Abstract:This study aims to examine the impact of cattle breeding on the carbon footprint in Karapınar district, a region where animal husbandry is the primary livelihood for most of the local population. The research material consists of numerical data on cattle raised in Karapınar district between 2020 and 2023, obtained from local public institutions and agricultural unions. The calculations were performed using the formulas provided in the IPCC guidelines, according to the Tier 2 method. The carbon footprint values determined were as follows: For enteric fermentation, the annual average was 1,795,316 kg CO₂e/kg of meat, and the daily average was 0.0025 kg CO₂e/kg of meat. For milk, the annual average was 1,063,359 kg CO₂e/L, and the daily average was 0.655 kg CO₂e/L. Similarly, for manure management, the annual average was 1,802,046 kg CO₂e/kg of meat, and the daily average was 0.00225 kg CO₂e/kg of meat. For milk, the annual average was 992,101 kg CO₂e/L, and the daily average was 0.61125 kg CO₂e/L. It is important to note that different Tier methods use varying values, which can lead to divergent results even for the same regions. Suggested strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions include: adjusting the roughage-to-concentrate ratio in the diet; using specific probiotics; adding fats to the diet; reducing feeding intervals; ensuring animals consume feed quickly; incorporating antibiotics to increase ruminal propionic acid levels; adding methane inhibitors like nitrates and sulfates to the diet; and promoting farm-based biogas production facilities.
Abstract:Pension is a critical social policy that ensures retirees can maintain a decent standard of living after retirement. This importance is especially evident in developing countries like Liberia. However, the adequacy of pension benefits for retirees, particularly those in the educational sector who have retired from public service, raises concerns. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate teachers' perceptions of pension benefits in Liberia, focusing on their awareness of the pension system and cultural expectations. The study utilized the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to analyze data collected from 339 teachers through a structured questionnaire distributed via social media platforms. The results confirmed the reliability of the measurement instruments for assessing pension awareness and cultural expectations, with factor analysis validating these constructs. ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences in pension perceptions across various age groups and qualifications, while correlation analysis demonstrated strong relationships between education, experience, and views on pensions. Regression analysis indicated that demographic factors significantly predict pension perceptions. The study underscores the need for improved pension awareness programs and policy reforms to better align pension systems with teachers' expectations and cultural norms. This contributes to ongoing discussions about pension reform and financial security for educators in Liberia.
Abstract:This study unfolds Indonesia’s strategic position in the ASEAN paper trade by mapping the competitiveness, market dynamics, and export potential of its paper products (HS 4802). It applies analytical tools including Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), Trade Specialization Index (TSI), Export Product Dynamics (EPD), and the X-Model. Utilizing secondary data from 2010 to 2019 sourced from the International Trade Centre (ITC), the findings reveal that: (1) Indonesian paper exhibits a competitive edge with a TSI value of 0.95, indicating its status in the export maturation phase; (2) RCA values across ASEAN countries consistently exceed 1, confirming strong comparative advantages; (3) EPD analysis classifies Indonesian paper as a "Rising Star" in the Philippines, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Brunei Darussalam, "Falling Star" in Thailand and Singapore, "Lost Opportunity" in Vietnam, and "Retreat" in Malaysia; (4) The XModel analysis affirms high market development potential in select countries, guiding strategic improvement areas. These findings provide a strategic roadmap for policymakers and exporters to enhance Indonesia’s positioning in the evolving paper market landscape across ASEAN.
