Indicators Of Environmental Quality Research Articles

Spatiotemporal Differences in Marine Environment Quality in China and the Influencing Factors

Based on 2011–2020 panel data for China’s coastal cities and provinces, this study used the entropy method and Theil index to measure marine environment quality (MEQ) and construct MEQ indicators. We used the Theil index to measure heterogeneity in regional MEQ and a geographic detector model to explore the driving factors of MEQ. Our study resulted in the following findings: (1) MEQ increased in waves, but the overall quality was relatively low, forming a spatial distribution pattern of high in the north and south, and low in the east. Moreover, MEQ was polarized between provinces. (2) Regional MEQ showed a distribution pattern of significant differences between the east and the north but small differences in the south. The regional gap was significant but gradually narrowing, with the contribution rate of intra-regional differences reaching over 90%. Meanwhile, interregionalinter-regional differences were relatively small and showed a balanced development trend. (3) Agricultural and aquaculture pollution were found to be the main factors affecting MEQ. The effect of marine engineering pollution was significantly increasing while that of environmental regulation intensity was relatively weak. The interaction between different driving factors mainly manifested as dual-factor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement.

Study of the urban environment quality index for Irkutsk residential districts

Study of the urban environment quality index for Irkutsk residential districts

Development of e-pocket book learning media on environmental pollution based on environmental issues in Cirebon region

In the Cirebon region, there are several environmental issues exists, one of the problems is pollution. In the context of modern information technology, there's a growing preference for electronic-based educational materials. This study aims to evaluate the environmental pollution levels in Cirebon and develop a e-pocket book as a biology learning resource for high school students. The research follows the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) and utilizes observations, questionnaires, and documentation for data collection. The environmental assessment was conducted in Cirebon city and regency, and the learning media developed at MAN 2 Cirebon City. Results from the Environmental Quality Index (IKLH) indicate moderate pollution levels in Kejaksan District and mild-moderate levels in Talun District. The e-book was created using the Canva application and finalized into a link format compatible with laptops and Android smartphones. It underwent validation by material experts, media experts, biology educators, and student users, receiving favorable feedback with an overall rating of 87.24% deemed very satisfactory. It can be concluded that the development of this e-book on environmental pollution can be used as a learning media.

Development of a rapid assessment tool for integrating thermal comfort in early design stage of energy-efficient office buildings

Comprehending and predicting energy performance of existing buildings and new constructions is crucial towards decarbonization. Instead of utilizing simulation software, multiple regression models are utilized to predict building energy consumption while ensuring indoor thermal comfort to speed up this process. However, previous predictive models prioritize reducing energy demand, with limited focus on thermal comfort. This study aims to support decision-making during retrofitting and new construction planning though developing a prediction model. An air-conditioned office building served as a reference building for simulation. 21 design parameters were analyzed, including aspects of weather, building envelope, internal loads, ventilation, and temperature settings. Stepwise regression results unveiled the crucial variables in the final model, with 8, 9, 13, and 6 variables remaining for peak cooling load, annual cooling load, overheating hours (WE), and Environmental Quality Index for thermal comfort (EQITC) in the perimeter zones, and 5, 6, 8, and 5 variables for the core zones, respectively. Furthermore, insights into the important variables regarding cooling load and thermal comfort were respectively provided. Weather- and envelope-related variables, such as cooling degree-days, global solar radiation, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), and U-value, have the highest impacts on cooling load. For thermal comfort, variables including temperature setpoint, occupant activity level, and factors related to window sunlight transmission performance, such as SHGC, window area ratio, and overhang projection ratio, proved to be influential. Overall, this study provided accurate models for assessing optimal strategies for energy efficiency and thermal comfort during the early design phases, advancing building performance practices.

