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This article explores narratives of boredom among young lower middle class women employed in the bourgeoning services sector in India, across cafes, call centres, malls and offices. These young women cite boredom from ‘sitting at home’ as a reason to seek employment. Adopting Bourdieu’s understanding of temporal relations as informed by ‘subjective expectations’ and ‘objective chances’, I place young women’s temporal narratives in the context of post-1990 socio-economic change in India. I show that there is a shift in young lower middle class women’s expectations, particularly on the basis of acquisition of higher education. By rendering the space of home – characterised by compulsion to participate in housework, pressure to get married and restrictions on mobility and friendships – as temporally insignificant, young women resist gender norms. Their narratives contribute to gendering scholarship on temporal disruptions in the context of socio-economic change, which is currently overdetermined by young men’s experiences.

Fast socio‐economic development in agriculture and urbanization resulted in increasing nutrient export by rivers, causing coastal eutrophication in China. In addition, climate change may affect hydrology, and as a result, nutrient flows from land to sea. This study aims at a better understanding of how future socio‐economic and climatic changes may affect coastal eutrophication in China. We modeled river export of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and phosphorus (TDP) in 2050 for six scenarios combining socio‐economic pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). We used the newly developed MARINA 2.0 (Model to Assess River Inputs of Nutrients to seAs) model. We found that global change can make coastal eutrophication control in China more difficult. In 2050 coastal waters may be considerably more polluted or considerably cleaner than today depending on the SSP‐RCP scenarios. By 2050, river export of TDN and TDP is 52% and 56% higher than in 2012, respectively, in SSP3‐RCP8.5 (assuming large challenges for sustainable socio‐economic development, and severe climate change). In contrast, river export of nutrients could be 56% (TDN) and 85% (TDP) lower in 2050 than in 2012 in SSP1‐RCP2.6 (assuming sustainable socio‐economic development, and low climate change). Climate change alone may increase river export of nutrients considerably through hydrology: We calculate 24% higher river export of TDN and 16% higher TDP for the SSP2 scenario assuming severe climate change compared to the same scenario with low climate change (SSP2‐RCP8.5 vs. SSP2‐RCP2.6). Policies and relevant technologies combining improved nutrient management and climate mitigation may help to improve water quality in rivers and coastal waters of China. Plain Language Summary Fast socio‐economic development has resulted in increasing nutrient export by rivers, causing coastal eutrophication in China. In addition, climate change may affect river discharge, and as a result, nutrient flows from land to sea. We explored how future socio‐economic and climatic changes may affect coastal eutrophication in China. We found that in 2050 coastal waters may be considerably more polluted or considerably cleaner than today depending on the socio‐economic development and climate change. By 2050, river export of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) and phosphorus (TDP) is 52% and 56% higher than in 2012, respectively, in a scenario assuming large challenges for sustainable socio‐economic development and severe climate change. In contrast, river export of nutrients could be 56% (TDN) and 85% (TDP) lower in 2050 than in 2012 in the scenario assuming sustainable socio‐economic development and low climate change. Climate change alone may increase river export of nutrients considerably: we calculate 24% higher river export of TDN and 16% higher TDP for a scenario assuming severe climate change compared to the same scenario with low climate change. Policies combining improved nutrient management and climate mitigation may help to improve water quality in rivers and coastal waters of China. Key Points In 2050, rivers in China may be more polluted or cleaner, depending on socio‐economic and climatic changes Climate change may increase nutrient pollution in rivers and coastal eutrophication in China Coastal eutrophication can be reduced by nutrient management and climate mitigation

