Investment In Infrastructure Development Research Articles

The Role of Engineering Ethics in Mitigating Corruption in Infrastructure Systems Delivery

Indications that corruption mitigation in infrastructure systems delivery can be effective are found in the literature. However, there is an untapped opportunity to further enhance the efficacy of existing corruption mitigation strategies by placing them explicitly within the larger context of engineering ethics, and relevant policy statements, guidelines, codes and manuals published by international organizations. An effective matching of these formal statements on ethics to infrastructure systems delivery facilitates the identification of potential corruption hotspots and thus help establish or strengthen institutional mechanisms that address corruption. This paper reviews professional codes of ethics, and relevant literature on corruption mitigation in the context of civil engineering infrastructure development, as a platform for building a structure that connects ethical tenets and the mitigation strategies. The paper assesses corruption mitigation strategies against the background of the fundamental canons of practice in civil engineering ethical codes. As such, the paper’s assessment is grounded in the civil engineer’s ethical responsibilities (to society, the profession, and peers) and principles (such as safety, health, welfare, respect, and honesty) that are common to professional codes of ethics in engineering practice. Addressing corruption in infrastructure development continues to be imperative for national economic and social development, and such exigency is underscored by the sheer scale of investments in infrastructure development in any country and the billions of dollars lost annually through corruption and fraud.

Employment generation potentials in the implementation of a rural drinking water supply program: evidence from India's Jal Jeevan Mission

ABSTRACT Policymakers in India are finding it challenging to generate adequate employment to meet the requirements of growing population. An avenue consistently used is to invest in large-scale public infrastructure projects. In 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched with the aim of providing potable drinking water to every rural household in India. Underscoring the large investments in infrastructure development, the mission holds significant potential to create employment. The evidence base of studies assessing the effect of rural development programs on employment was weak. Against this backdrop, we assessed the employment generation potential of JJM at various phases of its implementation. We utilized secondary and scheme-level primary data across states of India and used the input-output model and ratio method to assess employment prospects. Our results suggest that JJM has the potential to generate an average of 5.99 million person-year of direct and 22.25 million person-year of indirect employment during the construction phase, and 1.11 million person-year of additional direct employment annually during the maintenance phase. Our study highlights the spillover effects of public investments in the form of employment generation and indicates that the impact of JJM is likely to be substantial once the program is complete and operational.

Labor resources distribution by type of economic activity as a factor of population consolidation in rural areas

Subject. This article discusses the issues of ensuring employment of the rural population of the Russian Federation. Objectives. The article aims to assess the impact of infrastructure provision indicators on the total value of the distribution part of the balance of labor resources in rural areas. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of case, comparative, and correlation and regression analyses. Results. The article determines the contribution of the main types of economic activity to the formation of the employment level of the rural population. It develops multiple regression models characterizing the relationship between the number of actually employed rural population and indicators of infrastructure provision in rural areas. The article formulates recommendations for public authorities to attract and consolidate the population in rural areas. The article finds that the largest percentage of labor resources in rural areas falls on the non-production sphere. Conclusions. To consolidate and further attract the population to rural areas, significant investment in infrastructure development is needed.

IMPACT OF 5G TECHNOLOGY ON SATELLITE COMMUNICATION: A PARADIGM SHIFT IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS WITH A FOCUS ON CYBERSECURITY CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS

This review investigates the transformative impact of 5G technology on satellite communication, with a particular focus on the cybersecurity challenges introduced by this integration. An analysis of 50 rigorously selected scholarly articles demonstrates that 5G significantly enhances satellite communication by improving data transmission rates, reducing latency, and increasing network efficiency, thereby facilitating extended coverage that bridges the digital divide by delivering high-speed internet to remote areas. Additionally, 5G supports the deployment of new applications such as enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and extensive Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity. However, this integration also introduces new cybersecurity challenges, such as increased vulnerability to cyber-attacks and the need for robust encryption methods to secure data transmissions. Technical issues like signal interference, regulatory hurdles involving spectrum sharing, and substantial economic investments for infrastructure development also pose significant challenges. These complexities require ongoing research and strategic planning to mitigate risks and fully harness the potential of 5G-enhanced satellite networks. The study highlights a paradigm shift in satellite communications, propelled by 5G's capabilities to create more inclusive, efficient, and secure global communication networks.

