Natural Areas are biogeographical zones which reflect the geological foundation, the natural systems and processes, and the wildlife in different parts of England, and provide a framework for setting objectives for nature conservation. This paper argues, with particular reference to agro-ecosystems, that there is a need for an integrated, whole countryside approach to Natural Areas based on the principles of &strong’ sustainable development. In practice, this means the delineation of conservation objectives for the whole of each Natural Area and the application of policy instruments designed to address the causes of environmental loss and deterioration. The latter requires, it is argued, a structural analysis of generic environmental issues. A generic issues approach is required in order to avoid the pitfalls of environmental &symptom management’ (environmental managerialism), an approach which dominates current environmental and agri-environmental policy.

Plastic pollution in soils pose a major threat to soil health and soil fertility that are directly linked to food security and human health. In contrast to marine plastic pollution, this ubiquitous problem is thus far scientifically poorly understood and policy approaches that tackle plastic pollution in soils comprehensively do not exist. In this article, we apply a qualitative governance analysis to assess the effectiveness of existing policy instruments to avoid harmful plastic pollution in (agricultural) soils against the background of international environmental agreements. In particular, environmental and fertiliser legislation relevant to soil protection in the European Union and in Germany are assessed. Regulatory weaknesses and gaps of the respective legislation are identified, and proposals for enhanced command-and-control provisions developed.

Today Extension Services for the many countries of the Asian region are facing numerous newly emerged challenges. The most promising and prominent challenges include: Pluralism, Privatization, Globalization and Market Liberation, World Trade Order (WTO), Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Devolution and Decentralization. Nowadays, the Extension clienteles have preference for demand driven and participatory approaches. The need for an up-to date extension advice to the farmers on farming systems and marketing linkages is becoming increasingly important. In the past, extension systems of the region have not been able to make positive impacts on increasing agricultural production. Due and focused efforts have not been made regarding the transfer of new farming technologies efficiently and effectively. The purpose of this paper is by-fold; firstly to identify and enlist the problems associated with the existing traditional agricultural extension systems of the region and secondly accommodate the newly emerged challenges. It aims at devising suitable recommendations to improve the situation. Prime shortcomings and the major constraints associated with the extension services include: defects in extension organization, insufficient incentives to the extension professionals, lack of sufficient funds and resources, and absence of in-service training facilities. Extension has many approaches and methods at its disposal.

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of environmental management and governance in the energy sector; to present environmental goals, requirements, entry points, and strategies/approaches to capacity development for the environment (CDE) in this sector; and to discuss implications for donors. The focus is on CDE in a developing country context.

Buildings consume vast amounts of energy and pollute the environment in various ways. Façade is a part of building’s architecture that can play a significant role in reducing energy consumption, as well as alleviating its negative environmental effects. Although using smart materials in buildings’ facades can help dramatically to attain the mentioned goals, very limited studies have been conducted regarding the mentioned issues. Moreover, existing studies have investigated only a few number of smart materials simultaneously. Therefore, this research aims to conduct a wider study, identify and prioritize the most suitable building façade’s smart materials according to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Shiraz, Iran.

Waste-heat recovery with thermoelectric power generators can improve energy efficiency and provide distributed electricity generation. New thermoelectric materials and material performance improvements motivate development of thermoelectric generators for numerous applications with excess exhaust and process heat. However, thermoelectric generator product development requires solving coupled challenges in materials development and systems engineering. This review discusses these challenges and indicates ways system-level performance relies on more factors than traditional thermoelectric material performance metrics alone.