Local Development Policies Research Articles

Ecosystem Service Trade-Offs and Spatial Pattern Optimisation under Different Land Use Scenarios: A Case Study in Guanzhong Region, China

Understanding the complex interactions (i.e., trade-offs and synergies) among ecosystem services (ESs) and exploring land use optimisation are important to realize regional ecological governance and sustainable development. This study examined Guanzhong Region, Shaanxi Province, as the research object. We established 12 future land use scenarios and projected the future land use patterns under the future climate change scenarios and local development policies. Next, we assessed the four main ecosystem services—carbon sequestration (CS), habitat quality (HQ), soil conservation (SC), and food supply (FS) by using related formulas and the InVEST model. Furthermore, the production possibility frontier (PPF) was used to measure trade-offs and synergistic relationships among ESs, and extract the optimal ES group under the different target needs. The results are as follows: (1) In the future 12 land use scenarios of 2050 in Guanzhong Region, forested land increased evidently in the RCP2.6 ecological protection scenario (18,483.64 km). In the RCP6.0 rapid urban development scenario, construction land showed evident expansion in the central and northeastern areas (4764.52 km2). (2) Compared with the ESs under the future multiple scenarios, CS and HQ achieved the maximum value in the RCP8.5 ecological protection scenario. In the RCP2.6 ecological protection scenario, the amount of SC was the largest (3.81 × 106 t). FS in the RCP2.6 business as usual scenario got the maximum value (18.53 × 106 t). (3) By drawing the optimal PPF curve of multiple scenarios in 2050, trade-off relationships were found between FS and CS, HQ, and SC, and synergistic relationships were found between CS, HQ, and SC. Next, the optimal ES groups under the fitted curve were selected by comparing with the ESs of 2018, and adjusting the land use areas and spatial pattern to finally optimise the relationships between ES and achieve the best land use spatial pattern.

INVESTMENT ACTIVITY AS A DIRECTION OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE POLICY OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Introduction. The article reveals the scientific vision of investment activity as a direction of implementation of the State policy of sustainable development. Goal of the article is to substantiate the consideration of investment activity and its activation not only as objects of investment policy, but also as a policy of sustainable development. Research methods: to prove the significance, determine the place and role of investment activity in the implementation of sustainable development policy, a systematic approach, statistical methods, analysis and synthesis methods were used. Results: the content of the concept of "investment activity" is revealed. It is clarified and substantiated that the purpose of investment activity, in addition to obtaining commercial and social benefits, should include the environmental effect. The content of the components of sustainable development of society is disclosed. They represent a triune concept of sustainable ecological, social and economic development, the implementation of which requires a clear policy and specific actions on the part of the State as a public institution, based on the principles of democracy, openness, public participation, economic, social and environmental efficiency. It is stated that the movement of our country along the path of sustainable development is laid down in the Sustainable Development Strategy "Ukraine - 2020". It is argued that the vectors of development, security, responsibility and pride defined by the Sustainable Development Strategy "Ukraine - 2020" require investment activity and its intensification. It is proved that the need for development of organizations of various types as elements of the Ukrainian economy, and their production of quality products and services makes organizations search for new management technologies, production methods, and new products. The instrument of such development is their investment policy and investment activity. It is emphasized that the investment policy of an organization should be implemented in accordance with other types of state policy (social, environmental, tax, local development policy, etc.), be documented, be information accessible to investors, and adapt to changes in the external environment (institutional, infrastructural, investment, etc.). It is noted that real investments are the way to implement investments in the fixed assets of organizations, and their form, for example, is the ecological modernization of production, the introduction of environmental technologies. The author summarizes that the main entity establishing the "rules of the game" for investment activity is the State. It develops and implements both investment and other types of policies (sustainable development to harmonize economic, social and environmental activities of various management and regulatory entities; financial and budgetary - to create a fair tax environment; regional - to stimulate regional development and create appropriate living conditions for the population; and entrepreneurship regulation - to create a favorable business environment, stimulate business growth, and technological development of production). Thus, investment activity and its intensification should be the result of the implementation of not only investment policy at various levels, but also a direction for the implementation of other policies, in particular, the policy of sustainable development.