Transitioning to a Hydrogen Future: Analysing Demand and Supply Dynamics in New Zealand's Transportation Sector

This study conducts a comprehensive literature review, analysing academic articles, government documents, and reports from international organisations to discern trends in hydrogen fuel deployment for heavy transportation in New Zealand. It specifically assesses the current state-of-the-art technology, economic policies, and the impact of hydrogen fuel and fuel-cell vehicles on decarbonisation efforts and economic growth, acknowledging the influence of consumer preferences, diesel prices, and technological advancements on market demand. While recognising the cost-competitiveness challenges these vehicles face, the research highlights the necessity of significant investments in infrastructure development. Methodologically, the study integrates economies of scale and technological learning rates to evaluate hydrogen fuel investment returns. Furthermore, this paper employs the Castalia-MBIE model for scenario analysis, revealing two key insights. First, it underscores the criticality of maintaining a favourable equilibrium between domestic and international production costs alongside hydrogen fuel consumption to bolster New Zealand's competitiveness on the global stage. Second, it highlights the pronounced vulnerability of fuel-cell electric vehicles to supply-side influences as compared to demand-related variables. These insights contribute scientifically to understanding the economic dynamics of hydrogen fuel adoption and its implications for New Zealand's transport sector.

AIIB Investment and Economic Development of India: The Case of the Gujarat Road Project

The purpose of this study is to verify whether the transportation infrastructure investment carried out by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has promoted the economic development of its recipient countries. Since the establishment of the AIIB, its investments in infrastructure development, aimed at promoting economic growth in Asian developing countries, have garnered considerable attention. This study selects India, the largest recipient country of the AIIB, as the research object and chooses the Gujarat Road Project as the research case, since it is a completed infrastructure construction investment project in the transportation field. This paper provides an overview of the project’s operation and summarizes key factors in the project’s implementation. In the data analysis section, the per capita GDP is selected as the explained variable to measure economic development, and the LASSO regression method is used to select several variables that affect economic development. Moreover, the random forest model is used to obtain the causal relationship between road construction and the per capita GDP from 2001 to 2022. The results indicate that road construction in India has a significant positive effect on per capita GDP growth, the Gujarat Road Project supported by the AIIB also has a positive effect on per capita GDP growth, and this effect is stronger than that at the national level. The main contribution of this work is the validation of the investment strategy of the AIIB and the quantification of the economic contribution of AIIB investment projects to the local area.

Investment Contribution as a Driver of the Fisheries Subsector in Eastern Indonesia

The potential of the fisheries sector in Eastern Indonesia is very large. Investment as a driving force for the fisheries subsector is not only needed for infrastructure, but the fish processing industry sector also requires very large investment. Even though foreign investment is helping to drive this sector, the amount is still not optimal, the main reason is that licensing is long and complicated. Limited investment gives rise to illegal fishing and overfishing which cannot be avoided even though prevention is always carried out in various ways. This research uses a panel data linear regression method to determine the magnitude of the contribution of investment as a driver of the fisheries sector. The result is that investment, employment and the fish processing industry sector can jointly influence the growth of the fisheries sector. Investment in infrastructure development must be followed by investment for the needs of the fish processing industry

Are the Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Developing Countries Ready to Implement Circular Economy Practices? An Empirical Quest for Key Readiness Factors

While most of the circular economy (CE) research is engrossed in larger organizations and developed countries, there is hardly any research exploring the readiness of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries toward the implementation of CE practices. To fill this knowledge gap, in this article, we aim to identify and evaluate the key readiness factors (RFs) that are vital for CE implementation. Initially, 15 important RFs are identified via an extensive literature review and experts’ consultation, which are prioritized using the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method. The proposed framework is validated with a real-world case study involving four India-based SMEs. The results reveal that “ <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">willingness of top management to implement CE practices”</i> is the most important RF. Six RFs are classified as causal: “ <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">availing financial assistance from government and external agencies,” “introducing new technology and its compatibility with existing technology,” “willingness of top management to implement CE practices,” “investment in infrastructural development,” “pressures from competitors, business partners, and regulatory bodies to implement CE practices,” and “awareness among the customers about CE benefits.”</i> The findings of this research may help managers assess CE readiness and prepare business strategies for effective implementation of CE practices.

