ABSTRACT The consequences of climatic changes in mountain environments largely reshape human-environment interactions, differently impacting women. Recognising these disparities, gendered approaches to climate change have emerged as a perspective for promoting community-led sustainable development. This paper aims to provide an alternative to the prevailing dominant narrative of women as victims of climate change, but instead as solution-oriented change makers. It discusses the transformative nature of women-led initiatives that are driving regenerative farming. It focuses on the Garhwal Himalayas, specifically on Marrora Forest Farms. Thus, it promotes sustainable livelihoods, forest management, and combating climate change. It employs a qualitative approach, incorporating ethnographic fieldwork, in-depth interviews, and participant observations. A blended theoretical framework of Feminist Political Ecology and Community-Based Natural Resource Management provides a lens to understand gendered relations, socio-ecological change, and collective resource management. This paper illustrates the role of traditional ecological awareness and sustainable livelihoods. The findings contribute to broader discussions on the gender–climate nexus and nature-based solutions in mountains.

ABSTRACT Considerable investments have been made in the biological control of invasive Australian Acacia species in the Fynbos biome of South Africa. The biological control agents introduced for the most invasive Acacia species do not kill standing trees but rather reduce the reproductive output, thereby reducing the rate of spread. Here, we consider the changes in the abundance of Acacia saligna (Labill.) H. L. Wendl. and Acacia cyclops A. Cunn. ex G. Don., in the presence of biological control agents for the purpose of informing long-term decision-making on the costs of manual control. We used remote sensing of permanent monitoring plots to assess the impacts of biological control in combination with fire and firewood removal. The cover of these two species where the plots had been left to biological control, informal firewood harvesting, and fire with no other forms of prescribed control for a 20-year period was assessed. The cover decreased by up to 85%, with smaller changes over periods of less than 10 years, and no impacts over a 6-year period. Biological control resulted in a marked slowing down in the rate of increase of the Acacia spp. cover. The reduction in the rate of spread of these two highly invasive species due to biological control should reduce the cost of clearing and, therefore, the financial burden on landowners and natural resource management entities involved in Acacia spp. control.

Purpose This study examines public trust in traditional and religious leaders in Ghana, focusing on the influence of perceived corruption, engagement, responsiveness, and effective management of natural resources. Design/methodology/approach Employing data from the 9th Round of Afrobarometer surveys conducted in 2022, the study utilizes descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis to investigate the factors that predict public trust in these non-state actors. Findings The findings reveal that perceived corruption does not significantly reduce trust in traditional and religious leaders, challenging simplistic assumptions about the relationship between corruption and institutional legitimacy. However, regular engagement, responsiveness to citizens' concerns, and the perception that natural resource extraction benefits the community are positively associated with increased trust. The study also highlights the importance of sociodemographic factors, with higher education levels and certain regions showing lower trust, while affiliation with the ruling party, general social trust, and feeling close to one's ethnic group are associated with higher trust. These results contribute to the understanding of the complex dynamics of trust in traditional and religious leadership in Ghana, offering insights for policymakers, leaders, and civil society organizations working on governance and social cohesion. Originality/value This study offers several original contributions to the understanding of public trust in traditional and religious leaders in Ghana: first, it provides a comprehensive quantitative analysis of factors influencing trust in traditional and religious leaders, addressing a gap in existing literature which has largely focused on qualitative or historical accounts. Second, the use of recent Afrobarometer data and robust statistical analysis adds to the empirical foundation of research in this area. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the complex and evolving role of traditional and religious leaders in modern Ghanaian society, challenging some existing assumptions while providing new insights into the factors that shape public trust in these important figures.

Effective management of natural resources fundamentally relies on public support, making an understanding of the dynamics of public interest crucial for successful conservation policy. Globally, fisheries face sustainability challenges, yet public engagement often remains a key barrier to effective policy implementation. While public interest has traditionally been assessed through surveys, which are often costly and lack real-time granularity, digital trace data such as search engine queries offer a high-frequency alternative to monitor public attention. However, the primary drivers shaping public interest in specific fishery resources, and how these insights can be leveraged to select effective conservation symbols, remain poorly understood. Here we show, using Google Trends data for key Japanese fishery resources, that public interest is driven by two distinct archetypes-predictable seasonality and regional supply-and identify Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) as a unique species whose public profile is increasingly linked to its declining stock status. While previous assumptions might link consumer interest primarily to price and seasonal availability, our analysis reveals that for most species, market prices are a stronger driver than catch volumes. Crucially, Pacific saury diverges from this pattern; its public salience is uniquely influenced by both catch volume and a growing awareness of its resource depletion, making its profile more complex than that of a simple commodity. These findings demonstrate that the flagship species concept, traditionally applied to terrestrial megafauna, can be empirically adapted to exploited marine resources, providing a data-driven framework for selecting species that act as effective anchors for conservation messaging. Our methodology offers a low-cost, transferable workflow for integrating social data into resource management, a critical step for bridging the science-policy-society gap. By transforming passive digital footprints into actionable insights, this approach empowers conservation efforts to become more dynamic and responsive to public sentiment, ultimately fostering greater societal engagement in sustainability.

