Regional Crisis Research Articles

КОПІНГ-СТРАТЕГІЇ В КОНТЕКСТІ КРИЗОВОГО УПРАВЛІННЯ

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, intensified by the conflict that began in February 2022, has resulted in 14.7 million individuals requiring humanitarian aid by 2024. This crisis has led to significant socioeconomic challenges, with households adopting various coping strategies to manage economic stress. Understanding these strategies and their regional variations is crucial for effective crisis response and resource allocation. The purpose of the article. To analyze and present findings on the coping strategies adopted by Ukrainian households in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis and conflict, with a particular focus on regional differences and the most severely affected areas. The object of the research. Household coping strategies across different regions of Ukraine, including selling assets, spending savings, purchasing food on credit, seeking additional employment, reducing health and education expenditures, and using degrading income sources. The methods of the research. The study employed a quantitative data collection methodology developed by REACH, utilizing both face-to-face household surveys and computer-assisted telephone interviews. The dataset encompassed 10,434 interviews conducted at the household level across 23 oblasts, targeting a 95% confidence level and an 8% margin of error. The hypothesis of the research. The research appears to hypothesize that there are significant regional variations in the adoption of coping strategies, with areas closer to the conflict zone experiencing more severe economic stress and resorting to more extreme coping measures. The statement of basic materials. The research identified ten distinct coping strategies and analyzed their adoption rates across different regions of Ukraine. Eastern and southern regions, particularly Donetska, Kharkivska, Zaporizka, Khersonska, and Sumska oblasts, consistently demonstrated higher adoption rates of various coping strategies. Donetska oblast emerged as the epicenter of economic stress, with 50% of households reporting the sale of assets or spending of savings. Zaporizka oblast led in purchasing food on credit (18.63%) and reducing health expenditures (55.28%). Significant regional disparities were observed, with some oblasts showing coping strategy adoption rates far exceeding national averages. The originality and practical significance of the research. This study provides a comprehensive, region-specific analysis of household coping strategies in Ukraine during an ongoing crisis, offering valuable insights for targeted interventions. The research's practical significance lies in its potential applications for socio-economic management, including informing the design of targeted social safety nets and economic support programs, guiding efficient resource allocation based on region-specific needs, and supporting the development of tailored healthcare and education policies. Conclusions and prospects for further research. It provides a baseline for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of future interventions and informs long-term regional development strategies and crisis response planning. By offering a nuanced understanding of how different regions are coping with the crisis, this research enables policymakers to develop more effective, localized approaches to addressing Ukraine's complex humanitarian challenges.

Enhancing cross‐organizational collaboration in crisis management: Outcomes from a full‐scale regional exercise in Norway

AbstractCross‐organizational collaboration exercises are crucial in improving preparedness and promoting team situational awareness for effective crisis management. Despite their potential, studies suggest that these exercises may often yield results with limited learning and practical benefits. This study analyzes a full‐scale regional crisis management collaboration exercise conducted in Norway, involving 10 different organizations, and engaging over 200 participants. Using a survey‐based data collection method focusing on the ‘Collaboration, Learning, and Utility‐Scale’, complemented by on‐site observations and data collection from various exercise locations, we scrutinize the exercise's effectiveness in enhancing collaborative efforts, learning outcomes and overall utility. The findings contribute valuable insights into the strengths and areas for improvement in cross‐organizational collaboration, offering practical implications for optimizing future crisis management preparedness initiatives.

Different impacts of similar crises? The financial and COVID-19 crisis in border and non-border regions

ABSTRACT The last two decades have seen an increase in the number and intensity of shocks and crises. The financial crisis of 2008/2009 and the COVID-19 crisis of 2020/2021 have led to economic recessions. During the COVID-19 crisis, national borders and the impact of crises in border regions were often the subject of political debate and media coverage. Border-regional resilience has only been discussed in the academic discourse for the last few years. This article uses a diverse set of socio-economic indicators to examine the (border)–regional resilience of German regions in the wake of the financial crisis and the COVID-19 crisis. A distinction is made between border and non-border regions, urban and rural regions, and regions in the old and new German federal states. The results show, first, that the COVID-19 crisis had a stronger socio-economic impact than the financial crisis. Second, border regions tended to be more affected by the financial crisis than non-border regions. Surprisingly, this was not the case for the border-specific COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the study shows that it is not so much the border location that determines regional resilience, but rather the socio-economic level, the degree of urbanization and the associated embeddedness in global networks.

