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	Author	Naderi Mahdei, K.; Esfahani, S.M.J.; Lebailly, P.; Dogot, T.; Van Passel, S.; Azadi, H.
	Title	Environmental impact assessment and efficiency of cotton : the case of Northeast Iran			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2022	Publication	Environment, development and sustainability	Abbreviated Journal
	Volume		Issue		Pages	1-21
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Cotton is one of the important crops that play an important role in creating a livelihood for rural people in many parts of Iran. Cotton production necessitates a large amount of resources (e.g., fossil energy and agrochemicals, all of which have the potential to damage the environment in various ways). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the environmental effects of cotton production in the South Khorasan Province of Iran. For this purpose, life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques have been applied to investigate the environmental impacts of cotton production. LCA is a practical method to evaluate the environment on the product flow, in which all aspects of the product life cycle are examined by a comprehensive approach. Furthermore, combining the LCA method with other managerial strategies such as DEA could allow researchers to provide decision-makers with more practical and interpretable data. The findings of the efficiency test showed that the average technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency were 0.81, 0.92, and 0.87, respectively. Respiratory inorganics (i.e., respiratory effects resulting from winter smog caused by emissions of dust, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides to air) posed the greatest environmental burden in cotton production, followed by non-renewable energy, carcinogens, and global warming. In addition, the highest effects were on human health, and then, on resources and climate change. Energy, on-system pollution, and waste played a crucial role in the environmental impacts of cotton processing. This study suggests improving farmers' knowledge toward the optimum application of chemical fertilizers, or their substitution with green fertilizers, which reduces the environmental effect of growing cotton in the area.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000826851400001	Publication Date	2022-07-18
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1387-585x; 1573-2975	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record
	Impact Factor	4.9	Times cited		Open Access	OpenAccess
	Notes				Approved	Most recent IF: 4.9
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:189630			Serial	7356
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	Author	Rafiaani, P.; Kuppens, T.; Thomassen, G.; Van Dael, M.; Azadi, H.; Lebailly, P.; Van Passel, S.
	Title	A critical view on social performance assessment at company level : social life cycle analysis of an algae case			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2020	Publication	International Journal Of Life Cycle Assessment	Abbreviated Journal	Int J Life Cycle Ass
	Volume		Issue		Pages
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Purpose Social indicators are not easy to be quantitatively analyzed, although at the local scale, the social impacts might be relevant and important. Using the existing approaches for both quantitative and semi-qualitative measurements, this study aims to assess the social impacts of a company working on algae production systems in Belgium through social life cycle analysis (SLCA). By highlighting the opportunities and challenges on the way of applying the existing SLCA approaches at company level, the objective of this study is to contribute to the development of a suitable and clear SLCA approach when a company is considered as the unit of analysis. Methods Based on the list of potential social impact categories suggested by the United Nations Environment Program/Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) guidelines (2009) for SLCA, three stakeholder groups (workers, consumers, and local community) and three subcategories associated with each stakeholder group were identified as the most relevant for carbon capture and utilization technologies. Company and sector level data were collected using existing documents and reports, and the data were analyzed and scored using a combined quantitative and semi-quantitative approach to develop a social assessment model for the case study. Results and discussion The company appears to perform well for all the evaluated social indicators except the one related to the subcategory “equal opportunity/discrimination for workers” for which the share of women employed is lower compared with the sector-level data. The results of our assessment were further discussed regarding the challenges and limitations of performing SLCA at the company level. Based on our experience, the validity of the outcomes is significantly influenced by the data availability, the generality of the indicators introduced within the UNEP/SETAC guidelines, and the subjectivity in data collection for the semi-quantitative assessment among others. Conclusions By highlighting the difficulties and challenges of applying the SLCA at the company level, our study provides a starting point for improving the quantitative assessment and monitoring social implications at the company level within a regional foreground in Europe.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000492643600001	Publication Date	2019-10-26
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0948-3349; 1614-7502	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	4.8	Times cited	1	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 4.8; 2020 IF: 3.173
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:164676			Serial	6141
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	Author	Rafiaani, P.; Dikopoulou, Z.; Van Dael, M.; Kuppens, T.; Azadi, H.; Lebailly, P.; Van Passel, S.
