Digital Commons Network^™

Managing The Environmental And Socio-Economic Impacts Of Rohingya Refugees In Bangladesh, Mousume Azad

Master's Projects and Capstones

In August 2017, nearly 1 million Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh to save their lives from the genocide inflicted by the military of Myanmar. At present, over 1.3 million Rohingyas are staying at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in 34 overcrowded refugee camps. This research examined the environmental impacts especially the change in vegetation cover and land surface temperature as well as the socioeconomic alteration of the host country after the refugee influx. The research found a 5488 ha or 9.58% decrease in forest area, accompanied by an 8.25% increase in refugee settlement areas, an increase in average land surface temperature within …

Natural Reflection: Reducing The Environmental Impact Of Architecture Through Biomimetic Design, Keenan Doricent

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This project studies how typical building projects contribute to our environmental issues today and possible ways to reduce that contribution moving forward. In my literature review, I discuss the potential of biomimetic design as a possible solution for more environmentally considerate architecture techniques. Building operations and the construction process are two of the leading contributors to energy consumption and our growing ecological footprint as an industry. Everything from sourcing materials, to site preparation, and ultimately building occupation, factor into the effect of a structure’s life on the environment. The embodied and operational energy use of our expanding infrastructure continues to …

Exploring E-Bikes In The Era Of Electrification: Toward A More Sustainable And Equitable Transportation System, Ipek Nese Sener, Laura Higgins, Kyuhyun Lee

Research Reports

While increasing electrification is vital, additional steps are necessary to maximize its benefits in terms of reducing congestion and promoting sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation for all. E-bikes, operating at speeds faster than pedal-only bicycles and requiring less physical effort to ride, have the potential to offer transportation alternatives to a diverse range of users. However, many individuals who could benefit from e-bikes face barriers to accessing or using this mode of transportation. In this context, the primary objective of this study is to enhance our understanding of the barriers, concerns, and needs associated with e-bikes. Recognizing that such understanding …

Dynamics Of Link Importance Across Flood Disaster Phases And Flood Impacts On Operation Of An Industry, Navin Bhatta

All Theses

Transportation damage and disruptions will become increasingly common as the frequency of floods increases due to climate change. Given the size and cost of the transportation network construction, communities' mitigation measures should be supported by evaluations that cover both normal and disaster management phases. This thesis examines the criticality of road segments in the normal, flood response, and recovery phases, considering the effects on emergency services, healthcare, industry, education, recreation, and transit and analyses that whether a flood disrupts the operational trips of a company in Anderson County, South Carolina. A 100-year event and a 500-year flood event provides context …

The Demotechnic Index Of Nations (1980 - 2018) And Its Correlation With The Human Development Index (1990 – 2021), Camden Rainwater

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Demotechnic Index (DI) and the Human Development Index (HDI) are both useful metrics for assessing the development of nations, with each providing unique insights about a country’s standard of living. The DI, which uses energy consumption as a gauge, excels in capturing the impact of conflicts and economic disruptions. Additionally, its ability to be calculated based on different energy sources allows for evaluation of a nation's progress towards sustainable consumption patterns. Conversely, the HDI combines healthcare, education, and income dimensions, and uses them as a proxy that highlights human health crises, educational improvements, and economic growth, albeit with less …

The Use Of Patient Stories As A Knowledge Translation Strategy To Facilitate The Sustainability Of Evidence-Based Interventions (Ebis) In Healthcare, Rachel Flynn, Lauren Dobson, Ella Milne, Alyson Campbell, Kelly Mrklas, Tracy Wasylak, Shannon D. Scott

Patient Experience Journal

Background: Patient stories are real-life experiences told from a patient’s or their family’s perspective. In the past, patient stories have served many purposes in healthcare, such as spreading knowledge, educating providers, or conveying the patient experience. Patient stories are increasingly used as a knowledge translation (KT) strategy to improve the uptake of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) into clinical healthcare practices by embodying the patient experience. However, little is known about the use of patient stories to support the sustainability of EBIs in healthcare practices. There is a need to understand how patient stories can be used for the long-term use and …

