Decentralized System Research Articles

Public Expectation on Strengthening Municipal Governance through Government Preparedness in the Public Service Delivery

With the introduction of the federal government system in Nepal, two local level elections were held which increased the public expectations of citizens although the power sharing and decentralization system at federal state and local level and local level is relatively difficult. The Ministry of Federal Affair and General Administration (MOFAGA) under the Local Government Operation Act has developed a Local Government Institutional Self-Assessment (LISA) model to assess municipal governance. This study examined the preparedness of Pokhara Metropolitan City for addressing the expectations of the people in public service delivery especially with the application of the LISA model and identified the measures of preparedness for the responsive and accountable municipal government. The sample size was 149 individuals selected from three wards (ward 8 in urban, ward 27 is in semi-urban and ward 24 in the rural/periphery area) of PMC where the sample was collected at the 5% level of significance and 8% margin of error. The findings of the study suggested that the assessment of the expectation is the first step and government preparedness should be according to the public service delivery mechanisms so as to strengthen municipal governance in the municipality. The LISA model in municipalities is the baseline for strengthening the municipal governance. The study has been a useful assessment for the capacity development and technical backstopping at the one hand the public expectations at the other.

Возможные пути Шотландии к независимости после выхода Великобритании из Европейского союза

This article analyzes the interactions between Great Britain, Scotland and the European Union as a result of the emergence of a new status of their relationship as a result of Brexit. To conduct the study, the following meth-ods were used: analysis of scientific literature, results of public opinion polls, synthesis and logical generaliza-tion of conclusions, a systematic approach to formulate various options for a possible solution to the problem of Scottish independence. The results of a study of the relationship between the British and Scottish governments in the negotiation process are presented, with particular reference to the goals of Scottish institutions. The study of this case study of intergovernmental cooperation within one country was complemented by an analysis of the adopted model of decentralization in the light of the changes that follow from a systemic, socio-economic and political point of view from leaving the EU, taking into account the role of the UK. Possible directions for the development of Scottish independence are formulated, taking into account various points of view, social, eco-nomic and political factors influencing the above processes: receive an offer from the European Union on con-tinuity in order to remain in the union as a permanent member; hold a referendum on independence, for which the consent of Great Britain must be obtained; remain in the United Kingdom and develop the economy togeth-er without EU participation. It is shown that it is necessary to make possible decisions based on the justification of all possible consequences of each option.

Decentralized Storage with Access Control and Data Persistence for e-Book Stores

The e-book services we use today have a serious drawback in that we will no longer be able to read the books we have purchased when the service is terminated. One way to solve this problem is to build a decentralized system that does not depend on a specific company or organization by combining smart contracts running on the Ethereum blockchain and distributed storage such as an IPFS. However, a simple combination of existing technologies does not make the stored e-book data persistent, so the risk of purchased e-books becoming unreadable remains. In this paper, we propose a decentralized distributed storage called d-book-repository, which has both access management function and data durability for purchased e-books. This system uses NFTs as access rights to realize strict access control by preventing clients who do not have NFTs from downloading e-book data. In addition, e-book data stored on storage nodes in the distributed storage is divided into shards using Reed–Solomon codes, and each storage node stores only a single shard, thereby preventing the creation of nodes that can restore the entire content from locally stored data. The storage of each shard is not handled by a single node but by a group of nodes, and the shard is propagated to all nodes in the group using the gossip protocol, where erasure codes are utilized to increase the resilience against node departure. Furthermore, an incentive mechanism to encourage participation as a storage node is implemented using smart contracts. We built a prototype of the proposed system on AWS and evaluated its performance. The results showed that both downloading and uploading 100 MB of e-book data (equivalent to one comic book) were completed within 10 s using an instance type of m5.xlarge. This value is only 1.3 s longer for downloading and 2.2 s longer for uploading than the time required for a simple download/upload without access control, confirming that the overhead associated with the proposed method is sufficiently small.