Honeycomb shaped carbon dopped 1T-2H-MoS2 heterojunction counter electrode with high short current for dye sensitized solar cells

Recent years have witnessed energy crises in various regions and the utilization of new energy is crucial. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) are the third generation of photovoltaic cells that are expected to be more cost-effective than other types of solar cells. In this work, we report the synthesis of 1T-2H-MoS2/honeycomb shaped carbon (HSC) heterojunction composite counter electrodes for DSSCs via adding porous carbon in the facile hydrothermal method. The effects of HSC on the morphology, structure, electrochemical and photoelectric conversion properties of the 1T-2H-MoS2/HSC composites were investigated systematically. Both the results of electrochemical and photoelectric measurement suggest the excellent performance of the reduction of I3- and the regeneration of dye. The whole cell assembled with the MoS2/HSC-5.0 counter electrode achieved a short current density 22.24 mA∙cm−2 and a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.42 %, which is significantly higher than that of the pure MoS2 electrode (5.89 %) and Platinum electrode (6.76 %), implying the MoS2/HSC-5.0 composite is a promising candidate for counter electrodes catalyst of DSSCs.

Strengthening Community Service Collaboration Through Basic Life Support (BLS) Training

The community service project aims to enhance public knowledge and skills in providing immediate assistance during cardiac emergencies. Conducted in collaboration with the Indonesian Emergency and Disaster Nurses Association (HIPGABI) North Sumatra and the Regional Crisis Center Team North Sumatra, this program focuses on training participants in the fundamental techniques of Basic Life Support (BLS), including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The training is specifically designed for the congregation of HKBP Resort Kwala Bekala Church. The involvement of HIPGABI North Sumatra and the Regional Crisis Center Team North Sumatra brings expertise and professionalism, ensuring that the training adheres to national standards and best practices in emergency response. The outcomes of this training are expected to strengthen community resilience and preparedness in dealing with health emergencies in Medan and the surrounding areas.

NO MEIO DA GUERRA E DO RACISMO: O PAPEL DA MÍDIA NA CONSTRUÇÃO DE NARRATIVAS DA RÚSSIA X UCRÂNIA E SUAS IMPLICAÇÕES SOCIAIS

The article analyzes how the international media demonstrates structural and institutional racism in its coverage of global conflicts, focusing especially on the unequal attention given to wars in developed countries compared to crises in peripheral regions. Using a qualitative and exploratory approach, the research examined news and advertisements from recent wars, revealing that the media tends to prioritize tragedies involving white Europeans, while marginalizing conflicts in impoverished countries. The results show that this unequal coverage perpetuates a selective commotion, highlighting racial and social prejudice in the media narrative. The conclusion is that in order to promote fairer coverage, it is essential for the media to value all lives equally and re-evaluate its practices, combating the institutional and structural racism present in its operations.

Küreselleşme sonrası Türkiye’de dış ticaret açığının reel efektif döviz kuru ve dış ticaret hadleriyle modellenmesi: NARDL yaklaşımı

Fluctuations in the real effective exchange rate and changes in the terms of trade can cause predictable or unpredictable changes in the overall economy. The most important consequences of these fluctuations and changes are the effects of regional or global economic crises on macroeconomic variables (employment, unemployment, inflation, GDP, balance of payments, foreign trade deficit). Anticipating the consequences of the dynamic effects of these changes is crucial for policymakers. This study analyzes the effects of changes in CPI-based real effective exchange rates and terms of trade on the trade deficit in 1994-2022. Since the impact of CPI-based real effective exchange rate and terms of trade changes on the trade deficit is likely to be asymmetric, the Nonlinear Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) method is used in this study, and it is concluded that the factor that affects the trade deficit the most is the decline in the terms of trade. One of the most important reasons why the foreign trade deficit does not decrease at the desired level, even in periods of depreciation of the TL, is the decline in the country’s terms of trade.

