Sustainability Of Local Communities Research Articles

Towards a Communication Ecology in the Life of Rural Senior Citizens: How Rural Public Spaces Influence Community Engagement

The dilemma of weak participation and non-participation of rural communities is a universal topic of global development. The rural public space is an important field for local residents to interact, communicate, and engage with each other, and is an important place for the sustainable development of rural areas. However, previous studies have neglected to understand the intrinsic connection between rural public space and community participation from the perspective of community communication ecology. Based on the concept of age-friendly communities, this study’s fieldwork in rural Shanghai, China, using the methodology of grounded theory, found that physical, social, and psychological factors all have an impact on community engagement among rural residents. Specifically, environmental quality, facility support, community networks, social participation, call to action, place attachment, spatial perception, and self-transformation are identified as the core elements that significantly influence community engagement among rural residents. This study further reveals that the multiple factors influencing community engagement among rural residents are complex and interdependent rather than operating independently. Spatial support, communicative triggers, and symbolic identification, respectively, operate at the technological level (physical–social factors), social level (social–psychological factors), and discursive level (psychological–physical factors) to promote community engagement among older adults in Chinese rural areas. Through this research, we hope to further the realization of rural civic engagement and the sustainability of local communities and to provide scholarly insights into the promotion of more equitable community life.

The public debt sustainability and its determinants in Sub-Sahara African countries

PurposeThis paper aims to answer the following important questions: Is public debt in Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries sustainable? What are the determinants of public debt sustainability in these countries, and do these determinants exhibit heterogeneity due to regional, natural resource, and income differences among SSA countries?Design/methodology/approachThis study analyzes the public debt sustainability in SSA countries using the theoretical model known as the Present Value Budget Constraint (PVBC) model developed by Hamilton and Flavin (1986), and adopts the econometric testing method proposed by Trehan and Walsh (1991). Moreover, to empirically investigate the determinants of public debt sustainability in SSA countries, the System-Generalized Method of Moments (System-GMM) method is applied. Furthermore, this study conducts heterogeneity analysis by categorizing the sample based on different regions, natural resource endowments, and income levels. The data of this study are sourced from the IMF and World Bank databases for 45 SSA countries from 2005 to 2021.FindingsFindings reveal that public debt in SSA countries is not sustainable in the long run, with factors such as the previous government debt, long-term debt ratio, debt repayment capacity, economic growth rate, inflation rate, export to GDP, and government fiscal deficit rate influencing sustainability. Additionally, the factors exhibit heterogeneity attributed to regional, natural resource, and income variations among SSA countries.Practical implicationsThe findings of our study will serve as a catalyst for policymakers in the SSA countries to embrace and sustain robust fiscal consolidation and debt stabilization measures. Moreover, countries with distinct characteristics should implement tailored approaches. Additionally, policymakers in SSA countries should implement economic measures to address public debt issues. These measures include improving the macroeconomic structure, promoting economic transformation and diversification of industries, fostering sustainable economic growth, ensuring price stability, and strengthening resilience against external shocks and debt risks. Specifically, countries endowed with indigenous species, resources, and tourism potential should adopt a well-coordinated strategy that utilizes agriculture, tourism, ecotourism, and the hospitality industry as instruments for sustainable local community and rural development.Originality/valueFirstly, it assesses the sustainability of public debt and its determinants for countries in SSA, which distinguishes it from previous studies that only focus on either debt sustainability or determinants of debt separately. Secondly, by including multiple SSA countries in the analysis, this study stands out from prior research that predominantly concentrates on specific nations. Thirdly, the utilization of the System-GMM method for analyzing determinants adds a novel dimension to this study, departing from earlier literature primarily focused on debt thresholds. Lastly, the heterogeneity analysis conducted in this study provides an empirical foundation for tailoring policies to different countries, addressing a facet often overlooked in earlier literature.

