Sustainable Community Research Articles

Utilization of Kombucha Tea to Improve Children's Health and Reduce Stunting Rates in Patempuran Village, Jember Regency

In order to overcome the problem of stunting in children, a team of Jember University lecturers collaborated with the Patempuran Village community and posyandu cadres to carry out community service activities. The main focus of this activity is the mass use and dissemination of Kombucha Tea, chosen because of its important nutritional content and potential to improve intestinal health and nutrient absorption in children. This activity includes outreach to increase understanding of the benefits of Kombucha Tea, training for posyandu cadres and village mothers on how to produce Kombucha Tea, as well as the distribution process to families with children under five. Apart from that, counseling regarding healthy eating patterns and the importance of nutrition was also provided in this activity. The impact evaluation was carried out after the activity was carried out to measure the extent to which Kombucha Tea made a positive contribution in reducing stunting rates in Patempuran Village. Close collaboration between the lecturer team, the community and the local government forms a sustainable community service model, which is expected to have a positive impact in improving the welfare of children in Patempuran Village.

PENGEMBANGAN INOVASI PRODUK KOMPOSIT MODUL SEKAT KANAL BERBAHAN BAKU SERAT SABUT KELAPA UNTUK PENERAPAN PENYEKATAN KANAL PADA LAHAN GAMBUT

Peatlands in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, are an important ecosystem but are vulnerable to degradation caused by human activities. To overcome this problem, this research introduces a product innovation in the form of a canal-blocking module made from coconut fiber composite for the implementation of sustainable canal straightening. The study involved a series of methodological steps that included a literature study, prototype development, laboratory testing, and field case studies. The research results show that composite canal-blocking modules have significant potential to reduce land subsidence, increase land productivity, and improve the hydrological balance in peatlands. In addition to significant economic benefits for local communities, implementation of this module also has positive impacts on the environment, including habitat protection and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. These findings have important implications for policy-making and planning for peatland management in West Kalimantan, emphasizing the importance of sustainable solutions and community participation in overcoming the challenges faced by this ecosystem. This research highlights the potential for innovative canal block module composite products made from coconut fiber as an important step in efforts to strengthen peatland management in West Kalimantan. The next step is to encourage wider adoption and implementation of these solutions while pursuing further research to deepen our understanding of sustainable peatland management.

Evaluate The Role of The Community in Intelligence Gathering on Local Terrorism Activities

Terrorism poses a significant national security threat in Indonesia, exacerbated by the clandestine nature of terrorist networks within society. Harnessing community involvement is pivotal in combating terrorism effectively. This study evaluates the community's role in intelligence gathering pertaining to local terrorist activities. Utilizing qualitative research methods, particularly literature review, the study analyzes data through three key stages: data reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. Findings underscore the indispensable contribution of communities in gathering local terrorism intelligence. Unlike conventional channels, communities offer unique insights into terrorist activities inaccessible to law enforcement agencies. However, leveraging community involvement faces challenges and limitations. These include the need for heightened education and training initiatives to enhance community awareness about terrorism. Additionally, fostering trust between communities and law enforcement entities emerges as a critical endeavor. Furthermore, ensuring the safety and protection of individuals reporting terrorism-related information remains imperative for sustained community participation in intelligence-gathering efforts.

Mangroves as Natural Shields: A Comprehensive Review of Their Role in Mitigating Natural Disasters and Conservation Strategies

Mangrove ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating the impact of natural disasters on coastal regions worldwide. This comprehensive review paper synthesizes multidisciplinary studies to explore the contribution of mangroves in reducing the risk of catastrophes such as storm surges, tsunamis, hurricanes, and coastal erosion. By analysing the complex relationships between mangroves and natural disasters, we delve into factors such as species composition, forest structure, hydrological regimes, and coastal geomorphology. Additionally, we investigate the socioeconomic implications of mangrove conservation and restoration efforts, highlighting their potential to enhance resilience and sustainable development in coastal communities. The paper presents a detailed examination of wave characteristics, types, and attenuation mechanisms, focusing on how mangrove features such as prop roots, knee roots, and pneumatophores influence wave dissipation. We discuss various numerical and statistical models used to predict wave attenuation through mangroves, providing insights into their strengths and limitations. Furthermore, we explore global and India-specific mangrove cover status, important species, and conservation measures, including legal frameworks and initiatives by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Finally, the review underscores the urgency of conserving and restoring mangrove ecosystems to safeguard both human well-being and ecological integrity in the face of escalating climate-related threats. It advocates for evidence-based decision-making and policy development in disaster risk management and climate adaptation, emphasizing the pivotal role of mangroves as natural shields against natural calamities. Overall, this paper contributes to the understanding of mangrove-mediated hazard reduction and provides guidance for maximizing the resilience of coastal communities in an increasingly volatile world.

