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Most of the developed countries across the globe have targeted to attain sustainable economic growth. With this focus, the current study evaluated 29 OECD countries over the time period of 1990 to 2018 to analyze the influence of economic and environmental indicators, i.e., export diversification, institutional quality, macrocosmic variables on carbon dioxide, and greenhouse gas emissions. The current study used the quantile regression and generalized method of moments approach on the selected panel. Our comprehensive econometric approach allows us to reveal that export diversification negatively affects carbon emissions but promotes greenhouse gas emissions. Similarly, institutional quality, economic growth, financial development, and economic growth helps to reduce carbon emissions but increase greenhouse emissions. In comparison, trade openness exhibits a positive influence on carbon emissions but a negative on greenhouse gas emissions. Besides, urbanization is found one of the major reasons for environmental degradation. In light of empirical fact findings, this study commends some innovative policy insights for scholars, governors, and policymakers.

Currently, COVID-19 due to emergence of various variants shows no signs of slowing down and has affected every aspect of life with significant negative impact on economic and energy structures around the world. As a result, the governments around the world have introduced policy responses to help businesses and industrial units to overcome the consequences of compliance with COVID-19 strategies. Our analysis indicates that global energy sector is one of the most severely affected industries as energy price mechanisms, energy demand, and energy supply have shown great uncertainty under these unprecedented economic and social changes. In this regard, we provide brief overview of demand, supply, and pricing structure of energy products as well as policy mechanisms to provide better outlook about how industrial sector can cope with energy consumption in the post pandemic era. We further propose changes in the existing policy mechanisms so that transition towards renewable energy sources under different environmental agreements can be achieved. Moreover, as a reference, we outline major challenges and policy recommendations to ease energy transition from fossil fuels to environmental friendly energy mix.

Worldwide, nitrogen (N) deficiency is the main yield limiting factor owing to its losses via leaching and volatilization. Urease inhibitors slow down urea hydrolysis in soil by inhibiting urease enzyme activities whereas gibberellic acid is growth regulator. That is why, we evaluated the role of urease inhibitor [N-(n-butyl)thiophosphorictriamide (NBPT)] and gibberellic acid (GA3) in improving nitrogen uptake and yield of maize under different N levels (120 and 150 kg ha−1) along with control. Both N levels alone and in combination with GA3 and NBPT significantly increased yield and yield components of maize over control. In addition, 150 kg N ha−1 + NBPT + GA3 produced highest biological, grain, and stover yields, 1000 grain weight, plant height, and N uptake exhibiting 33.15%, 56.46%, 27.56%, 19.56%, 23.24%, and 78% increase over 150 kg N ha−1, respectively. The sole use of gibberellic acid or NBPT with each level of N also improved the yield and yield components of maize compared to sole N application and control. Furthermore, application of 120 kg N ha−1 along with NBPT and GA3 performed at par to 150 kg N ha−1 + NBPT + GA3 but it was superior than sole applied 150 kg N ha−1 for all the studied traits. These results imply that application of GA3 and/or NBPT can reduce dependence on urea and improve the yield and N uptake in maize by slowing urea hydrolysis in calcareous soils and shall be practiced.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive knowledge map of tourism and environmental degradation literature review based on scientific articles published between 1999 and 2020. The study provides an overview of research, influential authors, and journals. The PR China has maintained the lead in academic research with the most contribution in academic research in recent years. Sustainability, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Katircioglu are the most productive journal, academic institution, and author in the field of tourism and environmental degradation, respectively. The degree of research contribution among researchers, institutional and national level, has an upward trend in recent years, but the research contribution among author level is higher than the institutional and national level. Furthermore, co-citation analysis suggests that research articles in the field are closely related. "Investigating the influence of tourism on economic growth and carbon emissions: Evidence from panel analysis of the European Union" authored by Lee is the most cited article. Our analysis of abstracts and keywords shows that climate change, ecotourism, carbon emissions, economic growth, and energy consumption are the hot spots of academic literature. We suggest that research collaboration between developed and developing nations should be promoted in creating sustainable tourism reforms.

