Socio-economic Growth Research Articles

Marine Prosperity Areas: a framework for aligning ecological restoration and human well-being using area-based protections

Mechanisms for marine ecological protection and recovery, including area-based conservation tools like ‘Marine Protected Areas’ (MPAs) are necessary tools to reach the Aichi Target or the forthcoming 30x30 target set by the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. However, full ecosystem recovery takes years to manifest and the idea that MPA protection alone will foster human well-being is frequently contradicted by socio-economic evidence. Therefore, a new framework for marine area-based conservation and ecosystem restoration that reconciles the discrepancies between ecological recovery and socio-economic growth timelines is needed to effectively meet global biodiversity conservation targets. We introduce the concept of ‘Marine Prosperity Areas,’ (MPpA) an area-based conservation tool that prioritizes human prosperity as opposed to passively relying on ecosystem recovery to catalyze social change and economic growth. This concept leverages a suite of tried-and-true community-based intervention and investment strategies to strengthen and expand access to environmental science, social goods and services, and the financial perks of the blue economy. This data-driven framework may be of interest to stakeholders who support traditional area-based conservation models, but also to those who have been historically opposed to MPAs or have been excluded from past conservation processes.

Hyper-resolution naturalized streamflow data for Geum River in South Korea (1951–2020)

Long-term streamflow data at a hyper-resolution (less than 1 km) is essential for hydroclimatic extreme and ecological assessment, which is not available over a river basin where rapid socioeconomic growth have been experienced. Here, we use the Variable Infiltration Capacity-River Routing Model (VIC-RRM) to reconstruct naturalized daily streamflow at 90–meter resolution for the Geum River, one of South Korea’s major rivers, over 1951–2020. VIC-RRM demonstrates high temporal consistency with a correlation coefficient exceeding 0.6 for observed streamflow seasonality at over 60% of the 90 gauge stations along the Geum River. However, 36% of the stations show low modified Kling-Gupta Efficiency (0.2–0.4), primarily due to uncertainties in runoff data and human disturbance impacts like irrigation and reservoir storage. Our simulated naturalized data reveal decadal variability in the 1990s and an increase in day-to-day variability of the Geum River in the 2010s compared to those in the 1970s. This dataset provides physically consistent naturalized streamflow data for reference data to evaluate climate change-driven changes in streamflow for the Geum River.

Spatiotemporal simulation of blue-green space pattern evolution and carbon storage under different SSP-RCP scenarios in Wuhan

Rapid socioeconomic growth has altered land use patterns, resulting in a surge in worldwide CO2 emissions, triggering global climate challenges and adversely affecting human health, safety, and sustainable socioeconomic development. As a result, immediate action is required to undertake climate mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study, based on the causal logic of climate change, blue-green space patterns, and carbon emissions, uses the system dynamics (SD) model, patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model, and integrated valuation of ecosystem service and trade-offs (InVEST) models to simulate the evolution of blue-green space patterns and predict the spatial distribution of carbon storage in Wuhan to 2060 from 2030 under three SSP-RCP scenarios from CMIP6 and investigates their mechanisms. The findings show that across various SSP-RCP scenarios, the blue-green space patterns in Wuhan would decline over the next 30 years, with green spaces decreasing to some amount and blue spaces growing marginally. The carbon storage is also expected to decline due to the shrinking blue-green space patterns. The SSP126 scenario has the least shrinkage of blue-green spaces, resulting in a reduction of 7.18Tg in carbon storage. Under the SSP245 scenario, the expansion of non-blue-green spaces encroaches on blue-green spaces, resulting in an 8.13 Tg decrease in carbon storage. Across the SSP585 scenario, non-blue-green spaces expand the fastest, resulting in the highest loss of blue-green spaces and a considerable drop in carbon storage of 11.67 Tg. This research is extremely important for optimizing regional land use patterns, coordinating green and high-quality development in Wuhan, and assisting with the implementation of urban climate change adaptation plans.