Ireland, as an island, has a long (<7000 km), crenellate, and cliffed coastline. More than 50% of its population (ca. 5.4 million in 1998) live within 15 km of the coastline. But most of these people are concentrated in a few major urban centres. Effectively, large areas of the coast have a low-density population. These factors mean that Ireland is seen as having an overall low vulnerability to the impacts of sea-level rise. Even so, about 30% of its coastal wetlands could be lost given a 1-m sea-level-rise scenario. People's valuation and awareness of the coastal environment in Ireland has been limited for much of the 20th century by factors of history and emigration. Many coastal areas have remained relatively undeveloped since the 18th and 19th centuries. In the late 20th century, an island-wide awakening to the resource potential of coastal and marine environments began to change this former neglect. In the Republic of Ireland, the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources was set up in 1988, and a separate Marine Institute was added in 1991. These developments established the coastal zone as an important element in future national strategic planning. This article examines the physical components of coastal vulnerability throughout Ireland under sea-level rise and climate change, coupled with the influences of people at the coast. These factors are placed in the context of the development of coastal zone management in Ireland and its links to reducing vulnerability.

Wildfires have played a determining role in distribution, composition and structure of many ecosystems worldwide and climatic changes are widely considered to be a major driver of future fire regime changes. However, forecasting future climatic change induced impacts on fire regimes will require a clearer understanding of other drivers of abrupt fire regime changes. Here, we focus on evidence from different environmental and temporal settings of fire regimes changes that are not directly attributed to climatic changes. We review key cases of these abrupt fire regime changes at different spatial and temporal scales, including those directly driven (i) by fauna, (ii) by invasive plant species, and (iii) by socio-economic and policy changes. All these drivers might generate non-linear effects of landscape changes in fuel structure; that is, they generate fuel changes that can cross thresholds of landscape continuity, and thus drastically change fire activity. Although climatic changes might contribute to some of these changes, there are also many instances that are not primarily linked to climatic shifts. Understanding the mechanism driving fire regime changes should contribute to our ability to better assess future fire regimes.

The Seychelles has undergone major socio-economic and political changes during the past four decades. Tourism and fisheries, being the mainstay of the country's economy, have positively impacted upon and influenced the form of institution framework and policies in the management of the environment and biodiversity. The Department of Environment, the organization responsible for biodiversity conservation, has changed its core functions over the years to accommodate its obligations under international conventions and again more recently because of a major economic reform program. The creation of several authorities and agencies has resulted in new challenges but at the same time opened up new opportunities. Despite all these changes, the government, with the support of international and local stakeholders, has persevered to safeguard its biodiversity.

The aim of this study was to identify the factors inducing customers to choose cashless payments made with payment cards at retail and service outlets during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified factors that are crucial for consumers’ functioning under pandemic conditions, but which have so far been neglected in research. The estimated logit model indicates that the variables significantly influencing the more frequent choice of payment cards at retail outlets are related to the fear of infection and perception of the advantages of new technological solutions in connection with social distancing. Our study shows that, in addition to sociodemographic characteristics such as age and level of education, emotionally motivated factors induced by the pandemic have begun to play an important role in the transition to cashless payment.

Background This study explores the continuity and transformation of wild plant foraging practices in Biella, Piedmont (northwestern Italy), over the past 55 years. The aim was to assess how cultural, economic, and environmental shifts have shaped local ethnobotanical knowledge and practices, using a 1970 survey as a baseline for comparison. Ethnobotanical fieldwork was conducted with 15 local informants to document current wild plant uses for food and herbal teas. Results The resulting dataset of 82 species was compared with a historical record of 93 species to identify patterns of continuity, loss, and innovation. Three main patterns emerged: (1) the disappearance of certain traditionally foraged plants, not due to ecological absence but largely because of socio-economic changes like the decline of pastoralism and the loss of daily interaction with mountain environments (2) the emergence of new foraging practices involving species that grow near settlements, linked to evolving lifestyles and land use; and (3) a relatively robust preservation of traditional ecological knowledge when compared to other Alpine areas. This resilience is attributed to the area’s geographic marginality, the socio-economic aftermath of the textile industry’s collapse, and the strength of local traditions such as home gardening and communal land use. Conclusion Wild plant foraging remains a living tradition in Biella, marked by both persistence and adaptation. The findings underscore the dynamic nature of ethnobotanical knowledge and its potential role in sustainability, food security, and cultural heritage preservation amid rural and peri-urban change.

