World

Given the increasing complexity of leadership roles in global, sustainability-driven organizations, this study examines whether Hersey and Blanchard’s Situational Leadership Model (SLM) provides a sufficiently comprehensive framework for contemporary leadership demands or requires theoretical and practical modifications. Can SLM, originally designed for adaptability in leader–follower dynamics, effectively integrate sustainability principles such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors; corporate social responsibility (CSR); and ethical governance? How can leadership models evolve to balance immediate responsiveness with long-term resilience and sustainability-driven decision-making? This research systematically evaluates the synthesis of empirical evidence on the application of the SLM across diverse organizational contexts while exploring its alignment with sustainability-focused leadership approaches. The study further investigates the role of Servant Leadership as a conceptual bridge between SLM and sustainability principles, emphasizing its ethical foundation, stakeholder-oriented approach, and long-term commitment to workforce well-being. Findings suggest that while SLM remains a relevant and adaptable framework, it exhibits a deficiency in explicitly addressing the sustainability dimension. However, integrating Servant Leadership’s emphasis on ethical governance and organizational resilience into SLM could enhance its applicability to sustainability-driven leadership models. By addressing these gaps, this study contributes to contemporary leadership theory by proposing an evolved SLM framework that incorporates sustainability-focused leadership competencies. Future research should focus on refining SLM to ensure its alignment with the ethical and environmental imperatives of modern organizations, equipping leaders to navigate the complexities of sustainable corporate governance while maintaining situational adaptability. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted care aides in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), exacerbating existing challenges and introducing new stressors that profoundly affected their job satisfaction, mental health, and overall well-being. This study investigates these multifaceted effects by conducting a comprehensive literature review of 18 studies from 2020 to 2023 across multiple countries. The findings reveal that care aides, mostly older and female and often immigrants with limited formal education, faced increased workloads, emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, anxiety, and heightened stress levels during the pandemic. These factors led to decreased job satisfaction, higher burnout rates, and further pressure on LTCFs. The review emphasizes the need for strong support systems and targeted interventions, including mental health resources, counseling, adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), effective workload management, professional development opportunities, fair compensation, and supportive work environments. Addressing these issues is crucial for maintaining a stable and effective LTC workforce, improving care outcomes for residents, and enhancing the healthcare system’s resilience against future challenges. Full article

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of global mortality and is a significant public health challenge, including in specific Portuguese regions. Key aspects in understanding TB’s historical dynamics and impacts on past and present populations are to consider cultural changes and the implementation of public health policies through time. Therefore, this survey aims to provide a more accurate history of TB in Portugal, based on the analysis of sanitary measures through time, illustrating the role of TB in the evolution of public health in Portugal. For this, bibliographic research was conducted across various academic databases and major Portuguese libraries, statistical archives, and public health repositories. Therefore, a detailed chronology, along with some new statistical data, is presented and correlated with sanitary and public health measures, illustrating the role of TB in the evolution of the public health system in Portugal. This research enhances our understanding of the past and sheds light on ongoing TB challenges. Full article

Protected areas (PAs) are essential for conserving biodiversity and supporting sustainable development, particularly in ecologically rich yet administratively challenged regions like Romania. This study aims to understand how key stakeholders—local residents and protected area administrators—experience and interpret conservation management in the Southwestern Carpathians, one of Europe’s last remaining large-scale wilderness areas. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research offers an in-depth qualitative investigation into how individuals perceive, navigate, and negotiate conservation regulations, socio-economic pressures, and sustainable development goals. The findings highlight a deep emotional connection between residents and nature, juxtaposed with tensions over restrictions, perceived loss of autonomy, and limited compensation. Administrators, in turn, face challenges in enforcing regulations, managing tourism, and engaging communities amidst institutional fragmentation and resource constraints. Key findings emphasize the importance of environmental education, trust-building, and participatory governance in reconciling conservation aims with local development needs. The study underscores the need for inclusive, context-sensitive conservation strategies that integrate community perspectives and facilitate cooperation among local authorities, residents, and administrators. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of stakeholder dynamics and policy implementation within protected areas, emphasizing the importance of co-produced knowledge and adaptive governance. Future research is encouraged to adopt participatory action approaches and expand stakeholder diversity to support more socially inclusive and ecologically resilient conservation practices. Full article

