Green Waqf and the SDGs: A Systematic Literature Review on Its Contribution and Potential for Sustainable Development
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54471/iqtishoduna.v15i2.3795Keywords:
green waqf, islamic social finance, sustainable development goals, maqasid al-shariah, environmental sustainabilityAbstract
Background and research gap - Although green waqf is increasingly discussed as an Islamic social finance instrument for environmental sustainability, international literature lacks a systematic synthesis distinguishing explicitly environmental waqf from general productive or social waqf, particularly regarding its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Purpose - This study examines how green waqf contributes to environmental and socio-economic sustainability, identifies implementation barriers, and establishes priorities for future research.
Design/methodology/approach - Following PRISMA 2020, a systematic literature review searched Scopus-indexed publications, nationally accredited (SINTA) journals, and conference proceedings published between 2015 and 2026. An explicit inclusion criterion distinguished green waqf from broader waqf practices. Forty-four studies were analysed thematically.
Key Findings - No qualifying study predated 2019, while 36 of 44 studies focused on Indonesia or Malaysia. Conceptual and review studies predominated over empirical evaluations. Green waqf initiatives addressed forests, renewable and biomass energy, water, waste, coastal ecosystems, and agriculture, with the strongest emphasis on SDGs 13, 15, and 7. Integration with zakat and sadaqah, blockchain, crowdfunding, and green sukuk offers potential, but these approaches remain largely unvalidated. Weak governance, limited transparency, and inadequate regulatory support constitute major barriers.
Research limitations/implications - The findings reflect the geographical concentration and limited empirical depth of the available literature, restricting generalisability.
Originality/value - The study advances a maqasid-based understanding of green waqf and proposes a research agenda prioritising empirical validation, governance reform, and scalability.
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