Time Series Analysis of the Impact of Meteorological Conditions and Air Quality on the Number of Medical Visits for Hypertension in Haikou City, China

Meteorological conditions and air quality are important environmental factors in the occurrence and development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as hypertension. The aim of this study was to take Haikou City, located on the tropical edge, as the research area and to analyze the exposure–response relationship and lag effect between its meteorological conditions, air quality, and the number of hypertensive patients. Using the data from the hypertension outpatient department of Hainan Provincial People’s Hospital from 2016 to 2018, together with meteorological data and air quality data, a distributed lag nonlinear model based on the nested generalized addition model of meteorological element base variables was established. The results showed that the impact of temperature on the risk of hypertension was mainly due to the cold effect, which was associated with high risk, with a lag of 1–10 days. When the temperature dropped to 10 °C, the cumulative effect on the risk of hypertension of relative risk (RR) reached its highest value on the day the low temperature occurred (RR was 2.30 and the 95% confidence interval was 1.723~3.061), passing the test with a significance level of 0.05. This result indicated that efforts should be made to strengthen the prevention of hypertension under low-temperature conditions and the prediction and early warning of disease risks. The impact of the air-quality effect (the environmental Air Quality Index was selected as an indicator) on the risk of hypertension was mainly characterized by a low air-quality effect, with a lag effect of 0–8 days. When the risk reached approximately 124, the RR was highest (RR was 1.63 and the 95% confidence interval was 1.104~2.408), passing the test with a significance level of 0.05. The research results can provide technical support for conducting medical meteorological forecasting, early warning, and services for hypertension. A joint work and research mechanism among multiple departments such as meteorology and medical health should be established to improve the level of medical and health care, optimize the allocation of social resources, and develop targeted prevention and control strategies to reduce the health and economic burden of hypertension.

Determination of water quality through using bioindicators, physical-chemical and microbiological analysis of the lagoon Santo Domingo of the national park Cotopaxi, province of Pichincha, period 2018

The current research project carried out in the Santo Domingo Lagoon of the Cotopaxi National Park, a Protected Area that is located in the canton of Mejia, province of Pichincha, and retains their transcendental goal to determine the water quality from the application of bioindicators and physical-chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis. They obtained results about the quality of water using bioindicators according to the methodology used (scientific induction, inductive, deductive, measurement, quantitative), where samples were taken at five specific points of entry and exit of the lake body in April, May and June, making use of water quality identification techniques for tolerance; Biological Monitoring Working Part (BMWP/Col.), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Tricoptera (EPT), Andean Biotic Index (ABI), and Biotic Index of Families (IBF). Meanwhile, the environmental quality indices were used for the physical, chemical and microbiological analysis: DINUS - Fundación Nacional de Saneamiento (NFS), defining that the water conditions are wrong or contaminated. By contrast, from the application of the BMWP/Col. and ABI indices, the water quality pertains to waters of questionable and critical condition. However, with the application of the BMWP/Col. and ABI indices, it was defined that the water quality corresponds to waters of doubtful and critical condition, which are, in conclusion, very contaminated waters. On the other hand, one of the techniques for using bioindicators from the IBF index yielded a different result in areas of apparent organic contamination, determining that the Santo Domingo Lagoon demonstrates an "excellent" indicator. Keywords: water, analysis, bioindicators, quality, indices, lagoon.

Determination of water quality through using bioindicators, physical-chemical and microbiological analysis of the lagoon Santo Domingo of the national park Cotopaxi, province of Pichincha, period 2018

The current research project carried out in the Santo Domingo Lagoon of the Cotopaxi National Park, a Protected Area that is located in the canton of Mejia, province of Pichincha, and retains their transcendental goal to determine the water quality from the application of bioindicators and physical-chemical and microbiological laboratory analysis. They obtained results about the quality of water using bioindicators according to the methodology used (scientific induction, inductive, deductive, measurement, quantitative), where samples were taken at five specific points of entry and exit of the lake body in April, May and June, making use of water quality identification techniques for tolerance; Biological Monitoring Working Part (BMWP/Col.), Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Tricoptera (EPT), Andean Biotic Index (ABI), and Biotic Index of Families (IBF). Meanwhile, the environmental quality indices were used for the physical, chemical and microbiological analysis: DINUS - Fundación Nacional de Saneamiento (NFS), defining that the water conditions are wrong or contaminated. By contrast, from the application of the BMWP/Col. and ABI indices, the water quality pertains to waters of questionable and critical condition. However, with the application of the BMWP/Col. and ABI indices, it was defined that the water quality corresponds to waters of doubtful and critical condition, which are, in conclusion, very contaminated waters. On the other hand, one of the techniques for using bioindicators from the IBF index yielded a different result in areas of apparent organic contamination, determining that the Santo Domingo Lagoon demonstrates an "excellent" indicator. Keywords: water, analysis, bioindicators, quality, indices, lagoon.

Benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of water quality: A case study of estuarine ecosystems along the coast of Ghana

Increasing human activities in coastal areas of Ghana have led to the degradation of many surface waterbodies, with significant consequences for the ecosystems in the affected areas. Thus, this degradation extremely affects the health of ecosystems and disrupts the essential services they provide. The present study explored the use of benthic macroinvertebrates as an indicator of estuarine degradation along the coast of Ghana. Water and sediment samples were collected bimonthly from Ankobra, Kakum and Volta estuaries for physicochemical parameters, nutrients and benthic macroinvertebrates. The findings revealed the dominance of pollution-tolerant taxa such as Capitella sp., Nereis sp., Heteromastus sp., Tubifex sp., Cossura sp. and Chironomous sp. in Kakum Estuary while pollution-sensitive taxa such as Scoloplos sp., Euridice sp., Lumbriconereis sp. and Pachymelania sp. in the Volta Estuary. The species-environment interactions showed dissolved oxygen, temperature, salinity, orthophosphate, nitrates, ammonium, electrical conductivity, turbidity, and chemical oxygen demand as the most significant parameters that complement the use of benthic macroinvertebrates as indicators of environmental quality in the studied estuaries. There were correlations of some benthic macroinvertebrate taxa with environmental factors in the estuaries suggesting low, moderate and high levels of pollution in the Volta, Kakum and Ankobra estuaries, respectively. Nevertheless, the study finds Kakum Estuary to be the ecologically healthiest estuary than the Volta and Ankobra Estuaries. Therefore, the study has shown benthic macroinvertebrates as a key indicator of ecosystem health alterations, and it is recommended that they should be incorporated with other environmental data for pollution monitoring in Ghanaian coastal waters.

An innovative environmental regulation tool for regional air pollution based on DEA-RFR

Environmental regulation tools are one of the conventional means for pollution control in various countries. For large-scale urbanization regions, reasonable pre-allocation of pollutant emission amount for each area is an effective regulation to improve air quality. Treating pollutant emission quota as a resource element, a comprehensive input-output model has been established based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, to evaluate the rationality of pollutant emission allocation and provide adjustment scheme, thus developing an environmental regulation tool. The index system includes factors of economy, environment, energy consumption, demographic and land-use as input indicators, regional GDP and environmental air quality index as output indicators. The regulation tool is applied to the current air pollutant emission management in Henan Province, China. The results show that 7 cities need to further adjust the allocation scheme, among which, Anyang, Xinxiang, Nanyang and Shangqiu are suggested to reduce the emission allocation quotas; Puyang and Zhumadian are suggested to increase the emission allocation quotas; Pingdingshan shall seek optimization paths through collaborative improvement. Further, to verify the effectiveness of the tool, by joint using Random Forest Regression (RFR), a DEA efficiency reassessment is conducted on the obtained new allocation scheme of Nanyang City. The results show that the efficiency of the new allocation scheme has reached optimal. This study provides a practical and effective regulation tool for regional management of pollutant emission, to balance economic growth and environmental protection.

Advocating green economy in India: The tug of war among income inequality, export diversification, and environmental quality

AbstractGlobally, most countries have shown strong commitments toward the attainment of sustainable development goals before 2023. Thus, this study focuses on analyzing such commitments toward the attainment of SDGs (7, 8, 10, and 13), respectively. The study evaluates the role played by income inequalities, export diversification, and economic growth in restoring a sustainable environment in India from 1970 to 2019. To achieve its objective, the study employed the novel Fourier autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method. Remarkably, the study utilizes the load capacity factor (LCF) as a unique indicator for environmental sustainability. The LCF, which takes into account both biocapacity and ecological footprint, is one of the most complete indicators of environmental quality to date. The study's findings revealed a long‐run relationship between the LCF and all the explanatory variables. According to the Fourier ARDL results, income inequality and renewable energy improve environmental quality. At the same time, economic growth and export diversification negatively impact the LCF in India both within the short and long‐run periods. Conclusion and policy prescriptions are included in the study.