Kazakhstan-EU Relations in the Realities of the Geopolitical Turbulence: A Textual Analysis of Before and After Design

Global security concerns have impacted both domestic and foreign policies of international actors. A regional geopolitical crisis after 2022 has certainly impacted the relations between Kazakhstan and its external partners. This research aims to explore how the regional geopolitical turbulence shaped the dynamics of Kazakhstan’s relations with the EU, one of the major actors in Kazakh multi-vector foreign policy. This research is concentrated on Kazakhstan-EU relations after 2022 and includes two studies: an analysis of press materials and a qualitative content analysis with some quantitative approach. An analysis of 191 press materials from the European External Action Service of 2018-2021 and 2022-2024 as well as content analysis of 2018-2021, 2022, and 2023-2024 press materials revealed the intensification of Kazakhstan-EU relations.

A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Niger Delta Crisis on Edo and Delta States

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has faced crises for over 40 years, resulting in high crime rates and increased insecurity of people, property, and investments. This study examines the impact of the regional crisis on the socioeconomic development and well-being of the inhabitants of Delta and Edo States. Employing quantitative research methods, including primary data collection instruments such as surveys and structured interviews, the study refined and codified the data for regression analysis. The findings reveal the detrimental effects of the Niger Delta crisis on the socioeconomic well-being of residents in both states, particularly in hindering access to essential needs such as clean water, quality education, and a healthy environment. Regression coefficients and modified coefficients of determination showed that residents of Delta State are more significantly affected by the crisis than those in Edo State. The study suggests enforcing international best practices in corporate social responsibility for oil and gas companies in the region. It also emphasizes the need for basic infrastructural development and adequate compensation and environmental remediation to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region.

Assessing pollution vulnerability in groundwater: A case study of Kala Shah Kaku industrial complex

ABSTRACT Various factors, such as industrialization, population growth, and urbanization, have caused water quality and availability to decline worldwide, resulting in water crises in many regions and millions of annual deaths from water-related diseases. The study aimed to assess the groundwater quality in Kala Shah Kaku, an industrial area in central Punjab, Pakistan. Groundwater samples from six locations were analyzed for physical and chemical parameters and heavy metals. The results revealed that Kala Shah Kaku's groundwater is unsuitable for drinking due to exceeding the physical and chemical parameters range. The study identified industrial effluents from nearby industries as the primary source of pollution in the area's groundwater. These findings emphasize the urgent need for remedial measures to address industrial pollution and protect groundwater resources in Kala Shah Kaku.

Health and non-health benefits and equity impacts of individual-level economic relief programs during epidemics/pandemics in high income settings: a scoping review

BackgroundEconomic relief programs are strategies designed to sustain societal welfare and population health during a regional or global scale infectious disease outbreak. While economic relief programmes are considered essential during a regional or global health crisis, there is no clear consensus in the literature about their health and non-health benefits and their impact on promoting equity.MethodsWe conducted a scoping review, searching eight electronic databases from January 01, 2001, to April 3, 2023, using text words and subject headings for recent pathogens (coronavirus (COVID-19), Ebola, Influenza, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), HIV, West Nile, and Zika), and economic relief programs; but restricted eligibility to high-income countries and selected diseases due to volume. Title and abstract screening were conducted by trained reviewers and Distiller AI software. Data were extracted in duplicates by two trained reviewers using a pretested form, and key findings were charted using a narrative approach.ResultsWe identified 27,263 de-duplicated records, of which 50 were eligible. Included studies were on COVID-19 and Influenza, published between 2014 and 2023. Zero eligible studies were on MERS, SARS, Zika, Ebola, or West Nile Virus. We identified seven program types of which cash transfer (n = 12) and vaccination or testing incentive (n = 9) were most common. Individual-level economic relief programs were reported to have varying degrees of impact on public health measures, and sometimes affected population health outcomes. Expanding paid sick leave programs had the highest number of studies reporting health-related outcomes and positively impacted public health measures (isolation, vaccination uptake) and health outcomes (case counts and the utilization of healthcare services). Equity impact was most often reported for cash transfer programs and incentive for vaccination programs. Positive effects on general well-being and non-health outcomes included improved mental well-being and quality of life, food security, financial resilience, and job security.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that individual-level economic relief programs can have significant impacts on public health measures, population health outcomes and equity. As countries prepare for future pandemics, our findings provide evidence to stakeholders to recognize health equity as a fundamental public health goal when designing pandemic preparedness policies.