Государственная поддержка развития транспорта на современном этапе: влияние на транспортный комплекс Дальнего Востока

The article studies the methods of state stimulation of transport development at the present stage. Under the conditions of the «Turn to the East» and geopolitical changes occurring since 2022, Russia's foreign trade flows are being reoriented from European to southern and eastern directions. This has increased the workload of the Far East transportation complex, which provides Russia's access to the markets of Asia-Pacific Region countries (primarily PRC). The increasing scale of cargo flows revealed imbalances in the operation of transportation and aggravated the issue of infrastructure development. The state has developed a system of measures to stimulate the development of transportation. The article suggests their grouping based on the object of influence, market segment and form of regulation. It has shown that the state uses various mechanisms to stimulate private investment in infrastructure development: public-private partnership (PPP), infrastructure bonds, budget loans, etc. The article presents the application of public-private partnerships (PPP) in the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) in the field of transport: 16 projects are being implemented, the total investment capacity of which amounts to 223.0 billion rubles. The analysis of the project structure allowed to identify their peculiarities. PPPs are used to implement projects significant for the integrated development of transport in the macro-region, characterized by a significant investment capacity and a long payback period. Examples of such projects are the construction of the cross-border road bridge Blagoveshchensk (RF) - Heihe (PRC), modernization of the international airport «Khabarovsk» (New) named after G. I. Nevelskoy. In general, when implementing PPP projects in the field of transportation, the key role remains with the state, which degree of participation is increasing due to a number of factors: 1) increase in the number of projects in which public sector companies (established by government agencies or development corporations) act as concessionaire; 2) expansion of support mechanisms applied.

The Impact of the Russian War on Its Ability to Project Power Geopolitically

In recent years, Russia has gradually lost influence in peripheral states that traditionally used to gravitate around Moscow. China’s significant investments in infrastructure development and trade with Central Asian states have isolated Russia, causing it to lose its importance and guiding role in the region. At the same time, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has led to a complete breakdown in Russian-European relations and increased cohesion among Western nations. Although Russia has lost its role as the world’s second-largest power to China, Sino-Russian relations remain a vital issue in regional and international dynamics due to the conjunctural alliance designed to shake the leading role of the US in the global security architecture. The struggle between the West and Russia creates imbalances throughout the international system, and the current World Order seems more disrupted than ever in the last 30 years.

Impactul războiului rus asupra capacității sale de proiecție a puterii în plan geopolitic

In recent years, Russia has gradually lost influence in peripheral states that traditionally used to gravitate around Moscow. China’s significant investments in infrastructure development and trade with Central Asian states have isolated Russia, causing it to lose its importance and guiding role in the region. At the same time, Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has led to a complete breakdown in Russian-European relations and increased cohesion among Western nations. Although Russia has lost its role as the world’s second-largest power to China, Sino-Russian relations remain a vital issue in regional and international dynamics due to the conjunctural alliance designed to shake the leading role of the US in the global security architecture. The struggle between the West and Russia creates imbalances throughout the international system, and the current World Order seems more disrupted than ever in the last 30 years.

Contribution of FDI, fiscal policy, and labor force on inequality and economic growth: A case study in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

South Sulawesi Province faces a significant problem: economic growth that has not been inclusive. This study analyzes the relationship between foreign investment contribution, fiscal policy, and labor force to inclusive economic growth in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The results of this study show two relationships, namely direct and indirect relationships. Judging from the direct influence. First, FDI and local native income positively affect the level of inequality. However, in contrast to general allocation funds and labor force variables, each negatively affects inequality. Meanwhile, FDI, general allocation funds, and local original revenues positively affect economic growth. However, in contrast to the variables labor force and inequality, each negatively affects the inequality level. When viewed from its indirect influence, FDI, general allocation funds, labor force, and local native income each positively impact economic growth through levels of inequality. The implication of this study is the importance of governments allocating FDI investments for infrastructure development that supports inclusive growth.

Primary healthcare service delivery for older people with progressive multimorbidity in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Ensuring primary healthcare (PHC) accessibility to older people with multimorbidity is vital in preventing unnecessary health deterioration. However, older people ≥50y of age in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face challenges in effectively accessing and utilizing PHC. A systematic review was conducted adopting the Andersen-Newman theoretical framework for health services utilization to assess evidence on factors that affect access to PHC by older people. This framework predicts that a series of factors (predisposing, enabling and need factors) influence the utilization of health services by people in general. Seven publications were identified and a narrative analytical method revealed limited research in this area. Facilitating factors included family support, closeness to the PHC facility, friendly service providers and improved functional status of the older people. Barriers included long distance and disjointed PHC services, fewer health professionals and a lack of person-centred care. The following needs were identified: increasing the number of health professionals, provision of PHC services under one roof and regular screening services. There is a need for more investment in infrastructure development, coordination of service delivery and capacity building of service providers in LMICs to improve access and utilization of PHC services for older people.