POVERTY MACRO SYSTEM DYNAMICS MODELING BASED ON SIMULTANEOUS EQUATIONS MODELS

Poverty factors are multidimensional and complex. Currently, to predict the number of people living below the poverty line using the concept of linear thinking. It is necessary to study the causal relationships among poverty factors in form of a system dynamics model. This study aims to predict the poverty rate people in “The Golden Indonesia” 2030 using poverty macro models. The data used are time series data from 2009 to 2018 at the national level (Indonesia), and data sources from the BPS Statistics-Indonesia, and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia. The research method uses a system dynamics model, where the system of thinking is created based on the two-stage least square (2SLS) simultaneous equation model. The 2SLS simultaneous equation model testing results show that there are three significant simultaneous equations, including poverty, economic growth, and human development index. Furthermore, the three simultaneous equations show a causal loop diagram (CLD) in a system dynamics model. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) is 2.34%, meaning that the macro poverty model is valid. The scenario formats for prediction include “optimistic” for economic growth and the “moderate” for human development index (HDI), total population, unemployment, and environmental quality index variables. The predicted percentage number of poor people in 2030 is 4.12%, a positive deviation of 0.12% from the government’s target of 4%. All parties need to work hard and together for the “optimistic” scenario to be implemented, which is to raise Indonesia’s economic growth to 7.4%. This study assumes that there is no Covid-19 problem and only predicts 10 years due to limited data used in 2010-2018. The novelty of this study is the alignment of the prediction results between the system dynamics and the simultaneous equation models. In general, the system dynamics model is valid and could answer the complexity of a phenomenon to predict poverty.
  

Influence of personal mobility devices on environmental amenities

Electric scooters are rapidly involved in our life, and every year their lease increases and spreads to more cities. Urban infrastructure never keeps up with progress and cannot provide these vehicles with the appropriate infrastructure. In this regard, it is important to solve problems of adapting modern means of transportation with respect to comfortable and safe traffic.Purpose: The analysis of the current situation with personal mobility devices and their impact on the urban environment.Methodology/approach: Sociological survey and analysis of improving amenities environment to ensure the operation of personal mobility devices.Research findings: The analysis of introduced traffic rules for personal mobility devices in 2023, where the status of transport is officially assigned to electric scooters. there is a need to separate roads and create the bicycle path infrastructure to minimize accidents. Results show positive and negative consequences of using electric scooters in cities. It is shown that the urban environment quality index in different cities is determined by the distance of bicycle paths in cities.

Can resolving geopolitical tensions help South Asian countries elude the carbon curse of natural resources?

South Asia is regarded as highly vulnerable to climate change-related concerns. Thus, it is of utmost importance for South Asian countries to conceptualize environmental development policies that can be implemented to tackle carbon emission-related environmental hazards. Moreover, due to high reliance on natural resources, almost all South Asian nations find it extremely difficult to reduce their carbon discharges. Therefore, taking note of these concerning issues, this study aims to explore the environmental impacts associated with natural resource dependency, geopolitical tensions, financial development, and urbanization in the context of major South Asian countries including Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka. Notably, this study emphasizes whether reducing geopolitical tensions, by resolving external conflicts, can help these nations limit the carbon emission-related problems that are specifically associated with natural resource consumption. In this regard, a composite carbon curse index is calculated using data regarding three carbon emission-based indicators of environmental quality (per capita carbon dioxide emissions, rate of carbon intensity of energy use, and per capita consumption-based carbon footprints). For analytical purposes, several advanced panel data estimation methods that are robust against cross-sectionally dependent data with heterogeneous slope coefficients and endogeneity-related issues, are employed. Overall, the results endorse that more dependence on natural resources for stimulating economic growth worsens the carbon curse faced by the South Asia nations. By contrast, reducing geopolitical tensions through the resolution of external conflicts is observed to help the selected South Asian countries limit the carbon curse associated with natural resource consumption, both directly and indirectly. Therefore, in line with these findings, relevant decarbonization policies are recommended, which the concerned South Asian governments can take note of when designing green growth policies in the future.

Оценка аттрактивности сегментов пешеходных зон большого центра Перми средствами геоинформационных технологий

The approaches to studying the attractiveness of pedestrian spaces are proposed, which could in the researchers’ opinion serve as one of the urban environment quality indicators. Based on the authors` methodology with the help of geographic information technologies, an assessment of the attractiveness of Perm’s large center pedestrian spaces’ most consolidated components was carried out. To form an array of the data (attractor objects), open sources were used. Attribute values which enabled analyzing the direct location of attractors were the proximity and belonging to the components of the pedestrian spaces chosen as the subject of the study. As a result of the vector data spatial analysis, noticeable differences in the attractiveness of those places were revealed. Its highest index is typical for the embankment of the Kama. The result is slightly lower near the esplanade and foot zones near the railway station Perm-2. The lowest level was found in the mentioned spaces located near the southern and eastern outskirts of the large center. The authors analyze the features and problems of using publicly available data, propose measures to increase the attractiveness of the central pedestrian spaces of Perm, and conclude that it is necessary to form a unified space to gather and swap information in order to increase the effectiveness of further local studies of the environmental quality

Fiscal Decentralization in Indonesia: Does It Curb the Quality of Environment?

