Search Results (118)

Water governance in Europe faces mounting challenges from climate change, demographic pressures, and aging infrastructure—especially in Southern regions increasingly affected by drought and institutional fragmentation. In contrast, Nordic countries such as Denmark and Sweden exhibit coherent, integrated governance systems with strong regulatory oversight. This study introduces the Water Governance Maturity Index (WGMI), a document-based assessment tool designed to evaluate national water governance across five dimensions: institutional capacity, operational effectiveness, environmental ambition, equity, and climate adaptation. Applying the WGMI to eight EU countries—four Nordic and four Southern—reveals a persistent North–South divide in governance maturity. Nordic countries consistently score in the “advanced” or “model” range, while Southern countries face systemic gaps in implementation, climate integration, and territorial inclusion. Based on these findings, the study offers actionable policy recommendations, including the establishment of independent regulators, strengthening of river basin coordination, mainstreaming of climate-water strategies, and expansion of affordability and participation mechanisms. By translating complex governance principles into measurable indicators, the WGMI provides a practical tool for benchmarking reform progress and supporting the EU’s broader agenda for just resilience and climate adaptation. Unlike broader frameworks like SDG 6.5.1, the WGMI’s document-based, dimension-specific approach provides granular, actionable insights for governance reform, enhancing its utility for EU and global policymakers. Full article

This study employs k-means clustering to analyze local organizations responsible for land improvement in Greece, identifying four distinct groups with consistent geographic patterns but divergent financial and operational characteristics. By integrating unsupervised machine learning with spatial analysis, the research offers a novel perspective on irrigation water pricing and cost recovery. The findings reveal that organizations located on islands, despite high water costs due to limited rainfall and geographic isolation, tend to achieve relatively strong financial performance, indicating the presence of adaptive mechanisms that could inform broader policy strategies. In contrast, organizations managing extensive irrigable land or large volumes of water frequently show poor cost recovery, challenging assumptions about economies of scale and revealing inefficiencies in pricing or governance structures. The spatial coherence of the clusters underscores the importance of geography in shaping institutional outcomes, reaffirming that environmental and locational factors can offer greater explanatory power than algorithmic models alone. This highlights the need for water management policies that move beyond uniform national strategies and instead reflect regional climatic, infrastructural, and economic variability. The study suggests several policy directions, including targeted infrastructure investment, locally calibrated water pricing models, and performance benchmarking based on successful organizational practices. Although grounded in the Greek context, the methodology and insights are transferable to other European and Mediterranean regions facing similar water governance challenges. Recognizing the limitations of the current analysis—including gaps in data consistency and the exclusion of socio-environmental indicators—the study advocates for future research incorporating broader variables and international comparative approaches. Ultimately, it supports a hybrid policy framework that combines data-driven analysis with spatial intelligence to promote sustainability, equity, and financial viability in agricultural water management. Full article

This article investigates the institutional and informational foundations of water governance in Southern Europe amid escalating climate stress. Focusing on Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece, it develops a multi-level analytical framework to explore how information asymmetries and governance fragmentation undermine coordinated responses to water scarcity. Integrating theories of information economics, polycentric governance, and critical institutionalism, this study applies a stylized economic model and comparative institutional analysis to assess how agents—such as farmers, utilities, regulators, and civil society—respond to varying incentives, data access, and coordination structures. Using secondary data, normalized indicators, and scenario-based simulations, the model identifies three key structural parameters—institutional friction (θ_i), information cost (β_i), and incentive strength (α_i)—as levers for governance reform. The simulations are stylized and not empirically calibrated, serving as heuristic tools rather than predictive forecasts. The results show that isolated interventions yield limited improvements, while combined reforms significantly enhance both equity and effectiveness. Climate stress simulations further reveal stark differences in institutional resilience, with Greece and Italy showing systemic fragility and Portugal emerging as comparatively robust. This study contributes a flexible, policy-relevant tool for diagnosing governance capacity and informing reform strategies while also underscoring the need for integrated, equity-oriented approaches to adaptive water governance. Full article

