Issues Of Environmental Degradation Research Articles

Regulatory Framework for Gold Mining in Ghana: An Analysis of Damongo’s Mining Sector

This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory framework governing gold mining in Ghana, with a specific focus on Damongo, a rapidly growing mining hub in the Northern Region. Ghana's gold mining sector, a major contributor to the nation's economy, faces significant challenges despite its economic benefits. These challenges include severe environmental degradation, mercury contamination, and social issues exacerbated by inadequate regulatory enforcement. This article examines the existing regulatory framework, which includes key legislative acts such as the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, and the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994, alongside a network of regulatory institutions like the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission. Utilizing Damongo as a case study, this research reveals critical inefficiencies in the local regulatory system, particularly in combating illegal mining activities and managing environmental and social impacts. Findings indicate that while gold mining has stimulated economic growth and provided employment opportunities, it has also led to negative consequences such as increased health problems, social vices, and reduced agricultural productivity. The study underscores the need for more robust regulatory practices, improved institutional capacity, and enhanced community involvement in environmental governance. Comparative insights from regulatory practices in other jurisdictions, such as Australia and Canada, highlight the potential benefits of adopting stricter environmental regulations, comprehensive impact assessments, and better coordination among regulatory agencies. The article concludes with recommendations for strengthening Ghana’s regulatory framework, including increased investment in regulatory institutions, improved enforcement mechanisms, and the promotion of sustainable mining practices. This study aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on mining regulation and sustainability, providing actionable insights for policymakers and stakeholders involved in the governance of Ghana’s gold mining sector.

"I Haven't Had Moose Meat in a Long Time": Exploring Urban Indigenous Perspectives on Traditional Foods in Saskatchewan.

This qualitative study investigates the perspectives of urban Indigenous individuals in Saskatchewan, Canada, regarding their consumption of traditional foods. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 14 participants across Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert, the research aimed to uncover the benefits, risks, and barriers associated with acquiring and consuming traditional foods. Participants emphasized the nutritional advantages of traditional foods, such as higher nutrient density and absence of industrial additives, which they linked to improved health outcomes and alignment with Indigenous biology. The study also highlighted the vital role of traditional foods in maintaining cultural identity and fostering community connections through practices of food sharing and intergenerational knowledge transfer. However, significant challenges were identified, including economic and physical barriers to access, environmental degradation, and regulatory issues that restrict the availability of traditional foods in urban settings. The findings suggest a complex landscape where cultural practices are both preserved and challenged within the urban environment. This study contributes to the broader understanding of how Indigenous populations navigate the preservation of their culinary heritage in the face of modern economic and environmental pressures, providing insights for policy and community-based interventions aimed at supporting Indigenous food sovereignty.

The effect of financial inclusion and economic integration on green growth in ASEAN

PurposeThis study was conducted to review the overview of green growth and examine the role of financial inclusion as well as economic integration and other variables on green growth in Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.Design/methodology/approachPrincipal component analysis (PCA) was used to construct financial inclusion variables and panel data regression analysis to examine the effect of financial inclusion and economic integration on green growth in 10 ASEAN countries from 2010 to 2021.FindingsThe results showed that financial inclusion had played a role in supporting green growth in ASEAN. The rapid development of green finance and green bonds promoted the implementation of better green growth. The variables of export diversification and trade openness had a significant effect on green growth. Therefore, there is a need for appropriate policies to prevent negative effects on the environment and the behavior of ASEAN countries.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that policymakers in ASEAN countries not only focus on gaining economic benefits from financial inclusion and economic integration activities but also pay attention to environmental impacts. Moreover, the ASEAN region is actively developing strategic steps in providing easy access to capital and finance as well as expanding international trade activities through ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA). Therefore, it is hoped that apart from being able to establish sustainable policies, this region will also encourage and optimize previous policies to make them more environmentally friendly.Originality/valueThis study used a green growth approach with the Index by the Global Green Growth Institute. This index considered aspects of green economic opportunities and social inclusion that have not been applied in previous studies. In addition, this study contributed to review the activities of economic integration and financial inclusion and the sustainability of green growth in ASEAN countries. Until now, there has been no research focused on ASEAN; even though ASEAN has long carried out economic integration and encouraged financial inclusion policies, this region is vulnerable to environmental degradation issues.

Spatio-temporal investigation of economic growth and environmental quality nexus in EU countries: New guidelines regarding green goods and eco-tax.

