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Innovations in Environment Protection and Sustainable Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 506

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Department of Environmental Protection and Water Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: environmental management; environmental pollution; environmental impact assessment; environmental analysis; sustainability; environmental engineering; biofiltration; air purification; wastewater treatment
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Environmental protection and sustainable development are interrelated concepts that aim to preserve natural resources and ensure the well-being of both present and future generations. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without environmental protection, and conversely, sustainable development is essential for mitigating the negative environmental impacts of human activities. Both concepts strive to balance fulfilling current needs while safeguarding the planet for future generations. They seek to ensure that the economic, social, and environmental needs of today and tomorrow are met. One of the primary objectives of sustainable development is to develop the economy without exhausting natural resources. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established in 2015, provide a comprehensive framework for addressing global challenges and ensuring that no-one is excluded. Among the 17 goals, several focus specifically on environmental protection and sustainability. These include goals related to clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, responsible consumption and production, climate action, and preserving life both below water and on land. Despite advancements in environmental protection and sustainable development, several urgent issues persist today. These include climate change, characterized by rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and sea level rise, and the significant threats they pose to ecosystems, human health, and the economy. Deforestation, driven by agricultural expansion and urbanization, is another major contributor to increasing carbon emissions and declining biodiversity. Additionally, overconsumption and poor waste management practices lead to greater environmental pollution and resource depletion. Analogously, economic inequality and the poorly implemented policies related to it make it difficult to solve these problems. Environmental protection and sustainable development are essential for fostering a harmonious relationship between humanity and the planet. By integrating sustainable practices across all sectors—the economy, politics, and society—we can ensure a prosperous future for both the Earth and future generations.

This Special Issue focuses on the current state of knowledge on the links between environmental protection and sustainable development.

Dr. Rasa Vaiškūnaitė
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental protection
  • sustainable development
  • sustainability
  • United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
  • environmental management
  • overconsumption and waste management
  • environmental impact assessment
  • climate change
  • deforestation
  • clean energy
  • renewable energy sources
  • economic inequality

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

28 pages, 348 KiB  
Article
Artificial Intelligence Technologies as Smart Solutions for Sustainable Protected Areas Management
by Ahmet Atalay, Dalia Perkumienė, Larbi Safaa, Mindaugas Škėma and Marius Aleinikovas
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 5006; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115006 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 275
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming not only an auxiliary tool, but also one of the main factors helping to shape natural resource management models. The application of artificial intelligence in protected areas allows for a transition to more sustainable management of protected areas. [...] Read more.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming not only an auxiliary tool, but also one of the main factors helping to shape natural resource management models. The application of artificial intelligence in protected areas allows for a transition to more sustainable management of protected areas. By applying artificial intelligence technologies, it is possible not only to respond to changes or violations that have already occurred but also to more effectively predict potential threats, form long-term protection strategies, and make rational decisions based on accurate and timely data analysis. This study aims to determine the possibilities and importance of applying artificial intelligence technologies to the sustainable management of protected areas. The sample group of this study consists of a total of 135 experts from Turkey, Lithuania, and Morocco (45 from each country). The sample includes professionals with expertise in the relevant field, namely lawyers (9), academics (9), managers of protected areas (9), government officials responsible for protected areas (9), and representatives of non-governmental organizations (9). This study employed qualitative research methods, within which a case study design was adopted. For the analysis of the findings, thematic analysis and content analysis techniques were utilized to ensure a comprehensive and in-depth interpretation of the data. Analysis of the results of this study showed that integrating AI into the management of protected areas increases management efficiency and helps create long-term strategies, but successful application depends on cooperation between technology developers, scientists, and environmental specialists. Also, AI applications are expected to be a critical part of the process of environmental sustainability and fighting climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovations in Environment Protection and Sustainable Development)
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