This paper explores the extent to which Rwanda’s post-genocide development model can be adapted to Sierra Leone, paying particular attention to women’s empowerment as both a developmental goal and a mechanism for wider participation. The two countries were marked by catastrophic violence—the genocide of 1994 in Rwanda and Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war, that left governance systems fragile, economic activity paralyzed, and interpersonal trust largely destroyed. Although both faced devastation, Rwanda is celebrated for its rapid transformation, but Sierra Leone remains challenged by ineffective governance and systemic discrimination against women. Using a comparative analysis, this study identifies three pillars of Rwanda’s reconstruction model: embedding gender equality in legal frameworks, political reforms expanding women’s participation, and socio-economic programs integrating women into development agendas. In contrast, Sierra Leone’s gains are minimal, women suffer from political exclusion, land tenure discrimination, and exposed to poverty, violence, and practices such as female genital cutting. The study highlights several lessons that could be adapted elsewhere, including enshrined constitutional protections, mechanisms for overseeing gender equity, grassroots accountability frameworks modeled like Rwanda’s Imihigo contracts, and the proactive inclusion of women in both fiscal decision-making and reform processes. Despite the lessons, straightforward transfer is restricted, Sierra Leone struggles with weaker governance capacity, a politically diverse particularly due to its reduced institutional capability, plural political order, and deeply rooted gender hierarchies. The study emphasizes that in post-war Sierra Leone, cannot afford to see gender empowerment only through the lens of rights; and becomes a core instrument for advancing meaningful, post-conflict change. The article suggests that meaningful integration of women in governance, law, and economic structures is the most effective route to building sustainable peace, societal cohesion, and equitable development.

Over recent years, Morocco and Tunisia have intensified efforts to fortify their respective border areas with Algeria, driven by the need for enhanced migration control and the fight against illicit trafficking and cross-border terrorism. These developments have significantly impacted communities living in border regions, disrupting long-standing economic and sociocultural structures. This article investigates how these border dynamics affect the daily lives of residents along the Morocco-Algeria and Algeria-Tunisia borders. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and more than 95 in-depth qualitative interviews, I explore how the border regimes in place affect the identity and security of ‘borderlanders.’ Additionally, I examine how the border population navigates the presence and enforcement of the state border, as well as the forms of resistance they develop. The findings show that, for border populations, a ‘secure life’ is closely tied to the permeability of the border and the opportunities it affords. Fortification efforts aimed at enhancing national security heighten feelings of isolation and uncertainty within border communities, as they restrict everyday mobility and arbitrarily fragment social life. In response to these challenges, border communities develop vigilant strategies, everyday geopolitical imaginaries, and a sense of belonging that challenges state-driven border policies and practices.

This study develops an updated national Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) for Greece, based on the 2020 Input–Output Table that captures post-crisis structural and macroeconomic transformations, implemented in Python 3, hence producing a reusable, modular code. This methodological approach facilitates multiplier-based policy analysis of how shocks propagate through the Greek economy, and therefore, this study contributes to the literature by addressing the gap in multiplier analysis for this setting. Output, value-added, and income multipliers were estimated using the Moore–Penrose pseudo-inverse via Singular Value Decomposition (SVD). Findings highlighted the substantial role of government transfers in supporting household and firm incomes, largely due to COVID-19 relief measures. This analysis showed that production expansion in energy, construction, and wholesale and retail trade can stimulate broad economic activity, while service-related sectors play a critical role in income generation and equity considerations. At the same time, firms in trade, hospitality, and real estate were heavily affected by the pandemic shock. The findings of this study provide a benchmark for understanding Greece’s economic structure at a critical moment in time (the COVID-19 pandemic).

Amidst the increasing urgency of global climate change, achieving carbon neutrality has become a critical objective for rapidly developing economies like China. This study presents an innovative carbon emission forecasting framework for the Yangtze River Middle Reaches-comprising Hubei, Hunan, and Jiangxi provinces-by integrating an extended STIRPAT model with partial least squares (PLS) regression. Distinct from existing provincial-level research, our approach incorporates a broader set of socio-economic and environmental drivers, utilizes variable importance analysis, and employs scenario-based projections to systematically compare emission trajectories and driving mechanisms across multiple provinces. By simulating carbon emission pathways from 2001 to 2021 and projecting future trends to 2080 under three differentiated scenarios, the study reveals pronounced regional heterogeneity in emission peaks, neutrality timelines, and driver effects. Results indicate that while all three provinces are likely to achieve peak emissions around 2030, the path to carbon neutrality by 2060 remains highly challenging due to persistent technological and structural constraints, particularly in provinces with slower industrial transformation. The findings underscore the necessity of region-specific, adaptive mitigation strategies-balancing economic growth, industrial upgrading, and energy structure optimization-to ensure practical progress toward China's dual-carbon goals. This work not only advances carbon forecasting methodology by quantifying the interactive effects of multiple drivers at a subnational scale, but also offers empirical evidence to inform targeted, differentiated policy interventions.

