Explore the vast range of titles available.

The social dimension of sustainability has remained relatively underdefined, despite the efforts to specify and integrate this dimension into the general sustainability conversation of scholars and practitioners. This study aims to advance the conversation of social sustainability by examining past the multi-disciplinary literature and policy documents, as well as proposing a comprehensive conceptual model of social sustainability. We present a model with five dimensions: safety and security, equity, adaptability, social inclusion and cohesion, and quality of life. Through these dimensions, we propose social sustainability as a process that strives for effective management and allocation of social capital as a constitutive resource, and the confrontation of such controllable and uncontrollable risks as natural disasters and climate change. Our model was constructed with the purpose of providing scholars, policymakers, and practitioners with a comprehensive guideline to create social sustainability policy with human beings as the priority and cultural awareness as a grounding approach to initiating disaster-related and climate-change resilience.

With the aim of reducing negative effects of climate change on crop production and to minimize the loss of soil by erosion, thereby enhancing farmers’ resilience to climate change, climate smart agricultural interventions (CSA) were initiated at Bona Dibero landscape of Soro district. Understanding the effect of CSA practices is crucial for scaling up effective practices as it could provide substantial economic benefit and create favorable conditions for better ecological stewardship. This study evaluated the effects of CSA practices on soil properties and wheat yield in cultivated lands of Bona Dibero. Data were collected from four different fields with CSA interventions were implemented for: 2 years, 5 years, 9 years and land without CSA practices (control). The result indicated that bulk density of the soil (Bd) (g cm −3 ), pH-H2O, OC (%), TN (%) and Av. P mg/kg were significantly influenced by CSA practices. The highest and lowest average values of the soil parameters were found in fields with 9 years of CSA practices and fields without CSA practices respectively. Analysis of agronomic data also indicted that CSA practices significantly ( p  ≤ 0.001) improved plant height, tiller formation, spike length, thousand seed weight, biomass, and grain yield of wheat. CSA practices for 9 years improved grain yield of wheat by 15.02% than control. Thus, it is concluded that CSA practices have assured positive effects on soil properties and wheat yield, the influence increases with duration of establishment.

Summer abiotic stresses typical of Mediterranean agro-environments, now exacerbated by climate change, reduce floral resource availability and further compromise the survival of pollinators already threatened in the so-called Anthropocene. The aim of this study was to evaluate several summer-blooming wildflower species, collected from ecologically disturbed and diversified habitats, in order to assess their ecological role in attracting pollinators within agroecosystems. The primary dormancy typical of wild species seeds was partially overcome through appropriate pre-sowing seed treatments, while secondary dormancy was reduced by soil rolling after sowing. Soil rolling proved particularly beneficial for species with very small seeds, highlighting the importance of adequate seed–soil contact for successful establishment. All tested species exhibited summer flowering between May and July, with some flowering later in the season, and showed high attractiveness to pollinators both in terms of abundance and taxonomic diversity. However, this ecosystem service declined significantly in the second year, although certain species demonstrated a strong capacity to persist and to maintain satisfactory pollinator attractiveness over time. In conclusion, while the experiment revealed several critical aspects, it also provides encouraging prospects for further research aimed at enhancing pollinator survival in agroecosystems that are severely threatened by pollinator decline.

Although the significance of global leadership in combatting climate change has been widely studied, the effectiveness of local government leadership has been neglected in the literature. This study explores the relationships among climate-change belief, resilience to climate change, and local government leadership (LGL). It also examines local government’s leadership in mediating and moderating the climate-change beliefs (specifically, that climate change is occurring and that it is the result of human activity) and resilience to climate change of victims of river erosion in Bangladesh and uses mediation and moderation analyses to determine the effectiveness of LGL in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected from 200 riverbank-erosion victims, and two focus-group discussions were conducted in the northern districts (Bogra and Sirajganj) of Bangladesh. Applying a mixed-methods approach, this study used adaptive capacity and vulnerability theory (ACVT) as an analytical tool along with structural equation modelling to examine the proposed model. The results suggest that climate-change belief, resilience to climate change, and LGL have significant positive relationships with each other. However, while LGL shows a partial mediation on the relationship between climate-change belief and resilience to climate change, no moderation impact was revealed that demonstrated effective LGL influence among the victims. The study extends the literature regarding the outcomes of LGL activities and initiatives on climate-change belief and resilience to climate change within a non-western context. It also provides empirical evidence from the perspective of ACVT. These results can help both policymakers and local government leaders responsible for climate-change disaster management to expedite the UN’s sustainable development goal (SDG 13), especially in developing countries like Bangladesh.