	Title	Identifying Social Indicators for Sustainability Assessment of CCU Technologies: A Modified Multi-criteria Decision Making			Type	A1 Journal Article
	Year	2020	Publication	Social Indicators Research	Abbreviated Journal	Soc Indic Res
	Volume	147	Issue	1	Pages	15-44
	Keywords	A1 Journal Article; Engineering Management (ENM) ;
	Abstract	Carbon capture and utilization (CCU) technologies capture CO2 waste emissions and utilize them to generate new products (such as fuels, chemicals, and materials) with various environmental, economic, and social opportunities. As most of these CCU technologies are in the R&D stage, their technical and economic viability are examined with less attention to the social aspect which is an important pillar for a holistic sustainability assessment. The lack of systematic social impact research is mainly due to the difficulty of identifying and quantifying social aspects through the entire life cycle of products. We will fill this gap for CCU technologies and identify the main social indicators. A multi-criteria decision making tool: TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) was applied to empirically determine which indicators are more relevant for assessing the social impact of a company operating CCU activities within a European context. First, seeing that social impact categories are linked to key stakeholder groups, we considered workers, consumers, and local communities as relevant stakeholders. Second, the main social impact categories and their potential performance indicators associated to each group of stakeholders were listed using the United Nations Environment Program/Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (UNEP/SETAC) guidelines. In the third step, an online questionnaire was distributed to identify the main social categories and indicators for CCU, to which 33 European CCU experts responded. Finally, a modified TOPSIS was applied to rank the indicators based on their relevance. We found that the indicators related to “end of life responsibility” and “transparency” within a CCU company achieved the highest rank affecting the consumers group, whereas “fair salary” and “equal opportunities/discriminations” were determined as the most relevant impact categories for the workers. For the local community group, “secure living conditions” and “local employment” received the highest priority from the experts’ point of view. Furthermore, “health and safety” considerations were identified as one of the most important criteria affecting all three groups of stakeholders. The ranking list of the main social indicators identified in our study provides the basis for the next steps in the social sustainability assessment of CCU technologies; that is, data collection and impact assessment. Our outcomes can also be used to inform the producers regarding the most and least relevant social aspects of CCU so that the potential social impacts caused by their production activities can be improved or prevented.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000511863600002	Publication Date	2019-07-06
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0303-8300	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	1.743	Times cited		Open Access
	Notes	We would also like to thank James Morrison from the JamesEdits agency for proof reading and editing the article.			Approved	Most recent IF: NA
	Call Number	ENM @ enm @c:irua:166591			Serial	6354
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	Author	Moretti, M.; Van Passel, S.; Camposeo, S.; Pedrero, F.; Dogot, T.; Lebailly, P.; Vivaldi, G.A.
	Title	Modelling environmental impacts of treated municipal wastewater reuse for tree crops irrigation in the Mediterranean coastal region			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2019	Publication	Science Of The Total Environment	Abbreviated Journal	Sci Total Environ
	Volume	660	Issue	660	Pages	1513-1521
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Wastewater reuse provides valuable solutions to solve the societal challenges of decreasing availability and limiting access to secure water resources. The present study quantifies the environmental performance of nectarine orchards irrigation using treated municipal wastewater (TMW) and surface water using a unique dataset based on field experimental data. Climate change, toxicity (for human and freshwater), eutrophication (marine and freshwater) and acidification impacts were analysed using the impact assessment method suggested by the International Reference Life Cycle Data System (ILCD). The water footprint associated to the life cycles of each system has been estimated using the Available WAter REmaining (AWARE) method. Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess data uncertainty. The irrigation of nectarine orchards using TMW performs better than the irrigation using surface water for eutrophication impact categories. Compared with surface water resources, the potential impacts of TMW reuse in agriculture on climate change and toxicity are affected by the wastewater treatment phase (WWT). Only eutrophication and acidification burdens are generated by in-field substitution of surface water with TMW. Considering human and ecosystem water demand, the irrigation with TMW increases water consumption of 19.12 m3 per kg of nectarine produced. Whereas, it shows a positive contribution to water stress (−0.19 m3) if only human water demand is considered. This study provides important results that allow for a better understanding of the potential environmental consequences of TMW reuse in agriculture. It suggests that embracing the type of WWTs, the replacement of fertilizers, the effects on water scarcity and ecosystem quality might be useful to redefine water reuse regulations and increase public acceptance for the reuse of TMW in agriculture. Moreover, this study reveals the need for developing consensus and standardized guidance for life cycle analysis of water reuse applications.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000457725700145	Publication Date	2019-01-06
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0048-9697	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	4.9	Times cited	4	Open Access
	Notes	; The authors would like to thank the EU, MIUR and FNRS for funding, in the frame of the collaborative international Consortium DESERT financed under the ERA-NET WaterWorks2014 Cofunded Call. This ERA-NET is an integral part of the 2015 Joint Activities developed by the “Water Challenges for a Changing World Joint Programme Initiative (Water JPI)”. G.A. Vivaldi would like to thank also the Regione Puglia for the support from the “Fondo di Sviluppo e Coesione” 2007-2013 – APQ Ricerca Regione Puglia “Programma regionale a sostegno della specializzazione intelligente e della sostenibilita sociale ed ambientale – FutureInResearch”. ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 4.9
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:156931			Serial	6227
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	Author	Lan Thanh Nguyen; Anh Pham Hoai Nguyen; Van Passel, S.; Azadi, H.; Lebailly, P.
