Interdisciplinary Environmental Review (5 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Advanced AQI Interpretation using deep convolutional neural networks - a case study for Delhi  
  by Kavita Pabreja, Gauri Banga, Gaurav Kumar Sharma, Shivansh Batra 
  Abstract: Air pollution has a wide range of harmful impacts on public health, economy of country, and the environment. Delhi, one of the most highly polluted places globally, consistently experiences alarmingly high levels of pollution, accompanied by associated health hazards, severe economic losses due to decreased productivity, and environmental degradation. Hence, there is a need for real-time, accurate Air Quality Index monitoring. Traditional methods, which often rely on location-based sensors, are effective but they lack broader coverage as they may not be installed at all locations or may malfunction. This research presents an advanced Convolutional Neural Network model for AQI interpretation based on image to enable continuous and accurate air quality monitoring. An accuracy of 85.71% has been obtained for classifying AQI in six categories. To ensure practical application, a web-based platform and a chatbot has been developed, allowing users to obtain real-time AQI information through an easy-to-use interface.
  Keywords: air quality index; AQI; visual geometry group; VGG16 model; deep convolutional neural networks; flask API.
  DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.10071110
   
  
• EVCS site selection and alternative station proposal with GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making method  
  by Ümmühan Nida Erol , Mustafa Göçken 
  Abstract: Electric vehicles (EVs) are environmentally friendly as they do not use fuel and save gas. Although they have many advantages, such as almost zero emissions and lighter vehicle weight, their main disadvantage is the problems with charging. One of the solutions produced to deal with this problem is the approach to building new electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs). In order to increase the use and development of EVs, it is necessary to choose the most suitable location for the battery stations and to establish the stations. Hence, this article employs a geographic information system (GIS)-based multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach to tackle the task of selecting EVCS locations. A four-stage solution approach was developed: 1) criteria research and decision on 3 main and 9 sub-criteria, 2) determining the weights of criteria using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), 3) creating a suitability map for site selection, 4) identifying and ranking alternative stations.
  Keywords: electric vehicle; site selection; battery station.
  DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.10071802
   
  
• The role of digitalisation in the development of Guyana coastal analysis system  
  by Temitope D. Timothy Oyedotun, Gordon Ansel Nedd, Esan A. Hamer 
  Abstract: Digitalisation has revolutionised coastal management by enabling access to open-source geospatial data and cloud computing platforms. The Guyana Coastal Analysis System (G-CAS) leverages digital globalisation, particularly open-access remote sensing datasets like Landsat (USGS/NASA) and Sentinel-2 (ESA), alongside Google Earth Engine’s (GEE) computational power, to enhance coastal monitoring and climate resilience. This paper examines the role of digitalisation in G-CAS, highlighting how global data-sharing, AI-driven analytics, and machine learning enable large-scale, near real-time coastal analysis. By integrating GIS-based models, hydrodynamic simulations, and automated shoreline detection, G-CAS offers a cost-effective solution for flood risk assessment, shoreline change analysis, and bathymetric monitoring. While open data accelerates coastal management in low-resource settings, challenges remain, including data accessibility, computational constraints, and policy integration gaps. Advancing AI-driven predictive models, adaptive policies, and capacity-building initiatives is essential to sustaining digitalisation’s transformative role in climate adaptation for coastal zones in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Guyana.
  Keywords: climate resilience; coastal monitoring; flood risk assessment; geospatial analysis; Google Earth engine; GEE; open data; remote sensing.
  DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.10072078
   
  
• Exploring community-based ecotourism in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, India: a literature review  
  by Pawas Chaturvedi, Akhilesh Kumar Singh, Vaibhav Bhatt, Jigme W. Bhutia, Amit Kumar Singh 
  Abstract: Ecotourism has emerged as a sustainable alternative for fostering socio-economic development while safeguarding natural resources and cultural heritage. Protected Areas (PAs) use ecotourism projects and initiatives as a strategic framework for conserving natural resources and community-led approaches to sustainable tourism development. This paper analyses the various issues, challenges, and opportunities for community participation in ecotourism initiatives within and around Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS), an untapped wildlife ecotourism destination in Uttar Pradesh. An in-depth analysis (quantitative data analysis) based on relevant literature on the selected indicators, framed with the help of an appropriate literature review of community-based ecotourism (CBET), has been applied to answer the study's objectives. The study found the potential of untapped CBET in and around (in the Peripheral areas) KWS. This paper provides an overview of the current state of ecotourism in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary and highlights avenues for future research on community-based ecotourism in the area.
  Keywords: ecotourism; community-based ecotourism; CBET; Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary; KWS; ecotourism opportunities; literature analysis; India.
  DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.10072102
   
  
• Green human resource management in hospitality: navigating sustainability, gender dynamics and pro-environmental behaviour in the hotel industry  
  by Chetna Sachdeva, Tripti Singh 
  Abstract: This research investigates how green human resource management (GHRM) practices impact environmental sustainability outcomes, focusing on the mediating role of employees' pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) and the moderating effect of gender. Primary data were collected from 310 white-collar employees in 3- to 5-star hotels in India through questionnaires, and statistical analysis was conducted using Smart PLS software. The results reveal significant direct relationships between GHRM, PEB, and environmental sustainability, indicating that GHRM practices effectively promote sustainability through enhanced employee behaviour. However, the hypothesised moderating role of gender on the relationship between GHRM and PEB was not supported. The findings suggest that hotels should adopt GHRM strategies to achieve sustainability goals and gain a competitive edge. This study uniquely explores GHRM's influence on green behaviour and sustainability, particularly in the Indian hotel industry, providing valuable insights for improving ecological outcomes through HR practices.
  Keywords: green human resource management; GHRM; pro-environmental behaviour; PEB; environmental sustainability; gender; India; hotel industry.
  DOI: 10.1504/IER.2025.10072147