Climate variability and extremes adversely affect the agricultural production system, food security, livestock sector, and water resources. With the cumulative effects of climate variability, there is a need to anticipate and develop appropriate adaptation strategies to cope with changing climatic conditions. It is necessary to study the adaptation strategies that are to be followed for climate change to examine the ability of vulnerable communities and people, frequently affected by drought and other climate-related risks, to adapt to climate change impacts. Hence, the present study examined the determinants of various climate change adaptation strategies followed by farmers as a measure to face climate variability, which will be ultimately beneficial and enlightening to policymakers to gain knowledge about the measures to be taken to mitigate the impact of climate change. The study was undertaken using data collected from 105 farm households with an organized pre-tested interview schedule in the central agro-climatic zone of Afghanistan. The multivariate probit econometric model was used to analyze the factors responsible for major adaptation strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change. The key findings of the model indicated that the probability of educated farmers migrating to the non-agricultural sector for employment has increased by 1.3 percent, and those who have more land area have adopted a reduction in irrigation by 5.2 percent as an adaptive mechanism. The study also found that having access to technical guidance from extension officials increased the likelihood of farmers changing their cropping pattern by 18.6 percent and of diversifying their farms by 19.2 percent. On the other hand, expert guidance reduced the likelihood of drilling new bore wells by 20.5 percentage points and decreased the probability of selling livestock by 10.8 percentage points. The results of the study provide policy insights to improve the ability of farmers to modify their practices through improvement in extension services, irrigation infrastructure facilities, watershed development, and climate-resilient agricultural systems. Full article

The transition to low-carbon economies presents unique challenges for emerging markets, particularly in developing effective carbon pricing mechanisms that balance environmental objectives with economic development needs. This study examines the ratio legis of carbon pricing policies through a comparative analysis of China and South Korea’s established systems, utilizing the FASTER (Fairness, Alignment, Stability, Transparency, Economic efficiency, Reliability) principles evaluation framework. Using qualitative doctrinal methodology integrated and comparative policy analysis legislative frameworks and market data from 2015–2023, this paper examines Malaysia as a representative case study wherein carbon market initiatives remain in voluntary phase with approximately 150,000 carbon credits traded. The comparative results demonstrate that a choice between China’s intensity-based approach and South Korea’s absolute cap system should be guided by the following: (1) development stage, with industrializing economies benefiting from China’s flexible model; (2) institutional capacity, where limited monitoring capabilities favor phased approaches; (3) economic structure, with emissions-intensive economies requiring growth-accommodating systems; (4) policy landscape complexity; and (5) market size. The research proposes a structured implementation framework for emerging markets, demonstrated through Malaysia’s context, that enables effective emission reduction while maintaining economic competitiveness during the transition to low-carbon economies. Full article

The agri-food sector is going through a massive digital transformation thanks to new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Regional disparities and implementation barriers prevent widespread uptake despite significant research advances. Drawing on bibliometric and survey data collected up to the end of 2023, this study examines global research trends and stakeholder perceptions in Andalusia (Spain) to identify challenges and opportunities in agricultural digitalization. Bibliographic analysis revealed that research has moved from early remote sensing to precision agriculture, IoT, robotics and big data, and that AI has recently taken over in predictive analytics, automation, and decision-support systems. However, our survey of Andalusian stakeholders highlighted a limited adoption of cutting-edge tools such as AI, blockchain, and predictive models due to economic constraints, technical challenges, and skepticism. Participants emphasized the importance of trust-building, as well as the use of simple tools that require minimal input and provide immediate benefits. Priorities for the responders were also improving market transparency, optimizing resource use, and system interoperability. The findings show that closing the gap between research and practice requires developing digital solutions that are user-centered, simplified, and context-adapted, especially when dealing with complex technologies like AI and predictive systems. This must be supported by targeted public policies and collaborative innovation ecosystems, all essential elements to accelerate the integration of smart agricultural technologies and align scientific innovation with real-world needs. Full article

