Search Results (825)

Smallholder dairy farms are central to rural livelihoods in Latin America, yet feeding strategies can shift environmental burdens across climate, land, and water dimensions. This study integrated cluster analysis and life cycle assessment to identify methane-related feeding typologies and assess their environmental trade-offs in smallholder dairy farms in the Mexican highlands. Twenty-nine farms from two dairy regions were classified by k-means clustering into two methane-emission-related farm typologies, which were subsequently characterized by their observed feeding profiles: conserved-forage-dominant (Cluster 1, n = 17) and green-forage-dominant (Cluster 2, n = 12). Their environmental performance was assessed with a cradle-to-farm gate life cycle assessment following ISO 14040/14044 and ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint across 18 impact categories. Feed production and ration supply were the main hotspots, contributing 72 to 100% of the total impacts. Global warming potential averaged 2.29 and 2.47 kg CO₂-eq per kg of raw milk in Clusters 1 and 2, respectively. Within the study sample, exploratory comparisons indicated higher marine eutrophication and land use in Cluster 1, whereas Cluster 2 showed higher fine particulate matter formation, terrestrial acidification, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and human carcinogenic toxicity (nominal p < 0.05). These potential trade-offs require validation in larger cohorts and with more geographically representative inventories. These findings show that similar milk outputs can arise from distinct feeding pathways with different environmental trade-offs and that greater reliance on fresh forage does not necessarily imply a more favorable environmental profile. Cluster-based characterization offers a practical basis for improving feed sourcing and ration design in dairy systems facing resource constraints. Full article

Rural development strategies in the Andes face persistent tensions between income generation, food provision, and the conservation of ecological functions. In Patapallpa Alta (Cusco, Peru), the expansion of pine plantations associated with mushroom production has created new economic opportunities but also tensions involving water availability, land-use, and labor organization. This study applies the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach to develop a model for evaluating these trade-offs in terms of viability, feasibility, and desirability. The analysis includes territorial, productive, nutritional, and biophysical dimensions to represent interdependencies among dietary needs, food provision, labor, land-use, and biophysical pressures. The results show that the community functions as an open metabolic system where social reproduction depends on both local production and external flows. Although the pine–mushroom subsystem generates income and is socially valued, it also reshapes relationships among land, water, and labor in ecosystems where grasslands perform essential hydrological functions. This model brings the underlying structural tensions that shape sustainability to the surface and provides a useful framework for supporting decision-making in complex rural territories. Full article

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating data center construction and creating downstream implications for households. This study examines how AI-era data center costs (comprising construction, energy, water, grid upgrades, cooling, and lifecycle management) move through service supply chains and affect household prices in healthcare, transportation, education, banking, and commerce. It also considers the productivity and welfare benefits that AI may transmit. This study identifies four pass-through channels: utility-rate socialization of energy costs, cloud-platform pricing, sectoral pass-through from AI-adopting industries, and indirect effects through supply chains and labor markets. It introduces the AI-inflated net good basket, defined as transmitted cost minus transmitted benefit, to show how AI reshapes the overall net cost of household consumption rather than simply inflating individual prices. The study develops the AI Infrastructure Net Cost Pass-Through Model (AI-NCPM), a four-layer conceptual framework tracing net cost flows from data center investment to sectoral allocation and household outcomes. The model’s parameters are analytically specified but not empirically calibrated; numerical examples are illustrative rather than representing estimated effects. Its main contribution is an integrative framework linking cost pass-through, infrastructure cost socialization, two-sided platform allocation, environmental externalities, and household expenditure incidence within a single net-cost account. Because these effects originate in the design, construction, energy and cooling systems, and lifecycle operation of data centers, the analysis connects AI infrastructure economics to the built environment. The framework suggests that low-income, minority, rural, older adult, and disability-affected households may face disproportionate net burdens, as costs fall heavily on essential services while benefits accrue more readily to affluent and digitally connected households. Full article

