Unsustainable Resource Use Research Articles

Water resources conservation and rural livelihoods in protected areas of central Mexico

Abstract Protected Areas (PAs), such as Nevado de Toluca in central Mexico, have been created to protect forest and aquatic resources. PAs have been established in regions inhabited by rural and indigenous populations, based on political and technical criteria, and through top-down processes. PAs face challenges such as deforestation and biodiversity loss, inadequate management and unsustainable use of natural resources, and often insecurity of water access. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ecological status of streams within the Protected Area Nevado de Toluca, and to explore the relations between local communities and their protected rivers and streams. Stream ecological status was evaluated using physical, chemical and biological indicators, such as macroinvertebrates and algae, whereas local perspectives and relations to streams were explored through the analysis of data from a survey conducted in various communities. The results show that socio-economic diversity and ecological conditions challenge the current generalized conservation policies, even within the same geographic area. People inhabiting the studied communities are in a situation of generalized poverty; in such conditions, survival is the main objective. Degradation of local water bodies is caused by canalization, drainage from domestic use and removal of riparian vegetation. Water use and management are poorly addressed by PAs regulation and activities, while degradation of freshwater water sources in three of the studied communities has compromised water access, positioning water management as a central issue for ecological quality. Development of participatory community-specific protection and management programs for streams are needed, involving local communities, environmental professionals, and the federal government. Despite the current scenario, there is potential for adequate management of water bodies and monitoring of water quality by community people, through easily recognizable biological indicators, such as macroinvertebrates and algae.

Towards sustainability practices deployment in building construction projects in Nigeria

PurposeWith recent extreme weather change from global warming, the ever-increasing volume of waste, and the unsustainable use of natural resources, there is the need to evolve a new way by which building construction projects are constructed to reduce carbon emissions, environmental degradation and excessive resource consumption. It is based on this premise that this paper presents the level of implementation of sustainability practices during building construction projects in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted the mixed methods research approach that involves collecting quantitative and qualitative data through the use of questionnaire and interviews. The numeric data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such average percentages, mean item score, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests whereas the textual data were analysed thematically.FindingsFrom the questionnaire survey, the result shows that the awareness level of sustainability practices by construction professionals is high in the study area. Also, the findings indicate that “choosing the right construction method for resource conservation and consideration of the client’s satisfaction” is the major sustainability practices that construction professionals implement in the construction phase of building projects in the study area. Insights from the interviews align with the findings from the questionnaire survey.Originality/valueThis study concluded that the awareness level of sustainability practices is high in the study area and “choosing the right construction method for resource conservation” and “consideration of the client's satisfaction” are the major sustainability practices that construction professionals are aware of and is being implemented in the study area. Based on these findings and conclusions reached, it is recommended that construction professionals should improve their knowledge of sustainability to enhance their competence for the effective implementation of sustainability practices during building construction projects in Nigeria.

The Sustainable Development Goals prioritize economic growth over sustainable resource use: a critical reflection on the SDGs from a socio-ecological perspective

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015, succeeding the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While the MDGs focused on improving well-being in the developing world, the 17 SDGs address all countries and aim at reconciling economic and social with ecological goals. We adopt a social ecology perspective and critically reflect on the SDGs’ potential for monitoring, supporting, and bringing about a transformation towards sustainability. Starting from a literature review on the SDGs, we link empirical findings from social ecology with analyses of SDG targets and indicators. First, we find that the SDGs fail to monitor absolute trends in resource use and thus prioritize economic growth over ecological integrity. Second, we discuss the contradictions between economic growth and sustainable resource use in early and late stages of industrialization processes and show that they are responsible for important trade-offs among SDG targets. Third, we analyze the transformative potential of the SDGs with a focus on the actors and institutions addressed to bring about transformative change. We find that the SDGs rely mainly on those institutions responsible for unsustainable resource use, and partly propose measures that even reinforce current trends towards less sustainability. Despite ascertaining limited transformative potential to the SDGs from an analytical perspective, we conclude by stressing the strategic relevance of the SDGs for visions, research, and practices of statt towards transformative change towards sustainability.

