Regional Development Governance Research Articles

Implementation Of Good Forest Governance In Forest Management In Indonesia

Land cover in Indonesia's forest areas is dynamic and can change rapidly with factors including the conversion of forest areas for use in other sectors; unsustainable forest management; illegal logging; unsustainable mining activities; disturbance; and forest fires, ineffectiveness and failure to optimize reforestation and land rehabilitation have also contributed to an increase in the area of ​​highly degraded land. Therefore, it is necessary to make significant improvements to the system and structure of forest governance to ensure that forest management is more sustainable and equitable, and not prone to corrupt practices. The aims of this paper are (a) to review the 2014 Forest Governance Index; (b) Analyzing the latest developments in Indonesia's Forest Performance; and (c) Analyze Indonesia's current e-government index and forest governance strategy. The results show that the transparency aspect is the weakest aspect in Indonesian forest governance in 2014 which indicates the need for systemic improvements to control the rate of deforestation and forest degradation related to corrupt practices. Currently, the government continues to make improvements and innovations in implementing good governance in the forestry sector. Forest management policies continue to meet new paradigms and national, regional and global strategic challenges such as meeting the demands of the SDG's and other international agreements. For Indonesia's e-government Development Index continues to experience improvement. For online service indexes, technology and service provision are the most important components to be improved. Meanwhile, for the telecommunication infrastructure index, the component of fixed broadband subscriptions is still weak. Steps to eradicate corruption through improving e-government can increase the effectiveness of regional development governance and performance.

New regions in the periphery: Agency and politics in shaping the governance of regional development in the Scotland–England border region

The restructuring of sub-national economic governance has been one response to persistent regional inequalities; in the United Kingdom, this has entailed a rescaling of strategic economic governance around city-regions. The variety of ‘left behind’ places, however, also includes peripheral and non-urban regions, prompting actors across different scales to seek arrangements for those places outside the city-regional paradigm. This paper provides insights into these processes through tracing the emergence of two new and overlapping spaces of governance in the largely rural South of Scotland, and across a larger area also including the far North of England. While driven by top-down priorities of the centre, new spaces are created through political processes contested across multiple scales, layered onto existing arrangements. These episodes demonstrate how regional actors exercise agency in shaping governance arrangements by articulating regional problems, and proposed responses, with political concerns of the centre. They also indicate the potential for dominant approaches, based on city-regional imaginaries, to be challenged. New regions offer at least the potential for actors in the periphery to secure resources for place-based development, within a fragmented and competitive landscape. They may however prove to be transient, requiring ongoing coupling of regional and central interests to be maintained.

Assessing Chinese governance low-carbon economic peer effects in local government and under sustainable environmental regulation.

The current study developed a systematic analytical framework to explore the logic of forming the cohort effect of green governance and green development in China in the new era. Based on provincial panel data from 2008 to 2018, this paper examines the existence, scope, and induced control of the green governance peer effects using a spatial econometric approach. The study found that the following: (1) Influenced by the top-level design of the central government and the contradictory governance of regional development, the local governments form the peer effects in green governance activities. The existence of spatial relationships makes local governments dependent on a solid financial support system and a basis for industrial transformation, thus counteracting regional competition for green governance. (2) The green governance peer effects tend to decay with increasing geographical distance but do not disappear across regional boundaries under either spatial interaction framework. (3) Considering the impact of green governance policy systems and regional heterogeneity, the green governance peer effects decrease in the eastern, western, and central regions in that order. (4) Further, the influencing factors show that the green governance peer effects arise from intra-local government competition under the decentralization of power between the central and local governments. The competition for scales and the relative performance appraisal system reinforces the peer motivation of each subject. (5) The strong correlation of green governance willingness indicates that local governments cannot escape from will-led emotional behavior, and personal interests and governance motivation further drive the formation of pseudo-rational decisions, ultimately leading to irrational group decisions.

Multi-level regional development governance: A European typology

The European Union identifies the regional level as the ideal spatial scale for resources’ redistribution, in so doing turning European regions into key spatial development players. This raises challenges due to the heterogeneity of the EU in terms of administrative configurations, and spatial governance and planning systems. The contribution of this article draws on the results of three interlinked ESPON research projects to shed light on the matter. Building on an overview of the institutional variables that may influence successful regional development, it proposes a typology of multi-level regional development governance in the EU and reflects upon the potentials for delivering economic, social, and territorial cohesion.