Enhancing food security for refugees through land use planning and land banks

The global refugee crisis had placed a critical spotlight on the issue of food security for displaced populations. This article delved into an investigation of the pivotal roles that land use planning and land banks played in mitigating food security challenges among refugees. Often uprooted from their homes due to a range of hardships, refugees frequently found themselves in unfamiliar regions with limited access to resources and opportunities for livelihoods. Ensuring their food security became of paramount importance. The research question under scrutiny in this study held substantial relevance and had been the subject of scrutiny in numerous scholarly works. However, it was noteworthy that this research question remained relatively underexplored within the Ukrainian context. The study first discussed the pivotal role of land use planning in granting refugees access to arable land, diversifying their livelihoods, and developing essential infrastructure. Secondly, it underscored the importance of land banks in securing land rights for refugees, making investments in infrastructure development, and promoting responsible land resource management. This research underscored the pressing need to address food security among refugees on a global scale. It highlighted the significance of fostering self-sufficiency, economic empowerment, and long-term resilience through the implementation of land use planning and land banks. As the global refugee crisis continued to expand, the adoption of these strategies became increasingly imperative to support those in need and ensure a more secure future for displaced communities worldwide.

Ринок праці в Україні в умовах війни: аналіз динаміки та виклики

This article analyzes the impact of the war on the labor market in Ukraine. It compares the state of the market before the start of the conflict with the current state, looking at structural changes, employment and unemployment rates, and the impact on the incomes of the population. The article also focuses on the specifics of employment and social protection for veterans, internally displaced persons, and minorities. It evaluates government policy and recommends necessary reforms, support for entrepreneurship, and investment in infrastructure development. The final conclusions emphasize the importance of an integrated approach and the cooperation of various parties.

INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OF CARGO AND PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION ON LINES WITH PARALLEL RUNS

Purpose. The purpose of the work is to determine measures to improve logistics operations with the specialization of directions for cargo and passenger transportation by transferring part of the transit cargo flow to parallel routes. Solving the problem of choosing a rational distribution of freight and passenger transportation depending on the specialization of directions will allow to optimize the use of throughput and transportation capacity and investments in infrastructure development. Method. Optimization of the transport process during mixed transportation involves the possibility of separating cargo traffic from passenger traffic. The proposed method involves solving the problem of choosing a rational distribution of cargo and passenger transportation depending on the specialization of directions. The idea of such demarcation is based on the fact that on the railway network it is possible to distinguish stations between which there are several parallel train routes. The research was carried out on the railway network connecting Lviv and Kyiv. When solving the problem, various indicators were considered: the length of the route, the time of movement, the mechanical operation of the locomotive, the load on the track, and others. In addition, the boundary conditions were taken into account: the volume of passenger traffic, cargo traffic, the carrying capacity of sections and the permissible speed of train movement. Results. A mathematical model of the redistribution of train flows on the railway network has been developed, which ensures the rational operation of the railway track with minimal costs for the reconstruction of the railway. Scientific novelty. It has been established that in the case of traffic separation, the timing of repairs may be different due to lower traffic intensity, which allows you to focus on specific types of repair work, and not on all types of work at the same time. Although the general principles of the periodicity of repairs may remain the same in both cases, periodicity schemes may differ depending on many factors, in particular, the intensity of operation, the technical condition of the vehicle, the timing of repairs and the availability of specialized personnel. Practical significance. With the application of the new approaches proposed by the authors to solving the tasks, schemes for the rational distribution of cargo and passenger transportation at the closed landfills of the regional branches of the South-Western and Lviv Railways were established, which will allow determining measures to improve logistics operations and reduce operating costs for the transportation of cargo and passengers.