Unsustainability Syndrome—From Meteorological to Agricultural Drought in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions

Water is the most important resource for sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, where agriculture is the mainstay for rural societies. By relating the water usage to renewable water resources, we define three stages from sustainable to unsustainable water resources: (1) sustainable, where water use is matched by renewable water capacity, ensuring sustainable water resources; (2) transitional, where water use occasionally exceeds renewable water capacity; and (3) unsustainable, with lack of water resources for agriculture, society, and the environment. Using available drought indicators (standardized precipitation index (SPI) and streamflow drought index (SDI)) and two new indices for agricultural drought (overall agricultural drought index (OADI) and agricultural drought index (ADI)), we evaluated these stages using the example of Fars province in southern Iran in the period 1977–2016. A hyper-arid climate prevailed for an average of 32% of the province’s spatio-temporal coverage during the study period. The area increased significantly from 30.6% in the first decade (1977–1986) to 44.4% in the last (2006–2015). The spatiotemporal distribution of meteorological drought showed no significant negative trends in annual precipitation during 1977–2016, but the occurrence of hydrological droughts increased significantly in the period 1997–2016. The expansion of irrigated area, with more than 60% of rainfed agriculture replaced by irrigated agriculture (especially between 1997 and 2006), exerted substantial pressure on surface water and groundwater resources. Together, climate change, reduced river flow, and significant declines in groundwater level in major aquifers led to unsustainable use of water resources, a considerable reduction in irrigated area, and unsustainability in agricultural production in the period 2006–2015. Analysis of causes and effects of meteorological, hydrological, and agricultural drought in the area identified three clear stages: before 1997 being sustainable, 1997–2006 being transitional, and after 2006 being unsustainable.

Ecosystem services or nature’s contributions? Reasons behind different interpretations in Latin America

People depend on nature in multiple ways and there is increasing concern about how the current unsustainable use of natural resources will compromise human well-being. In this context, there is a debate about the usefulness of the terms ecosystem services (ES) and nature’s contributions to people (NCP) in addressing this problem, but so far no research has been dedicated to investigating the reasons behind this. We, therefore, performed a data-based study to explore the potential explanations for the use and perceptions of the differences between the ES and NCP terms. Based on a questionnaire among 150 participants in the ESP Latin America and the Caribbean conference in 2018, we demonstrate that the choice for using one or both terms is related to the perception of the differences between them and to specific professional traits. We detected that researchers that use quantitative methods are predominantly inclined to use ES while researchers using qualitative methods use the NCP-term. Despite the predominant preference for one of the two terms, a considerable percentage of researchers used both. Our results suggest that rather than emphasizing perceived conflicts between ES and NCP terms, they can be used in a complementary way and have the potential to reach multiple audiences.

Length Weight Relationship and Relative Condition Factor Study in Sahyadria chalakkudiensis Inhabiting Western Ghat River Systems of South India

A trend on unethical and unsustainable use of resources to meet the high demand in the trade of indigenous ornamental fishes is widespread. This increased exploitation calls for regulation. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an apex body having a central role in regulating the trade of any living organisms including indigenous ornamental fishes and preventing the species from being left as extinct. To enlist a species in trade by CITES, formulation of baseline data on its biology, population size, length-weight relations, condition factor, and habitat ecology are necessary. This paper looks into one such consideration on Sahyadria chalakkudiensis inhabiting Western Ghat rivers of Kerala. The length-weight relationships in respect of males and females inhabiting Chalakudy river are expressed as Log W = -3.800 + 2.43 Log L and Log W = -4.333 + 2.69 Log L while the same in males and females inhabiting Pooyamkutty river are Log W = -4.545 + 2.76 Log L and Log W = -5.290 + 3.12 Log L respectively .There is a regular seasonal cycle in relative condition factor with a peak in August (Kn=1.33; Chalakudy population) and September (Kn = 1.15; Pooyamkutty population).The results indicated that management of stock of S. chalakkudiensis is very essential to ensure sustainability of its trade.

Resource management and joint-planning in fragmented societies

Does the division of a society into identity groups increase the risk of unsustainable resource use? This study considers the theory that diversity leads to degradation by preventing joint-planning across a community of resource users. A cooperative game theory model is used to derive conditions that should make this problem appear. When resource users can plan extraction choices together, sufficient uncertainty about the value of a shared resource (“environmental uncertainty”) will incentivize them to stably make decisions in as large a group as possible. However, that is only true when players are also pessimistic about the behavior of community members not directly involved in joint planning with themselves. If those conditions are met, the probability that a community will deplete their shared resource rises as they fragment into more and more identity groups that do not make decisions together. In sum, this study demonstrates that a combination of pessimism about the behavior of non-coalition members and sufficient environmental uncertainty give rise to a negative effect of social diversity. Among other things, these findings may help explain the mixed effectiveness of some conservation policies, and improve our understanding of how events that prime inter-group tensions can have downstream sustainability consequences.

