{"title":"Narratives of climate adaptation and linkages to psychosocial and nutritional health in a Zimbabwean rural community","authors":"Sandra Bhatasara , Chijoke Nwosu , Lesley Macheka , Admire M. Nyamwanza","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the face of unprecedented climate change, adaptation has emerged as important for communities and nations to deal with the devastating effects of the phenomenon. It is inevitable that communities must adapt, although evidence in several regions, including Zimbabwe also point towards maladaptation. A plethora of studies have been developed to understand adaptation practices and processes, including the impacts of various adaptive strategies. However, this approach has been limited to particular fields such as livelihoods studies, with clear evidence in Zimbabwe that heath issues vis-à-vis adaptation outcomes have not been taken into consideration at policy, development and research levels. Our study is therefore breaking new research frontiers by exploring the nexus between adaptation strategies and psychosocial and nutritional health outcomes. As an important learning research process into a field where virtually no literature exists in the country, the results are both complex and intriguing. This qualitative study shows positive nutrition benefits such as improved dietary diversity and boost in self –esteem and, improved stress level over food availability as psychosocial health benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100205"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Welfare effects and gender dimensions of adoption of climate smart agriculture practices: Evidence from Kenyan small-scale farmers","authors":"Boscow Okumu , Maren Radeny , Laura Cramer","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agricultural production in Kenya is predominantly rain-fed and highly vulnerable to climate variability and change. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is thus being promoted with the aim of increasing agricultural productivity, adapting to the changing climate, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite increased adoption of CSA practices by smallholder farmers, the heterogenous welfare effects are hardly understood as the results have been mixed. Moreover, despite the labour burden of rural women in agricultural production exceeding that of men– especially in Kenya–the drivers of adoption of CSA practices and the gender differential impact are barely understood. This study addresses these gaps by employing the probit model and the endogenous switching regression model to determine the drivers of adoption of CSA practices and the average and heterogenous welfare impact of adoption, including the gender differentiated impacts, using data from 1,809 smallholder farmers from diverse agroecological zones across 22 counties in Kenya. The results revealed that access to agricultural information, input subsidies, loans and credit and being a female headed household increases likelihood of adoption of CSA practices. Employment, access to off-farm income, higher household size and membership in local organizations reduces the likelihood of adoption of CSA practices. Further, the study revealed that adoption of CSA practices improves household welfare as measured by per capita monthly expenditure and savings, but the impact is significantly higher among female headed households compared to male headed households that adopted CSA practices. The study also found that non-adopters of CSA practices would be better off adopting CSA practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100204"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shreya Pal , Shravni Vankila , Melvin Norbert Fernandes
{"title":"Interplay of financial inclusion and economic growth in emerging economies","authors":"Shreya Pal , Shravni Vankila , Melvin Norbert Fernandes","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2025.100201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study delves into the complex link between financial inclusion—both traditional and digital—and economic growth across emerging economies from 1990 to 2022, using Dynamic Simulated ARDL and Driscoll-Kraay Standard Error techniques. Key findings highlight that traditional financial inclusion correlates positively with economic growth, whereas digital financial inclusion presents obstacles. Additionally, fiscal, monetary, and trade policies play vital roles: fiscal policies in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico focus on infrastructure, social programs, and tax reforms, respectively, to spur growth. Monetary policies include Brazil's inflation targeting, Turkey's interest rate adjustments, and India's MUDRA scheme, which promotes entrepreneurship. Trade policies, such as Chile's Free Trade Agreements and Mexico's participation in NAFTA, improve market access and economic resilience, while Egypt and Saudi Arabia focus on foreign direct investment and economic diversification.</div><div>The study emphasizes coordinated policy efforts for sustained growth, advocating for financial inclusion supported by robust regulations and government investments in critical areas like infrastructure and healthcare. Central banks contribute by maintaining price stability and credit access, while strategic trade agreements and export diversification enhance economic resilience. The focus of the study on emerging economies and macro-level insights calls for further research at the micro-level to refine these results. By maintaining policy coherence and regular evaluations, these strategies aim to foster inclusive, long-term economic growth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143233834","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annisa Joviani Astari , Jon C. Lovett , Meditya Wasesa