The issue of environmental degradation has become pertinent and the call for carbon neutrality has intensified in recent years. Achieving this target will require countries to meet the conditions of the sustainable development goals. To do this, the study applied spatiotemporal modelling and the generalized method of moments (GMM) to examine the nexus between economic growth (EG) and the load capacity factor (LCF) through environmental goods (ENG) and environmental tax (ENT) among European Union (EU) nations from 1995 to 2018. The findings demonstrate that spatial dependence leads to a change in EG and LCF that impacts the EG and LCF of the neighbouring countries. The study also found that there is a significant positive and bidirectional relationship between economic growth and load capacity factor. Moreover, the study revealed that a positive effect of ENG, ENT, REN and Human Capital Index (HCI) on EG, with a reducing effect from natural resource rents (NRR). Finally, HCI improves environmental quality, while ENG, ENT, REN and NRR degrade the environment. Our findings justify the need for EU countries and other developed nations to implement policies that will help achieve a green economic transformation.

Pathways to Sustainability in Sub-Sahara Africa: Are Institutional Quality Levels Subservient in Achieving Green GDP Growth?

AbstractThere is a growing need for a transition to green economic growth (GGDP) given that the current economic system is largely environmentally unsustainable. This study thus addresses GGDP enhancement in less developed countries using the case of Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) countries where institutional deficiencies are typically at the root of most resource depletion and environmental degradation issues. Six institutional quality measures were used namely corruption control, government effectiveness, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law, and voice of accountability while controlling for other factors like industrialization, energy use, and population growth in the region. The study applied a battery of second-generation panel econometric techniques in the empirical analysis after which both Bootstrap Quantile regression (BQR) technique and panel ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation approaches were applied to observe the variables' roles on GGDP advancement in SSA. From the findings, corruption control and government (policy) effectiveness favorably impact Green GDP in SSA. However, both rule of law and regulatory quality performed poorly as they were insignificant to GGDP enhancement. Furthermore, all control variables promote GGDP except for population growth. Thus, the findings buttress the need to strengthen institutions for effective governance and quality environmental regulations to enhance GGDP growth towards actualizing sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the SSA region.

Evaluation of the benefits of tradable peak energy use rights products

Environmental degradation and energy security issues require our country to accelerate the transition of its energy consumption structure towards decarbonization. Clarifying the impact of the pilot trading system of peak energy use rights products on the low-carbon transformation of energy consumption structure and the path of its effect is an important policy revelation for the construction of market-based environmental rights and interests regulation. In this paper, we study the implementation effect of the pilot provinces of peak energy use right product trading from the perspective of carbon emission reduction benefit and analyze the carbon emission reduction benefit generated by the peak energy use right product according to the pilot trading situation.

Exploring the relationship between land use change patterns and variation in environmental factors within urban agglomeration

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 aims to promote a more livable urban environment for humanity. However, the rapid global urbanization process has exerted significant pressure on urban environment, posing challenges for many cities to achieve this target. The urbanization process within urban agglomeration is accompanied by rapid and diverse land use change. Exploring the relationship between land use change and environmental factors is crucial for achieving sustainable urban development. To address this issue, this study investigates the interactive relationship between pixel-scale land use change and environmental indicators (CO2, Land Surface Temperature, and PM2.5) in China's three major urban agglomerations from 2000 to 2020. This study aims to analyze major land use change patterns, explore intrinsic connections among environmental indicators, and assess the impact of land use change on these indicators. The findings show that cropland, forestland, and built-up land are the major types of land change in all three urban agglomerations. Regions characterized by high population density, heavy industry, and intense transportation exhibit more pollutant emissions. Rapid urban construction has resulted in different types of environmental degradation issues. This study provides a comprehensive examination of the relationship between urbanization and environmental issues.

Maximizing hybrid microgrid system performance: A comparative analysis and optimization using a gradient pelican algorithm

The development of hybrid systems that combine different energy sources has become increasingly important to meet the growing demand for clean and sustainable energy. These systems can offer a reliable and efficient solution to reduce dependence on conventional energy sources and address the issues of climate change and environmental degradation. This study focuses on two types of hybrid systems, namely PV/biomass and PV/diesel, which are commonly used in off-grid areas or places with limited access to electricity. The proposed optimization framework aims to determine the optimal sizing of each component in the system, including PV panels, batteries, and backup sources, to maximize the performance and efficiency of the hybrid system. The Gradient Pelican Optimization Algorithm (GPOA), which is an advanced optimization technique, is proposed to solve the optimization problem. The algorithm is modified to include a local escaping operator, which allows the algorithm to escape local optima and achieve better solutions. The outcomes of the simulation show that the GPOA algorithm outperforms other well-known algorithms in terms of accuracy and computational efficiency. The simulation results also demonstrate that the PV/biomass hybrid system outperforms the PV/diesel hybrid system in terms of cost and environmental impact. The proposed framework and optimization methodology can be useful for designing and optimizing other hybrid systems and can be applied to various applications, including off-grid and remote areas, distributed power systems, and microgrids. The findings of this study can also contribute to the development and promotion of renewable energy and sustainable development.

