This article examines how financial technology determines bank performance in different EU countries. The answer to that question would allow banks to choose their development policy. The paper focuses on the main and most popular bank services that are linked to financial technology. A SWOT analysis of FinTech is also presented to show the benefits and drawbacks of FinTech. FinTech-based services are very diverse and are provided by financial firms and banks alike. This paper looks at the financial technology provided by banks: internet usage (internet banking), number of ATMs, credit transfers in a country, percentage of the population in a country holding a debit or credit card and whether that population has received or made a digital payment. Using the multi-criteria assessment methods of CRITIC and EDAS, the authors analysed and compared the countries of the European Union and the financial technology used in them. As a result of the application of these methods, the EU countries under consideration were ranked in terms of the use of financial technology. Subsequently, three banks from different countries with different levels of the use of financial technology were selected for the study. For these banks, financial ratios of profitability were calculated to characterise their performance. Correlation and pairwise regression analyses between the banks’ profitability ratios and financial technology were used to assess the relationship and influence between these ratios. The main conclusion of the study focuses on the extent to which financial technology influences the performance of banks in the selected countries. It is likely that further research will try to take into account the size of the country’s population when analysing all financial technologies. Researchers also needed to find out what influence financial technologies have on the such financial indicators as operational efficiency (costs), financial stability, and capital adequacy.
One crucial metric for estimating a reservoirs and dam’s lifespan is sedimentation. It is dependent upon sediment output, which in turn is dependent upon soil erosion. The study area, the Aguat Wuha Dam, was located in Simada woreda, of northwestern parts of Ethiopia. And the study's goal was to use Arc GIS and RUSLE adjusted to Ethiopian conditions to assess potential soil erosion and sediment output from the watershed and identify hotspot locations for appropriate planning for erosion and sedimentation problem management techniques to make the outputs of the dam project more productive and effective for the proposed and suggested purpose of the dam. To predict the geographical patterns of soil erosion in the watershed, the Geographic Information System (GIS) was combined with the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). A soil erosion map was produced using ArcGIS by utilizing all of the model's parameters, including Erosivity, erodibility, steepness, land use, land cover, and supportive practice factors. The watershed's yearly soil loss varies from 0 to 413.86 tons/ha. In order to determine the erosion hotspot area, the average annual soil loss value was discovered to be 9.24 tons/ha/year and was categorized into six erosion severity classes: low, moderate, high, very high, severe, and very severe. These findings indicated that 162.57 ha and 699.17 ha of the watershed were considered to be extremely and severely vulnerable to soil erosion, respectively. It was discovered that the anticipated sediment yield supplied to the outlet varied from 0 to 104.94 tons/ha/year. By standing from the implications of the assessments of the geological, geotechnical, topographical, and socioenvironmental considerations Watershed management is the most effective way to reduce the amount of sediment produced and the amount that enters the reservoir among the several reservoir sedimentation control options that are available.
This study provides an evaluation of the environmental impact and economic benefits associated with the disposal of mango waste in Thailand, utilizing the methodologies of life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) in accordance with internationally recognized standards such as ISO 14046 and ISO 14067. The study aimed to assess the environmental impact of mango production in Thailand, with a specific focus on its contribution to global warming. This was achieved through the application of a life cycle assessment methodology, which enabled the determination of the cradle-to-grave environmental impact, including the estimation of the mango production’s global warming potential (GWP). Based on the findings of the feasibility analysis, mango production is identified as a novel opportunity for mango farmers and environmentally conscious consumers. This is due to the fact that the production of mangoes of the highest quality is associated with a carbon footprint and other environmental considerations. Based on the life cycle assessment conducted on conventional mangoes, taking into account greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it has been determined that the disposal of 1 kg of mango waste per 1 rai through landfilling results in an annual emission of 8.669 tons of carbon. This conclusion is based on comprehensive data collected throughout the entire life cycle of the mangoes. Based on the available data, it can be observed that the quantity of gas released through the landfilling process of mango waste exhibits an annual increase in the absence of any intervening measures. The cost benefit analysis conducted on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of traditional mango waste has demonstrated that the potential benefits derived from its utilization are numerous. The utilization of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology and the adoption of a sustainable business model exemplify the potential for developing novel eco-sustainable products derived from mango waste in forthcoming time.
A method for studying the resilience of energy and socio-ecological systems is considered; it integrates approaches developed at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis and the Melentyev Institute of Energy Systems (MESI) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The article discusses in detail the methods of using intelligent information technologies, in particular semantic technologies and knowledge engineering (cognitive probabilistic modeling), which the authors propose to use in assessing the risks of natural and man-made threats to the resilience of the energy sector and social and ecological systems. More attention is paid to the study and adaptation of the integral indicator of quality of life, which makes it possible to combine these interdisciplinary studies.
Uncontrolled economic development often leads to land degradation, a decline in ecosystem services, and negative impacts on community welfare. This study employs water yield (WY) modeling as a method for environmental management, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between Land Use Land Cover (LULC), Land Use Intensity (LUI), and WY to support sustainable natural resource management in the Cisadane Watershed, Indonesia. The objectives include: (1) analyzing changes in WY for 2010, 2015, and 2021; (2) predicting WY for 2030 and 2050 under two scenarios—Business as Usual (BAU) and Protected Forest Area (PFA); (3) assessing the impacts of LULC and climate change on WY; and (4) exploring the relationship between LUI and WY. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model calculates actual and predicted WY conditions, while the Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) analyzes the LULC-WY relationship. Results indicate that the annual WY in 2021 was 215.8 × 108 m³, reflecting a 30.42% increase from 2010. Predictions show an increasing trend in WY under both scenarios for 2030 and 2050 with different magnitudes. Rainfall contributes 88.99% more dominantly to WY than LULC. Additionally, around 50% of districts exhibited unbalanced coordination between LUI and WY in 2010 and 2020. This study reveals the importance of ESs in sustainable watershed management amidst increasing demand for natural resources due to population growth.
The UN agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015–2030 is a holistic approach. Universities play an important role in dissemination of quality knowledge, developing the skills and attitudes of a large number of youth across the world. Though the emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) started as early as 1992, yet Universities adopted the concept of Green Campus integrating the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability quite recently. In developing countries including Pakistan, the Green Campus Initiatives (GCI) have not been implemented in the majority of the Universities. Northern Pakistan comprising Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJ&K) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) faces multiple challenges including Climate Impacts at the top. The fragile ecosystem of the region requires more sustainable initiatives at the University and community levels. In this research, the readiness of the seven universities located in Northern Pakistan have been assessed for GCI on the basis scanning of the websites and questionnaire survey of the relevant stakeholders. The results have shown that there is little commitment of resources for sustainability from senior management, lack of awareness in faculty & staff and less research focus on the related themes of green campus. The co-curricular activities in universities are not linked with sustainability and there are no incentives for faculty, staff and students to this end. It has been recommended that Green Campus Framework may be developed for Pakistani Mountain Universities, with commitment from leaders of the universities and allocation of sufficient resources for development of sustainable campuses. The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) needs to allocate special funds for promoting GCI across universities in Pakistan.
Copyright © by EnPress Publisher. All rights reserved.