From The Outside, Looking In: Reflections On The Complex Infrastructures Of African Art History, Joanna Gardner-Huggett

Artl@s Bulletin

This essay engages with the five articles featured in this issue from the perspective of a non-specialist. Each contribution considers challenges facing scholars of African arts when confronted with incomplete and not always reliable historical evidence. The author contends that given the escalating demands for the repatriation of African objects, all art historians— not only art historians focused on African arts—should better understand the important strategies proposed by contributors to this issue. These interventions encourage the development of a more critical audience for African arts and also model ethical research, a slow critical archival practice, and sustainable provenance and digital …

Perspective Chapter: Empowering Sustainable Development Through Education – A Perspective On The Educational Landscape And Its Impact On Sustainability, Khalid Aada

Writing and Language Studies Faculty Publications

Over the past decade, there has been a compelling discourse on transitioning from a rational paradigm, steeped in functionalist and utilitarian models, to a paradigm more aligned with the preservation of natural resources and life. This shift is crucial for addressing the urgent need to integrate sustainable principles into the educational sphere, with the aim of instigating a genuine cultural transformation. Recognizing the global impact of social, economic, and environmental challenges, numerous international entities advocate for an ambitious, complex, and transformative approach to sustainability in education. This scholarly work explores the intricate relationship between education, cultural change, and sustainability. It …

The Achievement Of Sustainability And Legacies By The Host Cities Of The Summer Olympiads, 2012–2024, Stephen Essex, Renata Latuf De Oliveira Sanchez

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Since the emergence of the concept of sustainable development, the Olympic Games have become a vehicle to demonstrate and promote the principles and practices of sustainability. The aim of this paper is to explain and evaluate how the application of sustainable development in the context of the Summer Olympic Games has evolved. Two processes have been influential in this change: first, the institutional expectations of the International Olympic Committee have encouraged greater responsibility towards the creation of legacies by potential host cities through the IOC Charter, the Olympic Agenda 2020, and the Olympic Agenda 2020+5; and second, the context and …

Evolving Hangwuran City Development Model Through Partial Least Square Approach In North-Central Nigeria, Samuel Medayese, Hangwelani H. Magidimisha-Chipungu, Lovemore Chipungu

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

The need for a paradigmatic shift in city development ideology has become increasingly evident over the years. In response to this need, the Hangwurian City Development Model was developed to establish a connection between the concepts of environmental awareness, urban governance, and management. This model also integrates sustainable urban development, urban liveability, and inclusive physical development. The research sets a critical objective of analyzing the significant levels of various indicator variables. The exploratory research utilized partial least squares (PLS) via SmartPLS to evaluate the variables, collecting quantitative data through the open data toolkit from three selected cities: Lokoja, Minna, and …

Promoting Sustainability At The Branch Of Nashville Through Volunteer Training Visuals, Ainsley P. Foster, Nick Wilson, Sophia Vickers

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The Branch of Nashville is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide comprehensive care to the diverse neighborhoods of Nashville, TN through food, ELL services, and individualized support. The services and resources that this organization provides are essential to the acclimation and thriving of vulnerable groups in their new communities. The volunteers at The Branch play a pivotal role in ensuring that each client is welcomed into the community and has their needs appropriately addressed. Thus, there is a need for volunteers to undergo adequate training to feel confident in performing these roles. The Branch, however, currently lacks training materials …

Nonprofits Should Adopt A User-Centric Change Model To Scale Corporate Environmental Action Faster, Doug Miller

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Pollution levels and ecosystem degradation continue to worsen, suggesting the insufficiency of current approaches to reverse these problematic trends. For environmental nonprofits, the current theory of change revolves around developing techno-economic analysis about environmental problems and available solutions, building public awareness around this analysis, and motivating decision makers to set goals. Given present environmental realities and the limited success of their current theory of change, environmental nonprofits should transform how they execute their work, what they produce, and how they coordinate with each other. Instead, nonprofits should begin putting the user—business decision makers as well as policymakers—front and center as …

Hurricane Impacts On Water Resources: A Look At Nature-Based Solutions To Improve Long-Term Resilience, Fautemeh Sajadi Bami

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Severe storms are a common occurrence in the state of Florida. Hurricane events may cause hazards such as flooding, property damage, death, and many others. Such far-reaching impacts may potentially result in dangerous consequences where they occur. Of interest to this study were the impacts on water resources and water quality caused by storms. Hurricanes can bring about a deluge. An apparent excess of water may cause the notion of water scarcity to seem less significant. However, problems with potable water can be quite frequent due to storms.

