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The influence of oil proceeds on an economy remains a subject of debate among scholars. Most scholars agree that income from oil has direct effect on economic expansion. We explore the impact of revenue from oil on economic growth in Nigeria from 1986 to 2016. Data were collected from the Nigerian Central Bank and the World Data Indicators. We employed a non‐linear autoregressive distributive lag approach to analyse the data. The outcome exposes a direct and significant association between revenue from oil and GDP both in the short and long term. Trade openness exhibits a significant negative effect on GDP from both short‐ and long‐term perspectives. Gross capital formation directly influences GDP in the short and long run, with significant impacts primarily in the long term. The study suggests that revenue from oil has a direct and significant impact on the Nigerian economy during the period from 1981 to 2016. We recommend that the Nigerian government create a conducive environment for private investment to thrive, thereby sustaining the nation's growth potential. Additionally, the government should wisely utilise revenue from oil to revitalise non‐booming productive sectors in the economy, thus diversifying revenue sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study of growth traits is of interest to many animal scientists, regardless of specialization, due to the economic importance of growth rate, mature weight and other related traits. Objective: This study aimed to compare six non‐linear models for describing the growth of Lori‐Bakhtiari sheep. Methods: In order to collect weight data, 85 lambs (41 males and 44 females) were reared from birth to 140 days of age, and their growth patterns were recorded by measuring their body weight at 10‐day intervals. Various mathematical functions, including the negative exponential, Brody, Gompertz, Logistic, Morgan–Mercer–Flodin (MMF) and Weibull, were used to model the relationship between body weight records and age. Results: The results showed that the MMF and Gompertz models provided the best fit to the body weight data, whereas the negative exponential model exhibited the worst fit. In all models, the asymptotic weight of male lambs was higher than females. The research also revealed differences in growth patterns between male and female lambs. Overall, females had a lower absolute growth rate than males, but they reached their peak growth at an earlier period, and their growth rate declined faster. Conclusions: The differences in growth patterns between males and females indicate the importance of analysing male and female data separately when describing growth. As a result, Gompertz model can be recommended to Lori‐Bakhtiari female and male lamb breeders to determine more accurate growth traits. In addition, it should be considered that feeding male and female lambs separately according to absolute growth rate values may increase growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of administrative level on local economic growth from the perspective of officials' rank. We notice an interesting phenomenon that higher‐ranking local officials (HRO) serve in cities with lower administrative level, can effectively improve economic performance similar to the effect of promoting administrative level of local government. Based on prefecture‐level city data from 2001 to 2019, we find that HRO can significantly promote local economic growth, especially in cities with lower levels of development. The mechanism analysis shows that the HRO cities not only could receive upper‐level government's favoritism but also tend to shape good business environment to attract investment. Further, HRO is a softer and shorter way than a formal change of regional administrative level, with less negative impact on the surrounding regions. The results provide new evidence that raising administrative level promotes regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Related Articles This study investigates how governance and infrastructure moderate the effect of natural resource rents on economic growth using a sample of 110 countries from 2000 to 2018. The empirical evidence is based on panel smooth transition regressions (PSTR). The nexus between economic growth and natural resources is not linear and the underlying non‐linearity is contingent on existing infrastructural and governance levels. Evidence of a “natural resource curse” is apparent in countries with extremely low levels of governance and infrastructural development. The favorable effect of natural resources on economic growth requires a governance threshold of −1.210 and an infrastructure threshold of 2.583, indicating that countries with governance and infrastructure levels higher than these values tend to benefit much more from the wealth of natural resources. Countries identified below the established thresholds are mainly from Africa. Policy implications are discussed with specific emphasis on African countries.Ali, Hamid E., and Shahjahan Bhuiyan. 2022. “Governance, Natural Resources Rent, and Infrastructure Development: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa.” Politics & Policy 50(2): 408–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12451.Asiegbu, Martin F., Okey Marcellus Ikeanyibe, Pius Otu Abang, Okwudili Chukwuma Nwosu, and Chuka Eugene Ugwu. 2024. “Natural Resource Fund Governance and the Institutionalization of Rent Seeking in Nigeria's Oil Sector.” Politics & Policy 52(1): 169–95. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12579.Ikeanyibe, Okechukwu M. 2018. “Bureaucratic Politics and the Implementation of Liberalization Reforms in Nigeria: A Study of the Unbundling and Reorganization of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.” Politics & Policy 46(2): 263–94. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12249. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh, a developing country, is experiencing a rapid increase in its energy requirements due to its consistent economic growth in recent years. However, little is known about the economic contributions of access to electricity (AE), energy consumption (EC), and population growth (PG). In this study, the asymmetrical connection among PG, EC and electricity accessibility in Bangladesh is examined over a span of 36 years, from 1985 to 2021. The study used non‐linear ARDL cointegration methods as well as Granger Causality. For robustness, this study used Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS) and Canonical Cointegrating Regression (CCR). The results reveal that PG has a notable favourable impact on economic growth, and conversely, a declining population also leads to a substantial positive influence on economic growth. Both favourable and adverse fluctuations in electricity accessibility exhibit detrimental effects on long‐term economic growth. Over the course of time, enhancing power accessibility has contributed to the rise in economic growth. Unfavourable EC shocks exhibit a meaningfully positive influence on economic growth in Bangladesh. Nevertheless, the positive EC shock does not have a notable impact on long‐term economic growth. The data also demonstrate bidirectional causality between PG and economic growth and EC and economic growth (EG). There is also a unidirectional causal link between PG and AE and EC and PG. The findings have significant policy ramifications for those in charge of making decisions in Bangladesh that would help the country achieve its economic goals by bolstering its energy industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a dynamic model of economic growth and tourism when the environmental dimension is included in the decision‐making process of the agents. In this setup, the economy can be represented by a four‐dimensional dynamic system, which admits a set of four‐dimensional optimal trajectory. Using dynamic programming tools, we aim to study the economic behaviour of a touristic economy in which environmental dimension is considered as a system's component. It is shown that there is a unique non‐trivial equilibrium of all variables. The general results of the study indicate that the variable's dynamic relationships are complex and that the growth guided by the tourism