{"title":"Sustainable pathways in Indonesia's palm oil industry through historical institutionalism","authors":"Annisa Joviani Astari , Jon C. Lovett , Meditya Wasesa","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the evolution of sustainable palm oil policies in Indonesia through a historical institutionalism framework, tracing the influence of both domestic institutional developments and global dynamics on the sustainability trajectory of the palm oil sector, focusing on the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) initiative. Employing longitudinal content analysis, this research examines institutional frameworks from 1957 to 2022, identifying patterns of institutional continuity and change, as well as how path dependency and critical junctures have shaped policy development. Utilizing a combination of primary and secondary data—including thirteen interviews, seven archived interview videos, four focus group discussions, and 143 document archives—this analysis thematically codes qualitative data to uncover key themes related to institutional change and sustainability pathways. Findings reveal that the institutionalization of sustainable palm oil in Indonesia is shaped by both exogenous and endogenous dynamics; international pressures and the emergence of global sustainability networks have prompted shifts in national institutional arrangements, while domestic political forces and commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have facilitated gradual institutional transformations. The ISPO certification embodies these changes, reflecting a synthesis of existing regulations and illustrating the path-dependent nature of sustainability policies. This research contributes to the literature on institutional change and offers insights for policymakers aiming to design effective strategies that stimulate sustainable practices in the palm oil industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100200"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Unpacking the critical elements for solving the complex issue of sustainable lake management: Case studies from Japan","authors":"Yukako Inamura , Pankaj Kumar , Naoko Hirayama","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although water is a vital finite resource for sustaining life, it is under constant pressure from anthropogenic activities. Among the different types of surface water, lakes are particularly difficult to restore once water quality deteriorates due to their hydrological cycles and complex dynamics. This study compares policy implementation and its relationship to water quality improvement through spatio-temporal variation for two lakes in Japan: Lake Biwa and Lake Teganuma. We divided the analysis time frame into three periods to assess how the timing of policy implementation has affected the water quality and ecosystem services. Lake Biwa is an iconic and vital water resource in the region, and its conservation has been led by citizens and strong leadership from the governor since the 1960s. On the other hand, efforts to conserve the environment of Lake Teganuma began in the 1970s, and legislation played an important role in initiating and implementing the governance framework. The comparison of these two cases shows that while the efforts of subnational government and citizen are as powerful as legislation in protecting the lake environment, special legislation can guide subnational governments in establishing the necessary governance framework that fits local conditions and goals. Achieving regional sustainability in a human-environment system requires policy planning that goes beyond silo thinking, and this study clearly shows that cooperation between multilevel governments and relevant stakeholders, including citizens, is essential. The findings provide policy-relevant practical lessons in the quest for sustainable lake management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100199"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mobile money remittances to cope with aggregate shocks: Urban migrants and rural families under the COVID-19 lockdown in Bangladesh","authors":"Hiroyuki Egami , Yukichi Mano , Tomoya Matsumoto","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In developing economies, rural households send their members to urban areas to cope with idiosyncratic shocks by sharing resources through internal remittances, which are more prevalent than international remittances. However, there is limited evidence on the role of internal remittances in risk-sharing against aggregate shocks. We analyze the seven-round panel of 723 urban migrant workers paired with their rural families in Bangladesh, covering the pre- and post-lockdown period for COVID-19. During the lockdown, urban migrants and their rural families experienced substantial income losses, particularly severe in urban areas. Our event study analysis suggests that urban migrants and their rural families coped with the aggregate income shock by sharing resources through internal remittances rather than relying on other shock-coping strategies, including selling assets or borrowing from neighbors. Although the travel restrictions prevented urban migrants from carrying remittances by hand, they could continue sending remittances via mobile money, mitigating the negative impact on the welfare of rural families. Moreover, by reducing the amount of remittances they had to send, urban migrants also mitigated their welfare loss. Together, they could fully smooth food consumption and partially smooth general consumption. We support our argument with a novel machine-learning technique.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100197"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Climate and environmental impacts of green recovery: Evidence from the financial crisis","authors":"Karol Kempa, Ashish Tyagi","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100194","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100194","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While main goal of stimulus packages is to boost economic activity after a crisis, they may also affect environmental outcomes. