Search Results (1,798)

Global biodiversity policy increasingly depends on community-led conservation, yet the comparative evidence base contains little from South Asia’s frontier regions. This article asks how a long-running grassroots organisation in a politically and ecologically marginal region combined community mobilisation, vernacular knowledge, scientific evidence, and engagement with public institutions in pursuing conservation outcomes, and which features of that process may be relevant beyond Northeast India. Four campaigns of Nature’s Beckon, founded in Dhubri, Assam, in 1982, are compared as distinct types of intervention: species-led protected-area mobilisation at Chakrashila; landscape-scale conservation against extractive pressure at Dihing Patkai; species research with public ecological education; and community-managed institution-building. The available evidence indicates a documented and substantial, though not exclusive, role in campaigns associated with the notification of two protected areas whose current notified areas total approximately 279.83 km². Advocacy alone does not adequately explain these outcomes: where a formal government decision was required, sustained organisational capacity became consequential only when it coincided with a favourable political and administrative opening. Measured against four design features associated with successful community-based conservation, the model corresponds strongly to capacity-building investment and external linkage, in qualified form to equitable benefit-sharing, and only partly to tenure security. The article develops an ecology of the margins framework and specifies which elements appear transferable and which do not. Full article

This paper concerns a three-cycle design research that explores the feasibility of designing a learning environment that could support preschoolers to (a) build basic ecological knowledge and (b) develop familiarity with the concept of sustainability and other socio-environmental concepts that might contribute to their socio-environmental awareness. We focus on the third research cycle, emphasizing the implementation of the learning environment and the resulting ‘design theory’ for combining biology and sustainability education at young ages. Grounded in constructivism, our design utilizes approaches like ‘problem-posing,’ ‘possible futures,’ and ‘problem seekers–problem solvers–action takers’ as design principles. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the pre-/post-interviews with the 30 participating preschoolers indicated improvements in their ecological understanding as well as in their familiarity with sustainability-related concepts. Moreover, the iterative design process led to the articulation of the ‘Concept-As-a-Tool’ (CAT) strategy, a design theory that conceptualizes sustainability as a decision-making tool connecting ecological knowledge and socio-environmental action-oriented thinking in early childhood education. The findings provide initial support for this design theory within the context of the present study. Full article

Urban informality in amphibious territories represents a critical yet understudied dimension of contemporary urbanisation in the Global South. This article analyses the interrelations between spatial transformation, social equity, and environmental change in Las Flores, an informal settlement located between the Mallorquín Lagoon and the Magdalena River in Barranquilla, Colombia. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach combining GIS interpretation, participatory mapping, and in-depth interviews, the study examines how processes of informal territorialisation have reshaped both the physical landscape and the social fabric of this amphibious environment. Results indicate that the settlement has expanded progressively over the past two decades, occupying areas of the wetland previously covered by mangroves and natural vegetation. This expansion has been accompanied by environmental degradation, soil infilling, and declining water quality. Residents face persistent infrastructural deficits, limited access to education and healthcare, and increasing social fragmentation between the formal and informal sectors. Yet, the community also exhibits strong organisational capacity, adaptive livelihoods, and a deep sense of place that sustains local identity and resilience. These dynamics exemplify the paradox of amphibious life: coexistence with water as both a resource and a source of vulnerability. Building on these findings, the study develops an urban socio-ecological conceptualisation of Amphibious Justice, a framework for interpreting equity, recognition, and governance in hybrid territories where urbanisation and land–water dynamics intersect. The article proposes a framework of equitable amphibious urbanism that integrates environmental restoration, social inclusion, and participatory governance. The findings suggest that sustainability in such territories cannot be achieved through technocratic restoration or forced resettlement, but through co-produced strategies that recognise local knowledge, tenure security, and ecological stewardship. Ultimately, the case of Las Flores offers insights into how cities in the Global South can pursue just and adaptive coexistence with water amid growing climate and urban pressures. Full article

