Country Case Research Articles

Smart Practices in Modern Dairy Farming in Bangladesh: Integrating Technological Transformations for Sustainable Responsibility

The current Bangladeshi dairy sector faces many problems related to sustainability indicators from economic, social, and environmental perspectives. In this circumstance, they must combine cutting-edge innovation to overcome growing sustainability concerns and technical revolutions to become smart farms. This study analyzes how dairy farmers might use cutting-edge technologies in their dairy sub-processes to determine the benefits of achieving additional productivity and efficiency. This paper examines precision livestock farming, information analytics, and alternative energy sources to reduce environmental hazards and increase resource efficiency. Using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotics (RPA), Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, system dynamics, and simulation modeling can assist the farmers in improving the results. Analyzing developing country case studies and best practices reveals crucial answers for reconciling sustainability stewardship and operational efficiency. The system dynamics method builds a simulation model and finds the projected results before implementing it in real life. The findings provide considerable waste reduction and productivity gains through technological deployments. The simulation model creates two scenarios of ‘current’ and ‘technology-adopted’ processes to examine the transformational benefits of sustainable practices. A case study method was adopted for this technology deployment to organize a comprehensive strategy that blends technology and sustainability. This study ends with recommendations for dairy farmers and policymakers to create a resilient and environmentally friendly dairy operation to secure the dairy sector’s long-term viability in transforming technologies. Future farms can follow the practical, technical, and policy, as well as recommendations to improve their processes, such as smart farm concepts available in academia and dairy-developed countries.

Contribution of Economic Variables to Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 16): The Case of G20 Countries

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of selected macroeconomic variables on the global peace index. Theoretical Framework: This research provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding the relationship between economic factors and peace by highlighting key concepts such as sustainable development goals (SDGs), peace economics and development theories. Method: Using data from G20 countries covering the period 2008-2022, the effects of inflation, GDP per capita, foreign direct investments, growth rate, exchange rate and consumption expenditures on the peace index were examined with panel data models. Results and Discussion: According to the analysis results; the inflation rate, foreign direct investments (fdi) and growth rate among the variables in the established model were statistically insignificant, while per capita income, exchange rate and final consumption expenditures were statistically significant. Research Implications: This research contributes to understanding of the relationship between economic development and peace. Theoretically, it reveals how economic factors shape peace and the interaction between sustainable development and peace; while in practical terms, it emphasizes the integration of peace strategies with economic growth and inequality for governments and international organizations. The results can be applied in areas such as peace economics and development policies. Originality/Value: This study brings an innovative approach to the literature by investigating economic factors’ effects on peace and offers contributions to the integration of sustainable development and peace strategies. The findings can help governments and international organizations shape peacebuilding and development policies more effectively.

A scoping review on climate change education

The growing urgency of the climate crisis necessitates innovative educational approaches to equip people with the knowledge and skills to address climate challenges and be able to influence policy effectively. Education can be a central asset to promoting climate action, yet the importance of climate change education has been underexposed in large and influential assessment reports such as those from the IPCC. This study provides a comprehensive mapping of the literature on climate change education with a particular focus on the time period 2008-2023. By combining human coding and natural language processing (NLP) techniques, we examined a diverse corpus of over 6’000 publications from the peer reviewed literature. The findings highlight the pivotal role of climate education across various disciplines and its alignment with critical climate research themes such as adaptation, mitigation, disaster risk management, and sustainability. Our analysis reveals three predominant topics within the literature which are related to effective learning methodologies, sustainable development education, and the importance of education in adaptation and resilience. Additionally, we identified emerging themes emphasizing the role of youth as change agents, the necessity of transformative educational practices and the importance of energy literacy. Through geoparsing, it was possible to infer country mentions and case studies. These appeared to be largely skewed towards the English speaking countries and in particular the United States and United Kingdom, underpinning the urgency of diversifying research funding and fostering an open data culture. The insights gained from this scoping review underscore the potential of climate education to not only enhance knowledge but also to drive community engagement and policy initiatives, thus contributing to broader climate action efforts. In essence, it suggests fostering innovative educational practices for cultivating an active and informed society capable of addressing the pressing challenges posed by climate change. Importantly, this study calls for the integration of climate change education themes into climate policy-relevant assessment reports.