development could exist under the presence of pollution as well as the dynamic of natural resources. The main policy implication of the results is that policy makers should control the main system's variables in order to stay in a desirable path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have provided compelling evidence to suggest that various environmental factors play a significant role in the development of food allergies. As our society experiences rapid economic growth, increased urbanization, and a shift towards a more Westernized diet, the incidence of food allergies is also on the rise and the pattern is gradually evolving. This review will delve into the changes in the epidemiology of food allergies within the Asia‐Pacific region and the various dietary practices and factors that are postulated to play a role in the rise in food allergies over the years. Although there have been important advancements in the field of food allergies, there are still numerous uncertainties regarding the intricate relationship between diet and food allergies. Specifically, the role of epigenetic factors in influencing the susceptibility to food allergies, as evidenced by studies that assessed the impact of migration and rural–urban dynamics, is not fully understood. Addressing this knowledge gap presents an opportunity to develop more effective prevention and treatment strategies that could greatly benefit individuals living with food allergies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employed advanced panel data analysis, accounting for cross‐sectional dependence and heterogeneity, to investigate the impact of tourism development and economic output on forest areas in major international tourist markets. The research was guided by forest transformation hypothesis (FTH). The study assessed the validity of FTH, examined the influence of tourism, and identified the income level at which a turning point occurs. The results revealed a heterogeneous impact of tourism on forested areas across major international tourist markets. Specifically, tourism development encouraged afforestation in Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but led to deforestation in China. In contrast, no significant relationship was observed between the tourism‐forest area nexus in Türkiye and Thailand. Additionally, the study provided evidence supporting FTH in the relationship between economic growth and forested areas in Italy, Spain, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Given these findings, the paper underscores the strong heterogeneity among the individual countries and their tourism, economic development, and forest areas. Consequently, country‐specific sustainable policies are advocated over generic approaches in the fight against deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new Labour government's overriding priority is economic growth—and chancellor Rachel Reeves's March 2024 Mais lecture is the clearest statement of how they intend to achieve it. The anticipated ‘dullness dividend’ from being more stable than recent Conservative governments is likely to be small, while the incoming government will have to confront trade‐offs—for example, accepting lower consumption—to increase investment. Planning reform is at the heart of Labour's proposed supply side reforms, but it remains unclear whether the party will be bold enough to follow through on its rhetoric. Labour also believes that stronger worker protections will increase productivity. By contrast, education, migration and trade are more marginal in Labour's growth narrative. It is to be seen how far Labour has made a virtue of necessity by prioritising cheaper and apparently less politically contentious growth measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of environmental sustainability has become a significant concern in the last several decades. The degradation of the environment has significant implications for human well‐being, subsequently affecting productivity and economic growth. Consequently, achieving the goal of environmental sustainability emerges as a primary objective. The goal of this study is to develop an Environmental Sustainability Index that specifically targets factors related to air, land, and water. The second goal is to assess the short‐ and long‐term impacts of fiscal policies on the environmental sustainability. The asymmetric influence of fiscal measures on sustainability is assumed in the present investigation. A time series data for the period 1974–2020 are used for the analysis. For the estimation of asymmetric effects, the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) technique is applied. Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that subsidy and developmental expenditures have a detrimental effect on environmental sustainability in the presence of positive shocks. Conversely, a negative shock in subsidies does not yield a significant impact, whereas a negative shock in development expenditures has a noteworthy and adverse influence on environmental sustainability. In the short run, the positive shock to both subsidy and developmental expenditures significantly affects environmental sustainability while the negative shock to developmental expenditure has an insignificant impact while subsidy has a significant effect on environmental sustainability. The study suggests that while making fiscal policies, the government should consider the environmental aspects of these measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural resources are vital resources given by nature and are responsible for promoting a nation's economic development. However, with the existence of two opposing theories, it is essential to provide state‐of‐the‐art research that ascertains the association between natural resources and economic growth. The Rostow hypothesis presents the importance of natural resources in promoting economic growth, while the resources curse hypothesis alludes that natural resources, in the developing countries, reduce economic growth. The present research uses the contemporary Methods of Moments Quantile Regression method to explore on this relationship in the fifteen natural resources‐rich African countries. The data used are annual data for the period 1990 to 2021. The major results presented in this research show that natural resources rent significantly promotes economic growth in this region, supporting the postulations of Rostow's hypothesis. Renewable energy is also observed to play a significant role in raising economic growth of this region. However, labor force participation rate is determined to reduce economic growth and this can be explained by high levels of unemployment in this region. Capital provides a positive but insignificant effect on economic growth of the natural resources‐rich African countries. The study results also show that economic growth, capital, trade openness, and labor force enhance natural resources rent. The study calls for the improvement in the use of renewable energy and natural resources in order to attain sustainable economic development in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore the relationships between economic growth and energy intensity in Bahrain, and we analyse how energy intensity, population, and other macroeconomic variables are associated with each in the short and long run. In the empirical section we use data span from 1980 to 2019 and we perform a vector error correction model and cointegration technique to detect causality between the variables used in the model. The main findings of this article show that economic growth, population and FDI increased energy intensity in Bahrain in the short run. Therefore, an urgent need to be embedded in the sustainable energy action plan to limit the harmful effects of economic activity on the environmental quality in Bahrain and to ensure environmental sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing global concern about the challenges of sustainable development. Furthermore, these concerns are becoming increasingly prevalent in Bangladesh on a daily basis. This may be attributed to the escalating influx of remittances, the degradation of natural resources, and the potential adverse impacts of economic growth on the ecosystem. Thus, this research