Toward sustainable port development: an empirical analysis of China’s port industry using an ESG framework

In recent years, the issue of sustainable development has become increasingly important in the port industry. As port policies are altered under decentralization and governance models, the application of corporate responsibility (CR) is expanding. It is now expected that ports take on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities. This paper focuses on the application of an ESG framework to the port industry in China, with a specific emphasis on social responsibilities. By focusing on ESG-focal issues in the port industry, we establish a model for evaluating the sustainability of ports that takes into account the three dimensions of environment, society, and governance. An empirical analysis of Shanghai Port in China is presented to illustrate the application of the framework. The paper highlights the main contribution of the ESG framework to support sustainable port development and provides recommendations for promoting the implementation of ESG and sustainable development in the industry.

Navigating the Complex Terrain of Food Security in Decentralised Systems: Insights from South Africa and Nigeria

Despite their substantial economies and populations, South Africa and Nigeria encounter significant challenges primarily due to constraints in accessing to agricultural input resources. The study adopts an interpretivist approach, which involves acknowledging reality and making meaningful contributions through qualitative research. As such, secondary data was collected and analysed thematically. This paper delves into the multifaceted nature of food insecurity, highlighted by historical factors, widespread poverty and unemployment, further exacerbated by escalating global food prices. The correlation between exorbitant input expenses and restricted agricultural yields and production, resulting in heightened food prices, is thoroughly explored. Additionally, the review critically examines the influence of climate change on the agricultural sector and its implications for the availability and accessibility of food in rural areas. The narrative in this paper emphasises the imperative of fairness, equity, transparency, and accountability in formulating sustainable strategies to combat these challenges. The paper advocates for contextually appropriate, evidence-based policy approaches, emphasising the significance of collaborations between research institutions and government entities. Such partnerships are crucial for developing efficacious responses to issues like drought, which necessitate comprehensive monitoring systems and mitigation strategies. The role of local government in fostering the growth of agro-based enterprises is underscored, illustrating how local processing of agricultural products can augment revenue, employment, and overall agricultural productivity. The paper also proposes policies to attract private sector investment, such as subsidies for farming equipment and fertilisers, and the development of climate-resilient agricultural technologies that integrate local indigenous knowledge. Lastly, the paper addresses the critical imperative of enhancing the resilience of supply chains against unforeseen disruptions, encompassing natural disasters and market fluctuations. This entails implementing risk management strategies, investing in infrastructure, adopting advanced technologies, and fostering collaboration throughout the supply chain. The paper concludes that such measures are indispensable for ensuring a stable and consistent supply of agricultural products, ultimately benefiting both producers and consumers and contributing to the overarching goal of attaining food security in South Africa, Nigeria, and similar contexts. Keywords: Food security, Rural livelihoods, Strategic policies, Vulnerable communities, South Africa, Nigeria

Decentralisation, unfunded mandates and the regional response to the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a surge in the number and scope of governmental interventions in both centralised and decentralised states. While decentralisation theories and recent empirical studies suggest that highly decentralised systems are more resilient to shocks and cope better with adversity, other research presents inconclusive or even contradictory findings. Yet, little is still known about how decentralised governments coped with the COVID-19 health emergency. Using an original dataset of 445 regions across 26 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries for 2020 and 2021, this article finds that excess mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic are not connected to the degree of fiscal and political decentralisation, but rather tied to the mismatch between the two dimensions, also known as unfunded mandates. Large unfunded mandates are positively associated with higher excess mortality rates during COVID-19. Fiscal and political decentralisation, by contrast, become statistically insignificant when unfunded mandates are considered. Hence, better – not more – decentralisation is needed as unfunded mandates represented a threat to the capacity of subnational authorities to address the COVID-19 emergency. In emergency situations, the dysfunctionality caused by unfunded mandates undermines the effectiveness of the response of the relevant public authorities to pressing challenges.

