Development Fund Research Articles

Innovations in Solar-Powered Desalination: A Comprehensive Review of Sustainable Solutions for Water Scarcity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region

Water scarcity poses significant challenges in arid regions like the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) due to constant population growth, considering the effects of climate change and water management aspects. The desalination technologies face problems like high energy consumption, high investment costs, and significant environmental impacts by brine discharge. This paper researches the relationships among water scarcity, energy-intensive desalination, and the development of renewable energy in MENA, with a particular focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. It examines innovations in solar-powered desalination, considering both solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies, in combination with traditional thermal desalination methods such as multi-effect distillation (MED) and multi-stage flash (MSF). The environmental impacts associated with desalination by brine discharge are also discussed, analyzing innovative technological solutions and avoidance strategies. Utilizing bibliometrics, this report provides a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature for the assessment of the research landscape in order to recognize trends in desalination technologies in the MENA region, providing valuable insights into emerging technologies and research priorities. Despite challenges such as high initial investment costs, technical complexities, and limited funding for research and development, the convergence of water scarcity and renewable energy presents significant opportunities for integrated desalination systems in GCC countries. Summarizing, this paper emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and international collaboration by addressing the complex challenges of water scarcity and energy sustainability in the MENA region. By leveraging renewable energy sources and advancing desalination technologies, the region can achieve water security while mitigating environmental impacts and promoting economic development.

Comparative study of funding sources for faculty development following COVID-19 in China and the United States

In the post-epidemic era (COVID-19) context, funding university faculty development in China and the United States faces severe challenges. From the perspective of government education grants and social donations from foundations, except for top-ranked universities, most universities have faced increasing difficulties in financing faculty development. In this context, the U.S. government and U.S. universities have promoted university–enterprise cooperation for a long time, and faculty research teams independently seek enterprises’ financial support. These efforts have effectively alleviated the problem of insufficient funding for faculty development. In doing so, these cases provide a valuable example for the funding of faculty development in China. Universities, businesses, and local governments should think about “directed cooperation subjects” from the standpoint of funding units. As a result, university instructor growth will be accomplished through a progression from “money” to “win-win cooperation” and ultimately “wisdom.” As a result, long-term collaboration is required between local governments, businesses, and academic institutions. Moreover, there are two aspects to cooperation between local governments, businesses, and academic institutions. First, collaboration tends to be closer when economic conditions are better; conversely, cooperation tends to be lower when conditions are worse. Second, cooperation is more likely when the program has greater influence.

СОВРЕМЕННЫЕ НАПРАВЛЕНИЯ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ ИНТЕГРАЦИИ КЫРГЫЗСТАНА В ЕАЭС

This article discusses the development of Kyrgyzstan in international economic relations and the advantages of integration in the Eurasian Economic Union. Based on the statistical data of Kyrgyzstan, an analysis of foreign trade in recent years and export-import operations with the EAEU countries has been carried out. As a result, the reasons for the decline in the republic's foreign trade turnover with the EAEU countries were established and measures were outlined for their further growth. A considerable contribution to the integration process of Kyrgyzstan with the Russian Federation is made by the russian-Kyrgyz Development Fund, which provides significant assistance in financing and lending for the modernization and formation of the Kyrgyz economy. To further promote effective integration projects, investments are needed through financing from the Eurasian Development Bank. Despite some problems and shortcomings from Kyrgyzstan's accession to the EAEU, the country is developing, and integration gives the national economy of the republic great opportunities for market openness, division of labor and international competition.

