This study investigated the changing land use patterns and their impacts on ecosystem in the Teesta River Basin of northwestern Bangladesh. Although anthropocentric land use patterns, including agricultural land use, settlements, built areas, and waterbody loss, have been increasing in the Nilphamari district, by negatively affecting local ecosystems, they have not been identified by prior research. Limitations of contemporary literature motivated me to work on this crucial ground in the Teesta River Basin in Northwestern Bangladesh. This study applied a mixed research approach to identify the study objectives. Firstly, the land use and land cover (LULC) changes which occurred between 2000 and 2020 were detected using satellite imagery and supervised classification method. In addition to the detection of LULC changes, the study explored the people’s perceptions and experiences about the ecosystem changes resulted from the LULC changes over the last 20 years, conducting stakeholders’ consultations and household surveys utilizing a semi-structured questionnaire. The findings indicated that waterbodies in Nilphamari district have significantly decreased from 378 km2 in 2000 to 181 km2 in 2020. In the same way, the vegetation coverage has reduced 187 km2 between the years 2000 and 2020. On the contrary, agricultural lands (croplands) have increased from 595 km2 to 905 km2 and settlements have increased from 81 km2 to 206 km2 between the years 2000 and 2020. From the chi-square test, it was found a significant association between ecosystem change and biodiversity loss. It was further identified that waterbody decreases have significant impacts on aquatic ecosystems. The results of this study also indicated that due to the introduction of foreign tree species, local and native species have been significantly decreasing over the time. This study emphasizes the non-anthropocentric and inclusive land use policy implications for protecting life on land and preserving the aquatic ecosystem in Bangladesh.
This review paper delves into the intricate landscape of the digital economy, focusing on the multifaceted interplay between innovation, competition, and consumer dynamics. It investigates the transformative impact of digital technologies on market structures and consumer behaviors, spanning areas such as e-commerce, online publishing, taxation, and big data challenges. By analyzing network effects, market concentration, and the influence of key players like Google and Amazon, this study draws on insights from previous research. Furthermore, it examines evolving regulations with an emphasis on consumer protection, competition law, and privacy concerns. Through a comprehensive exploration of the digital ecosystem, this paper offers a nuanced understanding of how businesses, consumers, and policymakers navigate the complexities of the digital marketplace.
Experimental teaching is an efficient way of education, through practical operation and experimental activities to help students deeply understand theoretical knowledge, cultivate practical ability and solve practical problems. As an important engineering practice course, "Electrical and Electronic practice" has a special status and function in application-oriented undergraduate colleges. In the face of the rapid development of science and technology, the way of education must be innovated constantly. In this paper, a combination of Online and offline teaching reform is carried out for the Course "Electrical and Electronic Practice" offered by application-oriented undergraduate colleges. SPOC (Small Private Online Course) is established on the basis of MOOC, which combines online and offline teaching to promote the all-round development of students. It cultivates their practical ability and competitiveness, and lays a solid foundation for their future career and academic path.
The Malaysian government's efforts to promote solar photovoltaic (PV) usage among households face a challenge due to its low adoption rate. This study delves into the factors influencing the exponential adoption of solar PV electricity generation among landed residential property owners in Malaysia. The research aims to comprehensively examine the predictors influencing the adoption of solar PV systems among Malaysian households. Hence, the study employs an enhanced Theory of Planned Behavior framework, integrating sustainable energy security dimensions such as availability, affordability, efficiency, acceptability, regulation, and governance. The sample comprised 556 Malaysian residents who owned and resided in the landed properties. The home locations where at least one solar PV installation existed within a residential street. Snowball sampling was employed through referrals, leveraging social and community networks. Collected data was analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling. Attitude, affordability, and acceptability emerged as pivotal factors significantly impacting the intention to use solar PV systems among Malaysian households. This research not only enriches academic discourse but also offers practical implications for policymakers, guiding the formulation of targeted strategies to promote sustainable energy practices and facilitate the widespread adoption of solar PV systems in Malaysia.
State support for agriculture is a crucial tool for adjusting the competitive advantages of agricultural producers to a volatile market environment. In countries with diverse natural conditions for agriculture, however, the allocation of subsidies often focuses on bridging spatial development gaps rather than maximizing the return on inputs. To improve the efficiency of resource use in agriculture, it is essential to tailor subsidy criteria to regional disparities in agricultural potential. Using the example of Russia’s 81 administrative regions, the authors have tested a five-stage methodology for determining the support-generated parameters of output, efficiency, impact, revenue, and profitability. This methodology takes into account both natural and economic factors that contribute to the competitive advantages of each region. The study aims to identify the parts of the performance indicators, such as gross agricultural output and revenue, that are influenced by the amount of subsidies in five different types of territories, which are categorized by the cadastral value of their farmland. It has been found that the allocation of subsidies is not entirely based on the return on the funds allocated. There is a discrepancy between the competitive advantages of these territories in agricultural production and the amount of funds they receive through government support programs. The efficiency of government support differs significantly depending on the type of agricultural product produced in each territory. The approach developed by the authors provides a tool that policy makers can use when tuning the allocation of subsidies based on the differences in the agricultural potential of each territory.
The success of a city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem (EE) depends on a combination of interconnected factors that foster innovation, collaboration and growth. Urban planning, infrastructure management and an entrepreneurial culture are essential factors for the success of cities’ Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EEs). Land use and infrastructure management create opportunities for growth and industry expansion. EEs are local, social, business, institutional and cultural stakeholders that encourage and enhance the formation and growth of new businesses, which are supported by enabling infrastructure. The objective of this study was to investigate how urban planning affects EEs in the metropolitan region, Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), South Africa. NMB is known for poor land use management, which hinders the management of diverse spatial needs, as well as bureaucratic processes for land rezoning for commercial activity. In order to better understand the fundamental issues, a qualitative case study was conducted. The data were collected from fifteen economic development role players from NMB using semi-structured interviews combined with secondary data from the NMB Integrated Development Plan (IDP). The data analysis included thematic analysis using Atlas.ti and Claude 2.0. In order to validate the findings, qualitative data were cross-referenced with secondary sources from the NMB IDP. The key themes that emerged effect the NMB metropole’s management of infrastructure to support the EE. These include, Land use issues, Poor oversight by metropolitan leadership, Lack of infrastructure maintenance and pushing out potential investment and economic growth. The results highlight that the NMB metropole fails to prioritise land use and infrastructure challenges, impacting the NMB metropolitan area’s economic development and worsening inequality among different groups. The findings from this study add to the current research on cities’ EEs and The Right to the City Theory, which supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals 8, 9 and 11.
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