ABSTRACT Learning networks promote adaptive capacities and facilitate communication across diverse communities, especially in small-scale fisheries and related natural resource management contexts that rely on equitable knowledge exchange. However, given how pervasive, top-down, and state-based structures of power often impede adaptation, communication, and knowledge sharing, there remains a need to understand how learning networks can serve as an intentional strategy for more adaptive and just forms of governance. Our engaged research addresses this need by sharing qualitative findings from a project to create the Maine Shellfish Learning Network (Maine, USA), an effort that emerged within and worked alongside a state-municipal shellfish co-management program. We describe how communication practices, including iterative meeting design, demonstrated and critical listening, commitments to decentering researchers within knowledge making, and co-identification of priorities shaped the initial formation of the network. Further, the intentional use of boundary objects, including a website and technical documents, promoted adaptive capacities such as information sharing, learning, leadership, and anticipatory orientations to future change. These processes and capacities fed into the emergence of more just and adaptive approaches to governance, demonstrating how learning networks can support environmental justice efforts for meaningful structural changes within and through knowledge systems.

The management of natural resources is increasingly critical and challenging due to complex interactions among environmental, industrial, and societal processes. Traditional approaches often fail to integrate heterogeneous data, limiting predictive and decision-support capabilities. This study presents a conceptual architecture for an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted Digital Twin (DT) of the Centre-Val de Loire region, designed to unify time-dependent multi-source data. Based on the ENVRI Reference Model, it covers Science, Information, Computational, Engineering, and Technology layers, defining standardized data exchange, communication protocols, and prototype functionalities. A proof of concept FIWARE implementation supports ingestion, monitoring and analytical services for piezometric and meteorological data, exemplified through groundwater dynamics in the Beauce aquifer. It integrates daily observations from 53 piezometric stations over more than five years, managing approximately 2.8 million records in a containerized environment. Results show that the proposed DT architecture can enhance sustainability-oriented decision making, integrating heterogeneous data and predictive analyses while enabling collaboration across scientific and technical domains. Its modular design offers a replicable template for future AI-assisted environmental DTs, scalable to larger regions. Hence, this work illustrates how DTs can improve environmental monitoring and understanding, providing a pathway toward resilient, data-driven management of natural resources. • AI-assisted Digital Twin for natural resource management. • Data architecture design based on the ENVRI Reference Model. • Integration of heterogeneous, temporally correlated environmental data. • Use cases, functions, data exchange and communication protocols. • Viewpoints UML-modeling and complete operative PoC.

Abstract In 2023 a survey was given to environmental and natural resource economists to gauge levels of consensus in the field. Strong consensus can signal to policymakers the relative strength of particular policy proposals. Respondents were queried on topics including air quality, groundwater, climate change, natural resource management, land conservation, environmental justice, and more. Survey results were compared to a similar survey given in 2012, to determine how consensus levels may have changed over time. We find, for the most part, significant levels of consensus today, and over time, on many key topics and policy proposals.

ABSTRACT Forests not only provide a pool of natural resources, but they can also foster responsible agency among forest communities through managing them. Based on a case study in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh, India, this work investigates how the existing forest management policies and practices in India create a platform for the community to achieve its well-being in the context of natural resource management. It extends the framework of the Capability Approach to empirically examine the freedom of the community to participate in forest management, their role as agents of change and their participation in effective public deliberation. Findings suggest that the policy primarily grants “paper freedom” to the community to participate in forest management, and the effective community participation is largely crippled in the absence of individual and social conversion factors, such as education and inclusivity. Community perceives themselves as “beneficiary” with dominant extraction motives, rather than as an “agent” who can contribute to forest management. The study emphasises the role of freedom to participate in public discussion towards the co-creation of knowledge by policymakers and the village community.

