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Sustainability of Environmental Resources Management under Global Change

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 7425

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Solomon Gebrechorkos

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Guest Editor

School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Interests: hydrology; climate variability and change; global-local scale hydroclimate modelling; extreme events (droughts and floods); water resource management; nexus approaches

Dr. Mahesh Jampani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

International Water Management Institute (IWMI), 10120 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Interests: groundwater hydrology; water quality and health; antimicrobial resistance; water resource management; remote sensing and GIS; global environmental change; nexus approaches

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The era of the Anthropocene is heavily influenced by human activities; thus, global changes such as climate change, population growth, and rapid urbanisation are causing a series of challenges to environmental resources management and sustainable development. With the current social, economic and environmental changes, it is imperative to re-evaluate our environmental resources: water, soil, land, waste, etc. The current trends and future projections are pointing towards an increase in demand for water, energy and food by more than 30%. Additionally, with the change in climate, the frequency and impact of extreme events such as floods and droughts are also projected to increase. Considering the extreme hydroclimate events, there is an urgent need to develop local-scale adaptation measures and improve early warning systems. The improved options or sustainability solutions should help us to manage environmental resources, minimise or mitigate the climate and ecological risks, attain water and food security, and thereby support achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Papers can be submitted in the broader research area of environmental resource management, but articles that on the below topics are especially encouraged:

Climate change and climate variability and impact assessment on regional to local scale;
Methodologies and approaches for sustainable resources management;
Local-scale water–energy–food demand assessment under global changes and recommendations;
Methods and applications of water reuse and treated wastewater in sectors such as agriculture and energy, and current limitations;
Changes in land use and land cover and their impacts on environmental resources;
Demonstrating integrated solutions for environmental resources management.

In general, papers that contribute to the sustainable management of environmental resources are welcome.

Dr. Solomon Gebrechorkos
Dr. Mahesh Jampani
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

environmental resources
global change
water–food–energy
water–soil–waste
wastewater reuse
extreme events
urban and agricultural systems
land use
land cover change
integrated resource management

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 7347 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Scenario-Based LULC Dynamics Projection Using the CA–Markov Model on Upper Awash Basin (UAB), Ethiopia

by Selamawit Haftu Gebresellase, Zhiyong Wu, Huating Xu and Wada Idris Muhammad

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1683; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021683 - 16 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1650

Abstract

Understanding the spatiotemporal changes in land use and land cover (LULC) in the watershed is crucial for maintaining the sustainability of land resources. This study intents to understand the historical (1972–2015) and future (2030–2060) spatiotemporal distribution of LULC changes in the Upper Awash Basin (UAB). The supervised Maximum Likelihood Classifier technique (MLC) was implemented for historical LULC classification. The Cellular Automata-Markov (CA–Markov) model was employed to project two scenarios of LULC, ‘business-as-usual’ (BAU) and ‘governance’ (Gov). Results from the historical LULC of the study area show that urban and cropland areas increased from 52.53 km² (0.45%) to 354.14 km² (3.01%) and 6040.75 km² (51.25%) to 8472.45 km² (71.97%), respectively. Whereas grassland, shrubland, and water bodies shrunk from 2052.08 km² (17.41%) to 447.63 km² (3.80%), 2462.99 km² (20.89%) to 1399.49 km² (11.89%) and 204.87 km² (1.74%) to 152.44 km² (1.29%), respectively, from 1972 to 2015. The historical LULC results indicated that the forest area was highly vulnerable and occupied by urban and cropland areas. The projected LULC under the BAU scenario shows substantial cropland and urban area expansion, increasing from 8472.45 km² (71.97%) in 2015 to 9159.21 km² (77.71%) in 2060 and 354.14 km² (3.1%) in 2015, 1196.78 km² (10.15%) in 2060, respectively, at the expense of vegetation cover. These results provide insight intothe LULC changes in the area, thus requiring urgent attention by watershed managers, policymakers, and stakeholders to provide sustainable practices for the UAB. Meanwhile, the Gov scenario indicates an increase in vegetable covers and a decrease in cropland, encouraging sustainable development compared to the BAU scenario. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Environmental Resources Management under Global Change)

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19 pages, 1470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationships and the Determinants of Sustainable Land Management Technologies in North Gojjam Sub-Basin, Upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia

by Alelgn Ewunetu, Belay Simane, Ermias Teferi and Benjamin F. Zaitchik

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6365; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13116365 - 03 Jun 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2675

Abstract

Sustainable land management (SLM) is a leading policy issue in Ethiopia. However, the adoption and continuous use of SLM technologies remain low. This study investigates the interrelationship of adopted SLM technologies and key factors of farmers’ decisions to use SLM technologies in the North Gojjam sub-basin of the Upper Blue Nile. The study was based on the investigation of cross-sectional data obtained from 414 randomly selected rural household heads, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics and Econometric models (i.e., Multivariate Probit and Poisson regression) were used to analyze quantitative data, while a content analysis method was used for qualitative data analysis. Results indicate that at least one type of SLM technology was implemented by 94% of farm households in the North Gojjam sub-basin. The most widely used technologies were chemical fertilizer, soil bund, and animal manure. Most of the adopted SLM technologies complement each other. Farm size, family size, male-headed household, local institutions, perception of soil erosion, livestock size, total income, and extension service increased the adoption probability of most SLM technologies. Plot fragmentation, household age, plot distance, off-farm income, market distance, and perception of good fertile soil discourage the adoption probability of most SLM technologies. To scale up SLM technologies against land degradation, it is important to consider households’ demographic characteristics, the capacity of farm households, and plot-level related factors relevant to the specific SLM technologies being promoted. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Environmental Resources Management under Global Change)

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Review

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30 pages, 5676 KiB

Open AccessReview

Define–Investigate–Estimate–Map (DIEM) Framework for Modeling Habitat Threats

by Khaleel Muhammed, Aavudai Anandhi, Gang Chen and Kevin Poole

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11259; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132011259 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1906

Abstract

As the human population increases, the landscape is altered to provide housing, food, and industry. Human activity poses a risk to the health of natural habitats that, in turn, affect biodiversity. Biodiversity is necessary for a functioning ecosystem, as species work synergistically to create a livable environment. It is, therefore, important to know how human practices and natural events threaten these habitats and the species living in them. A universal method of modeling habitat threats does not exist. This paper details the use of a literature review to formulate a new framework called Define–Investigate–Estimate–Map (DIEM). This framework is a process of defining threats, investigating an area to discover what threats are present, estimating the severity of those threats, and mapping the threats. Analysis of 62 studies was conducted to determine how different authors define and characterize threats in various contexts. The results of this analysis were then applied to a case study to evaluate the Choctawhatchee River and Bay Watershed. Results suggest that the most abundant threat in the watershed is agricultural development, and the most destructive threat is urban development. These two threats have the greatest impact on the total threat level of the watershed. Applying the DIEM framework demonstrates its helpfulness in regional analysis, watershed modeling, and land development planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Environmental Resources Management under Global Change)

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