Search Results (1,451)

Household waste systems are a frontline test of Australia’s circular economy transition, yet progress remains highly uneven and structurally constrained. Despite strong national targets for resource recovery and emissions reduction, local governments are expected to deliver circular outcomes without uniform access to infrastructure, funding, or technical capability. This study assesses the status, implementation, and progress of household waste management, energy recovery, and circular economy initiatives at the local government level in Australia. Using content analysis of data from 520 local government areas across six states, the study maps differences in service provision (e.g., general waste, mixed recycling, and food organics and garden organics [FOGO] collection), policy instruments, public-facing education, and participation in circular economy programs. The findings reveal that while a majority (92.5%) of councils provide general waste bins, 47% offer FOGO bins, and 78% supply mixed recyclable bins, only a small fraction (2.6%) offers a separate glass bin stream. Fewer than one in ten councils reference any form of energy recovery or waste-to-energy initiative, indicating that resource–energy integration remains emergent and geographically concentrated. Despite national policies such as the National Waste Policy Action Plan, significant regional disparities persist, particularly between metropolitan and rural councils. Guided by environmental governance theory and systems thinking, the study shows how policy fragmentation, funding limitations, and infrastructure inequities create systemic barriers to circularity. The study concludes by recommending targeted co-funding for rural councils, stronger policy support for organics and energy recovery infrastructure, and more coherent multi-level governance to achieve Australia’s 2030 waste and circular economy targets. This research contributes an evidence-based framework for understanding how governance structures and resource asymmetries shape local progress toward a circular economy. Full article

Urbanization in Cyprus has accelerated significantly over the past 35 years, driven by population growth, infrastructure development, and the expansion of urban centres. This rapid urban transformation has contributed to notable changes in the local climate, primarily through the intensification of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect—a phenomenon where urban areas experience significantly higher temperatures than surrounding rural regions. As global climate change continues to influence regional weather patterns, understanding and mitigating local climatic variations such as UHI becomes increasingly critical for sustainable development and public health. In Cyprus, the cities of Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, and Paphos have witnessed considerable land use changes, with a growing contrast between densely built urban cores and less developed surrounding areas. This contrast results in uneven energy absorption, reduced vegetation cover, and altered surface temperatures, further exacerbating the effects of climate change at the local level. Full article

Green belts in metropolises face a significant contradiction between ecological protection constraints and urban sprawl, necessitating effective planning and management. Existing studies have primarily focused on a single dimension, while the factors influencing the spatial evolution of green belts are complex and diverse. This study establishes a multi-objective quantitative analysis framework, utilizing quantitative analysis methods such as average nearest neighbor analysis, landscape ecological index analysis, land–use transition matrix, kernel density estimation, and spatial autocorrelation models. Taking the green belt area of Shijiazhuang as a case study, this research systematically analyzes the spatial evolution characteristics of the region from 2015 to 2024. The findings reveal spatial patterns such as the small-scale and dispersed expansion of industrial land, increasing fragmentation of ecological spaces, ongoing encroachment on agricultural land, differentiated growth of service industry spaces, and the uncontrolled sprawl of residential areas in villages and towns during rapid urbanization. These patterns lead to increased ecological risks, imbalanced urban–rural development, and lagging infrastructure. To address these challenges, this study proposes a planning strategy of “adjusting the primary industry, restricting the secondary industry, and promoting the tertiary industry,” aiming to resolve the conflict between ecological protection and urban expansion in metropolitan green belts, ensuring their orderly development. This research provides insights for the sustainable development of green belts in Metropolises of developing countries during the rapid urbanization process. Full article

Background: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have emerged as a critical tool in healthcare research, facilitating the assessment of healthcare accessibility through spatial analysis and data visualisation. This scoping review synthesises literature published between 2020 and 2024, a period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and rapid methodological innovation, providing a timely overview of how GIS has been applied to evaluate healthcare access across European countries. Methods: The review underscores the role of GIS methodologies in identifying geographic disparities, optimising resource distribution, and informing policy decisions. Results: Key findings highlight significant urban-rural differences in healthcare access, shaped by factors such as transportation infrastructure, population density, and healthcare facility distribution. Additionally, GIS has proven valuable in examining the link between healthcare accessibility and utilisation, with better access generally correlating with higher service use. Conclusions: Despite its potential, challenges including data availability, methodological variability, and uneven adoption across regions limit its broader implementation. The review emphasises the need for integrating advanced technologies to foster more equitable healthcare access throughout Europe. Full article