The development of modern rationality has brought rapid progress in science and technology, yet it has simultaneously generated ecological and humanitarian crises. This article aims to analyze how the implementation of instrumental rationality contributes to humanitarian crises in the management of natural resources and the environment. This study employs a descriptive qualitative method using a critical philosophical approach through a literature review of the works of Max Weber, Jürgen Habermas, and Hans Jonas. The analysis reveals that the dominance of instrumental rationality encourages humans to treat nature in an exploitative and anthropocentric manner, resulting in alienation and ecological degradation. As an alternative, communicative rationality and an ethics of ecological responsibility need to be developed to create a paradigm of resource management grounded in moral values, dialogue, and sustainability. This article emphasizes the importance of transforming human consciousness from a logic of efficiency toward an ethical and ecological rationality in order to safeguard the continuity of life on Earth.

Exposure to freshwater is a pressing health issue for coastal bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops spp.). Environmental changes, including increased precipitation events and coastal infrastructure projects, are altering salinity within estuarine systems. Consequently, understanding effects of freshwater exposure on dolphins and developing tools to evaluate related health conditions is urgent. To address this need, a group of veterinarians, pathologists, epidemiologists, natural resource managers, and field biologists convened to create a protocol to visually assess freshwater-related skin lesions in free-ranging bottlenose dolphins. The Dolphin FRESH (Freshwater-Related Evaluation of Skin Health) Protocol guides users without medical backgrounds to screen and evaluate photographs by focusing on the visual identification of three primary indicators of freshwater skin disease: Overgrowth, Target-like Lesions, and Light Discoloration. By determining presence of the primary indicators and scoring associated characteristics, FRESH provides users with a relative assessment of the severity of these skin anomalies, and metrics to track progressive changes. The Scoring Rubric performed well during systematic testing, with evaluators correctly identifying freshwater cases through recognition of primary indicators and with no significant differences in total severity scores between field biologists and medical experts. FRESH is an important step in advancing knowledge on the effects of salinity fluctuations on dolphin health. When applied to photo datasets over time, this tool will enable researchers and managers to evaluate progression and regression of freshwater skin disease, occurrence and effects of multiple exposures, and the relationship between freshwater exposure skin indicators and health and survival outcomes.

The article is devoted to the study of the human right to water in the context of international documents and its implementation in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The author analyses key international instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), and UN Resolution 64/292 (2010), emphasising their importance in consolidating the right to water as a fundamental human right.Special attention is paid to the problems of water supply in Kazakhstan, including water scarcity, pollution of water bodies, inefficient management and cross-border disputes. The purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of international legal standards regarding the human right to water and to investigate the mechanisms for their implementation in the Republic of Kazakhstan, identifying key challenges (resource scarcity, transboundary disputes) and substantiating recommendations for improving water policy based on global best practices. The article suggests measures to improve the situation, such as strengthening the legal framework, developing international cooperation with neighboring countries (Russia, China, Uzbekistan), introducing modern technologies for water purification and reuse, as well as raising public awareness of the importance of water conservation. The author also examines the successful experience of countries such as Finland and Singapore in water resources management, suggesting adapting their approaches for Kazakhstan. The results of the study emphasize the need for an integrated approach to solving water problems, including legal, technological and educational measures. The article may be helpful to specialists in environmental law and natural resource management, as well as to government agencies dealing with water policy issues.

The management of national resources for defence in Indonesia has been formally strengthened through Law Number 23 of 2019, which institutionalises the reserve component as part of a total defence posture. Human resource empowerment of the reserve component constitutes a decisive condition for readiness because the reserve force is recruited from civilians who remain embedded in labour markets and education systems. This article examines how the legal and regulatory architecture operationalises empowerment of reserve human resources and identifies implementation risks typical of cross-sector programmes. A qualitative document analysis was conducted on the principal statute and key implementing regulations, supported by a thematic synthesis of recent literature on total defence governance and reserve force management. The findings indicate that the framework provides a structured pipeline from voluntary recruitment to basic military training and subsequent refresher training while also specifying protections for employment and education continuity. Implementation vulnerabilities remain concentrated in interagency coordination, employer and university support arrangements, data governance, and sustained incentives for readiness in peacetime. The contribution is delivered through an implementation-oriented reading of the legal framework that links statutory design to practical empowerment mechanisms and performance metrics.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the data of the conducted ethnological examinations of the planned projects of industrial companies in the village of Iengra, Neryungrinsky District, Republic of Sakha (Ya-kutia). The aim of the study is to identify the structure and determinants of the local community’s, primarily Ev-enki, attitudes toward industrial development of traditional natural resource management areas. The method-ology is based on a hybrid approach, combining quantitative analysis of the questionnaire data (100 respond-ents participated in the surveys) with elements of qualitative analysis (interviews, observation, document analy-sis). The results demonstrate a high level of information deficit, a predominance of negative assessments re-lated to environmental risks, and a low level of interaction between companies, authorities, and the local com-munity. Particular attention is paid to the preservation of the native language and traditional culture in the face of industrial pressure. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that it is necessary to transform ethnological assess-ment procedures toward implementing the principles of free, prior, and informed consent, as well as introduc-ing public control mechanisms. The results are of practical significance for improving regulatory practices in the field of protecting the rights of indigenous peoples.