Examining the Relationship Between Climate Change, Energy Consumption, and the Financial System: The Case of E7 Countries

This study aims to investigate the correlation among climate change, energy consumption, and the financial system, using the E7 countries as a case study. The E7 comprises emerging economies including Brazil, China, India, Russia, Turkey, Indonesia, and Mexico, which are the primary focus of this research. The research delves into the factors impacting CO2 emissions over the long term, spanning from 1992 to 2020. Results reveal a positive correlation between economic growth and fossil fuel usage with CO2 emissions, while a negative correlation is identified between CO2 emissions and variables such as renewable energy consumption, temperature changes, and capital investments. The study underscores the significance of sustainability and environmental policies for the E7 nations. Recommendations include increasing investments in renewable energy sources, encouraging the adoption of carbon-neutral transportation technologies, and supporting initiatives for forest conservation and afforestation. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between climate change, energy consumption, and the financial system within E7 countries, offering policy recommendations for achieving sustainability.

The Relatonship between Financial Development and Economic Growth: The Case of West African Countries

This study examines the relationship between financial development and economic growth in seven countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 1970 to 2018. Vector autoregression and the Granger causality method were employed in this study to reveal the impact of financial development on investment, which is essential for long-term economic growth. In our study, investment, credit to the private sector, broad money, foreign direct investment, general government final expenditures, foreign trade, and savings are used as variables. The results of the analysis reveal that financial development indicators have a positive effect on investment. However, the degree of this effect differs from country to country. Credit to the private sector and broad money, which are indicators of financial development in some countries, have a low impact on investment, while in other countries, the impact is strong. Regarding Granger causality, four different results were found across the countries: a bidirectional causality between financial development and investment, a unidirectional causal flow from investment to financial development, a unidirectional causal flow from financial development indicators to investment, and no causality between financial development and investment.

Prevalence, consequences, and contributing factors beyond verbal and physical workplace violence against nurses in peripheral hospitals.

Globally, nearly one-third of workplace violence (WPV) occurs in the health sector. Exposure to WPV among Jordanian nurses has been widely speculated to be underreported. Understanding of the factors contributing to WPV among nurses and their consequences is limited. This study aimed to examine the consequences and contributing factors of WPV and explore suggestions for reducing WPV among nurses working in peripheral hospitals. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 431 Jordanian nurses. Data were collected using a self-report instrument between December 2022 and June 2023. A modified version of the ILO/ICN/WHO/PSI Workplace Violence in the Health Sector Country Case Study Questionnaire developed and validated in 2003 was used. The ages of the participants ranged from 20 to 49 years. A total of 349 nurses (81%) had experienced verbal violence, while 110 (25.5%) had experienced physical violence. Of the 110 nurses who were physically attacked, 44 (40 %) reported that an investigation was conducted to determine the cause of the incident. Approximately 38.2% of incidents involving physical violence in the last 12 months involved the use of weapons. The current study revealed that 59.6% of the nurses reported that verbal incidents were common in their workplace. The highest level of agreement among all participants was leniency in applying penalties to perpetrators of violence inside hospitals. The majority of participants (95.8%) agreed that improving staff-patient communication skills would effectively reduce violence. Creating awareness among healthcare professionals, patients, and the general public regarding the impact of WPV and the importance of respect and professionalism is crucial.

Circular economy integration in oil and gas sector: case of MENA countries

Circular economy integration in oil and gas sector: case of MENA countries

Governance and resilience as entry points for transforming food systems in the countdown to 2030

Due to complex interactions, changes in any one area of food systems are likely to impact—and possibly depend on—changes in other areas. Here we present the first annual monitoring update of the indicator framework proposed by the Food Systems Countdown Initiative, with new qualitative analysis elucidating interactions across indicators. Since 2000, we find that 20 of 42 indicators with time series have been trending in a desirable direction, indicating modest positive change. Qualitative expert elicitation assessed governance and resilience indicators to be most connected to other indicators across themes, highlighting entry points for action—particularly governance action. Literature review and country case studies add context to the assessed interactions across diets, environment, livelihoods, governance and resilience indicators, helping different actors understand and navigate food systems towards desirable change.

COVID‐19, Import Relationships and New Formation: Evidence From Colombian Importers

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the short‐run effects of exposure to COVID‐19 cases on monthly outcomes and new formation for Colombian import relationships in 2020. Focusing first on consistent import relationships, defined as firm–origin–product triplets that were active in all 12 months of 2019, inactivity rates are 5% higher, imported value is 3% lower and 2% fewer transactions occur when COVID‐19 caseloads in the exporting country are at the 75th percentile (2.4 cases per thousand residents) instead of the 25th percentile (0.1 cases per thousand residents). When cases in the importer's Colombian department are at the 75th percentile (7.2 cases per thousand) instead of the 25th (0.3 cases per thousand), inactivity rates are 23% higher, imported values are 6% lower and 2% fewer transactions occur. Differences in viral incidence across countries also affect the extensive margin decision of which country importers begin to source products from: higher cases in individual countries deter new relationships with exporters from those countries from forming, whereas higher case levels in traditional suppliers push importers towards less prominent source countries.