New quality agricultural productivity is essential for advancing agricultural modernization, consolidating and expanding achievements in poverty alleviation, and driving rural revitalization. However, leveraging this productivity to facilitate industrial upgrading and support the transition of smallholder farmers remains challenging. This paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model involving the government, agricultural enterprises, and farmers within the policy framework of new quality agricultural productivity. By applying evolutionary game theory, we analyze the strategic interactions among policy implementation, farmer welfare, and the development of new quality agricultural productivity. Equilibrium analysis reveals that the government, as a regulatory actor, should provide appropriate subsidies to agricultural enterprises and farmers, undertake initial infrastructure improvements, diversify subsidy instruments, establish special incentives for agricultural technology innovation, and increase investment in cultivating new agricultural talent. Agricultural enterprises, as dynamic agents, should adopt proactive and systematic transformation strategies. Furthermore, they need to strengthen benefit-linked mechanisms with farmers to ensure sustained collaboration. Full article

Sustainable development in rural communities faces significant challenges, such as inadequate infrastructure, poor resource management, and weak governance, especially in developing countries like Peru. This study aimed to develop a management model tailored to the local needs of smallholder communities in the Junín region, Peru, addressing social, economic, and environmental dimensions to improve quality of life. Using a descriptive mixed-method design with non-experimental and cross-sectional methods, 60 smallholder communities were evaluated based on criteria of access to information and relevance to sustainable development. Data collected through structured surveys and semi-structured interviews revealed a lack of inclusive participation, insufficient economic income, lack of financial transparency, and inadequate environmental practices. The proposed management model integrates strategies to improve community governance, foster inclusive participation, promote sustainable economic practices, and conserve the environment. It concludes that a comprehensive, flexible, and locally adapted approach, emphasizing transparency and community participation, is essential to achieving long-term sustainability in smallholder communities. Full article

This research adapts and tests the Smart Village Index (SVI) as a multidimensional technological model designed to assess the digital readiness, institutional maturity, and infrastructural connectivity of rural areas in Serbia. The research was undertaken in 10 rural municipalities that are representative of various phases of digital transformation and development typologies. The dimensions included in the analysis were six, which are information and communication technologies, digital governance, leadership and local competences, community participation, a sustainable economy, and infrastructure. The results indicated significant regional differences: About 30% of the municipalities, including Aranđelovac, Kanjiža, and Arilje, fall into the group of smart villages with developed infrastructure and high institutional readiness. About 40% of the municipalities, such as Titel, Knjazevac, and Despotovac, are in the phase of transiting to digital, while the remaining 30% (Knić, Rekovac, Žabari, and Crna Trava) still present a low level of digital connectivity, with limited capacities in their institutions. This research supports the fact that the successful digital transformation of rural communities requires a balance between technological development, institutional support, and social inclusion. The Smart Village Index (SVI) proposed is a robust way to evaluate the digital readiness of villages and to inform targeted policies on achieving sustainable rural development in Serbia. In addition to its analytical and evaluative role, the Smart Village Index (SVI) is a digital–technological innovation and a computational tool that unites data modeling, algorithmic standardization, and digital analytics in order to measure the level of digital readiness of a rural community. It therefore crosses over the thresholds of the conventional social scientist construct and gives a technological implementation that is within the threshold of technology being a reproducible and data-driven instrument for the real-life planning of digital governance and rural development. Full article

Ethno-tourism is increasingly recognized as a driver of rural development and cultural preservation, particularly in the Balkans, where ethno-villages represent important centers of heritage, identity, and community revitalization. Despite its significance, the systematic assessment of sustainability in ethno-tourism remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to evaluate the sustainability performance of thirteen ethno-villages across Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia. Data were collected through interviews with owners and managers, complemented by benchmarking and SWOT analyses, to develop a multi-criteria model incorporating five dimensions: economic performance, environmental sustainability, infrastructure and management, tourism attractiveness, and socio-cultural aspects. The results highlight economic performance as the most influential factor, followed by environmental sustainability and infrastructure, while tourism attractiveness and socio-cultural aspects had relatively lower importance. The ranking of villages revealed Drvengrad Mećavnik (Serbia) as the most sustainable destination, with robustness confirmed through sensitivity analyses. This study represents one of the first comprehensive, multi-criteria evaluations of ethno-village sustainability in the Balkans. The results demonstrate that long-term success depends on balancing financial viability with ecological practices, infrastructural investment, and cultural preservation. This research provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders, and highlights the value of multi-criteria approaches for sustainable tourism planning. Full article