This exploratory descriptive-correlational study analyses the perceptions of 257 adult students (doctoral, master’s, and teachers) at DPPD, USV Iași, during the 2025–2026 academic year regarding hybrid education, teaching quality, and environmental sustainability. Using a structured Likert-scale questionnaire, the analysis indicates good-to-excellent internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging between 0.886 and 0.901, and a high overall global average score of 4.64. The findings reveal strong support for the hybrid model. Perceived teaching quality received the highest subscale rating (M = 4.80), closely followed by the perceived ecological impact (M = 4.65). The analysis indicates strong Pearson correlations, specifically between the hybrid learning experience and perceived teaching quality (r = 0.818), as well as between the perceived ecological impact and pro-sustainability attitudes (r = 0.809). Regarding academic mobility, the estimate indicates 81,283 km of avoided commuting travel and approximately 12,295 kg of avoided commuting-related CO₂ emissions, based on self-reported distance, means of transport, and number of physical attendances replaced by online activities. These findings suggest that hybrid learning may represent a relevant managerial option for university sustainability policies. The model appears well suited to postgraduate programmes addressed to employed adults, although the ecological benefits should be read as partial and do not displace perceived teaching quality as the central factor. Full article

Background: Edible insects constitute a highly nutritious, environmentally sustainable and culturally significant food resource with considerable potential to contribute to food system transformation within academic and broader societal contexts. Although global interest in entomophagy continues to increase, there remains limited research exploring the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and consumption practices of university populations within rural South African settings. Methods: Three concurrent cross-sectional quantitative studies were conducted at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), located in Thohoyandou, Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Study 1 evaluated the knowledge, attitudes and consumption patterns of edible insects among 200 students. Study 2 examined knowledge and utilisation of edible insects among 390 students. Study 3 investigated knowledge and perceptions regarding edible insects among 200 university staff members. Structured questionnaires covering socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and food frequency practices were administered across all studies. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 28 through descriptive statistics, frequencies and percentages. Analyses were descriptive only; no inferential testing, factor analysis or regression was undertaken, and the three studies are compared as a descriptive synthesis rather than pooled into a single dataset. Results: Findings across all study groups demonstrated high levels of awareness regarding edible insects, with awareness reported by 85% of participants in Study 1 and 100% in Study 2, and 98% of staff members acknowleded the ecological importance of insects. Mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina), termites and grasshoppers emerged as the most recognised and frequently consumed edible insect species. Consumption prevalence was notably high, reported at 91% in Study 1 and 69.2% in Study 2 and 66.3% among staff in Study 3. General attitudes towards entomophagy were largely favourable, with 41% of students expressing excitement about edible insect consumption and 91.1% of staff supporting the commercialisation of edible insects. Key barriers influencing consumption included religious restrictions (25.1%, reported in Study 2 only; participants with religious dietary prohibitions were excluded at sampling in Studies 1 and 3, limiting cross-study comparability of this barrier), cultural taboos (3%), inadequate market availability and limited awareness regarding nutritional benefits. Staff members further demonstrated positive environmental and sustainability perceptions, with 84.1% recognising edible insects as environmentally beneficial and viable future food sources. Conclusions: Across three independent cross-sectional studies conducted at the University of Venda, broadly similar patterns of awareness, attitudes, perceptions and edible insect consumption were observed. Although the studies differed in sampling and measurement, they consistently suggest that edible insects remain culturally accepted among many students and staff. Nevertheless, challenges relating to nutritional literacy, market accessibility and policy integration continue to limit broader adoption. Strengthening nutrition education initiatives and incorporating edible insects into institutional food systems may enhance the contribution of edible insects towards food security, sustainable protein provision and nutrition sustainability within Limpopo Province and beyond. Full article

Background/Objectives: Oral diseases are among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases and impose a substantial public health burden across Europe. Although general total health expenditure may reflect health-system capacity, it does not specifically measure oral healthcare financing, and evidence regarding its association with population-level oral health remains limited. The objective of this study was to assess the association between total health expenditure and oral health outcomes in European countries. The primary focus was on dental caries prevalence, while a secondary exploratory analysis examined edentulism. Methods: Using publicly available international databases, an ecological, unbalanced country-level panel dataset was constructed. The main caries model included 153 country-year observations from 25 European countries during 2015–2021. An extended model incorporating practicing dentist density included 109 observations from 20 countries. Two-way fixed-effects regression models with country and year effects and country-clustered standard errors were applied. Edentulism was examined using exploratory cross-sectional OLS models for 2019. Results: In the main model, higher total health expenditure (β = −0.00305, p = 0.027) and GDP per capita (β = −0.00024, p = 0.021) were associated with lower caries prevalence. In the extended model, only GDP per capita remained statistically significant (β = −0.00028, p = 0.021), whereas total health expenditure, tertiary educational attainment, and practicing dentist density were not significantly associated with caries prevalence. No statistically significant associations were observed in the exploratory edentulism analyses. Conclusions: Total health expenditure and GDP per capita were negatively associated with caries prevalence in the main country-level model, although the expenditure association was not maintained in the restricted extended sample. These ecological findings do not establish causality and require confirmation using more complete, oral-health-specific data. Full article

