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Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource...
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Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource Management

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2025 | Viewed by 2478

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Matjaž Glavan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agronomy, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: land use management; integrated catchment management; geographic infromatin sistem in agroecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce this Special Issue of Land entitled “Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource Management”, which is a development of a previous Special Issue on “The Socio-Economic Values in Land Resource Management”.

The concept of the integrated management of natural resources is essential for balanced development in vulnerable areas. Its definition emphasises that it is a process "that promotes the coordinated development and management of water, land and related resources in order to achieve the greatest possible economic and social well-being equitably, without jeopardising the sustainability of vital ecosystems." The coordination of all these factors is very complex, so the failure to meet the goals of the various strategies and conventions is not unexpected. Despite the fact that much experience in the implementation of various measures has been gained throughout history, due to inadequate research of natural resources and material routes, in some places, larger areas are protected from exploitation or more emphasis is placed on economic exploitation than on the environmental or social effects of resource use, than should be the case, which burdens various factors of development in the mentioned areas, especially water management, agriculture and healthcare.

From the point of view of integrated and sustainable management, it is also necessary to take into account economic measures, which, by raising the price of production, represent a particular burden at different scales for the sectors affected. States and the international community compensate for this to some extent by investing money from the budget or collecting dedicated funds in the form of levies, according to the principle that it is the perpetrator who should pay. The amounts for this purpose are measured in millions, and the effects are not always convincingly positive. The direct connections between the social, economic and environmental effectiveness of measures to protect natural resources are poorly researched. The most significant limitation in the optimisation of environmental, economic and social impacts in natural resource management is often in the data (data are not collected or are collected too rarely; they are often modified or collected under the control of the client, and independent research is often poorly received by the participants, whether they be the state or private owners) and in undefined methodologies based on various indicators and indices, the reliability of which is as satisfactory as the quality of data on which they are based.

This Special Issue aims to present various approaches and methodologies that enable the evaluation of the effects of various environmental, economic and social measures in search of their optimisation in order to achieve the most equitable distribution of burdens and successes of various sectors in the transition to a society that makes sustainable use of natural resources.

  • Socio-economic natural resources management;
  • The covernance and policy of natural resources;
  • Sustainable development goals;
  • The ecosystem services of natural resources;
  • Relationships between environmental, social and economic opportunities and needs;
  • The pollution of natural resources;
  • The overexploitation of natural resources;
  • Natural resources and conflicts in society;
  • Examples of sustainable natural resources management.

Dr. Matjaž Glavan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • natural resources management
  • societal needs
  • economic opportunities
  • sustainable development goals
  • environmental impacts