Sustainable tourism in oasis landscapes requires governance approaches that go beyond generic destination-growth models and standardized sustainability checklists. In living cultural landscapes such as Al-Ahsa Oasis, tourism development is inseparable from water systems, palm-grove agriculture, rural livelihoods, heritage values, climate stress, visitor behavior, and institutional accountability. This paper develops a governance framework for sustainable tourism in Al-Ahsa Oasis, Saudi Arabia, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Methodologically, it is a conceptual framework-development study based on structured critical review and contextual synthesis. It critically interprets international sustainable tourism, heritage management, visitor management, and sustainable investment frameworks in relation to recent Al-Ahsa-specific evidence on rural tourism, resident satisfaction, farm-tourist behavior, rural lodges, land-cover change, and World Heritage governance. The study proposes a six-dimensional framework structured around cultural landscape stewardship, water-sensitive ecological governance, agricultural landscape continuity and rural accommodation regulation, community benefit and local enterprise, climate-responsive visitor management and interpretation, and monitoring and institutional accountability. These dimensions are treated as interdependent governance fields rather than separate checklist categories. The framework is further operationalized through an indicator and governance matrix linking suggested indicators, data sources, governance mechanisms, and responsible actors. The paper contributes by reframing sustainable oasis tourism as an adaptive governance problem rather than a technical exercise in applying predefined criteria. It provides an evidence-informed basis for planning, monitoring, stakeholder deliberation, policy refinement, and future empirical testing in Al-Ahsa and comparable arid cultural landscapes. Full article

The co-pyrolysis of waste sawdust and non-recyclable polypropylene at 500 °C was investigated for low-cost adsorbent production and solid waste valorization in rural Thailand. Sustainability was evaluated through techno-economic analysis, gate-to-gate environmental screening, CO₂ emission accounting, adsorption cost analysis, and social return on investment assessment. The sawdust–polypropylene biochar produced at 500 °C production system requires a total capital expenditure of 46,000 THB and achieves a unit production cost of 316 THB kg⁻¹ at a 35% w/w biochar yield, 7–14 times lower than commercial granular-activated carbon and powdered-activated carbon. Based on a hypothetical community-scale deployment scenario, the estimated capital expenditure payback period under in-house granular-activated carbon substitution falls below six months. All annual techno-economic and SROI results presented in this study represent scenario-based screening estimates and should not be interpreted as demonstrated community-scale performance. Gate-to-gate environmental screening estimated gross production emissions of 8.771 kg CO₂e kg⁻¹ SPB-500. A consequential waste-diversion scenario incorporating carbon sequestration and avoided-disposal credits yielded a hybrid scenario-based net greenhouse-gas balance of +3.082 kg CO₂e kg⁻¹ SPB-500, supporting its potential application under the evaluated scenario of approximately 0.4–5.9 kg CO₂e kg⁻¹ relative to commercial-activated carbon benchmarks. Social return on investment analysis yields a base–case ratio of 1.39:1 (five-year total present value: 6,025,841 THB; minimum across sensitivity scenarios: 1.13:1), with water quality improvement (SDG 6; 46.1%) and health risk reduction (20.7%) jointly accounting for 66.8% of monetized outcomes, confirming investment justification from public health benefits alone. Quantifiable alignment is demonstrated across five UN Sustainable Development Goals. Collectively, these findings suggest that SPB-500 co-pyrolysis has the potential to be an economically accessible and socially beneficial waste-valorization technology under the evaluated scenario, supporting its potential application in decentralized heavy-metal remediation in resource-constrained communities. Full article

Microgrids are key to rural electrification in Africa. While previous studies have mainly addressed microgrid sizing, techno-economic performance, and energy management, electricity consumption has received limited attention despite its central role in system design. The goal of this study is to review, harmonize and analyse publicly available electricity consumption data from rural microgrids across Africa. The analysis reveals a median of 44.5 consumers per microgrid, with most microgrids serving a few dozen to a small hundred consumers. The most frequently reported domestic loads are lighting, televisions, radios and fans while schools, health centers, places of worship, water pumps, and mills are the most frequently reported community-wide loads. The median consumption per consumer is 0.7 kWh/day. Moreover, a significant difference is observed between existing and hypothetical (e.g., used in the frame of conceptual design studies) microgrids, with median consumption per consumer values of 0.13 and 2.85 kWh/day, respectively, suggesting a tendency to overestimate demand during the microgrid planning phase. These findings are complemented by further insights, particularly into variability patterns and reporting practices. As new studies become available, we will continue to expand the compiled database. This work can notably be useful to microgrid developers and policymakers. Full article