The aim of the “One Belt and One Road” (OBOR) project proposed by China is to encourage extension of global value chains, facilitate regional integration and increase efficient resource allocation. In recent times, scientific literature has examined the investment decisions of the OBOR investment and how it will affect the governmental policies, environmental initiatives, and bilateral flow of economic resources. Current study, based on Web of Science database, uses bibliometric methodology to map the research trends in OBOR publications. We contribute in the economic literature in the associated fields of OBOR publications in the following ways: (1) identify the most influential researchers, articles, and academic institutions, (2) mapping the interdisciplinary character of OBOR investments and its bibliometric similarity to adjacent fields, (3) visualize nature and trends of the research field, and (4) synthesizing future research areas. Although OBOR initiative has received considerable traction, but to this date, there is no bibliometric study on this topic. The findings of current study will help policymakers and academics to navigate the OBOR literature, provide a systematic basis for developing the field, and suggest promising future research avenues.

In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers are working with health professionals to inform governments on how to formulate health strategies. In this study, we examine the correlation between environmental and climate indicators and COVID-19 outbreak in the top 10 most affected states of the USA. In doing so, PM2.5, temperature, humidity, environmental quality index, and rainfall are included as crucial meteorological and environmental factors. Kendall and Spearman rank correlation coefficients, quantile regression, and log-linear negative binominal analysis are employed as an estimation strategy. The empirical estimates conclude that temperature, humidity, environmental quality index, PM2.5, and rainfall are significant factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the top 10 most affected states of the USA. The empirical findings of the current study would serve as key policy input to mitigate the rapid spread of COVID-19 across the USA.

The current research was designed to investigate the adverse effects of dense ores in different organs exposed to these metals polluted water on three edible fish species (Wallago attu, Catla catla and Tilapia nilotica), sampled from River Sutlej at Head Islam (Hasilpur), Pakistan. The assimilation of different elements Ni, Fe, Cd, Cr and Pb in body parts of normal fish took from the fish farm and also made a comparison among understudied fishes. Overall absorption of ores in fishes was ranked as Fe > Ni > Cr > Cd > Pb. A remarkable variation in the deposition of elements in different organs of three fish species and was analyzed statistically (p < 0.05). High levels of ore assimilation in fish organs pointed out potential health risks for the fish, other aquatic organisms and human beings too.

This study aims to provide a systematic literature review based on bibliometric analysis for scientific articles published between 1999 and 2019 extracted from Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science (WOS) database. The current research project provides an overview of scientific publications, influential authors, and research journals. Our analysis reveals that the USA leads the academic research contribution, whereas China has provided the most research publications in recent years. Environmental and Resource Economics, University of London, and Barcena-Ruiz are the most productive journal, academic institution, and author in the field of environmental taxes, respectively. The degree of research contribution among researchers, institutional and national level, has an upward trend in recent years; however, the research contribution at the author level is higher than the institutional and national level. Furthermore, cocitation analysis suggests that research articles in the dataset are closely related. Pigou's "The economics of welfare" published in 1920, is considered as the basic literature, and the "In defence of degrowth" authored by Giorgis Kallis is the most cited article. Our analysis of abstracts and keywords indicates that climate change, environmental taxes, double dividend, carbon tax, and environmental pollution are the hotspots within academic literature. We suggest that research collaboration between developed and developing nations and further coordination among environmental agencies such as IEA and IPCC will enhance the effectiveness of environmental reforms.

The importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in environmental resource management opens a new debate for the policy makers in order to promote green technologies to mitigate high mass carbon emissions across the globe. "Digital Pakistan" initiative is taken by the government that aimed to use technology for country's social welfare, which further be enhance for achieving environmental sustainability over a time horizon. This study examined the long-run relationship between ICTs, energy demand, and carbon emissions in a context of Pakistan by using a time series data from 1975 to 2017. The results show that energy demand increases economic growth in the short-run while it decreases economic growth in the long-run. The country's economic growth substantially increases along with an increase in trade openness and mobile-telephone subscription (ICTs) in the short-run; however, the result is changed in the long-run due to increase in carbon emissions in a given time period. The results provoke that continued economic growth and ICT penetration substantially decreases energy demand, whereas urbanization increases energy demand in a country. The results show that variations in emissions associated with proportionate changes in ICTs penetration, economic growth, energy demand, and population growth. Human capital, trade openness, and energy demand are the significant drivers of ICT penetration in a country. The study concludes that the use of green technology is imperative for achieving long-term sustainable growth in a country.

