Localization is globally accepted as the strategy towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this article, we put forth the South Indian state of Kerala as a true executor of the localization of SDGs owing to her foundational framework of decentralized governance. We attempt to understand how the course of decentralization acts as a development trajectory and how it has paved the way for the effective assimilation of localization principles post-2015 by reviewing the state documents based on the framework propounded by the United Nations. We theorize that the well-established decentralization mechanism, with delegated institutions and functions thereof, encompasses overlapping mandates with the SDGs. Further, through the tools of development plan formulation, good governance, and community participation at decentralized levels, Kerala could easily adapt to localization, concocting output through innovative measures of convergence, monitoring, and incentivization carried out through the pre-existing platforms and processes. The article proves that constant and concerted efforts undertaken by Kerala through her meticulous and action-oriented decentralized system aided the localization of SDGs and provides an answer to the remarkable feat that the state has achieved through the consecutive four times achievements in the state scores of SDG India Index.

The Oued Kert watershed in Morocco is essential for local biodiversity and agriculture, yet it faces significant challenges due to meteorological drought. This research addresses an urgent issue by aiming to understand the impacts of drought on vegetation, which is crucial for food security and water resource management. Despite previous studies on drought, there are significant gaps, including a lack of specific analyses on the seasonal effects of drought on vegetation in this under-researched region, as well as insufficient use of appropriate analytical tools to evaluate these relationships. We utilized the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to analyze the relationship between precipitation and vegetation health. Our results reveal a very strong correlation between SPI and NDVI in spring (98%) and summer (97%), while correlations in winter and autumn are weaker (66% and 55%). These findings can guide policymakers in developing appropriate strategies and contribute to crop planning and land management. Furthermore, this study could serve as a foundation for awareness and education initiatives on the sustainable management of water and land resources, thereby enhancing the resilience of local ecosystems in the face of environmental challenges.

The aim of our study is to provide information on how and to what extent professionals of art institutions in Hungary and Slovakia (contemporary galleries and museums) use artificial intelligence in their work processes. Our research focuses on the extent to which these institutions use artificial intelligence in the development of the institution’s operational strategy, or how they can embed the assumed usefulness of artificial intelligence in the operation of the institution, be it the creation of an exhibition, the textual processing of the professional life of an artist, or a about a tool that shapes the gallery’s marketing strategy. We conducted ten in-depth interviews in the two countries, the interviewees were selected using the snowball method. The interview took place among professionals and professionally credible artists who are actively active in contemporary fine art life. The results revealed that the use of artificial intelligence as a tool in the creative work processes is not a requirement in the field of culture, neither in Hungary nor in Slovakia. All the interviewees already had professional experience with AI, 90% of those interviewed would like to deepen their knowledge of the creative use methods of AI, e.g., by creating working groups in the workplace on an experimental basis. Based on our conclusions, we can say that artificial intelligence currently has no conscious strategic use in contemporary art institutions. It can be said that creative professionals are aware of the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in their own field of image, video, and text creation, but there is uncertainty on the part of creators and curators when it comes to copyright. The in-depth interviews provided source material for the compilation of a standardized set of questions for a larger survey of 300-500 people, proportional to the sample, so our presented results are partial results of a larger research.

It is possible to provide green, ecological, and innovative products and services through green and sustainable public procurement. This study analyzes the opportunity offered to public contracting authorities in the Republic of Croatia (RH) in transformation from existing economy to a sustainable one through the inclusion of small and medium sized (SME) companies and inclusion of selection criteria that promote all three sustainable goals. The study employed a qualitative method and empirical analysis of public procurement procedures for eggs in the period from 2013 to 2021 in RH. The product was procured in many social institutions, hospitals, schools, student canteens and by procuring a sustainable product, added value could be created for the entire community. Data from the Electronic Public Procurement Classifieds of the Republic of Croatia (EOJN RH) and Data from the State and European Union (EU) Statistical Office were used. The research showed that sustainable procurement criteria were used for the first time in 2021, and that public contracting authorities put a stronger focus on the environmental pillar of sustainability and less or almost none on the economic and social pillar. The volume of demand and production was also calculated. The study found that the first contractor for sustainable product was SME company, producer of food, who adapted to the green conditions of public procurement in a short period of time. The paper empirically demonstrated that public procurement can be a powerful tool, but it was not used enough in the observed period for the observed products in RH.