Quality Perception of Short Food Supply Chains Products: From the Producer’s to the Consumer’s Point of View

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are a still developing phenomenon in the world of food production and distribution. They involve a direct connection between local farmers and consumers, with minimal intermediaries involved. SFSCs have gained significant interest in recent years due to their potential to promote sustainable agriculture and support local communities. As a result, many governments, organisations, and individuals have been exploring ways to develop and promote these chains as a viable alternative to conventional food supply chains. However, it is still unclear how SFSCs products are perceived differently by producers and consumers: what makes SFSCs products more desirable? Starting from a European project (SmartChain), answers from twenty questionnaires from SFSCs actors across Europe were analysed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of SFSCs products according to the producers. From their answers, 18 quality criteria referred to SFSCs products were obtained and then proposed to consumers through a second questionnaire. The second questionnaire aimed to better understand whether the producers’ points of view matched the consumers’ points of view. From the analysis of the results, it was possible to understand what criteria were considered quality attributes by producers and consumers. Organic production and the presence of both trained and vulnerable personnel were not particularly relevant to the quality perception of SFSCs products. The storage method, the assortment range, and the processing of the products were not evaluated as quality criteria. The consumers who were interviewed perceived the quality of a food product coming from an SFSC linked to the characteristics of the social context of the product. They associated products sold in SFSCs with non-processed food. Overall, such a survey can be considered a useful tool to deepen our knowledge about short food supply chains and offers several ideas for further studies and analysis.

Developing a sense of place through attendance and involvement in local events: the social sustainability perspective

ABSTRACT This study examines the effect of residents’ event attendance and involvement on sense of place from the perspective of social sustainability. Specifically, this study investigates the impact of residents’ frequency of visits to and active involvement in local events on their perceived sense of place by adopting a quantitative method. The survey results show that frequent visits to local events as event attendees have a significant effect on all three dimensions of sense of place, namely place attachment, place identity and place dependence. However, involvement in local events as volunteers, organisers or co-workers was found to contribute only to place identity. This study aids in enhancing our comprehension of events as a crucial aspect of neighbourhoods that contributes to broader social sustainability of communities. The findings provide quantitative empirical evidence to key stakeholders that validate the importance of events not only as economic tools but also as integral components of the social structure within local communities. The study highlights the significance of exploring the complex association between events, places, and host communities, to better understand how events can potentially strengthen the social sustainability of local communities.

What Influence Could the Acceptance of Visitors Cause on the Epidemic Dynamics of a Reinfectious Disease?: A Mathematical Model

The globalization in business and tourism becomes crucial more and more for the economical sustainability of local communities. In the presence of an epidemic outbreak, there must be such a decision on the policy by the host community as whether to accept visitors or not, the number of acceptable visitors, or the condition for acceptable visitors. Making use of an SIRI type of mathematical model, we consider the influence of visitors on the spread of a reinfectious disease in a community, especially assuming that a certain proportion of accepted visitors are immune. The reinfectivity of disease here means that the immunity gained by either vaccination or recovery is imperfect. With the mathematical results obtained by our analysis on the model for such an epidemic dynamics of resident and visitor populations, we find that the acceptance of visitors could have a significant influence on the disease’s endemicity in the community, either suppressive or supportive.

Power purchase agreements for plus energy neighbourhoods: Financial risk mitigation through predictive modelling and bargaining theory

This paper introduces a continuous 24/7 power purchase agreement (PPA) designed for contracting photovoltaic (PV) generation within sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods (SPENs) or local energy communities, aiming to ensure a stable economic revenue stream for community stakeholders. The PPA involves the sale of solar PV generation, auctioned at a fixed strike price, to an external off-taker. Employing statistical prediction tools such as long short-term memory and auto-regressive modelling, the proposed framework allows hour-to-hour power delivery commitments between seller and buyer, accurately estimating the agreed-upon volume of renewable energy to be exchanged. A fixed PPA price is negotiated utilizing Nash Bargaining Theory, aiming to optimize revenue for the SPEN while minimizing procurement costs for the buyer, thus achieving an economic equilibrium that mitigates the long-term price risk prevalent in wholesale energy markets. Additionally, the proposed methodology includes utilization of a battery energy storage system (BESS) to store excess power or address supply–demand contractual disparities during periods of low PV generation. Simulation results obtained under varying climatic conditions and energy market dynamics across different countries, demonstrate that the proposed PPA framework, by combining risk assessment strategies and statistical learning methods, can effectively reduce associated financial risks while maximizing payoff for the community.