Factors Hindering Solar Photovoltaic System Implementation in Buildings and Infrastructure Projects: Analysis through a Multiple Linear Regression Model and Rule-Based Decision Support System

Energy plays a predominant role in the development of society. With advancements in technology and the growth of society (buildings and infrastructures), the demand for energy is rapidly increasing. Developing countries typically rely on the import of fossil fuels and capital investments in infrastructure development to meet their energy needs. The execution of solar PV projects in developing countries is currently not being implemented promisingly. Therefore, the determination of the critical success factors hindering the implementation of solar PV projects is the need of the hour. The aim of this study is to determine the factors that hinder the implementation of solar PV projects through the use of a multiple linear regression model (MLRM) and a rule-based decision support system (RBDSS). Seven categories of factors were identified through a detailed literature review and interviews with energy experts. Four hundred and twenty-nine complete responses were collected in total through a questionnaire, and they were analyzed using relative importance indexing (RII) and MLRM and RBDSS approaches. A comparison was carried out against both methodologies to determine the most critical barriers to the implementation of solar PV projects. The findings regarding the MLRM approach showed that the top seven critical factors were economic conditions, encouraging policies, technological knowledge, organizational support, social awareness, market stability, and miscellaneous aspects. Similarly, the results for the RBDSS approach identified that the top seven critical factors were encouraging policies, economic conditions, organizational support, technological knowledge, market stability, social awareness, and miscellaneous aspects. The application of MLRM and RBDSS will help stakeholders in making timely decisions and corrections during the implementation phase, providing a systematic way to support the performance and execution of solar projects.

Threshold-based asymmetric reactions of trade balances to currency devaluation: fresh insights from smooth transition regression (STR) model

ABSTRACT This study sought to ascertain relatively the asymmetric reactions of trade balances to currency devaluation and non-devaluation regimes in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries between 1981 and 2021 using the smooth transition regression (STR) model. The outcome indicates that, in Ghana, Malawi, and Mozambique, currency devaluation as a change in policy has a major influence on the trade balance; however, in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania, this impact is negligible. Nigeria had the highest gamma coefficient but insignificant, suggesting that policy change has not significantly impacted the country’s trade balance despite the high transition rate. Findings from the devaluation regime revealed that, with the exception of Ghana, all other nations’ real exchange rates are inversely and significantly related to the trade balance. Additionally, it displayed an average threshold parameter of 0.147, indicating that a devaluation of more than 14.7% within a year will deteriorate the trade balance in SSA. The results indicate that the devaluation effects hinge on the structure, macroprudential policies, and infrastructural growth of the nation. The study recommended amongst other things, (i) a robust structural transformation in key sectors (ii) judicious investment in infrastructural development to address the key bottleneck in the quality and quantity of domestic production.

Evaluation of the Maturity of Urban Energy Internet Development Based on AHP-Entropy Weight Method and Improved TOPSIS

With the rapid development of communication technology and information processing technology, the construction of the Urban Energy Internet (UEI) has become one of the important construction elements of the new power system, and it is necessary to assess and analyse its development status and potential. However, the results of the current assessment of the maturity of UEI development are relatively rare, and the transformation path of urban smart energy construction needs to be studied in depth. On this basis, this study aims to propose an improved and comprehensive evaluation model for the maturity of UEI development. This study first considers the dynamic development process of the UEI and proposes an evaluation index system for the maturity of UEI development that includes three dimensions of development status, development benefits and development prospects. Secondly, a comprehensive evaluation model based on GRA-KL-TOPSIS is constructed by using the AHP-entropy weighting method to calculate the combined weights of indicators and considering the Kulla back-Leibler distance to replace the Euclidean distance in the traditional evaluation method. Finally, the maturity of Energy Internet development is calculated for five typical first-tier cities in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin and Shenyang), and the final ranking of the five cities is Shanghai &gt; Beijing &gt; Guangzhou &gt; Tianjin &gt; Shenyang. The results of the study prove the scientific validity of the model. Compared to the unimproved Topsis method, the evaluation results calculated based on the improved Topsis evaluation model are more objective and realistic in reflecting the score and rating of the cities. The analysis of the empirical results shows that cities at different stages of development should make up for their shortcomings and increase their investment in infrastructure development, technological innovation and the introduction of talents in order to accelerate the digital and intelligent development of energy.

ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRUDE OIL PRICES AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN IRAQ FOR THE PERIOD (2004-2021)

Global economies are significantly affected by the volatility of crude oil prices. The economies of oil-producing countries may thrive when crude oil prices are high or stable within a range that achieves their desired goals, driving development and accelerating economic growth. This is achieved through targeted expansionary policies that promote local and foreign investments in infrastructure development. Conversely, the opposite occurs when prices decline. The study found that sharp fluctuations in oil prices lead to varying economic and social impacts, affecting economic growth, unemployment rates, and inflation. It also recommended the possibility of achieving sustainable economic growth by the government exerting more efforts in diversifying income sources, reducing heavy dependence on oil, and enhancing adaptability to price fluctuations.