Agricultural ponds are often narrowly reduced to water storage units, purification systems, or biodiversity reservoirs, reflecting a dominant yet incomplete perspective that overlooks their role in rural landscapes. By moving beyond that, this study argues that they should be understood as multifunctional socio-ecological infrastructures embedded within rural territorial dynamics. Their functions extend beyond hydrological and ecological processes to include productive, social, cultural, and landscape-related dimensions. Both utilitarian and aesthetic, agricultural ponds contribute to territorial organisation, support agricultural productivity, sustain rural livelihoods, and shape local socio-ecological interactions. Based on a review of Scopus-indexed literature, this study proposes a reconceptualisation of agricultural ponds through a socio-ecological and landscape perspective. The analysis identifies the main research themes, their evolution, associated functions, and persistent knowledge gaps. Results reveal a fragmented literature, strongly dominated by biophysical approaches that focus on water quality, nutrient cycles, microbial dynamics, and ecosystem processes. Despite increasing methodological sophistication, social and territorial dimensions such as local perceptions, governance systems, practices, and spatial organisation remain marginal. Drawing on empirical illustrations from exploratory investigations of rural villages in Belgium and Poland, the study further highlights the role of agricultural ponds in shaping territorial organisation, identity, and community interactions. These examples demonstrate that pond-related systems are inherently multidimensional and have historically played an underappreciated role in shaping rural landscapes and mediating socio-ecological relationships across scales. Full article

Previous morphological studies have confirmed that Canton settlements maintain a stable cultural landscape sequence consisting of ponds, open spaces, ancestral halls, residences, and forests. Villages in the Dongjiang River Basin exhibit an inherent coordination between cultural landscape patterns and rainwater drainage and storage systems, contributing to strong resilience against frequent heavy rainfall events. This study selects Jiangbian Village in Dongguan as a case study and develops a quantitative analysis framework by integrating GIS and SWMM (Storm Water Management Model). Using DEM-derived terrain data and land use interpretation, a hydrological model incorporating ponds, drainage channels, paddy fields, and threshing floors was established. Five levels of functional failure severity and five design rainfall return periods were applied to systematically evaluate hydrological regulation performance. The results show that (1) ponds serve as the core water-storage component of the entire system, and a 25% reduction in their functionality leads to a substantial decline in flood mitigation capacity. Paddy field ridges and drainage channels jointly provide secondary buffering functions, while village boundary structures play a significant role in flood regulation. These landscape elements possess distinct hydrological functions and collectively shape the production, living, and ecological landscapes of the village. (2) Influenced by steep topographic gradients, the village adopts a spatial configuration characterized by horizontal alleys and terraced forms, which enhance transverse drainage and connect ponds through longitudinal channels. This comb-like settlement pattern demonstrates strong adaptation to local terrain conditions. This study reveals the terrain-adaptation characteristics of traditional Canton villages and provides valuable insights for the sustainable conservation of rural cultural landscapes. Full article

The use of non-conventional systems for domestic wastewater management has gained attention in rural areas of the Global South, where centralised infrastructure is often limited. This study presents the design, construction, and pilot-scale evaluation of a solar still unit operated under passive and photovoltaic-assisted active modes as a separation and polishing component for domestic wastewater from a rural site in Barrancabermeja, Colombia. Performance was assessed through physicochemical and microbiological characterisation of influent wastewater and treated condensate, together with hourly monitoring of distillate production, water temperature, glass-cover temperature, and ambient conditions. Under passive operation, a theoretical distillation model was applied, empirically adjusted, and evaluated using MAE, RMSE, MAPE, and R². Under the tested conditions, indicative within-mode reductions reached 80.9% and 89.3% for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 95.6% and 93.8% for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅), and 94.0% and 94.4% for total suspended solids (TSS) under passive and active modes, respectively. Microbial indicators showed minimum estimated reductions above 99.9%, with faecal coliforms reduced to very low levels in passive mode and not detected in the analysed active-mode condensate sample. Maximum daily condensate production reached 1.445 L m⁻² day⁻¹ in passive mode and 2.262 L m⁻² day⁻¹ in active mode, confirming the low-flow nature of the unit. Approximately 50% of daily production occurred between 12:00 and 15:00 h. The model reproduced the main diurnal production pattern, although empirical correction was required. Overall, the unit may improve condensate quality under pilot-scale conditions and shows potential as a polishing component within decentralised, low-flow treatment trains. Full article

This study assessed the performance of a rural water supply system. Performance assessment of water supply systems is important to ensure the long-term sustainability of water services. The study addressed a critical gap in assessing performance while accounting for water disruptions and their effects on water quality in nonlinear rural water supply systems. This is critical, especially in rural areas where reliable access to water is limited. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data on the reliability and accessibility of the water supply system. Questionnaire responses were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to determine the relationship between the socio-economic variables and the performance indicators. and the variables. Turbidity, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and pH were measured in the field. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliforms were analysed using the membrane filtration method. A paired two-tailed t-test was used to determine if there is a significant difference in water quality between the dry and wet seasons. Key performance indicators on reliability and accessibility were assessed by comparing benchmarks. Most households receive an inadequate quantity of water, with 84.3% using less than the recommended basic need of 1500 L per week. Travel distances to the source exceeded the recommended benchmark of 100 m. The majority of respondents (81.4%) reported frequent water supply disruptions, indicating poor reliability of the source. EC and pH were within the South African National Standards (SANS) 241 guideline for drinking water. TDS, turbidity, and microbial parameters failed to meet safe drinking water standards, except for E. coli during the dry season. There was no significant difference in the water quality between the dry and wet seasons. The water supply system demonstrated poor performance. Measures such as implementing low-cost filtration systems to reduce turbidity, raising community awareness about water safety, and decentralising maintenance activities to improve system sustainability due to financial constraints. These interventions will reduce physical burdens and increase effective water usage. Full article