Achieving a Decentralized and Secure Cab Sharing System Using Blockchain Technology

The cab-sharing system provides a platform for drivers and riders with shared trip services, providing significant benefits, such as decreasing traffic congestion, reducing travel costs, and limiting energy consumption, which improve the business of transportation. However, existing cab-sharing systems mainly depend on the centralized authority to provide many services, increasing privacy concerns and facing the single point of failure issue. Also, these systems expose drivers’ or riders’ locations and personal information that increase security issues, and charge high fees for services due to the involvement of third-party providers. Therefore, this paper proposes a decentralized and secure cab-sharing system to provide ride-sharing services using blockchain technology without any trusted third party. The proposed system uses the blockchain structure to preserve the driver’s or rider’s information, such as personal details, travel price, pickup or drop-off locations, departure or arrival date, and time. Furthermore, it implements the reputation feature to rate drivers and riders based on their travel history or behaviors without any centralized authority that allows users to select them based on their past experiences on the system. The proposed architecture is deployed using the Ethereum platform and functionality is designed using smart contracts. The performance evaluation and experimental results show that the proposed system requires low computational overheads and provides an efficient cab-sharing platform.

A decentralised KYC based approach for microfinance using blockchain technology

• The proposed lending model eliminates the middle parties like banks in the loan process. It decreases the time taken to a great extent. • The proposed decentralised KYC model eliminates a lot of human interaction in the process of KYC verification. It restricts the submission of one's documents in multiple organizations, which has a high risk of data bleaching if those organizations compromise the security systems. • As every transaction will be stored in a blockchain and are resistant to modification, neither of the parties can default on any transaction. Financial inclusion is seen as a dynamic tool for achieving multifaceted microeconomic stability, (and) sustainable economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and income equality for both developed and developing nations. The needy segments of the population must be provided with financial services to accomplish this inclusion. Still, the traditional financial market is unavailable due to its lack of collateral and shallow income. Thus, they go to local moneylenders, also known as "loan sharks," who charge exorbitant interest rates. Introduction to microfinance came as a new and refreshing light to these needy segments of the population as it provides small valued loans (micro-credit) to support their micro-scale businesses and engage in productive activities. As emerging technology started to be incorporated into every aspect of society, thus microfinance also needed to be incorporated into the technology. An application is required to protect data integrity and smoothly influence the microfinance sector. As the databases are vulnerable to data manipulation, this can affect the transaction history of the loan. Blockchain technology can be used to solve this problem, as data in the Blockchain is stored immutably. So, we designed a microfinance application that uses blockchain technology with decentralised KYC architecture to reduce multiple KYC verification and easy access to micro-credit.

Application of Methods of Decentralized Systems in Management in Lean Manufacturing

Abstract The emergence and subsequent popularization of lean manufacturing have become one of the most significant for improving the efficiency and productivity of operations. The use of lean manufacturing tools and methods leads to the elimination of waste in the organization. Traditional information systems that allow organizations to share information about resources while managing process performance and traceability have a number of disadvantages such as security, interoperability, and transparency. Currently, distributed ledger technology (block-chain) is widely used for this purpose. This article presents a study of decentralized management of the implementation of a distributed ledger infrastructure, which is selected based on the characteristics of the production system. This study proposes a framework that analyzes lean production methods using simulation and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to accommodate the underlying multi-objective decision-making problem. The current study examines the impact of the simultaneous application of RCA technology, lean manufacturing methods, and distributed ledger technology on the total time, costs, and time of production processes.