This study aims to comprehensively examine how the implementation of a green economy can be understood and operationalized from an Islamic perspective through a review of sustainable development policies. The method used is a qualitative-descriptive approach with a literature review of academic sources, international and national policy reports, and contemporary Islamic economics literature. The results of the study indicate that green economy principles such as resource efficiency, low-carbon development, social inclusiveness, and ecosystem protection are normatively aligned with the objectives of the maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah (Islamic principles), particularly in safeguarding religion (ḥifẓ al-dīn), life (ḥifẓ al-nafs), intellect (ḥifẓ al-‘aql), progeny (ḥifẓ al-nasl), and wealth (ḥifẓ al-māl). In the context of sustainable development policies, the implementation of an Islamic-based green economy is reflected in policy instruments that encourage green investment, equitable natural resource management, the strengthening of sustainable Islamic finance, such as green sukuk, and regulations that limit overexploitation and environmental damage. However, this study also identifies several challenges, including the limited integration of Islamic values ​​in public policy formulation, the dominance of conventional economic paradigms focused solely on growth, and weak coordination among stakeholders. Therefore, this article emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming Islamic economic values ​​in sustainable development policies so that the implementation of a green economy is not merely technocratic but also grounded in ethics and moral responsibility, thereby achieving sustainable, equitable prosperity aligned with long-term development goals.

Indigenous knowledge plays an important role in forest conservation; however, modernization has caused indigenous knowledge almost to disappear. This study aims to determine the Besemah Indigenous Knowledge for forest conservation in Biology Education at Benawa hamlet, Penjalang Village, South Dempo District, Pagar Alam City, Indonesia. This research used a descriptive qualitative method with observation through interviews and documentation with 22 affluent information respondents. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns and meaning related to indigenous knowledge in natural resource management. Based on the results of the research, it was found that some indigenous knowledge played a role in forest conservation including the prohibition of cutting down certain trees, the prohibition of clearing land and fire sources, the prohibition of killing protected animals, the prohibition of polluting water sources, and the prohibition of entering the forest without the permission of the customary leader. The findings of this study can serve as a model of good practice in forest management, in which indeginous knowledge, customary rules, and the active role of traditional leaders guide sustainable resource use and community participation in the Ayek Mude Tebat Benawa customary forest.

This study explores the shift from traditional to modernist educational paradigms in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), which have been in existence since before Indonesia’s independence. The shift involves adapting learning methods while retaining traditionalist approaches, ensuring that they meet modern needs without eliminating their core values. The study uses a qualitative-phenomenological approach to examine three main areas: (1) the strategy of educational values and spiritual practices employed by pesantren leaders, with an emphasis on the TAQWA method, which aims to improve student understanding quickly; (2) the integration of Qur'an literacy, religious traditions, and environmental empowerment in the educational process; and (3) the impact of this model on student character development. Qur'an literacy in this context extends beyond reading and memorizing verses, focusing on understanding and actualizing its values in daily life. Religious practices such as book study, worship routines, and etiquette coaching promote moral development. Environmental activities, such as agriculture and natural resource management, encourage independence and ecological awareness. This holistic approach can serve as a model for character education, blending spiritual, social, and environmental aspects, while strengthening pesantren's role in fostering moral and ecological awareness.