Cross Platform Mobile Application for Efficient Trip Planning and Realtime Tour Guide Connectivity

In response to the evolving needs of modern travellers, this project introduces a groundbreaking mobile application developed using Expo, React Native. This app aims to revolutionize the tourism industry by offering a seamless and comprehensive experience. It features efficient trip planning with personalized recommendations, powered by the Gemini AI model, which optimizes routes for maximum time utilization. Additionally, the app connects tourists with real-time virtual tour guides, providing insights beyond conventional guidebooks and creating valuable job opportunities for local guides. It also integrates real-time maps through the Google Maps API. By combining these services into a user-friendly interface, the application not only simplifies the travel experience but also highlights the transformative potential of technology in enhancing journeys and contributing to the socio-economic growth of local communities.

Transforming Education: Challenges and Solutions in Western Balkan

Objectives: This study aims to explore the challenges faced by the education systems in the Western Balkans and propose actionable solutions to enhance productivity, employment, civic engagement, and regional attractiveness for living, working, and investing. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in the theories of educational transformation, socio-economic development, and regional integration. It emphasizes the critical role of modernized and inclusive education in fostering economic growth and stability within transitional regions like the Western Balkans. Method: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify challenges and innovative practices. The study analyzed regional policies, initiatives, and global best practices to derive actionable strategies for educational reform. Results: The findings highlight persistent challenges in the Western Balkans, including inadequate infrastructure, outdated curricula, and unequal access to quality education. Simultaneously, regional initiatives focusing on modernizing infrastructure, revising educational content, and promoting inclusivity were identified as promising solutions. Discussion: The results reveal that while significant barriers to educational progress persist, ongoing reforms and collaborative regional efforts indicate potential for transformation. The integration of modern pedagogical practices, investment in infrastructure, and inclusive policies were found to be critical for addressing these challenges. Research Implications: This study contributes to the discourse on regional educational reform by identifying scalable solutions and emphasizing the need for sustained investments and collaborative policymaking to ensure sustainable socio-economic development in the Western Balkans. Originality: This research provides a novel perspective on the intersection of education, socio-economic growth, and regional stability in the Western Balkans. It offers actionable recommendations tailored to the region’s unique challenges and highlights the transformative potential of collaborative and innovative approaches to education reform.

Drivers of Industrial Final Energy Consumption in Ghana: A Sectoral Decomposition Analysis of Energy Supply and Demand Drivers.

Energy plays a crucial role in determining Ghana's socioeconomic growth. The rapid growth of demand and the increasing difficulties of energy supply pose a significant challenge to Ghana’s efforts to achieve universal energy access. This study aims to assess the drivers of industrial final energy consumption in Ghana using a sectorial decomposition of energy demand and supply drivers. It applies the additive Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) to decompose industrial final energy consumption in Ghana between 2000-2022. Changes in Final Energy Consumption (FEC) were analyzed by quantifying the contributions from three different factors: activity effect, structure effect, and intensity effect. FEC increased significantly throughout the period with the activity effect being the major promotor. The structure effect promoted and inhibited FEC growth within the 2000-2022 period while the intensity effect largely contributed to a drop in final energy consumption. The activity effect resulted in the net growth of FEC by 136,403 TJ. The effect of the economic structure was oscillating resulting in a net growth of FEC by 9,635.45 TJ. As an inhibitor to FEC growth, the intensity effect resulted in a decline of FEC by 114,081 TJ. The results of this study can help the government to reduce energy consumption by encouraging and promoting energy-saving practices, and incentivizing the adoption of green technologies can effectively curb wasteful energy consumption and foster a culture of responsible energy usage across all sectors of the economy.