Conceptualising justice in transit-oriented development (TOD): towards an analytical framework

ABSTRACT Originally conceived to create dense, diverse and mixed-used communities that are inclusive and sustainable communities, Transit-oriented Development (“TOD”) has come under increasing academic scrutiny on its negative implications on equity and justice. However, these injustices are often examined case-by-case individually, which revealed the lack of a comprehensive framework that is grounded in justice concepts and theories for analysing justice in TOD. In this paper, we aim to show the importance of, and suggest a framework for, analysing justice in TOD holistically. We begin by taking a brief overview of key theories and concepts in process and outcome justice. Then, through a thematic review of justice-related TOD literature, we synthesised three main justice issues currently existing in TOD: transit-induced gentrification; neglect of livelihood and well-being of disadvantaged groups; and poor inclusion and representation of different stakeholders. These issues revealed the interconnectedness and importance of both process and outcome justices in TOD. As such, we formulated an analytical framework by adopting the Institutional Analysis and Development (“IAD”) model (a tool for understanding institutional interactions in public policies) to examine process justice; and the 5Ds of the built environment (namely Density, Diversity, Design, Destination Accessibility, and Distance to Transit) to examine outcome justice. In brief, for process justice, our framework advocates open, accessible and equitable particiaption by all interested stakeholders to be able to give views, exercise their power, obtain and share information, and make decisions collectively, with dedicated efforts to facilitate participation of more disadvantaged groups. For outcome justice, our framework calls for providing suitable and equitable built environments (in terms of 5Ds) in different neighbourhoods in a TOD, with special attention towards the needs of disadvantaged groups. The framework serves as general guidance for researchers and planners to analyse the justice implications of TOD (both ex-ante and ex-post) in a holistic and conceptually-grounded manner, with a view to better positioning justice issues and directing efforts towards more just TODs.

Multi-Stakeholder Analysis on Tourism Development in Zambales, Philippines

This paper outlined the findings from an empirical investigation to ascertain the differences on the extent of tourism development along with PESTLE factor and how tourism should be sustainably developed as analyzed and perceived by three groups of stakeholders in Zambales: Local Government Unit, Selected Resort Management/customers service office and customers. Based from the findings, the researcher concluded that the three groups of stakeholders such as; Local government unit, management/customer service office and customers/guests, had important contribution for the sustainable tourism development in the province of Zambales. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the perceptions held by tourism stakeholders towards the current state of the tourism industry and how it could be developed holistically. The tourism development in Zambales described as high extent as to political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental factor. The results concluded that tourism development could significantly contribute to economic growth in the province of Zambales through creating new business opportunities to improve standard of living of the community by providing employment. In this regard, in order to improve the current situation of tourism industry, Strategic Development Plan for Sustainable Tourism is proposed. Provincial government of Zambales must design and formulate programs to integrate tourism requirements into all levels of local government unit and would have to take a visionary local government official who has the grit to literally fight for a well-defined and managed tourism industry because it is a chance for municipalities to move up through the help of tourism, yet it requires the cooperation or input of every social and institutional organization such as stakeholders. Therefore, planning for the development of tourism based on sustainable economic development, growth and prosperity of local communities can be effective.

Synergistic Integration of EVs and Renewable DGs in Distribution Micro-Grids

This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization framework for safe, reliable, and economic integration of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable distributed generators (DGs) in distribution micro-grids. EV and DG coordination optimization with the use of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology along with system reconfiguration optimization is developed to provide collective revenues and address integrational complications that may occur by additional system loading due to EV charging and EV-DG energy exchanges. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimizes the EV charging/discharging in synergies with renewable DGs to maximize benefits that can be captured by their collaborative participation in electricity market and through renewable energy arbitrage. The developed EV charging/discharging optimization is implemented in a real 134-bus distribution network and is evaluated for its potential operational implications, namely, increased system losses. A system reconfiguration is then proposed to reduce the system losses by optimizing the flow of power through switching on/off the connections within the micro-grid and/or with other distribution systems. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in not only providing collective revenues, but also in enhancing the system operation by reducing the losses of the distribution grid. The collective benefits proposed by the developed optimization and validated by the simulation results facilitate transitioning to clean and eco-friendly sources of energy for generation and transportation, which in turn leads to more sustainable development of societies and communities.