Thermo-Economic Analysis of Thermoelectric-Based Atmospheric Water Harvesters: Flow Configuration Impacts

In recent years, thermoelectric cooling has seen significant growth, driven by advancements in nanoscience and manufacturing. Concurrently, the increasing water crisis in various regions has led to a surge in research on Atmospheric Water Harvesters (AWHs) for decentralized water harvesting. This study presents a comprehensive thermodynamic and economic analysis of Thermoelectric-based Atmospheric Water Harvesters (TAWHs) with different Heat Exchanger (HX) configurations with different flow configurations. Our research identifies five types of HXs, each characterized by its own optimal geometrical and controlling parameters. These HXs are evaluated based on economy, eco-friendliness, productivity, air cooling efficiency, and compactness. We provide new insights into the hidden potential and performance of Thermoelectric Coolers (TECs) in desalination, particularly highlighting the effect of increasing the ratio of surfaces mounted with TECs to the total surface area of the channels. Our results indicate that among the HX configurations, the counter flow HX is the most economical option, capable of water harvesting at a cost of $0.230 USD per liter from an 80% humidity level. The parallel flow HX demonstrates higher efficiency according to the second law of thermodynamics and environmental friendliness, while the crossflow HX exhibits lower overall efficiency. We found that the optimum cold channel incoming air flow rate varies with humidity in a detailed analysis of a counter flow HX with 2 columns and 15 rows. Interestingly, we found that humidity and incoming air mass flow rate have a negligible effect on power consumption. This work can be used as a guideline for future engineering problems involving the design and optimization of TAWHs.

The Demography of Crisis‐Driven Outflows from Venezuela

AbstractThe Venezuelan exodus represents the largest known displacement of people in recent Latin American history. The regional crisis caused by this mass Venezuelan migration drove the development of multiple interagency initiatives (such as the R4V platform) as well as academic attempts to keep track of outflow intensity. However, little is known about the age and gender composition of the emigrants since most existing literature to date has focused primarily on total volume and country‐specific shares of migration outflows. This study examines the demographics of recent outflows from Venezuela, the chronology of associated changes, and the demographic implications for those remaining in the country. Official counts of Venezuelan‐born populations compiled in seven main destinations are used to estimate annual outflows by age and gender from 2011 to 2021. Changes in the demographic composition of emigration are traced using parameters of the Rogers–Castro model, specifically the children‐to‐labor force dominance, and by decomposing the age contributions to the annual gross migraproduction rate. In the early phase of the crisis (2014–2017), emigration flows had high child dependency ratios. As the crisis entered its most acute phase (peaking in 2019), the mean age of migrants increased. Outward migration has resulted in the current Venezuelan population having 20 percent fewer women of reproductive age and 17.8 percent fewer individuals of working age. Consequently, the share of the population aged 60 or older has increased.