Local sustainable communities: Sector coupling and community optimization in decentralized energy systems

Achieving local sustainable development often depends on consumers' incentives to efficiently utilize energy and resources. In this paper, Local sustainable communities (LSC) are introduced as a combination of sustainable communities and local energy communities to promote local energy and resource utilization. Business models on technology and service provision and those on promoting sustainable resource utilization are developed, which are then applied to a community in Austria. A modeling framework on sector coupling in community operations, that also considers resource utilization is developed to assess the impact of the business models. LSC business models promote participation and sustainable operation in an LSC as 31% of electricity and 34% of heat can be covered by LSC purchase. The implementation of energy recovery business models and the availability of sufficient decentralized technologies have the greatest impact on LSC operations, reducing external electricity grid coverage to 58%. The consideration of resource business models can positively contribute to a local resource utilization efficiency, reducing the water pipeline coverage by 43%. The introduction of an LSC has a positive impact on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and can therefore efficiently contribute to the development of a cleaner energy system.

Implementation of Sasi which impact on the sustainability of ecosystem services in Maluku

Sasi is one of the local wisdom from Maluku as a form of prohibition for the community in taking natural products based on a certain time that has been determined by the authorized customary institution in an area. However, local wisdom is often ignored and considered outdated in the development of environmental conservation programs. Whereas in practice, armed with local knowledge capital such as biological and ecological knowledge, indigenous people have been able to successfully protect potential ecological processes and regenerate various varieties of plants and animals that are sasi. In addition, Sasi implementation activities can also have an impact on local ecosystem services so that the sustainability of local communities can take place economically, socially, culturally, and ecologically. The purpose of this research is to find out the implementation activities of Sasi and the ecosystem services that are produced sustainably for the people of Maluku. The method used in this research is a systematic literature review. The results of this study show that Sasi implementation activities have a positive impact on ecosystem services in an area.

The Role of Customary Law in the Management and Protection of Customary Forests in the National Capital City (IKN)

Customary forests in the National Capital City (IKN) have an important role in the ecological, cultural and social sustainability of local communities. This research aims to examine the role of customary law in the management and protection of customary forests in the National Capital City (IKN). The method used in this research is the normative juridical method, namely by examining or analyzing secondary data consisting of literature and journals that discuss indigenous peoples and their customary rights. The application of customary law in the National Capital City (IKN) has provided a strong legal foundation for indigenous communities to safeguard their forests from illegal activities and adverse environmental changes. The research also identifies challenges and conflicts that arise in the implementation of customary law, including tensions with national law. The results of this study provide a deeper understanding of how customary law plays a role in the management and protection of customary forests in the National Capital City (IKN).

Technical evaluation of European and North American sustainable benchmark scenarios based on renewable Local energy Communities penetration

The growing electrification and renewable energies integration, driven by global sustainability and efficiency objectives, foster future scenarios providing actors such as distributed energy resources, storage, and active consumers with a crucial role in the energy transition. The aim of this work is to assess the impact on distribution networks of the emergence and proliferation of sustainable Local Energy Communities. The methodology employed in this study uses quasi-dynamic simulations based on scenarios involving varying levels of electric demand and low voltage networks under both business-as-usual and Local Energy Communities-based conditions. This approach enables quantification of key indicators and provides insight into the technical impact of Local Energy Communities integration in distribution networks considering European and North American benchmark cases as reference systems. The results obtained allow concluding that reference systems with meshed topologies can withstand electric demand growth with less severe impacts compared to radial systems. Furthermore, the integration of sustainable Local Energy Communities provides improvements, of different level for each scenario, in voltage profiles (kept within operation limits), overloads (up to 50% reduction) and technical losses (up to 37% reduction).

Constructing Orange Economy to Sustaining Local Communities in Bali, Indonesia

The sustainability of local communities whose economic and social well-being depends on nature, culture and place-based knowledge is threatened when transfers of ideas, investments and resources occur at the global level in the era of globalization. When global trends have an impact on local populations, traditional ways of managing community resource development may be outdated. Therefore, to support the sustainability of local communities in Bali where culture is at the core of sustainable development, we propose a conceptual framework through a multi-disciplinary approach to guide researchers and policies in these interconnected cultural, economic and social fields. This article reveals three dynamic components; the place identity with local wisdom as a character in which the Balinese concept of the balance and harmony of life between beliefs, nature, and people, known as Tri Hita Karana as the basis, orange economy as an opportunity for economic activities based on a culture that is constructed, and culturally sustainable development and policies that should support the components.

