Publications Search

Globally, urbanization constitutes one of the major underlying drivers of global ecological degradation. Hence, deurbanization, i.e., demographic shift from urban to distant rural areas in a way that increases quality of life (QoL), can be one of the key pathways to address this global challenge. In this study, we investigated the contribution of...

Although the suburbs of numerous cities worldwide are shrinking, research on how to address suburban decline remains scarce. This paper explores participatory mapping in shrinking suburbs as a tool to articulate knowledge co-creation between local officials and communities to inform planning decisions. The paper argues that participatory planning...

This report examines the feasibility of Japan not only achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, but also making significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, so as to make its cumulative emissions as small as possible, thereby contributing to the global goal of limiting the average temperature increase to below 1.5°C compared to the pre...

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are promising measures for protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring ecosystems as well as addressing societal challenges, including climate change mitigation and adaptation. To consider mainstream NbS for use in disaster risk reduction (DRR) infrastructures, the affected residents’ perception and attitude toward...

This report includes an analysis of the level of awareness of the SDGs, as well as the progress made in addressing the five SDG Goals (thematic themes) that the UN Global Compact focuses on: Goals 5 (gender equality), 8 (work and human rights), 13 (climate change) and 16 (anti-corruption), and Goal 12 (sustainable consumption and production), which...

This paper presents three initiatives by Japanese local governments that bring synergies to climate change, biodiversity, and the SDGs. These examples were shared with the world by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan at the High-Level Political Forum in 2023.

There has been broad recognition that current food systems need to go through a process of transformation and transition. In the similar way that other areas have transitioned to be more sustainable, the transition process for food systems has some issues related to justice in terms of achieving more sustainable and inclusive food production...

Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) are non-material benefits that are indispensable for the health and well-being of communities. CES are often spatially explicit and fluctuate according to the knowledge, beliefs, and perception of users of the location. Therefore, understanding the spatial patterns of CES perceived by people from different...

Envisioning positive scenarios that recognize the multiple values of nature is fundamental for designing transformative changes in local socio-ecological systems. This study developed a protocol with three specifications for operationalizing the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) in a landscape scenario analysis using a multi-objective optimization...

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been identified as potential enablers for alternative forms of sharing surplus food to prevent food loss and waste. Food sharing platforms can also provide an entry point to the sustainability transition by encouraging its users to confront the systemic causes of unsustainable and inequitable...