Length Weight Relationship and Relative Condition Factor Study in Sahyadria chalakkudiensis Inhabiting Western Ghat River Systems of South India

A trend on unethical and unsustainable use of resources to meet the high demand in the trade of indigenous ornamental fishes is widespread. This increased exploitation calls for regulation. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an apex body having a central role in regulating the trade of any living organisms including indigenous ornamental fishes and preventing the species from being left as extinct. To enlist a species in trade by CITES, formulation of baseline data on its biology, population size, length-weight relations, condition factor, and habitat ecology are necessary. This paper looks into one such consideration on Sahyadria chalakkudiensis inhabiting Western Ghat rivers of Kerala. The length-weight relationships in respect of males and females inhabiting Chalakudy river are expressed as LogW = -3.800 + 2.43 LogL and LogW = -4.333 + 2.69 LogL while the same in males and females inhabiting Pooyamkutty river are LogW = -4.545 + 2.76 LogL and LogW = -5.290 + 3.12 LogL respectively .There is a regular seasonal cycle in relative condition factor with a peak in August (Kn=1.33; Chalakudy population) and September (Kn = 1.15; Pooyamkutty population).The results indicated that management of stock of S. chalakkudiensis is very essential to ensure sustainability of its trade.

Understanding Perceptions of Faculty and Students about Sustainability in Indian Business Management Schools

Sustainable development (SD)/sustainability as a concept has gained prominence following global society's realisation that contemporary models of development cannot sustain for a long time. Businesses, in general, are blamed for unsustainable use of natural resources, large-scale environmental degradation, and increasing economic divide in the society. For businesses to be able to transform themselves towards triple bottom line performance, it is imperative that business managers should have in-depth knowledge, abilities, and right value system. The present study tries to assess these aspects among teachers and students of premier business management schools in India by undertaking a structured questionnaire survey. The results indicate that while these two important groups of stakeholders in SD show more or less right value systems, they significantly lack in knowledge of and abilities to handle various SD issues. The findings have implications for business management education policies and administrations of business management schools in the developing world.

Effects of Inter-Basin Water Transfer on Water Flow Condition of Destination Basin

In recent years, the intensification of drought and unsustainable management and use of water resources have caused a significant decline in the water level of the Urmia Lake in the northwest of Iran. This condition has affected the lake, approaching an irreversible point such that many projects have been implemented and are being implemented to save the natural condition of the Urmia Lake, among which the inter-basin water transfer (IBWT) project from the Zab River to the lake could be considered an important project. The main aim of this research is the evaluation of the IBWT project effects on the Gadar destination basin. Simulations of the geometrical properties of the river, including the bed and flow, have been performed, and the land cover and flood map were overlapped in order to specify the areas prone to flood after implementing the IBWT project. The results showed that with the implementation of this project, the discharge of the Gadar River was approximately tripled and the water level of the river rose 1 m above the average. In April, May, and June, about 952.92, 1458.36, and 731.43 ha of land adjacent to the river (floodplain) will be inundated by flood, respectively. Results also indicated that UNESCO’s criteria No. 3 (“a comprehensive environmental impact assessment must indicate that the project will not substantially degrade the environmental quality within the area of origin or the area of delivery”) and No. 5 (“the net benefits from the transfer must be shared equitably between the area of origin and the area of water delivery”) have been violated by implementing this project in the study area. The findings could help the local government and other decision-makers to better understand the effects of the IBWT projects on the physical and hydrodynamic processes of the Gadar River as a destination basin.

