Perceptions of women’s roles and leadership in urban governance vary from country to country and culture to culture. While women are represented and participate fully in political decision-making in some countries, in Togo women’s participation in local governance is still limited. The aim of this research is to analyse perceptions of women’s leadership in urban governance in the communes of greater Lomé. Specifically, the study of the influence of general perceptions of the role of women on the development of their leadership in the urban governance of greater Lomé (i) and the implications of these perceptions on the participation of women in the urban governance of greater Lomé (ii). Semi-structured interviews were conducted in all the town halls of the thirteen greater Lomé autonomous district communes with 222 women and 162 men, i.e., a total of 384 people. The corpus created from the interviews, which were transcribed in their entirety, was analyzed using the theory of social dominance developed by Sidanius and Pratto to explain power relations and inequalities between social groups. The results show that perceptions of women’s participation in urban governance vary and are generally associated with several significant implications. The general perception is that women are not as competent or legitimate as men in political and administrative leadership roles. However, there is a growing recognition of the value of gender diversity in urban governance, with a growing awareness of the importance of including women in decision-making processes. From the point of view of the significant implications of perceptions, positive perceptions favor increased representation of women, innovation, and creativity, strengthening legitimacy, reducing inequalities, and presenting women as positive role models in urban governance.

This work centres on the contribution of the Nigerian government’s Anchor Borrowers’ Programmes on rice production in the country. This study employs quantitative methodology and with a primary objective to dissect the efficacy of modern farming techniques facilitated by the Anchor Borrowers’ Programmes (ABP), evaluates the advantages and disadvantages inherent in rice production under this programme. Conducted within the agricultural landscape of Ebonyi State, Nigeria, this study adopts a cross-sectional survey approach to gauge the symbiotic relationship between rice production and the ABP. Targeting a cohort of rice smallholder farmers who have directly benefited from the program, the work employs stratified random sampling and purposeful selection techniques to guarantee comprehensive representation within a population of 400 respondents. This study utilizes the mixed-methods approach to data collection, including structured questionnaires administered to rice farmers in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. This research tests hypotheses by utilising statistical tools such as regression analysis. The outcome of this study underscores the imperative for continued support and refinement of the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme. Moreover, it elucidates the pivotal role of financial institutions and agricultural lending agencies in equipping farmers with the requisite skills and resources. Ultimately, this study affirms the crucial role of modern farming methodologies in propelling rice production within Ebonyi State, Nigeria. It recommends that young school leavers, especially those in the rural areas should also be encouraged to venture into agriculture through schemes such as the ABP, bank financing and innovative financing so as to help the Federal Government achieve its economic diversification drive.