Background: Leptospirosis is a neglected tropical disease with substantial public health impact in Brazil, closely associated with socio-environmental vulnerabilities and climatic extremes. This study analyzed the epidemiological profile and spatiotemporal distribution of leptospirosis incidence and lethality rates in Brazil from 2015 to 2024. Methods: An ecological time-series study was conducted using secondary data from the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN). Variables included geographic region, probable infection environment, and occupational and educational level (ISCED-2011). Results: A total of 31,397 cases were notified, with an annual average of 3140 cases. The South and North regions exhibited the highest incidence rates, while the Northeast and Southeast presented lethality rates above the national average (9.20%). A marked reduction in notifications occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infections occurred predominantly in the domiciliary environment (64%). Rural workers (27.45%) and civil construction workers (18.63%) were the most affected occupational groups, with a higher incidence rate among illiterate and low-education populations. Conclusions: The dynamics of leptospirosis in Brazil are complex and multifactorial, influenced by climatic variations and driven by deficits in basic sanitation and education level. Mitigating the disease burden requires sustained, region-specific public health strategies, targeted infrastructure improvements, and enhanced epidemiological surveillance to address underreporting. Full article

Conservation governance frameworks assess equity through recognition, procedure, and distribution. These dimensions give limited attention to Indigenous authority over land and conservation decisions in settler-colonial contexts, including the relationships, responsibilities, and governance conditions that shape equitable conservation. This study develops and pilots the Conservation with Equity framework across three UNESCO-designated Biosphere Reserves in Canada: Clayoquot Sound, Mount Arrowsmith, and Redberry Lake. Using document analysis of UNESCO governance documents, complemented by semi-structured interviews with Biosphere Reserve managers, we examined how equity is reflected in conservation governance practices. The pilot application identified ecological reconciliation as a fourth and foundational dimension of equitable conservation governance, extending existing equity frameworks. Results show that the Biosphere Reserves incorporate Indigenous knowledge into conservation activities, involve communities in decision-making through governance processes, and support local livelihoods and restoration initiatives. However, these practices improve participation and benefit sharing without consistently shifting decision-making authority over land and conservation. Indigenous-led initiatives, including Tribal Parks, land-based education, healing initiatives, and food production systems, demonstrate pathways where Indigenous communities direct land use and conservation decisions. The Conservation with Equity framework provides a basis for assessing conservation governance with greater attention to Indigenous authority, governance, and relationships with land. Full article

Background: Early and comprehensive interventions are crucial for preventing substance use in adolescents. In school settings, such interventions can be easily integrated into the curricular and co-curricular activities with the active involvement of school administration, teachers, trained staff, parents, and community members. This review aimed to comprehensively examine preventive, protective, and corrective school-based intervention models for substance use to suggest an evidence-based and effective educational model for preventing substance use in children. Methods: In this scoping review, online databases, including SCOPUS and Web of Science, were searched to identify and collect articles evaluating the effectiveness of school-based prevention models. The PRISMA approach for scoping review (PRISMA-ScR) was employed to assess the scope of relevant literature and synthesise existing school-based intervention models. Two independent reviewers independently screened records (κ = 0.75). Due to heterogeneity, findings were synthesised narratively using a socio-ecological framework. Study quality was appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results: Forty-three studies, mostly from the United States, were included in the review. All school-based interventions examined were preventive or protective in their approaches. There was no school-based intervention model that was corrective in its approach. Increased knowledge, negative attitudes towards substance use, and reduced substance use in the intervention groups were key outcomes. Effective interventions involved a multi-pronged approach wherein teacher training, student education, and the involvement of parents, senior citizens, police officials, experts, and the community were key components. Additionally, culturally tailored interventions have shown promising results. Conclusions: Among school children, tobacco and alcohol use are most prevalent, and schools can play a crucial role in addressing this issue. Apart from preventive and protective intervention models, the focus needs to shift towards developing integrated school-based corrective models to address the concerns of substance use among school students. Full article

