Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Chains of Social Sustainability and the Potential of the DPSIR Framework

Researchers examined whether the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, established for environmental sustainability analysis, can be usefully extended to structure social sustainability issues. Using child labour as a case study, they demonstrate that the DPSIR framework can distinguish drivers, pressures, states, impacts, and responses in social problem domains.

2025 Systems Research and Behavioral Science
Article Tier 2

The Marine Plastic Litter Issue: A Social-Economic Analysis

Using the DPSIR framework, this study analyzed marine plastic litter pollution as a social-economic issue, finding that fewer than 10 peer-reviewed studies had applied this policy-relevant analytical model to ocean plastics, and identifying management response gaps in food security, transport, and shelter contexts.

2020 Sustainability 114 citations
Article Tier 2

A DPSIR Assessment on Ecosystem Services Challenges in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: Coping with the Impacts of Sand Mining

Researchers applied the DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework to assess the ecosystem services challenges posed by intensive sand mining in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The analysis identified urbanisation-driven sand demand as the primary driver, with the resulting river bed incision and sediment deficit threatening delta biodiversity, agricultural productivity, and coastal stability.

2020 Sustainability 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of Sustainable Development of an Agricultural Economy Based on the DPSIR Model

This study applied the DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State-Impacts-Responses) model to evaluate the sustainable development of the agricultural economy in China. The analysis identified economic growth pressures and environmental degradation as interconnected challenges. Frameworks like DPSIR help policymakers design responses that address root causes of agricultural pollution, including plastic mulch use.

2022 Journal of Sensors 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Re-imagining the driver–pressure–state–impact–response framework from an equity and inclusive development perspective

This paper critiques the widely used DPSIR environmental policy framework for overlooking social justice and equity, arguing that environmental burdens fall disproportionately on vulnerable communities. The critique is relevant to microplastic pollution, which often affects lower-income and coastal communities most severely.

2019 Sustainability Science 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Beach pollution from marine litter: Analysis with the DPSIR framework (driver, pressure, state, impact, response) in Tuscany, Italy

Researchers applied the DPSIR environmental analysis framework to understand the accumulation of litter and waste on beaches in Tuscany, Italy, finding that coastal ocean currents — not local waterways — were the main source of beach debris, while local sewage contaminated the sand with fecal bacteria at levels posing moderate health risks. The study demonstrates how a systems-level approach can help beach managers identify the true causes of marine litter and evaluate the effectiveness of existing cleanup measures.

2022 Ecological Indicators 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessment of the ecological sustainability of river basins based on the modified the ESHIPPOfish model on the example of the Velika Morava basin (Serbia, Central Balkans)

Researchers assessed the ecological sustainability of the Velika Morava River Basin in Serbia using a modified ESHIPPO model, evaluating multiple freshwater stressors including pollution and climate change impacts on ecosystem services like drinking water and recreation.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Societal Relations to Nature in Times of Crisis—Social Ecology’s Contributions to Interdisciplinary Sustainability Studies

This review article examined how social ecology — an interdisciplinary field — approaches the crisis of societal relationships with nature, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. It provides theoretical frameworks relevant to understanding why plastic pollution persists despite growing awareness of its harms.

2017 Sustainability 27 citations
Article Tier 2

DAPSI(W)R(M) put into practice for a nature-based solution: Framework applied to the coastbusters approach

Researchers applied a structured environmental assessment framework (DAPSI(W)R(M)) to guide the installation of mussel beds and tubeworm colonies as natural coastal defenses in the Belgian North Sea, measuring their benefits for coastal protection, carbon capture, and water quality. The study provides a practical roadmap for evaluating how nature-based solutions can be legally and ecologically implemented in protected marine areas.

2024 Nature-Based Solutions 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Social fields and natural systems: integrating knowledge about society and nature

This theoretical paper proposes combining sociological field theory with systems thinking to better analyze sustainability challenges. The integrated approach could help researchers understand how social structures shape human responses to environmental problems like plastic pollution.

2018 Ecology and Society 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: An analysis using the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses) model: The situation of Brazil

This review applies the DPSIR (Drivers, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses) framework to analyze microplastic pollution specifically in the Brazilian context, structuring available evidence on sources, environmental accumulation, ecological and human health impacts, and current policy and technological response measures. The authors aim to provide a structured evidence base to guide large-scale solutions to microplastic pollution in Brazil.