Bi-Level Design Optimization for Demand-Side Interval Temperature Control in District Heating Systems

With China’s socio-economic growth, the demand for enhanced residential comfort in northern urban areas has surged. Traditional district heating systems often fail to meet modern users’ diverse needs, leading to inefficiencies and significant heat loss. This paper investigates optimization and transformation methods for demand-side-oriented heating systems. We propose key design parameters that facilitate a shift from source-end to demand-end dominance and develop a bi-level planning model for operational scheduling. The model integrates building thermal storage and adjustable user temperature ranges to optimize multi-thermal source systems. Key contributions include identifying critical renovation parameters and establishing the relationship between temperature control range and system capacity. Results demonstrate that the optimized system provides interval temperature control for 96.02% of the heating season and increases the full-load duration ratio of heat source equipment by 29.54% compared to traditional systems. These improvements enhance operational efficiency, reduce heat loss, and better align heating provision with users’ dynamic thermal demands. This research offers a robust theoretical foundation and practical guidelines for transitioning to demand-end dominated district heating systems, contributing to more sustainable and responsive heating solutions.

Social life cycle assessment of industrial gold mining in Mali.

Gold mining in Mali contributes significantly to the country's socio-economic growth, employing hundreds of people and generating considerable export revenues and income. At the same time, gold mining still has a bad reputation in public opinion due to the environmental and socio-economic challenges it poses. It is therefore important to integrate Mali's gold mining sector into a framework of social responsibility, using the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) approach to identify and understand social opportunities and challenges. This study focuses on an application of the S-LCA approach to assess the social performance of industrial gold mining in Mali. Primary data were collected from company representative, workers and local communities. The results of the study show that in 85.2% of ratings, the company has at least good performance and poor performance in 14.8% of ratings. The results show also that the excessive working hours, corruption, sexual harassment and discrimination are identified as social hotspots in the gold mine in Mali. This paper provides a useful literature on the application of S-LCA and for political and administrative decision-makers in the sector to promote fact-driven policies for socially profitable gold mining. Further research would be useful to address the hotspots identified, particularly with regard to the effective management of labor and the prevention of corruption and sexual harassment.

Agrotourism as a driver of rural development in russia: Experience in the development of facilities in the Krasnodar Krai

Subject. The article addresses agrotourism as an important tool for diversifying agriculture and stimulating regional economic development. Objectives. The aim is to analyze experience in developing agrotouristic facilities, using the case of farms in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, identify key areas for improving the efficiency and sustainability of their operation, make recommendations for further development of this tourist destination to stimulate socio-economic growth in rural regions. Methods. The study employs abstract-logical, statistical, and dialectical methods of scientific cognition. Results. The analysis showed an increase in the gross value added of the tourism sector, an increase in the number of agrotouristic facilities and their development. The paper identified key factors influencing the efficiency of agrotouristic enterprises. Conclusions. The activity of agricultural producers demonstrates positive dynamics. However, there are problems, i.e. insufficient legal regulation and transport accessibility that hold back the potential of agrotourism. It is crucial to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation between agricultural producers, travel agencies, and government agencies, in particular at the regional level. This will contribute to synergistic effect formation, ensuring sustainable economic growth and improving the socio-economic condition of rural areas.

The Digital Economy Promotes the Coordinated Development of the Non-Timber Forest-Based Economy and the Ecological Environment: Empirical Evidence from China

The digital economy offers new solutions for reconciling the growth of the non-timber forest-based economy (NTFBE) with ecological and environmental protection. Utilizing panel data from China’s provinces between 2011 and 2020, this study constructed a comprehensive indicator system for the purpose of examining the coordinated development of the NTFBE and the ecological environment. The employment of a panel of econometric methods, including Tobit models, mediated effects models, spatial Durbin models and threshold regression models, has enabled us to ascertain that the digital economy can effectively drive this coordinated development. The digital economy has a positive spillover effect in neighboring regions, although there is no discernible impact in central and northeastern China. Improvements in human capital and digital infrastructure reinforce this effect. Furthermore, the empowerment of green technology and industrial transformation, as well as the adoption of differentiated development strategies across distinct forest economic models, would be of paramount importance. These findings indicate a necessity for the standardization of the NTFBE. In conclusion, these implications offer novel solutions from China’s forested regions that reconcile socioeconomic growth and environmental protection, thereby fostering the sustainable development of forests.

