Role of banking sector in green economic growth: empirical evidence from South Asian economies

The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed progress to the achievement of net-zero and sustainability goals. In particular, emerging economies may benefit greatly from the cooperation of banking institutions in promoting green recovery. This study focusses on banking institutions in South Asian countries that boost the intermediary financial spread, according to a thorough sample of banks from 2011 to 2021. The analysis employs the data envelopment analysis method, and the results are robust. In addition to these characteristics, we also consider aspects such as urbanisation, industrialisation, and population expansion. Banks may play a significant role in facilitating the realisation of environmental targets because of the clear advantages of the results, which provide comfort for green recovery. As green financing may lead to more efficient and robust financial systems, the results provide strong evidence for policymakers, financial institutions, and the financial sector.

Population density and SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Comparing the geography of different waves in the Netherlands.

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted public and scholarly debate about the relationship between infectious disease and the urban. Cities are considered contagious because they are hubs in (inter)national networks and contain high densities of people. However, the role of the urban and population density in the spread of pathogens is complex and is mediated by the wider bio-social environment. This paper analyses the role of population density in the outbreak of COVID-19 in the densely and highly urbanised context of the Netherlands. It compares the geography of the different phases in the epidemic and assesses when and where density plays a role. Using municipal data on the rate of infections and hospitalisations, this paper reveals that spatial patterns differ substantially in time, which does not appear to be simple diffusion. Using panel regressions, it is demonstrated that population density plays a role in those stages in which containment and mitigation measures were least strict, while in periods of lockdown other factors such as household size are associated with higher infection rates. It concludes that lockdowns may have greater effect in urban areas as key urban elements are temporarily cancelled out.

A brief overview of the issues faced by Harmful Algal Blooms along Johor straits

Urbanization of coastal areas worldwide has increased due to an increase in the global population. The production of sustainable aquaculture is greatly impacted by a surge of this urbanization. In certain countries, particularly for individuals with more limited space in metropolitan areas, such as along Johor's coastal area, aquaculture might well be a good strategy to maintain food availability (continuous production plus high-quality meals). Consequently, the adoption of aquaculture along the Johor's coastal area has lead to Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB). This paper examines the evolution of the aquaculture industry of Malaysian Johor coastal areas in relation to HABs. In addition to HABs, the aforementioned metropolitan regions confront diverse economic and geographical obstacles when attempting to increase their aquaculture production sustainably. Those problems are therefore addressed using a variety of operations as well as surveillance techniques in this brief overview. Lockdowns and border prohibitions caused by the continuous COVID-19 infection have had a global impact. These logistical difficulties in the seafood industry have increased dependency on imported supplies. It is suggested that international decision- making, supervision, and knowledge exchange can successfully solve the challenges urbanized areas have in ensuring sustainable food security through the evolution within the aquaculture sector.

Zoonotic urbanisation: multispecies urbanism and the rescaling of urban epidemiology

A focus on zoonotic urbanisation challenges existing conceptions of global urbanism. In this article I consider how a modified urban political ecology framework might help to illuminate emerging landscapes of epidemiological risk. I show how a multi-scalar perspective on urban epidemiology, including the impact of colonialism, global capitalism, and changing relations with non-human others, unsettles existing analytical approaches. I contrast resilience-oriented public health paradigms, focused on the malleability of nature, with a historically grounded set of insights into global environmental change. I suggest that the conceptual field of zoonotic urbanisation provides an analytical entry point for understanding an emergent 'triple crisis' spanning climate change, biodiversity loss, and global health threats.