looks at how remittances (REM) and natural resources (NR) affect the ecological footprint (EFP) in Bangladesh by controlling economic growth (EG), renewable energy (REN), and urbanization (URB) from 1990 to 2021. The study utilizes the linear and non‐linear autoregressive distributed lag model to test the relationships between REM and NR on EFP. Positive and negative shocks to REM and NR have varied consequences on EFP, which suggests an asymmetric relationship. The findings reveal that the impact of the positive shock on NR is positive and significant. It implies that an increase in the positive shock of NR causes a rise in EFP. However, the impact of the negative shock on NR is negative but statistically insignificant. Likewise, negative shock in REM decreases the EFP by increasing ecological quality, while positive shock in REM does not significantly impact EFP. Similarly, REN and URB improve the environmental quality in Bangladesh while EG decreases. To meet sustainable development goals, policies can be designed for proficient and ecologically friendly types of energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Despite a plethora of studies on the relationship between foreign aid and economic growth of the recipient countries, there is no consensus. We argue that the size of the winning coalition dictates the decision on how the aid capital is used because the top priority of national leaders is staying in power. To this end, we investigate how the size of the winning coalition affects the relationship between foreign aid and economic growth. Methods: To empirically test the effects of the size of the winning coalition on the aid‐economic nexus, we test 82 developing countries from 1960 to 2010. To address the methodological issues including heteroskedasticity, autocorrelation, overdetermination, and endogeneity, we employed a two‐step generalized method of moments estimation technique. Results: Our analysis reveals that the size of the winning coalition affects how the aid capital is used, which in turn significantly affects economic growth. The larger the winning coalition, the better economic growth. Conclusion: The size of the winning coalition significantly affects the economic effects of foreign aid on the recipient country's economic growth. In terms of policy implications, international donors may specify how the aid capital is allocated to improve the recipient country's economic infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development and environmental sustainability have recently become global priorities. This study utilizes the nonlinear autoregressive distribution lag model (NARDL) to investigate the asymmetric effects of natural resource rents on economic growth and environmental quality in China and the United States from 1970 to 2020. The findings indicate that natural resource rents exert asymmetric effects on economic growth and environmental quality in both countries; however, the impact patterns differ between the two countries. In the short term, a decrease in natural resource rents significantly increases GDP per capita in the US, while an increase in natural resource rents has no effect. Moreover, natural resource rents do not influence the ecological footprint in the US. By contrast, China's GDP per capita remains unaffected by natural resource rents, while the ecological footprint is significantly influenced by both positive and negative changes in natural resource rents, exhibiting asymmetric impacts. In the long run, an increase in natural resource rents significantly impacts both GDP per capita and the ecological footprint in the US, while a decrease only impacts the ecological footprint. By contrast, both increases and decreases in natural resource rents impact per capita GDP and the ecological footprint in China. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring country‐specific policies to facilitate sustainable economic development and enhance environmental quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has experienced great economic expansion, which has resulted in varied degrees of diversified commerce, an elevated level of government revenue, and an increase in the demand for energy. The purpose of this study is to provide a solution to this conundrum by analyzing the effects of trade diversification (TDF), government revenues (GRN), gross domestic product (GDP), and natural resource rent (NTR) on the sustainable development of the ASEAN countries between the years 1981 and 2022. In order to accurately portray the concept of environmental sustainability, the ecological footprint (EFP) is utilized to represent sustainable development. The quantile‐based econometrics technique known as the Method of the Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) has been utilized in order to investigate the direction and amplitude of the asymmetric correlation that exists between the interaction of GRN, TDF, NTR, and EFP. According to the estimations of the MMQR, it is proposed that government revenues, which include significant financial incentives that promote the stringent execution of environmental rules, hence avoiding deleterious impacts on the environment, have negative coefficients at all quantiles (Q0.25 − Q0.90). Conversely, TDF and GDP have a positive and statistically strong significant correlation across all quantiles (Q0.25 − Q0.90), revealing that TDF reduces environmental sustainability and expands the size of the world's EFP by making energy‐intensive products more accessible. In addition, the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) and the Common Correlated Effect Mean Group (CCEMG) both provide evidence that supports the correlation study by demonstrating that there is a similar pattern of causality across variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical studies have generally found that higher fertility has a negative or insignificant effect on economic growth. This article argues that this is because existing studies have failed to capture the long‐term lagged effects of fertility. By estimating a long‐term lagged panel model using data from 137 countries, I find that higher fertility first reduces and then increases economic growth, and the long‐term average effect is significantly positive. This finding is robust when focusing on countries at different development levels, exploiting exogenous fertility shocks from global family planning campaigns, and capitalizing on within‐country fertility variation resulting from China's one‐child policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐frequency daily variability (HFDV), as a fundamental aspect of climate variability, has drawn increasing attention due to its crucial impacts on public health, regional ecosystems and economic growth rates. The statistical metrics are of great importance to measure the changes in HFDV. In this study, we compared two common statistical metrics of monthly HFDV, including the standard deviation (SD) and the day‐to‐day difference (DTDx), for various variables (temperature, specific humidity and horizontal wind) using the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis dataset. Here, we show that the SD of daily variables includes mainly sub‐semiannual variability (<180 days), while DTDx can separate the synoptic variability (<12 days, DTD1), submonthly variability (<25 days, DTD3) and subseasonal variability (<60 days, DTD5) from other temporal scales. Moreover, a wider dominant timescale of DTDx causes a higher climatological mean and a closer relationship with SD. We also find that the linear trend in SD exhibits remarkable differences from that of the DTDx nearly all over the world, which can be explained by the significant change in the autocorrelation with different lag days under climate change. Our findings highlight that the DTDx is superior to SD in measuring HFDV, especially in a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a panel data set comprising 284 prefecture‐level and above cities in China during 2005–2018, this study develops a theoretical mechanism harnessing the spatial Durbin model (SDM) to accumulate evidence and explain how innovation affects China's economic growth. It is found that regional economic growth is facilitated by local innovation activities as well as the