Local authorities have played an enormous role in maintaining the sustainability of the environment through decentralization. While decentralization could improve the quality of the environment as an attribute of public good provision, it could also harm the environment by setting low environmental standards to boost environment-related business. In addition, the Environmental Quality Index (IKLH) from various provinces has shown fluctuations in the past ten years. With this ambiguous effect of decentralization, this study aims to disentangle the effect of decentralization on the quality of the environment in Indonesia. This study utilizes Indonesia’s provincial-level data in 33 provinces from 2010 to 2020. In order to solve the model's suffering endogeneity problem, the two-stage least square panel-instrumental variable method is performed. The main results demonstrate that fiscal decentralization and its square significantly affect environmental quality. Its square indicates a nonlinear U-shaped relationship, that in the low-level stage of decentralization tends to harm the environment until the turning point. In addition, this research also suggests the positive but weak effect of Intergovernmental Fiscal Transfer (IFT) on environmental quality. Considering all the results, this research infers that decentralization curbs the quality of the environment in Indonesia and, to some extent, contributes to maintain environmental quality. Therefore, local authorities have a significant role in promoting green regulation to enhance environmental quality and this also reaffirms the importance of green indicators in local budgeting.

Do clean energy and dependence on natural resources stimulate environmental sustainability? A new approach with load capacity factor and temperature

AbstractIndia, not being an exception from the rest of the globe, has also been suffering from the unprecedented challenges of survival of the ecosphere, which is highly threatened by a continuous weakening of the environmental quality as a result of accelerated accumulation of anthropogenic emissions in the biosphere. As an immediate aftermath of the famous Glasgow Conference of Parties (COP26), while the Government of India is aiming to find realistic solutions to achieve net zero emissions goals by 2070 without much confrontion with its ambitious economic progression goals, accordingly proposes the alternative pathway to achieve environmental sustainability goals, this study has considered one of the three pivotal drivers of economic sustainability in the modern era of digitization, that is, natural resources rent, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth and examined their role on rendering environmental sustainability. Instead of CO2 emissions, load capacity factor and temperature have been considered proxies of environmental quality. This study has employed a novel dynamic autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) estimation technique to portray the short‐ and long‐run elasticity of environmental quality indicators by considering 48 years of annual time series data from 1970 to 2017. The findings of this study have documented that while natural resources rent and economic growth stimulate environmental squalor, renewable energy consumption promotes environmental sustainability. This study also unveiled different causal relationships using the frequency domain causality analysis. Subsequently, this study designs some vital policy measures and integration of which in the existing energy‐climate framework may assist Indian policymakers in achieving the net zero climate goal.

Assessing the urbanization-induced impact on environmental parameters of a city from a remote-sensing perspective

An unplanned urban sprawl is a significant challenge for cities in developing nations. Such growth damages the environmental fabric (quality) of the city. The environmental parameters that are mainly affected due to urbanization need to be monitored for sustainable urban development. Hence, it becomes essential to adopt a sustainable framework for a thorough critical examination of environmental parameters that are altered due to urbanization as its consequence. Thus, this paper analyses the spatial-temporal changes that occurred in three vital environmental parameters: Land Surface Temperature (LST), Vegetation Cover (VC), and Particulate Matter (PM2.5), due to unplanned urbanization in the Bhopal city of Madhya Pradesh state in India. The study evaluates the relationship among these parameters. Then, an Environmental Quality Index (EQI) is quantified from 2000 to 2020 to analyse the environmental quality of the city. Further, a trend analysis for these parameters and the EQI is done. Based on the results of EQI, the city's environmental quality is classified. The findings show that in various parts of the city, LST and PM2.5 were found to be increased by 1–2 °C and 23–25 μg/m3, respectively. The severity analysis of the EQI revealed that environmental quality was found to be good to moderate in 2005 whereas, it deteriorated to poor and very poor levels by the year 2020. Overall results show that severe environmental degradation was significant in some specific locations in dense urbanization, heavy traffic areas, industrial zones, and major highways. The research reveals the environmental consequences of unplanned urbanization, offering valuable insights for policymakers and urban designers to improve the quality of urbanization and advance sustainable development. It also suggests strategies and policy interventions for managing industrial and vehicular pollutants and advocates the vital role of urban greening, which can aid in raising the quality of the urban environment.

