Sanitation challenges are growing at unprecedented rates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, specifically in the country of Jordan, where more adversities are faced in the provision of inclusive and sustainable sanitation for marginalized communities. The overloaded water supply systems, strained by high population density in the face of political instability manifests itself in poor public health. How countries in the MENA region plan to handle these problems and improve the sanitation infrastructure is the starting point for this work. We aim to develop a comprehensive and multidisciplinary framework between stakeholders, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a specific emphasis on SDG 6, for providing feasible, community-oriented approaches to sanitation issues in disenfranchised communities in Jordan through the Initiative Sanitation and Hygiene Networking in Jordanian Poverty Pockets (ISNJO) project. The findings will be used to formulate strategic guidelines and inform the development and subsequent initiation of innovative and multidisciplinary initiatives to tackle the sanitation and water scarcity challenges at hand.

This research explores the interactions within supply chains in the manufacturing sector, with a special emphasis on the distinctive obstacles encountered by the mosquito coil industry. The study is motivated by the need to comprehensively understand and address the multifaceted challenges encountered by manufacturers in their supply chain processes. The mosquito coil industry holds significant importance in Malaysia, primarily due to the country’s tropical climate, which is conducive to mosquito proliferation and the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases. Nowadays, there are growing complexities and disruptions experienced by the mosquito coil sector’s supply chain, prompting an in-depth investigation. The main objective is to identify the challenges and resilience strategies employed by manufacturers in this sector, providing an understanding that contributes to the broader discourse on supply chain dynamics. Employing a qualitative case study methodology, this research engages in extensive data collection through interviews, document analysis, and direct observations within the selected mosquito coil manufacturing entity. This methodology allows for an immersive exploration of the challenges faced, revealing insights into the factors influencing the supply chain dynamics. The study reveals a wide array of challenges, from obtaining raw materials to managing distribution logistics, underscoring the unique complexities specific to the sector. As a result, the research identifies and analyzes resilience strategies implemented by the mosquito coil manufacturer to mitigate challenges, such as procurement challenges faced in financial related issues, logistical complexities occurred from recent years’ worldwide pandemic, production disruptions from company’s human resource-related issues, global factors from the company’s competitors and market challenges, and technology integration from rapid technological advancements. Thus, implications of this study extend beyond the mosquito coil sector, contributing valuable knowledge to the academic community, practitioners, and policymakers involved in supply chain management. The research not only addresses the identified challenges but also serves as a foundation for enhancing the overall understanding of manufacturing supply chain dynamics, thereby fostering informed decision-making for improved industry resilience.