Peri-urban home gardens in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Mexico are fundamental spaces of resistance

Objective: To determine the effects of neoliberal policies (including the Green Revolution), the urban sprawl (as a consequence of population growth), and the reduction of agricultural areas on peri-urban agriculture;however, the main focus is the forms of resistance against these pressures from the dominant system. Design/Methodology/Approach: Through participant observation, surveys, collection, and botanization we identified plant species, their diversity, uses, and richness. Home gardens in San Felipe Ecatepec, Chiapas, Mexico are a system, which consists of subsystems, functions, composition, and management, as well as a high number of species, high to moderate richness, and a surface that oscillates between 600 m2 and 2500 m2. Growing products next to the house provides healthy and fresh food, creates a useful and productive space, and preserves agrobiodiversity. It is an agroecosystem where each family and sitio or home garden interact with other families and other home gardens, integrating local knowledge and offering a space for families to live together. They can be considered spaces of resistance based on traditional knowledge, which also help to control their resources and to bolster individual and collective food sovereignty. Results: Home gardens in San Felipe Ecatepec, Chiapas, Mexico are a system, which consists of subsystems, functions, composition, and management, as well as a high number of species, high to moderate richness, and established on surfaces that oscillates between 600 m2 and 2,500 m2. Study Limitations/Implications: The research was carried out during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed an extra challenge to the field work. Findings/Conclusions: Growing products next to the house provides healthy and fresh food, creates a useful and productive space, and preserves agrobiodiversity. It is an agroecosystem where each family and sitio or home garden interact with other families and other home gardens, integrating local knowledge and offering a space for families to live together. They can be considered spaces of resistance based on traditional knowledge, which also help families to control their resources and to bolster individual and collective food sovereignty.

Resilience and vulnerabilities of urban food environments in the Asia-Pacific region.

Rapid urbanisation in the Asia-Pacific region is associated with complex changes to urban food environments. The impact of changing food environments on food purchasing and consumption and the diets and nutritional status of vulnerable groups, especially women and young children, is not well researched in low- and middle-income country cities. This paper aimed to examine: the risks and opportunities for healthy diets for low income populations offered by modernising urban centres; the concept of food deserts in relation to urban food environments in the Asia-Pacific region and how these could be mitigated; and measures to strengthen the resilience of food environments in the region using a case study of the impact of COVID-19 on informal food vendors. Our findings indicate that the dynamic changes in urban food environments in the Asia- Pacific region need to be understood by examining not only modern retail food outlets but also wet markets and informal food outlets, including street foods. Efforts should be made to ensure both modern and traditional outlets provide complementary platforms for convenient, affordable and accessible nutritious foods for urban populations. The resilience of urban food environments to environmental, physical and socio-economic shocks can be strengthened by shortening food supply chains and maximising food production in cities. Support mechanisms targeting urban informal food outlets and street vendors can also strengthen resilience and improve food security. Further research is needed on the impact of urbanising food environments on consumer choices, preferences, diets and health outcomes.

Growth acceleration/deceleration in Indian spices economy

The consumption of spices is growing in India with an increase in purchasing power. It is forecasted that everyone in the country would be consuming one spice or the other with a high per capita consumption. It is estimated that we may have a population of around 1.69 billion people during 2050 and approximately the per capita consumption of turmeric, ginger, black pepper and cardamom is expected to be about 1.6 kg, 1.2 kg, 148 g and 54 g, respectively. This may increase further owing to rapid urbanization which needs spices as natural food preservatives. Hence, the present study was conducted to analyze the growth trend in spices economy of India during the period 1990-91 to 2021-22 with reference to the selected growth indicators such as area, production, domestic market, export and export value. For estimating the acceleration in the growth rates, the paper uses semi-logarithmic specification of a non-linear (quadratic) equation. From the analysis, it is observed that there is a huge scope for output and export of spices. Despite the Covid pandemic, spices export from India has continued its upward trend during 2020-21 and has attained an all-time high of US $ 4.0 billion mark for the first time in the history of spices export. It also implies that there is strong domestic market for spices in India.

Vertical farming - smart urban agriculture for enhancing resilience and sustainability in food security

Global food security has been significantly threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic and several prolonged challenges such as climate change, population increases, shortage of natural resources, energy crisis, and rapid urbanisation worldwide. Although numerous attempts have been made to secure resilience in the food system, many countries are suffering from hunger and malnutrition, particularly in African and some Asian countries. This review paper presents one of the sustainable farming practices - vertical farming that could play a key role in mitigating global food security in the current uncertain world. It addresses the recent development of vertical farming with advanced precision monitoring and controlling system by the Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It also provides information about the opportunities and challenges of vertical-urban agriculture and how urban agriculture meets economic, social and educational needs.