Geotourism as a 16-Geosite Empowerment Strategy—For Tourism Sustainability in Toba Caldera Geopark

The study on empowerment strategies for tourism sustainability was carried out in 16 geosites located in seven regencies. These include Karo, Dairi, Simalungun, Samosir, Toba Samosir, North Tapanuli, and Humbang Hasundutan, in Toba Caldera Region (TCA), North Sumatra Province. The empowerment strategies will enhance local and national tourism development policy directives, boost development geared towards community tourism interests, and achieve GGN directives according to the concepts outlined by UNESCO. This geotourism development has been formulated through a synthesis of various investigations including the analyses of government references, potential tourist attractions, and SWOT. Furthermore, the SWOT analysis showed that a travel plan combining the elements of cultural heritage and geosites is an alternative empowerment for sustainable regional development through geotourism, using Pusuk Bukit as a pilot area. Geosites have been mapped as the basis for Toba Caldera’s development.

Local Development Policies for Heritage Tourism

Local Development Policies for Heritage Tourism

Developing Strategies for an Integrated Ecotourism Business: Study Case in Olele Village, Bone Bolango Regency, Gorontalo, Indonesia

The marine ecotourism of Olele Village is one of Indonesia's tourist destinations with business potential. However, it has not been developed optimally, especially in the fields of facilities and infrastructure, also community empowerment programs. This study aimed to design policy strategies and analyzed integrated ecotourism management policies for local economic development. This study used primary and secondary data. The sampling techniques used snowball and purposive sampling. The data analysis used SWOT, BOS (Blue Ocean Strategy), and BMC (Business Model Canvas) analyses. The SWOT analysis results showed several formulations of ecotourism development strategies related to integrated ecotourism management, the collaboration between stakeholders, and the training and development of MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises). The results of the BOS analysis recommended strategic innovations to make it easier to compete with competitors. Strategic innovations such creating new demand and supply, increasing tourist facilities, lowering prices, and creating markets. The results of the BMC analysis showed the perspective of opportunities and investment strategies in ecotourism-based local economic programs. It can be concluded that policies and strategies to optimize marine ecotourism utilize coral reefs as regional icons for snorkeling and diving activities. Keywords: blue ocean strategy, business, ecotourism, local economy, SWOT

ASSESSING THE POTENTIAL OF COMMUNITY-BASED ECOTOURISM TOWARD SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY IN TUA CHUA KARST PLATEAU – DIEN BIEN – VIET NAM

Tua Chua Karst Plateau - a living area of the Mong ethnic group with spectacular natural landscapes, cool weather, and unique indigenous cultural values. They are all prerequisites for tourism development. This study aims to evaluate the potential of community-based ecotourism development in the Tua Chua Karst Plateau. This research uses the AHP method. Evaluation criteria include (i) uniqueness of natural landscape, (ii) indigenous cultural value, (iii) stakeholder engagement, (iv) local tourism development policy, (v) quality of infrastructure, (vi) quality of tourism facilities, (vii) accessibility, (viii) connectivity. The evaluation system includes eight criteria that have classified tourism resources according to each resource point and identified suitable internal and external potentials to exploit the geological value of the plateau and preserve indigenous culture. Results of this study reveal that the indigenous cultural values, the participation of local communities, and the uniqueness of the natural landscape have an important impact on the development of ecotourism. Tua Chua Karst Plateau has great potential for community-based ecotourism development with 14 tourist resource sites, of which 8 are highly appreciated.

Supporting sustainable policies through an Urban Energy-Environmental Model and a Multi-Criteria Analysis: a case study in an Italian province

Public Authorities (PAs) need to define cross-cutting strategies for urban planning including policies for sustainable and energy-efficient buildings and innovative urban solutions. The article presents a decision support tool that combines an Urban Energy Environmental Model (UEEM) and a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) to support the development of sustainable local policies. The UEEM, developed with a bottom-up approach incorporating energy and environmental items, provides a~representation of the performance of local urban areas and quantifies the impact of new interventions in expansion areas. The UEEM is based on the definition of virtual archetypes built on the characteristics of the area under consideration. 92 building archetypes and 40 urban archetypes are developed. The energy performance of each building archetype is calculated with a dynamic simulation tool. The environmental performance of urban areas (overheating risk and outdoor thermal comfort) is analysed through a Grasshopper-based parametric model. In addition, soil permeability is calculated. The UEEM results are aggregated into a single index using the MCA, providing a Municipal Rating Index (MRI). The weights of the MCA are estimated through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on a survey submitted to local stakeholders (municipalities, environmental associations, experts). The model is applied to the province of Monza and Brianza in northern Italy.