The article highlights and updates the theoretical heritage of I. S. Yastremsky as one of the first Soviet economists who addressed the issues of state-owned enterprise management on the basis of harmonizing economic interests, forming incentives for effective activity and ensuring responsibility for its results. It is argued that the main idea of I. S. Yastremsky’s works on the above issues is based on the thesis of ensuring a real basis for the activities of state-owned enterprises on the basis of implementing the concept of full economic calculation. Thanks to this, the necessary basis is created for reforming the management system as a whole while reducing the influence of purely directive methods of direct response and "embedding" financial and economic incentives. It is justified that this methodological principle should be taken into account when determining the priorities of public sector reform in the current conditions of Ukraine. The current reform efforts of the authorized authorities are mainly focused on the implementation of the principles and mechanisms of corporate governance in the management system of state-owned companies and municipal enterprises. At the same time, the dominant role is played by the motives of compliance with mainly administrative, formal procedures and rules of this activity. Under these circumstances, the financial and economic component is often taken into account only partially or is neglected altogether. Obviously, this negatively affects the results of the current reform of Ukraine’s public sector. It has been determined that these circumstances actualize the issues of developing high-quality strategic plans for state-owned enterprises, coordinating them with annual financial and investment programs and the needs of relevant economic structures, rationalizing their intra-organizational ties and management relations, balancing industry and territorial interests, and forming powerful vertically integrated companies controlled by the state, that is, those problems of a theoretical and applied nature on which I. S. Yastremsky focused his attention.

The demographic–transport nexus is central to regional integration, but remains insufficiently studied in rapidly urbanizing contexts. Taking China’s Pearl River Delta (PRD) as a representative megaregion, this study uses panel data from nine PRD cities spanning 1990 to 2020. We construct an entropy-weighted indicator system and apply a coupling–coordination model in combination with a panal data regression to trace the co-evolution of population and transport systems and identify their driving forces. Findings reveal that: (1) the regional coupling-coordination index rose from 0.21 to 0.54 but still shows a clear core–periphery gradient—Guangzhou and Shenzhen already display high coordination, whereas ZhaoQing and Jiangmen lag behind; (2) economic growth, a consumption-oriented economic structure and technological progress significantly enhance coordination; (3) the 2009 PRD Master Plan mainly benefits core cities, with limited policy spill-overs; (4) medical-service provision improves coordination, while basic-education supply is not significant, highlighting service-level disparities. We recommend strengthening peripheral inter-city corridors, building 30- to 60-minute commuting rings, and linking transport investment to real-time coupling metrics and coordinated industry relocation to advance the region toward higher-level integration.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-26997-9.

Historically, the Caucasus region has constituted a critical nexus of trade routes and strategic interests nevertheless, for centuries, persistent political instability and economic isolation have impeded the full realization of its economic potential. The legacy of the Soviet system, coupled with the political disintegration that followed in the post-1990s era, has profoundly shaped the region’s economic structures. In the case of Georgia, the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market-based system introduced substantial challenges, necessitating deep structural adjustments and comprehensive reforms, a process that continues to be of critical relevance and urgency today. At the present stage, despite numerous challenges and obstacles, Georgia is perceived as an economically liberal and investment-attractive country, striving to establish itself as a financial hub within the Black Sea region. The country’s macroeconomic indicators, fiscal policies, and a stable banking sector contribute to its growing and increasingly significant role in both regional markets and the broader international financial system and networks. The present research conducts a comprehensive analysis of Georgia’s role in the economic transformation of the Caucasus region from a historical perspective to the contemporary era. It does systematically explore the fundamental drivers that enabled Georgia to overcome economic crises and progressively integrate into regional and global financial markets. Special focus is placed on the structural reforms undertaken during the 2000s, notably the strengthening of the financial sector, the enhancement of the business climate, the modernization of the banking system, and the negotiation and signing of international trade agreements. The study makes particular emphasis on Georgia’s participation in multilateral economic platforms and its efforts to deepen ties with the European Union, emerging and developed economies of Asia, and global investment markets. Regarding future prospects, the study highlights both the opportunities and challenges facing Georgia. It examines the critical areas necessary for the development of the country’s financial markets, emphasizing the need for deeper economic diversification, the integration of technological innovations, and the enhancement and effective utilization of labor productivity. These measures are essential for Georgia to maintain its competitiveness and to secure a significant and leading position within the global economic system. The paper also underscores the importance of addressing geopolitical risks, as well as challenges related to energy security and state stability, all of which exert a considerable influence on the country’s future economic development. In conclusion, Georgia’s historical trajectory, contemporary accomplishments, and forward-looking strategic planning collectively pave the way for the country to position itself as a leading economic center in the Caucasus region and to expand its influence within both regional and global financial markets.

