Authors: Dr. Kanchan Kumari
Abstract: Purpose – This paper develops and presents an integrated multi-domain research framework for investigating four critical pillars of environmental sustainability — energy systems, water resource management, material recycling, and waste governance. The framework addresses the fragmented state of sustainability research by proposing a unified six-phase mixed-methods model applicable across disciplines, geographies, and institutional contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The framework adopts a mixed-methods design integrating quantitative data analysis, field-based measurement, systems modelling, and qualitative policy evaluation. An 18-month phased timeline is proposed, structured across problem identification, literature synthesis, methodology design, primary data collection, analysis, and policy output generation. Findings – Cross-domain analysis reveals five high-priority research gaps, including grid-scale storage viability, groundwater depletion in arid urban zones, methane capture efficiency in informal landfills, and the systemic nexus interactions between energy, water, and waste. The framework demonstrates that treating these domains in isolation systematically underestimates interdependencies and leads to suboptimal policy design. Research limitations/implications – The framework is conceptual and requires empirical validation across diverse national contexts. Data availability constraints in low-income countries may limit certain quantitative methods. Practical implications – The framework provides researchers, policymakers, and sustainability practitioners with a structured, replicable approach to cross-domain environmental investigation. It directly supports SDG 6 (Clean Water), SDG 7 (Clean Energy), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption). Originality/value – This paper makes an original contribution by synthesising four sustainability domains into a single integrated research model, moving beyond siloed inquiry to capture systemic interdependencies.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21411142