Effectiveness Trade-Off Between Green Spaces and Built-Up Land: Evaluating Trade-Off Efficiency and Its Drivers in an Expanding City

Urban expansion encroaches on green spaces and weakens ecosystem services, potentially leading to a trade-off between ecological conditions and socio-economic growth. Effectively coordinating the two elements is essential for achieving sustainable development goals at the urban scale. However, few studies have measured urban–ecological linkage in terms of trade-off. In this study, we propose a framework by linking the degraded ecological conditions and urban land use efficiency from a return on investment perspective. Taking a rapidly expanding city as a case study, we comprehensively quantified urban–ecological conditions in four aspects: urban heat island, flood regulating service, habitat quality, and carbon sequestration. These conditions were assessed on 1 km2 grids, along with urban land use efficiency at the same spatial scale. We employed the slack-based measure model to evaluate trade-off efficiency and applied the geo-detector method to identify its driving factors. Our findings reveal that while urban–ecological conditions in Zhengzhou’s periphery degraded over the past two decades, the inner city showed improvement in urban heat island and carbon sequestration. Trade-off efficiency exhibited an overall upward trend during 2000–2020, despite initial declines in some inner city areas. Interaction detection demonstrates significant synergistic effects between pairs of drivers, such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index and building height, and the number of patches of green spaces and the patch cohesion index of built-up land, with q-values of 0.298 and 0.137, respectively. In light of the spatiotemporal trend of trade-off efficiency and its drivers, we propose adaptive management strategies. The framework could serve as guidance to assist decision-makers and urban planners in monitoring urban–ecological conditions in the context of urban expansion.

OIL PRODUCTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE NIGER-DELTA REGION: SYNERGIC IMPLICATION AND ADAPTATION

This study examines the interplay between oil production activities and climate change in the Niger Delta Region (NDR), highlighting the resulting environmental, socioeconomic, and infrastructural vulnerabilities. The NDR, rich in natural resources and central to Nigeria’s petroleum and gas industry, paradoxically suffers from environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and stagnated socioeconomic growth. Employing the vulnerability-resilience framework, rooted in socio-environmental studies, the research explores the intersection of oil production and climate change, emphasizing the disruption of ecological balance and the need for resilience-building. Oil production has intensified environmental degradation, exacerbated climate change, and posed challenges such as health risks, socioeconomic disruption, and reduced livelihoods. This synergistic relationship has deepened the region's vulnerability, especially in coastal oil-host communities. Efforts to adapt and mitigate these impacts have yielded limited success due to persistent vulnerability driven by national revenue priorities and the unchecked expansion of oil production. The study underscores the urgent need for innovative, community-centered adaptation strategies and a climate-induced migration framework tailored to the coastal oil-host communities. These approaches require collaboration among governments, oil industries, local communities, and international organizations. By addressing the specific vulnerabilities of the region, these measures can improve the resilience and quality of life for local communities, support sustainable development, and restore ecological balance.

Addressing the Skills Gap in Technical and Vocational Training for Sustainable Socio-Economic Growth and Development

Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays an important role in socio-economic development of society by equipping individuals with the practical skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the modern workforce. This paper explores several transformative innovations in TVET, such as digitals and online learning platforms, the use of Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) technologies for knowledge transfer, competency-based education (CBE), green skills development, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and industry-based training internship in Malaysia & globally. The advancements in these areas should enhance skill acquisition, improve employability of fresh graduate and ensure training programs are aligned with current and future market demands, thereby reducing the skills gap and fostering sustainable economic growth. By making education more accessible and tailored towards the needs of various industries, these innovations support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for inclusive development and empower under-served populations. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of these transformative TVET initiatives, their socio-economic impacts and best practices for implementation. It also offers policy recommendations and strategies for stakeholders to invest in and support these initiatives, ensuring the continuous improvement and relevance of TVET in driving global economy.

