This study employs the Standard Error Estimation technique to investigate the connections between the digitalization of economy, population, trade openness, financial development, and sustainable development across 127 countries from 1990 to 2019. The findings revealed associations between financial development, population growth, trade openness, economic growth, Digitalization development, foreign direct investment (FDI), and sustainable development. Financial development negatively impacts sustainable development, suggesting that countries with advanced financial systems may struggle to maintain sustainability. Trade openness exhibits a negative association with sustainable development, implying that countries with open trade policies may face challenges in maintaining sustainability, possibly due to heightened competition or resource exploitation. These findings highlight the multifaceted relationship between economic factors and sustainable development, underscoring the importance of comprehensive policies and governance mechanisms in fostering sustainability amidst global economic dynamics.

The linkages between adequate service delivery and sustainable development have been given a little academic attention in the South Africa’s local municipalities. For this reason, the achievement of sustainable development has been difficult which has culminated in the occurrence of service delivery protests. These service delivery protests have posed critical threats to social security thus affecting the possibility to achieve sustainable development in South Africa. the paper findings showed that the delivery of inadequate services to the citizens is triggered by the failure to equally include citizens in the process. One of the threats that the paper found is the fact that these service delivery protests have become a major issue and any move to solve them without citizen participation has been unsuccessful. The paper findings also showed that that the lack of adequate service delivery to the citizens causes human insecurities which in turn affect the achievement of sustainable development. This is because the occurrence of the service delivery protests deteriorates national economic growth and human growth. They affect foreign investors and international tourists by instilling fear in them and yet they are contributors to sustainable economic growth that leads to sustainable development. The findings of this paper also presented that the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies can increase citizen participation during service delivery. It is through the use of citizen participation that openness, transparency, accountability, and representation principles that promote the delivery of adequate services are possible. The paper found that using AI technologies would also foster trust between the service provider and service receiver needed for delivering adequate services, thus achieve sustainable development in South Africa.

The coastal area of Bohai Bay of China has a wide distribution of salt-accumulated soils which could pose a problem to the sustainable development of the local ecology. As a result, the land remains largely degraded and unsuitable for biophysical and agricultural purposes. In this study, we characterized the soil and native plants in the area, to properly understand and identify species with satisfactory adaptation to saline soil and of high economic or ecological value that could be further developed or domesticated, using appropriate cultivation techniques. The goal was to determine the salinity parameters of the soil, identify the inhabiting plant species and contribute to the ecosystem data base for the Bay area. A field survey involving soil and plant sampling and analyses was conducted in Yanshan and Haixing Counties of Hebei Province, China, to estimate the level of salt ions as well as plant species population and type. The mean electrical conductivity (EC) of the soils ranged from 0.47 in more remote locations to 23.8 ds/m in locations closer to the coastline and the total salt ions from 0.05 to 8.8 g/kg, respectively. Each of the salinity parameters, except HCO₃⁻ showed wide variations as judged from the coefficient of variation (CV) values. The EC, as well as chloride, sulphate, Mg and Na ions increased significantly towards the coastline but the HCO₃⁻ ion showed a relatively even distribution across sampling points. Sodium was the most abundant cation and chloride and sulphate the most abundant anions. Therefore, the most dominant salinity-inducing salt that should be properly managed for sustainable ecosystem health was sodium chloride. Based on the EC readings, the most remote location from the coastline was non-saline but otherwise, the salinity ranged from slightly to strongly-very strongly saline towards the coast. There were considerably wide variations in the number and distribution of plant species across sampling locations, but most were dominated entirely Phragmites australis, Setaria viridis and Sueda salsa. Other species identified were Aeluropus littoralis, Chloris virgata, Heteropappus altaicus, Imperata cylindrica, Puccinellia distans, Puccinellia tenuiflora and Scorzonera austriaca. On average, the sampling points furthest from the coast produced the most biomass, and the point with the highest elevation had the most diverse species composition. Among species, Digitaria sanguinalis produced the highest dry mass, followed by Lolium perenne and H. altaicus, but there were considerable variations in biomass yield across sampling locations, with the location nearest the coastline having no vegetation. The observed variations in soil and vegetation should be strongly considered by planners to allow for the sustainable development of the Bahai bay area.

Using a qualitative research methodology and exploratory approach to collect data, this study assessed the effects of dependency syndrome within Africa’s international relations and its repercussions for achieving sustainable development. The collected data were analysed using document and content analysis techniques. The study revealed that dependency syndrome within Africa’s international relations has led to aid dependency, political violence, and poverty. It has promoted laziness and an inferiority complex that affects the working conditions of Africans. Further, it has promoted corruption and affected the rule of law for good governance; yet, sustainable development cannot occur without it. Moreover, dependency syndrome has inhibited innovation and led to the destruction of the local industries that are key to achieving sustainable development. The results of the study found that dependency syndrome has prevented the development of a robust transport network system that could promote African trade relations, which would lead to sustainable development. The results also posited that chronic poverty and underdevelopment in Africa are perpetuated by the dependency syndrome within Africa’s international relations. The study recommended that Africa needs to overcome dependency syndrome and reform her international relations with external world. This would require establishing a continental sovereignty that enables the continent to have one common foreign policy within its planning diplomacy endeavours.

The research aims to examine the determinants influencing the business commitment toward sustainable goals in Vietnam. To employ a quantitative research approach, we surveyed 208 business leaders in Vietnam to assess their perceptions and actions regarding sustainable goals. We explored the impact of internal enterprise characteristics and external facilitating factors on different dimensions of sustainable goals by using logistic regression models. This paper’s findings reveal that enterprise attributes, corporate leadership traits, and external factors significantly influence sustainable goal engagement. Notably, corporate leaders emerge as pivotal factors, particularly in their willingness to embrace risks and uncertainties. Moreover, this paper’s analysis identifies external factors with limited efficacy in fostering sustainable business operations. These insights hold significant implications for governmental institutions in Vietnam, offering valuable guidance for updating and refining policies.

Noise pollution in construction sites is a significant concern, impacting worker health, safety, communication, and productivity. The current study aims to assess the paramount consequences of ambient noise pollution on construction activities and workers’ productivity in Peshawar, Pakistan. Noise measurements have been recorded at four different construction sites in Peshawar at different times of the day. Statistical analysis and Relative Importance Index (RII) are employed to evaluate the data Risk variables, such as equipment maintenance, noise control, increased workload, material handling challenges, quality control issues, and client satisfaction. The results indicated that noise levels often exceeded permissible limits, particularly in the afternoon, posing significant worker risks. In addition, RII analysis identified communication difficulties, safety hazards, and decreased productivity as significant issues. The results show that noise pollution is directly linked with safety risks, decreased performance, and client dissatisfaction and needs immediate attention by authorities. This paper proposes a strategic policy framework, recommending uniform hand signals and visual communication methods without noise for workers, worker training about safety, and using wearable devices in noisy settings. Communication training for teams and crane operators, proactive quality control, and customer-oriented project schedules are also proposed. These recommendations aim to mitigate the adverse effects of noise pollution, enhance construction industry resilience, and improve overall operational efficiency, worker safety, and client satisfaction in the construction sector of Peshawar, aligning with policy and sustainable development objectives.