Animesh Gain

Sustaining agricultural systems in tropical regions with complex topography is essential for enhancing productivity, resilience, and biodiversity conservation. This study applies the Healthy Farm Index (HFI) to evaluate farm-level sustainability across four dimensions production, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and quality of life in moderate-altitude agricultural landscapes of Penebel Sub-district, Tabanan District, Bali, Indonesia. Two villages with contrasting topographic conditions, Babahan and Senganan, were selected for comparative analysis. A total of 60 farming households and their associated farmlands were purposively sampled. Data collection included soil properties (pH and moisture), hardscape conditions, crop and livestock diversity, and farmer socio-economic characteristics. Biodiversity was assessed using the Shannon-Wiener Index, while relationships between HFI and other key indicators were analysed using linear regression and Pearson correlations in R. The results reveal that Babahan Village exhibited a higher median HFI (0.63) compared to Senganan Village (0.39), indicating more favorable agro-ecosystem conditions in relatively flatter terrain. A strong negative correlation was observed between soil pH and soil moisture (r = -0.98, p <0.001). Furthermore, species diversity (H′) showed a significant inverse relationship with HFI (R² = 0.76, p<0.001), suggesting a tradeoff whereby higher agricultural health scores are associated with the dominance of specific functional species rather than greater overall species richness. These findings highlight the influence of topography on farm-scale sustainability and underscore the critical role of land management practices. The study emphasises the need for site-specific strategies, including agroforestry and integrated water management, to optimise agricultural health in heterogeneous tropical landscapes.

To assess how scientific contributions reflect trends in environmental management in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand and meet the needs of the environmental profession, we reviewed peer-reviewed articles published in the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management from 2004 to 2024. The 449 publications demonstrate a strong interdisciplinary focus on governance, policy and social dimensions as well as balanced attention to land and water issues across a wide set of contemporary and continuing environmental concerns, including climate change and conservation. We found the journal makes a sound contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals. Much of the research by the 1,044 authors is multi-sectoral, with growing collaboration among government, industry and not-for-profit organisations. The journal’s knowledge base aligns well with the needs of the environmental profession as identified in a recent report. Topics warranting greater representation in future publications include climate change, disaster and resilience, political influence on policy, environmental education as well as Indigenous resource use. Although performing well on equity criteria, the Australasian Journal of Environmental Management encourages more contribution from Indigenous and female authors from both New Zealand and Australia.

Rising seas, scorching heatwaves and intensifying storms are no longer distant threats; they are reshaping where and how people live. Faced with these pressures, individuals and communities must navigate a fundamental question: should they move, or should they stay and adapt? To what extent do they have a choice? Much of the climate change–mobility literature frames this as a simple dichotomy: migration versus non-migration1, voluntary versus involuntary2. These distinctions emphasize the external drivers of mobility, often neglecting that the decision to migrate or stay is not merely a reactive response to external pressures, but is often a proactive, context-specific negotiation of opportunities, aspirations and identities in which people negotiate their futures (Box 1). Thus, migration and staying are not opposites; they can coexist as complementary strategies within broader ‘future-making’3. Future-making encompasses the choices and practices through which people pursue life aspirations shaped by cultural and personal imaginaries of success, security and a fulfilling life3. Recent research has begun to move beyond rigid binaries, exploring translocal livelihoods4, the thresholds of habitability5 and the importance of supporting stayers6. But it seldom investigates how these mobility decisions are inextricable from broader future-making aspirations and strategies and how migration and staying can be complementary practices embedded therein (Box 1). To address this gap, we propose a new concept of ‘tethered resilience’ that captures the simultaneous rootedness and mobility through which people negotiate risk and shape their futures.

This study compares two community-based forest management approaches in Bangladesh using Elinor Ostrom’s Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework and design principles. It evaluates the co-management system in Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), which is led by government and donor agencies, and the community-led model in Komolchori Village Common Forest (VCF), which is based on Indigenous knowledge and local rules. The study employs a comparative case study methodology, integrating document analysis, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions to evaluate governance effectiveness across different periods. Using a mixed-method approach by reviewing qualitative and quantitative data, the study examines how these two models affect forest health and the lives of people who depend on the forest. The SES framework, along with Ostrom’s eight design principles, is used to critically assess the effectiveness of both CWS and VCF over three periods: before 1990, 1990–2010, and 2010– present. The findings show that the top-down management in CWS limits community involvement, weakens key principles like clear boundaries and local decision-making, and ignores local rights. In contrast, the Komolchori VCF supports stronger community participation, fair benefit-sharing, and effective monitoring, despite lacking formal legal recognition. The comparative analysis highlights that governance outcomes depend not on the type of model used, but on the extent to which institutional arrangements align with local socio-ecological contexts. The study concludes that the effectiveness of community-based forest management is mainly shaped by local context. To improve forest management, it recommends empowering communities, recognising Indigenous knowledge, resolving land issues, and designing policies that fit local needs, with particular attention to institutional legitimacy, adaptive governance, and multi-level coordination.

To better understand the increasing human impact on the water cycle and the feedbacks between hydrology and society, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) organized the scientific decade “Panta Rhei – Everything Flows: Change in hydrology and society” (2013–2022). A key finding is the need to use integrated approaches to assess the co-evolution of human–water systems in order to avoid unintended consequences of human interventions over long periods of time. Additionally, substantial progress has been made in leveraging new data sources on human behaviour, e.g. through text mining of social media posts. Much has been learned about detecting hydrological changes and attributing them to their drivers, e.g. quantifying climate effects on floods. To achieve further progress, we recommend broadening the understanding, the discipline and training activities, while at the same time pursuing synthesis by focusing on key themes, developing innovative approaches and finding sustainable solutions to the world’s water problems.

Climate change poses serious threats, making it crucial to develop strong adaptation strategies. This is especially true in Bangladesh, where agriculture, the backbone of the economy, is highly vulnerable. Local communities in Bangladesh have used Indigenous knowledge and practices to adapt, but there is a lack of systematic examination of these strategies. In this study, we review literature from Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We identify various adaptation strategies grouped into six main themes and twenty-six sub-themes: crop management, water management, farm management, financial management, social adaptation, and traditional/local knowledge use. Diversifying income sources stands out as a key strategy against climate challenges. However, most strategies are short-term, reactive, and lack long-term sustainability. Our study highlights the importance of local adaptation strategies and questions their integration into national and regional development plans. The dominance of foreign-funded projects in publishing research shows the vital role of international collaboration in improving research quality and global knowledge exchange. The findings are relevant for regions where coastal agriculture is vital but impacted by climate change, including countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and South America.