Publications

Microplastics (MPs) (<5 mm) are hydrophobic and can't be easily degraded. These particles accumulate due to the excessive discharge of plastic waste from domestic and industrial sources, along with several toxic compounds attached to their surface, are also being deposited in environmental matrices, hampering the sustainable environment and human...

Salinity intrusion has become a critical threat to agricultural stability and water resource management in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD), particularly in coastal regions. This study evaluates the efficacy of the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network, a sophisticated deep learning (DL) architecture, for predicting salinity concentrations...

Quantitative monitoring of lake water storage in arid regions is essential for effective management of regional water resources, and can also elucidate the impacts of ecological degradation on lake water storage. This study investigates changes in water storage in Ebinur Lake, Xinjiang, from 2011 to 2024 using field–measured water depth data and...

Using behavioral insights to increase reusable water bottle use Nopa Move’s Smart Bottle Network, with support from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), and Rare, addressed single-use plastic waste in Ho Chi Minh City’s commuter coffee culture, where disposables...

Changing the local reuse economy with behavioral science The Rent Your Cup initiative in Lao PDR, led by Econox with support from Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), and Rare, addressed the growing problem of single-use plastic waste driven by expanding café culture and...

Using behavioral science to reduce plastic waste on the UP Diliman campus The University of Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman) initiative, led by UP Diliman with support from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), and Rare, tackled plastic waste generated by a dense campus...

The Pact for the Future adopted in September 2024 calls for the 2027 SDG Summit to discuss advancing development goals beyond 2030. Since Autumn 2025, this theme has been discussed in some meetings and workshops. For example, the World EXPO in Osaka, Japan hosted a forum on “SDGs +Beyond”; “Future of Sustainable Development” workshop was held at...

Excerpt from Preface: Climate action has long been the main focus of global sustainability efforts. From a biodiversity point of view, frameworks to manage greenhouse gases need to do more than track emissions. They should, at least, avoid harming biodiversity and at best be proactive tools for sustaining the complex ecosystems that help us...

Mining activities significantly alter environmental conditions by increasing atmospheric aerosol loads and degrading water quality. This study employs Google Earth Engine (GEE) to analyze spatiotemporal anomalies in Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), PM₂.₅ concentrations, chlorophyll-a levels, and turbidity in Tonk, Rajasthan, between 2016 and 2022. Data...

In Japan, almost all Climate Citizens’ Assemblies (CCAs) to date have been held at the municipal level. Although considerable efforts have been made to produce valuable recommendations—those that go beyond existing local climate policies-, the usefulness of CCAs in Japan continues to be questioned. This case study examines two contrasting...