Evaluating the Presence of Pesticide Residues in Organic Rice Production in An Giang Province, Vietnam

The presence of pesticide residues was investigated in the organic rice production model in An Giang province, Vietnam. A total number of sixteen pesticide residues was been recorded during the investigation. Based on their contamination rate, they are classified as follows. The high-risk group includes tricyclazole (80%). The medium-risk group includes chlorpyrifos (47%), isoprothiolane (47%), difenoconazole (40%), propiconazole (40%), hexaconazole (40%), chlorfenapyr (33%), azoxystrobin (20%), and cypermethrin (20%). The low-risk group includes metalaxyl & metalaxyl-M, paclobutazol, niclosamide, chlorfenson, fipronil, fipronil-desulfinyl, and fenoxanil, which were detected with a contamination rate of 7%. There were seven insecticides, seven fungicides, one snail killer, and one growth regulator.

Technical Education, Vocational Training and Industrialisation in Sub-Saharan Africa(SSA)

This study contributes to a deeper understanding and perspective on the current debate on structural transformation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by investigating the effect of technical vocational education and training on industrial performance between 1980 - 2018. The panel data used for this study were obtained from World Development Indicators (WDI), International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Educational, Social and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Fraser Institute databases. The empirical results derived from the Instrumental Variable (IV) Two-Stage Least Squares (2-SLS) econometric approach highlighted the important role of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as key determinants of industrial performance in SSA. The study found strong and robust relationship between TVET and measures of industrialisation. General secondary education, on the other hand, had a negative effect on industrialisation in SSA. The paper recommends therefore that there is the need for a complete overhaul and revision of the educational system in SSA with more emphasis on TVET in order to meet the required labour demand for industrial needs in the foreseable future.

Roles of Managers and Stakeholders Perception on Solar Technology Adoption Intention: A Case of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Lagos State, Nigeria

Powers shortages is rampant in Africa of which Nigeria is not an exception and solar technology as a viable alternative source of electricity which would mitigate this problem has meted slow adoption. This study aimed to explore the impact of mindset/attitude from Theory of planned behavior (TPB), Disruptive Innovation Theory (DIA), awareness-knowledge, opportunity and barrier over managers (owners) of MSMEs intention to adopt solar technology for their businesses. A questionnaire was administrated to collect data from a sample of 400 managers (owners) of MSMEs respondents’ in Lagos State, Nigeria. A multivariate technique was applied to test the hypotheses using Structural Equation Modeling (AMOS-23). The findings showed that mindset/attitude, (DIA) and opportunity have a significant impact on solar technology intention, however, awareness-knowledge and barrier were not significant. These independent variables explained 71% variance of the dependent variable intention. In addition, DIA was found to have a significant impact on opportunity, barrier and mindset/attitude however, barrier on mindset/attitude was not significant. These findings not only provide evidence for MSMEs strategic planning to ensure sustainable business growth for their businesses but also provide new knowledge to policy and decision makers, the manufacturing & installation (suppliers) companies and other stakeholders for renewable energy as a part of long term sustainable development.

Assessment Method on United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, Applied for a Sustainable City, with a Focus on Greater Khartoum Services

The first approach for environmentally sustainable development to the global community was introduced in 1992 in the United Nations conference on environment and development, the "Earth Summit", which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.(genda21). Defining Sustainable development as the one that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Therefore, the study will focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals UN-SDGs and the making of Sustainable cities. The aim of the research is to propose a framework to transform Greater Khartoum into a Sustainable city and to find out criteria for an Assessment Method that is applicable for Greater Khartoum. Which including providing Safe affordable housing and basic services, Sustainable transportation, Sustainable home settlements in the three towns, protect culture and Natural Heritage, Reduce Waste including water, air and solid waste, public access, Green-space, Support positive economic, social, and environmental links between urban and rural areas, National and local disaster risk reduction strategies, Interlinkages and implications for policy-making In addition, the methodology of the research focuses on defining, identifying, and measuring the indicators and sub-items. The measurement applied through survey and questionnaire. Distributed and distribute to all engineers specialized in architecture, urban, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers in the three cities (Khartoum-Khartoum North-Omdurman). Finally, the outcomes of the research, applying the criteria of SDGs to evaluate the present situation in sustainable development criteria in Greater Khartoum; most of the indicator record results the research recorded results show that the goals were not achieved in most of the situations, between (20-30) especially in services (Table 1), waste management and open spaces are average (40-49). Will provide valuable recommendations towards improving the future and urban planning and sustainable development for the Capital city.

