Search Results (1,040)

Child marriage remains a major threat to adolescent girls’ health, development, and rights worldwide. Despite decades of progress, recent policy backsliding and sociopolitical instability have created new risks, with examples from Iraq, Afghanistan, and The Gambia illustrating how legal and political shifts are reshaping vulnerabilities for girls. This paper presents an integrated framework linking developmental science with legal and policy advocacy, emphasizing how evolving capacities and psychosocial maturity should inform marriage laws and protection mechanisms. It reframes advocacy and rights-based action as essential components of adolescent health systems, drawing on recent policy analyses and country examples to identify actionable, multisectoral strategies. The paper highlights an urgent need for collective, evidence-informed advocacy to protect adolescent girls and advance gender equality, an issue of growing importance amid renewed global attention to legal reforms on child marriage. Full article

This study examines how geographic distance to Vietnam’s centralized securities regulator—the State Securities Commission (SSC)—influences firm-level stock price crash risk. In emerging markets characterized by weak governance, corruption, and political connections, distance can erode monitoring effectiveness and heighten managerial incentives to conceal bad news. Using data on Vietnamese listed firms from 2010 to 2024, we find a robust positive association between a firm’s distance to the SSC headquarters in Hanoi and its future crash risk. The effect is stronger for non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) and in provinces with high corruption, but disappears in SOEs and in more transparent regions, where state-related networks provide insulation from weak formal institutions. Exploiting the 2019 Securities Law as a quasi-natural experiment, we show that the distance effect was more pronounced before the reform, suggesting that improved formal regulation can partially offset geographically induced monitoring frictions. Additional tests reveal that the effect is amplified among firms listed on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE) and those with higher financial leverage. Our findings provide novel evidence on the spatial dimension of regulatory enforcement in emerging markets. We highlight geographic distance as a significant but previously overlooked source of crash risk, with implications for regulators in designing risk-based supervision and for investors in pricing location-driven risks. Full article

Transition to renewable energy leads to assumed economic diversification; however, the institutional risks for hydrocarbon-dependent economies remain high. This paper identifies the conditions under which transitioning economies enter a novel dependency during the renewable transition. Our analysis combines the Multi-Level Perspective with Historical Institutionalism to explore Azerbaijan’s 30-year trajectory across the oil, gas, and emerging renewable phases, serving as an illustrative case. Evidence from the literature and expert interviews illustrates that renewable investments are channelled through hydrocarbon-era institutional practices, enclave-style contracting, centralised decision-making, and reliance on foreign technology providers. These conditions constrain domestic niche formation and limit opportunities for local capability development. As a result, renewables become embedded within the existing institutional architecture rather than displacing it, serving primarily to substitute hydrocarbons as an export commodity rather than to catalyse diversification. The paper conceptualises this trajectory as a possible renewable dependence: a pathway in which renewable energy is integrated into an export-oriented, state-dominated political economy without altering its core institutional logic. The identified configurations are common across hydrocarbon economies in Central Asia and MENA, offering transferable insights into when and why renewable transitions risk reproducing, rather than transforming, established development models. Full article

This research addresses a critical gap in the Public–Private Partnership (PPP) research field by analysing risk allocation in an emergent African context: Morocco. Based on semi-structured interviews with six selected practitioners, along with lexicometric and sentiment analysis, this study identifies the major risks and the determinants influencing their allocation. Findings show a risk profile dominated by commercial, political, and industrial uncertainties. In addition, the research uncovers that risk allocation is not simply a technical task, but a multidimensional negotiation influenced by project characteristics, partner capabilities, macro-environmental imperatives, and transaction dynamics. Moreover, sentiment analysis reveals a vocabulary mainly reflecting the emotions of fear, anticipation, and trust, which points to the affective side of the contract. This study provides a qualitative framework that is sensitive to the context and that challenges standard economic models; it gives clear directions to policymakers handling complicated PPP arrangements in emerging markets. Full article

This paper examines how county-level government in China formulates and implements solar photovoltaic (PV) policies through an adaptive-governance lens, using Lin’an District (Hangzhou) as a case study. Drawing on multi-level policy document analysis and 30 semi-structured interviews with government officials, developers, grid actors and experts, we identify three stages of local PV development (rooftop diffusion; rapid utility-scale expansion; and market-oriented regulatory adjustment). Key governance innovations include a district PV task force, an industry alliance, and a dual acceptance safety mechanism that together accelerated deployment while managing technical and political risks. We show how adaptive governance operates within an authoritarian, hierarchical system by combining top-down targets with bottom-up development and stakeholder coordination. The findings illuminate practical trade-offs between market liberalization and regulatory control, and provide transferable lessons for other developing countries pursuing decentralized renewable energy transitions. Full article