A Time Series Study for Effects of PM10 on Coronary Heart Disease in Ganzhou, China.

Objective: To investigate the effect of PM10 exposure in low concentration areas on the daily hospitalized patients with coronary heart disease. Methods: Daily air quality monitoring data, meteorological monitoring data and daily hospitalization data of coronary heart disease during 2019−2021 in Ganzhou, China were collected. Generalized additive model and distributed lag nonlinear model were used to evaluate the association between environmental PM10 and daily hospital visits for coronary heart disease. Stratified by sex and age to see their potential impact on this association. Results: PM10 exposure was correlated with an increased risk of hospitalization in coronary heart disease patients. Single-pollutant model analysis shows that at the day of lag1, for every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10, the risk of coronary heart disease hospitalization increased by 1.69% (95%CI 0.39~3.00%); Subgroup analysis showed that females and older adults (>65 years) were more sensitive to PM10 exposure. In addition, in the dual-pollutant model, by adjusting other pollutants (including SO2, CO and O3), it was found that the relationship between PM10 exposure and coronary heart disease hospitalization was robust. And with changing the model’s degree of freedom was still robust. Conclusion: Short-term exposure to low concentrations of PM10 is associated with hospitalization for coronary heart disease. These results are important for local environmental public health policy development, so as to protect vulnerable populations.

From global goal to local development policy: How partnerships as a policy idea changes through policy translation

SummaryMotivationPartnerships between governments, private companies, and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) are increasingly popular tools for policy implementation. Much research attention has been paid to the formation and design of partnerships and how they can improve their development impact but there is little on how partnerships translate into local development policies.PurposeThis article explores how partnerships as a policy idea, embedded in United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17, changes as it is translated into local development policies. It traces how such translation processes change the problems that development partnerships set out to solve, and how they aim to solve them.Methods and approachThe article presents a case study of a translation of SDG 17 that took place in interaction between the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) and a policy network. The data set consists of documents and in‐depth interviews with policy network actors.FindingsFrom the UN's perspective, SDG 17 set out to mobilize private sector resources to achieve the SDGs. However, SDG 17 became a solution to partially global, but mostly local issues when it was translated into a Danish development policy, and consequently, a partnership programme. Some discursive alliances between policy network actors were more effective than others in advancing their discourses in the translation process, which influenced this outcome. These findings contribute to research on development partnerships by showing how partnership as a policy idea, embedded in SDG 17, changes through policy translation.Policy implicationsFindings from the study highlight the importance of discursive alliances in policy networks when policy ideas are localized into development policies. Moreover, the findings imply that when studying the translation of ideas into development policies, it is important to first disentangle the local conditions under which such processes take place to fully understand how they determine the translation outcome.

ENERGY AUDIT INFORMATION SYSTEM

The opportunities provided by energy audits to improve the competitiveness of companies by reducing energy consumption and introducing energy-efficient solutions also allow for achieving the environmental goals set by the European Union and Latvia in relation to climate neutrality. It is important to consider the results of energy audits in the development of both local and regional and national policies, thus setting more precise results to be achieved. At present, there is no unified energy audit development information system in Latvia, in which all audit stages and calculations could be performed; this would reduce clerical and calculation errors and allow data to be predicted and used in policy development, research. Within the framework of the work, the authors researched the concept of energy audit, its process and the results to be achieved by companies by implementing energy efficient measures, as well as the policy goals of the European Union and Latvia in environmental improvement programs. The paper summarizes and analyses the programs and methods available in Latvia, which are used to develop energy audits of companies, as well as the practices of other countries and their results.The research goal is to develop the specification of the energy audit information system, based on the analysis of the used energy audit information systems. Based on the findings, the authors developed a specification of the program's energy audit information system requirements, which is suitable for the Latvian market.