Cities worldwide face significant challenges in managing stormwater, a concern worsened by rapid urbanization and the impacts of climate change. Bioretention landscapes helped solve these issues by replicating natural ecosystems to effectively capture, filter, and treat stormwater while offering additional ecosystem services. However, most studies and existing guides have been for colder and drier climates. Adapting bioretention practices to tropical and wet equatorial climates, characterized by intense rainfall patterns and high temperature and humidity, presents unique challenges and knowledge gaps. This systematic literature review aims to address these gaps by synthesizing existing research from 2010 to 2022 on bioretention landscapes in tropical and wet equatorial climates. Following the methodology outlined in PRISMA guidelines, we identified 10 key studies primarily focusing on countries within the Köppen–Geiger climate zones Aw, Af, and Am, which are tropical and wet equatorial climates. These studies spanned across different continents, including locations such as Malaysia, Singapore, Burkina Faso, and India. Data synthesis revealed critical design elements, including planting selection, substrate layer composition, and performance metrics. Our findings highlight the necessity for climate-specific design approaches and identify key research gaps that can inform future studies and guide practical applications in designing bioretention landscapes for tropical and wet equatorial climates. Full article

Despite the growing human–wildlife interactions (HWIs) globally, little attention has been paid to their effects on women and children, who often bear the brunt of loss of property and livelihoods. A systematic scoping review of four databases was undertaken to map and synthesize English-language evidence on the nature, causes, and impact of human–wildlife interactions on women and children across cultures. The 42 studies retained reveal that the proximity of human habitation to forest areas; expansion, deforestation, and encroachment of animal space; humans’ dependence on forest resources for livelihood; displacement of carnivores; and animals coming into the human space in search for food are the predominant causes of HWIs. Various types of HWIs and widely varying frequencies and durations of HWIs were reported. Individual and collective aspects of physical, psychological, economic, social, and environmental impacts on women and children were identified. The themes extracted were gendered roles, multi-factor vulnerabilities of women, religious beliefs, low participation of women in decision-making, social superstition against tiger widows, and perceptions of coexistence. Attention to perceptions of HWIs in different cultures and societies was limited, with notable gaps in the coverage of women and children and important geographic areas. These findings stress the need to bridge the geographical and cultural gap through multi-disciplinary actions on the determinants and effects of HWIs on women and children. Full article

Revitalizing Japan’s remote areas has become an urgent challenge, particularly in regions with aging populations. Despite their rich cultural and natural resources, these areas struggle to attract younger demographics, including young families and children. To address this, local governments have introduced temporary events to enhance urban vibrancy and create inclusive spaces. However, research on optimizing event design faces significant challenges due to the vast amount of data required for comprehensive analysis, making it difficult to gain deeper insights into user experience. Recent advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and AI have opened new possibilities for analyzing large-scale, multi-person interview data. While models like ChatGPT-4 have enhanced data-driven decision-making, structuring user metadata and identifying shared themes across events remain key challenges. This research integrates visual segmentation, spatial perception analysis, and NLP-driven keyword extraction into a novel, scalable approach. Using Matsue City as a case study, the method enhances the visual attractiveness of temporary event spaces by optimizing spatial layout, product visibility, and user engagement, ensuring they remain appealing and inclusive despite demographic challenges. From a data perspective, the proposed model improves the analysis of complex qualitative datasets and supports a more accurate interpretation of public event experiences. This integrated approach not only bridges spatial design and participant engagement but also establishes a replicable AI-assisted framework for systematically enhancing temporary event spaces, overcoming current limitations in large-scale data processing. Full article