From economy to ecology: Exploring territorial material flows through local economic structures

Towards inclusive green growth: Synergistic effects of digital infrastructure and energy transition policies in China.

This study aims to analyze the position and dynamics of the agricultural sector in Kupang City compared to the Province of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) using the Location Quotient (LQ) and Dynamic Location Quotient (DLQ) approaches. The data used are secondary data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), consisting of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) by business field at constant 2010 prices for the period 2014–2019. The results show that, in general, the economic structure of Kupang City is dominated by tertiary sectors such as information and communication (DLQ = 4.92), transportation and warehousing (DLQ = 2.35), as well as accommodation and food service activities (DLQ = 1.99). Conversely, the agricultural sector has an LQ of 0.07 and a DLQ of 0.85, indicating that it is a non-base and non-prospective sector. This condition confirms the occurrence of structural economic transformation from the primary sector toward service-oriented sectors. Although its contribution is relatively small, the agricultural sector still plays an important role in supporting food security and providing informal employment. Policy recommendations are directed toward strengthening technology-based urban agriculture, improving dry-land management, and enhancing interregional policy synergy to achieve sustainable agricultural development in urban areas of NTT.

Various studies have shown that inflation can no longer be understood simply as a general increase in prices, but as a multidimensional phenomenon interacting with economic structure, labor markets, exchange rates, and the design of monetary and fiscal policies. This review integrates key findings from the literature on the non-linear, threshold-based inflation-growth relationship, with evidence that high inflation tends to reduce growth, while low-moderate inflation can have more ambiguous and context-dependent effects. In the labor market dimension, inflation has been shown to erode real wages, trigger wage bias , and contribute to labor cost volatility, although in some contexts a bidirectional relationship between inflation, productivity, and wages has been found. Studies on inflation interdependence in developed economies confirm a strong global component, particularly through energy prices, but show that the correlation with core inflation is relatively weak, indicating the importance of domestic factors and sectoral heterogeneity. On the other hand, recent literature confirms that inflation forecasting becomes significantly more difficult during times of turbulence (COVID-19, energy shocks), and Bayesian VAR models with stochastic volatility or fat-tailed innovations provide better predictive performance than traditional models.

Digital technologies have rapidly penetrated rural China, transforming household economic structures and reshaping agricultural factor markets. Drawing on 3930 household-level observations from six provinces in the Yellow River Basin (2020–2023), this research aims to examine how digital technology adoption influences the optimal allocation of household labor, land, and capital. To address self-selection and endogeneity, we employed an Endogenous Switching Probit (ESP) model and conducted counterfactual analysis, supplemented by propensity score matching (PSM), instrumental variable probit (IV-Probit), replacement of the core explanatory variable, and exclusion of special samples as four robustness checks. The Average Treatment Effects on the Treated show that digital technology adopters would have reduced the probabilities of non-farm employment, farmland transfer-out, and productive loan access by 24.5, 19.3, and 16.7 percentage points, if they had not adopted digital technology. Similarly, digital technology non-adopters would have improved 27.4, 22.2, and 18.9 percentage points if they adopted digital tools. These impacts are stronger over time, in the upper reaches of the Yellow River Basin, among households with larger landholdings, and among younger farmers. Mechanism analysis further indicates that digital technologies expand information access, strengthen social networks, and ease credit constraints, thereby jointly promoting more efficient labor, land, and capital allocation. The policy implications of these findings are as follows: the importance of improving rural digital infrastructure, tailoring regional policies, and enhancing farmers’ digital skills to narrow the digital divide and support inclusive rural revitalization.

