Climate change adaptation governance in Nepal: a framework for sustainable generation of adaptation services

Poverty and high dependency of rural and mountainous households on the natural resources of Nepal have made the country more vulnerable to climate change. On the other hand, there is inadequacy of adaptation services provided to the vulnerable households and ecosystems. Responding to climate change necessitates amore consolidated effort and effective implementation interventions from both the government and non-government actors. To help achieve this very essence, this study has aimed to- (i) review the existing climate change adaptation (CCA) practices, processes and patterns of sustainable resource mobilization and benefit sharing, and (ii) develop a framework that ensures sustainability of resources and equitable sharing of services and benefits accrued from CCA. Consultations with the communities, key state and non-state stakeholders both at federal and provincial levels, reviews of national policies, strategies, periodic plans and programs and field visits were carried out to synthesize the information, document the knowledge, and highlight the gaps pertaining to CCA. Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) was executed for analyzing qualitative information. Recently, the Government of Nepal has developed a priority framework on sustainable resource management and delivery of adaptation services. In line with the eight themes identified by the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP, 2019), the proposed framework has paid central attention on medium and long-term adaptation planning adhered with Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) and Community-based Adaptation (CbA). Building resilience, reducing vulnerability, increasing capacities, enabling environment, and integrating CCA in development planning have been the focus of the framework. It is found that the delivery of adaptation services to the climate vulnerable groups and poor communities is well reached out through CbA and EbA approaches. It is therefore, crucial in strengthening community- and locally-based mechanisms (such as forest-user groups, farmers groups, agricultural and fisheries cooperatives, and community networks) for sustainable management and delivery of services to facilitate effective adaptation.

Transdisciplinary resource monitoring is essential to prioritize circular economy strategies in cities

Seeking to meet sustainability targets, cities are promoting a number of circular economy initiatives. Whether or not these actions help cities to approach sustainable resource management is often unclear. To identify, prioritize and monitor resource-efficient strategies, cities can look for targets and indicators among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While the SDGs provide useful goals, they lack applicable and accurate indicators for cities. To address this shortcoming, we link the SDGs to the urban circular economy by looking at the urban metabolism and identify monitoring needs and gaps. Although consumption-based footprint indicators are the most suitable approach, these are barely covered in the SDGs. We propose a framework facilitating transdisciplinary projects and experimentation to assess resource footprints and prioritize circular strategies in cities. Our discussion will guide practitioners and academics towards a sustainable circular transformation in cities.

Bioremediation of arsenic contamination from the environment: New approach to sustainable resource management

Present acceleration of Arsenic [As] exposure leads to severe health problems. Modern scientific approaches look towards potent bio-agents for the removal of such types of contaminations in sustainable ways. Microbes can potentially change the redox potential, solubility, pH by different complex reactions during bioremediation. There are many enzymes present in the microbial system which are involved in methylation such as As (V) reductase, monomethyl arsonic acid reductase, As (III) methyltransferase, and MMA (III) methyltransferase. On the other hand, microbes have As transformation ability and changed into different extractable forms with sulfide minerals such as arsenopyrite (FeAsS), enargite (Cu3AsS4) and realgar (As4S4). In some bacteria, the As-operon machinery thiol group bind with As, itdetoxifies its toxicity. Ars R gene and arsenic reductase enzyme (Ars C) play the key role in the reduction of As (V) to As (III) and detoxify by being transported outside of the cell by Ars AB As chemiosmotic efflux system. In fungi, As (V) is reduced to As (III) by the arsenate reductase and GSH glutathione converted into GSSH glutathione disulfide. In plants, As (III) conjugates with phytochelatin (PC) or GSH glutathione and accumulates in the vacuole or is converted into less toxic forms in the presence of arsenic reductase enzyme. This review focused on the potentiality and mechanisms of different microbes for As-detoxification in a sustainable manner.

Compliance Evaluation and Sustainable Resource Management in the CCAMLR

Regional fisheries organisations globally are feeling the impacts of non-compliant behaviour by both contracting and non-contracting parties. Non-compliance arising from activities such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, or failures by flag states to appropriately report the activities of their vessels, has resulted in damage to the environment and damage to the performance of regional fisheries management organisations themselves. As a result, many of these organisations are adopting and implementing a relatively new mechanism to tackle non-compliance: the compliance evaluation procedure. This article demonstrates that by adopting a compliance evaluation procedure, regional fisheries organisations are better placed to identify and address non-compliance in an effort to improve compliance with their conservation measures. It analyses in detail the procedure adopted by one particular organisation, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), to suggest that implementation of their procedure has improved transparency, accountability and enforcement. It is argued that the CCAMLR compliance evaluation procedure represents a model for other polar and high seas areas to promote sustainable, and responsible, fishing practices globally.

The cultural dimension of environment: Ethnoscientific study on Santhal community in eastern India

This study explores the Santhal community to enhance the understanding of the human-nature relationship that fully captures distinct intricacies of ethnoecology. Relying on a qualitative research design, this study focuses on the perception and interpretation of environmental aspects using ethnoscientific methods among Santhals in West Bengal, India. It reveals that Santhals are still unique in perceiving the environment learned through folk models. Santhal’s perception of environmental domains is constituted by various cognitive elements (resource distributions, care, feelings, attachment, myths, and superstitious credence toward their environment) and multifaceted interpretations (living beings, nonliving objects, natural and built environment). Based on its evidence, this study recommends that indigenous worldview-based ethnoscientific knowledge is the identity of indigenity that shapes ethnoscientific knowledge can be used in sustainable resource management practice. Furthermore, the study proposes a view that ignoring this unique ethnoscientific knowledge-based worldview base may degenerate the indigenous culture.