A paradigm shift toward the application of blockchain in enhancing quality information management

PurposeLack of trust and poor quality of construction deliverables have become a serious matter nowadays. This is due to the absence of a uniform and decentralized system for managing quality information. In Kuwait’s industry, many incidents have been recorded as a lack of confidence in the authenticity and integrity of the documented data in the system. This paper aims to shed the light on a framework that would tackle this matter.Design/methodology/approachA designed framework using Blockchain technology (Hyperledger Fabric) has been used to create a transparent and decentralized environment between the parties. A digitalized informative checklist referred to as “Smart Construction Inspection Checklist (SCIC)” has been initiated to enhance the poor information recorded between the parties.FindingsThe framework has provided a transparent, immutable, traceable and decentralized environment in which all parties are involved in transactions. In addition, the integration of the SCIC in the blockchain environment provided an advantage in which all the necessary criteria of inspection will be stated, checked by the consultant and validated by the client to approve the transaction. A preliminary testing has been conducted to support the proposed framework.Originality/valueThis study fulfils the gap in the state of art for further studies to practically apply the framework that will enhance the quality of information management in Kuwait’s industry.

Successful reduction of indoor radon activity concentration via cross-ventilation: experimental data and CFD simulations

ABSTRACT Advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are essential for predicting airflow in ventilated spaces and assessing indoor air quality. In this study, a focus was set on techniques for the reduction of indoor radon-222 activity concentration [Rn], and it is demonstrated how true-to-scale 3D CFD models can predict the evolution of complex ventilation experiments. A series of ventilation experiments in an unoccupied flat on the ground floor of a residential block in Bad Schlema (Saxony, Germany) were performed. Specifically, the ‘Cross-ventilation 100 %’ experiment resulted in room-specific [Rn] reductions from ∼3000 to ∼300 Bq m−3. We quantitatively interpreted the results of the ventilation experiment using a CFD model with a k–ϵ turbulent stationary flow model characterised by the used decentralised ventilation system. The model was coupled with a transient transport model simulating indoor [Rn]. In a first approach, the model overestimated the decrease in the starting of the experiment and the steady state. Adjusting the model parameters inflowing radon and inlet velocity the model results are in a good agreement with the experimental values. In conclusion, this paper demonstrates the potential of CFD modelling as a suitable tool in evaluating and optimising ventilation systems for an effective reduction of elevated [Rn].

Techno-economic assessment of a biomass gasification-based polygeneration system for greenhouses

Decentralized biorefineries are an attractive solution to reduce the carbon footprint of agricultural greenhouses, by converting the abundant local residual biomass into value-added products such as biofuels. While the thermodynamic performance of many biomass system configurations has been investigated in the literature, techno-economic assessments are needed to validate the potential of such facilities. This approach is applied to a small-scale polygeneration system for the use-case of a southern Quebec greenhouse. The polygeneration system can produce heat, electricity, methanol, hydrogen, and a CO2-rich stream. A TRNSYS model is used to simulate the heat demand of a 20 000 m2 greenhouse. The work presented here compares the polygeneration system with a conventional solution based on biomass combustion. Nine configurations between 1120 and 5600 kW of thermal output power are investigated for both system types. Twenty-seven market scenarios are generated from the combination of three pricing scenarios for electricity, methanol, and hydrogen: pessimistic, baseline, and optimistic. Fixed capital investment (FCI), operation expenses (OPEX), and NPV are presented. In the most pessimistic market scenario, the best polygeneration system would have an NPV of −8.2 M CAD. In the baseline and optimistic scenarios, the same polygeneration system would have an NPV of 17.6 M CAD and 40.2 M CAD, respectively. By comparison, the best combustion-based solution would have the highest NPV at −5.0 M CAD. Those results highlight that small decentralized polygeneration systems are promising. However, their profitability is heavily dependent on future energy market developments.

Beyond environmental actions: How environmental regulations stimulate strategic-political CSR engagement in China?

