Robert Faggian

Water efficiency and loss reduction are critical in developing countries, where non-revenue water is often high due to weak infrastructure and governance. This study evaluates the potential of Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI) to address these challenges in Pitalito, Colombia, a town affected by recurrent flooding and water scarcity. Using PCSWMM modelling and proxy-based validation under data-limited conditions, four BGI scenarios were tested for runoff reduction and storage capacity. Results show that BGI can reduce flood peaks by over 70% while capturing substantial volumes for reuse. The findings highlight BGI's multifunctionality, offering a replicable pathway to resilience and water security.

Transitioning toward a circular and regenerative economy requires more than technological innovation; it demands a shift in the underlying systems that shape how value, knowledge, and legitimacy are defined [Meadows D, Randers J, Meadows D, The limits to growth: the 30-year update , Routledge (2012); Raworth K, Doughnut economics: seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist , Chelsea Green Publishing (2017)]. While the circular economy (CE) is widely promoted as a pathway to sustainability, its implementation across industrial sectors remains uneven and frequently limited to efficiency-driven, technical interventions [Voulvoulis N et al., Glob. Environ. Change 75:102544 (2022)]. This paper examines the systemic conditions that constrain the adoption of circular economy principles through a case study of the craft distilling industry in regional Victoria, Australia. Guided by Sposito’s (2021) Rational–Holistic Model of Planning and Decision-Making, the study applies a multimethodological systems approach, integrating thematic analysis, boundary critique, and soft systems tools (PQR and CATWOE). This enables an exploration of how system structures - particularly those relating to motivation, control, knowledge, and legitimacy - shape what is considered feasible and acceptable in practice. The findings reveal that barriers to circular economy implementation are not solely technical or economic but are embedded within broader institutional and cultural frameworks. Regulatory fragmentation, compliance-driven definitions of legitimacy, and economically dominant worldviews constrain the uptake of more regenerative practices. By contrasting existing (“is mode”) and alternative (“ought mode”) system configurations, the study highlights the importance of reconfiguring underlying assumptions about system purpose and governance. The paper contributes methodologically by demonstrating how systems thinking combined with thematic analysis can reveal structural constraints, and conceptually by positioning CE as a pathway dependent on a broader shift toward a sustainability-oriented worldview.

Land use planning in regional Victoria operates within a complex and fragmented policy environment, shaped by climate change, population growth, competing land demands, and institutional silos. This study adopts a systems thinking lens to reconceptualise land use planning as a wicked problem characterised by interdependencies, contested values, and deep uncertainty. Using a participatory system dynamics approach, a group model-building workshop was conducted with local and state-level stakeholders from planning, environmental, and agricultural sectors. Participants co-developed four causal loop diagrams (CLDs), which were synthesised into a consolidated systems map representing the dynamics of the land use decision-making of the North Central regional system (NCRS). Findings highlight that there is no single solution for resolving this complex issue. However, the resulting CLD illustrated key reinforcing loops. It also revealed leverage points around zoning reform, institutional coordination, and long-term resilience planning. The CLD process not only surfaced systemic feedback but also enabled participants to reflect on cross-sector interconnections. This study demonstrates how participatory systems dynamics can support more adaptive and inclusive planning practices, offering a replicable framework for addressing wicked problems in diverse contexts.

In Uruguay, dairy production is essential for the country and is under scrutiny due to the environmental impacts it can cause. Impacts are primarily the result of inefficient management practices which lead to an excessive use of nutrients —mainly nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)— and their surplus flow into the environment, affecting soil, groundwater, and rivers. In this context, this paper explains research that has generated new knowledge for Uruguay's dairy sector to achieve more sustainable production by understanding which farm management practices maximize nutrient efficiency while reducing environmental damage. The research used a multi-methodology approach for the case study of a typical Uruguayan dairy farm by applying the Nutrient Budget Method and developing an Agent-Based Model (ABM) called Nitrogen Phosphorus Management (NPM). Nutrient budgeting is a valuable and straightforward method for analyzing farm data and evaluating all the nutrient inputs and outputs. However, it has some visual and research limitations that can be complemented with suitable agent-based modeling. The ABM modeling approach enables the analysis of the model’s agents in space and time, capturing the agroecosystem’s heterogeneity. Through their combined application, the research results demonstrate that, along with the use of correct management practices, it is possible to improve nutrient efficiency, and, in this way, dairy production systems can be less dependent on external nutrient inputs. The main findings indicate that nitrogen biological fixation, pastoral diets, cow stocking rates, and phosphorus accumulation in soils are key management variables that affect nutrient efficiency and environmental impacts.