As the development of “smart villages” and “sustainable rural tourism” increasingly becomes a focal point on the global policy agenda, tourism-oriented villages are experiencing a growing demand for digital infrastructure transformation. Against this backdrop, smart outdoor furniture emerges as a noteworthy intervention. However, existing designs for smart outdoor furniture predominantly originate from urban contexts, often failing to align with the distinct preferences, behavioural patterns, and cultural identity of rural users. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining Q-methodology with an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), to explore rural users’ technology acceptance pathways. Through Q-sorting, four typical attitude structures were identified: Pragmatic Function-Oriented, Cultural Concern-Oriented, Smart Enhancement-Oriented, and Technology Anxiety-Oriented. These qualitative insights were integrated into an extended TAM framework and validated through a structured survey (n = 319) using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings confirm that Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use remain the strongest predictors of user attitude and behavioural intention. Among contextual factors, Function Configuration exerts significant positive influence on both PU and PEOU; Cultural Adaptation significantly enhances PU; Social Influence primarily affects PEOU; Smart Features moderately influence both dimensions; and Perceived Cost Structure affects only PU. This research extends the applicability of the TAM model within rural socio-technical contexts. It provides empirical reference for inclusive and sustainable digital infrastructure design in tourism-oriented villages, while offering practical insights and dissemination pathways for smart design strategies in public spaces within similar socio-cultural environments. Full article

The study investigates how agriculture can serve as a driver of sustainable tourism and local development within the Vesuvius National Park under the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST) framework. Based on 14 semi-structured interviews with farmers, tourism operators, cultural institutions, and producer consortia, the findings reveal that agriculture plays a central role not only as a productive sector but also as a custodian of biodiversity, identity, and territorial resilience. Stakeholders emphasised the economic and symbolic value of traditional crops, highlighting how farm-based experiences, product certifications, and civil-society networks strengthen community cohesion and diversify visitor flows. Nevertheless, tourism remains predominantly concentrated in the vicinity of the volcano’s crater, thereby excluding the park’s other trails, limiting the positive impacts on rural and peripheral areas. Practical implications point to the need for improved mobility infrastructure, cross-sector coordination, and targeted incentives to link agrotourism circuits with regional branding and EU sustainability policies. Overall, the study shows that integrating agriculture into tourism governance can foster more inclusive, resilient, and territorially embedded forms of rural development in protected areas. Full article

Background: In China, a paradox has emerged: while the digital access gap narrows, a pronounced digital gradient—a sequential decline in outcomes from urban to county to township students—persists in innovation and entrepreneurship. This study investigates the hidden, cognitive mechanisms behind this enduring gradient inequality. Methods: Analyzing a national survey of 31,779 students, we employed statistical models designed to trace sequential pathways and account for institutional influences. Results: We found a clear urban > county > township gradient in students’ digital literacy, information perception, and innovation capabilities. The disparity is primarily driven by a cognitive mediation chain: rural students’ lower digital literacy inhibits their ability to perceive and evaluate information effectively, which in turn suppresses their innovation and entrepreneurial potential. This “digital literacy → information perception” pathway explains over 80% of the gap in entrepreneurial intention and one-third of the gap in innovation capacity. Crucially, elite “Double First-Class” universities mitigate this gradient; their robust offline support systems compensate for deficits in students’ digital literacy, reducing its necessity for entrepreneurial success. Conclusions: The contemporary digital divide is fundamentally a cognitive gradient. Moving forward, policy must look beyond infrastructure to foster a cognitive capacity to transform digital access into innovation capability, rather than merely expanding digital access. Our findings affirm that universities can act as powerful institutional compensators. A dual strategy that combines cognitive empowerment with targeted institutional support is essential to bridge the digital gradient and close the innovation gap across urban, county, and township student populations. Full article

Early childhood education (ECE) fundamentally shapes children’s developmental trajectories, significantly influencing lifelong cognitive, socio-emotional, and physical outcomes. Despite considerable policy efforts aimed at enhancing educational equity across the United States, marked disparities persist between rural and urban contexts, reflecting deep-rooted structural inequalities rather than mere geographic differences. This integrative review systematically examines disparities in ECE access, quality, workforce conditions, infrastructural resources, and developmental outcomes, specifically comparing rural and urban settings. Utilizing Ecological Systems Theory, Capital Theory, and an Intersectional framework, the study identifies critical systemic determinants reinforcing rural educational inequities, exacerbated further by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The findings reveal chronic underfunding, fragmented governance, workforce instability, infrastructural inadequacies, and intersectional disadvantages disproportionately impacting rural communities. Based on these insights, this study proposes targeted, evidence-based policy recommendations, emphasizing the necessity for increased federal funding, mandated rural representation in policymaking, workforce stabilization incentives, infrastructural enhancements, and robust community partnerships. This research calls for immediate, systemic policy responses to ensure equitable early educational foundations for all children across diverse geographic contexts by bridging a significant research gap through a comprehensive rural–urban comparative lens. Full article