Departing from conventional approaches of environmental actions in response to stricter environmental regulations, our paper leverages the rent-seeking theory to propose that firms engage in strategic-political corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities to obtain environmental legitimacy, which complements the local government's duty of social welfare provision. By selecting the enforcement of China's new Environmental Protection Law (NEPL) as an exogenous shock, our standard difference-in-difference model confirms that NEPL has significantly increased the strategic-political CSR engagement, and it creates a shelter against environmental penalty. The findings remain robust when employing the continuous difference-in-difference model and the triple difference model to relieve concerns regarding comparability between the treated group and control group. Further, the positive effect is attenuated by sound financial condition and strong law enforcement. Our paper extends the understanding of the reciprocal relationship between regulated firms and local governments during the environmental transition process in China, and, potentially, in other developing countries with similar decentralization system and government intervention.

Decentralized Healthcare System using Blockchain

Abstract—This research paper explores the integration of blockchain technology in healthcare to establish a decentralized system that enhances security, privacy, and patient control over health data. The proposed framework utilizes blockchain's tamper-resistant ledger to create a transparent and secure repository for patient records, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. Smart contracts enable automated and controlled data sharing, fostering collaboration among healthcare stakeholders. Real-world implementations and case studies illustrate the potential impact of this decentralized healthcare system in revolutionizing data management, research collaboration, and patient outcomes. The findings highlight the significance of blockchain in addressing critical challenges in traditional healthcare systems, presenting a promising solution for a more secure and patient-centric future. Keywords—Distributed Ledger, Smart Contracts, Data Integrity, Patient Control, User interface, Regulatory compliance, Immutable Ledger

Optimal Design and Analysis of a Hybrid Hydrogen Energy Storage System for an Island-Based Renewable Energy Community

Installations of decentralised renewable energy systems (RES) are becoming increasing popular as governments introduce ambitious energy policies to curb emissions and slow surging energy costs. This work presents a novel model for optimal sizing for a decentralised renewable generation and hybrid storage system to create a renewable energy community (REC), developed in Python. The model implements photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind turbines combined with a hybrid battery and regenerative hydrogen fuel cell (RHFC). The electrical service demand was derived using real usage data from a rural island case study location. Cost remuneration was managed with an REC virtual trading layer, ensuring fair distribution among actors in accordance with the European RED(III) policy. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) stochastically determines the system capacities such that the inherent trade-off relationship between project cost and decarbonisation can be observed. The optimal design resulted in a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of 0.15 EUR/kWh, reducing costs by over 50% compared with typical EU grid power, with a project internal rate of return (IRR) of 10.8%, simple return of 9.6%/year, and return on investment (ROI) of 9 years. The emissions output from grid-only use was reduced by 72% to 69 gCO2e/kWh. Further research of lifetime economics and additional revenue streams in combination with this work could provide a useful tool for users to quickly design and prototype future decentralised REC systems.

National Responses to Great Uncertainty in EU Authorisation of Pesticides and Industrial Chemicals

This article looks into how two sectoral regulatory systems – EU legislation applying to pesticides, and EU legislation applying to industrial chemicals – accommodate national participation in decisions about uncertain risks. It identifies uncertainty as situations in which the probabilities or other important information needed for a well-informed decision are lacking, and therefore refers to these situations as 'great uncertainty'. The article explores the assumption that national participation in decision-making under great uncertainty leads to higher environmental protection compared to centralised decisions. It does so by addressing the role of EU Member States and their national competent authorities in marketing authorisation decisions on pesticides and industrial chemicals, the exercise of national discretion in the authorisation of these substances, and the use of temporary derogation clauses by Member States once a product has been allowed to enter the market. The article compares two regulatory fields, as the two main harmonisation measures in this field – the Plant Protection Products Regulation and REACH – have established different authorisation systems: a decentralised system in the case of pesticides and a centralised system in the case of industrial chemicals. The outcomes of this comparison are that both systems enable national decisions about uncertain risks, but that the identified examples of national participation are not necessarily a response to great uncertainty.

How do local government fiscal revenue targets affect green technology innovation in China?