Aim: This research aims to analytically compare the functioning of the institutional procedures concerning water resources management in Brazil and Australia. Method: Through a literature review and document analysis, this paper presents a characterization of the Brazilian and Australian political-institutional water management scenarios based on both direct and indirect information sources. It then compares the institutional processes of these two countries using a SWOT matrix analysis, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Novelty/Relevance: This research seeks to fill a scientific information gap by examining how actors in both developing and developed countries' influence decision-making toward more sustainable environmental management, using water management as a case study. Results: The results show that both countries have legislation prescribing decentralized and participatory decision-making processes. However, the implementation of this legislation does not guarantee democratic management of hydric resources. Moreover, the stages and scopes of legislative implementation and execution differ between Brazil and Australia. The Brazilian institutional scenario demonstrates a weaker capacity for implementing and enforcing water legislation compared to Australia, where a more developed water management system exists, and society shows greater willingness to proactively engage in management. Social/management contributions: This diagnostic approach can help examine other environmental management scenarios by presenting institutional patterns within a given territory and demonstrating the causalities that may lead to states having varying levels of capacity.

Resumo As evidências de que ocorrerão mudanças climáticas globais em função do aumento da concentração de gases de efeito estufa têm se apresentado cada vez mais consistentemente e aceitas pela comunidade científica internacional. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar estimativas de alterações climáticas na microrregião de Guarapuava no estado do Paraná, analisando os impactos sobre a cultura do trigo, utilizando modelagem para cenários futuros e comparando com um cenário base do passado. Foram ajustados modelos de adequação matemática utilizando Análise de Múltiplos Critérios (MCA) e Processo de Hierarquia Analítica (AHP), com a finalidade de avaliar os possíveis impactos das mudanças climáticas na cultura de trigo, utilizando os cenários climáticos RCP4.5 e RCP8.5 (IPCC) para o cálculo do índice de aptidão agrícola da cultura na microrregião de Guarapuava-PR. Os resultados indicam que o fator de maior impacto para a redução do índice de aptidão agrícola do trigo nos próximos 30 anos, é a projeção de aumento da temperatura média mensal em aproximadamente 1,5 a 2 °C durante o ciclo de desenvolvimento da cultura no campo.

The spatial distribution of harmful algal blooms may change rapidly due to variations in wind, water current, and population dynamics. Traditional sampling methods may not be enough for an effective local risk assessment. Unmanned aerial vehicles can gather data at appropriate spatial and temporal resolutions, with full control over data collection timing and rapid result availability. We show that data can be correlated with chlorophyll (r² = 0.79) and cyanobacteria (r² = 0.77) concentration at the water surface, leading to spatial distribution maps capable of spotting cyanobacteria patches in water bodies precisely. In addition, climatic change may benefit various species of harmful cyanobacteria by increasing their geographic distributions and modifying population dynamics. Thus, new methods with a high spatial and temporal resolution for monitoring blooms come handy under changing climate scenarios. The method presented here provides valuable information that is complementary to risk assessment data derived from other monitoring methods available.

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) has the potential to address a wide range of challenges associated with rapidly growing cities in a changing climate, while also providing multiple environmental, economic and social benefits. However, the location of projects is often determined according to a single potential benefit rather than a set of benefits. Furthermore, while UGI is recognized as a successful strategy to support resilience in many cities around the world, it has not been implemented in Uruguay. This study develops a model to identify priority areas in need of green infrastructure in Montevideo, Uruguay. The GIS-based model, termed the “Green Infrastructure Suitability Model” (GISM) is based on a multi-criteria decision analysis approach and is similar in structure to land suitability analysis. The model considers a range of socioeconomic, biophysical and environmental factors to prioritize the need for UGI across the case-study region. Resulting suitability maps identify areas for multifunctional UGI localization in places where benefits can be maximized. The GISM has potential as a tool to support future planning for multifunctional UGI.