A multi-framework analysis of stakeholders' perceptions in developing a localized blue carbon ecosystems strategy in Eastern Samar, Philippines.

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) are vital for global climate change mitigation and offer diverse local ecosystem co-benefits. Despite existing literatures on integrating national and international BCE agendas at the local level, the development and implementation of localized BCE strategies often lag behind. To provide insights on this knowledge gap, we present a case study conducted in Eastern Samar, Philippines. Employing a multi-framework analysis- encompassing DPSIR (drivers, pressures, state, impact, responses), SOAR (strengths, opportunities, aspirations, results), and PESTLE (political, economic, social, technological, legal, environmental) frameworks, stakeholder perceptions collected from focus group discussions highlight issues and challenges in developing and implementing a BCE strategy. Findings reveal that the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 in the study sites stimulated conservation efforts and raised awareness, but governance structures and policy enforcement influence the success and longevity of management and conservation efforts. Through the integration of multiple frameworks, this study outlined a potential localized BCE strategy, emphasizing both internal priorities such as stakeholder engagement and alternative livelihoods and external priorities related to policy and technological supports. While developed based on a specific case study in the Philippines, the proposed strategy is presented in a general manner, enabling its potential replication in other provinces in the Philippines or in countries with similar geographic settings.

Critical factors influencing visitor emotions: analysis of "restorativeness" in urban park visits in Fuzhou, China.

Objective: To date, a comprehensive analysis of urban green space (UGS) visitors' emotional remains largely unexplored. In this study, we focus on how UGS environmental preferences, restorativeness, other physical factors (sound, air, and thermal environments), and individual characteristics affecting visitor emotions. Such a comprehensive analysis would allow relevant practitioners to check the environmental quality of UGSs and improve certain conditions to promote visitor emotions. Methods: A total of 904 questionnaire responses with concurrently monitored physical factors were analyzed by independent sample t-tests, one-way ANOVA and path analysis. Results: The thermal evaluation had the largest impact on positive emotions (ß = 0.474), followed by perceived restorativeness (ß = 0.297), which had ß values of -0.120 and -0.158, respectively, on negative emotions. Air evaluation was more effective for increasing positive emotions (ß = 0.293) than reducing negative emotions (ß = -0.115). Sound evaluation also had similar results (ß = 0.330 vs. ß = -0.080). Environmental preference significantly influenced only positive emotions (ß = 0.181) but could still indirectly impact negative emotions. Moreover, objective physical factors can indirectly affect visitors' emotions by enhancing their evaluations.. Conclusion: The influence of different UGS environmental factors on visitors' emotions vary, as does their impacts on positive versus negative emotions. Positive emotions were generally more affected than negative emotions by UGS. Visitor emotions were mainly influenced by physical and psychological factors. Corresponding suggestions are proposed for UGS design and management in this study.

Does novel food differ in cultural contexts? A comparative analysis of Japanese and Singaporean cultural acceptance through text analysis of mass media.

Novel foods include foods which are expected to be major sources of protein, such as cultured meat and insects. They can reduce environmental impacts due to production. However, producing such novel foods involves ethical considerations including social acceptance. The discourse related to novel foods is expanding; hence, this study analyzed them through news articles, comparing Japan and Singapore. The former uses spearheading technology to produce cultured meat, and the latter is in the early phase of cultured meat production while still using insects as a traditional source of protein for the diet. This study identified the characteristics of the discourse of novel foods using text analysis methods comparing Japan and Singapore. Specifically, contrasting characteristics were identified based on different sets of cultural and religious norms and backgrounds. Japan has a tradition of entomophagy, and a startup private company was highlighted in mass media. In Singapore, although the country is one of the leading countries producing novel foods, entomophagy itself is not popular; this is because major religions in Singapore do not recommend or prohibit eating insects. For the government policy, the specific standards of entomophagy and cultured meat are still in development in Japan and other majority of countries. We propose an integrated analysis of standards for novel foods, and social acceptance is needed to provide insights into the development of novel foods.

Policy frameworks and regulations for the research and development of cell-based meats: Systematic literature review.

Cell-based meats have been discussed in terms of improving sensory factors for consumer acceptance and remedying the environmental problems of conventional livestock production. The improvement accompanies the modification of the production process and the consumption habit regarding cell-based meats. This review analyzed the current status of policies that promote cell-based meats, the related literature, and policy frameworks for the regulation and promotion of cell-based meats in the European Union, Singapore, the United States, Israel, and Japan. Sample selection was based on language, that is, English and Japanese. Further selection was exploratory to analyze the diverse degree of the integration of cell-based meats in policies. The region and countries were selected as leading cases, thereby enabling a policy comparison because they host global corporations that produce cell-based meat. The literature review examined peer-reviewed social science articles from 2013 to early 2022 on policies that promote cell-based meats. The results of the policy surveys revealed that regulations focused on the safety of and measures to display these novel foods by conducting a premarket assessment. These regulations are the basis for developing cell-based meats. Furthermore, some countries and the region being studied justified their support for cell-based meats by implementing action plans for decarbonization and food security. However, unclear communication regarding the nomenclature of cell-based meats is likely to slow down the development of cell-based meats. Moreover, religious beliefs and other cultural perceptions, including animal welfare, leave much room to research such promotion. Similarly, environmental impact assessments of cell-based meats demand further considerations and discussions to accompany evidence-based policymaking for cell-based meats.

Potential of seagrass habitat restorations as nature-based solutions: Practical and scientific implications in Indonesia.