The evolution of CSR reporting in the oil and gas industry and its future direction: A conceptual review

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting has become increasingly important for industries worldwide, particularly in sectors with significant environmental and social impacts such as the oil and gas industry. This paper presents a conceptual review of the evolution of CSR reporting within the oil and gas sector, examining its historical development, current practices, and future directions. The evolution of CSR reporting in the oil and gas industry can be traced back to growing societal and stakeholder pressures for transparency and accountability. Initially, CSR reporting focused primarily on philanthropic activities and compliance with regulations. However, with mounting concerns over environmental degradation, climate change, and social justice issues, stakeholders demanded more comprehensive reporting practices. In response, oil and gas companies have adopted various frameworks and standards, such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to guide their CSR reporting efforts. These frameworks help companies disclose their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in a systematic and comparable manner, enhancing accountability and facilitating stakeholder engagement. Looking ahead, the future direction of CSR reporting in the oil and gas industry is likely to be shaped by emerging trends such as increased emphasis on climate-related disclosures, integration of ESG factors into corporate strategy and decision-making, and the rise of digital technologies for data collection and reporting. Moreover, there is a growing recognition of the need for industry-wide collaboration and standardization to improve the credibility and effectiveness of CSR reporting. This conceptual review highlights the evolving landscape of CSR reporting in the oil and gas industry and underscores the importance of continuous improvement and innovation in meeting the evolving expectations of stakeholders and society.

How natural resources and technological advancements affect environmental quality: Evidence from load capacity factor in N‐11 nations

AbstractThe pressing issues of global climate change and environmental degradation necessitate the development of novel sustainable growth models by humanity. The efficacy of growth policy is strongly contingent upon the fundamental principles of productivity, such as efficient resource management. This study contributes to the investigation of the influence of natural resources (NRs) and several indices measuring productive capacity index (CI) on the environment of developing N‐11 countries (Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Korea, Pakistan, Turkey, and Vietnam) during 2000–2022. The research employed the cross‐sectional Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS‐ARDL) model to examine the relationship between the variables. The empirical evidence indicates that there is a positive relationship between CI, technical innovation (TEC), NR, and gross domestic product (GDP) with the load capacity factor (LCF). Evidently, the sub‐indicators of CI present diverse results. The enhancement of productive CI in human capital, information, and communication technology (ICT), structural change, and governance has been found to foster ecological sustainability. Conversely, the domains of transport, private sector development, and energy utilization have been observed to contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution. This study posits that enhancing operational efficiencies and productive CI is associated with improved ecological outcomes.

The Role of Leadership to Employees’ Behaviors: A Signaling Theory Perspective

ABSTRACT The issues of climate change and environmental degradation are substantial human concerns that have resulted in numerous consequences. The responsibility lies with human behaviors. Every company must adhere to environmental laws and regulations and emphasize employees’ pro-behaviors towards the environment (EPBTE). The primary aim of this academic investigation is to utilize the signaling theory to find the variables that influence EPBTE. The EPBTE is influenced by two main variables: spiritual leadership (SPL) and organizational support towards the environment (OSTE). The proposed model was evaluated in the banking industry using SEM analysis, employing the snowball sampling technique. The data support the influence of OSTE on EPBTE, and SPL also plays a substantial role in moderating this association. The present study contributes to the existing knowledge in the field of EPBTE research by investigating the significance of OSTE and SPL. Furthermore, the role of OSTE and SPL in the signaling theory perspective also adds knowledge to the existing literature.

The Potential of Tourism Sustainability through SWOT Analysis: The Case study of Pahang National Park, Malaysia

The tourism industry can have a huge impact on a location and community. Thus, it is very important for an area to know what tourism potential can be created and used as a tourism product. Thus, this study aims to explore the potential attraction of tourism activities in Pahang National Park area. As such, a qualitative study was conducted through focus group discussion and unstructured in-depth interview. The data was transcribed by N-vivo software to get the potential characteristic factors before analyzed by SWOT analysis and generate the mitigation strategies by SWOT matrix. Result shows that, Pahang National Park has great potential in the tourism industry with its natural beauty, ecological diversity, cultural heritage, and tourist adventures. However, to optimize this potential, national parks need to address weaknesses in accessibility, infrastructure, and environmental impacts while taking advantage of opportunities in tourist ecological growth, educational programs, infrastructure development, and cultural experiences. Threats such as environmental degradation, competition, natural disasters, regulatory changes, and health issues need to be faced with appropriate strategies to ensure continuity and long-term success in the Pahang National Park tourism industry. The development of potential and income opportunities based on the environment/natural resources can be a “tool” to improve the standard of living and reduce the poverty rate of the community, especially the rural population.

