Unlocking Sustainable Futures: Exploring Multidimensional Poverty in Belt & Road Initiative Countries Through Forest Plantation Perspectives.

Forest plantation initiatives hold significant prospects to impact various dimensions of poverty, highlighting the crucial need to understand this link in the context of sustainable development. In the 1990s, countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) witnessed a notable progress in forest plantations. While earlier research primarily focused on assessing the effects of these plantations on specific facets of rural poverty, this study aims to delve into the broader macroeconomic implications of forest plantations on the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). From 2010 to 2020, the study used the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Driscoll-Kraay estimators to scrutinize the influence of forest plantations on the MPI. The research findings unveil a significant negative effect of various factors, including the rule of law (RL), agricultural expansion (AGR), and forest plantation (FP), on the MPI in BRI countries. Interestingly, political stability and the control of corruption exhibit a positive effect on the MPI. Furthermore, causality tests indicate a unidirectional link between MPI and political stability and a one-way connection between forest plantations and MPI. Suggestions for BRI countries involve promoting sustainable forest plantation initiatives through strategic encouragement and investment while highlighting responsible management practices. Also, it is advised to implement policies that encourage political stability and strengthen governance, thereby developing an enabling environment for effective poverty reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]