As climate change intensifies heat extremes, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect amplifies local thermal stress. Assessing the UHI using robust observational data, whether ground- and/or satellite-based, is essential for climate risk assessment and evidence-based urban adaptation. Therefore, this study aims to provide a comprehensive climatological assessment of air temperature patterns and UHI intensity across the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA) over a 26-year period (2000–2025). The methodology employs a dense, high-quality integrated network of in-situ weather stations from the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) and the National Water Resources Information System (SNIRH). To bridge critical gaps in traditional climate assessments, this research implements a dual-perspective approach that combines the high temporal resolution of MSG-SEVIRI and the spatial precision of MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST). This framework accurately captures the lag effects between surface heating and atmospheric response. Validation results demonstrate that satellite-derived LST is a robust proxy for monitoring the nocturnal UHI, with differences generally below 1 °C compared with near-surface air temperature observations (T2m). However, daytime LST significantly overestimates atmospheric temperatures, with deviations of 2–8 °C due to solar radiation and urban geometry. The selection of rural reference stations constitutes a critical methodological factor, as a baseline shift can alter perceived UHI intensities by more than 3 °C. Despite these sensitivities, the results unequivocally confirm a persistent and spatially heterogeneous UHI effect in Lisbon, which intensifies during extreme heat events by up to an additional 4 °C. Analysis of the 2003 and 2018 heatwaves reveals surface LST anomalies exceeding 10 °C and urban–rural thermal differentials reaching up to 7 °C under conditions of suppressed maritime breezes. These nocturnal anomalies are particularly pronounced in densely built-up areas, limiting thermal dissipation and preventing physiological recovery. Integrating multi-sensor satellite data with in-situ validation provides a new benchmark for climate risk assessments, delivering the reliable, reproducible data required to strengthen long-term urban resilience under increasingly frequent extreme heat events. Full article

Water scarcity in Chile has been exacerbated by a decline in precipitation and an increase in water demand. This has prompted a search for strategies to increase water supply, whether through aquifer recharge or reservoir construction. In this study, aquifer recharge was evaluated through rainwater harvesting systems (RWHS) and direct injection into rural wells in the Ñuble Region. Three wells were selected in the Ñuble Region (Ñiquén, San Carlos, and Coihueco) using hydrogeological and operational criteria. To characterize the hydrogeology of the area, local piezometric data, geophysical surveys using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and seismoelectric tests were considered. This enabled the identification of aquifers with water levels between 2.6 and 23 m depth across the different geological units of the territory. The hydrological design was based on a frequency analysis of annual precipitation (1991–2020), which yielded design rainfall values between 442 and 694 mm. The implemented RWHS demonstrated injection capacities between 0.9 and 1.4 L·s⁻¹. The results show that rainwater harvesting combined with direct aquifer recharge represents a viable alternative for improving water security, with potential for territorial scaling through regional public policies. Full article

Microplastic pollution in tropical urban rivers has become an increasing environmental concern due to rapid urbanization, inadequate waste management, and hydrological transport processes. This study investigated the occurrence, characteristics, and spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics in the Can Tho River, Vietnam, along an urban–peri-urban–rural gradient during dry and wet seasons. Surface-water samples were collected at 15 sites and analyzed for microplastic abundance, density, shape, color, and size composition using stereomicroscopic identification and statistical analyses. Microplastics were detected at all sampling sites in both seasons, indicating widespread contamination throughout the river system. Although seasonal differences in overall abundance and density were not statistically significant at the basin scale, clear spatial variability was observed, particularly in urban and peri-urban regions. Fibers and fragments were the dominant shapes, while blue, purple, and green particles were the most common color categories. Particles larger than 1000 µm accounted for the largest proportion of detected microplastics, and continuous size-distribution analysis revealed broadly similar overall distributions, although a greater proportion of smaller particles was observed during the dry season. The results suggest that hydrological conditions, urbanization, and land-use characteristics may contribute to the observed spatial and seasonal patterns of microplastic distribution in the Can Tho River. Peri-urban zones exhibited the greatest seasonal variability, highlighting their role as transitional areas that may influence microplastic redistribution in tropical river systems. This study provides baseline information for understanding microplastic pollution in the Mekong Delta and supports future river management strategies. Full article