Trade policy and environmental quality in Africa: Aggregation issues and policy deductions

The significance of the impact of trade on sustainable development cannot be overstated. Even though there is a large amount of literature examining the trade - environment connection, most of the studies that have been done so have primarily examined variables like trade openness and foreign direct investment, ignoring the impact of particular trade policy tools, like tariffs. Moreover, there is a pertinent concern about aggregation bias in aggregate estimations, which could lead to inaccurate assessments of the overall connections and potentially misguide policymakers. In contrast to the prevailing trend, this study delves into the influence of trade policy, specifically tariffs, on the environmental degradation in 20 African nations. The investigation also addresses the issue of aggregation bias, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the trade policy-environment link. The panel long-run estimates, employing the PMG estimator, reveal a significantly negative influence of tariffs on ecological footprints. This suggests that, in this context, tariffs do not create market inefficiency but rather contribute to strengthening environmental quality in the African sub-region. The findings underscore the importance of considering specific trade policy instruments in environmental policymaking. Policymakers in the region are presented with an opportunity to strategically utilize tariffs as a tool to address environmental degradation issues. The study further highlights that the relationship is negative at the panel level but positive at some of the individual country-level, indicating the presence of aggregation bias in estimating the trade policy-environmental dilapidation association on a panel scale. As aggregation bias may lead to misguided environmental policies, policymakers are prevailed on to carefully consider both panel and individual country-particular level when formulating trade and environmental strategies.

Econometric modelling of environmental degradation In Algeria during the period 1972-2021 using the ARDL model

The aim of this study is to analyze the issue of environmental degradation in Algeria during the period 1972-2021 by measuring the impact of economic growth, represented by GDP per capita, international trade, energy depletion, population growth rate and urbanization, on the damage caused by carbon dioxide emissions, using the model of Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL). In addition, the study variables were subject to various standard tests. The model presented significant statistics, with a long-term equilibrium. One of the most important findings of this study is that the approach adopted in Algeria aimed at raising the rate of economic growth is increasingly contributing to the negative impact on the environment.

The role of financial and trade globalization in enhancing environmental sustainability: Evaluating the effectiveness of carbon taxation and renewable energy in EU member countries

The study addresses the pressing issue of environmental degradation, pinpointing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as its primary driver, posing a threat to global environmental sustainability, including the member countries of the European Union (EU). Global warming problems persist, but previous studies have not adequately explored the factors that contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions in EU countries. The paper fills the gap by assessing the efficacy of carbon tax and eco-innovation in mitigating CO2 levels from 1994 to 2019, considering the influence of renewable energy and various aspects of globalization. The study establishes long-term associations among the indicators examined using advanced methodologies, including the cross-sectional autoregressive distributed lag approach and the Westerlund cointegration method. Notably, the results highlight that carbon taxes, eco-innovation, renewable energy, and globalization contribute to slowing environmental deterioration, and economic progress plays a role in mitigating environmental sustainability challenges in EU member states. These findings reinforce the importance of robust strategies for reducing CO2 emissions and minimizing adverse environmental impacts.

To Study the Sustainable Development Practices in Business and Food Industry

Sustainable development has become an important paradigm in today's society, and companies and industries are increasingly recognizing the need to integrate environmental, social and economic considerations into their business operations. This change is particularly evident in the food industry, where issues of resource depletion, environmental degradation and social responsibility are paramount. This paper engages in the study of sustainable development practices in both the broader business context and the specific area of the food industry, and considers the challenges, opportunities, and transformative initiatives that characterize this evolving landscape.