Women’s stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and the Netherlands: a longitudinal perspective on the role of part-time employment and parenthood for different educational groups

ABSTRACT This study longitudinally investigates women’s levels of perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and the Netherlands, in relation to work- and family stressors. It further examines the moderating role of education as a protective factor against stress. Our country cases represent similar pre-pandemic gender regimes that extensively relied on women’s part-time work but exhibited variation in pandemic governance. Drawing on longitudinal data from population-based samples, we estimate random effects panel models across three time points (pre-pandemic, during or shortly after first lockdown, later stage of the pandemic). For the Netherlands, we find that women initially experienced an increase in stress but later recovered. In Germany, stress initially decreased, but only for women without children. Multivariate models show that working fewer hours protected women against stress in Germany, particularly those with higher education. In the Netherlands, no such moderation effects were found. Instead, in the Netherlands, differences between educational groups were larger than differences between women with varying working hours. These results are discussed in light of country differences in pandemic governance.

The experience of Tunisian public healthcare system toward decentralization to the reduction of health inequalities in low-, middle- income countries

From 2014 to 2021, Tunisian government had a firm will to implement a progressive decentralization of welfare state governance, as outlined in its democratic Constitution. The Tunisian public healthcare system was selected as a pilot sector for experimenting with decentralization to reduce disparities in access to and quality of health services across different regions. This paper aimed to formulate an effective strategy for healthcare system decentralization in low- and middle-income countries, drawing on past experiences of its implementation. Country case study resulted the best methodology to achieve that goal. Top heath management, figured out by regional hospitals’ directors, was consulted to describe the technical, managerial and cultural “heritage” collected during the development process of the decentralization reform in public healthcare system in Tunisia. Findings revealed the Tunisian healthcare system decentralization should be, in first instance, the establishment of different decentralization paths according with regional pre-conditions, and then, of common protocols and procedures at national level for overcoming current differences between Tunisian territories. Decentralization process must be tailored to the specific needs of the regional Tunisian contexts to be effective but with a national control on that. Drawing from the Tunisian experience, proposed suggestions were valuable for the definition of an effective national healthcare system decentralization reform strategy more generally in low- and middle- income countries, especially in Middle East and North Africa region’s countries. Due to the common recent democratic history and welfare state approach, these countries could use this “heritage” to apply effective decentralizing reform strategies for reducing territorial inequalities, in this case territorial health inequalities.

Contributing to the global public good: the case of NATO

ABSTRACT While the provision of global public goods generally suffers from free-riding, standard theory also predicts that countries with stronger preferences for the public good contribute more. We take the case of NATO countries’ military expenditures after Russia’s annexation of Crimea as a natural experiment to test the prediction within a synthetic control framework. We find that NATO members with a land border with Russia or Ukraine increased their military expenditures more than synthetically constructed control countries, confirming the prediction. Moreover, NATO countries without a land border to Russia or Ukraine did not decrease their military expenditures.

Developing a Network Theory-Based Tool to Assess Central Bank Policy Effectiveness

Aim of the Study: The paper aimed to create a mathematical tool that would aid economists in predicting the effectiveness of central banks in different countries. Methodology: This study adopted an organized methodology starting with the specification of necessary parameters to be incorporated in the final equation. Country cases were provided for each variable and their significance was discussed and illustrated. Variables were then quantified and assigned a value between 0 and 1, with their mean calculated to provide a simplified representation of the overall impact. This approach helped in reaching a structured and clear conclusion with relation to the selected variables. Findings/Results: The study proposed a new analytical tool that clearly linked various factors, including political stability, the informal economy, and Social and Religious attitudes, and their relationship with monetary policy outcomes. The tool could also predict the future possibilities regarding interest change in any country to favor its decision. Conclusion: This study introduced a novel network theory-based quantitative tool to evaluate the effectiveness of central bank monetary policies globally. With features like the political stability index, the size of the informal economy, and social/religious acceptability of policies, the tool gave firm comprehensive benchmarks for the outcomes of policies. According to the observations made during this work, these and other variables depend on central bank effectiveness, as a quantitative analysis of various examples proved.

“Do not forget your pain”: identities, affect and emotions in Russian and EU cultural diplomacy in Armenia

ABSTRACT Scholarly attention on cultural diplomacy has focused predominantly on diplomatic agents’ projection efforts. Conversely, insights into how local audiences actively engage with such practices remain limited. To fill this gap, this article relies on scholarship on emotions in International Relations to examine cultural diplomacy as a practice that seeks to affectively bind subjects to projected identities. To grasp such processes, this framework is applied to Russia’s and the European Union’s (EU) cultural diplomacy in Armenia. Amidst a delicate security environment, this country case helps shed light on subjects’ engagement. To this end, the article draws on fieldwork conducted in Armenia and includes participant observation in cultural diplomatic events, 39 in-depth interviews with participants, cultural practitioners, policy experts and diplomatic agents, social media data, and cultural products. The article finds that both Russian and EU cultural initiatives in Armenia fail to affectively bind local audiences to the two actors’ projected identities.