Challenges to participatory development: The Mongolian example

The aim of the study is to identify some barriers to strengthening direct citizen participation in Local Development Funds, a mechanism to involve local people at the decision-making level by evaluating public participation. The IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum, developed by the International Association for Public Participation was used in the study. This study will contribute to explaining citizens' participation level in LDF. The results may suggest potential legislative and structural changes for the fund and defining new community social worker roles in Mongolia. Furthermore, the results will clarify what actions are needed for sub-administrative units to increase citizens’ participation.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE DEFENCE INDUSTRY OF UKRAINE TO ENSURE NATIONAL SECURITY

The national defence industry concentrates on military, electronic, information and space technologies. In the near future, Ukraine's defence industry may become one of the most knowledge-intensive industrial sectors of the economy. Accordingly, the purpose of the study is to assess the capacity of Ukrainian defence enterprises to produce weapons and military equipment to ensure national security. The research aims not only to assess the problems of the defence industry under martial law but also to ensure the effective development of the defence industry sectors by identifying priority areas of funding.It was found that the current state of the Ukrainian defence industry does not meet the current realities of the time, especially in the context of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The provision of equipment and weapons to military units is at a low level. It is found that the renewal of modern models of weapons and military equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, before the full-scale invasion, was less than 1%, which in turn did not allow to compensate for the rate of ageing of existing weapons. The authors suggest ways to support the development of Ukraine's defence industry, in particular, through the creation of a Defence Industry Development Fund.The authors propose to create a Defence Industry Development Fund using public and private sources of funding not prohibited by the legislative framework of Ukraine, which will expand the capabilities of defence industry enterprises to produce weapons and military equipment. The creation of a system of multi-level continuous education in the defence industry and long-term conditions for the sustainable development of the defence industry's human resources will allow to engage in capacity building and reach a new level of support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the implementation of NATO standards.

ENERGY INDEPENDENT CITIES? INVESTMENT ACTIVITY OF CITIES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EU CO-FINANCED PROJECTS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES AND ITS CONDITIONS IN POLAND

Aim: The main objective of the paper is to evaluate the scale, scope, and significance of investments in renew­able energy sources by cities in Poland, which were co-financed from EU funds. This assessment will focus on the last two multiannual financial frameworks, namely for the years 2007–2013 and 2014–2020. Methods: Empirical studies were conducted based on data from the database of the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy in Poland, the Local Data Bank, and the Ministry of Finance. When investigating the invest­ment activity of towns and cities related to renewable energy sources, basic descriptive statistics methods were applied. Logistic regression was used to identify the primary socio-economic, financial, and environmental conditions. Results: In the analyzed period, the role of towns and cities in the realization of renewable energy projects increased, although it is still relatively limited compared to other types of administrative communes. In the multiannual financial framework for 2007–2013, less than one in ten cities executed at least one project, while in the years 2014–2020, more than one in four cities realized at least one project related to the develop­ment of renewable energy sources supported by EU funds. The disparity in activity between towns and cities on a regional scale was huge. These investments were more often realized by towns and cities with a lower level of development, serving tourist functions, and experienced in carrying out such investments. Their lower investment activity was influenced by their level of indebtedness. Conclusions: So far, one of the main drivers behind the development of renewable energy in urban areas has been the ecological aspect, particularly the improvement of air quality. However, there is now a growing recognition of the importance of energy security.

Public-Private Partnership Pembangunan Infrastruktur: Dilema Etik dan Praktik

Over the past decade, Public-Private Partnership (PPP) has emerged as an alternative scheme for financing government infrastructure development. This scheme addresses the fiscal limitations that constrain infrastructure development funding. However, implementing PPP contracts and collaborating with the private sector continue to generate controversy, particularly regarding public concerns about privatization and misconceptions surrounding the scheme’s use. This article analyzes the challenges of PPP implementation from philosophical perspectives to understand how the government and private sector can effectively cooperate within the PPP framework. Using Popper’s falsification approach, the article argues that the PPP scheme cannot be universally applied to all projects as widely explained in most feasibility studies and cost-benefit analysis. The stakeholders involved in PPP projects operate within different dimensions of ontology and axiology. Therefore, this article examines the ethical framework necessary for the specific application of PPP schemes, tailored to the unique characteristics and principles of different projects and sectors.