REDEFINING URBAN-RURAL BOUNDARIES FROM THE DIGITAL DISPARITY PERSPECTIVE

There is no international consensus on a comprehensive criterion to classify human settlements into urban and rural settlements. Different national criteria are used for delineating the borders between the two types of settlements. The main components of the criteria are population size, population density, population economic activity, administrative and legal and services and facilities. Whether all these criteria have been used or some of them, an outright socio-cultural and economic distinction between the two categories of settlements have developed over years around the world. The widely used virtual space during the pandemic provided people with access to facilities and services and enabled them to work for places that usually require their physical presence. The literature has not yet covered this point. Therefore, this paper aims at revisiting the classification of urban and rural areas in the COVID-19 aftermath. Through desk work and employing qualitative and quantitative research approaches, secondary data was collected from published relevant journals, reports, books, and websites. Content and comparative analysis for analysing qualitative data and content and quantitative comparative analysis and tabulation were used to carry out the research. This paper suggested that the world is in a transitional period towards full urban status. During this period, accessibility to virtual space can be used as a comprehensive criterion for calcifying human settlements into urban and rural. © 2022 by MIP.

Spatio-temporal evolution dynamic, effect and governance policy of construction land use in urban agglomeration: case study of Yangtze River Delta, China

The urban construction land change is the most obvious and complex spatial phenomenon in urban agglomerations which has attracted extensive attention of scholars in different fields. Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration is the most mature urban agglomeration in China, a typical representative in both China and the world. This paper analyzes the evolution dynamic, effect and governance policy of urban construction land in Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration 2011-2020 using a combination of BCG model, decoupling model and GIS tools. The findings are as follows. (1) There are large intercity differences in urban construction land in urban agglomerations, but the spatial heterogeneity is gradually decreasing. (2) The change trends and evolution patterns of urban construction land in urban agglomerations are increasingly diversified, with emergence of a variety of types such as rapid growth, slow growth, inverted U-shape, stars, cows, question and dogs. (3) The population growth, economic development and income improvement corresponding to the change of urban construction land in urban agglomerations have no desirable effect, with most cities in the expansive negative decoupling state. (4) The decoupling types show increasingly complex changes, in evolution, degeneration and unchanged states. Affected by economic transformation and the outbreak of COVID-19, an increasing number of cities are in strong negative decoupling and degeneration states, threatening the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. (5) Based on the division of urban agglomerations into three policy areas of Transformation Leading, Land Dependent, and Land Reduction, the response strategies for each are proposed, and a differentiated land use zoning management system is established.

Special issue. (Special issue.)

This special issue contains 17 papers covering a range of topics related to environmental, geological, and social issues in Bangladesh. The articles use various methodologies, including statistical analysis, satellite imaging, and case studies, to explore issues such as drought, urbanization, healthcare, greenhouse gas emissions, groundwater resources, COVID-19 stigmatization, oil rim reservoir development, coal permeability, seaweed composition, hailstorms, tropical cyclones, heavy metal contamination, flood hazard assessment, and climate change vulnerability. Overall, the articles provide valuable insights and information that can inform policy and decision-making in Bangladesh.

Pandemic urban development is leading us away from nature.

Recovery plans in Europe in the COVID-19 pandemic era have stimulated construction-led development, which has eclipsed nature-based agendas in terms of scale, size, and policy. One estimate is that only 0.3% of spending on urban infrastructure globally is directed towards various nature-based solutions and other ecosystem efforts supporting human well-being. In the future we will urgently need to employ nature-based approaches in crisis management for the power and potential of nature to be fully employed in pursuit of urban recovery. We strongly recommend that nature-based approaches be an explicit requirement to secure funding for future recovery plans.