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether incorporating green components into such packages affects the environment and to identify whether any effects are only temporary or affect countries’ trajectories towards a sustainable low-carbon economy. We compile a panel dataset covering 27 OECD countries from 2000–2019 to analyse green recovery packages launched in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. Based in this dataset, we can investigate both short- and long-term impacts of green recovery packages on the climate, i.e., mitigation investments and greenhouse gas emissions, and the earth’s biocapacity. Using fixed effects estimation, we find that higher shares of green recovery spending induce lower CO<sub>2</sub> emissions and a smaller ecological footprint of production. Employing a difference-in-differences framework, we provide evidence for a causal effect of recovery programmes dedicated to renewable energy on renewable energy investments. All these effects persist in the post-recovery periods. These findings stress that policymakers should consider the long-term impacts of post-crisis recovery programmes to ensure their consistency with the transition towards a sustainable climate-neutral economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100194"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133245","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Boosting trade in environmental goods. Evidence from provisions in free trade agreements","authors":"Fredrik Gisselman , Erik Merkus , Nils Norell","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmentally friendly goods and techniques such are essential for the transition to a greener economy. Trade policy can help support the global diffusion of these goods and technologies by removing barriers to trade, lowering the cost of the green transition for consumers, firms, and governments. This paper investigates the effectiveness of trade agreements that specifically aim to boost and facilitate trade in these environmental goods. Using a gravity model, we find that these trade agreements are not associated with increased trade in environmental goods. Trade flows between countries that have a free trade agreement with so-called environmental goods provisions are not higher than between countries without such an agreement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100195"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133247","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dr. Ganesh Thapa , Dr. Dyutiman Choudhary , Dr. Naba Raj Pandit , Prabin Dongol
{"title":"Fertilizer demonstration, agricultural performance, and food security of smallholder farmers: Empirical evidence from Nepal","authors":"Dr. Ganesh Thapa , Dr. Dyutiman Choudhary , Dr. Naba Raj Pandit , Prabin Dongol","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100196","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100196","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Low agricultural productivity in developing countries is attributed towards the low and inefficient use of chemical fertilizers. Fertilizer demonstrations have been a useful extension tool to change the farmers’ awareness and perception towards the right use of fertilizer application. About 180 fertilizer demonstrations (demos) on rice and maize were conducted in farmers field in 2017 and 2018 in western Nepal to promote the 4R nutrient stewardship that incorporates the right fertilizer source at the right rate, at the right time, and in the right place including the best management practices. Household surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2019 after the successful completion of fertilizer demonstrations. We assess the determinants of farmers’ participation in fertilizer demos and estimates its impact on fertilizer adoption, agricultural performance, and food security in Nepal. Our doubly robust impact evaluation approach accounts for non-random patterns of use of hybrid varieties, higher seed replacement rates, and proximity to the demo plots (within one kilometer of demo site). Farmers who participated in demos have higher fertilizer adoption rate and were more likely to use balanced fertilizers (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Results indicate that the demo participation would lead to significantly increase rice productivity, household maize consumption and agriculture commercialization. Agriculture policy should underscore in organizing the demos to promote the best nutrient management practices and sustain agricultural production and ensure food security. However, such demos should also be located near to the poor, who use less advanced agronomic practices, or in other locations to those traditionally chosen for demonstration plots to ensure the productivity gains by poor and marginal households.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100196"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Health occupation workforce and inclusive growth in sub–Saharan Africa: Does politically empowering women make or break this relationship?","authors":"Boniface Ngah Epo, Younous Fozoudine Tapche Ndam, Jean Raoul Nkoudou Bengono","doi":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.wds.2024.100198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper explores the impacts of politically empowering women on the connection between health occupation workforce (HOW) and inclusive growth (IG) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the period 2000–2019. Results show that: (a) HOW, women's political empowerment (WPE) and their combined effect positively associate with a growth process that redistributes opportunities in both the short-and long-term; and (b) there is a partial mediation effect of WPE on the association between HOW and IG in SSA. Our findings support commitment towards stepping-up politically empowering women as a lever towards increasing the effect of HOW on IG.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":101285,"journal":{"name":"World Development Sustainability","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100198"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}