Program Wednesday 23 August

The issues surrounding distribution and management of ecosystem resources in local communities in the face of climate change has never been more relevant. This qualitative study seeks to explore the understanding and implications surrounding environmental justice in local communities in the framework of environmental courses provided by organisation “A” in northern Tanzania. The environmental justice indicator framework served as a conceptual framework to analyse the stakeholders' understanding and the local communities' experience surrounding different dimensions of environmental justice. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews were carried out with a total of 25 participants for data collection and analysis. A thematic analysis methodology provided several findings related to the contrast in substantive, distributive and procedural justices in relation to the environmental courses provided by the organisation “A” and the local authorities. The study highlights the dynamics of access, power and control and the implications of intersectionality in relation to the distribution of ecosystem resources in the targeted rural communities. Concludingly, the research study highlights the need for more advocacy, coordination and efforts from the stakeholders, local authorities and local communities in achieving environmental justice for all.

How to mitigate and adapt to ongoing climate change is a decisive question for humanity that cannot solely be solved by technological or macro policy measures. Commons is currently being discussed by scholars for providing arenas for more interconnected and holistic approaches to address local climate change that include and depend on the participation of citizens and civil-society groups. Authors of this article have previously launched the tentative concept community climate commons (CCCs), relating the community and commons concepts to collective climate action. The purpose of this article is to further develop the concept and understanding of CCCs through a large-scale systematic literature review with the aim to identify key features for establishment of CCCs in wider society. Based on results from the review, focusing on the combination of community, commons, and climate, CCCs can be defined as community-based commons that form basis for mobilization and collective action against ongoing climate change. The results from the content analysis of emerging central themes, reveals that the successful development and functioning of CCCs depend upon: 1) democratic organization and governance with a transformative leader; 2) small group sizes with clear boundaries and existing rules for participation; 3) the availability of distinct organizational structures, i.e., meeting places, social capital, collective identity and social cohesion; and 4) external financial, political and social support. In conclusion, the review shows that CCCs can significantly contribute with innovative approaches to address ongoing local climate changes and have the potential to play an increasing role in fostering collective mobilization for instigating collective climate action.

Over the past 50 years, in contrast to the economic upturn climate change has caused a significant depletion of the ecosystem in meeting the demands for food, water, shelter, fiber, and fuel. The quests for conservation and sustainable use of the ecosystem have brought forth the resurrection of the ancient water system in villages across arid and semi-arid regions in South India led by community water management and farm associations that instill collective responsibility. In sync, the restoration of ancient practices of using natural dyes, a substitute for synthetic dyes with waste water leaving no toxic residue in rivers and the solid waste as manure for soil helps to sustain the natural gradients in its raw form. Despite the impediments and limitations in the age-old practices it still lays the possibility towards working on the solutions that call for interventions and joint actions. The paper also examines the role of the government, and nongovernmental and international agencies to implement this ecological pursuit. It draws further inferences towards implications of the traditional practices in achieving ecological balance and sustainable well being

The project applies the author’s Creativity Framework to analyze community creativities by investigating the creative contributions of vulnerable sectors to social innovation and prevention of anthropometric disasters. The immediate study looks at how the community connects and supports older people to contribute their wisdom and experience to create solutions for disaster mitigation and prevention. Reciprocally, creative communities employ creative interventions to maintain older people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. The researcher engaged three communities in Metro Manila and used creative research approaches in drawing out stories and meanings from the older people in achieving creative ageing and building creative communities. The resulting redescription of the creative framework relates creative aging as an outcome of community creativities which in effect contributes to social development. The resulting model supports the author’s idea of Creativity as Development forwarded in 2013.

Heat waves and pollution have deleterious effects on human health. Lags have been found between the occurrence of environmental conditions and the timing and magnitude of health impacts and healthcare seeking actions. The purpose of this study is to examine the temporal dimensions of heat waves and pollution on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) call volume in San Antonio, Texas, United States (U.S.). Heat waves are calculated as heat index readings based on daily temperature and humidity data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Centers for Environmental Information. The 90, 95, and 100 degree Fahrenheit heat index thresholds are used based on the city’s extreme heat plan. Pollution is measured using particulate matter with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5). The data were collected from multiple sites across the city by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. EMS data are from the city of San Antonio. Focusing on four constrained summers, we will conduct negative binomial regression analyses with the time-stratified case-crossover at the three heat wave heat index thresholds. The results will provide information on EMS call volume during and after heat waves controlling for the influence of pollution.