Growth Performance and Environmental Quality Indices and Biomarkers in a Co-Culture of the European Sea Bass with Filter and Deposit Feeders: A Case Study of an IMTA System

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system comprising co-cultured fed fish and organic extractive species representing three distinct trophic levels as well as the impact and potential utilization of two commercially available fish feeds made up of 35% fish meal (FM) and 20% fish meal (LFM) ingredients, using a multi-indicator assessment approach. Significant alterations were observed in growth performance indicators (GPIs), water and sediment quality indices, toxicity tests and biomarkers within the IMTA system. The fish survival, weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR) were higher in the IMTA system with significantly lower feed conversion ratios (FCRs) and higher feed efficiency (FE) in comparison to the fed fish monoculture system. Yet, organic filter feeders displayed 100% survival, and increased shell growth, while deposit feeders exhibited successful survival and significant weight gain. In the comparison between FM-IMTA and LFM-IMTA, fed fish in FM-IMTA showed higher WG, SGR, and FE with lower FCR. Environmental parameters like temperature, oxygen, and nutrient concentrations fluctuated but generally improved in the IMTA system, indicating lower mesotrophic conditions. Sediment fatty acid profiles differed between systems and toxicity assessments, which suggested a lower impact in IMTA and FM-IMTA systems. The sediment microbial community displayed high similarity within IMTA systems and between FM-IMTA and LFM-IMTA. These findings underscore the potential of IMTA systems for sustainable aquaculture, emphasizing improved growth performance and reduced environmental impact, particularly when using fish meal feeds.

Trace metal partitioning in the parnaíba delta in dry season, equatorial coast of Brazil

Trace metal concentrations in the particulate fractions (MP), dissolved fractions (MD) and sediments (MS), such as Ba, Cu, Co, Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn, were determined during the dry season of the largest open sea delta of Americas, the Parnaíba River Delta (Brazil). This study aimed to comprehend the distribution, dynamic changes of metal speciation and environmental quality index of trace metals in the particulate fractions and subsurface sediments in scenario of major marine influence over the delta. The trace metals bound to suspended particulate material (SPM) from weathering the drainage basin exhibited a removal trend under increases in salinity and pH. Desorption influenced the partitioning of BaMP, ZnMP, NiMP, CoMP, CuMP, and the adsorption and precipitation of PbMP and CrMP to the surface sediments. The organic matter contents in the sediments acts as an important geochemical carrier of these contaminants, and the dissolved organic carbon influences the binding of PbMD in the subsurface waters. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) plays a crucial role in revealing potential contamination with ZnMP contents and weak association to this fraction. These results make possible the assessment of ecological risk by metal contamination and global pollution mitigation in coastal tidal estuaries under intensive physical mixing along the equatorial coast.

Urban green space optimization in Sorong City of Southwest Papua Province based on environmental carrying capacity and environmental capacity

Immediate action is required to optimize the urban green open spaces in Sorong City to meet the obligation of increasing the baseline from 8.21% to 32.96%. The process will involve several stakeholders, including the Regional Government of Sorong City and Southwest Papua Province, Vertical Institutions, University of Papua, Development Partners, Indigenous Peoples, Media, and Private Parties. Upon evaluating the starting conditions in Sorong City, it is observed that the Environmental Quality Index (EQI) value stands at 58.96, indicating a sufficient category. This is mainly attributed to the detrimental impact of river water pollution (Water Quality Index, WQI) and the diminished coverage (Forest Cover Index, FCI) resulting from various commercial activities in metropolitan areas. Given the escalating climate change and the rise in hydrometeorological disasters, particularly heavy rainfall, erosion, and landslides, Sorong City must maximize the utilization of open green spaces (GOS). By improving the GOS, it was found that the Sorong Green Index (SGI) value was 94.77 in the outstanding category. In addition, utilizing the POAC approach for management analysis, it is imperative to promptly take necessary measures for various functions that are now inactive. The parties are expected to fulfill the task of job tagging and budget tagging to establish regional action plans.