Abstract:Rainfall and temperature are key components of Earth's climate system, playing a crucial role in shaping climatic dynamics. As such the current study was initiated to examine historical trends and future projections of precipitation and maximum temperature in Sri Lanka from 1922 to 2022. The 100 years of historical climate data were purchase from the department of meteorology, Sri Lanka to analyze and forecast rainfall and maximum temperature variations in Sri Lanka. Trend analysis of historical data reveals a steady increase in maximum temperature, with an average rise of 1.4°C, particularly pronounced since the 1970s, aligning with global warming trends. Rainfall patterns exhibit significant spatial and temporal variability, with a slight overall decline observed across the island. To enhance the spatial representation of climate variables, the Kriging spatial interpolation method was applied, corroborating the trend analysis and providing detailed insights into regional climate variations. The Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was used and forecasting was done for next 20 years (2022–2042). Future projections predict a further increase of 0.47°C in average maximum temperature over the next two decades, alongside a marginal decline in rainfall levels. These findings contribute to understanding climate variability and potential future trends in Sri Lanka. By integrating spatial interpolation techniques with time-series forecasting models, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of both the spatial and temporal dynamics of climate change in the country, supporting future climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Abstract:This work examined response actions of pastoralists to the effects of climate change and diseases/pest outbreaks in Southeast, Nigeria. Not much is known about the double burden facing pastoralists hence, this study. A total of 120 pastoralists were selected purposively from the 5 Southeast States of Aba, Anambra, Ebony, Enugu, and Imo States. The questionnaire was used for the study, complemented with oral discussion with the pastoralists. Percentages were used to analyze data collection from the field. Results showed that the pastoralists were fully aware of the double burden of climate change and pest/disease menace as indicated by 100% response. Climate change affects herbage growth (87.5%), causes nutritional states (95%), leads to loss of milk (89.1%), and leads to disease outbreaks (99.1%). In response, pastoralists move to safer grounds (95%), diversification of herd (87.5%); restocking (81.6%) among others. Diseases lead to the death of animals, loss of meat quality, abattoir, poor nutrition, and results in food insecurity. They avoid disease-affected areas, burn fields, migration of herbs, use of herbs, and handpicking of ticks among others. Conflicts also unit access to water/pasture sources, closure of migratory routes, road blockade, and death of both animals and man. To adopt pastoralists’ move to so for ground, negotiate with action, provide alternative income sources.
Abstract:This study investigates crop farmers’ knowledge of the risks associated with pesticides; attitude towards handling and the safety practices regarding pesticides use. Quantitative survey was employed in selecting registered crop farmers. A total of 250 crop farmers was randomly selected from a list of 2500 registered crop farmers in the study area. Questionnaire was used to gather information and data were analyzed using percentage, mean and standard deviation. Results showed that farmers get information on pesticides from their fellow farmers (98%), agro/chemical shops(96.4%), family members(93.6%) among others. Several reasons make the crop farmers use pesticides such as affordability (99.2%), minimal health risks (93.6%), easy to handle (88.4%), chemical content (94%), success stories of other users (98%). The chemicals used are herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides. They have good knowledge of pesticide as they agreed that pesticides can harm the environment with a mean (M) of (M=3.69), affect human health(M=2.90), very dangerous (M=3.51), inhalation is bad (M=2.98), hand wash after mixing/handling (M=3.4), They have near negative attitude to handling pesticides as seen in they open mouth and talk while mixing chemicals evidenced by over 72% responses, store chemicals at home(94%), 90% store at their backyards ,79.2% cannot read manufacturers manuals among others. They engage in certain safety practices such as wearing protective clothes(M=3.45), close the pesticide container wall(M=3.86), mix pesticides in ventilated environment(M=2.51), wear hand gloves (M=2.64), do not mix with bare hand (M=2.84) among others.
Abstract:With population growth, the demand for goods continues to increase. However, the land required for goods production and waste absorption is constrained by supply limitations. This study uses statistics from the Taiwanese government to calculate the ecological footprint from 1991 to 2017. The results show that the ecological footprint, calculated across 23 items in four categories-food, timber, housing and facilities, and energy bio productive land-has gradually increased over time. To analyse the dynamic changes in Taiwan’s ecological footprint, the Markov Switching Model is used to estimate transition probabilities. The total per capita ecological footprint increased from 5.0752 global hectares per person in 1991 to 7.7237 global hectares per person in 2017. The ecological footprint is divided into high and low states. The average value for the high ecological footprint state is 1.4320 global hectares per person, with the Markov chain length ranging between 1.0339 and 6.0574 years, and the probability of remaining in the high ecological footprint state is 0.3064. The average value for the low ecological footprint state is 0.6003 global hectares per person, with the Markov chain length ranging between 2.1864 and 34.6997 years, and the probability of remaining in the low ecological footprint state is 0.8634. The government should focus on the continuously increasing ecological footprint and address the associated pressures on environmental resources and bio productive land by proposing mitigation strategies.