Three-year Profile of COVID-19 Cases in Eastern Visayas, the Philippines (2020–2023)

This paper presents a three-year profile of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas, the Philippines, from 23 Mar 2020–31 Mar 2023 – with descriptive data on temporal trends, geographical variations, demographic factors, clinical characteristics, transmission patterns, and outcomes for vaccinated and unvaccinated cases. We analyzed data from the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, Department of Health–Eastern Visayas Center for Health and Development to identify associations between COVID-19 severity and mortality and demographic and clinical factors. Moreover, we examined significant differences across gender cohorts and between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. During the three-year period, Eastern Visayas recorded 64,740 confirmed cases, with 98.93% recovery and 1.07% mortality. Most cases (61.72%) occurred in 2021 – with Tacloban, Ormoc, and Leyte having the highest attack rates per 100,000 population. Infections were asymptomatic (70.40%) or mild (21.83%), and 82.7% of deaths were linked to severe infections. Females accounted for 52.6% of the patients, with a lower mortality rate (44.5%) than males (55.5%). The 20–29 age group had the highest count (22.57%), whereas the 70–79 age group recorded the highest number of deaths (25.94%). The vast majority (93.6%) had no comorbidities. Comorbidities reported among deaths included kidney disease (11.3%), heart disease (7.6%), and hypertension (3.9%). Notably, no significant differences in recoveries and deaths were found between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups (p-value = 0.304). Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age group, place of residence, comorbidity, and vaccination status were significantly associated with disease severity and mortality. Eastern Visayas demonstrated a relatively low COVID-19 caseload (1.59%) within the cumulative Philippine count. This is the most extensive COVID-19 case profile in the Philippines to date, hence providing essential data for pandemic preparedness, enhanced response strategies, and regional health crisis resilience.

A MIRROR ANALYSIS OF ANTI-SEMITISM VERSUS RADICALIZATION: CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS AND GENERATED RISKS

The outbreak of the Gaza conflict and the Israel-Hamas war demonstrated that a regional crisis can psychologically and socially impact society at an international level, noting the increase in anti-Semitic perceptions as well as the anticipation of a new trend of radicalization inspired by the Hamas ideology, directed against Israeli or Jewish objectives. These phenomena, as a result of technological dynamics and the digital role, can impact and distort the perception of individuals regardless of the region they belong to, generating high risks regarding the preservation of democratic values and principles and social order. In this sense, this article aims to extract the conceptual elements characteristic of the two phenomena in order to develop a comparative analysis that reflects in the mirror similarities and differences regarding their manifestation. Thus, the purpose of the paper is to raise society's awareness of the risks generated by the typology of these manifestations as well as facilitate the identification of early warning signals in relation to the upward trend generated at the international level.

WHO strategies to improve child and adolescents health in Europe

Across Europe, the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents requires attention. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of mental health conditions has doubled, affecting 1 in 4 adolescents under the age of 18. Overweight and obesity are increasing: 1 in 3 primary school children are overweight or obese. Inequalities in weight and mental health are increasing in many countries, driven by socioeconomic circumstances. Reduction in child mortality, particularly of neonates, is stagnating in several countries, especially in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and reversing in some.To rally member states to action, WHO is developing a new regional Child and Adolescent Health Strategy. The development commenced in 2019 with the identification of problem statements of issues affecting children and adolescents. These were then converted into actionable standards. They were updated considering the COVID-19 experience and the effects of regional crises on children. Children and adolescents were engaged in the development of the strategy, to identify and take their priorities into account, and stakeholders inside and outside WHO were consulted, including pediatricians and their societies. During a Member States consultation, European countries will have the opportunity to review and revise the draft strategy before it will be presented to the WHO Regional Committee for Europe for adoption.The main components of the strategy are: Early childhood development, school and adolescent health, strengthening health systems and improving quality of care, recognizing and acting on the needs of the most vulnerable and galvanizing societal action on the commercial, social, environmental and digital determinants of health affecting children and adolescents.The strategy forms the basis for monitoring regional progress. It will enable the development of national child and adolescent health and wellbeing strategies and monitoring frameworks. The implementation of the strategy will enable children and adolescents to realize their right to physical, social and mental health and well-being in healthy and enabling environments, so that they can fully participate in shaping prosperous and sustainable societies.