Wastewater management plays a critical role in advancing the circular economy, as wastewater is increasingly considered a recoverable resource rather than a waste product. This paper reviews physical, chemical, biological, and combined treatment methodologies, highlighting a lack of a holistic framework in current research which includes both the operational phases of wastewater treatment and proper risk analysis tools. To address this gap, an innovative methodological framework for wastewater recovery and risk management within an integrated logistic–production process is proposed. The framework is structured in five steps: description of the logistic–production process, hazard identification, risk assessment through the Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis (FMECA), prioritization of interventions using the Action Priority (AP) method, and definition of corrective actions. The application of the proposed methodology can optimize the usage of available resources across various sectors while minimizing waste products, thus supporting environmental sustainability. Furthermore, political, economic and social implications of adopting the proposed approach in the field of energy transition are discussed. Full article

This study, based on the Neo-Malthusian framework, examines the association between population growth, resource scarcity, and political instability in 128 developing countries from 1960 to 2022. Results show that rapid population growth is associated with higher levels of political instability. This association appears stronger in low-income countries, which generally exhibit weaker institutions, limited fiscal capacity, and lower carrying capacity that coincide with greater sociopolitical tensions and inequalities. In contrast, high-income developing countries tend to show greater resilience, associated with stronger governance and technological adaptability. The findings highlight the importance of policies that strengthen governance, enhance resource management, and promote sustainable development to address potential instability risks associated with demographic pressures. Full article

The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by a patchwork of government policies in countries around the world, many of which limited civil liberties in unprecedented ways. Here, our objective was to analyze the scope and spatio-temporal patterns of workplace vaccination mandates. Using daily policy data from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker for 2021–2022, we developed a simple mandate intensity index representing the number of affected employment sectors and the duration of each mandate by country. These metrics suggest a largely inconsistent pandemic response. We found that less than one-third of the 185 countries included in the dataset implemented such “no jab, no job” policies. Even among groups of culturally and politically aligned countries, such as the core Anglosphere, policies varied greatly: between one (United Kingdom) and 10 (Australia) out of 12 employment sectors had vaccination mandates. The most frequently and longest mandated sectors included government officials and healthcare workers, two broad groups with different risk profiles. We discuss these discrepancies from a critical perspective, considering the limited evidence for the mandates’ effectiveness along with their potential to cause harmful outcomes, and recommend careful cost–benefit analyses in the future. Full article

Demographic trends over the last decades and future projections clearly indicate a steady increase in the proportion of older adults (65+) relative to both the working-age (15–64) and child populations (0–15) across Europe. This demographic shift—driven by rising life expectancy and declining fertility—raises pressing challenges for intergenerational equity and questions the sustainability of the implicit formal and informal “social contract” that links generations through the distribution of rights, responsibilities, and resources. In particular, the two fundamental pillars of European post-industrial societies, namely an extensive welfare state and a liberal–democratic institutional framework, appear to be at risk. To address this issue, the notion of “intergenerational fairness”, recently adopted by social policies in both USA and Europe, appears flexible and fundamentally ambiguous. As a substantial variant of neoliberal austerity policies, it is simply used as a justification for further austerity measures, the withdrawal of entitlements to social and economic rights by citizens and the dismantling of welfare states. A second meaning of “intergenerational fairness” is possible starting from the concept of ambivalence used to describe the mix of conflict and solidarity that characterizes intergenerational relations in contemporary post-industrial societies. In this respect, the two concepts of “successful ageing” and “active ageing”, often considered as overlapping, actually involve very different perspectives: successful ageing adopts a substantially reductionist, individualistic, and static approach to the process of ageing, whereas active ageing is a more comprehensive and dynamic strategy that seeks to overcome all these limitations by a life-course perspective. This recognizes that a person’s path to old age is not predetermined but depends primarily on earlier life experiences and their influence: the ageing process affects people of all ages, not just the elderly. And since the subjectivization of ageing in contemporary societies has challenged the conventional notion of “natural life stages”, the new theoretical concept advanced in the article of “ageing styles” becomes central to understanding the ageing process today. Ageing styles are the outcome of the interplay between the objective and subjective dimensions of the life course, represented, respectively, by life chances (social structure) and life choices (agency). A theoretical framework is proposed for analyzing ageing styles that can be used from a life-course perspective to highlight their complex and dynamic nature. An evidence-based European political strategy aimed at promoting active ageing from a perspective of intergenerational fairness, based on the eight principles indicated, can be flexible enough to ensure that everyone can adopt their preferred ageing style without top-down imposition and contribute to the maintenance of the intergenerational social contract. Full article