absorption capacity of innovation and technology spilled over from other regions. This study also identifies 12 regional innovation poles across the country, which are found to have played a significant role in promoting urban economic development within a physical distance range of 150 km of a given region. This finding attests to the radiation effect from regional innovation poles in cultivating more such poles for China, to promote sustainable high‐quality economic growth, suggesting a route for China to avoid the curse of the middle‐income trap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agglomeration economies can bring about positive externalities, while excessive agglomeration backfires. However, existing literature on place‐based policies mainly focuses on policies that enhance agglomeration economies. Few studies discuss dispersion policies coping with the negative externality from excessive agglomeration. Owing to the unclear effects of dispersion policies, we conduct empirical research on the noncapital function relief (NCFR) policy, which is implemented to decrease the agglomeration in Beijing, the capital of China, and promote the development of surrounding areas. Exploiting the difference‐in‐difference model, we find that the NCFR policy implementation significantly facilitates the economic growth of the surrounding areas of Beijing. Changes in the distribution of new firm entry and population are two main channels, while no significant effect on the productivity is found. Furthermore, areas that are less‐developed could benefit more from the NCFR policy. Our findings may enlighten other developing countries in urban economic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data for 22 sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries, this paper investigates the effects of public debt on economic growth in SSA countries covering the period 1990–2021. Relying upon the estimation of Panel Smooth Transition Regression and generalized method of moments method, our findings offer strong evidence that public debt nonlinearly impacts economic growth. More specifically, there exists a threshold beyond which public debt exerts a negative effect on growth. These results can be used to formulate economic recommendations that the public authorities could implement to improve public debt management and maintain stable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration of both unskilled and skilled labour force can alter economic conditions and environmental sustainability of both host and home countries. Consequently, this study endeavors to investigate the impact of skilled labour migration on economic growth, energy demand, and environmental sustainability of both home and host countries. This objective is achieved by constructing a multiregional computable general equilibrium model for developed and developing countries. Moreover, developing countries are classified into four distinct groups based on their income levels such as high income, upper middle income, lower middle‐income and low‐income countries. The outcome of policy simulations indicate that skilled labour migration diminishes the gross domestic product, welfare, energy consumption and carbon emissions in home countries, and the reverse is true for the host countries. The influx of remittances to home counties is shown to bolster their economic growth, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, whereas a contrary trend in remittance outflow is observed in host countries. Likewise, reverse migration has the potential to augment economic growth in developing countries alongside an increase in energy demand and CO2 emissions. The study advocates for developed countries to harness the skills of immigrants in environment‐friendly manufacturing industries. Furthermore, it emphasizes that developing countries should utilise remittances for both socio‐economic and environmental development to retain the migration of skilled labour forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, economic growth is influenced by many domestic and foreign global issues, concerning the decrease of industrial output for the rise in economic inequality and the weakening of the overall condition in the countries. The role of economic growth is based on human capital and investment. Therefore, in this paper, the human capital and economic management system (HC‐EMS) has been proposed to enhance the country's quality based on the capital structure investment. HC explores the role of command and its significance in the production and creation aspects of human capital such that an area can grow creatively. HC‐EMS analysed critical monitoring systems for developing human resources and the high‐tech and creative economic sectors and presented suggestions for change. Besides, there is a need to prove the shortcomings and benefits of human resource development systems and statistical approaches for gathering and analysing information. The impact of financial services and financial transactions may vary; therefore, it is critically important for fostering economic growth. The experimental result suggests that the proposed HC‐EMS achieves the highest growth development ratio than other existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the causality between resource rents, openness, and economic growth was investigated using the quantile causality method and quarterly data (2006–2021) in Iran. The advantage of this method is that it makes it possible to investigate the relationships of variables in the conditional distribution tail and all quantiles by using quantile‐based conditional regressions. The results showed a bi‐direction causality between resource rents and growth in the tail of the distribution. Therefore, in the upper median quantiles, the causality is from the resources rent to growth, and in the lower quantiles, the causality is in the opposite direction. The results confirmed, in general, the presence of bi‐direction causality between economic growth and openness in quantiles. In the middle quantile, there is a uni‐direction causality relationship from growth to the trade openness, and in the upper quantile, there is causality from openness to economic growth. In addition, the results showed evidence of a tail dependency between resource rents and trade openness, in some quantiles, the causal relationship is from openness to the resources rent, and in the median quantiles, the causality is from rent to openness. These results show that the rent effect of natural resources can be considered as an opportunity for economic growth by adopting appropriate and flexible policies by governments. We recommend the implementation of more trade liberalization policies to maximize the benefits from trade openness, especially in the countries where the resource curse phenomenon reported. Important policy implications can be learned from the empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a sustainable development model by examining the short‐run relationship, long‐run relationship and causality between renewable energy consumption and economic growth. We consider a sample of 142 countries for 1991–2019 and employ time series analysis. The study noticed the long‐run and short‐run relationship between economic growth and renewable energy consumption in the case of all Countries Groups and regions such as Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Sub‐Saharan Africa and low‐income economies. Overall, we conclude that renewable energy consumption positively influences economic growth, which can motivate countries to achieve sustainable development goals. A nation cannot only focus on economic development when growing environmental and climatic concerns exist. What is essential is the prioritisation of sustainable development goals. The constructed model will help the countries plan, modify and implement national and international sustainable development policies. The results will also be helpful to intergovernmental organisations for channelling countries' efforts towards sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Productivity in agriculture plays a major role in economic expansion. Because plant disease is a widespread occurrence, plant disease detection is an important problem in the world of agriculture. Plants do suffer a significant consequence if the required care is not taken at the beginning, which affects the amount, quality or productivity of the relevant products. Because it can detect disease symptoms at the earliest stage and reduces the labour required for large crop farm tracking, the automated plant disease detection system is more advantageous. In order to detect plant diseases, this paper proposes a novel, four‐step methodology that consists of improved deep joint image segmentation, feature extraction (which includes LGXP, MBP, colour feature and hierarchy of skeleton feature extraction) and detection via hybrid DL classifier, specifically improved RNN with the transfer learning process and GoogleNet. By averaging the classifiers' results scores, the final detection result is calculated. In terms of several performance metrics, the suggested work's effectiveness is verified in comparison to the traditional models. In contrast to the SVM (79.5597), KNN (59.2767), LSTM (78.1446), GoogleNet (79.4025), CNN (77.6729), and CAE + CNN (80.1886), the F‐measure of the IRNN‐TL is 91.1949. