Incorporating Sustainability into Development Plans in Selected African Cities

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1.        The method taken by this paper is really extraordinary compared with quantitative methods usually applied in the environment management. Thematical analyze incorporated by this paper is fundamental method and the theme words are important for the research of this paper. So the development plan for these cities should keep in same frequency. Then the words selected for environment management in these cities are the key. In my opinion, there should be discuss the reasons supporting for the plans and annual reports, and same for the key words of its frequency.

2.        And could there are figures or tables to show the analytical process and the finding of the frequency of the words shown in the plans and reports.

Author Response

I will upload my notes

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This manuscript evaluated how selected African cities have incorporated environmental sustainability into their development plans, using the OECD mainstreaming framework for assessment. This study contains some interesting findings which underscore the need for a more systematic and comprehensive approach to embedding environmental sustainability within urban development policies and practices across African cities. However, there are several issues that need to be addressed. Therefore, major revision is required before this manuscript can be accepted for publication in SUSTAINABILITY.

 

1. Line 151: Please standardize the citation format throughout the document.

2. I seem to be unable to find Figures 4, 5, and 6. Please carefully check the numbering of the figures.

3. Line 16: The first occurrence of an abbreviation should be written out in full, not abbreviated.

4. The introduction provides a detailed overview of policy documents, however, the purpose of the study seems unclear. I would like the authors to emphasize the main issues and objectives of the research.

5. In 2015, the United Nations introduced the concept of Sustainable Development Goals. Could the introduction discuss how these goals relate to the development plans of these African cities?

6. Figure 1: If step 3 contains only one sub-step, it should be labeled as 3 instead of 3a.

7. The authors mention that the multi-step method used in this study provides a replicable framework. I suggest further discussing in the Discussion section how other researchers might apply this framework in different scenarios and the potential benefits of using this framework.

8. The Discussion section should include considerations of the study's limitations and directions for future research.

9. I recommend integrating the Recommendations section into the Discussion section.

10. 10. Section 4.4 should compare the research findings of the manuscript with those of other studies. For example, incorporating environmental sustainability into urban development necessitates evolving how cities approach their developmental processes. A shift towards placing environmental sustainability at the forefront of urban operations is essential. This aligns with the findings of Yao et al. (2024), (DOI: 10.3390/buildings14072165).

Author Response

I have uploaded my notes

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This article is a study of how African cities are integrating environmental sustainability into their development plans. African cities face key challenges in providing basic services, including limited financial resources and vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, such as flooding, water and energy insecurity. Many cities lack adequate stormwater drainage infrastructure and capacity, hindering the implementation of environmental sustainability projects.This paper has the following obvious defects.

1. Scope and representativeness: If the study covers only four African cities, it may not represent the diversity and complexity of the entire African continent. This may limit the general applicability of the findings.

2. Data sources and reliability: The article relies on secondary data, such as development planning and policy documents, which may be biased or incomplete. If the data source is unreliable or outdated, it may affect the validity of the study results.

3. Methodological limitations: The study adopted a qualitative approach and may lack quantitative data to support its findings. The lack of mixed-method studies may limit in-depth understanding of causality.

4. Depth of analysis: If the study does not delve into the comparison between different cities, or does not analyze in detail the specific reasons for success and failure cases, this may limit the reader's understanding of the complexity of integrating environmental sustainability.

5. Implementation and monitoring evaluation: The article mentions deficiencies in monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, but if the study does not provide specific recommendations on how to improve these mechanisms, this may be a deficiency.

6. Links between policy and practice: If research does not clearly link findings to policy development and practice, or does not provide specific implementation strategies, its impact on actual policy and practice may be limited.

7. Funding and resource allocation: The study points to constraints on financial resources, but if the article does not discuss how to optimize resource allocation or innovate financing mechanisms, this may be an omission.

8. Cultural and socio-economic context: Studies that do not take into account the impact of cultural and socio-economic contexts in different cities on the integration of environmental sustainability may lead to misunderstanding of strategies and solutions.

9. Clarity of sustainability goals: If research does not clearly define and quantify sustainability goals, it can lead to ambiguous goals and difficulty measuring progress.

10. Long-term impact and tracking: Research may lack an assessment of the long-term impact of projects, which is critical to understanding the durability and effectiveness of environmental sustainability measures.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

a major revision of English Language are needed.

Author Response

I have uploaded my notes

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors

The revision seems properly addressed my recommendations. I have no further suggestions, and the paper can be considered for publishing.

With best regards

The reviewer

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The author's reply has nothing to do with the question I raised. The author has not improved the article.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Grammar mistakes need to be avoided.