Influenza poses a significant public health threat, causing millions of severe cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. Vaccination remains the most effective measure to reduce transmission, complications, and the strain on healthcare systems. Despite its importance, vaccination uptake remains suboptimal among college students, a key population for infectious disease transmission and a target group for public health interventions. The primary objective of this study was to examine the psychological and contextual determinants of influenza vaccination among college students in Israel, utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as the guiding framework. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 591 students at Ashkelon Academic College between April and May 2023. The questionnaire included validated items assessing attitudes toward vaccination, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and vaccination history. Hierarchical logistic regression was used to assess the predictive power of these variables in explaining actual vaccination behavior. The results indicated that prior vaccination was the strongest predictor of current influenza vaccine uptake (OR = 38.7, p < 0.001). Positive attitudes (e.g., belief in vaccine protection), strong social influences (e.g., parental vaccination behavior and trust in healthcare professionals), and high perceived behavioral control (e.g., accessibility and convenience) were all significantly associated with increased vaccination likelihood. The final model explained 68% of the variance in vaccination behavior (Nagelkerke R² = 0.68, p < 0.001). These findings affirm the TPB as a robust framework for understanding vaccination behavior and underscore the importance of habitual vaccination, public trust, and systemic accessibility. The study contributes to the field by illustrating how national healthcare infrastructure interacts with individual-level beliefs to shape preventive health actions. Practical applications include the development of targeted interventions to promote first-time vaccination, address vaccine safety concerns, and leverage trusted social networks. Future research should investigate how digital communication, policy variation, and sociocultural context influence the components of the TPB across diverse populations. Full article

Urbanization has transformed natural landscapes, resulting in increased land surface temperatures and the intensification of urban heat island (UHI) effects. This study explores the relationship between land-use/land-cover (LULC) changes and land surface temperature (LST) from 2017 to 2024, using satellite data from Landsat and Sentinel. The results from supervised classification reveal a 50.9% increase in built-up land, from 21,256 hectares in 2017 to 32,099 hectares in 2024, accompanied by a 6.3% decline in woodland. Analysis of the LST data highlights rising temperatures in urbanized and deforested areas, with LST peaking at 36.96 °C in 2020 before slightly decreasing to 31.03 °C in 2024, potentially influenced by increased rainfall. However, hotspots of elevated LST persist, indicating sustained thermal stress. The urban thermal field variance index (UTFVI) showed worsening ecological conditions, particularly in densely urbanized zones. The study highlights the pressing need for integrating urban heat island (UHI) considerations into urban planning, as elevated urban temperatures threaten public health and escalate energy consumption. Additionally, the research aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), emphasizing the creation of inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. By providing policymakers with key UHI indices, this study contributes to climate-resilient urban environments, mitigating heat risks through green infrastructure and sustainable urban design. Full article

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) has emerged as a critical strategy to address the intertwined challenges of climate change, food insecurity, and environmental degradation, particularly among smallholder farmers in Southern Africa. This study reviews the existing literature on the adoption and scaling of CSA innovations among smallholder farmers in South Africa, focusing specifically on the roles played by institutional mechanisms, policy frameworks, and market dynamics. The findings reveal that while CSA interventions—such as conservation agriculture, drought-tolerant crop varieties, and precision irrigation—have demonstrated positive outcomes in enhancing productivity, food and nutritional security, and climate resilience, adoption remains uneven and limited. Key barriers include insecure land tenure, insufficient extension and climate information services, limited access to credit and inputs, and fragmented institutional support. The analysis highlights the importance of secure land rights, functional farmer cooperatives, effective NGO involvement, and inclusive governance structures in facilitating CSA adoption. Further, the review critiques the implementation gaps in South Africa’s climate and agricultural policy landscape, despite the existence of comprehensive strategies like the National Climate Change Response Policy and the Agricultural Policy Action Plan. This study concludes that scaling CSA among smallholder farmers requires a holistic, multi-level approach that strengthens institutional coordination, ensures policy coherence, improves market access, and empowers local actors. Targeted financial incentives, capacity-building programs, and value chain integration are essential to transform CSA from a conceptual framework into a practical, scalable solution for sustainable agricultural development in South Africa. Full article