Background/Objectives: Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is included in ICD-11 and poses a substantial risk to Saudi university students, yet no structured nursing intervention framework exists within Saudi higher education health services. This paper presents the Resilience-Based Nursing Intervention Framework (RBNIF), a three-tiered, theory-driven nursing architecture translating evidence on impulsivity, resilience, and IGD into practice specifications for this setting. Methods: Using secondary analysis of a dataset of 207 gaming students from four King Saud University colleges, framework development followed a four-phase Medical Research Council (MRC) process: theoretical identification (I-PACE, Dual Process Theory, COM-B), evidence synthesis, Behavior Change Wheel/Intervention Mapping, and cultural adaptation via Bernal et al.’s Ecological Validity Framework. Results: The sample (58.9% male; 20–25 years, 61.4%; bachelor’s level, 73.9%) yielded three tiers differentiated by a dual-domain screening rule (elevated impulsivity and/or low resilience, rather than a single combined score): Tier 1 (universal psychoeducation); Tier 2 (six-session group program, S-UPPS-P ≥ 52 and/or CD-RISC-10 ≤ 20; 63 of 207 participants [30.4%]); and Tier 3 (10-session RIRDH clinical program, IGDS9-SF ≥ 36, met by 38 of 207 participants [18.4%]). Fifty-two participants (25.1%) met the elevated-impulsivity criterion, and 51 (24.6%) met the low-resilience criterion. Each tier specifies nursing competencies and behavior change techniques, with cultural adaptation integrating Islamic values concepts (sabr, mizan, tawakkul), family protocols, and single-sex delivery. Conclusions: To our knowledge, the RBNIF is the first theory-driven, culturally adapted nursing intervention architecture for IGD in Saudi university health services; a focused, non-systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL identified no directly comparable published framework. It is pre-implementation and requires feasibility testing, pilot evaluation, and a cluster-randomized controlled trial (c-RCT). Full article

The growing volume of tourism in European mountain national parks has resulted in numerous conflicts between nature conservation and the expectations of various stakeholder groups. Exceeding ecological and social carrying capacities has led to an ongoing debate on implementing visitor limits and further restrictions, the effectiveness of which strongly depends on public understanding and acceptance. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge regarding the general system of nature conservation, attitudes toward potential regulations, and their impact on conservation and tourism development across three stakeholder groups. A non-probability, purposive-convenience sampling strategy was utilized due to the specific characteristics of the surveyed stakeholder groups. The research was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to tourists, mountain guides, and employees of the Babia Góra, Gorce, Pieniny, and Tatra National Parks, resulting in a total sample of 106 respondents. Statistical differences among the national parks employees (n = 24), mountain guides (n = 42) and tourists (n = 40) were analyzed using the Fisher–Freeman–Halton exact test due to violated Chi-square assumptions, supplemented by Cramér’s V for effect size. The study demonstrated that national park employees and mountain guides possessed significantly higher factual knowledge regarding biodiversity threats and zoning regulations compared to tourists. Significant differences among stakeholder groups were confirmed across multiple dimensions (p = 0.005 to 0.05), with Cramér’s V values indicating moderate relationships (V = 0.21 to 0.26). Conversely, national park employees and tourists expressed stronger support for expanding protected areas, whereas mountain guides more frequently associated new national parks with tourism restrictions. Moreover, the majority of respondents across all stakeholder groups agreed that: (i) nature protection is the main goal of national park establishment; (ii) educational activities are the most effective methods of protecting nature from tourism-related threats; (iii) leaving trails should be banned in all national parks, and (iv) seasonal limits on tourist entry should be obligatory in the most frequently visited parks. The lack of significant differences was confirmed by statistical test (p = 0.08–0.93). Considering the findings of this preliminary investigation, it is suggested that future research directions should include additional stakeholder groups and encompass a wider geographical area. Full article