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An inquiry into the impact of external and domestic borrowings is considered timely for Nigeria, given the growing public debt profile amid deteriorating human capital development. Using data from 1990 to 2021, the study estimates the effects of domestic and external debts on Nigeria's human capital development. The study employed the fully modified ordinary least squares and canonical cointegration regression as the main estimation technique and the robustness check, respectively. The study discovered that domestic and external debt, economic growth and debt servicing exert positive and significant influence on human capital development in Nigeria while environmental pollution has an inverse and significant impact on human capital development in Nigeria. Premised on the outcomes, policy suggestions aimed at enhancing human capital development in Nigeria have been put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent years have witnessed a growing interest among academics and policymakers in understanding the mechaninsms through which Chinese outward direct investment (OFDI) impact economic growth in Africa. Method: This study utilzes a dataset spanning 41 African countries from 2005 to 2020,employing panel‐corrected standard error (PCSE) and quantile regression. Objective: This study explore the mechanisms through which Chinese OFDI stock contributes to economic growth in Africa,with a particular focus on financial development and transport infrastructure. Results: The results indicate a significant and positive impact of the interaction between Chinese OFDI stock and both financial development and transport infrastructure on economic growth. The subregional analysis reveals varying correlations across regions, while the quantile regression analysis demonstrates a stronger effect on economic growth as we move to higher quantiles. Conclusion: The study underscores the importance of enhancing infrastructure and financial sector development to attract more Chinese OFDI and maximize its positive impact of economic growth in African nations. Hence, we recommend that African countries improve the infrastructure and financial sector of their country to attract more chinese OFDI and also enhance its effectiveness on their economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant scholarly discourse on ecological governance within China predominantly underscores the salient role of the central state. This is unsurprising given the statist policy trajectory transitioned from an emphasis on swift economic growth to focusing on emerging ecological challenges in the last decade. However, this article deviates from this prevailing emphasis, pivoting instead to the tangible practices and realities of ecological governance at the grassroots level. Through an ethnographic investigation, this article delves into the nuances of ecological governance within the Tibetan regions of Qinghai Province, China, emphasising the interplay between local communities, environmental non‐governmental organisations and the local state. The article introduces the concept of 'pluralistic ecological governance', advocating for the integration of diverse governance structures, institutional frameworks and stakeholder involvements. This approach encompasses a thorough consideration of diverse knowledge systems, motivations of community participation and local‐state relations, vital for addressing the complex nature of ecological issues. The study contends that 'pluralistic ecological governance' not only encompasses different stakeholders but also critically examines various forms of knowledge and motivations, along with the diverse interests these stakeholders contribute to both the discourse and practice of ecological conservation on the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive closed‐form solutions of two‐sector renewable natural resource‐based economic growth model using the partial Hamiltonian approach. The partial Hamiltonian approach provides the first integrals of the model under consideration. These first integrals are used to derive two different closed‐form solutions when the elasticity of output is equal to the inverse of the elasticity of intertemporal substitution. We also compute the closed‐form solution for the first integral obtained with a constraint on the parameter. We then analyze the balanced growth path and show that all the closed‐form solutions converge to the same constant growth rate. The closed‐form solution constructed with the aid of the partial Hamiltonian approach is cost‐effective and straightforward to deduce optimal growth path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments engage in infrastructural developments across the globe, and the level of success often colligates with institutional quality levels. However, despite the presence of governance, the lack of well‐developed infrastructure has bedevilled sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries for decades. Therefore, this study investigates the governance‐led infrastructural development hypothesis for the SSA region from an institutional quality perspective towards addressing the infrastructural deficit challenges of the region. A combination of advanced panel econometric techniques was applied to data collected from the African Development Bank, World Bank World Development Indicator, and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to investigate the governance‐led infrastructural development hypothesis in SSA while controlling for financial development, economic growth, and industrialization in the region. The findings show that the interaction of institutional quality measures and governance indicators significantly and positively induces infrastructure in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Additionally, while economic growth and financial development yield no expected significant influence on infrastructural developments, industrialization plays a crucial role, as its spillover effects are not confined to boosting economic growth alone but also to infrastructural transformations. Thus, the provision of policy frameworks by authorities to strengthen institutions and promote good governance is vital for articulating and facilitating infrastructural development plans for SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shift‐share analysis has been extensively used to investigate the different drivers of changes in socioeconomic variables in both spatial and non‐spatial contexts. This paper presents a comprehensive shift‐share formulation that, by considering all the possible interactions between the geographical and sectoral variables that interplay in a non‐spatial context, accounts for the intrinsic conditions of the regions that could affect the regional changes when spatial influences are not detected. The proposed technique is illustrated by analyzing the growth of industrial gross value added in the Spanish provinces between 2015 and 2019. Our results show the relevance of the intrinsic effects: the advantages (disadvantages) of the industrial sector within each province and the regional dynamism are