This research sought to address the impacts of severe storms on water …

Grazing Behavior Of The Endemic Lagune Cattle In The Sub-Humid Savannahs Of Benin, E. Sonon, G. G. Alowanou, B. I. Koura, O. J. Makinde, A. B. Gbangboche

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The indigenous Lagune, a breed tolerant to trypanosomiasis, is an excellent candidate to meet the ongoing environmental changes sustainably. This cattle breed could be kept like small ruminants, tethered in grasslands, or free grazing. A study was conducted to assess the grazing behavior of Lagune cattle under the two grazing systems to identify the best systems for sustainable production and conservation of the breed. For this study, four Lagune cattle farms, 02 under free-roaming and 02 others in the tethered system, were selected in the original belt of the Lagune cattle, the agro-ecological (AEZ) zones of Valley and Pobe. The …

Global Change Impacts On Indigenous Sustainability In Sakha Republic: A Synthesis Of Knowledge, Stanislav Saas Ksenofontov, Andrey N. Petrov

Faculty Publications

Indigenous understanding of sustainability is embedded in close relations to land and environment, Indigenous Knowledge systems, Indigenous epistemologies and ontologies, and Indigenous languages. However, the sustainability of Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods is significantly affected by various global change drivers. In the Arctic, Indigenous peoples’ livelihoods are impacted by environmental, social, and cultural changes, including climate change, environmental pollution, economic processes, and resource extraction. This paper aims to review and synthesize recent academic and gray literature on the sustainability of Indigenous communities in Sakha Republic, Northeast Siberia, Russia in the face of global change with a particular focus on land- and water-based …

Energy Justice And Renewable Rikers, Rebecca Bratspies

University of Miami Law Review

Unsustainable energy practices generate the lion’s share of global carbon emissions as well as staggering levels of deadly particulate pollution. Replacing the current dirty, fossil fuel-based system with affordable, clean energy is both a human rights imperative and a climate change necessity. This transition, which has already begun, creates the opportunity to do things differently. By confronting the structural racism embedded in existing energy structures, we can build a just transition rather than just a transition. This Article uses New York City’s Renewable Rikers project as a case study to explore how we might take advantage of the intersections between …

Missing Middle Housing: Accelerating America’S Transition From Single-Family Zoning, Lena Zeebuyth, Mallory Moore

Natural Resources Journal

As housing unaffordability and climate change impose increasingly greater costs on American cities and towns, there is a growing sense that single-family residential zoning ordinances are partly to blame for these challenges. Many Americans remain unwilling to address these difficulties by welcoming large apartment buildings into their neighborhoods. Fortunately, policies designed to promote “middle housing” development––visually attractive duplexes and townhome projects––tend to be more politically feasible than policies that drive apartment development. Further, such policies do much to improve the affordability and environmental sustainability of residential neighborhoods. This Article describes how promoting greater middle housing development in the United States …

The Future Of Clovers In Forage Systems And As Cover Crops, J. H. Bouton, John R. Caradus

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Clovers (Trifolium spp.) are the most widely used genera of legumes in forage systems, although only a limited number of the hundreds of perennial and annual species are commercially available. The number of varieties available within each of the main commercial species can be high and demonstrates past breeding achievements. Success relates to any clover’s ability to persist in mixtures with other forage species, across a range of soil types, management systems, and climates, while providing animal nutrition and biologically fixed nitrogen benefits. Uses range from traditional pasture mixtures with grasses to inclusion in multi-species mixtures, and as cover …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Cellulose Microfibril-Reinforced Polyvinyl Alcohol Biodegradable Composites, Fatemeh Mahdiyeh-Boroujeni, Gabriella Fioravanti, Ronald Kander