Sustainable agricultural development requires regional agricultural systems to balance output growth, resource efficiency, ecological protection, and long-term resilience. In mountainous and ecologically sensitive regions, identifying the development constraints and statistically derived marginal contribution thresholds of agriculture is essential for promoting green transformation and sustainable land use. Taking Yunnan Province, China, as a representative plateau mountainous agricultural region, this study uses provincial annual data from 1990 to 2023 to quantitatively identify the key drivers and threshold characteristics of agricultural development under multidimensional constraints. A multidimensional indicator system was constructed covering fiscal and investment support, agricultural production inputs, rural infrastructure, and labor and population conditions. Ridge regression was employed to address multicollinearity among explanatory variables, Bootstrap approximate inference was used to improve the robustness of coefficient estimation, and the SHAP interpretation framework was introduced to rank key driving factors and identify marginal contribution thresholds. By integrating ridge regression, Bootstrap approximate inference, SHAP-based contribution ranking, and threshold identification, the proposed framework advances prior agricultural sustainability studies by linking coefficient-based factor analysis with interpretable marginal contribution thresholds under conditions of high multicollinearity and multidimensional resource constraints. The results show that agricultural development in Yunnan is characterized by multidimensional resource and infrastructure constraints. Rural electricity consumption, total reservoir storage capacity, fixed asset investment in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries, local public fiscal budget expenditure, and agricultural population generally act as positive supporting factors. Rural electricity consumption is the most stable and core driver across the aggregate and three sectoral models. In contrast, pesticide and fertilizer inputs show significant negative associations in most models, suggesting that future agricultural development in Yunnan is unlikely to be sustainably supported by continued expansion of high-intensity chemical inputs. Sectoral heterogeneity is also evident: agriculture and animal husbandry are more dependent on energy, water resources, and mechanization, whereas forestry shows a more distinct operational structure. The SHAP dependence analysis identifies several statistically derived marginal contribution thresholds, including rural electricity consumption of approximately 6.055 billion kWh, total reservoir storage capacity of approximately 10.395 billion m³, total agricultural machinery power of approximately 19.8324 million kW, pesticide use of approximately 37,500 tons, and fertilizer application of approximately 1.5238 million tons. These values should be interpreted as empirical transition points in the modeled marginal contributions rather than definitive biophysical ecological limits. They indicate that the sustainability-related constraint structure of agricultural development in Yunnan is not a single output ceiling but a composite interval shaped by infrastructure support capacity, factor allocation conditions, and the declining marginal contribution of high-intensity chemical inputs. The findings provide directional quantitative evidence for sustainable agricultural governance, agricultural green transformation, and differentiated policy discussion in mountainous agricultural regions and offer reference implications for advancing SDG 2 and SDG 15 through the coordination of food-related production, resource use efficiency, and ecosystem conservation. The identified thresholds should be interpreted as model-derived marginal contribution transition points rather than operational policy cutoffs or directly enforceable ecological standards. Full article

Objectives: Inadequate access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) continues to drive infectious diseases, malnutrition, and educational disparities, particularly among vulnerable populations. This systematic review examined WASH intervention strategies implemented in Malaysia between 2014 and 2025, focusing on shifts in hygiene-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP), health outcomes, infrastructure improvements, and implementation challenges. Methods: A comprehensive search across five databases (Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar) identified twelve eligible studies targeting schools, healthcare settings, and rural or Indigenous communities. Results: Education-based interventions predominated (n = 10), often employing participatory and theory-driven approaches grounded in the Health Belief Model or Information–Motivation–Behavioural Skills framework. Evidence revealed significant improvements in KAP, particularly when digital, gamified, or storytelling elements were integrated. Community-led and caregiver-inclusive models demonstrated greater behavioural adoption and retention. Thematic analysis identified several implementation challenges, which include (i) sole reliance on self-reported outcomes with limited use of objective indicators, (ii) short intervention durations (<2 months) that limit long-term impact, and (iii) lack of policy and curriculum integration. Conclusions: Findings underscore the need for culturally tailored, longitudinal, and system-embedded interventions that combine behavioural theory with infrastructure investment. Integrating WASH initiatives into Malaysia’s health and education frameworks could advance Sustainable Development Goal 6, ensuring scalable and equitable improvements in hygiene literacy, community resilience, and public health outcomes. Full article