Abstract:This paper pinpoints how economic policy efficiency and quality of institution have influenced bank deposit growth in Nigeria during the period 1995-2023, after incorporating Taylor’s Principle to assess the responsiveness of policy through different economic regimes. Application of a Markov switching model allows the differential impacts of periods of economic expansion and contraction to be depicted on bank deposit growth, the loan-to-deposit ratios, and liquidity ratios. The findings show that the monetary policy rate, interacting with fiscal variables of government expenditure and tax revenue, exerts regime-sensitive effects on banking resilience. Simultaneously, institutional quality variables of regulatory quality and government effectiveness were observed to be highly influential in shaping bank deposit behavior over the cycle. Other determinants of the stability of banks include economic uncertainty and financial development, the later suggesting deposit protection during contraction. The study, therefore, facilitates priorities in adaptive policy frameworks in Nigeria by striking a proper balance between strong institutional frameworks and flexible economic policies that would ensure resilience in the banking sector across economic fluctuations.
Abstract:Carbon emission is one of the main drivers of global warming, due to which environmental concerns are rapidly increasing. To reduce the issue, nations are moving towards green vehicles, which significantly minimize the impact of transportation on the environment. The study's objective is to investigate the role of green perceived quality and green product availability in the green purchase intention of green automobiles with the moderating role of environmental education. The study is based on quantitative methodology and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling was used for data analysis. The data was collected from 900 consumers of environmentally friendly vehicles in Pakistan, China and Saudi Arabia. The findings show that green perceived quality and product availability have positively and significantly relationships with green purchase intention. Environmental education also moderates the relationship between green perceived quality and green product availability towards green purchase intention. The findings suggest that consumers with environmental education are more likely to consider green attributes like green perceived quality and green product availability when making purchasing decisions. In addition, the importance of environmental education in shaping consumers' attitudes towards green products and their willingness to make sustainable purchasing decisions is also evident. The study recommends that manufacturers improve environmentally friendly automobiles' perceived quality and availability to promote green purchase intention. The study has practical and managerial contribution and implications for the automobile industry and policymakers and advances the attainment of sustainability development goals (SDGs).
Abstract:Achieving sustainability is one of the critical challenges of the 21st century. This study examines the relationships of green resources and green technology with green manufacturing towards sustainability. It also investigates how environmental regulations moderate these relationships. The theoretical framework is based on command-and-control theory, resource-based theory, sustainable manufacturing frameworks and 4R theory. This study employs quantitative research methodology and uses partial least square structural equation modelling was used for the data analysis. Data was collected through Likert scalebased questionnaire from 600 respondents including engineers and managers of the manufacturing units in China and Pakistan. Purposive sampling technique was used for the selection of respondents. The finding shows that green resources and green technology have positive relationships with green manufacturing with a beta 0.331, t-statistics 4.249, and pvalue 0.000; and a beta 0.468, t-statistics 6.335, and p-value 0.000 respectively. Similarly, green manufacturing also has a positive and significant relationship with sustainability with a beta 0.610, t-statistics 7.634, and p-value 0.000. The research findings also reveal that environmental regulations play a moderating role in the relationships between green resources and green technology with green manufacturing with a beta 0.323, t-statistics 8.623, and pvalue 0.000; and a beta 0.203, t-statistics 11.364, and p-value 0.000 respectively. The findings provide useful insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to enhance the efficacy of sustainability initiatives in the manufacturing sector using green manufacturing as a tool. Furthermore, it also helps in the advancement of sustainable development goals (SDG-7, SDG9, SDG-12, SDG-13).