Germany’s energy transition to a higher share of renewable energy sources (RESs) is characterized by decentralization, with citizens, cooperatives, SMEs, and municipalities playing a central role. As of early 2025, private individuals own a significant share of renewable energy installations, particularly PV panels, which corresponds to approximately half of the total installed PV power. This trend is driven by physical, technological, and societal factors. Technological advances in battery storage and sector coupling are expected to further decentralize the energy system. Thereby, the electrification of mobility, particularly through electric vehicles (EVs), offers significant storage potential and grid-balancing capabilities via bidirectional charging, although it also introduces challenges, especially for distribution grids during peak loads. Within this work we present a detailed digital twin of the entire distribution grid of the rural German municipality of Wüstenrot. Using grid operator data and transformer measurements, we evaluate strategic expansion scenarios for electromobility, PV and heat pumps based on existing infrastructure and predicted growth in both public and private sectors. A core focus is the intelligent integration of EV charging infrastructure to avoid local overloads and to optimise grid utilisation. Thereby municipally planned and privately driven expansion scenarios are compared, and grid bottlenecks are identified, proposing solutions through charge load management and targeted infrastructure upgrades. This study of Wüstenrot’s low-voltage grid reveals substantial capacity reserves for future integration of heat pumps, electric vehicles (EVs), and photovoltaic systems, supporting the shift to a sustainable energy system. While full-scale expansion would require significant infrastructure investment, mainly due to widespread EV adoption, simple measures like temporary charge load reduction could cut grid stress by up to 51%. Additionally, it is shown that bidirectional charging offers further relief and potential income for EV owners. Full article

E-commerce platforms are rapidly transforming global consumer behavior, yet the psychological and demographic determinants of sustainable digital consumption remain underexplored. This study investigates how extraversion–introversion personality traits interact with demographic and socio-economic factors to influence e-commerce usage among Korean consumers, with implications for sustainable consumption practices. Based on data from the 13th Korea Media Panel Survey (2022), the results of this study indicate that extraverted individuals, women, younger consumers, higher-educated and higher-income groups, employed and unmarried individuals, those in larger households, and urban residents were more likely to engage in e-commerce, whereas introverts and older adults showed lower participation. These findings highlight the complex interplay between psychological dispositions and structural conditions in shaping digital consumption. This study advances theoretical understandings of the issue by integrating extraversion–introversion traits and demographic variables into a multidimensional framework of consumer behavior. Practically, it emphasizes the need for inclusive e-commerce design: socially interactive features for extraverts, information-rich streamlined interfaces for introverts, and enhanced accessibility for older or rural users. Policy implications include promoting digital literacy, reducing infrastructure inequalities, and implementing ethical, personality-informed personalization strategies to foster equitable and sustainable online commerce. This research contributes to sustainable consumer intelligence by demonstrating how psychological and contextual factors jointly influence e-commerce engagement. Full article

Rural tropical regions face escalating threats from zoonotic AIV and dengue virus but lack sewered infrastructure for conventional wastewater surveillance. We implemented surface water-based surveillance (SWBS) in peri-urban Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Ruili (China) from July to November 2023 and coupled it with machine learning-enhanced digital epidemiology. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was employed to detect the M gene of AIV and to subtype H1, H5, H7, H9, and H10 in surface water. Wild bird feces (n = 40) were collected within 3 km of positive sites to source-track AIV. For the dengue virus, a serogroup-specific RT-qPCR assay targeting the CprM gene was used. Genomic sequencing of AIV and dengue virus was performed to elucidate phylogenetic relationships with local clinical strains. Clinical data related to dengue fever were also collected for correlation analysis. Meanwhile, 13 dengue-related keyword search volumes were harvested daily from Google, Bing and Baidu for four cities to reveal the relationship between dengue epidemics and the web search index. AIV H5 was detected in Dhaka city from week 38, peaking at week 39, while dengue virus was persistently detected from week 29 to week 45, aligning with clinical trends. Time-series cross-correlation analysis revealed that variations in surface water viral load led clinical case reports by approximately two weeks (max CCF = 0.572 at lag −2). In Ruili city, dengue virus was detected from week 32 to week 44. To sharpen sensitivity, 383 weekly web search series for 13 dengue keywords from four countries were screened; random-forest and XGBoost models retained five symptom queries that generated a composite index explaining 79% of variance in dengue RNA levels in an independent Ruili test set (n = 24) and reduced superfluous sampling by 35%. Phylogenetic analysis verified identity between water-derived and patient-derived DENV-2, confirming local transmission. The study demonstrates that AIV SWBS is optimally integrated with wild bird sampling for source attribution, whereas dengue SWBS achieves maximal efficiency when combined with real-time web search monitoring, providing tailored, low-cost early-warning modules for resource-constrained tropical settings. Full article