Local development policy effects on environmental quality: the case of Amathole District Municipality

Sustainability is a global problem which is practically difficult to implement. Pressure from Constitutional developmental obligations present enormous problems in South Africa, hampering the transitioning to sustainability at sub-national levels, where increased resources are required to compliment expertise amid negative effects of incoherent efforts and disaggregated planning that complicates the attainment of minimum sustainability levels. Data gathering is haphazard, making it impossible to get meaningful knowledge of baseline environmental conditions. This study galvanized professionals and academics to develop environmental quality indicators, gather data and conducted an assessment using Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) to stimulate municipalities to implement sustainable policies and comply with national objectives. 6 municipalities were assessed for environmental quality using 25 locally relevant indicators. Information about the district levels of sustainability was provided by the results. The aim being transparency, objective self-assessment and reporting providing the basis for remedial action as recommended by Agenda 21 and NFES

Revisiting Past Experiences of LGBTQ+-Identifying Students: An Analysis Framed by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

The United Nations (UN) places inclusive and equitable lifelong quality education at the center of its Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4: Quality Education. Nevertheless, the express inclusion of gender non-conforming and sexual minority students is omitted from UN communications. Drawing on interview and focus group data with recent secondary graduates who identify as LGBTQ+ (n = 20), we investigate their experiences, in terms of equity and inclusivity and lack thereof, in schools during the first years of the SDG-era in Spain (the data collection type respected participants’ personal preferences). Three SDGs, complementary to SDG4, were used as a framework for data analysis: SDG3 Good Health and Well-being, SDG5 Gender Equality, and SDG10 Reduced Inequalities, with SDG4 interconnectedly at the center of the overarching analyses. Participants reported preventable aggressions that affected their mental health and wellbeing in schools, receiving little LGBTQ+-related content in classes other than one-off mentions, and reflected on gender inequalities in their treatment from both peers and teachers. The authors discuss the need for local and national development education action plans and policies to address the exclusion and marginalization of LGBTQ+ students in Spanish high schools and elsewhere.

Proposed Strategies to Improve Adult Asthma Management in Egypt: Expert Review and Recommendations.

Several challenges face asthma management in Egypt, including the high percentage of uncontrolled patients, inadequate compliance, and overuse of short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) leading to increased asthma-related morbidity and mortality. In this regard, the recent Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) recommendations included inhaled corticosteroids containing therapy for mild asthma. Local healthcare systems and healthcare professionals (HCPs) often experience practical challenges when implementing global guidelines. The present expert review aims to outline the development of local guidelines and health policies that integrate global advances in asthma management while addressing unmet needs and challenges in Egypt. A steering committee of health policymakers and respiratory experts from the principal healthcare sectors in Egypt came together in March 2021 to develop a consent and national guideline for local asthma management, codifying the current challenges and the required elements for adequate control. The recommendations were either evidence-based or consensus-based from the clinical expertise and perspectives of the committee. The committee identified vital challenges facing all chronic airway diseases with initial focus on asthma management in Egypt in diagnosis, data collection, policymaking, patients' awareness, and physicians' attitudes. In general, the committee stated that globally adapted management protocols necessitate addressing from diverse perspectives through policymakers, HCPs, and patients. Accordingly, it is vital to provide relevant education for the patient and HCPs. The recommendations emphasize key elements concerning baseline assessment, diagnosis, treatment strategy with regular review of patient progress, and compliance toward the introduced reforms. Full integration of these recommendations into local practice allows physicians to sustain adequate management while reducing preventable exacerbations and unnecessary burdens. The proposed strategies outline efficient patient-centered management that approaches asthma as an inflammatory condition, encouraging health promotion and patients' compliance.