COVID-19 healthcare success or failure? Crisis management explained by dynamic capabilities

IntroductionThis paper presents a structured review of the use of crisis management, specifically examining the frameworks of surge capacity, resilience, and dynamic capabilities in healthcare organizations. Thereafter, a novel deductive method based on the framework of dynamic capabilities is developed and applied to investigate crisis management in two hospital cases during the COVID-19 pandemic.BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic distinguishes itself from many other disasters due to its global spread, uncertainty, and prolonged duration. While crisis management in healthcare has often been explained using the surge capacity framework, the need for adaptability in an unfamiliar setting and different information flow makes the dynamic capabilities framework more useful.MethodsThe dynamic capabilities framework’s microfoundations as categories is utilized in this paper for a deductive analysis of crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic in a multiple case study involving two Swedish public hospitals. A novel method, incorporating both dynamic and static capabilities across multiple organizational levels, is developed and explored.ResultsThe case study results reveal the utilization of all dynamic capabilities with an increased emphasis at lower organizational levels and a higher prevalence of static capabilities at the regional level. In Case A, lower-level managers perceived the hospital manager as brave, supporting sensing, seizing, and transformation at the department level. However, due to information gaps, sensing did not reach regional crisis management, reducing their power. In Case B, with contingency plans not initiated, the hospital faced a lack of management and formed a department manager group for patient care. Seizing was robust at the department level, but regional levels struggled with decisions on crisis versus normal management. The novel method effectively visualizes differences between organizational levels and cases, shedding light on the extent of cooperation or lack thereof within the organization.ConclusionThe researchers conclude that crisis management in a pandemic, benefits from distributed management, attributed to higher dynamic capabilities at lower organizational levels. A pandemic contingency plan should differ from a plan for accidents, supporting the development of routines for the new situation and continuous improvement. The Dynamic Capabilities framework proved successful for exploration in this context.

Global Bibliometric Analysis of Research on the Application of Unconventional Water in Agricultural Irrigation

The development and utilization of unconventional water resources has become a strategy to alleviate the agricultural water crisis in many countries and regions. To understand the research progress, hot spots, and future trends in the field of unconventional water agricultural irrigation (UWAI), this paper systematically analyzes 6738 publications based on the core database of Web of Science 1990–2023 using the scientific bibliometric analysis software CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and Scimago Graphica. The results showed that the research on UWAI is always rapidly developing. Soil science, crop science, and bioengineering are the main disciplines involved. Most research on WUAI has occurred in China and the United States. Countries with higher levels of development tend to have more influence. Collaboration among authors is fragmented, and collaboration between authors and states needs to be strengthened. Through keyword analysis, the research hotspots are summarized as follows: (1) The effects of traditional and emerging pollutants brought by unconventional water irrigation on soil physicochemical properties, crop growth, and groundwater quality; (2) the health threats caused by pollutants entering the food chain and groundwater; (3) unconventional water utilization technologies, including rainwater harvesting agriculture, precision agriculture, and urban agriculture. Future research hotspots will focus on the mechanisms of pollutant solute transport and transformation in the water–soil–crop system under non-conventional water irrigation conditions and crop physiological responses. We suggest that the research on traditional and emerging pollutants in unconventional water should be strengthened in the future, and the risk control system of unconventional water irrigation should be improved. International cooperation should be strengthened, especially with poor countries in arid regions, to promote the formation of unified international standards and guidelines for non-conventional water irrigation in agriculture.

Analyzing Innovation through Bibliometrics: A Comparative Study of Sustainable Practices in Leading Economies

