Sustainable Development Of Area Research Articles

Characterization of Forest Soil Acidification in Wenzhou Daluoshan and Zhejiang Wuyanling National Nature Reserve

Forest soil acidification is a global environmental problem, and forest ecosystems play an important role in terrestrial ecosystems. To provide a theoretical basis for the sustainable development of areas, this study selected Daluoshan and Wuyanling National Nature Reserve, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China and determined the characteristics of soil acidification in the two forested areas and the relationship between forest soil acidification and soil physicochemical properties. The forest soil pH value of Daluoshan was 4.25–5.40, and that of Wuyanling was 4.14–5.71. There was a significant difference between the mean soil pH values of the two woodlands (p < 0.01). The two forest soils were dominated by strongly acidic soils, and the top layer of the soils was susceptible to disturbances by environmental factors. With the increase in altitude, different layers of soil in the forests in the two woodland areas showed deepening acidification. Regarding the different plant types and slope directions, the soils under trees in the forests showed the most serious acidification, followed by the soils under shrubs and herbs. Compared with the soils on the leeward slopes, the soils of the forest sites on the windward slopes showed a more severe situation of soil acidification. Redundancy analysis between forest soil acidity indicators and soil physicochemical properties in the two forest sites showed that the main environmental factor affecting soil acidity indicators was salt base saturation, and soil pH and active state Cr, Ni, and Pb showed negative correlations in both forest sites.

Landscape Ecological Risk and Drivers of Land-Use Transition under the Perspective of Differences in Topographic Gradient

Human activities have caused different degrees of land-use change on different topographic gradients, with impacts on the landscape and ecosystem. Effectively preventing and addressing ecological risk (ER) and achieving harmonious coexistence between humans and nature are important aspects of sustainable development. In this study, we used Gansu Province as an example, adopted five periods of land-use data in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, and used the geoinformatic Tupu method and the terrain distribution index to study land-use changes under different topographic gradients, and then constructed the landscape ecological risk assessment (LERA) model based on the landscape pattern index to analyze landscape ecological risk (LER) spatiotemporal changes under different topographic gradients, and finally explored the LER driving factors using the geodetector model. The results showed that (1) the dominant land-use types were unused land and grassland, accounting for approximately 74% of the land. The situation of transferring and changing each type was more drastic. The distribution and changes in cropland and built-up land were easily found in low topographic gradient areas with low elevations and small slopes; the distribution and changes in woodland, grassland and water areas were easily found in high topographic gradient areas with high elevations and large slopes. (2) The landscape ecological risk index (LERI) was 0.018, 0.019, 0.019, 0.019 and 0.020, respectively, with spatial expressions of high in the northwest and low in the southeast. Low LER was concentrated in high topographic gradient ecological reserves; high LER was concentrated in low topographic gradient human interference areas and high topographic gradient natural environmental complex areas. (3) Natural factors mainly acted on the LER on moderate and high topographic position gradients; socioeconomic factors mainly acted on the LER on low topographic position gradients. Human interference interacted with natural factors more than human interference alone on LER. This study can provide a scientific basis for ensuring ecological security and sustainable development in areas with complex topography and geomorphology.

Sustainable Development and Environmental Tourism. The Case of Lake Karla – Thessaly, Greece

Sustainable development is the common ground between the three components: environment, economy, and society, which are also known as sustainability pillars. In this work, an attempt was made to investigate whether Lake Karla - Mavrovouni, supporting agriculture, biodiversity and cultural activities and being part of the Natura 2000 protected area network, in combination with the diverse topics of environmental education, can contribute for the sustainable development of local societies, with the contribution of the collective bodies of local self-government. For the holistic management of the protected area of the "Karla" lake, the managers must consider on the one hand the protection of the natural and cultural heritage and on the other hand the sustainable development of the area through the promotion of the natural and cultural heritage and the promotion of environmental tourism. For this purpose, managers need to know socio-economic and demographic characteristics of visitors. Here, questionnaire responses were used to investigate the profile, environmental perception, knowledge, and behavior of visitors. In total, more than 300 questionnaires were sent, and finally 161 questionnaires were fully answered, which constitute the research sample. The analysis of the results showed that the natural and cultural environment contribute to the sustainable development of the wider area of Lake Karla-Mavrovouni, highlighting through them serious advantages and opportunities to exploit the area by the local bodies.

