International Journal of Sustainable Development (6 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Vulnerability to climate change among rubber smallholders: a case study in Baling and Padang Terap districts of Malaysia  
  by Nur Hikmah Zulhaid, Roslina Kamaruddin, Siti Aznor Ahmad 
  Abstract: The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) was examined in this study using the methodology of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This study made use of primary data gathered through surveys of 200 smallholders in the Kedah districts of Padang Terap and Baling using a structured questionnaire. Weather variability and seasonal change represent the exposure dimension, while physical assets, natural assets, human assets, social assets, and financial assets represent the sensitivity dimension, and demographic profile, alternative strategy, and technology represent the adaptive capacity dimension. According to reports, rubber smallholders in Baling were more vulnerable than smallholders in Padang Terap. Alternative strategies and technological practices are viewed as critical needs capable of promoting long-term livelihood for rubber smallholders. Diversification in agricultural and non-agricultural activities was found to increase smallholders' adaptive capacity and, as a result, their incomes.
  Keywords: livelihood vulnerability index; exposure; sensitivity; adaptive capacity; Kedah.
  
  
• Strategic CSR, reputation and stakeholder management: the Ecoenel case  
  by Roberta Cavalcante, Rafaela Maia, José Milton Sousa Filho 
  Abstract: This study aims to analyse how the benefits of the Ecoelce socio-environmental program foster the development of intangible organisational resources of the Energy Company of Cear
  Keywords: strategic CSR; stakeholder management; stakeholder engagement; reputation; image; socio-environmental strategy.
  
  
• Economic growth, inequality, and environmental degradation  
  by Michael Dorsch, Bethany Kirkpatrick 
  Abstract: This paper re-examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation and tests the validity the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis by considering the role of income inequality. Using the Ecological Footprint (EF) as a consumption-based indicator of environmental degradation and the most comprehensive income inequality data available, we demonstrate that the environmental impact of economic growth depends on the distribution of income. We find evidence of an EKC relationship between the EF and economic growth; however, this result is conditional upon a perfectly egalitarian distribution of within-country income. For higher degrees of income inequality, we find no evidence of a `turning point' within an empirically feasible range. These results suggest that, when the gains of economic growth are concentrated, the associated rate of environmental degradation is greater than when they are more broadly shared.
  Keywords: environmental Kuznets curve; economic growth; income inequality; sustainable development.
  
  
• Scientific misconduct as social misconduct  
  by Juliette Rouchier 
  Abstract: This paper describes the place of disqualification in an environmental dispute in which scientists, although supposedly representing neutrality and reason, express publicly their opinion in place of constructed knowledge. This has an impact in terms of trust in science for the general public, can destroy the possibility to do field work, especially when the problem under study (here a pollution issue) is strongly linked to scientific activity, and can even generate a serious delay in a political process. The disqualification of others being very often observed in academics, an institution should be designed to solve disqualification issues with civility.
  Keywords: environment; long-term policy; policy analytics; French academics; avoidance; disqualification.
  
  
• Evaluation of sustainable development level for front-end cold-chain logistics of fruits and vegetables: a case study on Xinjiang, China  
  by Ting Wu, Hong Li, Jijuan Zhan, Shuai He, Bin Wang 
  Abstract: The first-mile problem in the producing area of fruits and vegetables (F&V) is a key difficulty in the sustainable development of agricultural industry chain. Based on the numerical examples from Xinjiang, China, this paper sets up an evaluation index system (EIS) for the sustainable development level (SDL) of front-end cold-chain logistics of F&V (FECCLF&V). Moreover, the temporal variation of FECCLF&V SDL in each prefecture was tracked, and the spatial distributions of FECCLF&V SDL in different prefectures were compared, with the aid of dynamic factor analysis, which overcomes the shortcomings of static analysis. In this way, the authors determined the key factors affecting the FECCLF&V SDL in various prefectures. The results show that: the FECCLF&V SDL in Xinjiang belongs to the growth period, as it gradually decreased with the growing distance from Urumqi, and fluctuated slightly with time; the prefectural differences in FECCLF&V SDL come from various regional-based factors; Xinjiang needs to take targeted measures to promote FECCLF&V SDL, which helps to enhance the sustainability of agricultural industry chain.
  Keywords: fruits and vegetables; evaluation; front-end cold-chain logistics; dynamic factor analysis; sustainable development.
  
  
• Evaluating the impacts of participatory processes for water management: a theoretical proposal based on the capability approach  
  by Sarah Loudin, Nils Ferrand, Patrice Garin, Jérôme Pélenc, Sophie Bonnard 
  Abstract: Public participation to manage water resources is largely promoted by institutional actors from national to international scale. Progress is still required to understand, depending on specific variables such as contexts, issues or implementation protocols, how participatory processes impact the individual participants, the group and eventually their decisions and practices. The need for a scientific evaluation tool applied to participatory processes and their transformative impacts has thus emerged during the last decade. We argue in this contribution that the capability approach can support researchers and practitioners in specifying, identifying and understanding changes occurring among individuals and groups taking part in a participatory process because of the twofold link that exists between the capabilities of participants and the participatory process they undertake. Once this has been considered, several methodological choices are required and reviewed here to define an operational evaluation framework, starting with the choice of the relevant capabilities to integrate into it.
  Keywords: public participation; monitoring and evaluation; capability approach; individual capability; collective capability; water management.