Techno-economic assessment on hybrid energy storage systems comprising hydrogen and batteries: A case study in Belgium

This paper introduces a Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) on present and future scenarios of different energy storage technologies comprising hydrogen and batteries: Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), Hydrogen Energy Storage System (H2ESS), and Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS). These three configurations were assessed for different time horizons: 2019, 2022 and 2030, under both on-grid and off-grid conditions. For 2030, a sensitivity analysis under different energy scenarios was performed, covering other trends in on-grid electric consumption and prices, CO2 taxation and the evolution of hydrogen technology prices from 2019 until 2030. The selected case study is the Research Park Zellik (RPZ), a CO2-neutral sustainable Local Energy Community (LEC) in Zellik, Belgium. The software HOMER (Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewable) has been selected to design, model and optimise the defined case study. The results showed that BESS was the most competitive when the electric grid was available among the three possible storage options. Additionally, HESS was overall more competitive than H2ESS-only, regardless of the grid connection mode. Finally, as per HESS, hydrogen was proved to play a complementary role when combined with batteries, enhancing the flexibility of the microgrid and enabling deeper decarbonisation by reducing the electricity bought from the grid, increasing renewable energy production and balancing toward an island operating mode.

Sustainability of Local Communities in a New Oil and Gas Region: The Case of Eastern Siberia

The need of the global economy for natural resources encourages the movement of extractive industries to new areas, significantly affecting local communities. The study of community sustainability under the influence of extractive industries is multidimensional, as it depends on the geographical characteristics of the area, the historical background, the sociocultural and institutional environments, current government policies, and so on. Therefore, it is important for these local-level studies to comprehensively consider heterogeneous qualitative and quantitative data, paying special attention to the views of local people. This paper examines the impact of industrial natural resource development on community sustainability through a comprehensive approach that considers qualitative and quantitative socioeconomic data, including residents’ perceptions of current and future settlement development. The study is based on the example of communities located in areas of new oil and gas development in the north of the Irkutsk region (Eastern Siberia, Russia). Social science methods (semistructured interviews, surveys, questionnaires, and participant observations), comparative geographical, and statistical methods are used. A comprehensive approach allows us to identify various issues associated with maintaining the sustainability of local communities manifested under the influence of oil and gas extraction in different types of settlements. The findings contribute to the study of community sustainability during the industrial development of natural resources and have practical implications for decision-makers in terms of the socioeconomic management of the studied area and other territories with similar conditions.

Enhancing Community based Development on Tourism - A Case Study of Nayagarh, Odisha

Abstract: In the Nayagarh district of Odisha, the Khandapada, Nayagarh, and Gania Block are the subjects of this study, which looks at both the local’s and tourist's perspectives on community-based development. The view and intentions of the local community towards the socioeconomic aspects of ecotourism, specifically sustainable community development and local community involvement in ecotourism planning and management, were assessed. The study region tourist sites are surrounded by locals who live there, and the analysis is based on data gathering and survey through questionnaire interviews with them. The results of the Survey indicate that residents support growth and enhancement of the neighborhood, although there are some local problems and requests that must be addressed. There is a lot of opportunity for community-based development on brass and metal work around the hill where the temple of Lord Nilamadhava temple. The majority of Lord Jagannath's Puri festivities are observed here, with the Bhauma Ekadasi being the most notable. In addition, socioeconomic issues must be addressed, and a framework for community empowerment must be proposed in order to raise awareness among the populace and ensure that they receive equitable benefits from the study area's recreational activities. These demands are made by the local communities.

SOCIO-CULTURAL APPROACHES AND PRACTICES OF PARTICIPATION IN PROJECTS OF IMPROVEMENT OF YARD TERRITORIES

The practices of forming sustainable local communities by the methods of socio-cultural design of common areas differ depending on the level of spatial self-organization of the community: urban level (urban spaces); district level (neighborhood, group of quarters); the level of the secondary common area (yard spaces). Sociocultural approaches to the formation of local communities in the improvement of courtyard areas are based on the practice of participation and include: reliance on grassroots urban initiatives, assistance in resolving territorial conflicts, artistic practices.

Sustainable Tourism Management and Ecotourism as a Tool to Evaluate Tourism's Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and Local Community

Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable tourism management are being recognized as important means to an end—the attainment of sustainable development goals to the mutual benefit of local communities and visitors. However, assessing how well these methods work in various settings is essential. The purpose of this research is to investigate how different factors in the growth of ecotourism in Kurdistan, Iraq, affect sustainability, community involvement, and the protection of natural resources. A total of 109 people were polled using a quantitative methodology, and their responses were examined with descriptive statistics, checks for validity and reliability, correlations, and a hierarchical regression model. Ecotourism growth, sustainability, community involvement, and environmental protection all appear to have positive effects on one another and be interconnected. Using a hierarchical regression model, we find that local involvement greatly moderates the connection between ecotourism growth and long-term viability. The results can be used to manage sustainable tourism in Kurdistan and to theorize about ecotourism's role in advancing sustainable development. The research suggests that ecotourism's positive effects on the environment and local people can be increased by more community involvement in the industry's growth.

