Influence of urbanization on stream fish assemblages in three microbasins in the Upper Paraná River Basin

The colonization pattern of fish assemblages in streams is often studied in the context of environmental filters. On the other hand, when fish assemblages are subjected to anthropogenic effects, variables associated with environmental quality assume more importance. Therefore, this work evaluated the richness and composition of fish from streams sampled at different urbanization levels, aiming to determine any direct effects on the structure of fish assemblages. To accomplish this, samples were collected from 2003 to 2011 at 31 sites distributed among 3 microbasins in the Rio Ivinhema Basin, Alto Rio Paraná. Based on environmental variables, physicochemical of the water and analysis of the use and occupation of the soil, the microbasins were classified into different urbanization levels (low, medium and high). A total of 4,320 individuals were sampled, out of which 57 fish species were recorded. Sampled sites with medium urbanization level presented higher richness compared to sampled sites with high urbanization level which presented lower richness. Species richness in these sites was explained mainly by water temperature and water velocity. Results confirmed that urbanization does directly affect environmental integrity, which, in turn, can lead to the homogenization of stream assemblages.

Capacity Development Associated with the Implementation of Emissions Trading System in Mexico

The creation of an emissions trading system in Mexico as response to international policy on climate change forces the government and corporations to create new activities and responsibilities to address this issue. It is also important to know who will be the decision-maker and who is in charge of the institutional work (representation and negotiation). The main objective of this chapter is to point out who the stakeholders involved in the design, implementation, evaluation and transparency of the system are, or should be, according to the national regulatory framework and international summons. We shall also analyze the mechanics and information provided by the system and how it helps to make environmental policy, which helps to reduce emissions. Finally, we will also analyze whether it also helps to establish strategic alliances and international agreements toward common objectives and priorities. The chapter approaches the topic based on capacity development theory, which focuses on improving governance among different levels and stakeholders: government, companies, civil organizations, and scientists. We emphasize the potential of training spaces as a place for transformation and developing a learning framework whose own relevance relies on the focus of emergent strategies, which ensure the environmental integrity and conditions for the country’s competence in the international context. This chapter contributes to existing literature about the understanding of executing such a system, the stakeholders involved at the national level, and their potential to create international networks.

Advancing Paulinian Core Values As SPUP’s Response To Climate Change

With the adverse effects of Climate Change in the environment, it is necessary to critically examine attitudes and behaviors relevant to environmental values. Highlighting the incorporation of the Paulinian Core Values, St. Paul University Philippines (SPUP) fostered environmental programs, projects, activities, and partnerships towards the realization of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on Climate Change. Utilizing the descriptive research design, this study examined the extent of integration of the Paulinian Core Values, namely: Christ-centeredness, Commission, Charity, Charism, and Community in the implementation of SPUP’s Climate Change initiatives. With participants composed of teachers, students, alumni, and members of partner-communities, the results showed that the degree of integration of the Paulinian Core Values in the realization of the University’s Climate Change-related endeavors is gauged to a “Very Great Extent”. Moreover, the findings also demonstrated the ability of SPUP to foster relevant and responsive environmental advocacy in engaging its academic and partner-communities towards the advancement of its Climate Change undertakings. This is reflected in the paradigm on SPUP Environmental Core Values, where the principles of ecological spirituality, environmental integrity, environmental justice, environmental engagement, and environmental stewardship are advanced vis-à-vis the Paulinian Core Values. KEYWORDS: St. Paul University Philippines, Climate Change initiatives, Paulinian Core Values, Environmental advocacy, SPUP Environmental Core Values

A Question of Value: On the Legality of Using Kyoto Protocol Units under the Paris Agreement

The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol generated about 4.3 billion Assigned Amount Units (aaus) and about 180 million Certified Emission Reductions (cers) for carry-over by Annex i states and potential use as ‘overachievements’ or offsets to discount emissions under ndcs. The second commitment period may generate additional carry-over units, and there is an estimated ‘dormant’ amount of about 4.6 billion cers that could be issued from ongoing cdm projects. To rely on these units risks upsetting the process of trust-building necessary to increase ambition under the Paris Agreement. This article questions the legality of carry-overs but finds that a textual interpretation of the current legal framework under both treaties leaves the matter unresolved. With a more refined legal interpretation, based on the principles of environmental integrity and sound accounting under the Paris Agreement, the article re-evaluates aaus and cers under the Agreement, by relying on insights from a social theory of value and the critical studies literature on the political economy of carbon markets. The conclusion is that aaus cannot be used under the ndc accounting framework, as their formal value of 1 Mt CO2 eq. under the Kyoto Protocol is considerably diminished under the Agreement. As for cers, their value depends on different social realities related to their issuance. States or the cma should adopt transparent criteria to select the cers that are worth transitioning pursuant to the Article 6.4 mechanism. The same conceptual framework of value-attribution can also inform the design and operation of the Article 6 mechanisms and their units in order to attain higher environmental integrity and sound accounting for ndcs.