The discharge of wastewater into bodies of water and subsoil poses a serious pollution problem. In many neighborhoods or districts, there are often no wastewater treatment systems due to the high costs involved, which may compromise human health. Constructed wetlands (CWs) offer an ecological solution to improve water quality and enable its reuse. They promote the removal of contaminants through physical, chemical, and biological processes. The objective of this study was to evaluate Canna hybrids, Zingiber spectabile, and Alpinia purpurata—ornamental plants not typical of wetlands—regarding their function as phytoremediators and their growth under such conditions. Utilizing CWs with ornamental plants for water treatment in neighborhoods could improve the adoption of this ecotechnology. To this end, eight cells were built: two were controls (without plants), two contained Canna hybrids, two had Zingiber spectabile, and two included Alpinia purpurata, all designed for a hydraulic retention time of three days. Inlet and outlet water samples were collected biweekly for six months. The results showed that the cells with Canna hybrids and Zingiber spectabile removed from 40 to 70% of total nitrogen and phosphorus. In terms of organic matter, measured as COD and TSS, the removals ranged from 55 to 90%. In contrast, cells with Alpinia purpurata demonstrated removal rates of only 30 to 50%, which were statistically lower (p ≤ 0.05), indicating a slower adaptation to wetland conditions. This slower adaptability is directly related to the growth of the species, as Alpinia purpurata also exhibited the lowest growth rates. The study concluded that using CWs with the studied ornamental plants is a viable alternative for treating wastewater and, at the same time, they may add a commercial value to the vegetation. Additionally, they can enhance the aesthetic landscape with colorful flowers that attract birds and insects and the treated water could be utilized to irrigate sports areas or urban planters. Full article

This study systematically examines the impact of immigration, emigration, and the influx of foreign workers on employment, unemployment, and economic growth in the Republic of Croatia. The primary objective of the research is to understand how these demographic and economic changes shape the labor market and evaluate their long-term effects on gross domestic product (GDP) and wage levels. The methodology used in this study involves a comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic data from Croatia over the past 11 years, focusing on critical indicators such as employment, unemployment, immigration, emigration, foreign workers, wages, and GDP trends. This approach provides valuable insights into how migration patterns influence critical labor market indicators. The findings reveal that immigration and foreign workers significantly impact employment, particularly in stabilizing sectors like tourism and construction. Additionally, a positive correlation was found between the number of foreign workers and GDP growth. In conclusion, the research underscores the importance of immigration and foreign workers in addressing labor shortages and driving economic growth in Croatia. However, targeted policies are needed to ensure the successful integration of foreign workers and the long-term sustainability of the domestic labor market. Full article

The growing burden of mental health disorders necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their environmental and socioeconomic determinants. This study employs machine learning to analyze the relationship between mental health mortality and key socioeconomic and climatic factors across Southeast Asia. Using a Random Forest model (R² = 0.95), we identify the population size and the Physical Quality of Life Index (PQLI) as the strongest predictors of mental health mortality, while climate indices—the proportion of warm nights (TN90p) and hot days (TX90p)—exhibit weaker direct effects (importance < 0.1), but significant indirect effects through socioeconomic pathways. The regional disparities highlight Indonesia as the most climate-sensitive country, whereas the Philippines shows weaker climate–mortality correlations, suggesting that its socioeconomic resilience and healthcare infrastructure can mitigate climate impacts. These findings underscore the need for integrated climate–mental health strategies, particularly for vulnerable regions experiencing extreme temperatures and socioeconomic stressors. Full article