Environmental Design on Site-Specific Energy Solidary Communities around Public High Schools in the Metropolitan Area of Naples (Italy)

Renewable energy communities (RECs) around photovoltaic systems on public buildings are optimal solutions to counter energy poverty, ensuring all stakeholders access to cheap, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy systems. As the neighborhood is the minimum suitable unit for the implementation of highly sustainable settlements, this article discusses the potential and criticality of RECs at this scale in southern Italy. Starting with the concept of RECs, this study presents a methodology to size sustainable urban communities around school buildings. It integrates practical energy indicators with those defining performance in vegetation and water management. The impact of these factors is analyzed to identify the ideal community size in terms of energy efficiency, economic value, and social cohesion. An interactive scorecard ranks high school sites suitable for transformation into community hubs, taking into consideration the scale of substation distribution. The findings provide empirically validated operational guidelines and best practices to support the transition to smart, efficient, and socially inclusive communities. At the urban scale, the analysis evaluates different urban morphologies, microclimates, characteristics and density of buildings, and population around each assumed community hub. The study provides valuable guidance to local designers, planners, and administrators for the implementation of sustainable technologies by preparing a map of potential RECs.

Achieving a Water-Resilient Rotterdam: Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Achieving a Water-Resilient Rotterdam: Past, Present and Future Perspectives

Green architecture: Conceptualizing vertical greenery in urban design

This executive summary introduces the concept paper on Green Architecture, focusing specifically on the integration of vertical greenery in urban design. Green architecture, characterized by sustainable design principles and environmental consciousness, aims to enhance urban environments by incorporating vegetation into built structures. Vertical greenery, a key component of green architecture, involves the strategic placement of vegetation on vertical surfaces such as walls, facades, and rooftops. This concept paper explores the potential of vertical greenery to mitigate environmental issues in urban areas, improve air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect, and enhance biodiversity. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for conceptualizing vertical greenery in urban design, emphasizing the importance of integrating natural elements into the built environment. It discusses various strategies for implementing vertical greenery, including the selection of suitable plant species, design considerations for irrigation and structural stability, and the incorporation of greenery into urban planning processes. Moreover, the concept paper highlights the social and economic benefits of vertical greenery, such as improved health and well-being for residents, increased property values, and enhanced aesthetics of urban spaces. It also emphasizes the role of stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation in the successful implementation of vertical greenery projects. In conclusion, this executive summary outlines the significance of incorporating vertical greenery into urban design practices as a means to promote sustainability, resilience, and livability in cities. By embracing the principles of green architecture and integrating vertical greenery into urban landscapes, cities can create healthier, more vibrant, and environmentally sustainable communities for current and future generations. Keywords: Urban, Design, Green, Architecture, Vertical.

The Role and Participation of Family Welfare Empowerment Cadres (PKK) in Stunting Prevention: A Case Study in Bojonegoro

Stunting which is a condition of chronic malnutrition since 1000 days of a child's life is still a health problem in Indonesia, ranked second in the world. Empowerment of health cadres is one of the efforts made by the government in improving the nutritional health of toddlers. This study underscores the urgency of understanding the role and participation of Family Welfare Empowerment (PKK) cadres in stunting prevention. The purpose of the study was to analyze the role and level of participation of PKK cadres in implementing stunting prevention programs. The research method included qualitative research with a case study type, using in-depth interviews and observations of PKK cadres as data collection techniques. While the data analysis technique was carried out descriptively using interactive analysis techniques. The results showed that PKK cadres serve as important mediators in disseminating nutrition and health information, as well as facilitating community access to health services. The implications of these findings highlight the importance of empowering PKK cadres as an effective strategy in combating stunting, and emphasize their vital role in supporting child health and sustainable community development.

Development of a Cost-Effective Coconut Dehusking Machine

This study aimed to develop an affordable mechanized solution to address this challenge.A coconut dehusking machine prototype was designed, fabricated, and tested. It consists of a rigid steel frame, two counter- rotating cylindrical drums fitted with spikes, an electric motor, a V-belt drive system, and a control panel. Components were sized through structural and mechanical calculations. Fabrication utilized locally sourced materials within a 250,000 NGN budget.Testing showed the machine achieving 90% dehusking efficiency at 120 nuts/hour. Operational costs are minimized through a 1.5HP electric motor. Finite element analysis verified the structural integrity of machine components under operational loads.Results indicate the objectives of developing an affordable and efficient mechanized solution were achieved. Widespread adoption has the prospect of enhancing coconut farming viability, boosting rural livelihoods, and promoting agro- industrialization in Nigeria through coconut value addition. This study demonstrates how appropriately designed technology can support sustainable agricultural development in resource-constrained communities.