Municipal International Cooperations (MICs) in Zimbabwe’s local authorities: An exploratory study of the Harare Metropolitan City

The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment No. 20 of 2013 recognises local authorities as key actors in local and national development, thus capacitating them to engage in international and regional relations so as to assist in matters of municipality management and service delivery. In this vein, such relations should promote growth through investments, innovation and information exchanges among others. The study examines the utility of MICs in promoting sound management and the enhancement of service delivery at the Harare Metropolitan City. The study used a qualitative research design where participants were purposively selected to provide data. Data was gathered using interviews and an extensive review of written documents. Data was analysed using thematic and content analysis techniques. The study established that MICs are a reliable tool to promote sustainable development in areas of human capacity development, information technology, and knowledge sharing among others. Additionally, MICs also promote effective and efficient service provision in Harare Metropolitan City. The study recommends the restructuring and fortification of the MICs’ legal and financial frameworks as well as the provision of central government support so that Harare Metropolitan City can autonomously venture into partnerships and be productive without any central government interference.

Resilience in Urban and Architectural Design—The Issue of Sustainable Development for Areas Associated with an Embankment

The dynamically changing world poses new challenges to urbanized areas, e.g., related to water management in the architectural and urban context. Improving retention and strengthening blue-green infrastructure can be based on technical, semi-natural and natural methods, which are less invasive. Various forms are used in the city space: flow control, detention, retention, filtration, infiltration, and treatment. The implementation of the green order strategy and shaping sustainable development in the context of designing the city’s resilience is associated with shaping spatial policy and urban planning assumptions for the transformation of public spaces and new investments in urbanized areas in crisis. The shaping of waterfronts in the city and green and blue infrastructure significantly shape the parameters of the environment and the regenerative capacity of the urban ecosystem. The aim of this work was to show the relationship between the problem of embankments and the possibilities of developing space in their proximity, including areas exposed to the risk of flooding. The relationships determined by the goal were verified in comparative studies, a repeatable method of collecting, processing, analyzing, and interpreting the obtained data was used. The issue was presented in a broader context of flood risk and water management in the area of Lake Zegrze, collisions and spatial conflicts were analyzed. The results are presented in the context of detailed water management data for the complex of Riva Zegrze facilities, which is a model example regarding the sustainable development of areas on embankments, considering their specific floodplain development possibilities. The effects of the research allowed for the formulation of conclusions, including in terms of implementation, in the field of urban and architectural design for areas associated with an embankment.

Coupling and Coordination Relationship between Human Settlement Environments and Resident Demand: An Empirical Study from China

The harmonious development of human settlement environments (HSEs) and resident demands (RD) contributes to the sustainable development of areas. However, few studies have focused on development-level evaluations and analyses of coupling coordination between the two. This study used a comprehensive evaluation index model and a coupling coordination degree model to measure the development level, coupling coordination degrees, and spatial characteristics of HSE and RD in 31 regions of China. The results display the following: (1) The developing degree of HSE and RD continued to improve, with spatial heterogeneity, whereas the development level of RD and the regional economy was positively correlated; (2) the degree of coupling between the two was relatively high, with high-level coupling areas accounting for 77%, and the coupling coordination level included a medium level and primary levels; (3) in the coupling and coordination relationship between subsystems, living needs > security requirements > respected needs > social needs > self-realization needs, and environmental safety > ecological environment. This study offered a new research perspective for the sustainable development of areas and put forward suggestions for promoting development.

Using the Sustainable Development Capacity of Key Counties to Guide Rural Revitalization in China.