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 3857 KiB  
Article
Innovation Diffusion in Land Resource Use Practices Around Cameroon’s Hollow Frontiers
by Harry Wirngo Mairomi, Jude Ndzifon Kimengsi, Nyong Princely Awazi, Suiven John Paul Tume, Tosam Hycinth Ngong and Banseka JaneFrances Yenlajai
Land 2025, 14(2), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020241 - 23 Jan 2025
Viewed by 448
Abstract
Innovation diffusion has been extensively explored in several contexts, with little application to hollow frontiers—economically attractive areas with resource opportunities. This dearth of scientific data bedevils the design of resource-planning approaches for hollow frontiers. Using the innovation diffusion model as an analytical lens, [...] Read more.
Innovation diffusion has been extensively explored in several contexts, with little application to hollow frontiers—economically attractive areas with resource opportunities. This dearth of scientific data bedevils the design of resource-planning approaches for hollow frontiers. Using the innovation diffusion model as an analytical lens, this study; (1) maps key resources and actors engaged in the Mungo corridor hollow frontier, (2) analyzes the differential patterns of innovation and the forces that drive them, and (3) explores the management implications of resource-linked innovation diffusion. A random sample of 100 households was conducted in the Njombe-Penja communities of the Mungo Corridor. The analysis reveals the following: Firstly, rich fertile soils, forests, quarries and water resources are the key resources exploited by farmers, bureaucrats, businessmen, NGOs and other enterprises who constitute the key innovation actors in Njombe-Penja. Secondly, differential patterns of innovation exist, with techniques and products introduced by companies/state departments to farmers and by NGOs and technical/research departments to communities and state, private and community-based enterprises. This leads to varied resource use outcomes. Innovations are significant in the domain of agriculture (62%) and quarrying (65%), moderately significant in the forest sector (55%) and least significant in water resources (48%). Economic (63%), natural (25%), socio-cultural (23.7%) and political drivers (50%) explain the diverse outcomes linked to innovation diffusion. Finally, the most significant implications of innovations are in the domain of agriculture through improved cropping systems and the use of disease-resistant species. Here, specialization in cash crop cultivation and fruit culture (white pepper, pawpaw, pineapples) is predominant. Additionally, this sector has witnessed the introduction of new methods of cultivation. The least significant implications were recorded for forest use practices. Innovations sustain new dynamics for this resource-rich area and provide new opportunities for reflections on reorganizing resource use for successful management. Power manifestations in the context of the diffusion of innovations are new areas to consider for further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource Management)
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22 pages, 5327 KiB  
Article
Crowdsourced Indicators of Flora and Fauna Species: Comparisons Between iNaturalist Records and Field Observations
by Hyuksoo Kwon, Bumsuk Seo, Jungin Kim and Heera Lee
Land 2025, 14(1), 169; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010169 - 15 Jan 2025
Viewed by 530
Abstract
Cultural ecosystem services provide intangible benefits such as recreation and aesthetic enjoyment but are difficult to quantify compared to provisioning or regulating ecosystem services. Recent technologies offer alternative indicators, such as social media data, to identify popular locations and their features. This study [...] Read more.
Cultural ecosystem services provide intangible benefits such as recreation and aesthetic enjoyment but are difficult to quantify compared to provisioning or regulating ecosystem services. Recent technologies offer alternative indicators, such as social media data, to identify popular locations and their features. This study demonstrates how large volumes of citizen science and social media data can be analyzed to reveal patterns of human interactions with nature through unconventional, scalable methods. By applying spatial statistical methods, data from the citizen science platform iNaturalist are analyzed and compared with ground-truth visitation data. To minimize data bias, records are grouped by taxonomic information and applied to the metropolitan area of Seoul, South Korea (2005–2022). The taxonomic information included in the iNaturalist data were investigated using a standard global biodiversity database. The results show citizen science data effectively quantify public preferences for scenic locations, offering a novel approach to mapping cultural ecosystem services when traditional data are unavailable. This method highlights the potential of large-scale citizen-generated data for conservation, urban planning, and policy development. However, challenges like bias in user-generated content, uneven ecosystem coverage, and the over- or under-representation of locations remain. Addressing these issues and integrating additional metadata—such as time of visit, demographics, and seasonal trends—could provide deeper insights into human–nature interactions. Overall, the proposed method opens up new possibilities for using non-traditional data sources to assess and map ecosystem services, providing valuable information for conservation efforts, urban planning, and environmental policy development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource Management)
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24 pages, 8002 KiB  
Article
Landscape Transformations (1987–2022): Analyzing Spatial Changes Driven by Mining Activities in Ayapel, Colombia
by Juan David Pérez-Aristizábal, Oscar Puerta-Avilés, Juan Jiménez-Caldera and Andrés Caballero-Calvo
Land 2025, 14(1), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010157 - 14 Jan 2025
Viewed by 457
Abstract
Gold mining is an activity that has developed in Colombia due to the great availability of mineral resources geographically distributed throughout the territory. The extraction techniques used are linked to the domain of illegality and to armed actors who have generated notable landscape [...] Read more.
Gold mining is an activity that has developed in Colombia due to the great availability of mineral resources geographically distributed throughout the territory. The extraction techniques used are linked to the domain of illegality and to armed actors who have generated notable landscape impacts. This study, focused on the Municipality of Ayapel, Colombia, identifies the landscape units and analyzes the changes in land use and cover resulting from gold mining between the years 1987, 2002, and 2022, applying the CORINE Land Cover methodology, an adapted legend for Colombia, using Landsat satellite images. For this, the recognition of the physical geographical characteristics of the area was carried out in order to group homogeneous landscape units through a cartographic overlay of various layers of information, considering variables such as topography, geomorphology, and lithology. This research identifies a total of 16 landscape units, 8 of which were intervened in 1987, mainly associated with denudational hills. However, in 2022, 13 landscape units were intervened, with a considerable increase in the affected area. Particularly noteworthy is the occupation of landscape units associated with alluvial valleys, with an average of more than 30% of their total area. This demonstrates that they are the most attractive and vulnerable areas for mining exploitation, as they are the zones with the greatest potential for hosting mineral deposits. This impact has worsened over the last decade due to the introduction of other extraction techniques with machinery (dredges, dragon boats, backhoes, and bulldozers) that generate higher productive and economic yields but, at the same time, cause deep environmental liabilities due to the lack of administrative controls. The changes in extraction techniques, the increase in the international price of the commodity, and the absence of government attention have been the breeding ground that has driven gold mining activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource Management)
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26 pages, 37401 KiB  
Article
A Spatial Modeling Approach for Optimizing the Locations of Large-Scale Biogas Plants from Livestock Manure in Bangladesh
by Zinat Mahal and Helmut Yabar
Land 2025, 14(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14010079 - 3 Jan 2025
Viewed by 525
Abstract
Since manure sources are widely dispersed and the disposal of manure in landfills or its direct application onto soil is often restricted by laws in many countries, selecting suitable sites for manure management facilities is an important step for sustainable livestock farming. The [...] Read more.
Since manure sources are widely dispersed and the disposal of manure in landfills or its direct application onto soil is often restricted by laws in many countries, selecting suitable sites for manure management facilities is an important step for sustainable livestock farming. The main purpose of this study is to explore suitable locations for situating large-scale biogas plants from livestock manure in Bangladesh using spatial modeling. This study analyzed land suitability based on several geographical, topographical, environmental, and socio-economic criteria, which were also optimized by reflecting optimum transportation distances from manure sources to the chosen sites using GIS (Geographic Information System) network analysis. Then, the environmental benefits of selected biogas plants were estimated through mathematical equations. It was found that 475, 15, and 68 large-scale biogas plants were spatially possible from large-animal, small-animal, and poultry manure, respectively, to produce a total electricity of 7682.72 GWh (gigawatt) in 2023. By implementing the proposed scenarios, renewable energy production will be increased in Bangladesh by at least 8.69%, and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions will be reduced by approximately 6636.09 gigagram CO2eq by disposing of 90.14 million tons of manure each year. Hence, the potential selection of biogas plant locations and benefit analysis of different scenarios will guide the establishment of a local decision for the utilization of regional bioenergy from livestock manure in Bangladesh. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Optimisation of Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts in Natural Resource Management)
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