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol. 14, No. 6

Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Sustainable Development, Vol. 14, No. 6, 2021

Operationalizing Sustainable Development, Stakeholder Theory, Corporate Social Responsibility to Improve Community Engagement Outcomes

Businesses fail in the absence of an engagement strategy with stakeholders who influence and are influenced by a company’s business activity in communities where the company has a presence. A lack of understanding of the interdependency implicit in the company/community relationship, and the absence of new frameworks to encourage collaboration, has led increasingly to an inability to resolve conflicting views. An evolving approach is business participation in multisector collaborative watershed initiative partnerships. This qualitative multiple case study examines the perspectives of 22 participants of two watershed partnerships relating to corporate social responsibility (CSR), the Triple Bottom Line of sustainable development (TBL), and shared value. The study’s theoretical framework focuses on stakeholder theory integrated with the corporate imperatives of CSR, the TBL, and shared value. The research question is how these constructs might define an unexplored community engagement framework between the company, the community, and watershed initiatives. The research data suggests these factors are interrelated, and, when integrated into a strategy, define a Sustainable Community Engagement Framework that redefines the business case for engaging stakeholders to help resolve often conflicting views relating to the company’s business activity. The study outcomes are particularly relevant to academics, practitioners, business managers, and consultants engaged with high profile organizations such as chemical, petroleum and utility businesses whose presence may generate community concerns about their business activities, especially their environmental footprint.

Evaluation on the Effect of Regional Development Policy: The Case of Guizhou Province’s Catching-up Strategy in China

China has been facing the dangerous dilemma of unbalanced regional development as the world does. With the coming of the two centenary goals, facing the peculiar difficulties and present conditions in Guizhou province, the central government of the People’s Republic of China made and implemented the catching-up strategy in Guizhou province in 2012. This paper regards implementing catching-up strategy in Guizhou province as a social quasi experiment, chooses 15 middle and western provinces or municipalities to compose control group, applies provincial panel data from 1998 to 2017, and uses synthetic control method to acquire a synthetic Guizhou province which is specified as a counterfactual condition of Guizhou after 2011 to study the economic effects of catching-up strategy quantitatively. The conclusion of positive econometric analysis indicates: from 2011 onward when implementing catching-up strategy, Guizhou Province’s growth rate of real GDP is higher than ‘the synthetic Guizhou’ by 1.4 percent to 3.4 percent. The paper asserts that in comparison with the universal strategy of regional development, practicing targeted catching-up strategy aiming at special region could realize surpassing speedily.

Air Transport Demand Forecast to Making the Regional Aviation Sustainable in Northeast of Brazil

Both researchers and Government Agencies see aviation as an important driver for regional development and national integration. Thus, this sector has been a matter of concern for the government who has ways to stimulate the aero activity. The Regional Aviation Development Program (PDAR) has been currently under development implemented in Brazil. This program foresees public investments in airport infrastructure and operational subsidies for airlines to enhance the sector operation and increase the number of locations served by regional aviation. This paper presents a model for estimating passenger demand potential through multiple linear regression to cover the great majority of the federative units (states) of Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará, and Piauí in the northeast of Brazil. Subsequently, localities are suggested to optimize the resources of the PDAR, and we concluded that it is likely that there are regions with higher demand potential than some regions, which are already served by the airlines. Hence, we assumed that by strategically directing investments to specific localities, companies operate without subsidies, which in turn can be directed to airlines used to integrate the country. This making regional aviation more sustainable leading development to isolated localities, and thus efficiently contributing to reducing the Brazilian social inequality.

Prebendalism and Rural Poverty in Cross River State, Nigeria

Prebendalism and rural poverty are two main variables whose problems have negatively impacted on the developmental process of the state. This condition at the grassroots is commonly observed in the area of low income, poor shelter, poor health facilities, and in other socioeconomic wellbeing of the people. In this study, the main objective is to investigate the effect of prebendalism on rural poverty in cross river state. A quantitative research method was utilized. The findings of this study shows that prebendalism and rural poverty as the bane of development in the state are difficult to be eradicated. The implication is that unless prebendalism is eradicated, the wellbeing of the people at the grassroots will be a mirage. Therefore, this study attempts to provide policy directive along the line of the need for government to review its implementation of poverty programmes at the grassroots by eradicating or minimizing prebendalism.

An Analysis of the Relationship between Value Diversity and Project Implementation. A Case of Building Construction Projects in Kajiado County, Kenya, Africa.

The process of implementing building construction projects usually involves teams that are made up of individuals who are diverse in several aspects, which can be classified as either deep-level or surface-level diversity. Diversity in work-values has been seen to influence project performance in different fields. During the financial year 2016/2017, the County Government of Kajiado implemented a total of 50 building construction projects, which were meant to be completed within the financial year, but only 48% of the projects were deemed to be successfully implemented by the end of the period. Several factors have been attributed to the low success rate but none has looked at diversity in values among project team member. This research sought to determine the strength and nature of relationship between project team value diversity and building construction projects implementation process in Kajiado county. A pragmatic paradigm was employed in the research. Data was collected using semi-structure questionnaires from a random sample of 251 respondents while interviews were done on 11 key respondents. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, means and standard deviations as well as inferential statistics like correlation and regression were generated from the quantitative data while qualitative data was thematically analysed. It was established that a moderate positive correlation (r=0.401 ) existed between value diversity and project implementation process. It can therefore be inferred that value diversity positively influences the process of implementation of building construction projects.