Counties are the basic unit for addressing unbalanced development in a region, revitalizing rural areas, and promoting the integrated development of urban and rural areas. Despite the importance of county-level research, few studies have been conducted research at such a small scale. To address this gap in knowledge, this study constructs an evaluation system to measure the county sustainable development capacity (CSDC) of counties in China, identify constraints to development, and provide policy suggestions to promote the counties' long-term stable development. Specifically, the CSDC indicator system was based on the regional theory of sustainable development and included economic aggregation capacity, social development capacity, and environmental carrying capacity. This framework was applied to 103 key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization in 10 provinces in western China. The AHP-Entropy Weighting Method and TOPSIS model were employed to inform the scores of CSDC and its secondary indicators, and ArcGIS 10.8 was used to portray the spatial distribution of CSDC and to classify these key counties into categories that guided specific policy recommendations. The results demonstrate a high degree of unbalanced and inadequate development in these counties and that rural revitalization efforts can be targeted to increase the speed of development. It is crucial to follow the recommendations that conclude this paper to promote sustainable development in areas that have been lifted out of poverty and to revive rural areas.

Study on the development patterns of ecological civilization construction in China: An empirical analysis of 324 prefectural cities

Ecological civilization construction is a task of paramount importance for China's sustainable development. To explore the performance and development patterns of ecological civilization construction in China, this study established an indicator system to evaluate the ecological civilization construction at the city-level. A double-benchmark progressive method and the key functional zone weighting assignment were used to improve the evaluation process. On this basis, this study analyzed the levels of ecological civilization construction and its changes in 324 prefecture-level cities in mainland China from 2015 to 2019. Furthermore, criteria for classifying the development patterns of ecological civilization construction were proposed based on the socio-economic development and eco-environmental performance of cities. According to the findings: (1) China's ecological civilization construction had made great progress with the scores increase of approximately 8%. The score of China was 71 in 2019 and more than half of the evaluated cities scored higher than 70. (2) Cities under “harmonious coexistence” (both economy and environment performing well) and “antagonistic development” (economy developing with environment requiring improvement) patterns accounted for the highest proportion with a total of 62%. The proportion of cities under the “harmonious coexistence” pattern constantly increased, while that of cities under the “antagonistic development” pattern declined 28% from 2015 to 2019. This study analyzed the patterns of China's ecological civilization construction in prefecture-level cities, providing a mode for green and sustainable development of areas with different natural endowments.

An Extended Watershed-Based AHP Model for Flood Hazard Estimation: Constraining Runoff Converging Indicators via MFD-Derived Sub-Watershed by Maximum Zonal Statistical Method

Floods threaten the sustainable development of areas with a high probability of hazard. A typical analytic hierarchy process (pixel-based AHP) based flood hazard estimation method may ignore the similar threat caused by neighborhood cells at the sub-watershed scale. This study proposed an extended watershed-based Zonal Statistical AHP for flood hazard estimation: Constraining converging related indicators by the sub-watersheds (WZSAHP-RC) model to improve this gap. Before calculating the flood hazard index, the proposed model uses the sub-watershed derived by the multiple flow direction method as a based unit to calculate the maximum zonal statistical value of runoff converging indicators. Moreover, taking the Chaohu basin of Anhui in China as the case study, the validation flooding ground-truthing was constructed from GF-3, and Landsat OLI images of the flood event from 20 July to 24 July 2020, which is the biggest flood recorded by the Zhongmiao station, which recorded a new water level, 0.82 m higher than the historical record. Compared with the validation, the results indicated the proposed method could improve the correct ratio by 38% (from 22% to 60%) and the fit ratio by 17% (from 18% to 35%) when considering the predicted flood hazard levels of “High” and “Very High” as flooded areas. Moreover, the flood hazard map derived by WZSAHP-RC demonstrated greater consistency in the flooded districts filtered by Baidu News than the pixel-based AHP. It revealed that considering two- or even multi-dimensional homogeneity may help to improve the accuracy of flood hazard maps on a catchment scale.