The rise of gated communities in the Middle East is vastly spreading, driven by socioeconomic fluctuations and a desire for exclusivity. This article aims to contribute to the scholarly debates on the socio-spatial impacts of gated communities by presenting a narrative review that synthesises findings from peer-reviewed articles in the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The study suggests that residents of gated communities benefit from positive attributes, including security, lifestyle, and exclusivity. However, negative influences, including segregation and separation, extend beyond the walls, impacting the surrounding communities. This article argues that the spread of gated communities represents a trend of luxury and exclusivity for affluent individuals, largely driven by developers. It concludes that while gated communities offer several positive attributes, these benefits are limited to a specific group residing within their walls. Planners and policymakers are encouraged to leverage these benefits and incorporate them in future designs.

Lake Ziway, the only freshwater lake in Ethiopia’s Central Rift Valley basin, has been the source for irrigation, floriculture, fish farming and domestic water supply in the region for the last few decades. This study examined the impacts of the planned future agricultural developments and climate change on the lake water balance by an integrated application of the Soil Water Assessment Tool and Water Evaluation and Planning models. The future projections of precipitation and temperature from the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment, CORDEX-AFRICA, under the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5 were used for the climate change impact assessment. Nine irrigation development and climate change scenarios were developed and simulated to examine the separate and combined impacts on the lake water balance and supply coverages. The study showed that the planned future agricultural developments could result in a mean annual lake water level decline by about 0.15 m, with a considerable reduction (27% to 32%) in the outflow to the downstream Bulbula River. Climate change could increase evaporation losses from the shallow lake resulting in a drastic decrease in the lake water level, especially during the dry season. It could also significantly reduce (by about 74%) the amount of water flowing out of the lake. The combined impacts of future development and climate change are likely to reduce the supply coverages of most of the competing demands. Approaches need to be studied to minimize the lake water evaporation losses and explore water demand/supply management options.

Pastoral systems are known to be prone to social, political and ecological uncertainties. Traditional ecological knowledge that the pastoral communities hold around their bio-physical environment has been a key to cope with stressors and adapt to the rapid socio-economic changes. We examined traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) on livestock and resource management, factors influencing livestock production and concurrent changes in an agro-pastoral system. We used mixed methods by conducting 44 semi-structured interviews, 10 key informants’ interviews and resource mapping in five villages of Upper Spiti Landscape, western Himalaya. Our specific objectives were to (i) document TEK on livestock diet and management and (ii) understand the drivers and consequences of the change in the agro-pastoral society and associated traditional knowledge system. The herders of the study area possessed extensive knowledge of livestock diet and fodder species preference. They used this knowledge to optimize livestock grazing in pastures during summers and to fulfil the nutrient requirements of livestock species during stall feeding in winters. Seasonally, the aspect, altitude and accessibility of the pasture influenced the rotational use of pastures. In contrast, the quality of forage and water availability, distance of the pasture from village and threats from predators influenced the selection of grazing areas daily. There are evident changes in the livestock production system and signs that TEK is eroding in the region. Primary contributing factors to loss of TEK include changing aspirations of local people. These aspirations were related to employment in lucrative alternative options like cash crops and tourism, out-migration of the young generation for higher education and the arrival of immigrant labourers as new actors in livestock management. Livestock numbers in the study site remained dynamic between the year 2003-2016 owing to the substantive social and ecological changes. Our results suggest that while the traditional knowledge persists, the signs of erosion in traditional knowledge and associated changes in current herding practices are evident. We argue that recent changes in the pastoral social-ecological system, especially loss of TEK and non-traditional rearing practices, due to increasing dependence on immigrant labourers, may have negative implications for livestock production, rangeland health and wildlife conservation goals in the long run. Long term site-specific studies on livestock production and associated knowledge would be critical for adaptive rangeland management and policies.