Improved cookstoves aimed at reducing exposure to indoor air pollution have had a lasting presence in development and health discussions. Through this article we contribute to current debates in the field by reflecting on our experiences during a cookstove participatory project in two ‘non-notified’ communities, or ‘slums,’ in Bangalore, India. We interrogate the alignment between some of the central tenets and methods of participation and the lived experiences of participating communities. The current predominant recommendations focus on developing and implementing cookstoves tailored for user needs. Yet, the project implementation entered a space of uncertainty where the priorities and needs of participants were diverse and changing. While urban infrastructures related to housing and work security, drainage systems, access to health care, and aspects of governance, citizenship and rights, may seem to fall outside the scope of ICS projects, our experiences show how inescapably they shape participatory processes and technologies. We highlight the need to take a closer look at how we can include these broader and changing priorities and needs in our methodologies and reflect on how we can better respond and align them with the ways in which people live.
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Modern airport management is challenged by the task of operating aircraft parking positions most efficiently while complying with environmental policies, restrictions, schedule disruptions, and capacity limitations. This study proposes a novel framework for the stand allocation problem that uses a divide-and-conquer approach in combination with Bayesian modelling, simulation, and optimisation to produce less-pollutant solutions under realistic conditions. The framework presents three innovative aspects. First, inputs from the stochastic analysis module are used in a multivariate optimisation for generating variability-robust solutions. Second, a combination of optimisation and simulation is used to finely explore the impact of realistic uncertainty uncaptured by the framework. Lastly, the framework considers the role of human beings as the final control of operational conditions. A case study is presented as a proof of concept and demonstrates results achievable and benefits of the framework proposed. The experimental results demonstrate that the framework generates less-pollutant solutions under realistic conditions.
Expectations are high for digital technologies to address sustainability related challenges. While research into such applications and the twin transformation is growing rapidly, insights in the actual daily practices of digital sustainability within organizations is lacking. This is problematic as the contributions of digital tools to sustainability goals gain shape in organizational practices. To bridge this gap, we develop a theoretical perspective on digital sustainability practices based on practice theory, with an emphasis on the concept of sociomateriality. We argue that connecting meanings related to sustainability with digital technologies is essential to establish beneficial practices. Next, we contend that the meaning of sustainability is contextspecific, which calls for a local meaning making process. Based on our theoretical exploration we develop an empirical research agenda.
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