	Title	Access to preferential loans for poverty reduction and rural development : evidence from Vietnam			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2018	Publication	Journal Of Economic Issues	Abbreviated Journal	J Econ Issues
	Volume	52	Issue	1	Pages	246-269
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Preferential loans play an important role in the process of reducing poverty in developing countries. Considering the data set from the 2010 Vietnam Household Living Standards Survey, we aim to examine the influential factors in probability of households getting access to preferential loans. Additionally, we analyze the determinants of household income in association with the loans by applying a quantile regression model. Our results show that ethnicity-related factors have the largest marginal effect on the access to preferential loans. The results from the quantile regression model demonstrate that the debt factor has a deeper impact on the borrowing group at the lower quantiles of household income.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000426925300012	Publication Date	2018-12-05
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0021-3624	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	0.581	Times cited	3	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 0.581
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:150919			Serial	6146
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	Author	Azadi, H.; Keramati, P.; Taheri, F.; Rafiaani, P.; Teklemariam, D.; Gebrehiwot, K.; Hosseininia, G.; Van Passel, S.; Lebailly, P.; Witlox, F.
	Title	Agricultural land conversion : reviewing drought impacts and coping strategies			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2018	Publication	International Journal Of Disaster Risk Reduction	Abbreviated Journal	Int J Disast Risk Re
	Volume	31	Issue	31	Pages	184-195
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM); Government and Law
	Abstract	This paper aims to review the impacts of drought on agricultural land conversion (ALC) on the one hand and the impacts of ALC on intensifying drought on the other. The paper further investigates coping strategies at three levels; i.e., micro (local), meso (national), and macro (international), in order to mitigate drought impacts that are classified as economic, social, and environmental. This paper shows that ALC, drought and coping strategies are in a reciprocal relationship and can have either a positive or negative influence on each other. The paper concludes that the complex and multidimensional nature of drought requires the development of an integrated approach that focuses on the governments collaboration with different stakeholders. Such an integrated approach can improve drought risk management implementations, decrease vulnerability and construct resilience and coping capacity at all levels in order to deal with droughts.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000446353300020	Publication Date	2018-05-04
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	2212-4209	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	1.603	Times cited	7	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 1.603
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:154142			Serial	6149
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	Author	Rafiaani, P.; Kuppens, T.; Van Dael, M.; Azadi, H.; Lebailly, P.; Van Passel, S.
	Title	Social sustainability assessments in the biobased economy : towards a systemic approach			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2018	Publication	Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews	Abbreviated Journal	Renew Sust Energ Rev
	Volume	82	Issue	2	Pages	1839-1853
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering sciences. Technology; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	The majority of impact assessments for the biobased economy are primarily focused on the environmental and (techno-)economic aspects, while social aspects are rarely considered. This study proposes a modified systemic approach for a social sustainability impact assessment of the biobased economy, based on a review on the common methodologies for assessing social impacts. Accordingly, the proposed approach follows the four general iterative steps of social life cycle analysis (SLCA) as it considers all life cycle phases of the biobased economy. The systemic approach considers the potential social impacts on local communities, workers, and consumers as the main three groups of the stakeholders. The review showed that the most common social indicators for inventory analysis within the biobased economy include health and safety, food security, income, employment, land- and worker-related concerns, energy security, profitability, and gender issues. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) was also highlighted as the broadly utilized methodology for aggregating the results of impact assessments within the biobased economy. Taking a life cycle perspective, this study provides a holistic view of the full sustainability of research, design, and innovation in the biobased economy by suggesting the integration of the social aspects with techno-economic and an environmental life cycle assessment. Our proposed systemic approach makes possible to integrate the social impacts that are highly valued by the affected stakeholders into the existing sustainability models that focus only on environmental and techno-economic aspects. We discuss the steps of the proposed systemic approach in order to identify the challenges of applying them within the biobased economy. These challenges refer mainly to the definition of the functional unit and system boundaries, the selection and the analysis of social indicators (inventory analysis), the aggregation of the inventory to impact categories, and the uncertainties associated with the social sustainability evaluation. The result of this review and the proposed systemic approach serve as a foundation for industry and policy makers to gain a better insight into the importance of social sustainability impacts assessment within the biobased economy.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000423371300014	Publication Date	2017-08-01
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1364-0321; 1879-0690	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	8.05	Times cited	28	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 8.05
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:149031			Serial	6250
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	Author	Pour, M.D.; Motiee, N.; Barati, A.A.; Taheri, F.; Azadi, H.; Gebrehiwot, K.; Lebailly, P.; Van Passel, S.; Witlox, F.