Социально-экономическая устойчивость муниципалитетов: методика и опыт исследования

Introduction. The issue of socio-economic sustainability of territories has been studied in depth in the scientific literature. This concerns both the concept of socio-economic sustainability itself and its application to the analysis of regional and municipal development. Various aspects of socio-economic sustainability are also addressed in a significant number of territorial ratings currently available on the information market and published by both government agencies and non-governmental structures – analytical centers, rating agencies (RA), and mass media. Most of these information and analytical products relate to the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. A striking example is the rating of regions for the implementation of the federal project “Formation of a Comfortable Urban Environment” from the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation. This series also includes the rating of the quality of life in the regions from the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI), the rating of the socio-economic sustainability of regions from the Civil Society Development Fund, the rating of the socio-economic development of regions from RIA Novosti, the rating of the investment attractiveness of regions from RA Expert, and a number of others. A significantly smaller number of such products relate to the municipal level. And this is a big problem of practical and scientific nature, which, in the author's opinion, can be overcome by the developed assessment of the socio-economic sustainability of Russian municipalities.Materials and methods. The presented study used indicators of socio-economic and electoral statistics of municipalities relating to 2022-2023. The main source is Rosstat data. In addition, information contained on the official websites or in the official publications of regional and municipal authorities was used. The work used universal methods of scientific knowledge: analysis, synthesis, generalization.Results. The result of the study was regional ratings of the socio-economic sustainability of municipalities in five subjects of the Russian Federation within the Ural Federal District: Sverdlovsk, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, Khanty-Mansiysk – Yugra and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs.

FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND POVERTY IN NIGERIA

This study examined the effect of financial inclusion on poverty alleviation in Nigeria from 1982 to 2020. It highlights the importance of financial inclusion as a tool to combat poverty, emphasizing the significant impact of poor financial inclusion on the inability of the poor to access financial services, thereby exacerbating poverty levels. The study utilized data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN, 2022) statistical bulletin and the World Development Indicators (World Bank, 2022). The study employed descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, unit root tests (Augmented Dickey Fuller and Phillips-perron tests), and the Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to analyze the data and assess the relationship between financial inclusion and poverty. The findings revealed both short-term and long-term negative relationships between financial inclusion and poverty in Nigeria. Specifically, variables such as the number of commercial bank branches, loans by rural bank branches, and credits to the private sector were found to have a negative association with poverty. Conversely, lending rates were positively correlated with poverty levels. Additionally, while credits to the private sector and loans by rural bank branches were statistically insignificant, the number of commercial bank branches showed significance at a 5% level. Based on the findings, the study recommended several policy measures to enhance financial inclusion and alleviate poverty in Nigeria. These recommendations include expanding the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF), reducing lending rates, and lowering the cost of delivering financial services to improve access to financial services for the poor. Keywords: Credits, Credits to private sector, Financial inclusion, lending rates, per capita income, poverty.

РОБОТИЗАЦИЯ ПРОИЗВОДСТВА СЕЛЬСКОХОЗЯЙСТВЕННОЙ ТЕХНИКИ

Increasing labor productivity at agricultural engineering enterprises in modern conditions is impossible without the use of robots, which should replace human labor in technological operations with dangerous and harmful production processes. (Research purpose) The research purpose is evaluating the use of robotics by enterprises of the agricultural machinery industry in the production. (Materials and methods) Conducted an assessment of the use of robotics tools when visiting enterprises in the agricultural engineering industry. (Results and discussion) It has been established that for a sustainable presence and strengthening of their positions in the market, companies producing agricultural machinery are increasing the volume of research and development work on the designs and production technologies of modern machines. It was noted that an increase in labor productivity in modern conditions is impossible without the use of robots, which are designed to replace human labor at work with harmful and dangerous production factors in procurement, when cleaning blanks, with thermal and physical methods of surface treatment of products made of various materials, when painting, as well as in order to reduce defects. It was determined that the use of robotization tools by enterprises of the agricultural machinery industry does not exceed three percent of the total volume of technological operations performed. Robotics tools are used mainly in welding operations. Loading and unloading, replacement of working tools on numerically controlled machines, as well as many other technological operations remain practically not covered. (Conclusions) The conducted studies have shown that machine-building companies have large reserves for using robotics tools in performing technological operations in order to reduce production costs and increase labor productivity. As measures to support the introduction of robots into production, grants are allocated by the Russian Digital Economy and Skolkovo foundations, preferential loans through the industrial development Fund "Digitalization of Industry".