JOINING THE CALL TO INCORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE CANADIAN SOCIAL WORK PROFESSION

A global concern about how unsustainable use of global natural resources engenders environmental, social, and economic injustices for the world’s most vulnerable population has been well established in the literature. Although the profession of social work has a long-standing tradition of advocating for social and economic justice, issues of environmental sustainability have yet to be fully incorporated into social work education and practice. While the connection between the natural environment and social work education is robustly emerging in Australian and American literature, the Canadian social work literature is also paying attention to issues of environmental sustainability. In response to the 2018 call by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education – Association canadienne pour la formation en travail social (CASWE-ACFTS) (2018) to revitalize efforts towards environmental sustainability in Canadian social work education, this article joins other Canadian social work educators to advocate for the profession to incorporate a novel global paradigm—sustainability—into social work practice. Drawing on relevant literature and other empirical studies, this article aims to increase our understanding of the critical impact of a lack of sustainability on Canada’s poorest, most vulnerable, and oppressed people (such as Indigenous Peoples), who often live in the most degraded environments and have no control over their own natural resources. I argue that incorporating sustainability into Canadian social work education and practice is achievable only if the professional bodies, namely the Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) and CASWE-ACFTS, provide institutional support by setting accreditation standards and ethical guidelines to reinforce sustainability in Canadian social work practice.

Environment and livelihood of the Kouni community of the Kayes sub-prefecture (Bouenza, Congo)

Background : The rainforest is a source of particularly diversified natural goods and services, satisfying at least 80% of the population's needs. Notwithstanding the intimate link between population and biodiversity, anthropogenic pressure and its corollaries, such as global climate change, have led to a specific and genetic erosion of about 30% over the last three decades. The major causes of these are, in the case of the Congo, anarchic urbanization, construction of physical communication infrastructures without an environmental and social impact assessment; and unbridled collection of medicinal plants for commercial purposes. The loss of biodiversity is a clear sign of unsustainable use of natural resources, which the traditional societies depends on for their livelihoods. Methods : Our study conducted at Mvouandzi, sub-prefecture of Kayes (Congo), is based on the ethnobotanical knowledge survey and floristic inventory. The informants, aged between 15 and 50 years or more comprised 25 men and 43 women who possess plant secrets. Prior to fieldwork, we reviewed existing literature that provided information on the status of inventoried species, their phytogeographic distribution, and known uses within their range. The ethnobotanical knowledge survey took place in two phases, namely: work with focus groups and conducting personalized interviews with the informants; and the collection of samples coupled, when possible, to the participatory approach. Results : The floristic inventory lists 81 useful species, corresponding to 72 genera and 43 families. Some species are multi-purpose, and 26 of the 60 medicinal plants inventoried are specifically associated with the traditional pharmacopoeia. 36 species are multi-purpose and the others 15 intervene specially in food, 26 in phytotherapy, and 5 in handicrafts. The high values of the ethnobotanical indices (the ethnobotanical use value (VU), the informant consensus factor (CFI), and the level of fidelity (NF)) show a strong involvement of these taxa in the daily life of this traditional society. Sociological analysis reveals that the level of ethnobotanical knowledge is proportional to the subjects’ age and in this matter, women excel in the exploitation of empirical knowledge. Conclusions : The Kouni community possesses a sophisticated ethnobotanical knowledge, which is a fundamental part of socio-cultural base of the Kouni community and an important cultural asset of Congolese nation. However, the Kouni community is shrinking due to rural exodus. Therefore, documenting the existing traditional knowledge is the first priority to preserve the Kouni cultural diversity. Keywords : Congo, Mvouandzi, ecosystem services, traditional knowledge, phytodiversity.

Appraisal of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in District Swat, Pakistan

14 September, 2019 Accepted: 07 October, 2019Abstract: Deforestation and forest degradation are not only a problem of north western mountainous region of Pakistanbut it is one of the main global environmental issues. To find out deforestation rate and its extent in Swat, KhyberPakhtunkhwa, Landsat 5 (October 2, 2011) and Landsat 8 OLI (October 15, 2016) data were processed in CarnegieLandsat Analysis System (CLASlite v3.3). Primary data related to deforestation in Swat were also obtained from localpeople through a structured questionnaire. Primary data were analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS). Changes in land cover can be clearly identified during image analysis. The temporal analysis of forest coverbetween 2011 and 2016 showed a significant change in forest cover. About 11 km² area is converted from forest tobarren land, while approximately 9,985 km² area of forest cover was degraded. The perceived causes of deforestation inthe study area are unsustainable use and mismanagement of forest resources, population growth, plantation ofeucalyptus and lack of basic facilities and awareness. However, community ignorance is the main factor responsible fordeforestation and forest degradation. One of the major consequences of deforestation can be related to the totaldisappearance of Charchur waterfall in Talang Kota lower Swat in September 2016. Therefore, it is the right time tomove toward sustainable management, detection and monitoring of national forest reserves by using geospatial tools,and by the involvement of local communities to participate in decision making about the conservation of forestresources.