Climate change is occurring and is influencing biological systems through augmented temperatures, more inconstant precipitation, and rising CO2 in the atmosphere. For sustainable landscaping, it was essential to assess the diversity of native/wild grasses and their suitability for turf and to combat the salinity problem in the region. For this purpose, a native halophytic grass, Aeluropus lagopoides, was investigated by conducting mowing tests on its ecotypes during the year 2014–2016 under desert climatic conditions. The research was carried out in two phases, i.e. Phase-I was for collection and establishment of ecotypes from various parts of UAE, while in Phase-II, mowing tests were conducted. During mowing tests, 50 ecotypes of A. lagopoides were given various mowing treatments (i.e. they were cut back at 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-cm heights) in field conditions. Significant differences were found among various ecotypes for different agronomic parameters such as ground cover, canopy stiffness, leaf number, clippings fresh and dry weights and internode length. Overall, the grass exhibited better performance at mowing heights of 3 and 4 cm, which are the standard mowing heights for turfgrasses. Ecotypes FA5, RA3, RUDA2, RUDA7 and RUADA1 of A. lagopoides showed the best performance against mowing shock and became the candidates for the turfgrass varieties from the native Arabian flora.

The economics of death and dying highlighted that environmental factors negatively influence healthcare sustainability. Therefore, this study conducted a system-based literature review to identify the negative externality of environmental damages on global healthcare reforms. Based on 42 peer-reviewed papers in the field of healthcare reforms and 12 papers in the field of environmental hazards, we identified 25 factors associated with death and dying and 15 factors associated with health-related damages across the world respectively. We noted that environmental factors are largely responsible to affect healthcare sustainability reforms by associating with the number of healthcare diseases pertaining to air pollutants. The study suggests healthcare practitioners and environmentalists to devise long-term sustainable healthcare policies by limiting highly toxic air pollutants through technology-embodied green healthcare infrastructure to attained efficient global healthcare recovery.

Electronic waste (e-waste) is used for all electronic/electrical devices which are no more used. Conventionally, waste management policies are desfighandle the traditional waste. Although e-waste contains toxic materials, however, its management is rarely focused by policy makers; therefore, its negative impact on the global environment, ecosystem, and human health is aggravated. The review outlines the categories of e-waste materials, major pollutants including ferrous/non-ferrous metals, plastics, glass, printed circuit boards, cement, ceramic, and rubber beside, some valuable metals (such as copper, silver, gold, platinum). Toxic elements from e-waste materials, released in the air, water, and soil, include arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and lead, causing pollution. Although their roles in biological systems are poorly identified, however, they possess significant toxic and carcinogenic potential. It is therefore critical to monitor footprint and device strategies to address e-waste-linked issues from manufacturing, exportation, to ultimate dumping, including technology transmissions for its recycling. This review traces a plausible link among e-waste condition at a worldwide dimension, as far as settlement procedures to keep it secure and carefully monitored when traded. Their fate in the three spheres of the earth, i.e., water, soil, and air, impacts human health. The strategies and regulation to handle e-waste generation at the global level have been discussed. Graphical abstract .

Abiotic stress factors, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, significantly affect insect life. UV-A radiation (320-400 nm) has been widely used for insect control since it increases the production of ROS and causes oxidative cell damage. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of UV-A irradiation on an important pest in China, the ear-cutting caterpillar, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). We exposed 3-day-old M. separata adults to UV-A radiation for different periods of time (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) and evaluated the resulting total antioxidant capacity and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and glutathione-S-transferase. The total antioxidant capacity significantly increased after exposure to UV-A radiation for 60 min but decreased after 90 and 120 min of exposure, compared with the control. The antioxidant activity of glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase increased after 60-min exposure, and it was decreased at the longest exposure period 120 min. The longest exposure time period relatively activates the xenobiotic detoxifying enzymes like glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase enzymes. The longest duration of UV-A radiation may cooperate with pesticide detoxification mechanism in insects, making them more susceptible to insecticides. Our results demonstrated that UV irradiation causes oxidative stress, affects the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and disturbs the physiology of M. separata adults.