Subject of study. А set of economic, organizational, environmental and social relations and mechanisms for implementing environmental and social innovations in the process of forming and developing the region's tourism infrastructure in the context of ensuring its sustainable development. The aim of the study. Сomprehensive study of the role of environmental and social innovations in ensuring the sustainable development of the region's tourism infrastructure, as well as substantiation of priority areas and practical recommendations for their implementation. Research methods. Methods of scientific generalization, systemic and structural-functional analysis, comparative analysis, as well as case analysis of practices for implementing innovative solutions in the tourism sector. Results of work. The paper reveals the essence of sustainable tourism development and identifies its key components. The approaches to interpreting environmental and social innovations are summarized, their classification is proposed, taking into account the specifics of tourism infrastructure. It is proven that the introduction of "green" technologies, energy efficiency measures, waste management and conservation of natural resources contributes to increasing the environmental safety of tourist facilities and forming a positive image of the region. The role of social innovations is substantiated, in particular the development of inclusive and accessible tourism infrastructure, the active involvement of local communities in tourism projects and the strengthening of the social effects of tourism development. A system of criteria and indicators for assessing the impact of environmental and social innovations on the sustainable development of tourism infrastructure is proposed, individual regional cases of their implementation are analyzed, the main problems and limitations of implementing innovative solutions are identified. Practical recommendations are formulated for the introduction of environmental and social innovations into the tourism infrastructure of Ukraine, taking into account the role of state authorities, business and institutional support for innovative development.

Benthic sediment resuspension influences boundary layer nutrient dynamics, the ability of substrates to support rooted vegetation, and other factors impacting water quality health (e.g., suspended sediment) and aquatic ecosystem. In response, a benthic boundary layer microcosm system examined potential sediment erosion impacts in two independent intact sediment core case studies from diverse geographic locations (Michigan and Texas, USA). The first study investigated the effects of lake sediment erosion on wildrice bedforms, potential impacts to root stability, seed bank displacement, and suspended solids. Results indicate highly erodible sediments exhibit reduced wildrice abundance, underscoring the role of benthic sediment dynamics in maintaining ecosystem resilience. The second study evaluated increases in suspended solids and turbidity in reservoirs at risk from harmful algal blooms. Reservoirs with elevated sediment total phosphorus concentrations exhibited higher levels of total suspended solids during erosion experiments, highlighting potential erosion-induced internal benthic nutrient loading. Collectively, these studies illustrate how erosion microcosms inform the complex interactions between benthic sediment processes and factors influencing aquatic health, allowing natural resource managers to target sediment stabilization activities (e.g., no wake zones) or alter reservoir operations. Future studies should strengthen causal relationships between benthic boundary erosion, watershed characteristics, and water quality outcomes.

The Anthropocene demands a paradigm shift in the management of natural resources. This paper introduces the concept of Epigenetic Sustainability, defining the human biological integrity as a finite and vulnerable natural resource. By analyzing the NR3C1 gene through the lens of Science 4.0, we demonstrate how systemic congestion in social and industrial flows leads to an epigenetic "locking" mechanism. We propose an AI-driven "Biological Pilot" framework for predictive maintenance of human resilience. This model transforms the human factor from a passive variable into a steered, sustainable asset, ensuring the long-term viability of complex socio-technical ecosystems.

Purpose This study aims to fill the research gap related to green economic growth in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries by validating the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) theory through the role of fiscal policy, the use of natural resources, sukuk and Islamic banking, as well as the interaction of institutional quality on green economic growth. Design/methodology/approach Using first-difference generalized method of moments dynamic panel data and fully modified ordinary least squares on 17 selected OIC countries with data obtained from the World Bank, SESRIC, IIFM and WGI during 2014–2023. Findings The study found that fiscal policy has a significant negative impact on green economic growth in the short term, especially in low-income countries. Meanwhile, the use of natural resources has a positive and significant effect overall, both in the short- and long term. In high-income countries, the use of natural resources suppresses green economic growth. Sukuk and Sharia financing have a positive but not significant impact on short-term green economic growth, but they become essential in the long term. Sukuk is more effective in developed economies, while Islamic bank financing has a negative impact in weak economies. Furthermore, the role of institutional quality moderation mitigates the adverse effects of fiscal policy and strengthens natural resource management, although it remains limited to low-income countries. This finding confirms the existence of an Inverted U-shaped relationship in the context of EKC. Research limitations/implications This research highlights the need for more environmentally friendly fiscal policies, efficient natural resource management and the development of sukuk and Sharia financing to support sustainable projects in OIC countries. In addition, improving the quality of institutions is needed to strengthen governance and regulations that encourage green economic growth and more effective economic diversification. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore the growth of the green economy in OIC countries, comprehensively integrated with the role of government policies, natural resources, Islamic finance and institutional quality.