting identities, those of others, and the contexts can support a more nuanced contextualization and a more grounded analysis of the social realities encountered in the field. This paper contributes by reframing researcher subjectivities as analytically meaningful elements of the research process. It shows how intersectional identities and contexts shape fieldwork interactions and observations, while highlighting the importance of continuous reflexivity.
The aim of this paper is to analyse how resource struggles between central and local governments shape local adaptation efforts. While national climate frameworks reflect country-specific political economies and power structures, the influence of central - local relations on adaptation financing at the local level remain underexplored. Using the case of Tanzania, the paper investigates how existing central-local power relations impact local climate change adaptation financing. We combine Structuration Theory and Multilevel Governance to expore how institutional structures and actor agency shape local climate adaptation financing. The data are qualitative and derived from interviews, document analysis, and field observations. Our findings suggest a complex relationship, where power and resources are centralized, thus leaving local actors toothless. Toothless in this paper refers to local governments holding formal adaptation mandates without the financial or decision-making authority to implement them. Additionally, the findings show local politicians (councillors) wield more power than local government officials, and the political dynamics they engage in threaten the local climate change financing. These dynamics undermine the effectiveness and equity of adaptation finance by steering resources towards politically visible projects rather than locally informed, long-term resilience needs, highlighting the importance of strengthening local governments' authority and technical capacity.
Short-term rentals have become a prominent issue for both academic research and public policy. While the determinants and impact of Airbnb have been largely studied in touristic and major cities, there is still a lack of contextualized studies that focus on the activity of Airbnb in small towns and interior and rural areas. The aim of this article is to comprehensively analyse short-term rentals (STR) in Aragon (Spain), an interior region predominantly rural and mountainous. It explores the geographical distribution of STRs, their relationship with the hospitality sector, housing stocks and other geographic and socioeconomic variables. To do so, statistical analyses (Pearson correlation, Pareto and multiple linear regression models) were used. First, the results suggest that Airbnb overlaps the traditional tourist accommodation supply and has close links with second homes and empty properties. Second, the presence of Airbnb is denser in mountain towns, close to ski-resorts, nature and wildlife.
Over the past decade, the dynamics of population change and redistribution have been a subject of academic discussion, particularly in thriving metropolitan regions of major cities and in non-metropolitan regions and rural peripheries that are experiencing depopulation. Internal migration has replaced fertility and mortality as the primary demographic process that shapes the spatial distribution of populations across regions within countries. This is a global phenomenon, though its intensity and patterns vary significantly across different national contexts. While a rich comparative literature has examined the intensity, composition, and flows of population movement, the spatial patterns of internal migration are less well understood. Spatial autocorrelation methods can reveal spatial patterns; however, their application to internal migration research remains limited, particularly in examining the temporal dynamics of spatial clustering. While recent studies have begun applying these methods to migration analysis, few have investigated how spatial autocorrelation patterns evolve over time. This study aims to explore the spatial patterns of internal migration using selected indicators of spatial autocorrelation, with Latvia as a case study. The analysis covers three census periods (2000, 2011, and 2021) and employs a hexagonal grid spatial framework at both national and metropolitan scales.
Rapid urban growth can intensify surface heat, yet evidence for India's tier-II cities is limited. We examined how land cover and urban form shaped daytime land surface temperature (LST) in Gautam Buddha Nagar (2001 to 2024) to isolate thermal drivers and translate district-specific trends into feasible nature-based and planning solutions. We combined Landsat LST at 30 m with land-use and land-cover maps, Local Climate Zones (LCZs), and indices (NDVI, NDBI, Urban Index). Hotspots were pixels at or above the mean plus two standard deviations, and distance to growth corridors was measured. Built-up cover rose from 28.9% to 47.7% while open waterbodies fell from 1.2% to 0.5%. Mean LST increased from 37.1 degrees C to 41.7 degrees C, with the sharpest rise during 2001-2013. Hotspots expanded from 2.50 to 5.95 to 85.99 km(2) in 2024 (14.06% of the district); the centroid shifted similar to 16.5 km east-southeast and 41% lay within 2 km of growth corridors. NDVI - LST weakened over time (R-2 0.27, 0.11, 0.14), NDBI- LST strengthened (0.44, 0.39, 0.48), and Urban Index sensitivity peaked in 2013 (slope 22.2). LCZ 8 reached 44.6 degrees C maxima; LCZ 3 averaged 37.6 degrees C; LCZ A and G were coolest (similar to 32.3 degrees C, 30.8 degrees C), with LCZ G variance 10.3. Results support LCZ-led actions, expanding street-tree canopy, adopt cool roofs in belts, soften and vegetate water edges, and cut impervious industrial yards.