The maritime transport industry contributes around 3% to worldwide CO₂ emissions, with 2023 emissions projected to be approximately 58 billion tons. Consequently, to attain decarbonization objectives, the implementation of effective reduction measures in maritime operations, especially at seaports as significant contributors, is essential. On the other hand, seaport operations are categorized into two main areas: land logistics, encompassing cargo handling, storage, customs processing, and inland transportation, and maritime logistics, which includes vessel traffic management, berth allocation, cargo loading and unloading, and fuel and maintenance services. While land logistics’ decarbonization has been extensively studied, maritime logistics operations, accounting for about 60% of port CO₂ emissions, remain underexplored. Their progress relies on regulations, cleaner fuels, and digital solutions; yet high costs and slow adoption pose significant challenges. As a result, this study employed PRISMA-ScR methodology to select relevant research resources and validate global reports from international organizations, enhancing transparency and providing practitioners and experts with a comprehensive analysis of seaport maritime emissions, as well as decarbonization initiatives. This study analyzes the future trajectory of the initiative based on current data, evaluating its potential benefits and systematically reviewing recent literature. It explores decarbonization strategies in maritime operations, emphasizing regulations, cleaner fuels, and digital solutions while highlighting challenges such as high costs and slow adoption. Key issues examined include maritime border delineation, infrastructure constraints, technological advancements, regulatory barriers, and the opportunities that decarbonized seaports offer to ports and their surrounding regions. Full article

This study estimates the impact of some socio-economic, real estate, and accessibility factors on the demographic change of the Italian provinces. Migration rates were analysed for one hundred and thirteen provincial capitals, or former provincial capitals, and their territories, and the correlation between them and various socio-economic and accessibility variables was studied. The data analysis showed significant heterogeneity between the different territorial areas of the country, highlighting the well-known phenomenon of migration from southern to northern regions. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether and to what extent accessibility variables have a direct influence on internal migration phenomena, in addition to the other socio-economic variables involved. Multiple linear regression models were specified and calibrated to correlate migration rates with various socio-economic and accessibility variables. The results show a non-negligible impact of certain accessibility variables on the migration phenomenon and suggest the need to work on the infrastructure front to rebalance the country’s demographic and socio-economic structure. Full article

This study aimed to assess the water quality, prevalence of waterborne diseases, and hygiene practices in selected Union Councils (UCs) of Abbottabad District. A small number of studies on water contamination and its effects on health have been carried out by various researchers and government organizations in Abbottabad. Considering how much time has passed since the last study, this one will provide up-to-date information on water quality and disease prevalence, taking into account any developments or patterns over the last ten years. The areas of high and low prevalence of waterborne diseases were identified based on secondary data from district hospitals. The high-prevalence area included UC Nawanshehr, UC Mirpur, and UC Sherwan, while the low-prevalence area comprised UC Bakot, UC Moolia, and UC Tearch. Water samples were collected from these UCs and analyzed for physical parameters (pH, turbidity, TDS, EC, and temperature) as well as biological parameters (E. coli, Salmonella typhi, and Vibrio cholera) to assess the drinking water quality. Questionnaires were also administered to gather information on water supply, storage, treatment, disease prevalence, and hygiene practices. The findings indicated that all physical parameters fell within the permissible limits; however, all water samples were found to be contaminated with biological agents. UC Mirpur and UC Bakot exhibited the highest disease prevalence rates of 55% and 33%, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive correlations (correlation coefficients of 1, 0.8, and 0.5) between the presence of E. coli, Salmonella typhi, and Vibrio cholera and disease prevalence. The questionnaire data revealed that the main sources of water supply were tube wells, small streams, and water pumps, with minimal water treatment practices. The water treatment level was, however, noted to be far below expectations, even with the required hygiene practices being followed in all Union Councils. Above all, these findings indicate the necessity to promote best practices for water treatment in the studied UCs and inform efforts to improve drinking water quality at the population level. Public health measures need to focus on improving access to safe drinking water sources, appropriate water treatment, and hygiene. The identified findings from this study nurture innovative affordable solutions that can lead to decreased waterborne diseases and enhanced public health protections in the Abbottabad District. Full article