	Title	Impacts of the Hara biosphere reserve on livelihood and welfare in Persian Gulf			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	Ecological Economics	Abbreviated Journal	Ecol Econ
	Volume	141	Issue		Pages	76-86
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Despite the importance of biosphere reserves in Iran's livelihood and welfare, the economic significance of Hara Biosphere Reserve has never been comprehensively studied. This study examines the current importance of Hara Biosphere Reserve (HBR) in local livelihood and welfare. Using a household survey, data were collected through a questionnaire, key informant interviews and direct observations. Two hundred and forty-four households were randomly selected from 10 villages through proportional sampling. Results showed that non-environmental income was the first driver of the total income, poverty alleviation and narrowing income inequality gap. Park income was the second. The results also showed that excluding park income from total income would significantly increase headcount poverty, widen the poverty gap, and raise the Gini coefficient. Wealthier households had the greatest absolute income from the environment, including forest, fishing and fodder. However, the poorest group had smallest absolute income from these sources. Thus, the study demonstrated that wealthier households are responsible for the overharvesting of environmental resources. Interestingly, the study showed that wealthier households are more dependent on profitable environmental incomes sources while the poorest are more dependent on non-profitable ones. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000410013200008	Publication Date	2017-06-02
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0921-8009; 1873-6106	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	2.965	Times cited	7	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 2.965
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:145602			Serial	6214
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	Author	Jouzi, Z.; Azadi, H.; Taheri, F.; Zarafshani, K.; Gebrehiwot, K.; Van Passel, S.; Lebailly, P.
	Title	Organic farming and small-scale farmers : main opportunities and challenges			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2017	Publication	Ecological Economics	Abbreviated Journal	Ecol Econ
	Volume	132	Issue		Pages	144-154
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Producing enough food to meet the needs of a growing population has always been the greatest concern of food policy-makers around the world. Given the increasing attention to organic farming (OF), we conducted this study to investigate the main opportunities and challenges of the food production system of small-scale farmers in developing countries with an emphasis on their livelihoods. The study showed that the most significant advantages of OF are environmental protection and a higher resilience to environmental changes, increasing farmers' income and reducing external input cost, enhancing social capacity and increasing employment opportunities. A s well as enhancing food security primarily by increasing the food purchasing power of local people. However, the main challenges of this food production system include lower yields in comparison to conventional systems, difficulties with soil nutrient management, certification and market barriers, and the educational and research needs of small-holders. The paper concludes that even though OF might present some significant challenges to small-scale farmers, it could/should still be considered as a part of the solution and means of improving their livelihoods.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000390825200014	Publication Date	2016-11-06
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	0921-8009; 1873-6106	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	2.965	Times cited	39	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 2.965
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:139034			Serial	6233
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	Author	Azadi, H.; Akbar Barati, A.; Rafiaani, P.; Raufirad, V.; Zarafshani, K.; Mamoorian, M.; Van Passel, S.; Lebailly, P.
	Title	Agricultural land conversion drivers in Northeast Iran : application of structural equation model			Type	A1 Journal article
	Year	2016	Publication	Applied Spatial Analysis And Policy	Abbreviated Journal	Appl Spat Anal Polic
	Volume	9	Issue	4	Pages	591-609
	Keywords	A1 Journal article; Economics; Engineering Management (ENM)
	Abstract	Identifying driving forces behind agricultural land conversion (ALC) remains one of the most difficult challenges that agricultural and environmental scientists must continually deal with. The difficulty emerges from the fact that in ALC, multiple actions and interactions between different factors (i.e., economic, political, environmental, biophysical, institutional, and cultural) exist and make it difficult to understand the function of the processes behind the changes. The phenomenon of ALC in different countries is varied in terms of intensity, trends and drivers. The main goal of this study was to understand these drivers in Northeast Iran through applying structural equation model (SEM). Using multi-stage stratified random sampling, 101 executive officers participated in the study. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire. A multi-stakeholder analysis and a mixed-method (qualitative and quantitative) approach were applied. Results revealed that not only from the policy makers perspective but also based on the SEM, economic, political, technological, social and environmental factors should respectively be the five major drivers of ALC. The results also showed that among other drivers, more profitability of non-agriculture sectors, excessive rising of land prices, farmers income instability, land fragmentation, urban sprawl and inheritance laws are the main six causes of ALC. Hence, it can be concluded that policy-makers and planners need to take these drivers and subsidiaries more into consideration in order to properly respond to ALC.
	Address
	Corporate Author				Thesis
	Publisher		Place of Publication		Editor
	Language		Wos	000387410900008	Publication Date	2015-06-04
	Series Editor		Series Title		Abbreviated Series Title
	Series Volume		Series Issue		Edition
	ISSN	1874-463x	ISBN		Additional Links	UA library record; WoS full record; WoS citing articles
	Impact Factor	1.825	Times cited	6	Open Access
	Notes	; ;			Approved	Most recent IF: 1.825
	Call Number	UA @ admin @ c:irua:136749			Serial	6148
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