Against the backdrop of ecological civilization construction and regional coordinated development strategies, functional zone (MFOZ) planning guides national spatial development through differentiated policies. However, a prominent conflict exists between the ecological protection responsibilities and regional development rights in restricted and prohibited development zones, leading to a vicious cycle of “ecological protection → restricted development → poverty exacerbation”. This paper focuses on the synergistic mechanisms between ecological compensation and targeted poverty alleviation. Based on the capability approach and sustainable development goals (SDGs), it analyzes the dialectical relationship between the two in terms of goal coupling, institutional design, and practical pathways. The study finds that ecological compensation can break the “ecological poverty trap” through the internalization of externalities and the enhancement of livelihood capabilities. Nevertheless, challenges remain, including low compensation standards, unbalanced benefit distribution, and insufficient legalization. Through case studies of the compensation reform in the water source area of Southern Shaanxi, China, and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union, this paper proposes the construction of a long-term mechanism integrating differentiated compensation standards, market-based fund integration, legal guarantees, and capability enhancement. The research emphasizes the need for institutional innovation to balance ecological protection and livelihood improvement, promoting a transition from “blood transfusion” compensation to “hematopoietic” development, thereby offering a Chinese solution for global sustainable development. Full article

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), commonly known as “forever chemicals”, are synthetic compounds with highly stable carbon–fluorine bonds, making them resistant to environmental degradation. These chemicals accumulate in ecosystems and water supplies, posing significant risks to human health, including cancer, immune system dysfunction, and neurological disorders. However, the mental health impacts of PFAS exposure remain underexplored, particularly in marginalized communities. This review examines the emerging evidence linking PFAS exposure to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline, with a focus on communities of color who face heightened vulnerability due to environmental and social health disparities. The review highlights the persistence of PFASs in the environment, common exposure pathways, and the disproportionate effects on populations living near contaminated sites. Despite some regulatory progress, U.S. regulations on PFASs are limited, especially compared to international standards. The review calls for stronger policy frameworks and emphasizes the need for environmental justice, health equity, and public awareness. By connecting environmental health, social justice, and mental well-being, the review aims to guide future research and policy reforms to mitigate the mental health consequences of PFAS exposure in vulnerable populations. Full article

Inefficient agricultural water use is a significant factor exacerbating global water scarcity. Water rights trading (WRT) offers a new governance paradigm to address this issue. Initiated by China in 2014, the WRT policy provides a case for researching formal water markets in developing countries. This paper uses a sample of 30 Chinese provinces from 2007 to 2022 and employs the difference-in-differences method to evaluate the impact of WRT on agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE). The findings suggest that AWUE in pilot areas increased by an average of 48.1% compared to non-pilot areas. Heterogeneity analysis reveals a stronger WRT impact on AWUE in regions with developed markets, abundant water, and high agricultural dependence. Subsequent analysis identifies that WRT enhances AWUE mainly by incentivizing water-saving innovation, promoting cross-industry factor mobility, and optimizing crop structures. This study thus offers empirical evidence supporting China’s water marketization reform and explores WRT policy as a pathway to enhance AWUE. Full article

The global challenge of water resource management presents a policy dilemma: while water resource tax aims to foster green development, it may hinder the economic potential of micro entities. This paper evaluates the efficacy of a trial of water resource tax reform in China regarding the green total factor productivity of listed Chinese industrial enterprises over the period spanning 2012–2019 by employing a quasi-natural experiment. This study utilizes multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) and propensity score matching methodologies to deal with the self-selection bias inherent in choosing pilot areas. The findings illustrate that the reform exerted a crucial beneficial impact on the GTFP of industrial enterprises. The main takeaway of this study is that the phased reform, integrating water resource taxes with the adaptation of micro entities, offers a pathway for economies to balance resource restrictions with sustainable development. Full article

Promoting water conservation is crucial for building a modern ecological civilization. The water resource tax helps enforce water-saving policies and strict usage controls. The difference-in-differences (DID) method avoids endogeneity and omitted variable bias, making it ideal for policy evaluation. Using the 2017 pilot water tax expansion as a quasi-natural experiment, this study applies DID to assess the reform’s impact on total factor productivity (TFP) in water-intensive industries. The results indicate that the TFP of water-intensive enterprises in pilot regions increased by an average of 2.5% and that the reform has a positive and significant effect on TFP, with notable improvements in management efficiency and resource allocation. The findings further imply that the reform encourages better management practices, such as optimized water use and cost-effective resource allocation, rather than technological innovation as the main driver of improved productivity. This underscores tax reforms’ dual role in enhancing operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. The findings demonstrate water resource tax reforms’ potential to foster a more sustainable industrial sector, especially in water-stressed regions. Full article