Local development policy in a societal crisis: municipal–industry dialogues in Sweden during Covid-19

ABSTRACT This paper analyses local development policy by investigating how this worked during a crisis situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic from spring 2020, with major effects on the economy. This empirical study covers local government in Sweden. The results reveal two major findings. First, that decentralized dialogues between local government and industry, being a key facet for local growth policy, were exposed to challenges in striking a balance between nurturing a sense of a shared interest versus upholding the understanding of divergent roles, between the municipality and businesses. Second, that the dependencies for local development policy on the central state were still vital. This is a reminder of the importance of being careful to understand what decentralized development policy refers to and how this involves resources for local actors to adapt this policy to local conditions, as advocated through the ideal of bottom-up approaches for local development.

Geografia em Comunidade

Na última década, projetos capazes de articular extensão universitária e empreendedorismo social com a formação crítica de professores em cursos de licenciatura, notadamente, vêm trazendo novas perspectivas para os campos da educação e das políticas de desenvolvimento local. O projeto Geografia em Comunidade, desenvolvido no bairro Cidade Nova (Diamantina-MG) a partir de 2013 por docentes e estudantes do curso de Licenciatura em Geografia da UFVJM, visa a formação de uma geração de empreendedores sociais na educação, com foco na melhoria do ambiente escolar, na aprendizagem colaborativa e no desenvolvimento local. Inicialmente, o presente estudo expõe uma revisão crítica da literatura acerca do desenvolvimento de práticas de extensão universitária e de empreendedorismo social na educação, explorando as possíveis contribuições para a aprendizagem colaborativa no processo de formação de professores. Mais adiante, as principais atividades implementadas pelo Geografia em Comunidade entre 2013 e 2017 são analisadas de maneira reflexiva tendo como pano de fundo o contexto espacial, demográfico e socioeconômico do bairro e da cidade. As atividades do projeto são situadas dentro de um modelo esquemático elaborado pelos autores que sintetizam as possiblidades de integração entre universidade, escola, poder público e setor privado. O trabalho demonstra que o Geografia em Comunidade deve ser tratado como um case de sucesso com enorme potencial para ser replicado ou, também, inspirar outros projetos do gênero.

Relationship between Gender Inclusion and Local Development in Context of Nepal

The article is based in gender equity, inclusion and its relation with local development in the contextof existing federal structure Nepalese government. Gender” refers to the roles, responsibilities, attributes, and power relations all sector of local government, this article focused on two objectives; to find out the gender inclusion and its relation with local government and to examine the gender inclusion policy provision in three level of government. This article used in secondary sources, the researcher collected and reviewed the similar literatures through the books, articles, election commission’s reports, related acts, policies, constitutions, collected profiles. The require data collected through semi structure of questionnaire method. Finding this article, 31.1 percent are elected and 58.9 percent are male and 41.10 percent are female. In province number five 22.28 percent are elected and 58.78 percent are male and 41.22 percent are female. In province number six, total numbers of candidates 29.73 percent are elected and 59.97 percent are male and 40.03 percent are female. In the province 7 total numbers candidates 26.73 percent are elected and 59 percent are male and 41 percent are female. Among the elected candidates, gender equity and its relation to government is quite high than allocated by Nepal Constitution 2072 as well as election manifesto 2074 of different political parties because, the Nepal Constitution 2072 mentioned that each and every political parties should at least 33 percent women included in their political activities including election too. The gender inclusion on decision making and leading role of women. In the local development programme and policy making, the allocation of gender friendly budget, lack of participation of local development activities.

UK hyperlocal air pollution model – Use of inverse modelling to increase the spatial detail of air pollution predictions

Background: Air pollution models are increasingly able to provide forecasts of NOx, NO₂, O₃, PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ at country scales (every 1-2km) and close to roads (every 10-20m). However, a significant limitation of these models is the lack of road traffic flow, speed and emissions. Aim: To develop a hyperlocal model which predicts air pollution every 20m across all of UK’s roads. Method: Here we address the lack of detailed traffic counts, speed and emissions by utilising ~12,000 diffusion tube and local sensor measurements in the UK, with a road traffic emissions optimisation method (EOM). The EOM uses model sensitivity coefficients in Taylor series expansions of the models’ response to varying emissions, allowing Monte Carlo emissions calibration to be performed at every monitoring location. This has allowed the creation of previously unavailable road emissions estimates, as well as the calibration of emissions on those roads that were already in the model. For other sources we used a combination of European, UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventories. Air pollution was predicted using the WRF met. model and the CMAQ-urban coupled model. Results: The EOM has enabled an emissions calibration process of unprecedented scale – improving traffic emissions estimates and enabling air pollution predictions at 20m resolution for every road in the UK. The NOx, NO₂ and O₃ model performance compares favourably with out of sample measurements and the EOM addresses the uncertainty NOx, NO₂ emissions from road transport, which has hitherto been under predicted. Conclusions: We have demonstrated what is possible with coupled CTM and local scale air pollution models, when combined with sufficiently detailed emissions inventories. This new approach is ideally suited for use with low cost sensor networks globally, providing data, including for PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀, for local populations, policy development and health research, across entire cities and even countries.