Properties of RCA stabilized with alkali-activated steel slag based materials in pavement base: Laboratory tests, field application and carbon emissions

The extensive use of traditional binders (cement/lime) has caused serious resource consumption, environmental degradation, and carbon emission issues. Recycling industrial waste as a novel waste-based binder is a promising alternative. This paper purports to effectively stimulate the activity of steel slag (SS) and develop a novel eco-friendly pavement base mixture (NEPBM). A series tests of microscopic characterization, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), splitting strength (STS), freeze-thaw cycles, shrinkage, and field application were conducted to evaluate the performance of recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) pavement bases stabilized with alkali-activated SS based material (denoted as ACM). The results show that the potential activity of waste SS is strongly activated by alkaline activators, and the depolymerization-diffusion-polymerization reaction occurs to generate abundant additional gel products, thus the strength of ACM at 28-day reaches to 45.24 MPa. The mixtures with 50% ACM substitution rate is close to the control group in performances of UCS, STS, and resistance freeze-thaw cycle. The decrease (12.1 ×10−6) of dry shrinkage coefficient is far higher than the increase (1.11 ×10−6·℃−1) of temperature shrinkage coefficient, which effectively reduces the risk of early cracking. The field application indicates that the UCS of NEPBM at 7-day reaches to 4.26 MPa, which meets the technical requirements for heavy traffic of classⅠhighways in China, the construction cost of NEPBM reduces to 15.72 USD/m3, and the CO2 emissions reduces to 31.335 kg/m3. The results show that using NEPBM as a pavement base is a viable solution, which will be conducive to promoting the development of transportation infrastructure with excellent shrinkage performance and lower carbon footprint emissions.

Diet for a Better World: Exploring the Intersectional Impact of Meat-based vs Plant-Based Diets and First Steps for Change

Humanity is faced with numerous pressing issues from the health crisis and human rights violations to climate change and animal cruelty. Although various methods are being employed to solve these issues, dietary changes are often overlooked. Unbeknownst to many people, the meat, dairy and fish industries continue to play a substantial role in perpetuating environmental degradation, animal cruelty, and human rights issues. However, the adoption of a 'plant-based' or 'vegan' diet emerges as a powerful catalyst for yielding widespread change in these issues. This research paper aims to explore the importance of transitioning society away from animal-based diets and towards plant based meals. Addressing a spectrum of urgent issues, this paper underscores the often underestimated potential of transitioning to plant-based diets as a potential solution to human, animal and environmental issues. The paper commences with a meta-analysis, employing an intersectional lens of human ethics, animal ethics, environmental concerns, and health perspectives, to evaluate the negative repercussions of animal agriculture industries. Perceived negatives of plant-based diets will then be explored to holistically conceptualize whether veganism is a valid and feasible option for individual and societal change. Lastly, drawing from prior studies and acknowledging the barriers of transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle, the paper culminates in proposing first steps for creating a successful plant-based transition: the implementation of plant-based meals and education in schools.

Energy Sustainability: Bridging the Gap between Oil and Gas Operations and Community Well-Being in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

Sustainability is an important issue in energy provision for meeting increasing needs. However, harvesting energy resources in communities while protecting the ecosystem and reducing issues of environmental degradation to the barest minimum are the ideal target for stakeholders, but usually not always attainable. The objective of this paper is therefore to review the sustainable energy arrangements with ambitions to significantly bridge the gaps between oil and gas operations of firms and improved community well-being in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria using secondary information and data harvested from previously published studies found Online. Specifically, the paper will examine some effects of oil and gas exploration in communities, examines metrics that can be used to track community well-being, the possible conflicts of interest that could occur between firms and host communities in oil and gas operations as well as measures in the past to ameliorate these challenges and improve the community well-being in issues pertaining to oil and gas operations of firms. The study recommends that continuous stakeholder engagement be carried out in order to make for smooth oil and gas operations. Furthermore, it makes for proffers workable solutions to the challenges that accentuate possible conflicts. The study also identifies different key stakeholders in this gap-bridging process and their various roles.

Environmental Degradation and Economic Growth: A Longitudinal Analysis Across Different Income Group Countries

This study attempts to analyse the relation of ecological footprint (EF) and air pollutants—CO2, N2O, SO2 and CH4—with economic growth, urbanisation, foreign direct investment and energy consumption through environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) framework by employing fixed/random effect model. It involves a panel of 55 selected countries from several income groups—high, middle and low—covering the period 1990–2018. A theoretical approach has been developed to analyse the pollution intensity of population, based on decomposition analysis coherent with application of the notion of Kaya identity. The results confirmed the existence of inverted U-shaped relationship for EF and SO2 in all types of countries. The pollutants—CO2, N2O and CH4—exhibit inverse U-shaped EKC in middle- and low-income countries. Only for high-income countries, N2O model detects the existence of U-shaped curve. The study suggests that reconsideration of some economic and environmental policies is necessary to mitigate environmental degradation issues. JEL Codes: Q54, O4, O21, Q43, Q56