Globalisation: Rethinking Development in the Context of the Pandemic

The stark reality of human existence with a predictable 90 per cent of most reported cases emerging from these showcases of development, urbanisation, and industrialisation — our cities and towns tell us something that we cannot ignore. The cities took the brunt and revelled as the epicentres of the pandemic and a public health disaster, with the lockdowns remaining prolonged, severe, and even punitive in many cities of the world. We discuss here, the impacts of unprecedented crisis as we continue to rely on a globalised economy, and gaze at the helplessness with which the state handles our lives and appears to compromise our destinies through in a market full of uneven players. COVID-19 first hit the global power centres, the developed nations, and the business capitals in developing countries. Excited holidaymakers cruising passenger returnees from Ruby Princess began infecting others and those others infected capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne, Australia. It is intriguing and highly disturbing that how responsibility for a disease that travelled across borders with passports and through commercial airlines came to be laid at the poor of Mumbai's slums or Brazil's favelas. It is really the well-off and the powerful who seem to rule the roost in cities. The density of populations in urban habitats and the intensity of local and global interconnectivity have made these urban habitats clearly more vulnerable to the spread of the virus. Be it the social housing that is vertical for low-income earners in Melbourne or the urban sprawls of Dharavi, Mumbai;evidence suggests that density per se correlated to higher virus transmission. © 2022 Pulla & Goel. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Re-imagining, re-conceptualising and re-shaping cities in post-pandemic India: interpreting the urban space

The COVID-19 pandemic has busted the myth of the invincibility of globalisation. Borders are suddenly no longer that significant. Open spaces are becoming pertinent in urban reconstruction. At present, post-pandemic recovery is an important challenge globally. The need to develop modern urbanisation with planned cities that accommodate all sections of people is being universally acknowledged by experts. These cities need to be resilient, inclusive and sustainable. For cities to be sustainable, they need to utilise public spaces judiciously. The paper focuses on what makes cities sustainable in a post-pandemic world order and how India is navigating the challenges of urban reconstruction. The paper brings up the binary between public and private space and points out that wellness of individuals is very significant pointer in newly planned cities. The paper concludes that big cities are here to stay whatever be the predictions of naysayers.

Did the pandemic bring new features to counter-urbanisation? Evidence from Estonia.

This paper aims to shed new light on changes in counter-urbanisation over the past three decades. A specific focus will be placed on new features of domestic migration to non-metropolitan rural areas which have become apparent during the global coronavirus pandemic. We focus on the intensity, origins, and destinations of counter-urban moves, and on the individual characteristics of counter-urban movers. Based on a case study of Estonia, our main findings show, firstly, that urbanisation has been the predominant migration trend across the past thirty years, with the main destination of domestic migrants being the capital city and its urban region. Secondly, we find that counter-urban moves have gained importance over time and especially during the periods of economic bust. The most important new features of counter-urbanisation during the pandemic relate to the increased migration of families with children and people who have high-income occupations to non-metropolitan rural areas. These new features of domestic migration could serve to slow down or even reverse the long-term problem of population aging in the countryside and the loss of educated people there.

Breeding in the pandemic: short-term lockdown restrictions in a European capital city did not alter the life-history traits of two urban adapters.

Humans are transforming natural habitats into managed urban green areas and impervious surfaces at an unprecedented pace. Yet the effects of human presence per se on animal life-history traits are rarely tested. This is particularly true in cities, where human presence is often indissociable from urbanisation itself. The onset of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, along with the resulting lockdown restrictions, offered a unique, "natural experiment" to investigate wildlife responses to a sudden reduction in human activity. We analysed four years of avian breeding data collected in a European capital city to test whether lockdown measures altered nestbox occupancy and life-history traits in terms of egg laying date, incubation duration and clutch size in two urban adapters: great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Lockdown measures, which modulated human presence, did not influence any of the life-history traits investigated. In contrast, the interaction between year and tree cover, a distinct ecological attribute of the urban space, was positively associated with clutch size, a key avian life-history and reproductive trait. This highlights the importance of inter-year variation and habitat quality over human activity on urban wildlife reproduction. We discuss our results in the light of other urban wildlife studies carried out during the pandemic, inviting the scientific community to carefully interpret all lockdown-associated shifts in biological traits. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11252-022-01309-5.