The centers of trade and economic activities in the region of Southeast Asia rank from a huge and modern to a small and traditional pattern. Malacca and Singapore have been cases in point for huge and modern patterns, while the border areas in eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia, and the Philippines are the cases for small and traditional centers. This paper will argue that with global connectivity and regional dynamics, the small and traditional trade and economic centers could shift to modern ones. History records that the introduction of the Southeast Asian region by the outside world, especially in relation to trade and economic activities, was largely derived from the significant role played by the people in the mainland of Southeast Asia regarding the silk roads route and the role of the people in the insular or islands of Southeast Asia regarding the spice trade route in the premodern time. Later in the modern time in Southeast Asia, the role of Islam, the Europeans and the center trade of Malacca around the 17th and 18th centuries played a significant role. Indeed, huge trade centers like Malacca in the 17th C and 18th C and later by Singapore in the 9th C have been very important throughout the history of trade in the Southeast Asian region. However, we must not ignore the roles of the border areas in the Southeast Asian archipelago, especially in eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia, and the border region of the Philippines which have played a dominant role in trade and economic activities. These activities have been smaller and more traditional than the Malacca and Singapore cases, but economic activities could develop rapidly with the global connection and its interconnectivity. Besides, those border areas have also become an important key for security issues not only in the Southeast Asia region in particular but also in the Asia Pacific or Indo Pacific region as well. The security of the region of Southeast Asia and even Indo Pacific could be affected by the situation in those border areas. Interconnectivity is a challenge as well as an opportunity for these border areas to become the future of trade and economic activities within the region of Southeast Asia that also connects with the region of Indo Pacific, especially China, South Korea, and Taiwan. The planning of Indonesian capital movement to East Kalimantan will add opportunities for those border areas located near the proposed new capital. About the above issues, this paper will address several issues: firstly, the history of trade and economic activities in Malacca, Singapore, and the border areas in eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia, and the Philippines; secondly, the different patterns of trade and economic developments of the Malacca, Singapore, and the border areas in eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia, and Philippines; thirdly, the challenges and opportunities of the border areas in eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia, and the Philippines to develop bigger trade centers in the future; fourth, the interconnectivity of those border areas to Asia Pacific region. This paper uses an interdisciplinary approach in the fields of social sciences and humanities. With this study, it is hoped that a better understanding of regional dynamics will be obtained, especially in the border areas. The period that we use is from 1998 until present time regarding if there was changing policy due to the end of Old Order to the Reformation period of Indonesian government. As a result, the development of border areas had been in existence before the colonial time in which people moved freely and had trade contacts. Even though they used to have the same ethnic linkage, after the formation of a modern state where they have different citizenships, in reality they can relate to each other in harmony and peace because of the similarity of ethnic linkages they had in the past. Colonial powers intended to replace the powers of traditional kingdoms with the idea of civilizing the colonializ

Bamboo is one of the noble plant species in Ethiopia. Household (HH) income and construction role of highland bamboo (Oldeania alpina (K. Schum.) Stapleto) stands were assessed at Masha district, Southern Ethiopia. Three peasant associations (PAs), Yepo, Yina and Gada, 7–15 key informants and 68, 46, 31 households, respectively were interviewed about the cost and income of bamboo to compare with woody climbers, honey, and mushroom in 2021. Bamboo was one of the main sources of income in all PAs, at least for fencing or house construction. In Yepo, Yina and Gada bamboo accounts 0.7%, 28.1%, 16.3% of the HH NTFP income, respectively. The local people responded that bamboo constructed houses and fences were durable for 15–30 and 2–10 years, respectively. In constructing a 2.44–4.27 m radius local house in Yepo, Yina and Gada 2.4–6 m³, 4.1–5.82 m³ and 3.1–4.3 m³ bamboo culms were harvested at 15, 20, and 30 years interval, respectively by each HH. Bamboo young shoots were also seasonally used for food. Although bamboo provides multiple uses, like substitute for wood and environmental services, it was facing different problems of deforestation. Therefore, policy attention is highly important for bamboo sustainable utilization.

This paper examines the sustainability practices implemented by healthcare establishments, mainly Small and Medium enterprises (SMEs), We focus on identifying opportunities with challenges involved. This systematic literature analyses 47 studies that explore sustainability practices in the healthcare system globally. The finding from the studies reveals that healthcare organizations with SMEs adopt diverse measures like renewable energy, a reduction, and a response procurement in minimizing the impact on the environment and ensuring financial stability. The challenges SMEs face comprise limited financial resources, lack of expertise, with difficulties accessing information and support. Furthermore, we suggest opportunities for SMEs to enhance sustainability practices with partnerships with other organizations and investing in educating employees. Implementation of sustainability practices will improve the financial stability, and environmental impact, with the wellbeing of healthcare stakeholders. The empirical evidence, comparative studies with cross-disciplinary are needed in exploring the effectiveness of the different suitability practices, potential trade-offs, synergies between sustainability and other organizational goals, the effect of sustainability practice in the financial with non-financial performance on SMEs in healthcare establishment are positive, with cost-effectiveness, efficiencies operations, improving brand reputations and engaging the employee. Established factors like regulating frameworks and government initiatives play a major role in the influence of adopting sustainability practices with cultural factors.