An open, balanced and assertive European Union trade policy and legal instruments to ensure food safety

The subject of the study is the legal instruments to guarantee food safety, in trade agreements negotiated worldwide under the UE Common Commercial Policy and subsequently enforced by its administration. The aim of the study is to identify and assess legal instruments, in increasingly established trade relations, in accordance with the doctrine of the EU Open Trade Policy and the concept of Green Trade, for the enforcement of food safety requirements by the EU administration. The evaluation of the adopted solutions, was made from the point of view of the selection of instruments in the agreements, serving both the association of two regions, supporting their sustainable socio-economic growth, trade exchange, whil

Using Intellectual Capital to Create Efficient Waste Management Models: A Case-Based Approach

Waste management is a difficult undertaking, particularly in emerging nations. The number of grassroots innovators is steadily increasing in emerging economies. These innovators find innovative solutions to waste-related issues, helping society to achieve socioeconomic growth through the creation of sustainable business models that not only satisfy social demands but also guarantee effective waste management and its reuse, thereby lowering waste and achieving environmental sustainability goals. Owing to their limited financial resources, grassroots innovators must turn to intellectual capital to develop their ideas and use their dynamic capabilities to promote these longlasting discoveries in niche markets. Therefore, this research study used a case study methodology to investigate how marginalized individuals create innovative and sustainable waste management-based business models through the effective use of intellectual capital and dynamic capabilities. The study covers the existing gap and associates the utilization of Intellectual capital with frugal innovation to craft business models that focus on waste reduction. The study further addresses the research question of how marginalized individuals can contribute to crafting novel waste management business models. Moreover, this study is a novel contribution to the waste management literature that focuses on the utilization of the 3R concept of Circular economy by marginalized individuals and crafting sustainable business models in an emerging economy. The findings of the study reveal that, despite obstacles, marginalized people can turn into entrepreneurs and may develop creative solutions and long-lasting business plans, that can cater to efficient waste management in emerging economies with limited means.

Urban resilience assessment framework and spatiotemporal dynamics in Hubei, China

Building resilient cities has become an emerging risk management strategy, thus it is necessary to make a scientific evaluation on urban resilience. In this study, both the Driving Force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework and the BP neural network are innovatively adopted to construct a comprehensive urban resilience evaluation system. Prefecture-level cities in Hubei Province are examined for empirical analysis. The results show that: (1) The urban resilience in Hubei Province exhibits an intermittent growth pattern, progressing in a west-to-east direction. This growth is characterized by three years of advancement followed by a one-year period of stagnation. (2) There is a spatial negative correlation. Owing to uneven development within Hubei Province, it can be seen that Wuhan, the provincial capital, holds a dominant position. (3) Resource and environmental pressure has become the main obstacle to the construction of resilient cities in Wuhan. The primary limiting factors for other cities are the degree of socioeconomic growth and the capacity of the government to handle affairs. This study, based on the process-oriented nature of resilience, constructs an indicator system for urban resilience evaluation under the DPSIR framework, fully reflecting the characteristics of urban resilience. It not only enriches the theory and methodology of urban resilience evaluation but also offers valuable references for governments to formulate effective strategies for sustainable urban development.

Takaful Insurance Industries in Supporting Sustainable Socio-Economic Development in Indonesia

Over the past four years, the demand for Takaful (Islamic insurance) among Indonesians has risen. Health Takaful has emerged as the most popular, followed by educational Takaful. Health and education are parts of the Human Development Index (HDI) and are closely related to building a stronger foundation for Indonesia's economic development. This study aims to enhance the Islamic finance ecosystem's impact on achieving SDGs, focusing on health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), and economic growth (SDG 8), which are crucial for Indonesia's development. It discovers a causal relationship between the takaful industry and improvements in the health sector and predicts a synergistic impact on the education sector. The takaful industry indirectly contributes to sustainable health and education quality to support socio-economic development and growth.