2022 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the environment: A DPSIR analysis with focus on the responses

This review applies a DPSIR (driving forces, pressures, states, impacts, responses) framework to organise current knowledge on microplastic pollution, covering sources, distribution across environmental compartments, and socio-economic impacts. The authors assess available response strategies including regulatory instruments, biodegradable plastics development, wastewater treatment, and environmental cleanup, while identifying key gaps in the literature.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Expanding the scope and roles of social sciences and humanities to support integrated ecosystem assessments and ecosystem-based management

Researchers explored how social sciences and humanities can be better integrated into ecosystem-based management and integrated ecosystem assessments. The study argues that human dimensions of social-ecological systems are currently underrepresented, relying primarily on economics, anthropology, and sociology while overlooking other relevant disciplines. The authors propose expanded roles for social science research to improve decision-making frameworks for marine and environmental management.

2023 ICES Journal of Marine Science 10 citations
Article Tier 2

A Framework for Deep Resilience in the Anthropocene

This paper presents a framework for building resilience at the individual, community, and planetary levels, developed through a summit of over 40 researchers, psychologists, and community leaders. The authors argue that addressing the current environmental crisis requires integrating inner well-being with broader ecological and social resilience. The framework is intended to guide organizations and governments in making decisions that account for the interconnected nature of human and environmental health.

2024 Humanistic Management Journal 4 citations
Article Tier 2

The ǂcircular economy

This review examines the circular economy framework through the lens of systems theory, critically analyzing the standard 'butterfly diagram' model and identifying unresolved tensions between economic, environmental, and social sustainability. The authors propose an expanded concept of an 'economic pluriverse' nested within broader social and ecological systems to better capture the complexity of circular supply chains.

2024 RUNG
Article Tier 2

Aplicação do modelo DPSIR (Drivers – Pressures – State – Impact – Response) com foco nas respostas tecnológicas para a redução dos gases de efeito estufa

This study applied the DPSIR (Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response) causal model to assess greenhouse gas emissions from human energy consumption, identifying carbon capture and storage (CCS) and CO2 utilization technologies -- particularly photocatalysis and CO2 hydrogenation -- as key technological responses for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide.

2022 Latin American Journal of Energy Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Development of a Classification Model for Physiological Parameters in Relation to Ecological Aspects Based on Cohort Data

Researchers developed a classification model linking physiological parameters to ecological and environmental factors using cohort data, aiming to understand how environmental variables, socioeconomic conditions, and demographic parameters influence human health outcomes in the context of ecosystem modelling.

2022 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

On the theory-practice gap in the environmental realm: perspectives from and for diverse environmental professionals

This study examined the theory-practice gap in environmental decision-making, bringing together experts across landscape planning, conservation science, and environmental sociology to characterize its causes and identify practical recommendations for bridging scientific knowledge with real-world environmental management.

2021 Socio-Ecological Practice Research 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Implementing a combined Delphi and Focus Group qualitative methodology in Nexus research designs—The case of the WEFE Nexus in Apokoronas, Crete

Researchers implemented a combined Delphi and Focus Group methodology to study the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus in a rural Cretan community, demonstrating how qualitative participatory approaches can capture the complex interdependencies in resource management.

2022 PLoS ONE 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Multidimensional Ecosystem Mapping: Towards a More Comprehensive Spatial Assessment of Nature’s Contributions to People in France

Researchers developed a multidimensional approach to mapping ecosystem services across France, going beyond traditional land-cover methods to incorporate soil, water, and biodiversity data. By combining multiple data layers, they created more accurate spatial assessments of the benefits nature provides to people, from carbon storage to pollination. The study demonstrates that considering multiple ecosystem dimensions simultaneously leads to more reliable conservation and land-use planning decisions.

2023 Sustainability 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The application of the DAPSI(W)R(M) framework to the plastic pellets chain

The DAPSI(W)R(M) framework — a structured approach to environmental problem assessment — was applied to analyze the full chain of impacts from plastic pellet (nurdle) production and release into the environment. The analysis traced pressures, state changes, welfare impacts, and management responses for this widespread microplastic contaminant. This framework helps identify the most effective points for intervention to reduce plastic pellet pollution.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

From the Ecological Crisis of the Anthropocene to the Ecological Transition

This philosophical and scientific paper frames the current environmental crisis as an Anthropocene crisis involving not just climate change but the destabilization of the entire Earth system, including plastic pollution and biodiversity loss. The author argues that ecological transition requires systemic change in human-nature relationships.

2024
Meta Analysis Tier 1

New Model for Quantifying the Impact of the Social Economy on Water Resources’ Sustainability

This study models correlations between social economy indicators and water resource sustainability across EU27 countries, finding that environmental protection spending tends to cover ecological objectives even when exceeding budget allocations. The study is not related to microplastic research.

2024
Article Tier 2

A Framework to Identify Priority Areas for Restoration: Integrating Human Demand and Ecosystem Services in Dongting Lake Eco-Economic Zone, China

Researchers developed a framework integrating human demand and ecosystem services to identify priority restoration areas in the Dongting Lake Eco-Economic Zone, enabling more targeted and beneficial ecological restoration planning.

2023 Land 11 citations