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are increasingly recognized as approaches to advancing sustainability goals, particularly in response to accelerating biodiversity loss and climate change. However, despite their conceptual appeal for addressing critical societal challenges integratively, practical mechanisms for effective design and implementation remain insufficiently understood, often leading to inconsistent applications and the neglect of critical socio-ecological dimensions. This study contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by applying the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Global Standard for NbS to evaluate whether a multifunctional landscape project in Assens, Denmark, meets the criteria for a qualified NbS. The assessment demonstrates that the project successfully aligns with all eight IUCN criteria through actions aimed at enhancing biodiversity, retaining nitrogen, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and soil pollution, and improving opportunities for outdoor recreation. Beyond a site-specific evaluation, the study provides empirical insights into the operationalization of the IUCN framework and highlights its value as a participatory, context-sensitive tool for guiding sustainable landscape transitions.
Vegetation cover and its arrangement in terms of landscape fragmentation serve as good metrics of ecosystem health. The current study assesses changes in vegetation status and landscape fragmentation of the Panidihing Bird Sanctuary in Sibsagar, India from 2001 to 2021. The existence of wetlands within the study area is controlled by monsoon precipitation, so the sanctuary's microtopography is frequently altered. The periodic change in microtopography intensifies the physical changes and disturbs the vegetation cover within the sanctuary. By identifying specific locations and types of changes in vegetation and fragmentation as indicators of ecosystem health, our analysis can assist decision-makers in efficiently safeguarding and conserving the sanctuary's biodiversity. Overall, our results reveal a loss in vegetation cover and increasing landscape fragmentation within the area. Our landuse landcover change investigation shows that grassland is declining, and built-up area has increased. Both trends are a major concern since they could potentially reduce bird populations that require these habitats for breeding, foraging, and migrating.
Because of digitalization, telework has become increasingly important in many developing countries. This includes the information and telecommunication (IT) sector. The existing literature has uncovered downsides such as overwork and unsocial work hours, no social security and strong downward pressure on salaries. This article calls the scepticism on IT telework into question, demonstrating that participation in a globalized labour market has much to offer, at least to some professionals. It presents an open heuristic of benefits and drawbacks of telework, which is applied to IT professionals in Argentina. Against the backdrop of a series of semi-structured interviews, challenges are explained, but also many advantages of telework. Telework means higher salaries paid in hard currency and represents a step ahead in the career of IT professionals. They remain part of Argentina's IT ecosystem, instead of emigrating. In addition to rebalancing the pessimism that marks the literature on remote IT work, the empirical findings contradict the very negative assessment of this sector in Argentina from a perspective of national development, without ignoring its shortcomings.
It has been projected that climate change will eventually lead to increasing rainfall in the winter months in Denmark. This study explores the effect of election day weather on voter turnout in Denmark. A new data set linking weather observations (rainfall, temperature, wind speed) to voter turnout in Danish municipal elections held in mid-November from 1989 to 2021 is the primary object for analysis. Descriptive statistics show that turnout has been lower in cases of observed election day rainfall above 2 mm for many years - some places maybe back to 1945. On such rainy days, turnout has been even lower in municipalities where electorates have relatively lower income and level of education. Multivariate statistical analyses show more mixed results. Rainfall on election day appears to depress voter turnout, but whether the effect is smaller in more affluent municipalities is more ambiguous.
In the world, there is a general increase in sea surface temperatures with higher values reaching in enclosed seas. T & uuml;rkiye is surrounded by these enclosed seas, and sea surface temperatures have been measured since the 1940s. Since most of the stations contained missing data, only 23 stations were used in the study. First of all, the distribution of sea surface temperatures was determined, and then annual and monthly trends were revealed using Mann-Kendall series correlation analysis and Sen slope value. As a result of the study, it was seen that the annual average sea surface temperatures in Fethiye, Ordu, Finike, & Ccedil;anakkale, Ku & scedil;adas & imath;, Sinop, Konak and Sar & imath;yer stations have a significant increase trend. Monthly trends show different patterns depending on the seas, with increases in the Mediterranean during the beginning of summer, in the Aegean and Marmara seas during the winter, and in the Black Sea coast during the summer. The analysis shows that the rate of increase in the Mediterranean is 0.67 degrees C/decade and 2 degrees C/decade in the Aegean and Marmara seas and the Black Sea coast. In the Black Sea, the increase in the average maximum sea surface temperature in June at Giresun station is 4 degrees C/decade.