Seagrasses offer diverse ecosystem services, yet, they are among the most threatened ecosystems. When degraded or destroyed, their services are lost or reduced in the process, affecting, for instance, local communities directly dependent on their livelihood provision. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that climate change is projected to worsen over time; thus, there is an urgent need for mitigation strategies in practice and also in the longer term. This work aims to provide an alternative perspective of seagrass restoration as a nature based solution (NbS) on a global scale, yet, giving an emphasis on tropical regions such as Indonesia. We focused on seagrass restorations which are not yet well established in comparison with other restoration programs (e.g., mangroves) despite their critical roles. We present in this work how restoring seagrass meadows fits the global standard of NbS published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The results of this study can serve as a basis for promoting seagrass restorations as NbS against climate change particularly in countries with a wide extent of seagrass coverage.

Examining who benefited from green infrastructure during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020: Considering the issues of access to green areas from socioeconomic and environmental perspectives.

Access to green areas was one of the most contested issues during Japan's first coronavirus emergency period in 2020. The access was examined using a large-scale online questionnaire survey. An integrated analysis of socioeconomic attributes and environmental factors was conducted, and a typology of respondents, in terms of being beneficiaries of green infrastructure, was provided. Based on empirical datasets, we identified: (1) a relatively strong influence of the pandemic on the access to green areas for young females, both positively and negatively, (2) difficulties of green area access for unmarried low-income respondents in terms of aspects such as travel time, and (3) the influence of neighboring environments on green area access; for example, if there were agricultural lands near the respondents' residential areas, they tended to visit those lands instead of other green areas. The identified typology can serve as a basis for policy targets or components within policy, to enhance the management of green infrastructure as "open" and public areas. This analysis method can be applied to different regions globally, and it contributes to policymaking for green area management to enhance social and individual well-being.

Tourism impacts on small island ecosystems: public perceptions from Karimunjawa Island, Indonesia.

In Indonesia, tourism has become a promising major economic sector, particularly because of its contributions toward developing the economy and creating employment opportunities for local communities with rich coastal ecosystems. However, the balance between the environmental, social, and economic realms has come into question, as unsustainable tourism practices continue to be promoted in Indonesia. To address such challenges, it is important to identify tourism impacts and provide sustainable policies and plans. Communities often record tourism impacts through their perceptions and act as important stakeholders in the process of sustainable tourism development. We examined tourism impacts on coastal ecosystems in Karimunjawa from the perspective of local communities. More comprehensively, we investigated their perceptions from three perspectives: socio-cultural, economic, and environmental. The study results revealed that the respondents held positive perceptions about tourism's impact on socio-cultural and economic sectors and negative perceptions about its impact in the environmental domain. A chi-square test and Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that the respondents' educational attainment and tourism involvement influenced their perceptions on these issues. The current study results could be used as a baseline reference for contextualizing sustainable tourism plans regarding small island ecosystems in Indonesia. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11852-022-00852-9.

Community perceptions of long-term mangrove cover changes and its drivers from a typhoon-prone province in the Philippines.

Mangrove forests are among the most productive ecosystems with important services such as food and livelihood provisions, recreations, and regulations (e.g., coastal protection) in local scales. At global scale, they are gaining salience for their carbon sequestration capacities, currently conceptualized as "blue carbon." However, their essential benefits are reduced or lost when degraded. There is, therefore, a need to explore long-term mangrove cover change (MCC) and its underpinning drivers to develop sustainable management strategies. MCC has been analyzed extensively, including satellite images and field surveys, with drivers of changes frequently embedded in local contexts. Thus, in this study, MCC and the causal factors are evaluated at the local scale by gathering community perceptions in Eastern Samar, a typhoon-prone province in the Philippines, with a timeframe since the 1970s until the present. Results show that mangrove cover loss was observed following the occurrence of Typhoon Agnes in 1984 and Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 while conversion of mangrove areas to residential spaces was identified as a recurring driver of mangrove depletion from the early 1970s to 1990s. Study participants perceived that natural threats and lack of law enforcement were the leading proximate and underlying drivers of degradation, respectively. Respondents perceived that mangrove cover is increasing mainly due to successive reforestation programs coupled with stricter implementation of local ordinances in the sites. The results indicate the increased role of mangrove forests in disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation strategies, while the perceptions of drivers change in long terms.

Fostering biocultural diversity in landscapes through place-based food networks: a "solution scan" of European and Japanese models.

Many Japanese and European landscapes harbor biocultural diversity that has been shaped by human agency over centuries. However, these landscapes are threatened by widespread land abandonment, land-use changes, and urbanization. The aim of this study is to use a "solution scanning" method to identify place-based food networks in Europe and Japan that reinforce linkages between biological and cultural diversity in landscapes. In our analysis of 26 European and 13 Japanese cases, we find that place-based food networks are typically located in heterogeneous landscapes, are driven by civil society (and less by markets), and act at a local scale. Regional identity is the most frequently addressed societal issue. Scenery, rural tourism, and nature conservation are more important motivations in Europe, and physical well-being and revitalization of local economies are more relevant in Japan. European models are typically associated with achieving biodiversity conservation and socio-cultural tradition outcomes, and Japanese models more with public health and nutrition outcomes. We discuss the potential for transfer of approaches from Japan to Europe (e.g., models that tackle the aging of rural societies), and from Europe to Japan (e.g., models that build explicit connections between food production and biodiversity conservation). We conclude with a list of recommended policy measures, e.g., the creation of a flexible legal framework that protects the interests of and reduces political constraints for collaborative efforts to biocultural diversity in landscapes.