A global survey of the societal benefits of trophy hunting in Africa

African trophy hunting is controversial. Central to the debate on this practice is whether it may be justified by any broader provisions to African society. These typically include meat supply to poor communities, problem animal control, and the funding of conservation and community development. The societal role of African hunting is as contested as the practice itself, with proponents advocating for the benefits of hunting, while critics point to these being inadequate. Little is known about the role of location and demography in the debate on hunting benefits. Here we circulated an anonymous online survey through our international networks. We asked respondents to indicate which (if any) benefits they thought may justify the practice and whether they supported African trophy hunting, or not. We also collected data on respondent geographic location, age, gender, and employment within conservation. The 5755 responses were analysed using multiple correspondence analysis and provided strong evidence for an association between the level of support/rejection of trophy hunting and potential benefits that were perceived to justify the practice. Funding of wildlife conservation through hunting was the most frequently selected benefit, even among many respondents with a neutral or slightly negative view toward trophy hunting as a practice. Respondents strongly opposed to trophy hunting were more likely to reject all societal benefits of hunting. There was some divergence in views between Africa-based respondents, and those outside of Africa. We suggest that any policy development on African trophy hunting be required to incorporate the views of all African stakeholders.

Factors Affecting Return on Assets in the Renewable Energy Sector during Supply Chain Disruptions

Return on assets (ROA) is a critical metric in assessing a company’s sustainability, especially in light of supply chain disruptions. Within the renewable energy sector, such disruptions often lead to a decline in ROA. Through the utilization of a within-between random model, this study uncovers the necessity for distinct strategies both prior to and during supply chain disruptions to maintain a high ROA. Pre-disruption, emphasis should be placed on securing additional funding for research and development (R&D) initiatives and expanding market reach. However, amid disruptions, sustaining a high ROA demands a strategic pivot. Specifically, renewable energy firms should scale back expansion efforts, redirect cash toward R&D, and exercise caution when venturing into new international markets, particularly in the absence of substantial government subsidies. Notably, this paper focuses solely on large-scale listed companies, overlooking potential innovative strategies employed by smaller-scale companies—an area ripe for future investigation. Despite this limitation, our findings offer valuable insights into enhancing sustainable performance within the renewable energy sector.

The constrained equal losses family of rules for claims problems

AbstractIn this study, we introduce a family of rules for claims problems called the CEL-family. The family is defined by means of a parameter $$\theta \in [0,1]$$ θ ∈ [ 0 , 1 ] as a notion of solidarity and contribution. It contains the constrained equal losses and the constrained equal awards rules. We perform an axiomatic analysis considering the main properties in the literature, for the sake of comparison. We apply the family to the distribution of the European Regional Development Funds to study how the rules in the family treat regions with relatively smaller claims compared to regions with relatively larger claims.

The economic case for scaling up health research and development: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, governments directly funded vaccine research and development (R&D), quickly leading to multiple effective vaccines and resulting in enormous health and economic benefits to society. We develop a simple economic model showing this feat could potentially be repeated for other health challenges. Based on inputs from the economic and medical literatures, the model yields estimates of optimal R&D spending on treatments and vaccines for known diseases. Taking a global and societal perspective, we estimate the social benefits of such spending and a corresponding rate of return. Applications to Streptococcus A vaccines and Alzheimer's disease treatments demonstrate the potential of enhanced research and development funding to unlock massive global health and health-related benefits. We estimate that these benefits range from 2 to 60 trillion (2020 US$) and that the corresponding rates of return on R&D spending range from 12% to 23% per year for 30 y. We discuss the current shortfall in R&D spending and public policies that can move current funding closer to the optimal level.