School of Design and Engineering Papers

The pursuit of an environmentally sustainable manufacturing process requires the substitution of less damaging and recyclable solutions for harmful reagents. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of using cellulose microfibrils synthesized via different hydrolysis reactions as reinforcing agents in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) at varying concentrations. The investigation explores the morphology, thermal properties, and chemical behavior of the cellulose particles. The cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) produced using citric acid exhibited the highest yield and aspect ratio. Notably, particles from organic acids demonstrated greater thermal stability, with oxalic acid-derived particles displaying the maximum thermal degradation temperature. Subsequently, cast films of PVA reinforced …

Environmental Education For Sustainability, Lucille Gertz

Educational Studies Dissertations

The climate is in crisis. Many conservation organizations identify in their mission statements the priority of motivating constituents to engage with conservation action. This priority is typically implemented by educators who design and deliver educational activities and materials. This study, designed to develop a professional pathway for environmental educators to develop programs designed to motivate adult audiences toward engagement with conservation action, addressed the question: How can environmental educators more effectively promote conservation behavior change in adult learning audiences? Three guiding research questions were: 1) To what extent are environmental educators familiar with and utilizing theoretical frameworks and research-based tools …

Coral Cover Percentage And Health Condition In Tioman Island Marine Protected Area, Pahang, Malaysia, Nur Addawiah Mohamad Rodzi, Mohamed Fahmy Yusof, Zaidi Che Cob

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Continuous evaluation and monitoring of coral percentage cover and health status is critical for enhancing coral reef resilience management. The present study aimed to determine the coverage and coral status at important sites of Tioman Island Marine Park, which include Renggis Island, Tiong Point and Tekek. Surveillance video recording and in situ observation were carried out using the Coral Video Transect (CVT) method, which were analyzed using the Coral Point Count with Excel extension (CPCe) software. The overall health status for the study area was considered as “fair” with 41.61% ± 4.46% of mean live coral coverage. Among the stations …

Education For Sustainability – Are We Forgetting The Economic Dimension?, Ozeias Rodrigues Da Rocha, Daniel Kamphambale, Jon-Hans Coetzer, Cormac H. Macmahon, Lucia Morales

Irish Journal of Academic Practice

The world's economies face acute anthropocentric challenges. We are witnessing significant structural disruption, driven by an urgent need to redress a historical focus on unchecked economic growth and unequal access to resources, requiring seismic transformations of our economic, social, and educational systems. Debate about sustainable development is becoming less controversial. Yet, many countries still struggle to commit to action. Whist political leaders engage in commendable discussion on sustainable practices, impacts range from rhetoric to constrained solutions. Our socio-economic and environmental challenges require collective effort, as we witness a contestation of development models that omit environmental preservation, lack inclusivity and compromise …

Profile: Celebrating Sustainability, Communications And Marketing

Profile (1996-)

In this issue: Zavada is First Morton Gneiss Professor; Cougar Days of Giving Event is Resounding Success; Planned Giving is Way for Alum to Give Significant Support; New at UMN Morris: Degree in Three; Cofer Named Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean; Pandemic Challenges Led to Improved Chemistry Lab; Kapemni Program Created with NSF Grant; UMN Morris Archives Receives National Endowment for the Humanities Grant; Morris Model Wins Competition to Energize Rural Communities; UMN Morris Included in Food Justice Initiative Funding; DuHamel Receives McKnight Musician Fellowship Grant; Peters Receives JEDI Award; Brugger Named Fellow of the Geological Society of …

Worker's Rights, Vijay Pereira, Daicy Vaz, Arup Varma

School of Business: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This chapter discusses the rights of workers. It focuses on Bangladesh, China, India, and Vietnam.

