Conservation scientists, national governments, and international conservation groups seek to devise, and implement, governance strategies that mitigate human impact on the environment. However, few studies to date have systematically investigated the performance of different systems of governance in achieving successful conservation outcomes. Here, we use a newly-developed analytic framework to conduct analyses of a suite of case studies, linking different governance strategies to standardized scores for delivering ecosystem services, achieving sustainable use of natural resources, and conserving biodiversity, at both local and international levels. Our results: ( i ) confirm the benefits of adaptive management; and ( ii ) reveal strong associations for the role of leadership. Our work provides a critical step toward implementing empirically justified governance strategies that are capable of improving the management of human-altered environments, with benefits for both biodiversity and people.

Policy initiatives from the United Nations and EU institutions have emphasized the need for higher education institutions (HEIs) to fulfil a significant role in green transitioning. However, they tend to fall short of the achievement of this objective. Multiple studies indicate that HEIs assign high importance to the integration of environmental sustainability on a strategic level but generally lack dedicated policies of integration in operational aspects. This paper’s research aim is to provide a meta-study that reviews, analyzes, and assesses the state of the art on research on HEI sustainability. The paper also contributes to the state-of-the-art by mapping institutional sustainability self-assessment models, tools, and guidelines in four prominent research areas: (1) sustainability integration in educational activities, pedagogical perspectives, and systemic transformations; (2) benchmarking sustainability of organizational transformation and operational optimization, and links between developmental priorities and educational settings; (3) whole-system approaches focusing on the design and implementation of whole-institution sustainability plans; and (4) HEI sustainability culture and operations. The paper’s final contribution is the presentation of best practices and emerging trends in the literature. These practices were selected on the following qualitative methodological criteria based on the systems-thinking approach to whole-institution assessment: (1) the effectiveness of self-assessment models, tools, and guidelines in each respective research area; (2) the degree of integration of systems thinking and/or modeling; and (3) the incorporation of qualitative indicators for stakeholder engagement.

Maritime transport and ports are among the most important linkages between global economies, handling more than 90% of internationally traded goods. Economic importance of maritime transport imposes significant implications on the social and environmental performance of port regions. The paper aims to create composite indices as relevant, scientific-based tools used in comparing and monitoring various aspects of sustainability across 37 sea port regions in seven countries on the European side of the Mediterranean, covering a five-year period from 2014 to 2018. The model encompasses Eurostat and OECD annual NUTS2 level data covering economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Two important indicators of maritime transport activity, maritime transport of freight and maritime transport of passengers, are included within the group of economic indicators. To create composite indices, the multicriteria decision making (MCDM) framework was used as an integrated approach of entropy in the weighting segment, and the Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) as an aggregation method. The results highlight GDP per capita and population density as indicators of the greatest relative importance when it comes to port regions sustainability. The ranking results indicate that, despite the fact that Attica is the best ranked region in terms of overall sustainability, the largest number of top rated port regions are in Italy, Spain and France.

Manos B., Bournaris T., Kamruzzaman M., Begum M., Anjuman A. and Papathanasiou J. (2006) Regional impact of irrigation water pricing in Greece under alternative scenarios of European policy: a multicriteria analysis, Regional Studies 40, 1–15. This study simulates the impact that various policies based upon the water price have on agricultural production and analyses the economic, social and the environmental implications of alternative irrigation water policies using a multicriteria model. For the purpose of scenario analysis, narratives and quantitative indicator values have been compiled. The results show that the increase of water price causes almost similar impacts with those observed in the status quo scenario. The results also stress that water pricing as a single instrument for controlling irrigation water use is not a satisfactory tool for significantly reducing water consumption in agriculture. Manos B., Bournaris T., Kamruzzaman M., Begum M., Anjuman A. et Papathanasiou J. (2006) L'impact régional du prix de l'eau d'irrigation en Grèce sous des optiques de politique européenne différentes: une analyse à plusieurs variables, Regional Studies 40, 1–15. Cette étude cherche à simuler l'impact que pourraient avoir sur la production agricole diverses politiques fondées sur le prix de l'eau et, à partir d'un modèle à plusieurs variables, analyser les retombées économiques, sociales et écologiques des politiques alternatives pour ce qui concerne l'eau d'irrigation. Pour analyser des scénarios, on a établi des histoires narratives et des indicateurs quantitaifs. Les résultats laissent voir que la hausse du prix de l'eau entraîne des impacts qui sont plus ou moins similaires au statu quo. Les résultats soulignent aussi que la tarification de l'eau comme le seul moyen de contrôler l'eau d'irrigation ne s'avère pas un outil satisfaisant pour réduire sensiblement la consommation de l'eau dans l'agriculture. Retombées économiques, sociales et écologiques Agriculture irriguée Modèle à plusieurs variables Analyse par le prix de l'eau Manos B., Bournaris T., Kamruzzaman M., Begum M., Anjuman A. und Papathanasiou J. (2006) Die regionalen Auswirkungen der Preise von Bewässerungswasser in Griechenland unter verschiedenen Szenarien der Europapolitik: eine Multikriterien-Analyse, Regional Studies 40, 1–15. In dieser Studie werden mit Hilfe eines Multikriterien-Modells die Auswirkungen verschiedener auf dem Wasserpreis aufbauender Politiken auf die landwirtschaftliche Produktion simuliert, und es werden die wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und Umweltauswirkungen unterschiedlicher Bewässerungswasser-Politiken analysiert. Für die Szenario-Analyse wurden Berichte und quantitative Indikatorwerte erfasst. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass eine Erhöhung des Wasserpreises beinahe ähnliche Auswirkungen hat wie die im Status-quo-Szenario beobachteten Auswirkungen. Ebenso bekräftigen die Ergebnisse die These, dass der Wasserpreis alleine als Mittel zur Kontrolle des Bewässerungswasserkonsums nicht ausreicht, um den Wasserverbrauch in der Landwirtschaft wesentlich zu senken. Wirtschaftliche, soziale und Umweltauswirkungen Bewässerungslandwirtschaft Multikriterien-Modell Analyse von Wasserpreis-Szenarien Manos B., Bournaris T., Kamruzzaman M., Begum M., Anjuman A. y Papathanasiou J. (2006) Impacto regional del precio del agua en la irrigación en Grecia bajo diferentes casos según la política europea: un análisis de varios criterios, Regional Studies 40, 1–15. Con ayuda de un modelo de varios criterios, en este estudio simulamos el impacto que tienen en la producción agrícola las diferentes políticas sobre el precio del agua, y analizamos las repercusiones económicas, sociales y medioambientales de las políticas alternativas del agua en la irrigación. Para fines analíticos hemos recopilado valores indicativos narrativos y cuantitativos. Los resultados indican que el aumento del precio del agua causa impactos casi similares con los que observamos en el caso de status quo. Los resultados también indican que el precio del agua como método único para controlar el uso de agua en la irrigación no es una herramienta satisfactoria para reducir en gran medida el consumo del agua en la agricultura. Economía, repercusiones sociales y medioambientales Agricultura de irrigación Modelo de muchos criterios Análisis de casos sobre el precio del agua