Oil spills (OS) in waters can have major consequences for the ecosystem and adjacent natural resources. Therefore, recognizing the OS spread pattern is crucial for supporting decision-making in disaster management. On 31 March 2018, an OS occurred in Balikpapan Bay, Indonesia, due to a ship's anchor rupturing a seafloor crude oil petroleum pipe. The purpose of this study is to investigate the propagation of crude OS using coupled three-dimensional (3D) model from DHI MIKE software and remote sensing data from Sentinel-1 SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar). MIKE3 FM predicts and simulates the 3D sea circulation, while MIKE OS models the path of oil's fate concentration. The OS model could identify the temporal and spatial distribution of OS concentration in subsurface layers. To validate the model, in situ observations were made of oil stranded on the shore. On 1 April 2018, at 21:50 UTC, Sentinel-1 SAR detected an OS on the sea surface covering 203.40 km². The OS model measures 137.52 km². Both methods resulted in a synergistic OS exposure of 314.23 km². Wind dominantly influenced the OS propagation on the sea surface, as detected by the SAR image, while tidal currents primarily affected the oil movement within the subsurface simulated by the OS model. Thus, the two approaches underscored the importance of synergizing the DHI MIKE model with remote sensing data to comprehensively understand OS distribution in semi-enclosed waters like Balikpapan Bay detected by SAR.

This study investigates the impact of extreme rainfall events on soil erosion in the downstream Parnaíba River Basin, located in the Brazilian Cerrado. The analysis focused on rainfall erosivity (R factor) and soil erodibility (K factor) as key indicators. The average erosivity in the region was 9051 MJ mm h⁻¹ha⁻¹year⁻¹, with a variation between 7943 and 10,081 MJ mm h⁻¹ha⁻¹year⁻¹, suggesting a high erosive potential, mainly in the rainiest months, from December to April. The soils of the studied area, mainly Ultisols and Chernosols, present high to very high erodibility, with K factor values ranging from 0.025 to 0.050 t h MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹. Furthermore, fieldwork revealed areas, near highways, with apparently fragile soils, as well as rills and gullies, identified through photographs taken during fieldwork. These locations, due to the combination of high erosivity and susceptible soils, were considered prone to the occurrence of erosion processes, representing an additional risk to local infrastructure. The spatialization of R and K factors, along with field observations, showed that much of the area is at high risk of erosion and landslides, particularly in regions with greater topographic variability and proximity to water bodies. These results provide a basis for the development of mitigation strategies, being important for the effective prevention of landslides.

This paper focuses on examining the relationship among organizational factor, work-related factor, psychological factor, personal factor and the commitment of oil palm smallholders toward Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification. The study employed a descriptive research methodology and a structured survey instrument to gather data from oil palm smallholders (n = 441) through simple random sampling technique. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationship. The findings reveal that organizational factors significantly impact the affective (β = 0.345, p < 0.05), normative (β = 0.424, p < 0.05), and continuance commitment (β = 0.339, p < 0.05) of oil palm smallholders. Additionally, work-related factors show a substantial effect on these same dimensions of commitment; affective (β = 0.277, p < 0.05), normative (β = 0.263, p < 0.05), and continuance (β = 0.413, p < 0.05). Psychological factors significantly impact the affective (β = 0.216, p < 0.05) and normative commitment (β = 0.146, p < 0.05), with no statistically significant influence on continuance commitment. Conversely, personal factors exhibit limited influence, affecting only continuance commitment (β = 0.104, p < 0.05) to a minor degree, with no statistically significant impact on affective and normative commitment. The present research is among the few empirical findings that have examined the oil palm smallholders' commitment towards MSPO certification. By emphasizing the role of organizational and work-related factors, the study offers valuable insights for stakeholders within the oil palm sector, highlighting areas to enhance smallholder commitment toward sustainability standards. Consequently, this study contributes a unique perspective to the existing body of literature on sustainable practices in the oil palm industry.

Afforestation is a main tool for preventing desertification and soil erosion in arid and semiarid regions of Iran. Large-scale afforestation, however, has poorly understood consequences for the future ecosystems in the term of ecosystems protection. The objective of the present study is to identify changes in soil properties following different intervals of planting of Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) in semiarid afforestation of Iran (Chitgar Forest Park, Tehran). For this purpose, sand, silt and clay ratios, bulk density, soil moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, total soil N, and total carbon was measured. Our study highlighted the potential of the invasive trees by A. altissima, to alter soil properties along chronosequence. Almost all soil quality attributes showed a declining trend with stand age. A continuous decline in soil quality indicated that the present land management may not be sustainable. Therefore, an improved management practice is imperative to sustain soil quality and maintain long-term productivity of plantation forests. Thinning activity will be required to reduce the number of trees competing for the same nutrients especially in a older stand to protect forest soils.

The chemical reinforcement of sandy soils is usually carried out to improve their properties and meet specific engineering requirements. Nevertheless, conventional reinforcement agents are often expensive; the process is energy-intensive and causes serious environmental issues. Therefore, developing a cost-effective, room-temperature-based method that uses recyclable chemicals is necessary. In the current study, poly (styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (PS-PMMA) is used as a stabilizer to reinforce sandy soil. The copolymer-reinforced sand samples were prepared using the one-step bulk polymerization method at room temperature. The mechanical strength of the copolymer-reinforced sand samples depends on the ratio of the PS-PMMA copolymer to the sand. The higher the copolymer-to-sand ratio, the higher the sample’s compressive strength. The sand (70 wt.%)-PS-PMMA (30 wt.%) sample exhibited the highest compressive strength of 1900 psi. The copolymer matrix enwraps the sand particles to form a stable structure with high compressive strengths.

The objectives achieved in the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce dependence on fossil fuels have caused, in recent years, a growing importance on sustainability in companies in order to reduce Environmental, social and economic impacts. This study is focused on understanding how the variation in West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices affects the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and therefore the companies included in it, and vice versa. The research aims to examine the statistical properties of both indices, using fractional integration methods, the fractional cointegration vector autoregressive (FCVAR) approach and the continuous wavelet transform (CWT) technique. The results warn of a change in trend, with the application of extraordinary measures being necessary to return to the original trend, while the analysis of cointegration and wavelet analysis measures reflect that an increase in those adopted based on sustainability by the different companies that make up the index imply a drop in the price of crude oil.