Background: Bitcoin mining, an energy-intensive process, requires significant amounts of electricity, which results in a particularly high carbon footprint from mining operations. In the Republic of Kazakhstan, where a substantial portion of electricity is generated from coal-fired power plants, the carbon footprint of mining operations is particularly high. This article examines the scale of energy consumption by mining farms, assesses their share in the country’s total electricity consumption, and analyzes the carbon footprint associated with bitcoin mining. A comparative analysis with other sectors of the economy, including transportation and industry is provided, along with possible measures to reduce the environmental impact of mining operations. Materials and methods: To assess the impact of bitcoin mining on the carbon footprint in Kazakhstan, electricity consumption from 2016 to 2023, provided by the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was used. Data on electricity production from various types of power plants was also analyzed. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used to analyze the environmental performance of energy systems. CO₂ emissions were estimated based on emission factors for various energy sources. Results: The total electricity consumption in Kazakhstan increased from 74,502 GWh in 2016 to 115,067.6 GWh in 2023. The industrial sector’s electricity consumption remained relatively stable over this period. The consumption by mining farms amounted to 10,346 GWh in 2021. A comparative analysis of CO₂ emissions showed that bitcoin mining has a higher carbon footprint compared to electricity generation from renewable sources, as well as oil refining and car manufacturing. Conclusions: Bitcoin mining has a significant negative impact on the environment of the Republic of Kazakhstan due to high electricity consumption and resulting carbon dioxide emissions. Measures are needed to transition to sustainable energy sources and improve energy efficiency to reduce the environmental footprint of cryptocurrency mining activities.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the unit rates of MSW generation in Cumba in the years 2016 and 2022. The calculations were based on the weights of the MSW disposed in the dump located 5 km from the city of Cumba since 2012. The GPC, physical composition, density, humidity were determined in the years 2016 and 2022, studied according to the methodology and group classification of Peruvian regulations. The results show that 5.45 Tn/day⁻¹ are generated in 2016, 4.37 Tn/day⁻¹ in 2022; according to its physical composition, 82% RO, 14% MICVC and 4% MISVC in 2016; 77% RO, 16% MICVC, 7% MISVC in 2022; density 137.90 kg/m⁻³ in 2016 and 172.69 kg/m⁻³ in 2022; humidity 67.67% in 2016 and 63.43% in 2022. It was also found that in 100.00% there is no solid waste treatment; Everything generated in homes, businesses and streets is evacuated to the final disposal site, which is a dump. In 2022, Cumba acquired 10 hectares to have adequate sanitary infrastructure and begin the closure and recovery of its current dump. This study will contribute to providing accurate data on MSW generation that allows the local government to promote the optimization of collection routes and schedules, resulting in cost savings and reduction of carbon emissions in the Amazon Region. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness at all levels of society through various means of communication and education, so that the risks of spreading health risks can be minimized by improving MSW management.

Purpose: Religiosity as an intrinsic principle affects the sustainable behavior of consumers. Studies have been undertaken to discover the impact of religiosity on sustainable consumer behavior in various contexts, cultures, and countries. The current bibliometric study focused on religiosity and sustainable consumer behavior in Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) countries who has similar religions and cultures so that the research trend, contribution, and gap through thematic and content analysis could be investigated and future direction could be suggested. The literature for this study was solicited from 2016 to June 2024. Methodology: Bibliometrics and content analysis were used to study the existing literature on religiosity and sustainable consumption behavior in GCC countries. The VOS viewer was used to visualize literature and understand the network landscape of the research topic and their interconnectivity. Additionally, Scopus analytics and Microsoft Excel were used to review and analyze the religiosity of consumers regarding the sustainable consumption of products and services. Finding: The descriptive analysis revealed trends, prolific countries, and researchers in this area along with their affiliation. The co-occurrence analysis showed 3 main clusters of co-occurrences with various link strengths. The content analysis looked at the 6 clusters depicted by the coupling function and compared them against co-occurrence analysis to uncover related themes. This analysis produced 4 related themes for content analysis. Contribution: This research contributed to understanding the current themes, challenges, and the need for marketing strategies and action so that sustainable consumption could be encouraged. As such this research will fill the void in the current literature left in this research area. This research has practical and policy implications for businesses, organizations, and policymakers as they try to capture consumers for sustainable products and services in GCC countries.

In recent years, the construction of Jiafeng (家风)has become an important research topic in the field of street-level governance. A systematic literature review method is used to review 504 journal articles sourced from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). The research overview is presented from the perspectives of overall research characteristics, highly cited literature, theoretical foundations, and research methods. The research systematically elaborates on the results of literature analysis from the perspective of the connotation and extension of Jiafeng, the practical mechanisms and related suggestions for Jiafeng construction. The research has found that the practical mechanisms of Jiafeng construction includes institutional support mechanism, theoretical consolidation mechanism, collaborative mechanism, social education mechanism, application innovation mechanism, and efficiency evaluation mechanism. On the basis of constructing a framework for the study of Jiafeng, this article provides prospects for future research: consolidating the theoretical foundation of Jiafeng construction, defining the connotation and extension of Jiafeng, refining the practical mechanism of Jiafeng construction, enriching the research methods of Jiafeng and measuring tools for governance effectiveness.