The growing needs for fruit and vegetable production, together with the current climate change situation, make agriculture under plastic and greenhouse cooling indispensable. The most commonly used approaches are natural ventilation, shading and fan-pad systems. To foster a climate that allows forplant production under cover in extreme conditions, a novel fan-pad system has been devised that incorporates a pre-chamber and an air distribution system using air ducts running alongside the crop rows. The system has been tested in a greenhouse in Almeria (Spain) during the daytime in August, when the weather was hotter. Tests were also carried out in combination with natural ventilation and shading. The results indicate that the fan-pad system was efficient under extreme weather conditions and that it avoided creating horizontal thermal gradients. By determining the theoretical value of the air temperature leaving the pad, we were able to estimate the evaporative cooling potential of the fan-pad system as a function of the outdoor climate. Under extreme conditions, the fan-pad system’s efficiency decreased along with increased air temperature and, above all, the increased relative humidity of the outside air. When the outdoor climate is warm and humid, natural ventilation may be the most efficient temperature control method. If the outdoor climate is warm and dry, the evaporative pad is more effective, especially when combined with shading.

The increasing resilience to climate change in the agricultural sector report presents local-level priorities, informed by stakeholder input, to build agricultural resilience in both countries. The objectives of this study were threefold: (1) to improve the understanding of climate change projections and impacts on rural communities and livelihoods in selected regions of Jordan and Lebanon, specifically the Jordan River Valley and Lebanon's Bekaa Valley; (2) to engage local communities, farmers, local experts, and local and national government representatives in a participatory fashion in helping craft agricultural adaptation options to climate change; and (3) to develop local and regional climate change action plans that formulate recommendations for investment strategies and strategic interventions in local agricultural systems. The climate challenges confronting development in the Middle East are particularly stark. This region, and in particular its rural people, face what might be called a \"triple threat\" from climate change. First, the Middle East is already one of the driest and most water-scarce regions of the world (World Bank 2011a) and faces severe challenges posed by high temperatures and limited water supplies. This report to assist Jordan and Lebanon in understanding the specific challenges and opportunities posed by climate change in the agricultural sector.

The importance of weather, climate, and water1 information is rising because of the need to serve more elaborate societal needs, minimize growing economic losses, and help countries adapt to climate change. Weather, climate, and water affect societies and economies through extreme events, such as tropical cyclones, floods, high winds, storm surges, and prolonged droughts, and through high-impact weather and climate events that affect demand for electricity and production capacity, planting and harvesting dates, management of construction, transportation networks and inventories, and human health. The key players are the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), which are the backbone of the global weather and climate enterprise. By international agreement under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), they are the government's authoritative source of weather, climate, and water information, providing timely input to emergency managers, national and local administrations, the public, and critical economic sectors. The report underscores the urgent need to strengthen NMHSs, especially those in developing countries, and provides cost-benefit estimates of the return that countries can hope to achieve. It also offers a recommended approach that has been tested and implemented in Europe, in Central and South Asia, and countries in other regions. The NMHSs make a significant contribution to safety, security, and economic well-being by observing, forecasting, and warning of pending weather, climate, and water threats.

Adapting Albanian Agriculture to a Changing Climate: A Path to Resilience and SustainabilityThis study provides a clear and comprehensive plan for aligning agricultural policies with climate change in Albania. It details developing the capabilities of key agricultural institutions and making needed investments in infrastructure, support services, and on-farm improvements. * Understand the economic impacts of climate change on Albanian agriculture. * Discover sustainable adaptation strategies for agricultural systems. * Implement policy recommendations to support climate change adaptation. For policymakers, agricultural experts, researchers, and donor communities interested in climate change adaptation in Albania and similar regions. This study offers insights and practical guidance for building climate-resilient agricultural systems.