The contraction of manufacturing economic activity in Latin American countries has been affected by the health crisis in the last few years. This phenomenon has negatively impacted the Latin American countries’ economies. In order to evaluate the impact of the manufacturing economy, this research integrates the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the growth of the Ecuadorian manufacturing sector, from 1981 to 2019, considering the role of the state through public spending using cointegration. The results are not consistent considering the empirical framework used; thus, FDI has a negative and significant influence on the manufacturing sector. Also, the manufacturing sector has a strong relationship with FDI in the short run and a less significant one in the long run. The results presented in this research suggest promoting domestic and FDI in the manufacturing sector, not only towards overexploited and monopolized sectors such as mining and telecommunications.

The role of technology in stimulating economic growth needs to be reexamined considering current heightened economic conditions of Asian developing Economies. This study conducts a comparative analysis of technology proxied by R&D expenditures alongside macroeconomic variables crucial for economic growth. Monthly time-series data from 1990 to 2019 were analyzed using a vector error correction model (VECM), revealing a significant impact of technology on the economic growth of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. However, in the cases of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Bangladesh, macroeconomic indicators were found more crucial to their economic growth. Results of Granger causality underlined the relationship of R&D expenditures and macroeconomic variables with GDP growth rates. Sensitivity analyses endorsed robustness of the results which highlighted the significance and originality of this study in economic growth aligned with sustainable development goals (SDGs) for developing countries.

China is currently at a critical juncture in implementing the rural revitalization strategy, with urbanization and tourism development as crucial components. This study investigates 41 counties (cities) in the Wuling Mountain area of central China, constructing an evaluation system for the coordinated development of these two sectors. The coupling coordination degree is calculated using a combination weighting method and the coupling coordination degree model. Spatio-temporal evolution characteristics are analyzed through spatial autocorrelation, while the geographic detector explores the driving factors of spatial variation. The findings reveal a significant increase in coupling coordination between urbanization and tourism, transitioning towards a coordinated phase. Spatially, urbanization and tourism exhibit positive correlations, with high-value clusters in the southeast and northwest and low-value clusters in the south. The geographical detector identifies industrial factors as the most critical drivers of spatial variation. This study offers novel insights into the dynamics of urbanization and tourism, contributing to the broader literature by providing practical implications for regional planning and sustainable development. The results are relevant to the Wuling Mountain area and serve as a reference for similar regions globally. However, the study has certain limitations, such as regional specificity and data availability, which should be considered in the context of this research.

The Urabá region, known for its banana production, faces significant challenges due to seasonal droughts that affect crop productivity. The implementation of innovative technologies, such as efficient irrigation systems, is presented as a potential solution to improve the sustainability and profitability of plantations. This study validates the implementation of an irrigation system in a banana (Musa spp.) plantation located in the region of Urabá, in order to meet the water needs of the crop during periods of drought. A case study was carried out in a banana plantation in the region of Urabá, considering the maximum and minimum monthly losses due to drought, and a random sample was used to measure the weight before and after the implementation of the irrigation system, in order to carry out an economic analysis. The study shows that the implementation of a sprinkler irrigation system increases the average weight of the harvested bunches by 20%, which is reflected in an annual increase of 30.3% of exported boxes, obtaining satisfactory results in terms of internal rate of return, cost-benefit ratio and return on investment. The implementation of irrigation systems makes it possible to increase competitiveness in international markets, especially in regions such as Urabá, where the use of these technologies is still incipient.

This study investigates how digital transformation influences visitor satisfaction at 12 World Heritage Sites (WHS) across eight coastal provinces in Eastern and Southern China. Utilizing 402 valid survey responses, it explores the impact of demographic factors—education, age, and income—on visitors’ perceptions of digital services, particularly focusing on usability, quality, and overall experience. The findings reveal that younger, higher-income, and STEM-educated visitors express significantly higher satisfaction with digital services, while older, lower-income visitors report lower levels of engagement and satisfaction. This research highlights the need for tailored digital strategies that cater to diverse demographic groups, ensuring the balance between technological innovation and the preservation of cultural authenticity at heritage sites. The originality of this study lies in its focus on non-Western contexts, particularly China’s rapidly developing coastal regions, which have been largely overlooked in the global discourse on digital tourism. By applying established theoretical frameworks—such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Expectation-Confirmation Theory (ECT)—to a non-Western setting, this research fills a crucial gap in the literature. The insights provided offer actionable recommendations for heritage site managers to enhance visitor engagement, adapt digital services to demographic variations, and promote sustainable tourism development.

Freshwater problems in coastal areas include the process of salt intrusion which occurs due to decreasing groundwater levels below sea level which can cause an increase in salt levels in groundwater so that the water cannot be used for water purposes, human consumption and agricultural needs. The main objective of this research is to implementation of RWH to fulfill clean water needs in tropical coastal area in Tanah Merah Village, Indragiri Hilir Regency, with the aim of providing clean water to coastal communities. The approach method used based on fuzzy logic (FL). The model input data includes the effective area of the house’s roof, annual rainfall, roof runoff coefficient, and water consumption based on the number of families. The BWS III Sumatera provided the rainfall data for this research, which was collected from the Keritang rainfall monitoring station during 2015 and 2021. The research findings show that FL based on household scale RWH technology is used to supply clean water in tropical coastal areas that the largest rainwater contribution for the 144 m² house type for the number of residents in a house of four people with a tank capacity of 29 m² is 99.45%.