A regionalized IO-model to value seasonal recreational ecosystem services in a mountain National Park in Spain

Recreational Ecosystem Services (RES) are among the most frequently evaluated ecosystem services. RES are seen as a major opportunity for sustainable development in areas of high ecological value resulting from the presence of emblematic species, habitats or scenery, often integrated in conservation areas, in particular in mountain areas affected by depopulation, rising environmental risks and poverty. Economically, the assessment of RES has been based on Contingent Valuation and Choice Experiments, methods with limitations related to their subjectivity. Alternatively, Input-Output (IO) models provide a very accurate and effective way of valuation of RES with regional information regarding interindustry transactions. Whilst data on nature tourist expenditure may be only available annually, tourism inflows have a strong seasonal behavior, which impacts the profitability of several local economic activities. In this paper, we firstly constructed a novel regionalized IO-model based on Cross-Industry Location Quotients using employment data and, secondly, based on Monte Carlo simulation, we estimated nature tourist expenditure monthly using data on nature tourism inflows. This method allowed for a more precise RES evaluation, estimating direct, indirect and induced monthly economic impacts of nature-based tourism. The method was applied to the Ordesa and Monte Perdido (OMP) National Park in the Spanish Pyrenees. To estimate the average tourist expenditure, we collected and analyzed spending on commerce, hospitality and restaurants, leisure, and transport of 385 visitors. Results suggest that using a regionalized IO model leads to a considerable reduction of over-estimation of the economic impact of tourist expenditure estimated by conventional methods. Taking into consideration the direct, indirect and induced effects of tourist expenditure in 2016–2018, the total annual output effect in the OMP National Park amounted to €208.8 million, while the total income effect amounted to €86.29 million. Also, a total of 2,429 jobs were created which indicates that for each thousand annual visitors to the National Park, 3.8 jobs are created in the surrounding area. Overall, the proposed methodology can be easily applied to the remaining National Parks in Spain or other regions in the world, making it a valuable tool to estimate the value of RES in areas affects by strong seasonality, to set priorities and support regional policies for mountain sustainable development.

The sustainable development of a large area. A case study. Kratos 2020

Applied experience of democratic participation during a multi-agent integrated planning, organized from the bottom up in a territorial mosaic of Vast Area. The debate was feed through the weaker and local actors of governance (understood as "conversation", landscape), feeding awareness, and improve of endogenous processes of sustainable development. The Strategic Plan as a conscious mode to dilate time, and not like a final goal, a spontaneous harmonious link between hierarchies of the territorial attraction centers. A polycentrism of continuity and proximity to the creation of a territorial identity that leans on the environmental and cultural strategy to is determine. A real experience inspired by non-deterministic theoretical scientific approaches (and subordinated to the result); but it based on democratic ideals, while respecting the role of the institutions, ensuring a high value to the cardinal principle of consultation between the government bodies at various levels and encouraging their participation in the territory in a planned and orderly manner in respect of all local actors. The experience is certainly interesting for today's and future operators who will contribute to enhancing the sustainable development of the area, finding utopian guide and inspiration for democratization processes, with the hope that it can become a concrete best practice for developing good democracy and the determination of a coordinated and strategic planning of territories within the European Economic Space. &nbsp

Land-use change mapping and analysis using remote sensing and GIS for watershed evaluation- A case study

Watershed development and its management are dynamic with new challenges and complexities, rendering difficulties in laying out a proper development plan. There is a need for an accurate process to assess the progress of implementation. Its assessment and evaluation need a holistic approach through reliable methods. Increasing the number of indigenous remote sensing satellites, reasonable pricing of indigenous satellite data and trained human resources have further facilitated the application of remote sensing for watershed management. In this study, a cluster of five watersheds, three in Telangana State (Mangalagudem, Rampur, Chilkepalli) and two in Andhra Pradesh (R.N. Palle, Nathiobanagari Palle-II) were taken up for watershed evaluation study. A detailed methodology for the impact evaluation of watersheds using remote sensing and geographical information system (GIS) is presented in this paper. Post classification comparison of pre-and post-implementation satellite imagery for watershed is being used for impact evaluation. Land use classification was done using SOI toposheet of 1:25,000 scale and LISS- IV (MS) remote sensing imagery. Results clearly show that interventions to check soil erosion and water run-off in a watershed mode increased Rabi cropped area up to 61 per cent and Kharif cropped area up to 22 per cent in all the watersheds. There was about a 47 per cent decrease in the extended fallow area in Nathiobanagari Palle-II watershed. Thus, interventions for checking soil erosion and runoff lead to the area's sustainable development in all the evaluated watersheds.