Uttarakhand hills are blessed with mesmerizing beauty but low crop productivity because of which the farmers are diverting from agriculture. A research investigation was conducted in Dantola village, Almora District, Uttarakhand, India, to understand the dynamics and performance of hill agro-ecosystems by estimating biomass, productivity and monetary efficiency of the existing cropping systems. Total five systems were selected which consist of six monocrops, three mixed crops, two agri-silviculture systems, one agri-horticulture system and silvi-hortipasture system. System-wise, higher biomass was observed in agri-silviculture system with an average value of 134.3 tonnes/ha. Farmyard manure was found to be the major source of nutrients supply to the crops. The monetary efficiency of various cropping systems revealed that the total returns were highest in the agri-horticulture system (USD 8805.76/ha) followed by horsegram+sorghum (USD 1620.49/ha) and urdbean (USD 1448.65/ha). When the net benefit from various cropping systems was analysed, maximum net returns were observed in agri-horticulture (USD 5867.57 lakh/ha), followed by horsegram+sorghum (mixed cropping) and urdbean. Overall, agri-silviculture systems provided higher biomass while legumes, agri-horticulture system and silvi-hortipasture systems were found to be the most efficient in terms of production and monetary efficiency and therefore can be recommended to the farming communities.
This paper adds to existing knowledge about flood management in Accra and contributes insights into emergency responses to major flood events in a geospatial context. The study identifies and analyses the specific routes from the facilities of emergency responders to designated flood-prone areas within four sites in the peripheral areas of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area. Flood hotspots were ascertained from several sources including local knowledge and bluespot maps derived from a 10 m resolution elevation model. GIS-based network analysis was used to determine the fastest routes from emergency responder facilities to flood hotspots, based on OpenStreetMap data. Interviews revealed that the computed routes are unsuitable for emergency services due to narrow passages and prevailing conditions during the floods. It is necessary to incorporate the individual responder's knowledge gained through familiarization with the local terrain to identify the optimal routes. The study further analysed the accessibility of emergency response services using indicative service area maps that present an account of time-distance from various emergency responders' bases. Finally, the study recommends the need for better planning of the expanding areas of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, in terms of accessibility for emergency responders.
The global decline in rural areas has made rural transformational development a subject of significant interest. The Characteristic Town (CT) strategy, a prominent aspect of China's recent urbanization efforts, focuses on innovative development methods to promote coordinated urban-rural growth and enhance capacity and quality. However, the mechanisms through which this strategy facilitates potential rural transformational development have not yet been investigated. This study addresses this gap by employing a case study approach, using desk research, participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires. The findings indicate that environmental transformation, achieved through targeted planning, design, and construction, is a prerequisite for the CT strategy to stimulate rural transformational development. Subsequently, economic transformation is a crucial step, which includes establishing a sustainable and systematic economic industrial system, local marketing and promotion, and facilitating private sector participation. The strategy also generates social effects, such as a modest improvement in living standards, a lack of public participation, changes in residents' self-identity, and potential social estrangement between residents and newcomers. The rural transformational development driven by the CT strategy represents a process of creative destruction that progresses quickly, necessitating the consideration of various countermeasures.
Urbanization and changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) influence the formation of urban microclimate (UMC). The current study analysed the urbanization and microclimatic changes in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi utilizing the Landsat-derived LULC map, Land Surface Temperature (LST), and a variety of spectral indices viz., Heat Effect Contribution Index (HECI), Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI), Thermal Index (TI) and Environment Criticality Index (ECI). The results indicate that Delhi has undergone a substantial increase in urbanization and concomitant urban warming (1999-2021). The mean LST had risen across all LULC classes, with vegetation exhibiting the most significant variance in mean LST. Largely, water bodies and vegetation lands converted to other LULC classes yielded the highest rise in LST. Notably, the contribution of the build-up to the heat effect rose by more than 40%. A rise in LST and its association with different LULC classes led to the widespread development and spatiotemporal shifting of SUHI and a subsequent decline in thermal comfort. This research uniquely quantifies LST changes associated with shifts in LULC categories and utilizes multiple heat indices to study the UMC of Delhi, offering crucial insights for future planning and policy formulation.
This paper adopts a Geographical Political Economy perspective to critically investigate how successive economic crises occurring from 2009 onwards (including the COVID-19 pandemic) affected youth labour markets in Greece, Italy, and Spain. To do so, it first calculates a Resilience Index for three youth employment types (total, part-time, and temporary employment). It then employs Shift-Share Analysis to quantify the effect of national trends, sectoral dynamism, and local characteristics upon total youth employment changes. After identifying those regions that have exhibited resilience or lack thereof and the underlying reasons for their trajectories, the paper outlines a typology of regional youth labour markets' resilience and examines their dynamics. Specifically, the paper examines the effect of path dependencies, structural deficiencies, and labour polarization on resilience outcomes, concluding that each has steered in different ways the regional youth labour markets examined towards either bouncing back shortly after recessive shocks or developing mechanisms of adaptation amidst recession. Closing, the paper discusses the role of work flexibilization in shaping resilience, finding that whilst it may contribute to coping/adaptation capacities under certain conditions it does not guarantee them.