Abstract This research is initiated by analyzing the post-pandemic period through digitalization and economic growth. In this research, we reopened the topics such as digitalization, sustainable development, and innovation. This research has also brought new sustainable development horizons, particularly in Europe. We are investigating the significance of innovation and research in pursuing sustainable development and digitalization in the social impact of economic innovations. It also examines specific innovative solutions that have positively impacted sustainable development. It marks a new phase with a gradual shift towards a retrospective analysis of COVID-19. For example, Switzerland has implemented a comprehensive recycling program. Federal measures to promote the circular economy are based on the principles of precaution and “polluter pays”, technological progress and innovation, and cooperation with industry under the Law on environmental protection. Sweden has pioneered renewable energy solutions; the country boasts seven municipalities that are 98% fossil-free. The UK has introduced innovative financial instruments to support green investments. This phase assessed how economic recovery and sustainability initiatives were influenced in these nations, considering their advanced level of innovation and ability to implement innovative solutions to post-pandemic challenges. This interest is demonstrated through increased resource allocation and support for initiatives that foster technological progress and sustainability, indicating a clear trend toward integrating innovative solutions into economic strategies. It delves into how these countries have balanced and incorporated these elements in the aftermath of the pandemic, highlighting specific strategies and outcomes in each case of countries. This research, bolstered by bibliometric analysis, underscores the importance of innovation in navigating the complexity of post-pandemic economic recovery and sustainability and compares leading nations. This research thoroughly delves into how countries have balanced and incorporated various elements in the aftermath of the pandemic. It meticulously highlights specific strategies and outcomes in each case, using bibliometric analysis to emphasize the importance of innovation in navigating post-pandemic economic recovery and sustainability. It compares the approaches and achievements of leading nations, providing insights into how innovation has driven their progress during this challenging period. This research looks at the effects of regional crises, such as the European debt post-pandemic destabilization, on economic environments through digitalization and the sustainable economy. For instance, the pandemic led to a significant decline in tourism revenue in Switzerland, a disruption in global supply chains for Sweden, and a decrease in foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom. Thus, following these goals, many beneficial reforms emerged. Our exploration into how innovation and research drive sustainable development and impact society through economic advancements is an ongoing journey. By analyzing the innovation indicator (GII 2023), this study highlights the critical importance of blending innovative research with economic policies to boost resilience and adaptability as the world shifts to a post-pandemic reality. This study spotlights the social dimensions of financial innovation and explores how sustainable practices can help alleviate unemployment, inequality, and other socioeconomic gaps while fostering a circular economic culture. It delves into how these practices foster a circular economy mindset and provide practical frameworks for sustainable economic development growth in a post-pandemic world.

Spatiotemporal variations of ecosystem services in the Aral Sea basin under different CMIP6 projections

The Aral Sea, located in Central Asia, has undergone significant reduction in surface area owing to the combined impacts of climate change and human activities. This reduction has led to a regional ecological crisis and profound repercussions on ecosystem services. Investigating the spatiotemporal variations and synergistic trade-offs of ESs in the Aral Sea basin is crucial for fostering the integrated development of the region’s socioeconomic ecology. This study utilizes the Future Land-Use Simulation and InVEST models to analyze future land-use scenarios, integrating CMIP6 projections to assess the quality of four key ecosystem services: water production, soil conservation, carbon storage, and habitat quality over two timeframes: the historical period (1995–2020) and the projected future (2021–2100). Employing Spearman correlation, the study explores the trade-offs and synergies among these ecosystem services. Findings reveal that the primary forms of land-use change in the Aral Sea basin are the reduction in water area (− 49.59%) and the rapid expansion of urban areas (+ 504.65%). Temporally, habitat quality exhibits a declining trend, while carbon storage shows an increasing trend, and water production and soil retention fluctuate initially decreasing and then increasing. Spatially, water production and carbon storage demonstrate an increasing trend from the northwest to the southeast. Habitat quality exhibits a higher spatial pattern in the southeast and south, contrasting with lower spatial patterns in the north and west. Low-level soil conservation is predominantly distributed in the northwest, while medium to low-level soil conservation is prevalent in the east of the basin. The trade-off and synergy analysis indicates that between 1995 and 2020, a trade-off relationship existed between carbon storage and habitat quality and water production, whereas synergies were observed between soil conservation and carbon storage, water production and habitat quality, and soil conservation. The correlation between water production and soil conservation emerges as the strongest, whereas the correlation between carbon storage and habitat quality appears to be the weakest. The dynamic spatiotemporal changes, trade-offs, and collaborative relationships of ESs constitute major aspects of ecosystem service research, holding substantial implications for the effective management of the regional ecological environment.