Regional planning of distributed energy

The Polish economy is facing a huge challenge regarding the future of the energy sector in Poland. The current energy system is very inefficient, absorbs huge resources that, like countries with high energy efficiency, could be spent on the development of low-emission networks and renewable energy sources. The coal-based system from several large centrally controlled power plants that distribute electricity throughout the country is very expensive and highly unreliable. The solution may be distributed energy, which can ultimately satisfy energy supplies in less urbanized areas and in rural areas, while ensuring the sustainable development of areas. Distributed energy spread across the economy is the main guarantor of market mechanisms of shaping energy security. The aim of the study is to build a mathematical model of distributed energy, as well as to propose to regional authorities the desired direction of energy policy development in the analyzed periods and to offer a model for creating energy policy in other local government units: poviats, communes. So far, few authors have dealt with this issue comprehensively. So far, there have been no detailed studies on the issues of distributed energy development and the use of mathematical methods in building an energy production model in local government units. The undertaken research contributes to the development of knowledge about distributed energy.

Evaluation of the Visitor Understanding of Coastal Geotourism and Geoheritage Potential Based on Sustainable Regional Development in Western Black Sea Region, Turkey

The Black Sea coasts of Turkey have important examples of geological heritage with coastal cliffs in terms of geological formations and features. The Güzelcehisar Basalt Columns (GBCs) formation and its coast have been chosen as a research area in this article in terms of its basalt columns, rare coastal geological diversity and coastal geotourism potential. This paper presents the results of a visitor survey undertaken at the GBCs formation and its coast, located in the rural coastal part of Bartın province in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey. This survey was conducted in 2020 to assess the tourism shoulder season visitors to the Güzelcehisar village. With the survey, its aim was to determine the awareness of the visitors on geoconservation and geodiversity and to evaluate the understanding of geological heritage and geotourism. In addition, it was desired to set visitor expectations to improve the geotourism experience. It was found that visitors had a high level of understanding and awareness of the terms “geodiversity”, “geoheritage”, “geotourism” and “geoconservation”. However, this survey also shows that there is less emphasis on the need to protect the geodiversity in Güzelcehisar. Guided walking is preferred in order to improve visitor understanding and improve experiences. These survey findings contain guiding explanations for studies that could provide a wider interpretation of the perceptions, experiences and expectations of visitors regarding the sustainable development of areas with similar coastal geotourism potential in Turkey.

Using cluster approach and foresight technologies when designing a sustainable areas development strategy

The article highlights the need of applying cluster approach and foresight technologies in the formation of rural areas sustainable development strategy. An algorithm, including main stages of the rural areas sustainable development strategy design based on the cluster approach and foresight technologies, is presented. Cluster scenario for the rural sustainable economic and social development in the Non-chernozem zone of the Republic of Bashkortostan has been designed, which comprehensively takes into account the results of clustering, strategic planning and foresight forecasting of rural areas development. This scenario allows us to determine the extreme and most probable target indicators values of rural areas development for the long and medium term in the cluster display.

Inadequacy of plume rise information to predict the ground level pollutant concentration in vicinity of small cooling towers

Dispersion of pollutant emitted from cooling towers is investigated to discover the pollution concentration distribution at the ground level. The objective is to find the proper arrangement of the cooling towers leading to a lesser concentration of pollutant on the ground. This can be very useful for sustainable development of areas in vicinity of the towers. Comprehensive plume rise data available in the literature has greatly helped to understand how an exhaust plume disperses in a cross wind. In this article, it is shown that the concentration of pollutant on the ground deduced from the plume rise behavior differs from what obtained via direct calculation. The maximum concentration of pollutant on the ground is found to occur once towers are placed in tandem. That is in contrast with what is inferred from the behavior of plume rise. For side by side towers, the plume rise occurs at a lower altitude which can mislead one to conclude that more pollutant would reach the ground surface. The evolution of vortices is employed to explain such discrepancy between the results of direct calculation and those deduced from the plume rise behavior. Similar discussions are presented for square and diamond configurations of multi-flue sources.