Nitrogen and phosphorus trajectories (1998–2030) under regional development strategy of mainland China

A good understanding of the nutrient cycle under a regional development strategy is crucial for nutrient management decision-making. Quantitatively assessment of nutrient flow under the regional coordinated development strategy in mainland China can provide scientific reference for achieving global high-quality coordinated economic and agricultural development. In this study, the characteristics of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) flows of agricultural systems in mainland China from 1998 to 2030 were quantified using nutrient flows in food chain environment and resource (NUFER) model. The results revealed that national N and P surplus intensity were 50.3 and 18.6 kg·hm−2 in 2018, respectively, and there is still space for soil nutrient retention. The national input and output of N and P showed a continuous upward trend over the last two decades. Chemical fertilizer application and livestock rearing are the key points for nutrient management in China's agricultural systems. Under the regional development strategy, considerable geographical variation in N and P surplus intensity was observed across the country. From 1998 to 2013, the regional distribution of N and P surplus intensity was in accordance with regional economic characteristics. Areas with higher N and P surplus intensities were mainly in the eastern and central regions. From 2014 to 2018, equal emphasis on ecology and economy in the Yangtze River Economic Belt allowed development without aggravating the deterioration of the N and P surplus in the region. Over the next 10 years, our simulation predicts that future nutrient footprints tend to decrease, and coordinated governance of regional development and agricultural environment protection are the key to regional sustainable development.

Трансграничное сотрудничество в стратегии «оживления» Северо-Востока Китая

Управление региональным развитием традиционно выступает одним из основных компонентов общегосударственной политики Китая. В число наиболее важных и сложных объектов этой политики входит северо-восточный Китай, включающий провинции Ляонин, Цзилинь и Хэйлунцзян, а также восточные части автономных районов Внутренней Монголии входит. Данный регион сформировался в 1950е – 1960-е годы в качестве первого индустриально развитого района и крупнейшей промышленной базы страны. Однако за годы реформ его позиции заметно ухудшились, а сам он превратился в проблемную периферию. Системная политика возрождения Северо-Востока, реализуемая китайским правительством с 2003 года, среди множества мер придает значение расширению его внешней открытости и развитию трансграничного сотрудничества с соседями. Данная работа рассматривает опыт и результаты сотрудничества провинций китайского Северо-Востока с регионами Дальнего Востока России. Результаты анализа показывают, что, несмотря на не вполне удовлетворительные итоги этого сотрудничества, трансграничные взаимодействия сохраняют для Китая значимость в качестве инструмента стимулирования развития периферийных территорий. Признавая отдельные недостатки, проблемы и ограничения конкретных кейсов трансграничной кооперации для «оживления» своей северо-восточной периферии, Китай, тем не менее, не намерен ограничивать использование или отказываться от этого инструмента. Более того, принятая ныне на вооружение Инициатива Пояса и Пути (BRI) свидетельствует о явном укреплении в Китае представлений о стратегической ценности приграничных районов, равно как и восприятия перспектив трансграничных взаимодействий.

Typical Challenges of Governance for Sustainable Regional Development in Globalized Latin America: A Multidimensional Literature Review

The paper aims to identify and analyze what types of governance challenges for sustainable regional development in the context of globalization are more frequently found in scholarship regarding Latin America. In order to do so, we carried out a systematic review of scholarly works discussing regional sustainability issues across the region. Analytically, it provides a heuristic multidimensional framework for organizing and typifying the most frequent sustainable regional development governance challenges under study, offering a nuanced and interrelated account of economic, environmental, political, and socio-spatial scientific discussions. According to our findings, scholarship on Latin America shows a bricolage-like scenery where political atomization linked to economic factionalism and fragmentation stand out as frequently analyzed situations. Another frequent topic relates to discussions about political endeavors linked to environmental concerns, connecting incidence strategies with collective environmental conservation approaches.

Governance of regional development: How can regions unlock their potential?

Governance of regional development: How can regions unlock their potential?