Recreation and Alcohol Consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa: Addressing Gender and Age Differences in Urban Areas-Praia, Cabo Verde.

Background: Reducing alcohol consumption and improving urban planning in African cities are public health priorities. The aim of this study was to explore gender and age differences in recreational activity participation and its link with self-reported alcohol consumption in three urban areas of Praia. Methods: A questionnaire was applied to a probabilistic sample of 1912 adults, with a median age of 35.0 (IQR: 26.0–48.8) years, living in informal, transition, and formal areas of the capital of Cabo Verde. Results: More than 80% of the participants reported rarely or never participating in recreational activities. Going daily or weekly to the café was the most reported recreational activity, regardless of the urban area. Participation in recreational activities was higher in men than women, decreasing with age in both cases. Alcohol consumption was significantly higher in men than women (72.4% versus 47.4%, p < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression models showed that going at least once to the bar/nightclub (for men and women) and going to the café (for women) were associated with alcohol consumption. Furthermore, age (for women), in a protective way, and having children (for men) appeared to be associated with alcohol consumption. Conclusions: This study provides new data on the recreational environment in Praia and can contribute to the development of local and national public health policies and interventions in line with several SDGs to reduce alcohol consumption, enhance healthy leisure/recreation practices, and promote better living conditions for its inhabitants.

The geography of job automation in Ireland: what urban areas are most at risk?

Future automation and artificial intelligence technologies are expected to have a major impact on labour markets. There is a lack of analysis which considers the sub-national geographical implications of automation risk posed to employment. In this paper, we identify the proportion of jobs at risk of automation across all Irish towns, using the occupational methodology of Frey and Osborne (2017) and compare these results with those of the task-based methodology of Nedelkoska and Quintini (2018). The job risk of automation varies significantly across towns, and while there is a substantial difference in the magnitude of risk identified by the occupational and task-based approaches, the correlation between them is approximately 95% in our analysis. The proportion of jobs at high risk (> 70% probability of automation) across towns using the occupational based methodology varies from a high of 58% to a low of 25%. In comparison, the proportion of jobs at high risk using the task-based methodology varies from 26 to 11%. Factors such as education levels, age demographics, urban size, and industry structure are important in explaining job risk across towns. Our results have significant implications for local and regional urban policy development in the Irish case.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Emergence of Creative Cities in Indonesia: Comparative Studies from Pekalongan, Yogyakarta, and Surakarta During the Covid-19 Pandemic

As a global platform, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have reinforced country’s institutional capacity to meet the international standard compliance. Creative city concept is one among those linking the SDGs targeting agenda to the local development policy. This study investigates if the implementation of creative city concept may succeed the fulfilment of SDGs targets. We selected three cities in Indonesia for comparative study: Pekalongan, Yogyakarta, and Surakarta. Our observation completed during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. We combined targeted questionnaire to academics, business, community, and government (ABCG) stakeholders with content analysis of the government publications and regulations. The result shows that Pekalongan City Government has managed well in actualising creative city concept from the policymaking to program implementation. The Yogyakarta City Government seems inconvenience in specifying targeted creative industry to promote local economy. For the Surakarta case, the targeted creative industry has little support in the local development policy. Lack of institutional capacity and trained staffs might be the main reasons for slow implementation of these ideas into local government context. Consequently, creative city concept and SDGs agenda are more favoured as a short- to medium-term project rather than a long-lasting city development vision.