The expansion of the Brazilian Federal Universities Network as a vehicle for urban and regional sustainable development

The present research paper aims to analyze the spatial results of the expansion that Brazilian Federal Universities Network have presented between 2003 and 2018, looking forward the impacts and possibilities towards the achievement of urban and regional sustainable development. In economically obsolete or marginalized areas or in those with strong industrial dynamism or agribusiness production, these new campuses also can be understood as vehicles to promote economic security/growth, social equity and assure environmental integrity. Focusing in two empirical studies, based in qualitative and quantitative methodologies, besides the theoretical approach, in cities and regions of Bahia state which received two new universities, we present the economic contribution of the new campuses, the challenges and strategies to socially develop places with high amount of vulnerable population, and the environmental potentialities to build green campus, understood as a nature-based solution, and to implement the Sustainable Developing Goals.

A Study of Regenerative Farming Practices and Sustainable Coffee of Ethnic Minorities Farmers in the Central Highlands of Vietnam

Coffee is highly vulnerable to climate change, thus impacting coffee-dependent livelihoods and economies. As rising temperatures continue to reduce the suitability of many historical coffee-growing regions, some farmers are practicing regenerative, organic coffee farming as a means of climate change mitigation. In the Central Highlands, the primary coffee growing region of Vietnam, conventional sun-grown, monocrop coffee requires intensive inputs, including fertilizers, pesticides and water. However, some farmers are converting their conventional sun farms to organic shade farms utilizing regenerative farming techniques for both environmental and economic reasons. This study examined regenerative farming practices and sustainable coffee in a small ethnic minority village in Lâm Ðồng province. The comparative analysis between soil samples taken from a regenerative shade-grown coffee farm and two conventional sun-grown coffee farms revealed that the soil of the regenerative farm, enriched with organic manure, is comparable to, or healthier than, the soil on the conventional farms enriched with chemical fertilizers. The results indicate that regenerative farming practices promote biodiversity; however, they also maintain microclimates that promote the growth of Roya fungus, which can decrease coffee yields. The economic analysis of farm costs and net returns found that regenerative farming practices decrease external inputs through a system of crop diversification and integrated livestock production that improves productivity and economic performance while preserving the ecological and environmental integrity of the landscape. Regenerative agriculture is an important step toward climate change adaptation and mitigation; however, in order for the farm communities in the Central Highlands to make the transition to regenerative agriculture, the success factors and benefits of this method must be demonstrated to the coffee farmers.

Business models for the Anthropocene: accelerating sustainability transformations in the private sector

The rapid pace and escalating severity of climate change impacts have made clear that current incremental approaches to pressing global socio-ecological challenges are insufficient to address the root causes of unsustainable development. This has spurred increasing interest in the dynamics of transformation: the actors, capacities and resources needed to fundamentally shift development paths. The private sector is at the core of essential transformative processes necessary to build a future premised on environmental integrity, social inclusivity, and resilience. The activities of the private sector are structured and driven by their underlying business model, which is at its core a set of assumptions about how a business creates, extracts and delivers value. Dominant conceptualizations of the business model remain a narrow imagining of how business interacts with societal processes and shape development patterns. In this article we call for the conceptualization and design of business models anchored in societal purpose and operating within planetary boundaries, apt for the Anthropocene. We identify five building blocks for business models where transdisciplinary sustainability research can accelerate entrepreneurial activity that fosters desirable sustainable pathways by enabling the creation of new capabilities in support of broader transformational processes. This article seeks to inform (and potentially re-orient the efforts of) transdisciplinary scholars engaging the private sector in the co-production of community-based sustainability and resilience-building initiatives. Likewise, the building blocks provide a guide for businesses who aim to deepen their capacity to build new partnerships, identify, and incorporate new information on climate risk into their operations and develop practices, sequences and procedures oriented toward the sustainable development goals and disaster resilience.

A holistic sustainability assessment of organic (certified and non-certified) and non-organic smallholder farms in Kenya

The introduction of organic farm management practices in sub-Saharan Africa could act as a lever for supporting regional sustainable development. In this study, we sought to assess the sustainability performance of organic (certified and non-certified) and non-organic farms in the dry Kajiado County and the wet Murang’a County in Kenya, based on four sustainability dimensions: Good Governance, Environmental Integrity, Economic Resilience and Social Well-Being. We collected household survey data from 400 smallholder farms, which were formally characterized into five types (mixed organic and conventional, certified organic, organic, conventional, and subsistence farms). We used multivariate analysis of variance, linear fixed-effects and general linear models to examine differences in sustainability performance. Model results indicate that all farms lack reliable farm management information and that only limited knowledge, skills and social security exist for farmers and farm workers. Comparison of the five farm types indicates no significant differences in their sustainability performance. Nonetheless, certified organic farms had better sustainability performance than non-certified farms due to higher economic resilience, environmental integrity, better support and training for workers. However, except for avoiding the use of agrochemicals in certified farms, there is relatively little difference in the farm management practices across farm types. Our results also indicate that farms in Murang’a were more sustainable than those in Kajiado due to better regional land-tenure security and conflict resolution mechanisms, soil and water conservation measures, and farm commercial viability. Nonetheless, unlike Kajiado, farms in Murang’a showed a tendency toward poor animal husbandry practices which affects overall animal welfare, limited credit uptake and market involvement. The results of this study can support decision making to identify appropriate interventions for improving sustainability in smallholder farms.