important factors to explain the industrial changes in the Spanish regions. These findings provide evidence for the use of the comprehensive shift‐share as a tool that contribute to the regional analysis by identifying the characteristics of vulnerable regions that require further attention to avoid or lessen the effects of low economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Bangladesh's economic growth rate over the past three decades has been one of the highest in the world. This success is difficult to reconcile with a single macroeconomic explanation of development. Purpose: Previous studies have investigated individual aspects that can explain Bangladesh's successful development. But a consistent account of how individual factors contributed to growth is currently missing. Can factors that correlate with growth in other countries explain the outstanding growth performance of Bangladesh? Or is the country's experience unique? Methods and approach: We construct a panel data set for 149 countries since 1970 and combine growth regression techniques with a peer group comparison. Different specifications, subsamples, and estimation techniques are considered. Finding s : Factors correlating with growth in other countries can well explain the growth experience of Bangladesh. But two features are specific to the country. First, a combination of "good enough" policies led to considerable growth impulses between 1990 and 2005: the country's improvements in typical correlates of growth during this period were among the global top 5% for any 15‐year period investigated. Second, despite the absence of major reforms after 2005, Bangladesh defied the mean reversion in growth rates experienced by most fast‐growing economies and peer countries. Policy implications: Our results support the idea that a combination of "good enough" policies can jump‐start high growth in low‐income countries. Our findings further demonstrate that a stable macroeconomic and institutional environment helps when it comes to reaping the benefits of structural improvements in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the Morlet Wavelet approach and other time‐frequency decomposition techniques, this study investigates the dynamic relationship between energy prices, economic growth, and ecological footprint in Malaysia from 1975 to 2021. Our analysis reveals several key findings. Firstly, despite the absence of oil price volatility, the size of Malaysia's ecological footprint varies significantly over the study period. Secondly, energy prices contribute significantly to the ecological footprint. Thirdly, the association between energy prices and ecological footprint is stronger during periods of economic growth. Lastly, energy prices contribute to economic growth and inflation in the short run, but after factoring in the ecological footprint, the association extends into the long run. These findings suggest that Malaysia's economic growth is driven not only by energy prices but also by its ecological footprint. Moreover, the size of Malaysia's ecological footprint is driven by factors at the microeconomic level rather than energy prices alone. Therefore, the impact of energy prices on the macroeconomy, especially when considering the impact on the environment, is non‐linear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the dynamic linkages among government expenditure, informality, and economic growth in 15 Eastern and Southern African countries over a 25‐year period during 1991–2015. The analysis exploits panel vector autoregressive models to construct the time path of one variable following an orthogonal shock to another variable using impulse response functions. The analysis is complemented by panel quantile regressions to investigate the potential role of informality in the expenditure–economic growth nexus. The findings are threefold. First, both government consumption and investment expenditure have positive and significant effects on real per capita GDP. Second, informality has a direct negative impact on real per capita GDP. Third, the informal sector dampens the impact of government expenditure on real per capita GDP. These results are robust to the inclusion of selected control variables and are unchanged across GDP quantiles. The study's findings suggest that government policies aimed at reducing informality can have direct impacts on economic growth and indirect impacts through improvements in the effectiveness of government expenditure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of natural resource exploitation, trade openness, and economic growth on carbon emissions in a sample of oil‐exporting nations for the period 1971–2014. To examine this relationship, we used the panel autoregressive distributed lag model and a set of econometric techniques accounting for cross‐sectional dependence. Our results indicate that the exploitation of natural resources and trade openness have a long‐term negative impact on environmental quality. Furthermore, our analysis confirms the validity of the Kuznets Environmental Curve for oil‐exporting countries. An assessment of causality reveals a bidirectional link between natural resources, economic growth, and CO2 emissions, as well as a unidirectional link between trade openness and CO2 emissions. In the light of our findings, appropriate policies could include the imposition of more stringent regulations on the exploitation of natural resources, the application of taxes on carbon emissions, and the promotion of clean and renewable technologies. Greater international cooperation is also needed to address these environmental issues on a global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationship between inbound tourism expansion and economic growth in Botswana, employing time series data from 1988 to 2019. An autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds tests and Toda and Yamamoto causality test were utilized for cointegration and direction of causality analyses, respectively. The study findings suggest and validate a tourism‐led growth hypothesis (TLGH) both in the long and short run. However, inbound tourism expansion has a modest impact on the country's economic growth, which causes concern and need for improvement. Therefore, the study suggests that there should be strengthening and expediting of tourism product diversification for enhanced tourism experiences and tourist spending. The tourism sector should be restructured to curb high economic and financial leakages, create strong linkages with other sectors, and adopt a mixed‐price model to promote domestic tourism and local beneficiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reignited the debate that developing countries still struggle to make the most of entrepreneurship due to institutional imbalances. The aim of this study is to empirically examine impact of entrepreneurial governance and ease of doing business on economic growth in a panel of 15 ECOWAS countries. The empirical evidence is based on secondary data from 2000 to 2019 estimated using the Pooled OLS Regression OLS estimator. Using institutional theory, we examined the chain of causality from institutions to entrepreneurship and from entrepreneurship to economic growth. Four findings emerged. Firstly, the regulatory pillar, represented by the indicators of ease of doing business (incorporation procedure, time required to set up a business, and cost of the business), is negatively and significantly related to economic growth. But the indicators of cost of doing business and start‐up costs are more detrimental to business and economic growth. Secondly, the normative pillar represented by entrepreneurial governance indicators (government integrity and business freedom) is positively and significantly associated with growth. But the impact of government integrity on economic growth is greater than that of business freedom. Third, the interaction between regulatory and normative pillars is negative and significant. Finally, the cognitive pillar shows mixed results. For example, indicators of investment, trade openness, education, and financial development have positive and significant effects on economic growth, while government size, inflation, and population have negative and significant effects on economic growth. We