ABSTRACT The process of economic development in China cannot be separated from the ‘shadow’ of government target intervention. Under the Chinese system of fiscal decentralization, constraints created by local government fiscal revenue targets (CCFRTs) will have a series of influence on development economically and socially. Based on the fiscal revenue target data revealed in the government work reports of 281 prefecture-level cities in China from 2006 to 2019, this paper explores the influence of CCFRTs on green technology innovation (GTI). The findings are as follows: first, CCFRTs significantly inhibits GTI. Second, Spatial Durbin model analysis shows that CCFRTs has significant negative spatial spillover effect on GTI. Third, CCFRTs can affect GTI through the optimization of industrial structure, the level of human capital, and the degree of opening-up, technological progress and economic growth. Fourth, CCFRTs has an obvious threshold effect on GTI. Finally, the influence of CCFRTs on GTI has regional heterogeneity in central, eastern and western China. In the western and central regions, CCFRTs significantly restrains GTI significantly, while in the eastern region, CCFRTs significantly promotes GTI.

Regenerative economy: A pathway to a future-ready, sustainable Africa

ABSTRACT Africa is experiencing a period of rapid economic growth, booming population, and migration as biodiversity is deteriorating and the climate is warming. Together, these represent grand societal and environmental challenges. The African Union and the United Nations both promote sustainable development, in which society and nature flourish as the economy progresses. However, achieving this goal is not self-evident. We discuss the concept of regenerative economy and propose it as a path forward for the African context. We identify three levers of action evident in Africa that promote the idea of regenerative economy: clean innovation in technology and business models, leapfrogging through decentralized communication and energy systems, and leveraging African values of horizontal collectivism. We present some case examples of how this can and does work but highlight that achieving regenerative economy en masse depends on scaling up business models, effective governance structures, and capacity building in Africa. If implemented correctly, regenerative economy can offer pathways to a future-ready, sustainable Africa.

The Forgotten Father: Freedom and its Foes in Karl Jaspers’ Post-war Writings

Largely forgotten today, Karl Jaspers was one of the foremost public figures in post-war Germany to champion the idea of liberty, offering a unique blend of paternalist and populist politics. Freedom for Jaspers was both ideal and real, tied closely to the depths of existential being yet made concrete through the actions and choices of thinking individuals. Alongside developing this multi-layered conception of freedom, Jaspers also set out a number of ways that a culture of freedom could be fostered on both a national and an international level. A nationwide political education, guided by both paternalist great statesmen and by the people themselves, was to form the bedrock of Germany’s transition to democracy. Internationally, Jaspers believed that a decentralised system of cooperation, one which rose above the world’s increasingly irrelevant nation states, was the only means to stave off the dangers of totalitarianism. By placing Jaspers in his historical and intellectual contexts and comparing him with his contemporaries, we can shine new light into the tensions behind the polemics of this philosopher turned political pundit and highlight his important role as one of the Bundesrepublik’s intellectual fathers.

Local Government and Its Relationship with The Central Government In Light of Iraqi Legislations

Objective: The study deals with the situation in Iraq after 2003, which is a new stage in the political and administrative history of Iraq after the adoption of the federal system and the transition from the centralization system to the administrative decentralization system, which was explicitly stated in the Iraqi constitution of 2005, and the law of irregular governorates in Region No. 22 for the year 2008. Method: the descriptive approach was used in explaining the concept of local governance and local administration and the differences between the two concepts, using the comparative method in defining the competencies of each of the central government and its local units in accordance with the Iraqi constitution of 2005 and comparing that with the law of irregular governorates in the region No. 22 of the year 2008 and its amendments. Results: Because the federal experience in Iraq came as a result of the occupation and its repercussions and not as a result of the maturation of social and political awareness, its legislation was characterized by weakness with regard to the distribution of competencies for both the local administration and the central administration. Also, the Governorates Law No. 22 of 2008 failed to set a general policy for local governments for their establishment, organization, management and the way of distributing their competencies, which led to a conflict between the competencies of each of the local governments and the central government.