Calcareous soil, high pH, and low organic matter are the major factors that limit iron (Fe) availability to rice crop. The present study was planned with the aim to biofortified rice grain with Fe, by integrated use of chemical and organic amendments in pH-manipulated calcareous soil. The soil pH was reduced (pH

The present study was done to elucidate the effects of vanadium (V) on photosynthetic pigments, membrane damage, antioxidant enzymes, protein, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) integrity in the following chickpea genotypes: C-44 (tolerant) and Balkasar (sensitive). Changes in these parameters were strikingly dependent on levels of V, at 60 and 120 mg V L(-1) induced DNA damage in Balkasar only, while photosynthetic pigments and protein were decreased from 15 to 120 mg V L(-1) and membrane was also damaged. It was shown that photosynthetic pigments and protein production declined from 15 to 120 mg V L(-1) and the membrane was also damaged, while DNA damage was not observed at any level of V stress in C-44. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) were increased in both genotypes of chickpea against V stress; however, more activities were observed in C-44 than Balkasar. The results suggest that DNA damage in sensitive genotypes can be triggered due to exposure of higher vanadium.

The ultraviolet light (UV-A) range of 320-400 nm is widely used as light trap for insect pests. Present investigation was aimed to determine the effect of UV light-A radiation on development, adult longevity, reproduction, and development of F1 generation of Mythimna separata. Our results revealed that the mortality of the second instar larvae was higher than the third and fourth instar larvae after UV-A radiation. As the time of UV-A irradiation for pupae prolonged, the rate of adult emergence reduced. Along with the extension of radiation time decreased the longevity of adult females and males. However, the radiation exposure of 1 and 4 h/day increased fecundity of female adults, and a significant difference was observed in a 1 h/day group. The oviposition rates of female adults in all the treatments were significantly higher than the control. In addition, UV-A radiation treatments resulted in declined cumulative survival of F1 immature stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae). After exposure time of 4 and 7 h/day, the developmental periods of F1 larvae increased significantly, but no significant effects on F1 pupal period were recorded.

Plants are sessile beings, so the need of mechanisms to flee from unfavorable circumstances has provided the development of unique and sophisticated responses to environmental stresses. Depending on the degree of plasticity, many morphological, cellular, anatomical, and physiological changes occur in plants in response to abiotic stress. Phytohormones are small molecules that play critical roles in regulating plant growth and development, as well as stress tolerance to promote survival and acclimatize to varying environments. To congregate the challenges of salinity, temperature extremes, and osmotic stress, plants use their genetic mechanism and different adaptive and biological approaches for survival and high production. In the present attempt, we review the potential role of different phytohormones and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria in abiotic stresses and summarize the research progress in plant responses to abiotic stresses at physiological and molecular levels. We emphasized the regulatory circuits of abscisic acid, indole acetic acid, cytokinins, gibberellic acid, salicylic acid, brassinosteroids, jasmonates, ethylene, and triazole on exposure to abiotic stresses. Current progress is exemplified by the identification and validation of several significant genes that enhanced crop tolerance to stress in the field. These findings will make the modification of hormone biosynthetic pathways for the transgenic plant generation with augmented abiotic stress tolerance and boosting crop productivity in the coming decades possible.

Calcareous soil, high pH, and low organic matter are the major factors that limit iron (Fe) availability to rice crop. The present study was planned with the aim to biofortified rice grain with Fe, by integrated use of chemical and organic amendments in pH-manipulated calcareous soil. The soil pH was reduced (pHL2) by using elemental sulfur (S) at the rate of 0.25 % (w/w). The organic amendments, biochar (BC) and poultry manure (PM) [1 % (w/w)], along with ferrous sulfate at the rate of 7.5 mg kg−1 soil were used. The incorporation of Fe with BC in soil at pHL2 significantly improved plant biomass, photosynthetic rate, and paddy yield up to 99, 97, and 36 %, respectively, compared to control. A significant increase in grain Fe (190 %), protein (58 %), and ferritin (400 %) contents was observed while anti-nutrients, i.e., polyphenols (37 %) and phytate (21 %) were significantly decreased by the addition of Fe and BC in soil at pHL2 relative to control. Among the organic amendments, PM significantly increased Cd, Pb, Ni, and Cr concentrations in rice grain relative to control but their concentration values were below as compared to the toxic limits of hazard quotients and hazard index (HQ and HI). Hence, this study implies that Fe applied with BC in the soil at pHL2 can be considered as an effective strategy to augment Fe bioavailability and to reduce non-essential heavy metal accumulation in rice grain.