Assessment of Forest Resource Exploitation in the Rural Communities of District Jhelum, Pakistan

18 October, 2019 Accepted: 25 October, 2019Abstract: Forest resources are deteriorating and experiencing decline around the globe due to unsustainable use andover exploitation. The present study was an attempt to determine the relationship between human activities, forestresource utilization, extraction methods and practices of forest resource exploitation in the district Jhelum of Pakistan.For this purpose, primary sources of data were used which were collected from 8 villages through structuredquestionnaire and tabulated in Microsoft Excel 365 and SPSS 22 was used for multiple linear regression analysis. Theresults revealed that farming, wood cutting, animal husbandry and agro-forestry were the major occupations in thestudy area. Most commonly used resources included timber 26%, fuelwood 25% and fodder 19%. Methods used forresource extraction included gathering 49%, plucking 34% trapping 11% and cutting 6%. Population growth, increaseddemand of fuelwood and land conversion were the main reasons behind forest degradation. Results for multiple linearregression revealed that Forest based activities, sources of energy production, methods used for wood harvesting andresource extraction and use of fuelwood for energy production contributed significantly towards extensive forestresource exploitation with p value <0.5 within the study area. The study suggests that effective measures should betaken by forest department to control the unsustainable use of forest resources by stringent management interventionsand awareness campaigns in Jhelum district.

Appraisal of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in District Swat, Pakistan

14 September, 2019 Accepted: 07 October, 2019Abstract: Deforestation and forest degradation are not only a problem of north western mountainous region of Pakistanbut it is one of the main global environmental issues. To find out deforestation rate and its extent in Swat, KhyberPakhtunkhwa, Landsat 5 (October 2, 2011) and Landsat 8 OLI (October 15, 2016) data were processed in CarnegieLandsat Analysis System (CLASlite v3.3). Primary data related to deforestation in Swat were also obtained from localpeople through a structured questionnaire. Primary data were analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences(SPSS). Changes in land cover can be clearly identified during image analysis. The temporal analysis of forest coverbetween 2011 and 2016 showed a significant change in forest cover. About 11 km² area is converted from forest tobarren land, while approximately 9,985 km² area of forest cover was degraded. The perceived causes of deforestation inthe study area are unsustainable use and mismanagement of forest resources, population growth, plantation ofeucalyptus and lack of basic facilities and awareness. However, community ignorance is the main factor responsible fordeforestation and forest degradation. One of the major consequences of deforestation can be related to the totaldisappearance of Charchur waterfall in Talang Kota lower Swat in September 2016. Therefore, it is the right time tomove toward sustainable management, detection and monitoring of national forest reserves by using geospatial tools,and by the involvement of local communities to participate in decision making about the conservation of forestresources.

Assessment of Forest Resource Exploitation in the Rural Communities of District Jhelum, Pakistan

18 October, 2019 Accepted: 25 October, 2019Abstract: Forest resources are deteriorating and experiencing decline around the globe due to unsustainable use andover exploitation. The present study was an attempt to determine the relationship between human activities, forestresource utilization, extraction methods and practices of forest resource exploitation in the district Jhelum of Pakistan.For this purpose, primary sources of data were used which were collected from 8 villages through structuredquestionnaire and tabulated in Microsoft Excel 365 and SPSS 22 was used for multiple linear regression analysis. Theresults revealed that farming, wood cutting, animal husbandry and agro-forestry were the major occupations in thestudy area. Most commonly used resources included timber 26%, fuelwood 25% and fodder 19%. Methods used forresource extraction included gathering 49%, plucking 34% trapping 11% and cutting 6%. Population growth, increaseddemand of fuelwood and land conversion were the main reasons behind forest degradation. Results for multiple linearregression revealed that Forest based activities, sources of energy production, methods used for wood harvesting andresource extraction and use of fuelwood for energy production contributed significantly towards extensive forestresource exploitation with p value <0.5 within the study area. The study suggests that effective measures should betaken by forest department to control the unsustainable use of forest resources by stringent management interventionsand awareness campaigns in Jhelum district.