Urban FM and POPS – implications for UN’s SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

Urban FM (UFM) is usually understood as micro level Facility Management (FM) methods and tools applied on macro level challenges in communities and neighbourhoods in urban areas, among others to improve the citizens’ wellbeing. UFM is also often associated with smart cities, technology, and UN’s SDGs. However, many studies of UFM overlook property rights and other institutional matters that establish many of the ground rules. Property rights are frequently understood as a bundle of rights, i.e., the right of use (USUS), the right of enjoyment (USUS FRUCTUS), and the right of disposition (ABUSUS). UFM usually takes place across property boundaries, on properties with disparate bundles of rights, including restrictions through public zoning. Many urban transformation projects have established privately owned public spaces (POPS), leading to a restructured division of responsibilities between public authorities and private owners in the management, design, access control, and use of urban public spaces. This paper investigates whether and under which conditions UFM and management of POPS can contribute to realisation of UN’s SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, hereunder to facilitate development of inclusive, safe, robust, and sustainable cities and local communities.

Identifying Critical Factors for Sustainable Tourism and Local Community Development: Evidence from Select Destinations in Bangladesh

Tourism has always acts as a catalyst to develop local economy, improve socio-cultural changes and life style of the people residing tourist destinations. To conduct this study 616 respondents were selected from Khulna, Jessore, Bagerhat, and Kushita. On the other hand, Socio-cultural condition are influencing for development of local destinations. This paper argues and figures out influential factors of Socio-cultural condition by its broader societal context for more effective policy making. The purpose of this study is to assess the critical factors for sustainable tourism and community development of the local tourism industry in Bangladesh, to identify the major challenges in the local tourism sector in Bangladesh , to provide necessary suggestions for ensuring the sustainable development of the local tourism sector in Bangladesh. For fulfillment of above stated objectives data has been collected from various stakeholders and selected statistical techniques, such as measurement models, discriminant validity, and hypothesis testing were employed to examine the data in the study to confirm the study's assumption through SPSS and AMOS. The study is particularly important from a practical standpoint since it outlines difficulties and methods for the development of Bangladesh's tourist industry, which should be a priority in the development process. These characteristics can be applied to the local and worldwide development of a tourist location.

The Elders’ Voices Regarding Their Role as a Catalytic Agent for Local Tourism

Elderly populations play important roles in society as providers of historical accounts, wisdom, culture, traditions, and social customs. As elderly people generally remain physically, mentally, and intellectually healthy, encouraging them to preserve and share their local identity through English language communication is one strategy that can support Thailand’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for older people. This study investigates the elderly’s need to learn communicative English for tourism to maintain local cultural identities. The participants included 170 retired elders from one district in a province in northern Thailand. The instruments used for data collection were questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The results indicated that 65.88 % of elders expressed a need for English language training for tourism communication. The elders’ overall needs for training content were also at a high level (x̅= 3.69). Finally, the elders’ needs for situations for practicing English communication skills were at a high level (x̅= 3.74). The results of this study suggest that it is vital to survey and prioritize the elders’ needs for English language communication training courses for local community sustainability. The results of the present study have been used as guidelines for training elders to strengthen their role as a catalytic agent for local tourism.

UNESCO world heritage sites and sustainable local community development

ABSTRACT While the literature connects the development of World Heritage Sites (WHS) and their host communities, issues of mutual developmental relevance to the sites and the communities are hardly explored for collaborative development actions. This study explored issues of common developmental relevance to selected WHS in coastal Ghana and their host communities. Data were collected from local-level stakeholders – heritage site managers, community residents, and municipal authorities. Common issues of developmental relevance that needed to be addressed related to poor sanitation, harassment of tourists, demarcation of the heritage-protected areas, and beach sand mining. Since the development of WHS and their host communities is linked, the stakeholders are urged to collaboratively develop and implement management plans that take into account the development imperatives of the two entities. Such action-oriented, mutually beneficial plans need to be informed by research and driven by a stakeholder-participatory framework to ensure inclusion and ownership for sustainable development.