Tourism in global value chains- the case of Central and East European countries

Tourism in global value chains- the case of Central and East European countries

Forecasting of macroeconomic stability post-pandemic recovery: The case of European countries

Forecasting of macroeconomic stability post-pandemic recovery: The case of European countries

Temporo-spatial analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Spain: Altitude and land use as new determinants of the disease

IntroductionAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common neurodegenerative disease affecting motor neurons. Currently, ALS is conceived as the result of the interaction between genetics, environmental factors, and aging. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal patterns of ALS in Spain, delving into the potential relationships between altitude, land cover, and this disease. MethodologyALS death data were collected over a 19-year period, including information on sex, age and municipality of residence. The standardized mortality rate was calculated for each municipality of residencia, and Anselin's local Moran's I statistic was used to identify clusters of high and low incidence. Altitude data were sourced from the Copernicus Land Monitoring Services, while land cover data came from CORINE satellite images and national agricultural statistics. ResultsThe average annual incidence of ALS deaths among adults was 2.5 per 100,000 people. Higher mortality rates were noted in males (2.8) than in females (2.3), with both sexes exhibiting a rising mortality trend in a temporal analysis. Cluster analysis revealed that high mortality areas were mostly located in the North and Northeast of the country. Municipalities in these clusters had significantly lower median altitudes and larger areas of Permanently Irrigated Arable Land and Broad-Leaved Forest. ConclusionThis study provides new evidence about the increase in ALS cases in European countries during the last decades, reporting for the first time altitude and certain agricultural land uses as potential geographic determinants of the disease.

The impact of CO₂ emissions from different types of transport on countries’ logistics efficiency: Case of ITF member countries

This study provides empirical evidence that CO₂ emissions from transport (total and by transport types) have an impact on countries’ logistics efficiency, both in general (Logistics Performance Index) and in terms of its individual indicators (volumes of freight transport (total and by transport types) and total investments in transport infrastructure). The aim is to empirically demonstrate the impact of CO₂ emissions from different modes of transport on the logistics efficiency of countries, specifically using data from 60 International Transport Forum (ITF) member countries. The Granger causality analysis, based on VAR modeling for six periods evaluated by the World Bank (2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018), demonstrates that in 50% of the countries, changes in CO₂ emissions from transport are the cause of the shifts in the Logistics Performance Index (increasing emissions can impede logistics efficiency). The sample was reduced to these countries for the regression modeling. Regression modeling (with fixed and random effects, Hausman test, for 2002–2021 on panel data for countries in which direct causality was confirmed) showed that a one-unit increase in total CO2 emissions from transport (in general and in air transport) is associated with 0.12 and 0.21 decrease in total investments in transport infrastructure. An increase in road CO2 emissions is associated with a 0.49 decrease in road freight transport (ton-km per thousand units of GDP). An increase in CO2 rail emissions is associated with a 0.15 increase in total investments in transport infrastructure and a 0.12 increase in total freight transport.

Analysis of the Influence of Transportation Infrastructure on Socio-Environmental Efficiency: Countries Case Studies

Analysis of the Influence of Transportation Infrastructure on Socio-Environmental Efficiency: Countries Case Studies

Implikasi Menikah Via Telepon dalam Perspektif Hukum Keluarga Islam

Telephone marriages have become a controversial issue in Islamic family law in the modern era. Various views have emerged from scholars and schools of thought regarding their validity, particularly concerning the essential pillars and conditions for marriage, such as the offer and acceptance (ijab kabul), the presence of a guardian (wali), and witnesses. Some scholars permit telephone marriage in emergency situations with specific conditions, while others reject it due to the risks of mistakes or deception. Cases in Muslim countries indicate that this practice occurs, but it requires validation from local sharia authorities. Despite differing opinions, the conditions of sharia remain essential for both direct and remote marriages. The research method used in this study includes qualitative analysis of relevant Islamic law literature, interviews with scholars and legal practitioners, and case studies in several Muslim countries that have implemented remote marriages. With the advancement of technology changing social interactions, it is crucial for Islamic law to adapt to these new contexts without overlooking sharia principles. Therefore, in-depth studies and clear fatwas from Islamic legal authorities are necessary to ensure the validity and legal protection for couples who marry electronically.