Aging residential and wastewater-stormwater infrastructures and climate forcing increase resident vulnerability to flooding as: septic backups, groundwater intrusion, overbank inundation, and runoff inflows. Older homes may have damaged sewer pipes that need expensive repair. We present a participatory action case study in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Detroit, MI with three objectives: (1) Develop mitigation maps to locate and adapt vulnerable infrastructure; (2) Identify supports for equitable disaster recovery and mitigation; and (3) Understand social structures, systems, and community science literacies necessary for flood risk mitigation for residents who may lack digital access, knowledge of resources, or are socially isolated. Data came from government agencies, as well as meeting notes from 4 public meetings (e.g., Disaster recovery planning, Resilience Hubs), 5 meetings of the Eastside Flooding Task Force, internal memos, various government documents, and media coverage. Preliminary results show that residents struggled in town halls residents prioritized resilience hubs in trusted locations to obtain food and supplies during floods and power outages. Implications include advocating for funding for sewer pipe repair, backflow preventers, and sump pumps. Residents also expressed interest in an early warning system to guide flood response. Social workers can apply a trauma informed lens to disaster recovery.

Social workers today can provide diverse services using digital tools, such as managing online communities, conducting online therapeutic interventions, and more. Digital tools have the potential to significantly improve service quality and customer satisfaction, but they also pose professional, ethical, and organizational challenges. Above all, it raises the question of what is the role social workers play when services are available digitally when knowledge is accessible to all, and when the work environment changes. This theoretical article examined the literature to evaluate the present while predicting future changes, such as artificial intelligence and big data. The chapters of the article examine several core principles in the social work profession, in the light of the contemporary digital reality: the individual, group, and community methods; The effectiveness of the digital interventions and the satisfaction of the customers, when using digital tools; and the ability to reach vulnerable populations who are currently facing internal and external barriers in receiving help. The literature highlights the importance of social workers to be acknowledging understanding how to plan and design an intervention using one of the modern technologies, from a hybrid perspective, according to which the use of digital means may enrich the ""traditional"" face-to-face practice, and expand its boundaries.

Our planet faces increasing crises in the form of natural disasters. Those who lead child-serving residential facilities must attend to these disasters to ensure the safety and wellbeing of facility residents. Of importance is the organizational network that may serve as a support to the facility during these disasters. In an effort to explore this concept in a real-world context, executives of child-serving residential facilities in Florida were interviewed and surveyed regarding network partnerships that were active during Hurricane Irma and the hurricane-specific supports that were shared in these networks. Results from 27 executives were coded to identify network partners and supports shared. Sources of support included churches, businesses, nonprofit agencies, governmental units, and community donors. Support was provided during preparation, response, and recovery. The facilities also provided support to others during response and recovery phases. Recipients of facility support included relief workers, facility employees, community groups, and fellow facilities. These results have both theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical point of view, this study supports the relevance of organizational networks in disaster resilience. From a practical standpoint, the results point to possible partnerships that facilities could add to their networks to support resilience.

Green social work" has yet to become a mainstream skill set in social work. However, the looming climate crisis calls on social workers to be educated and activated to mitigate the aversive effects of Extreme Weather Events (EWE) on the high-risk populations most vulnerable to climate change, some of whom may already be social work clients. This integrative review presents the following topics: 1) What are the theories and principles of green social work? 2) What climate change is expected in the near future according to Rockstrom’s 9 planetary tipping points? 3) What are the direct and indirect outcomes of EWE and what approaches are already available to address them? 4) Why is climate change considered a “wicked problem” and what are the “wicked solutions” that this approach calls for? 5) How can social workers attend to their own eco-anxiety while at the same time empowering their clients to resolve their mental and physical health risks associated with the climate crisis? 6) What are the social work skills needed to address climate change at the local, regional and international level and how can we integrate them into social work education and field training?