What Goes Around Comes Around Final Submission, Roger Owen Moore, Nina Vermolen, Jaiden Stansberry, Mannix Shaffer, Carson Brandt, Carson Cronk, Elena Bigart

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

What Goes Around Comes Around

Climate change is a prevalent issue affecting every individual globally. There are many factors that increase of greenhouse gases, including textile waste. Textiles can have an extended lifetime, but are often discarded once unwanted or outgrown. One solution to mitigate the negative global impacts of textiles is to apply the circular economy and reuse clothing. Our project not only focuses on defining the circular economy and its implementation, but also highlights waste management, campus sustainability, and education awareness. This project aims to discover how the University of Montana can implement the circular economy in its …

Owning Green: Evaluating The Effects Of Actively Managed Sustainability Fund Ownership On Esg Scores, Caleb Young

CMC Senior Theses

The growing trend of acknowledging ESG performance as a material concern when conducting due diligence on investment opportunities has exacerbated the number of assets being managed by investors with sustainability-oriented goals. At the same time, as social and climate-related issues have become more intense, investors want to use their agency as shareholders to influence companies to act in ways that align with their values. Frequently, this can be most effectively achieved through proxy voting and corporate engagement, particularly if the fund is an active manager. This thesis explores the interaction between ESG-focused ETFs and mutual funds and their management style …

The Effect Of Water Scarcity On Gender Dynamics In Egypt, Zahwa Kortam

The Undergraduate Research Journal

This article investigates the complex relationship between Egypt's agriculture, water scarcity, and gender dynamics. It highlights the challenges facing the agricultural sector due to water shortages in a country highly dependent on the Nile River for food security and agricultural development. Women, who have been traditionally integral to agriculture, have to deal with multiple challenges posed by water scarcity. For men, their roles are changing, and with that, the power dynamics and social norms. This article attempts to reveal opportunities for gender equality and sustainable use of water resources through the examination differences in experiences between men and women in …

Mind, Body, And Farmland: The Agricultural Revolution Of Regenerative Agriculture And The Social Construction Of Sustainability., Amanda C. Pennett

Honors Theses

An agricultural revolution has begun to take place in light of the growing awareness of environmental issues that impact crop production on farms. In the beginning of the fall of 2022, I began to study the culture of regenerative agriculture in rural Pennsylvania using anthropological methods, including participant-observation and semi-structured interviews, working alongside local farmers. I was also interested in uncovering the flaws in our current industrial agricultural system and how farming could be reimagined to benefit farmers’ mental health, soils, and ecosystems while privileging the voices of those farmers committed to regenerative farming. The ongoing evolution of regenerative farming …

Analyzing The Effects Of Knowledge Management On Organizational Performance Through Knowledge Utilization And Sustainability, Faezeh Mohaghegh, Halil Zaim, Vladimir Dzenopoljac, Aleksandra Dzenopoljac, Nick Bontis

All Works

In today's turbulent business environment, gaining sustainable competitive advantage requires organizations to manage knowledge capabilities effectively and use resources efficiently. The primary objective of this study is to explore the relationship among knowledge management (KM) processes, including knowledge generation, knowledge codification, and knowledge sharing, with knowledge utilization, sustainability, and organizational performance. The research mainly examines both the direct effect of KM on organizational performance and its indirect effect through sustainability and knowledge utilization. A theoretical framework is introduced and tested using data gathered from companies within the services sector in Kuwait. The results indicate that knowledge utilization and sustainability fully …

Conceptualizing Sustainability And Resilience In Value Chains In Times Of Multiple Crises—Notes On Agri-Food Chains, Alexander Follmann, Peter Dannenberg, Nina Baur, Boris Braun, Grit Walther, Amelie Bernzen, Jan Börner, Michael Brüntrup, Martin Franz, Emmanuel Sulle

Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre

Global and regional agri-food value chains feed societies and are an income source for hundreds of millions of farmers around the world. They are also target areas for action to achieve a global sustainability transformation. Agri-food chains are highly vulnerable in the context of multiple crises, including the global environmental crisis, geopolitical fragmentation, armed conflicts and wars, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures to increase chain resilience are widely discussed; however, some such measures contradict sustainability measures. While there has been considerable research on the sustainability and resilience of agri-food chains, few studies have integrated both perspectives or …