Do development finance projects facilitate domestic renewable energy transitions? The role of small economic actors in Senegal

The diffusion of renewable energy (RE) in the Global South requires a significant mobilization of financial resources, of which public development finance contributes a substantial share. By focusing on the recipient side of development finance flows for RE and looking at one specific group of actors – micro, small- and medium enterprises (MSME) in Senegal – we are able to investigate the extent to which RE development financing is benefiting MSMEs while driving RE diffusion. Our empirical findings build on an explorative interview study conducted during field research in Senegal from 2019 to 2022. Making use of a multi-level perspective including that of finance, we conduct a two-step analysis. First, we analyze the level of financial support RE finance programs provide MSMEs. Second, we look closely into two specific RE projects that support MSMEs to examine whether funding is reaching these local actors to help drive RE dissemination from the bottom up. We find that the majority of RE development projects focus on large-scale energy plants and that MSMEs receive only marginal shares of the development funding. The lion's share of the funding goes to large-scale plant projects, which, in fact, make a limited socio-economic impact on the region. In contrast, projects driven by MSMEs respond to specific local needs and spur economic activity. Our findings contribute to the literature on transition studies and political economy of the energy transition.

Doublet chemotherapy, triplet chemotherapy, or doublet chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced oesophageal cancer (JCOG1109 NExT): a randomised, controlled, open-label, phase 3 trial

Neoadjuvant therapy is the standard treatment for patients with locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, the prognosis remains poor and more intensive neoadjuvant treatment might be needed to improve patient outcomes. We therefore aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant doublet chemotherapy, triplet chemotherapy, and doublet chemotherapy plus radiotherapy in patients with previously untreated locally advanced OSCC. In this randomised, open-label, phase 3 trial, patients aged 20-75 years with previously untreated locally advanced OSCC and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 were recruited from 44 centres across Japan. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) centrally via a web-based system to receive neoadjuvant doublet chemotherapy (two courses of fluorouracil [800 mg/m2 per day intravenously on days 1-5] and cisplatin [80 mg/m2 per day on day 1] separated by an interval of 3 weeks [NeoCF]), triplet chemotherapy (three courses of fluorouracil [750 mg/m2 per day on days 1-5], cisplatin [70 mg/m2 per day on day 1], and docetaxel [70 mg/m2 per day on day 1] repeated every 3 weeks [NeoCF+D]), or doublet chemotherapy (two courses of fluorouracil [1000 mg/m2 per day on days 1-4] and cisplatin [75 mg/m2 per day on day 1] separated by an interval of 4 weeks) plus 41·4 Gy radiotherapy [NeoCF+RT]) followed by oesophagectomy with regional lymph node dissection. Randomisation was stratified by T stage and institution. Participants, investigators, and those assessing outcomes were not masked to group assignment. The primary endpoint was overall survival, analysed by intention to treat. Analysis of safety included all patients who received at least one course of chemotherapy, and analysis of surgical complications included those who also underwent surgery. This study is registered with the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs031180202, and the trial is complete. A total of 601 patients (529 male individuals and 72 female individuals) were randomly assigned between Dec 5, 2012, and July 20, 2018, with 199 patients in the NeoCF group, 202 patients in the NeoCF+D group, and 200 patients in the NeoCF+RT group. Compared with the NeoCF group, during a median follow-up period of 50·7 months (IQR 23·8-70·7), the 3-year overall survival rate was significantly higher in the NeoCF+D group (72·1% [95% CI 65·4-77·8] vs 62·6% [55·5-68·9]; hazard ratio [HR] 0·68, 95% CI 0·50-0·92; p=0·006) but not in the NeoCF+RT group (68·3% [61·3-74·3]; HR 0·84, 0·63-1·12; p=0·12). Grade 3 or higher febrile neutropenia occurred in two (1%) of 193 patients in the NeoCF group, 32 (16%) of 196 patients in the NeoCF+D group, and nine (5%) of 191 patients in the NeoCF+RT group. Treatment-related adverse events leading to termination of neoadjuvant therapy were more common in the NeoCF+D group (18 [9%] of 202 participants) than in the NeoCF+RT group (12 [6%] of 200) and NeoCF group (eight [4%] of 199). There were three (2%) treatment-related deaths during neoadjuvant therapy in the NeoCF group, four (2%) deaths in the NeoCF+D group, and two (1%) deaths in the NeoCF+RT group. Grade 2 or higher postoperative pneumonia, anastomotic leak, and recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis were reported in 19 (10%), 19 (10%), and 28 (15%) of 185 patients, respectively, in the NeoCF group; 18 (10%), 16 (9%), and 19 (10%) of 183 patients, respectively, in the NeoCF+D group; and 23 (13%), 23 (13%), and 17 (10%) of 178 patients, respectively, in the NeoCF+RT group. The in-hospital deaths following surgery included three deaths in the NeoCF group, two deaths in the NeoCF+D group, and one in the NeoCF+RT group. Neoadjuvant triplet chemotherapy followed by oesophagectomy resulted in a statistically significant overall survival benefit compared with doublet chemotherapy and might be the new standard of care for locally advanced OSCC who are in good condition in Japan. Neoadjuvant doublet chemotherapy plus radiotherapy did not show significant improvement of survival compared with doublet chemotherapy. Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development and National Cancer Center Research and Development Fund.