This analysis first looks at the contexts in which social services are provided to society and how they are remunerated. The aim is to look for models that characterise educational processes and social services as essential for society. The consequences of an economic system that does not see social services in parallel with (mechanical or electronic) production are seen as disadvantageous. The focus on the production of material goods reduces the efforts for social interaction: shortage of workers in social services, reduced quality due to high caseloads, high number of children and young people to be cared for, neglect of social problems such as alcoholism, isolation, violence etc. The strong growth and differentiation of social work can be traced on the basis of the development of the last century, but so far it has not been possible to create a balance between social and material processes. The distribution and recognition of our time therefore affects the well-being of society and the planet.

This study demonstrates how the active dismantling of social and environmental policies in Brazil, begun during the Michel Temer administration and increasing exponentially during the Jair Bolsonaro government, severed institutional arrangements for the territorialization of the 2030 Agenda. Against this backdrop, a set of NGOs formed the Working Group on the 2030 Agenda. Their aim was to realize yearly studies to report on deficits in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in the country, and to fight to return it to the working co ncerns of federal and subnational executive and legislative powers, as well as to the agenda of the press. Our study concludes that the Working Group on the 2030 Agenda became an advocacy coalition based on the cooperation of NGOs holding strong shared beliefs, and on their quest to build coordinating skills as well as economic, political, and symbolic resources. These elements allowed the Working Group to play a leading role in the defense of Brazilian SDGs, positioning itself as an important, albeit insufficient, front to resist ongoing dismantling of social and environmental policies. At the historiographic level, our study was geared toward the analysis of primary sources. We also used Oral History methods to conduct interviews with nine members of NGOs that are part of the Working Group

"Keywords: Women, gender, social entrepreneurship, social enterprise, sustainable livelihood, inclusive development, sustainable development.

In India only 39% women formally work. This adversely impacts the economy, which inhibits development. The cycle of fewer women in full-time employment continues not only by a lack of female role models but rampant intersectional gender discrimination leading to lack of education, opportunities, and poor health conditions for women across the country. Research shows that social change in a woman’s status is triggered by giving her increased economic opportunities, which can be achieved through social entrepreneurship. Accelerating gender equality through social entrepreneurship promotes the nations human development and the community’s sustainable growth. Off late many community-based organisations are initiating women entrepreneurship activities in India involving digital literacy, Financial Litracy (significance of savings), decision making processes, awareness about health- hygiene, sports- recreation and leadership & participation in governance. Data collected in the field shows that women social entrepreneurs have the vision and aspiration to succeed but are challenged by lack of support and access to resources essential for managing high impact enterprises. By sharing experiences of women entrepreneurs in the fields of waste management, education, environment and small-scale industries, this paper addresses the Problem, Importance, Strategies, and Impact of their work and the challenges they face which inhibit development and gender equity."

Due to the conversion and fragmentation of natural habitat brought on by agricultural development, as well as the pollution brought on by the excessive use of inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides, agricultural production methods have a significant negative effect on biodiversity. A fundamental change in how agricultural industries produce goods is therefore required. In this environment, the last ten years have seen a rise in interest in studies on the sustainability transition in the agri food system. This study makes an effort to investigate bibliometrically the studies on sustainable transition in agrifood systems. To this end, the software Scientopy was used to analyze journal papers found in the Scopus database, and VOSviewer was employed for visual representation. The publication trend demonstrates that sustainability transitions research in agrifood has gained traction in the last two years. In the last two years, Zwarts T. A. has published 67% of the articles. And Zollet S. is a rising scholar, having published all of his works on sustainability transitions in the last two years. The co-word analysis showed the "Sustainability Transitions," "Agrifood Systems," "Agroecology," and "Food Systems" as the words from the publication’s implications and future research directions.

Companies can be seen as key actors in promoting social development. Today many companies actively engage in social responsibility and commit to improving sustainability. However, companies are also involved in lobbying and at times in ways that undermine and contradict progress towards sustainability and social development. Hence, there are calls for increased transparency and greater disclosure of lobbying. With a focus on the food and beverage industry, this study analyses what the world’s 10 largest multinational companies report in terms of lobbying. The aim of the study is to examine what transparency in lobbying currently entails and to chart the gaps in current disclosures. The content of the company disclosures is mapped and analysed in terms of its alignment with recognised standards and frameworks for company reporting. With reference to both normative and deliberative understandings of how company lobbying can become more responsible the paper then draws conclusions on what the gaps are that need to be addressed in company disclosures on lobbying. Understanding of the current state in company disclosures on lobbying is important since company lobbying, and particularly that of large multinationals, in many ways affects the possibilities for social development.