Publications

This chapter introduces sustainability science and its approaches (1.1), identifies key challenges for the sustainability science approach (1.2), and describes UNESCO’s contribution to sustainability science (1.3). Within the sustainability science principles and framework, this book addresses some of the questions and challenges posed above...

Groundwater is a de-facto source of water during drought and emergencies. In a broader perspective, the traditional short-term strategy of using groundwater to combat water deficits during drought needs revisiting. The objective of this paper is to examine the relevance and options for developing and adopting such groundwater-based natural...

The Japanese government has proposed a vision called "Circulating and Ecological Economy" in the Fifth Basic Environment Plan approved by the Cabinet in April 2018. The Circulating and Ecological Economy is an idea that aims to develop self-reliant and decentralized societies by leveraging regional resources, including natural environments and...

The International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI) is a global network to promote collective efforts for sustainability in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS), and thereby to contribute to the realisation of “living in harmony with nature”. The Satoyama Development Mechanism (SDM) is a seed funding programme...

Industry, in the context of this chapter, is mostly confined to the strict definition of the word: -“economic activity concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories”. Industry has a major impact on nature and its biodi- versity in Asia and the Pacific, as it does elsewhere in the world. Industry impacts...

Home to roughly 1.8 billion people, South Asia generates approximately 334 million tonnes of waste per year of which 174 million tonnes (57%) is organic in content. In addition to the increase in municipal solid waste, managing complex and emerging waste streams, including e-waste, food waste, construction and demolition waste, disaster waste...

Parks and other public green spaces (hereafter “urban green spaces”) provide many benefits to urban dwellers, but some residents receive few benefits due to a lack of urban green spaces nearby their home/workplace. Understanding spatial variations in urban green space accessibility is thus important for urban planning. As a case study, here we...

OpenStreetMap (OSM) has become one of the largest sources of volunteered geographic information (VGI), and the data is now used for a wide range of applications. A massively popular augmented reality game, Pokémon GO, recently adopted OSM data for its in-game map and many of its in-game mechanics. This study investigated: (1) How Pokémon GO...

This paper evaluates the current institutional and policy environment in the ASEAN region, which is known as one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change impacts in the world. The future projections indicate that the region is prone to severe weather events including floods, typhoons, and droughts. Considering the importance of...

Chapter 2 presents a general overview of the academic landscape of sustainability science research in Africa and summarizes the challenges and knowledge gaps for sustainable development in Africa. The chapter sets out to examine the current trends and patterns of sustainability research and how they can contribute to addressing sustainable...