Determinants of Strategy Implementation on Performance of Constituency Development Fund’s Projects in Public Primary Schools in Balambala Constituency, Kenya

Determinants of Strategy Implementation on Performance of Constituency Development Fund’s Projects in Public Primary Schools in Balambala Constituency, Kenya

Optimization of Financial Flows with the Help of Artificial Intelligence in Public Institutions

Abstract The only technology that is currently mature enough to help us quickly recover losses in agriculture is digital technology. Digital transformation is increasingly referred to as the fourth industrial revolution, aimed at merging the real world with the virtual one, bringing advantages even in traditional sectors such as agriculture. Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms are used to analyze large amounts of data collected from various sources in the field, as well as from farmers or beneficiaries of European funds for agricultural sector development. Specifically, they can analyze information gathered from soil sensors, weather stations, satellite images, or European funding applications, among others. This analysis provides farmers with valuable information to make informed decisions regarding seed selection, optimal timing, planting techniques, and resource allocation decisions. At the same time, AI-powered systems can learn from historical data and identify patterns, enabling more accurate predictions and recommendations. Machine learning algorithms can anticipate managerial decisions, detect potential problems, and suggest appropriate interventions to improve financial performance for the successful implementation of projects funded by European funds.

Agritourism Development through Leveraging Financial Support within the 4As Framework

Abstract Financing is a crucial issue in agritourism development. Financial considerations play a significant role in the successful implementation and long-term sustainability of agritourism ventures. This research focuses on understanding the financial challenges that arise within each component of the 4As framework. The research methodology used is a literature study. This study emphasizes the financial challenges that emerge within each component of the 4As framework. Key financial factors for sustainable agritourism includes infrastructure investment, eco-friendly planning, cost management, effective marketing, training, and environmental preservation. Developing and managing attractions requires financial investment in creating and promoting unique experiences while ensuring cultural sustainability and integrity. Access involves infrastructure development and maintenance, transportation costs, and the need to reach remote rural areas. Providing adequate amenities requires financial resources for facility development, maintenance, and visitor service management. Ancillary services pose financial barriers in terms of initial investment, operational costs, and balancing authenticity with visitor expectations. Innovative financial approaches and support mechanisms are needed to foster agritourim development. These include accessing funding opportunities, exploring public-private partnerships, leveraging community-based tourism models, and volunteer tourism. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of financial support programs through government grants and subsidies, incubators and accelerators programs, and tourism development funds.

Factors affecting the success of construction projects: a case study of the social development fund (SFD), Mukalla branch in Yemen

Factors affecting the success of construction projects: a case study of the social development fund (SFD), Mukalla branch in Yemen