Spatial Multi-Criteria Analysis for Urban Sustainable Built Up Area Based on Urban Heat Island in Serang City

The rapid of human occupancy in Serang City has caused the development activity of the built-up area increased significantly. Increased development has led to the phenomenon of Urban Heat Island (UHI), namely the increase in air temperatures in the Serang City that threatens the survival of society. Meanwhile, at the same time, Serang City is urged to keep doing development to provide land for community activities. Against this background, spatial analysis is needed to determine the development of built-up area based on the principle of sustainability. Regional modeling of sustainable area development based on sustainability in Serang city can do by using SMCE (Spatial Multi-Criteria Evaluation). The various criteria covering UHI distribution, distance from the road, distance from the river, land use data, and physiographic data were processed by specific weighting so that the resulting suitability area of the built-up area. The distribution of UHI in Serang City agglomerated in the center of Serang City with the highest surface temperature value of 32°C. Meanwhile, through the SMCE modeling results, the region's suitability area of 3.313 Ha was established which distributed at several points in Serang City and spread linearly following the road network with the extended area of 3.538 Ha. Meanwhile, the central, north, and west of Serang City area dominated by unsuitable for a built-up area with a total area of 19.553 Ha.

Future perspectives of sustainable development: An innovative planning approach to inner areas. Experience of an Italian alpine region

“Futures” studies have treated the issue of place-based approach and bioregionalism planning as tool to achieve a sustainable development in areas characterized by exclusive natural peculiarities (Gray, 2007; Tonn, English, Turner, & Hemrick, 2006). After reviewing theories and cases concerning the re-launch of this kind of territories, the study introduces the concept of inner areas (Barca, 2009). Inner areas, described as a specific territorial weak category, are central to the European and Italian debate about territorial inequality and fragmentation. However, no methods to implement processes to develop inner areas have been officially identified. With these premises, this study presents a profile of a new territorial planning model of local development based on the implementation of multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder processes. New perspectives on sustainable long-term development, as well as the involvement of local stakeholders in planning choices, are central to this work.The focus of the study is an Italian inner area. In this study, the collaborative action-research model proposed by Sagor (2000) is transposed from the educational context into the field of sustainable regional planning for the first time. The aim is to suggest a sustainable local development pathway, by considering together local economic, naturalistic and cultural resources.The research demonstrates that a place-based approach for developing inner areas is achievable thanks to a multidisplinary and multistakeholder approach to territorial planning, aimed at reducing marginality (Pateman, 2011) and stimulating local economy (Sharma, 2000). The lessons learnt by the planning experience are analysed and the possible application of the Sagor model in future planning experiences is discussed.

Measuring sustainable development in the education area using multi-criteria methods: a case study

Sustainability is a holistic and complex multi-dimensional concept comprising economic, social and environmental issues. The EU Sustainable Development Goals’ indicator set, developed by European Commission, is implemented online in Eurostat’s database and constitutes the basis for assessing the level of sustainability assessment in different areas. The integration of the sustainability indicators was carried out in many studies by using the multi-criteria techniques. This work proposes a new methodological framework based on extended TOPSIS procedure, which takes into account EU targets and/or national targets in building positive ideal solution and negative ideal solution. This algorithm allows compensatory and non-compensatory approach in integrated sustainability assessment from the target point of view. This framework has been applied to measure sustainable development in the area of education in 28 EU countries in 2015. The results of this research also illustrate the complexity of measuring sustainable development, where multiple sustainability criteria and targets are considered.

What about biological corridors? A review on some problems of concepts and their management

Natural ecosystems are increasingly being affected by climate change and fragmentation, which have a strong impact on biodiversity thus affecting habitats and species diversity of flora and fauna at all levels. As a response to this situation the idea of biological corridors was developed.This review relates the problems associated with the main concepts and definitions of the biological corridors, seeking to highlight the advantages of this tool and describing its potential applicability, and showing the importance of the biological corridors as a solution to improve the conservation of species and so as to support sustainable development in areas of high biodiversity. Examples of biological corridors in several countries are cited and its application guidelines and conservation benefits are described.In conclusion, the need to improve information on habitat and its association with wild species is highlighted through adaptive forestry that is part of a comprehensive management of forest ecosystems. In addition, it is important to monitor the effects of corridors implemented in a feedback process that allows a greater analysis and evaluation of the overall positive effects of their implementation. Finally, some management actions are proposed to improve the conservation of ecosystems.