From an ecological protection perspective, clarifying the spatial and temporal transfer characteristics of embodied carbon in water transport trade among BRICS countries and its driving mechanisms is of great significance for the precise formulation of emission reduction policies. This study integrates the multi-regional input–output model with the LMDI decomposition method to quantitatively analyze the bi-directional flow of embodied carbon in water transport trade among BRICS countries from 1995 to 2018, along with its spatio-temporal differentiation patterns. The driving mechanisms are decomposed across three dimensions: scale, structure, and intensity. By adopting a dual perspective of time-series and spatial correlation, the study systematically uncovers the cross-regional transfer patterns of embodied carbon emissions in water transport trade and examines the interaction pathways of various effects throughout their dynamic evolution. The study finds that (1) the embodied carbon in water transport trade among BRICS countries shows a trend of transnational transfer, with China being the largest net exporter (35.15 Mt in 2018), India and South Africa as net importers (−32.00 Mt and −1.89 Mt in 2018, respectively), and Brazil and Russia shifting from net importers to net exporters; (2) from a temporal perspective, the scale effect drives the growth of embodied carbon emissions (contribution values: 1.23~119.72 Mt for export trade; 4.88~34.36 Mt for import trade), while the intensity effect has a suppressive role (contribution values: −59.08~−1.48 Mt for export trade; −20.56~−5.31 Mt for import trade), and the structural effect is complex in its impact on emissions (contribution values: −17.72~0.45 Mt for export trade; −6.84~13.93 Mt for import trade). Optimizing the trade structure can help reduce carbon emissions; (3) from a spatial perspective, carbon emissions are higher in Southeast Asia and the Northern Hemisphere, and changes in China’s carbon emissions (total effect in 2018: 57.01 Mt in export trade and 7.98 Mt in import trade) significantly affect other BRICS countries. Based on the conclusions of the study, it is suggested that BRICS countries should strengthen cooperation to achieve regional emission reduction targets by optimizing the trade structure of water transport, promoting energy structure reforms, advancing green transport technologies and equipment, and establishing a carbon emission regulatory system. Full article

This paper uses a difference-in-differences approach to investigate how China’s water resources tax reform influences corporate Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) performance. Drawing on a panel dataset of A-share listed companies from 2013 to 2023, we find that the reform significantly improves firms’ ESG ratings, a result that holds under multiple robustness checks. Mechanism tests reveal that this positive effect operates through enhanced green technological innovation, increased environmental investment, and heightened pressure from capital markets, with media attention further reinforcing these pathways. Heterogeneity analyses indicate that state-owned enterprises and larger firms experience particularly strong ESG improvements following the tax reform. These findings provide empirical evidence of the effectiveness of government-led environmental governance policies and offer practical insights for promoting green transformation in the corporate sector. Full article

This paper aims to explore the willingness of farmers in the northern Namibia to adopt conservation agriculture (CA), employing the conditional logit model to estimate the probability of farmers choosing to adopt CA in different villages relative to all other alternatives and examining the effects of omitted variance and correlations on coefficient estimates, willingness to pay (WTP), and decision predictions. This study has practical significance, as agriculture plays a crucial role in the economic development of and livelihoods in Namibia, especially for those farmers who rely on small-scale farming as a means of subsistence. In terms of methodology, the data for the experimental choice simulation were collected using a structured questionnaire administered through a face-to-face survey approach. This paper adopts the conditional logit model to estimate the probability of farmers choosing to adopt CA in different villages, which is an appropriate choice as the model is capable of handling multi-option decision problems. This paper further enhances its rigor and reliability by simulating discrete choice experiments to investigate the impact of omitted variables and correlations on the estimation results. The research findings indicate that crop rotation and permanent soil cover are the main factors positively influencing farmers’ WTP for adopting CA, while intercropping, the time spent on soil preparation in the first season, and the frequency and rate of weeding consistently negatively influence the WTP for adopting CA. These discoveries provide valuable insights for formulating policy measures to promote the adoption of CA. In terms of policy recommendations, this paper puts forward targeted suggestions, including the appointment of specialized extension technicians by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform to disseminate information as well as coordinate, promote, and personally implement CA activities across all regions. Additionally, to expedite the adoption of CA, stakeholders should ensure the availability of appropriate farming equipment, such as rippers and direct seeders, in local markets. Full article

