MDPI | IGES

Peer-reviewed Article

April 2025

Cultivating Collaborative Food Futures: Analyzing How Local Actions Address Interconnected Food Challenges

In Sustainability

The global food system confronts critical challenges, including food insecurity, small-scale producer vulnerability, and environmental degradation. While locally led initiatives emerge as potential solutions, they face obstacles, such as participant bias and scaling limitations. This study analyzes 157 international and 91 Japanese locally led food...

Peer-reviewed Article

April 2025

3-30-300 Benchmark: An Evaluation of Tree Visibility, Canopy Cover, and Green Space Access in Nagpur, India

In Urban Science

Urban green spaces (UGSs) are vital in enhancing environmental quality, social well-being, and climate resilience, yet their distribution and accessibility remain uneven in many rapidly urbanizing cities. The 3–30–300 rule offers a structured guideline with which to assess urban greenness, emphasizing tree visibility, canopy cover, and green space...

Keywords:

3–30–300 rule; SDG11; urban environment; Global South; Indian cities; urban greening

Peer-reviewed Article

March 2025

The Costs of Overcoming Social and Institutional Barriers to Implementing Co-Benefit Solutions in Thailand’s Transport and Residential Energy Sectors: Methods and Applications

In Climate

Interest in co-benefits—the multiple benefits from mitigating climate change while addressing other sustainability challenges—has grown as policymakers seek to lower the costs of decarbonization. Much of this interest stems from data-driven models that quantify how much improved air quality, better health, and other co-benefits can offset those...

Keywords:

Climate change mitigation

Peer-reviewed Article

March 2025

Exploring the Interplay Between Food Provision and Habitat Quality Assessment for Sustainable Coexistence in the Bioproduction Systems of the Philippines

In Resources (MDPI)

Balancing human activities and ecosystem health is critical amid increasing biodiversity concerns. This study explores the relationship between food provision and habitat quality in bioproduction systems in the Philippines, focusing on the Pagsanjan-Lumban Watershed (PLW) and the Baroro Watershed (BW). Using the TerrSet Land Change Modeler for LULC...

Keywords:

habitat conservation; correlation analysis; trade-offs and synergies; InVEST model; ecosystem services; ecosystem health

Peer-reviewed Article

January 2025

How the Concept of “Regenerative Good Growth” Could Help Increase Public and Policy Engagement and Speed Transitions to Net Zero and Nature Recovery

In Sustainability

Just and fair transitions to low-carbon and nature-positive ways of living need to occur fast enough to limit and reverse the climate and nature crises, but not so fast that the public is left behind. We propose the concept of “Regenerative Good Growth” (RGG) to replace the language and practice of extractive, bad GDP growth. RGG centres on the...

Keywords:

Regenerative Good Growth

bad GDP growth

climate crisis

nature crisis

renewable assets

public engagement

story and hope

social tipping points

backlash

green authoritarianism

Net zero

Peer-reviewed Article

October 2024

The Prospects of Controlling Open Burning of Crop Residues in Thailand: A Quantitative Assessment of Implementation Barriers and Costs

In Atmosphere

This research is a new data-based evaluation of the prospects for implementing measures against open burning in Thailand. More specifically, it presents a systematic analysis of the potential obstacles to the implementation of the combustion regulations included in Thailand's PM2.5 countermeasures plan in terms of economics, technology...

Keywords:

Open burning

Feasibility

Transaction cost

Co-benefits

Peer-reviewed Article

October 2024

Mitigating Microfiber Pollution in Laundry Wastewater: Insights from a Filtration System Case Study in Galle, Sri Lanka

In Microplastics

Synthetic fibers are widely used in daily life due to their durability, elasticity, low cost, and ease of use. The textile industry is the primary source of synthetic microfibers, as these materials are mostly used in production processes. Globally, plastic pollution has been identified as a major environmental threat in this era, since plastics...

Keywords:

microplastics

Mitigation

Textile Microfiber

Wastewater

Peer-reviewed Article

September 2024

Exploring the Factors Shaping Urban Greenspace Interactions: A Case Study of Nagpur, India

In Land

This study aims to investigate how urban residents interact with Urban Green Spaces (UGSs) in Nagpur, India, specifically focusing on the patterns of visitation and engagement. Data were collected via a face-to-face questionnaire survey using the Survey 123 app. The analysis included interaction (types of UGSs, visitation frequency, and UGS...

Keywords:

Urban Green Space; urban sustainability; nature connection and urbanization

Peer-reviewed Article

August 2024

Assessing the Economic and Environmental Impacts of Anaerobic Digestion for Municipal Organic Waste: A Case Study of Minamisanriku Town, Japan

In Sustainability

Anaerobic digestion (AD), or biogas technology, is an optimal method for municipal organic waste (MOW) treatment, recovering both material and energy. This study takes a life cycle assessment perspective and examines the economic and environmental impacts of a BIO facility in Minamisanriku Town, Japan, which has utilized MOW (kitchen/food waste and...

Peer-reviewed Article

August 2024

Comparative Analysis of Face Mask Usage and its Potential Environmental Impact in Asian Cities during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

In Sustainability

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in face mask demand, resulting in increased face mask waste and environmental impacts. This study investigates mask usage patterns and the environmental impacts of single-use and cloth masks across three phases: pre-COVID-19, COVID-19, and the new normal. A comprehensive survey conducted in five cities...