The objective of this research is to examine the effects of income inequality, governance quality, and their interaction on environmental quality in Asian countries. Time series data are obtained from 45 Asian countries for the period 1996–2020 for this empirical analysis. The research has performed various econometric tests to ensure the robustness and reliability of the results. We have addressed different econometric issues, such as autocorrelation, heteroskedasticity, and cross-sectional dependence, using the Driscoll-Kraay (DK) standard error estimation and endogeneity issues by the system generalized method of moments (S-GMM). The results of the study revealed that income inequality and governance quality have a positive impact on environmental degradation, while the interaction of governance quality with income inequality has a negative effect on it. In addition, economic growth, population growth, urbanization, and natural resource dependency are found to deteriorate the quality of the environment. The findings of the study offer insightful policies to reduce environmental degradation in Asian countries.

This study analyzes the dynamic relationships between tourism, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, exports, imports, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in five South Asian countries. A VAR-based Granger causality test is performed with time series data from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. According to the results, both bidirectional and unidirectional relationships among tourism, economic growth, and carbon emissions are investigated. Specifically, tourism significantly impacts GDP per capita in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, yet it has no effect in Bangladesh or India. However, the GDP per capita shows a unidirectional relationship with tourism in Bangladesh and India. The unidirectional causal relationship from exports and imports to tourism in the context of India and a bidirectional relationship in the case of Nepal. In Pakistan, it is observed that exports have a one-way influence on tourism. The result of the panel Granger test shows a significant causal association between tourism, economic growth, and trade (import and export) in five South Asian economies. Particularly, there is a bidirectional causal relationship between GDP per capita and tourism, and a significant unidirectional causal relationship from CO₂ emissions, exports, and imports to tourism is explored. The findings of this study are helpful for tourism stakeholders and policymakers in the region to formulate more sustainable and effective tourism strategies.

Sustainable ocean tourism is required to establish a balance between the environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects of ocean tourism development. Sustainable ocean tourism also contributes to local and national economies, enhancing the quality of social life and protecting the ecology. Sustainable ocean tourism expands the positive contribution of tourism to biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction and aims to attain the common goals of sustainable developments for ocean tourism. Sustainable ocean tourism is possible due to the roles of regulators and private and government institutions. Government policies, regulations and guidelines play vital roles towards achieving the sustainability of ocean tourism. However, the role of institutions also cannot be ignored, which provide support in the innovation of technologies and the implementation of policies. The paper targets to investigate the roles of regulations, policies and institutions in the sustainability of ocean tourism. A primary online survey on the perception of tourism experts was conducted for this study using Google Forms. The tourism experts were invited from all over the world to participate in the survey. The study received a total of 33 responses, out of which only 30 valid responses were considered. Using the Tobit regression model, the study found that, while regulations in India relative to foreign countries significantly boost the sustainability of ocean tourism, government policies and public institutions in India relative to foreign countries remain insignificant in predicting the sustainability of ocean tourism. Therefore, government policies and public institutions in India need to be revised and reformulated to make them important drivers of the sustainability of ocean tourism.

Japan’s investment in the domestic construction industry has fallen to less than half its peak in 1992. Given the country’s declining population, Japanese construction companies must go global to remain profitable. To what extent the Japanese government and Japanese companies can contribute to meeting the growing infrastructure needs in the region is unclear as Japanese companies have long been operating primarily in Japan. The Japanese government has in recent years passed a series of new laws that encourage private sector participation in financing, building and operating public infrastructure. Through involvement in such public projects, Japanese companies have developed the skills and technologies to build a variety of infrastructures that are resilient to natural disasters and adaptable to various geographical conditions and social and economic development. But the major challenge for Japanese companies is to transform their business model drastically from one that relies on the domestic market to one that contributes to the social and economic development of third countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aims to enhance connectivity and collaboration among 60 countries and beyond in Asia, Africa and Europe. Information and communications technology (ICT) is an indispensable component of the initiative, critical in providing fundamental communication channels for global financial transactions, trade exchanges and transport and energy connectivity, and socio cultural collaboration and scientific exchanges between people, organizations and countries along the BRI corridors. Previously constrained by infrastructure deficits in ICT, the Asia-Pacific region is accelerating its efforts to provide reliable and affordable broadband networks throughout the region, to contribute to successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Within the BRI corridors, this study which has been undertaken as part of the research programme of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on promoting regional economic cooperation and integration, focuses on the China-Central Asia Corridor (China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), giving attention to the sub-region’s specific challenges, namely limited international transit opportunities and an increase in bandwidth requirements that is expected to grow exponentially, as the fourth industrial evolution centered on automation and artificial intelligence gathers momentum. The sub-region is characterized as highly dependent on the ease and costs of connecting to neighboring countries for transit, as many countries in the sub-region are landlocked developing countries (LLDC). Because of the geographical features and other factors, the development potential of Central Asia and its integration into globalization, continues to be stymied by insufficient international bandwidth and high transit costs to access international links. Therefore, improved ICT connectivity in Central Asia through the BRI corridor could result in improved availability and affordability of broadband networks and services in the sub-region.

For the purpose of this study, a gap analysis is the methodology that underpins the proposed topology for the China-Central Asia Corridor. The analysis included examining the current state of the optic infrastructure, such as existing and planned fiber-optic networks, existing Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and international gateways. The study also identifies the key factors that determine the desired future state of infrastructure deployment for the BRI initiative. A topology that consists of connecting Almaty (Kazakhstan) and Urumqi (China), as core nodes, is proposed based on a partial mesh topology. Over and above this core finding, the study concludes that digital infrastructure connectivity has a tendency of lagging behind the rapid opportunities evolving, and the study therefore advocates for sub-regional and regional approaches, including the BRI and Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway (AP-IS) in further expanding regional broadband networks. A key recommendation of the study is co-deployment of broadband infrastructure along passive infrastructure, as an additional cost effective means of achieving fast and affordable broadband connectivity for all.

Catfish (Pangasianodon hypothalamus) are known in Asia, specifically in Southeast Asia. Currently, this fish has been exported to almost all countries in the world. This research aimed to examine the existing conditions of the solid waste produced, analyze the chemical composition of the waste, and look for alternatives for the policy and economical use of waste in the catfish processing business. Using the survey method, data were gathered through measurement at the research location and laboratory, interviews with business owners, and field observations. Proximate analysis was conducted on pink slime meat, belly fat, bones, and fish innards. Analysis of acid number, saponification number, iodine number, and fat fatty acid was carried out on stomach fat. Meanwhile, amino acid analysis was carried out for pink slime meat. Handling catfish industrial waste has yet to be carried out properly, which causes a foul smell and disturbs the environment. The catfish industry waste’s chemical content (protein, fat, water content, carbohydrates, and fatty acids) (pink slime meat, belly fat, fish bones, and innards) is still relatively applicable. The study processed fish waste into products like instant porridge, analogous fish sago rice, and fish sago noodles. The proximate analysis results of these products show figures that exceed the minimum standards for similar products.