Examining the impact of crowdsourcing and open innovation from the emerging country perspective

PurposeThis study examines the impact of crowdsourcing and open innovation (CSOI) in an emerging country like India. The study also investigates the moderating effects of technology support (TES) on improving firm performance and socio-economic conditions (SEC) in emerging countries.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical model has been developed with the help of stakeholder theory, dynamic capability view (DCV) and existing literature. Later, the theoretical model is validated using the partial least squares structural equation modelling technique to analyse 303 respondents from India.FindingsThe results of this study demonstrate that CSOI has a significant and positive role in the SEC in emerging countries, showing the emergence of an economy close to stakeholder capitalism or the Francesco Pope one. The study also finds that TES significantly moderates successful crowdsourcing practices and open innovation activities, influencing sustainability-related factors.Practical implicationsThis study shows that CSOI practices can influence the SECs in emerging countries by improving intermediate sustainability-related contextual issues like environmental, social and economic factors. This implies that CSOI are relevant in emerging countries to ensure the socio-economic growth of the society where so many constraints prevail.Originality/valueThis is a preliminary study on CSOI practices that firms in emerging countries follow. Using stakeholder theory and DCV to develop the unique conceptual model is essential to the body of knowledge. The inclusion of moderators like TES is a unique value proposition. Moreover, the proposed theoretical model has a high predictive power, making the model impactful and novel.

An Empirical Analysis of the Effect of Economic Factors on Educational Planning in Kurdistan Region of Iraq

This empirical study examines how economic considerations affect educational planning in Iraqi Kurdistan. The study examines budgetary issues, education costs, economic development, labor market demand, and return on investment. The study seeks to illuminate the relationship between these economic determinants and educational planning outcomes, helping the region design effective educational policies and programs. 118 participants participated in the study. Systematic sampling determined the sample size. Surveys and questionnaires measured budgetary considerations, education costs, economic development, labor market demand, and educational planning. Data was analyzed using correlation, factor and hierarchical regression analysis. The study found positive correlations between Kurdistan's educational planning, budgetary considerations, education costs, economic development, and labor market demand. The return on investment did not affect educational planning. This study impacts Kurdistan's educational policymakers, institutions, and stakeholders. The findings show that budgetary allocations, education costs, economic development, and labor market demands must be prioritized. These recommendations aim to improve education quality, accessibility, and relevance, boosting regional socioeconomic growth. This study is limited by its sample size and geography. Economic issues and their longitudinal implications for educational planning should be studied in a wider framework. The findings support informed decision-making and the creation of regional evidence-based educational policies and programs.

A Review of Atmospheric Deterioration and Sustainable Conservation of Calcareous Stone in Historical Buildings and Monuments

Calcareous stones, such as marble and limestone, have been widely used in ancient architecture due to their durability, abundance, and ease of extraction and workability. However, their chemical nature renders them vulnerable to atmospheric pollutants. With industrialization and socio-economic growth, air pollution has severely impacted built heritage, including numerous historical buildings and monuments, particularly under changing climate and environmental conditions. Various forms of degradation, such as acid corrosion, mineral crystallization, and black crusts, are widespread and typically driven by atmospheric pollutants like sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), ozone (O3), and particulates (PM), which accelerate the deterioration of stone surfaces. To develop sustainable mitigation strategies, it is essential to gain an in-depth understanding of these deterioration mechanisms and current technological advancements. This paper first reviews the influencing factors and underlying mechanisms of atmospheric deterioration of calcareous stones. Subsequently, it discusses the advantages and limitations of traditional and advanced conservation and restoration techniques at the micro-level, as well as pollution management strategies that can be adopted. Finally, the challenges of research in this field are highlighted, and directions for the sustainable conservation of calcareous stones are proposed.