Empowering Farmers to Enhance Water Use Efficiency: Innovative Practices in SSPC

The Sardar Sarovar project, featuring a gravity dam on the Narmada River in Gujarat, stands as one of the largest in terms of concrete volume globally. This study investigates the project's extensive canal network and its impact on agricultural productivity in the command area. Covering a vast expanse across multiple states, the project's irrigation allocation and water management strategies are examined. Special attention is given to addressing soil degradation issues, particularly salinity, and implementing farmer-centered interventions to enhance water use efficiency. Methodologies include land rejuvenation efforts, reclamation of salt-affected land, participatory irrigation management, and promoting improved agricultural practices. Results indicate successful mitigation of soil degradation and increased crop yields through strategic interventions like cotton-castor relay cropping which has demonstrated a 1.5-fold increase in income compared to sole cropping. Intercropping with isabgul/ajwain, and implementing deficit irrigation have resulted in a substantial 43% increase in overall yield, particularly in cumin cultivation. Farmers have also embraced innovative water-saving techniques, such as alternative furrow irrigation and strategic timing of irrigation during critical growth stages, resulting in water savings of 30-35%. However, challenges remain in achieving widespread adoption of participatory irrigation management practices. The study concludes with insights into the necessity of sustained social engineering efforts and community engagement for long-term water resource management and agricultural sustainability in the project area.

The Role of Local Community in Enhancing Sustainable Community Based Tourism

The emergence of “community-based tourism” (CBT) is seen as a viable and alternative means of promoting sustainable tourism development, enhancing community welfare, as well as empowering local communities. By actively involving and empowering the local community, this tourism model aims to minimize negative social, cultural, and environmental impacts while fostering economic benefits for the community. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the pivotal role played by local communities in the success and sustainability of community-based tourism initiatives. Therefore, a systematic review is conducted to investigate the multifaceted contributions of the local community to sustainable community-based tourism. The researcher examined relevant peer-reviewed articles, books, and reports published in English between 2000 and 2022, focusing on the role of local community in enhancing sustainable community-based tourism. The search was performed in important databases such as Google Scholar, Tandfonline, and ScienceDirect, resulting in a total of 965 publications. After applying removing duplicates and inclusion criteria, only 30 articles out of 152 full articles met the requirements. This thorough and systematic review concludes that active participation of the local community in decision-making processes positively impacts sustainable “community-based tourism”. The findings highlight that the local community acts as a key stakeholder in decision-making processes, ensuring that tourism development aligns with community values and aspirations.

Climate-responsive design practices: A transdisciplinary methodology for achieving sustainable development goals in cultural and natural heritage

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) defined by the United Nations represent a blueprint for the adoption of global practices and policies to foster sustainability in societies and increase efficiencies in resources uses. The Italian National Trust, FAI, has embraced these goals, developing a holistic and transdisciplinary methodology to promote a more sustainable approach to preserve its natural and built heritage. This methodology combines heritage protection with the SDGs in various macro-areas of interventions, including energy, water, biosphere, responsible consumption, and sustainable communities. The aim is to increase access to affordable and clean energy, reduce water, waste, and soil footprints, promote responsible consumption, and develop human capital. The paper proposes a set of strategies to achieve the SDGs in heritage, involving the collaboration of several stakeholders, ranging from institutions to citizens. The methodology is applied to a specific Italian case study, Casa Macchi in Morazzone, to highlight the challenges in achieving the dual objective of preserving the historic building and promoting sustainability in the built environment.

Implication of Institutional Frameworks Governing Land Tenure Security in Social-Economic Dynamics: Experience from Iringa District in Tanzania

Purpose: The study aimed to examine the implication of institutional frameworks governing land tenure security in socioeconomic dynamics in the Iringa district. The study used the case of the Iringa district to investigate the institutional framework that provides implications for the governance of land tenure security in Tanzania. Methodology: The study employed phenomenography by collecting primary data from 16 key informants selected from village and district levels. Data from key informants were complemented by documentary review with perception considered deductively. Findings: Findings confirmed the existence of two principal institutional frameworks; the Land Act No. 5 of 1999 and the Village Land Act No. 4 of 1999. Nonetheless, bureaucracy, inadequate policy dissemination, and poverty emerged as primary causes of deviations in land policy implementation in the study area. This study concludes that the successful implementation of Tanzania's land policy in the Iringa District Council has significantly facilitated land tenure security through the issuance of a Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy. Establishing a robust institutional framework and clear land use rules has been central to this success. However, challenges such as complex Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy acquisition procedures, bureaucracy, inadequate policy dissemination, and prevalent poverty in rural areas have been identified as impediments. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study was guided by Institutional Theory which describes the interaction of human beings with existing natural resources, the institution involves the regulation of formal rules from constitutions, status laws, and other legal frameworks controlling the interaction and relationship of human behavior. The study contributed to the theory by establishing the relationship between the organization and enforcement of policy and regulatory framework that governs land tenure. Also, the study recommends expanding the Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy issuance, strengthening local land administration, simplifying land use regulations, facilitating easier access to Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy especially for impoverished households, and implementing strategies to reduce bureaucracy and enhancing policy understanding at the grassroots level. These measures aim to enhance land tenure security and support sustainable development in rural communities.