Trends of new regional policy development in EU member states

Slow transformations in socio-economic development of Ukrainian regions in the context of public authorities’ decentralization policy show poor efficiency of both state regional policy in general and regional policies of territories’ development in its former forms. This activates discussions and search for more efficient and adequate approaches to management of spatial development in the context of implementation of European integration course, taking into account the experience of European Union. The paper aims to outline the nature of modern role of regions in the context of regional policy and to reveal and explain the trends of practical implementation of new regional policy in the EU with further development of recommendations for authorities to be considered in strategic governance of territorial development in Ukraine. The nature of modern role of regions in the context of regional policy is outlined and conceptual foundations of new EU regional policy are defined. Special attention in paid to the increasing role of local actors and public authorities’ decentralization in the process of regional development governance. The trends of forming and implementation of new regional policy in the EU are revealed and specified, including the compliance with the established European values, interrelation between the goals of the policies of EU regions and cities with stimulation of economic growth and improvement of the quality of life based on strategic investment; structural changes in forming of European budget, innovative imperative of EU regional development and strengthening of external integration of regions. Based on the analysis of European experience, the lessons for authorities responsible for state regional policy of Ukraine are outlined. Targeted recommendations for state authorities are suggested to be taken into account in the process of forming and implementation of regional development strategy in conditions of decentralization of authorities and ongoing European integration processes. Special role is paid to the need to apply “soft” measures of regional policy that contribute to more extended attraction of informal institutes and creation of conditions for involvement of all regional actors into the process of making and accomplishment of management decisions.

EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PRINCIPLES OF TERRITORIAL – ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM IN UKRAINE

The declaration of independence of Ukraine and the deep social, economic and political transformation of Ukrainian society are the historical factors that trigger the need for the new regional policy based on the improvement of territorial and administrative structure. Such reforms should be based on a strategic vision of new Ukrainian ideology of regional development governance, local government and territorial organization of national economy. The current importance of faster solution of the issues is derived from the negative developments across all areas of society in Ukraine and in the regions; the necessity to avoid threats to its integrity; the addressing the problems of military operations in the eastern regions. In this regard we propose to reform the regional policy of Ukraine in direct connection with the implementation of the comprehensive territorial and administrative reorganization. The implementation of new territorial and administrative system in Ukraine may be considered as one of the important steps towards ensuring the reform of regional policy based on the current features of social and economic regional development, the changes in their geospatial organizations due to the gravitational processes taking place at the interregional and intraregional levels. At the moment the Ukrainian government believes that the territorial and administrative reform should be carried out only at the community level based on the principles of decentralization and improving of the effectiveness of local governments. The evidence of this approach is the amalgamation of villages, towns and cities in order to enhance their social and economic potential and to expand their financial capabilities. Key words : Ukraine, territorial - administrative structure, regional policy, community, district, area

Integrated Approach To The Analysis Of The Quality Of Socio-Economic Regional Development Governance

Prospects of the methods of the analysis and improvement of quality of governance the socio-economic systems application, based conceptual provisions of the system theory of economics, multilevel stratification of the economic space and the operational economical risk management theory are considered. For mesoeconomics, the types of system resources of the economy are defined. Also, it is analyses the influence on the quality of governance socio-economic region development the disparity of different types of system economical resources. Potential possibilities of the improvement of quality of governance due to thinner stratification of economical space and improvement the interaction parameters of the main actors of regional economic space are revealed. Leaning on the operational theory of risk management, ways of justification of administrative, strategic decisions by identification of the relevant economic risk factors and on the basis of received information development the program of anti-risk measures are offered. The methodical solutions promoting successful introduction of considered tools in practice of regional government are proposed.

Interrelation between the typology of the RF subjects and methods for the evaluation of the national economic level

The paper considers technical approaches to assessing the level of economic development in Russia’s regions. Specific evidence is presented showing that evaluation based on per capita GDP is not unimpeachable. In order to develop more reliable national economic projections, it is proposed to supplement the conventional evaluation procedure with an indicator of GDP per territorial unit. Such an analysis, additionally supported by cross-country data, allows us to identify typological groups of RF subjects and, which is important, to find adequate approaches to the regional development governance.

Devolution, the governance of regional development and the Trade Union Congress in the North East region of England

The devolution and regionalisation of political and administrative structures following the election of New Labour in 1997 have changed the nature of the state and territorial development and governance in the UK. A regional and sub-national tier has opened up within the existing multi-layered governance system operating at the supra-national, national and local scales. This ‘new institutional space’ is increasingly open to the participation of social institutions––including trade unions––in economic and social governance. Drawing upon empirical analysis of the experience of the Northern Trade Union Congress (NTUC) in the North East region of England, the paper argues that the NTUC––in contrast to its national organisation––is beginning to engage with the emergent institutional structures but its role is inhibited by the centralised strategy and structure of the TUC nationally, its own need for upgrading, capacity building and greater financial resources and the interaction between the North East’s particular legacy of tripartite corporatism and the more pluralist modes of regional development governance emerging in the English regions. Unless such issues are addressed regional trade union centres––such as the NTUC––risk remaining relatively junior partners in the emergent regional governance structures.