Water resource tax can regulate water consumption through economic leveraging, enhance water conservation awareness among enterprises and society, and optimize the industrial structure, thus promoting rational water resource use and sustainable development. However, the current water resource tax reform in China is still in the pilot exploration stage, and it is unclear if it will actually increase agricultural water use efficiency. We built a multi-period double-difference model and a mediation effect model based on 2011–2022 inter-provincial panel data in order to investigate the water resource tax reform’s impact on agricultural water conservation and its trajectory. The findings demonstrate that agricultural water use efficiency has been greatly increased by the water resource tax reform, and this conclusion remains strong even after parallel trend and placebo testing. The tax reform has primarily increased agricultural water use efficiency through crop cultivation structural adjustments and water-saving technologies’ advancement. When examining inter-provincial disparities, we found a more evident policy impact in economically developed and water-scarce regions. Further results show that the water resource tax reform has significantly reduced the groundwater portion of the regional water use structure, which indicates that it has synergistically curbed groundwater exploitation and promoted regional ecological restoration. Moreover, this paper demonstrates that the policy has realized water conservation in agriculture while avoiding a negative effect on agricultural economic growth. Full article

Africa is grappling with severe food security challenges driven by population growth, climate change, land degradation, water scarcity, and socio-economic factors such as poverty and inequality. Climate variability and extreme weather events, including droughts, floods, and heatwaves, are intensifying food insecurity by reducing agricultural productivity, water availability, and livelihoods. This study examines the projected threats to food security in Africa, focusing on changes in temperature, precipitation patterns, and the frequency of extreme weather events. Using an Exponential Growth Model, we estimated the population from 2020 to 2050 across Africa’s five sub-regions. The analysis assumes a 5% reduction in crop yields for every degree of warming above historical levels, with a minimum requirement of 225 kg of cereals per person per year. Climate change is a critical factor in Africa’s food systems, with an average temperature increase of approximately +0.3 °C per decade. By 2050, the total food required to meet the 2100-kilocalorie per adult equivalent per day will rise to 558.7 million tons annually, up from 438.3 million tons in 2020. We conclude that Africa’s current food systems are unsustainable, lacking resilience to climate shocks and relying heavily on rain-fed agriculture with inadequate infrastructure and technology. We call for a transformation in food systems through policy reform, technological and structural changes, solutions to land degradation, and proven methods of increasing crop yields that take the needs of communities into account. Full article

The comprehensive reform of agricultural water prices is an important component of China’s agricultural water conservation strategy and is highly important for ensuring national water security and sustainable agricultural development. Given the difficulty in raising water prices due to the limited carrying capacity of farmers in the reform, there is a pressing need to consider the implementation of agricultural water price sharing as a potentially viable strategy. Based on the grain production data from 2000 to 2018, the proportion of agricultural water prices borne by farmers and governments in different regions were calculated via the C-D production function method and the “Mitchell scoring + Expert scoring” method in the study. The results revealed that the average sharing coefficient of irrigation benefits for grain crops in China is 0.245. The sharing proportion of agricultural water prices for farmers in seven major geographical regions are ranked as follows: Northwest China (0.467) > Central China (0.427) > Southwest China (0.389) > Northeast China (0.358) > North China (0.319) > East China (0.312) > South China (0.163), while the sharing proportion of the government is 0.533, 0.573, 0.611 0.642, 0.681, 0.688, and 0.837. We proposed a systematic approach that directly ties cost distribution to the benefits received, and determined the proportion of agricultural water prices shared by farmers and governments, which is in line with the farmers’ economic interests and psychological demands. Furthermore, suggestions were proposed regarding the implementation of a rational agricultural water price-sharing policy. Full article

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) has emerged as a vital framework for integrating sustainable water management into urban planning, tackling the increasing challenges posed by urbanization and climate change. WSUD aims to align water systems with natural ecosystems by minimizing runoff, improving water quality, and promoting biodiversity while also offering recreational and aesthetic benefits for urban residents. While the environmental advantages of WSUD are well-established, its social and economic aspects warrant more in-depth exploration. This review analyses the social and economic impacts of WSUD, focusing on its effects on community well-being, property values, infrastructure costs, and public engagement. It also discusses the significance of citizen perceptions, socio-economic equity, and financing mechanisms in the adoption of WSUD. The findings highlight the necessity for interdisciplinary approaches and policy reforms that incorporate social and economic considerations into WSUD planning to ensure long-term success and sustainability. This analysis aims to enhance understanding of how WSUD can contribute to resilient, equitable, and sustainable urban communities. Full article