Placing concepts of sensory gardens as social nodes in Older Adult’s Daycare Centre’s design towards a sustainable community: Surabaya

The urban ageing population has become a global issue that affects the world’s population composition, with an increasing proportion of persons aged 65 and older in urban environments. Older adult’s communities, as integral parts of society, can respond to this by achieving active ageing. The term ‘active ageing’ refers to efforts to maximize health, safety, and community participation to enhance the quality of life in line with advancing age. Facilities catering to the older people, such as nursing homes, often do not comprehensively consider the mobility limitations of the older adults when providing accessibility. The human-centered method is employed in the implementation process of a sensory garden at the older adult’s daycare center facility. This method places its focus on deriving solutions for conflicts between the older people group and other groups in the context of connectivity and accessibility, with the objective of creating integration between outdoor spaces and the building mass within the older adult’s daycare center facility. By utilizing the human-centered method, the root causes of accessibility issues and persons aged 65 and elder’s declining abilities can be systematically understood and resolved through a straightforward design intervention, namely the implementation of a centrally located sensory garden that serves as social nodes. Using a centralized spatial organization in the arrangement of the building masses fosters a connected circulation in the form of a linear loop. With a clear sequence, this linear configuration can accommodate ease of visual access and movement. In the built environment with accessibility amenities, it can foster a sustainable older people community. Furthermore, through the holistic implementation of sensory garden arrangements, the older people community can achieve sustainability and optimal productivity.

What is Needed to design sustainable and resilient cities: Neutrosophic fuzzy based DEMATEL for designing cities

Since Turkiye is in a seismically risky zone, earthquakes are common in the country and cause social and economic losses. The resilience of Turkiye to earthquakes has come to the fore again with the disaster experienced in the magnitude of 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes that were centered in Kahramanmaras on February 6, 2023, which affected 11 provinces at once. Since resilience system planning in the cities has a real positive impact on the community for sustainability, in this study, the most contributory resiliency factors in the cities of Turkiye to earthquakes are identified and analyzed using the Neutrosophic Fuzzy DEMATEL method. As an application region, Istanbul is selected because it is anticipated to experience an earthquake in the near future, and it is the most populated city in Turkiye. The main logic of the analysis is to analyze influential relationships among factors that need to be considered to create sustainable and resilient cities and visualize the causal relationships through an influential relation map in the face of the earthquake as a natural hazard. The findings show that the diversity of economic resources, building density, economic recovery capacity, and population density are the most influential and contributory criteria to providing the sustainability and resilience of the city of Istanbul. The implications provide a new perspective for countries to enhance the earthquake resilience of towns in disaster risk management, as well as suggestions for future research.

The link between waterfalls and biodiversity as a key element for sustainable development and tourism in Amazonian communities

The importance of waterfalls in the Ecuadorian Amazon is highlighted as a fundamental component for promoting sustainable development and boosting tourism in local communities. Indeed, it is emphasized that these natural spaces not only dazzle with their imposing scenic beauty, but also play a vital role in preserving the ecological balance and biological richness of the area. Consequently, their protection and care should be a priority in tourism development policies. It is also noted that nature tourism centered on waterfalls has enormous potential to generate significant economic benefits for the Amazonian populations. However, it should be noted that for these benefits to be truly sustainable over time, it is essential to implement conscious and responsible tourism initiatives that prevent the deterioration of ecosystems and ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the income generated. This research highlights the imperative need to embrace a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to protect and sustainably manage the waterfalls of the Ecuadorian Amazon, harmonising the optimisation of economic benefits for local communities, the application of responsible tourism practices and the enhancement of their ecological and cultural significance. Only through this holistic approach will it be possible to ensure the preservation of these natural treasures for future generations, while promoting equitable and environmentally friendly socio-economic development.

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.