China material stocks and flows account for 1978–2018

As the world’s top material consumer, China has created intense pressure on national or global demand for natural resources. Building an accurate material stocks and flows account of China is a prerequisite for promoting sustainable resource management. However, there is no annually, officially published material stocks and flows data in China. Existing material stocks and flows estimates conducted by scholars exhibit great discrepancies. In this study, we create the Provincial Material Stocks and Flows Database (PMSFD) for China and its 31 provinces. This dataset describes 13 materials’ stocks, demand, and scrap supply in five end-use sectors in each province during 1978–2018. PMSFD is the first version of material stocks and flows inventories in China, and its uniform estimation structure and formatted inventories offer a comprehensive foundation for future accumulation, modification, and enhancement. PMSFD contributes insight into the material metabolism, which is an important database for sustainable development as well as circular economy policy-making in China. This dataset will be updated annually.

Preface

It is my great pleasure to grace all of your presence to the 6th ICSBE 2021 virtually. The International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment is bi-annual conference started from 2010 till now. At first, the 6th ICSBE was scheduled in 2020 however, the COVID-19 pandemic altered all of our life order including this conference that have to be postponed into 2021 and conducted virtually. This conference is held for 2 days in 19 – 20 October 2021 conducted in Faculty of Civil and Planning Engineering, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Yogyakarta-Indonesia. The main theme of the 6th ICSBE 2021 is “sustainable infrastructure and environment for the smart cities”. This theme was dedicated to discuss and deliver an implementable solution to address the issues of urban planning, transport systems, water and sanitation, waste management, disaster risk reduction, access information, education, and capacity-building. Therefore, it is important to mapping, planning and designing a sustainable environment and infrastructure that may greatly encounter and reduce those issues above to reach the sustainable development goals. Based on this, this conference focuses the following topics but not limited to livable rural and urban environment, green infrastructure, sustainable resource management, sustainable city and disaster management. In this conference, we received more than 80 papers at the beginning, which were covering in five topics. All the submitted papers were reviewed by peer to peer and double blind with two reviewers. The 6th ICSBE highly applied strong and accurate review process prior to be published in the IOP conference proceeding indexed Scopus in the series of Earth Environmental Science (EES). Finally, we are accepting 50 papers to be presented in this conference. The conference model is plenary session and parallel session which is held for 2 days. In the plenary session, there are 3 invited speakers for the 1st day and 2nd day. Each invited speakers are allowed to give presentation for 30 minutes. The question answer is given after all invited speakers finished their presentation for 40 minutes. In the parallel session, there are 5 subtopics delivered in 2 days. In the 1st day, 3 subtopics: Green Infrastructure, Sustainable Resource Management, and Sustainable City are delivered. There are 26 presenters delivered their paper. In the 2nd day, 2 subtopics: Disaster Management, and Livable Rural and Urban Environment, are delivered. There 24 presenters delivered their paper. Each presenters have 12 minutes to give presentation and 3 minutes for question and answer. All the conference presentation is delivered by using zoom technology belongs to Universitas Islam Indonesia with 1000 capacity of participants. This conference is participated by audience from Indonesia, Turkey, Japan, USA, Malaysia, and Germany. The 6th ICSBE 2021 is organized by the faculty of Civil Engineering and Planning, Universitas Islam Indonesia and supported by partner universities; Gifu University (Japan), University of Malaya (Malaysia), University of Rhode Island (USA), National Cheng Kung University (Taiwan), University of Boras (Sweden), University Hawaii at Manoa (USA), Hokkaido University (Japan), Alanya Alaaddin Kaykubat University (Turkey), Behaus-Universitaet Weimar (Germany), National University of Singapore (Singapore), and other international institutes Last but not least, I would express our sincere gratitude to the keynote speaker: The Governor of Jakarta, Anies Rasyid Baswedan, Ph.D, to the the invited speakers Prof. Nobouto Nojima, Prof. Noor Cholis Idham, Prof. Frank Eckardt, Asso. Prof. Anita Petterson, Assoc. Prof. Anita Pettersson, and Prof. NG How Yong, and as well as all participants for joining and sharing of idea, knowledge, and friendship in a relatxing environment. And, the most important, I would to sincere and great appreciation to the organizing committee, editors, scientific committee, and reviewers for all their solidity, harmony, and synergy work. We do hope all participants are going to enjoy the conference in terms of both its academic and social atmosphere. Dr. Joni Aldilla Fajri, ST., M. Eng. Chairperson of The 6th International Conference on Sustainable Built Environment Yogyakarta, October 15th, 2021 List of Organizing Committee are available in this pdf.

Management of post-production wood waste in the aspect of circular economy

Management of post-production wood waste in the aspect of circular economy. Sustainable resource management involves turning waste into resources. The estimation of various waste streams and their potential use as secondary raw materials underlies the circular economy. The management of wood waste in terms of the Circular Economy should assume material use of this waste before energy use. One of the possibilities of material management of this waste is the use of biological treatment through composting. Input materials for the composting process should have technological and physical-chemical characteristics, respectively. The aim of this study was to characterize the wood raw material (wood waste as a by-product) and qualify it for the composting process on the basis of its composition. Based on the literature research, it was found that there is possibility of using these wastes for management through biological disposal. The obtained composts from wood waste can be used as a raw material to supply the soil with humic substances and mineral compounds.