This research analyzes labor inequalities between men and women in Ecuador, with the aim of understanding how gaps in employment, underemployment, and income relate to persistent social and economic structures. The study applies a quantitative-descriptive approach based on data from the INEC's National Survey of Employment, Unemployment, and Underemployment (ENEMDU) for the period 2019–2024. It examines rates of adequate employment, underemployment, unemployment, informality, and the wage gap. The analysis is complemented by a review of the literature on gender segregation in the labor market and the impact of unpaid work on female participation. The results show substantial gaps. In 2024, adequate male employment was 41.4%, while female employment reached only 28.4%. The wage gap remains at 16.65%, with lower average incomes for women despite having equal or higher levels of education. Women are concentrated in feminized activities—education, health, domestic service, lodging, and food—characterized by lower pay and high informality. In addition, unpaid work falls disproportionately on them, limiting their time available for formal employment and restricting their labor mobility. The discussion points out that these inequalities respond to structural factors that transcend current labor policies. Care responsibilities create a "sticky floor" that keeps women in precarious jobs, while the low presence of women in leadership positions confirms the existence of "glass ceilings." Public policies have advanced, but they have not yet transformed the cultural conditions that sustain inequality.

The productive transformation of Costa Rica's economic structure has been taking place for years, particularly directed toward greater tertiarization of the economy. This incorporation of technical progress was expected to drive a structural transformation capable of improving labor market conditions by shifting toward more complex and diverse activities. However, this process appears to have deepened structural heterogeneity rather than consolidating a simple dual-economic model. Analysis at the aggregate level has shown that the level of economic activity explains less of the change in formal and informal or vulnerable employment than the recomposition of economic activity into more productive segments. As a result, the labor market continues to show persistent signs of segmentation. Informality remains high and stable, with a strong concentration among less-educated individuals, older workers, and certain low-productivity sectors. The productive transformation observed in Costa Rica can consolidate as a driver of development if accompanied with the due policy. In this regard, the implementation of an explicit industrial and innovation policy that is functionally more inclusive is recommended, which is focuses more clearly on better taking advantage of the potential of the working population. It is key to recognize heterogeneity within sectors themselves, where intra-sectoral transitions with high links to national value added can occur. These processes must be accompanied by strategies that facilitate entry into formal employment and productive development policies that identify nodes of common tasks, related sectors, and prioritize territorial and human connections.

Family farming plays a pivotal role in the economic and social structure of rural areas, particularly in developing countries, where it underpins food production, food security, and rural employment. Despite its recognized importance, there is a lack of detailed, disaggregated data and estimates regarding its economic contribution. This study fills that gap by quantifying the share of family farming in Uruguay’s gross production value (GPV) across five key agricultural sectors: fruit production, horticulture, beekeeping, beef cattle, and dairy farming. Using data from the National Family Farming Registry, combined with administrative records and price data, the research estimates GPV based on physical output and average national prices. From 2018 to 2022, family farming consistently contributed between 14% and 17% to the total GPV in these sectors. By providing empirical evidence of its economic relevance, this work enhances understanding of the sector and informs the development of more targeted and effective agricultural policies.

Climate change has long been a concern for geographers. Yet in recent years, the relationship between the discipline of human geography and the topic of climate change has evolved. Reflecting this, an especially vibrant area of scholarship is the consolidating field of ‘critical climate geographies’: a field that not only examines the spatial and temporal dimensions of climate change, but also the social, political, economic, and cultural structures that underpin its impacts and governance. This paper considers the present and future role of critical climate change research in geography, both within the discipline and within climate scholarship more broadly.

Subject. This article discusses the issues of realizing the potential of the regional economy in the context of increasing competition in national and international markets. Objectives. The article aims to assess the impact of external and internal factors on the economic situation of the Samara Oblast. Methods. For the study, we used statistical and content analyses. Results. The article finds that the Samara Oblast maintains specialization in traditional sectors (mining and manufacturing industries); however, the percentage of commodity production in the gross regional product is increasing. Global trends, internal diversification, and the strengthening of scientific and production potential are the key factors in the transformation of the Oblast's economic sector structure. Conclusions. Investments in high-tech industries and adjustments to the strategic priorities of the Oblast's socioeconomic development are necessary to enhance the competitiveness of the Samara Oblast's economy.