discuss policy implications for stakeholders in ECOWAS economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling the root causes of migration from developing countries through development cooperation has been suggested as an essential part of the policy mix in OECD migrant destinations. This is even though the evidence on whether economic development leads to more or less people emigrating is so far inconclusive. We investigate the relationship between income per capita and emigration to OECD countries separately for three different skill groups—low‐skilled, medium‐skilled and high‐skilled emigrants—being the first to employ panel regression approaches that account for cross‐country heterogeneity and cover a policy‐relevant time frame of about 5 years. Our findings reveal a universal negative association between income per capita and emigration for all three skill groups and for different income thresholds. This implies that policy makers should not be too concerned about potential trade‐offs between (successful) development cooperation and immigration management, at least in the short to medium run that our analysis covers. At the same time, the scope for using development cooperation as a migration policy instrument can be considered to be limited given the modest size of the estimated income effect: Taking our point estimates at face value, a 10% rise in GDP per capita would on average lead to about 3600 fewer immigrants per destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study revisited the impact of fiscal decentralization on China's economic growth, focusing on the role of the revenue‐sharing system in providing local fiscal incentives. Using city‐level data from 2003 to 2016, we construct the revenue retention rate at the sub‐provincial level to test the impacts of fiscal incentives on economic growth. The results show that the sub‐provincial revenue retention rate is significantly and positively associated with the local economic growth rate. Further, we find that a higher revenue retention rate encourages sub‐provincial governments to spend more on infrastructure, borrow more debt, distort land price, and relax environmental regulatory standards. Our findings indicate that the positive economic effect of fiscal decentralization is accompanied by a social cost and increased financial risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Elaborated in their current form in Busan in 2011, and reiterated in Geneva in 2022, the four Principles of Effective Development Co‐operation comprise country ownership, focus on results, inclusive partnerships, and transparency and mutual accountability. Framed to guide more effective development assistance, their measurement and impact has not been systematically studied. Purpose: We ask, what do we know about adherence to the principles and better development outcomes? What can we learn about this relationship using the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co‐operation's (GPEDC) monitoring framework? Methods and approach: We define and measure adherence to the four principles using the GPEDC framework and indicators. We then explore the association between these indicators and development outcomes (for example, economic growth and poverty) using correlation, descriptive analysis, and analysis of data quality. Finding s : Across countries, the empirical relationship between the currently available GPEDC data and the development outcomes is tenuous at best. Shortcomings in the data explain much of the lack of evidence. Some shortcomings could be easily fixed with adjustments to the indicators and data collection, but many relate to inherent challenges in measuring the four principles. Policy implications: A more precise definition of indicators of adherence to the principles, with a wider coverage of countries and with annual measurement, would help—not necessarily for their instrumental value, but as much, if not more, to raise the profile of the principles themselves. The universally agreed objectives of strengthening international partnerships and co‐operation, as well as of building inclusive, effective, accountable, and transparent institutions as declared in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, are goals well worth pursuing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subcontracting relations have often been considered a key channel to facilitate growth in traditional informal enterprises and enable them to transition into larger, modern enterprises. Such relations are expected to strengthen with economic growth. Using nationally representative survey data for the Indian informal manufacturing sector, this article examines the nature and patterns of subcontracting linkages for informal family‐based household enterprises over the high‐growth period of 2001–2016. The article estimates the net accumulation fund (NAF) for these enterprises, which measures their ability to accumulate, and studies the transition possibilities of subcontracted enterprises over time. Results show that the NAFs of subcontracted enterprises remained much lower than those of non‐subcontracted ones, with the disparity growing over the growth period. A vast majority of subcontracted household enterprises are embedded in relations that are akin to a traditional putting‐out system, with little control over their production processes. Female‐owned enterprises and those located within the household are more likely to be in such put‐out relations. Average NAF for put‐out household enterprises has been lower than for relatively autonomous subcontracted and non‐subcontracted firms, although over time the gap in NAF between put‐out and non‐put‐out firms, and thus their differential ability to transition, has narrowed. The prevailing nature of subcontracting relations in India's informal economy, even during the peak growth period, appears to be starkly different from the dynamic linkages that are celebrated in the literature as a channel for facilitating growth and transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We document the contribution of Islamic finance development to economic growth by studying a global sample of countries engaged in providing Islamic financial services. Fifteen countries are included in the sample based on significant Islamic banking share in total domestic banking assets. Results are documented through the application of the Panel regression (EGLS) method for the period 2001–2020. Findings suggest a positive contribution of the Islamic Financial Services Industry (IFSI) to economic growth in sample countries in multiple regression settings. Additionally, a range of control variables, including domestic credit to the private sector, inflation, and trade openness, contribute significantly to economic growth. We recommend the creation of a conducive environment for the promotion of IFSI on account of the built‐in stability feature and positive contribution to economic growth. We also recommend overall development in the financial sector of selected economies, including credit availability to the private sector and trade openness. Our study helps in understanding the dynamics of economic growth in economies with a dual banking system (conventional & Islamic). This article contributes to the literature by studying a larger sample of countries engaged in the practice of Islamic finance and considering the significance of the market share of assets under IFSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of the main criterion employed by the European Commission for the allocation of the largest portion of Structural Funds, based on the threshold of the 75% of European Union (EU) average gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. We focus on the 2014–2020 programming period and on EU‐15 regions to analyze if this criterion has penalized some of them, as a consequence of the 2004 EU enlargement, which has represented an exogenous shock in the allocation process, due to the economic backwardness of new member states. Through the application of Synthetic Control Methods and Difference‐in‐Differences estimators at different geographical scales, we show that regions that did not obtain the less developed status in both the programming period 2007–2013 and 2014–2020, but that would have obtained it in the period 2014–2020 without the 2004 EU enlargement, experienced a significantly lower GDP per capita growth between −10.5% and −5.7%. Conversely, territories that in the period 2014–2020 lost the less developed status, previously obtained in the time frame 2007–2013, were not characterized by a significantly lower economic growth, providing some evidence of the effectiveness of the safety net. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key economic structure in China is the co‐existence of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) being bank‐favored firms as well as policy tools, and more productive private firms who can borrow from SOEs through entrusted lending. We explore macroeconomic implications of such a structure in China. Our findings suggest SOEs dampen output volatility at the cost of productivity volatility. In contrast, the healthy development of entrusted lending dampens variations of both output and productivity by reallocating credits between firms. Focusing on the recent growth slowdown in China, we further show conducive effects of entrusted lending on economic growth by mitigating capital misallocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research suggests that having more self‐employed or entrepreneurs can contribute to higher levels of economic growth in distressed areas. Additionally, self‐employment in certain industries may be more beneficial to growth. Other research has linked industrial diversity to entrepreneurship and regional growth, especially in urban areas. However, the relationship between industrial diversity, self‐employment, and growth in lagging or distressed regions is less clear. To examine these linkages in distressed areas, we first identify a group of distressed counties based on historic data. Then, using detailed industry‐level self‐employment data, we appraise whether having more self‐employed from certain industries is associated with regional growth. We also analyze the relationship between industrial diversity and overall growth and the propensity to be self‐employed. The results suggest that having more self‐employment overall and in some key industries is associated with more employment growth in distressed counties. We also find that the relationship between economic diversity and self‐employment varies by industry and region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aggravation of congestion, pollution, and other negative externalities generated by continued urbanization, polycentric strategies have gradually become one of the main urban and regional spatial strategies. It remains unclear, however, whether the polycentric structure is conducive to regional coordinated development. This study examines these issues using China's urban agglomerations (UAs) as a sample. The Prolonged Artificial Nighttime‐light Dataset of China (PANDA) was used to measure the polycentric structure. The results of the nonparametric identification of sub‐centers show that almost all of China's UAs exhibit multiple (sub)centers, and the number of (sub)centers in most UAs has increased from 1992 to 2020. Empirical analysis shows that a polycentric structure is beneficial for narrowing regional disparities within the UA, and the narrowing effect of the polycentric structure on regional disparities increases as the distance between centers increases. Furthermore, a polycentric spatial structure is more conducive to the economic growth of small cities in UA, thereby promoting the coordinated development of regions within UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world's climate‐related policies need to be revised to combat environmental issues. Therefore, adopting renewable energy technologies in conjunction with energy efficiency measures are needed to make safe pathways to reduce over 90% of energy related CO2. In this context, this study intends to assess the influence of foreign direct investment (FDI), economic growth, and banking and development on renewable energy consumption in South Africa from 1970 to 2020. The study uses a novel 'bootstrap Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL)' testing to empirically analyse the short and long links among the tested variables. The ARDL estimations demonstrate a FDI and economic growth have positive effect on renewable energy consumption. Furthermore, the outcomes reveal that banking sector development affects positively renewable energy use in long run. Therefore, it is suggested that government and playmakers of South Africa must make more efforts to link the economic and baking development with renewable energy by investing capital and funds in renewable energy infrastructure. It will not only boost the economy of the country but also provide an opportunity to clean and green the environment with decreasing rate of greenhouse gases emission like carbon dioxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Saudi Arabian economy heavily uses foreign labour and hence, ranks among the top countries not only in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, but also globally in terms of remittance outflows. This study develops a theoretical model to investigate the determinants of remittance outflows from Saudi Arabia. The cointegration and equilibrium correction methods, and adjustments for small sample bias, are applied to the data for 1970‐2021 using the theoretical model developed. In the long run, keeping other factors unchanged, Saudi Arabia's gross domestic and non‐Saudi employment have positive and statistically significant impacts on the remittance outflows, while the impacts of the price level and expatriate levy are negative and statically significant. This study's findings may be useful for macroeconomic policymaking, as the remittance outflows have numerous implications for the development of the Saudi economy. Particularly, remittances are a primary channel for leaking money from Saudi Arabia, reducing the economic growth effects of fiscal spending multipliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Alcohol‐related mortality risk is almost always greater in lower than higher socio‐economic positions (SEPs). There is little information on the evolution of this SEP gradient and its relationship with the economic cycle. Some results suggest that during economic expansions, there is a hypersensitivity of low‐SEP people to harmful drinking. The main objective of this study was to measure the evolution of educational inequality in alcohol‐related and non‐alcohol related mortality by sex and age group in Spain during 2012–19. Design, Setting and Measurements: This is a repeated cross‐sectional study. This study includes all residents in Spain aged 25 years and over from 2012 to 2019. (1) We calculated age‐standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) from strongly/moderately alcohol‐related causes (directly alcohol‐attributable, unspecified liver cirrhosis, liver and upper aerodigestive tract cancers and moderately alcohol‐related), weakly alcohol‐related causes and other causes by educational level. (2) We used age‐adjusted relative index of inequality (RII) and slope index of inequality (SII) to measure relative and absolute educational inequality in mortality, respectively. (3) Age‐adjusted annual percentage change (APC) was also used to measure linear trends in mortality by educational level. RII, SII and APC were obtained from negative binomial regression. Findings: Between 2012–15 and 2016–19, economic growth accelerated, the RII in mortality from strongly/moderately alcohol‐related causes increased from 2.0 to 2.2 among men and from 1.1 to 1.3 among women, and the SII in deaths/100 000 person‐years from 181.4 to 190.9 among men and from 18.9 to 46.5 among women. It also increased relative and absolute inequality in mortality from weakly alcohol‐related and other causes of death in both men and women. These increases in inequality were due primarily to a flattening or even reversal of the downward mortality trend among low‐ and medium‐educated people. Conclusions: During the economic expansion of 2012–19 in Spain, changes in mortality risk from strongly/moderately alcohol‐related causes were especially unfavourable among low‐ and medium‐educated people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]