This article reconsiders the relationship between religions and the environment from a historical and methodological perspective. It argues that the ecological orientation of a religious tradition cannot be deduced directly from its sacred texts, since texts become socially effective only through a range of mediating processes such as interpretation, preaching, ritual, education, institutional authority, devotional practice, and political use. This is especially evident in ancient and medieval societies, where most believers encountered Scripture through mediators rather than as individual readers. The article discusses the influential paradigm inaugurated by Lynn White, the critical contribution of ecofeminism, and recent theological genealogies linking Christian doctrines to ecological and colonial violence. While recognising the importance of these approaches, it stresses the need to avoid anachronism and overly linear explanations. Concepts such as “nature” and “environment” have changed over time, and the environmental question, as currently understood, belongs to the modern and contemporary world. The article also criticises the public tendency to rank religions according to their supposed ecological value. Religious environmentalism is interpreted as a contemporary process of reinterpretation, in which inherited symbols, doctrines, and practices are resemanticised in response to the ecological crisis. In doing so, it proposes mediation as a central category for studying religions and environmental thought historically. Full article

Since the term ‘first-generation college student’ (FGCS) garnered increased attention in the 2000s, many institutions have implemented programming specifically for FGCS (e.g., bridge programs, first-year seminars). FGCS should be key stakeholders who inform programming. As such, qualitative research is needed to elevate FGCS voices. To date, little research has examined adjustment and well-being in FGCS. This study included qualitative interviews (approximately 30 min) concerning adjustment and well-being in FGCS (N = 24; 79% female, M age = 19, 92% White), defined as students whose parents have not completed a four-year bachelor’s degree. Participants’ responses were coded according to Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory levels, to account for the multi-layered systems (e.g., family, high school, university, peers) that impact their risk and resilience before and during college. One central theme was how seeking help from family, peers, and university resources promoted resilience. Conversely, individual risk factors (e.g., low socioeconomic status; insufficient guidance) interacted with the high school environment and economic landscape of higher education to confer risk. Overall, many challenges (e.g., mental health) improved over time. Students made recommendations for both high school and university staff about how to best support FGCS, which have implications for programming at the high school and university level. Full article

The transmission of trauma across generations has traditionally been explained through genetic, epigenetic, familial, and attachment-based mechanisms. While these approaches have generated valuable insights, they remain insufficient for explaining the persistence of psychological vulnerability in contexts where the original traumatic event has disappeared but maladaptive patterns continue to emerge across generations. This paper introduces the Contextual Resonance Theory of Psychopathology (CRTP), a novel cognitive–systemic framework proposing that transgenerational trauma is maintained through the recursive reproduction of trauma-shaped environments rather than exclusively through biological inheritance. According to this model, traumatic experiences generate adaptive cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses that become embedded within family narratives, relational structures, institutional practices, and cultural expectations. Over time, these adaptations evolve into self-maintaining contextual systems that continuously communicate threat, unpredictability, and hypervigilance to subsequent generations. The theory introduces the concepts of contextual traumatic inertia, distributed psychopathology, and recursive contextual resonance to explain how vulnerability becomes socially reproduced even in the absence of direct trauma exposure. Drawing on predictive processing, ecological psychology, systems theory, and contemporary trauma research, the paper proposes that psychopathology emerges from persistent interactions between individuals and pathogenic environments rather than solely from intrapsychic dysfunction. Furthermore, a complementary mechanism termed corrective recontextualization is proposed as a pathway for reversing transgenerational vulnerability through repeated exposure to safe, predictable, and psychologically restorative contexts. The framework offers an integrative perspective capable of bridging cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychopathology, trauma studies, and mental health intervention research. Clinical, educational, organizational, and societal implications are discussed, alongside future directions for empirical validation and neurocognitive investigation. Full article

Educators are working within increasingly complex environments characterized by rapid change and uncertainty, where future conditions, expectations, and appropriate responses are often ambiguous or difficult to anticipate. Technological innovation, political and social polarization, climate-related concerns, shifting policy landscapes, workforce pressures, and the lasting effects of public health disruptions each introduce distinct yet interconnected forms of uncertainty. While these domains of uncertainty have generated substantial bodies of scholarship, less attention has been paid to how multiple forms of uncertainty converge within educators’ professional lives. This essay introduces the concept of stacked uncertainties as a lens for understanding how overlapping uncertainties accumulate, interact, and amplify across interconnected technological, socio-political, ecological, organizational, and policy systems. From this perspective, multiple uncertainties compete for the same personal, relational, organizational, and material resources that support educator well-being and resilience. Resilience is understood as a dynamic process shaped by access to adaptive resources across ecological systems. Applying the concept of stacked uncertainties has practical implications for educational leadership, policy, professional learning, and initiatives aimed at strengthening conditions that support educator well-being and resilience amid ongoing complexity and change. Full article