Good Urban Governance and City Resilience: An Afrocentric Approach to Sustainable Development

Good urban governance is a multidimensional concept that focuses on the improvement of the quality of living conditions of local citizens, especially those of marginalised and disadvantaged communities. Cities face various adversities and challenges, such as unsustainable use of natural resources, lack of housing and infrastructure, the prevalence of poverty, rapid urbanisation, crime, disasters and effects of climate change. City resilience is an inclusive process that refers to a city’s ability to sustainably manage unexpected and expected risk-related events. In addition, it includes a city’s capacity to adapt to future challenges from a strategic and spatial perspective. This paper aims to analyze the nature of sustainable development in general. More specifically, it sets out to analyze the importance of urban governance in Africa and the interrelationship of good urban governance and city resilience. The purpose is to provide a theoretical underpinning and a practical orientation for the role that urban governance could play in sustainable development. The methodology is based on a document analysis by way of an intensive literature study. The qualitative description of the findings focused on the themes that emerged from the research and the manner in which they were conceptualised. It was established that while African countries have experienced certain successes, there have been many challenges as far as ‘good’ and ‘sustainable’ urban governance is concerned. Results indicated that the notion of ‘good urban governance’ is a prerequisite for African countries to design and execute sustainable development initiatives successfully.

DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS FOR ASSESSING HYDRO-ENERGETIC LOSSES IN WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Current tools and methods for assessing water supply systems no longer meet the new sustainability challenges, mainly the balance of the close relationship between water and energy in the perspective of unsustainable use of water resources and energy crisis. In this context, this study aimed to develop a model for hydro-energetic assessment of water supply systems, based on the systemic approach and diagnostic and simulation actions of the operation of water flows and electricity consumption. The analysis was developed in two steps, namely the development of the model and its formulations and subsequent application to the water supply system using synthetic data. The results showed that the developed model was effective in assessing the proposal, demonstrated easy practical applicability in any unit arrangement, promoted systemic understanding of water and electricity losses in the units in the stages of production, processing and distribution and in the system as a whole, and provided decision making for corrective actions with greater systemic impact. Finally, the proposed model represents an important technology in the search for improved social, economic and environmental sustainability of water supply systems

DEVELOPMENT OF MODELS FOR ASSESSING HYDRO-ENERGETIC LOSSES IN WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Current tools and methods for assessing water supply systems no longer meet the new sustainability challenges, mainly the balance of the close relationship between water and energy in the perspective of unsustainable use of water resources and energy crisis. In this context, this study aimed to develop a model for hydro-energetic assessment of water supply systems, based on the systemic approach and diagnostic and simulation actions of the operation of water flows and electricity consumption. The analysis was developed in two steps, namely the development of the model and its formulations and subsequent application to the water supply system using synthetic data. The results showed that the developed model was effective in assessing the proposal, demonstrated easy practical applicability in any unit arrangement, promoted systemic understanding of water and electricity losses in the units in the stages of production, processing and distribution and in the system as a whole, and provided decision making for corrective actions with greater systemic impact. Finally, the proposed model represents an important technology in the search for improved social, economic and environmental sustainability of water supply systems

The physics of governance networks: critical transitions in contagion dynamics on multilayer adaptive networks with application to the sustainable use of renewable resources

Adaptive networks are a versatile approach to model phenomena such as contagion and spreading dynamics, critical transitions and structure formation that emerge from the dynamic coevolution of complex network structure and node states. Here, we study critical transitions in contagion dynamics on multilayer adaptive networks with dynamic node states and present an application to the governance of sustainable resource use. We focus on a three layer adaptive network model, where a polycentric governance network interacts with a social network of resource users which in turn interacts with an ecological network of renewable resources. We uncover that sustainability is favored for slow interaction timescales, large homophilic network adaptation rate (as long it is below the fragmentation threshold) and high taxation rates. Interestingly, we also observe a trade-off between an eco-dictatorship (reduced model with a single governance actor that always taxes unsustainable resource use) and the polycentric governance network of multiple actors. In the latter setup, sustainability is enhanced for low but hindered for high tax rates compared to the eco-dictatorship case. These results highlight mechanisms generating emergent critical transitions in contagion dynamics on multilayer adaptive network and show how these can be understood and approximated analytically, relevant for understanding complex adaptive systems from various disciplines ranging from physics and epidemiology to sociology and global sustainability science. The paper also provides insights into potential critical intervention points for policy in the form of taxes in the governance of sustainable renewable resource use that can inform more process-detailed social-ecological modeling.