In the current economic structure, a shift is observed from traditional production to a Product-Service System model among manufacturing companies. This transformation allows for more efficient resource utilization, focusing on higher-margin services. Integrating services with products enhances understanding of customer needs, leading to increased loyalty and improved market positioning. Developing Product-Service System solutions requires knowledge of service needs in specific sectors, a challenging yet crucial aspect. This study analyzes service preferences related to printing machines in print companies. A survey was conducted in 80 printing houses, exploring needs in four service categories: Polish Classification of Products and Services (A), printing machines (B), printing processes (C), and auxiliary services (D). To objectively evaluate the data and identify correlations between printing houses characteristics and service preferences, statistical analyses including Pearson’s correlation and One-Way Analysis of Variance with post-hoc Fisher’s Least Significant Difference test were used. The findings indicate significant differences in company size, product range, number of shifts, and type of printing houses concerning the service categories of interest.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-29003-4.

Limiting global warming to well below 2 °C requires that countries and subnational regions align their net-zero targets with coherent carbon budgets. While the fair division of the global carbon budget across nations is well studied, we develop a distributive justice framework for allocating a national carbon budget among subnational regions. Grounded in individuals' equal claims to well-being benefits from emissions-generating activities, our framework distinguishes between consumption- and production-based emissions budgets. For consumption-based emissions, we propose a qualified equal-per-capita allocation that accounts for regional basic needs, historical responsibility, and benefits from past emissions. For production-based emissions, we introduce the Equal Transition Opportunity Production-Based Allocation (ETOPA) mechanism, which accounts for heterogeneous regional economic structures and transition risks. Applying our framework to the European Union, we quantify subnational distributions of production- and consumption-based emissions budgets and reflect on their potential to inform political processes and guide equitable carbon-neutral transformations.

The importance of capital investments for the national economy of Ukraine in general and agriculture in particular is substantiated, since they ensure the formation of tangible and intangible assets of enterprises. It is found that for agricultural production, the main asset for capital investments is agricultural land. At the same time, the activities of agricultural, forestry, and fishery enterprises depend on capital investments in existing buildings, construction of economic structures, purchase of machinery and equipment, as well as in intangible assets – software and concessions, patents, licenses, trademarks, and similar rights. The article reveals the relevance of capital investments as a key tool for ensuring the sustainable development of Ukrainian agro-industrial enterprises in the context of economic and political instability in 2014-2023. The emphasis is on land resources as one of the main factors of production in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, taking into account the need to increase the efficiency of their use through investment mechanisms. The main objective of the study is to assess the effectiveness of capital investments in the development of land resources of agricultural enterprises, which will allow identifying the potential for increasing the volume of sales and costs of production of products (goods, services) of agricultural, forestry, and fisheries enterprises. The methodological basis of the article includes the use of correlation-regression analysis to establish the relationship between capital investments and key production indicators, as well as the method of analysis of the operating environment, which allows for determining the level of efficiency of investment use in dynamics. Using correlation-regression analysis, a study was conducted of the impact of each type of capital investment on revenue from sales of products (goods, services) and production costs of agricultural, forestry, and fishery enterprises, which allowed us to identify the absence of the impact of an increase in the volume of capital investments on the growth of sales and production costs. At the same time, a relatively significant impact of capital investments is observed on other types of assets, the increase of which ensures an increase in sales and costs for products (goods, services) of agricultural, forestry, and fishery enterprises, in particular, the purchase of software. The paper presents a comprehensive assessment of investments in tangible and intangible assets, including land, buildings, machinery, equipment, and software. The results of the study showed that investments in land do not have a sufficient impact on the economic performance of enterprises, while investments in software and construction have a pronounced positive effect. The method of analysis of the operating environment was used to identify the efficiency of using capital investments for the development of land resources in the context of increasing the volume of sales and costs for the production of products (goods, services) of agricultural, forestry and fishery enterprises, which made it possible to identify the lost potential over the past ten years and to propose approaches to improving production indicators for the following periods. An efficiency line was constructed to identify the most productive periods of investment in the development of land resources, and optimization scenarios were proposed, taking into account the potential for increasing product sales and reducing costs. An assessment of the savings of capital investments in cases of their inefficient use was carried out, and the potential for increasing economic efficiency in the future was calculated. The results of the work are a valuable tool for strategic planning of investment activities of agro-industrial enterprises in conditions of limited resources, market challenges, and military threats, and the proposed methodology can be adapted to assess the effectiveness of investments in other sectors of the Ukrainian economy.