Editorial introduction: counter-urbanisation in contemporary Australia: a review of current issues and events

'Counter-urbanisation' has attracted international attention for decades, as an elusive concept that runs against the overwhelming trend of an urbanising world. In Australia, interest in counter-urbanisation waned after the peak interest from the 1970s until the early 2000s, however a recent resurgence of interest has grown due to anecdotal evidence of rising migration out of major cities. Advances in the ability to telecommute, the impacts of COVID-19 and lockdowns in major cities, and the impact of climate change on migration movements are some contemporary changes prompting the need for a renewed critical and theoretical analysis of counter-urbanisation. This editorial introduces the special issue that offers renewed insights to counter-urbanisation in Australia. We present three arguments to ground the elusive concept of 'counter-urbanisation' that underpins this special issue. We argue (1) that the contemporary examples of counter-urbanisation we are witnessing presently in Australia involve migration from major cities to regional spaces;(2) counter-urbanisation is determined by geographical context, in this case Australia and places within, and (3) Australian counter-urban movements are strongly linked to amenity and lifestyle migration. This editorial then introduces the special issue papers which together define and challenge the concept of counter-urbanisation within the Australian context.

COVID-19 and Sustainable Development Goals: Bangladesh perspective

The objective of this study is to evaluate the state of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh before the arrival of COVID-19 along with its apparent impact on the accomplishment of SDGs in the future. Data from several national and international sources have been utilised to serve the analytical purpose of the study. Obliteration of the commendable accomplishments regarding some of the SDGs so far and resetting of the goals in terms of precedence are going to be the main consequences of COVID-19 concerning SDGs in Bangladesh which would impede attaining SDGs. However, constrictions in the production of industries along with a massive drop in fossil fuel usage through vehicles would give some respite to nature leading to notable progress regarding SDG 13, SDG 14 and SDG 15. But it would never recompense significantly for the overall effect resulting from COVID-19. © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Citizens' use of public urban green spaces at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

Since early 2020, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly, quickly becoming a global pandemic. To counter the COVID-19 outbreak, national governments have issued different measures and restrictions, forcing citizens to adapt to a whole new lifestyle. These restrictions have impacted on the use of green spaces by citizens owing to many factors: more available free time, increased flexibility in the work environment, and a need to relax in Nature to relieve anxiety and stress. Urban green spaces provide many benefits for the physical and psychological well-being of citizens (e.g., habitat conservation, pollution control, recreational and leisure opportunities). To understand if citizens' habits have changed due to the COVID-19 restrictions, this study provides insights from a web-based survey monitoring the use of such spaces before and during the COVID-19 lockdowns in Italy. A web-based questionnaire was conducted via "Facebook Messenger" and "WhatsApp" at the end of the second wave of COVID-19 (May-June 2021). Data collection having been concluded, 1075 completed questionnaires were collected and processed. The results show that while many reduced their weekly frequentation of green areas (-16.5%), the number of people frequenting green areas near their home every day increased (+7.7%). Two main groups of people were identified: the first, those who intensified their visits to green areas being those who desired to spend time in contact with Nature; the second, those who were reluctant to visit green areas for fear of being infected. The results also show most of the respondents felt urban green areas were either very important (82.1%) or important (14.4%). Overall, the results reveal that COVID-19 induced a positive perception of the benefits provided by urban green areas, with a consequent greater use of them, which seems destined to last even once the public health emergency has passed.

The Geography of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Namibia

Spatial analysis of COVID-19 spread is an important tool for public health management, as a geographic information system (GIS) platform can support the entire process of infectious disease surveillance, preparedness, and response. Consequently, this study applied regression analysis using r software and QGIS mapping to evaluate how COVID-19 infections are impacted by population dynamics, urbanisation, area temperature, and tourism activities in Namibia. Study results revealed that COVID-19 transmission is positively associated with urbanisation and negatively associated with temperature. Area population size is not associated with COVID-19 transmission. To reduce COVID-19 infections in Namibia, efforts need to be directed at minimising social and economic contact activities, particularly in urban areas. The Namibia society is also encouraged to adhere to the recommended COVID-19 public health measures such as social distancing of 1.5 meters apart and wearing of face masks in public spaces.