This article explains why the European Union has not replicated Central and Eastern Europe’s (CEE) transformation in the Western Balkans (WB6). Drawing on the original External Incentives Model (EIM) conditions, the article argues that a different political climate in the WB6 requires attention to additional contextual conditions within the EIM framework to show how the weakened linkage between compliance and rewards emerges. Geopolitical enlargement and the presence of rival powers, a stability-over-democracy approach, bilateral vetoes, and the EU’s ongoing “permacrisis” negatively impact determinacy and EU credibility, while also increasing adoption costs. At the WB6 level, reforms become partial and reversible/at-risk, and even in cases of real progress (Montenegro and Albania), institutions remain fragile. The current arrangement serves both Brussels and local elites, providing short-term stability and keeping the WB6 on the EU path at the price of tolerating domestic capture and reforms without transformation. Yet, this arrangement carries a long-term risk of eroding the EU’s transformative power, as public dissatisfaction with local elites is not met with EU support, and rival powers exploit identity ties and elite channels. Full article

The production and sales figures for electric vehicles are showing a steady upward trend, clearly indicating the growing importance of sustainability goals. A unique historical situation has developed in the US: the owner of the leading electric car manufacturer (Tesla), Elon Musk, has taken an active role in political life. Amid a rising trend in electric vehicle (EV) adoption aligned with global sustainability goals, the political activism of Musk has provoked public backlash, including acts of vandalism and aggression toward Tesla vehicles. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the study explores (1) the psychological underpinnings of object-directed violence, (2) the legal classification of politically motivated vandalism, and (3) the broader market implications of corporate politicization. Our findings confirm that object-directed aggression stems from displaced frustration, especially when individuals feel politically powerless or morally outraged. Our analysis revealed that most Tesla-related vandalism will likely be prosecuted as property crimes. Although U.S. officials have labeled some acts as domestic terrorism or hate crimes, legal thresholds are generally not met. Our interdisciplinary model suggests that the politicization of Tesla has broader implications. Tesla’s symbolic status in the electric vehicle market means that attacks on it risk triggering a decline in public trust toward electric mobility. Full article

Bangladesh is at the forefront of climate change impacts because of its geographical location, high population density, and constrained socio-economic infrastructure. Our objective is to explore the impacts of climate change on human security components and conflict constellation, and identify adaptation actors through the lens of experts in Bangladesh. We conducted 12 semi-structured qualitative interviews with lead experts using the Problem-centred Interview (PCI) methodology and inductively applied content analysis to analyse the data, complemented with descriptive statistics. Experts see a shift in baseline risk due to the increase in frequency and severity of natural hazards. It exacerbates existing vulnerabilities by declining agricultural productivity, undermining water security and increasing migration. Food, economic, and water security are predominantly impacted, where women and the poor suffer disproportionately. Impacts on urban areas, energy and community security are under-researched. Experts agreed that climate change is a “threat multiplier” and could aggravate political insecurity, leading to conflicts. Individuals and households are primary adaptation actors, followed by governmental and non-governmental organisations. This research contributes to the broader understanding of the complex nexus of climate change impacts, human security, and conflict constellation, complements climate models and provides policy-relevant insights for inclusive, long-term adaptation grounded in local realities in Bangladesh. Full article

Due to immense pressure from various stakeholders, for better environmental performance from the oil and gas sector, oil and gas companies have been (at least) projecting an image of better environmental performance. More recently, due to political developments, for example, in the United States, government pressure seems to be lessening; on the contrary there seems to be increased support for the oil and gas sector, in the second largest polluting country, globally. As a timely focus, this study examines the impact of multiple stakeholders’ related independent variables, specifically government influence, on the environmental performance of the oil and gas sector. A survey approach has been adopted for data collection, and structural equation modelling (SEM) has been used to undertake factor analysis. Stakeholder theory has been employed to discuss the survey results. Results demonstrate that governmental, customer, and employee pressures have a significant positive effect on environmental performance in the oil and gas sector. Relaxed government approach thus poses as a major risk against the environmental performance of oil and gas companies. Government support of the oil and gas sector has a negative impact on the influence of other key stakeholders, for example NGOs. Due to the more dominant influence of the government, NGO pressure becomes weaker, and insignificant, as highlighted by our study. In circumstances like these, NGO pressure and investor pressure may not have a significant direct effect on improved environmental performance of oil and gas companies, due to a high level of government support for the sector. Originality/value: This study offers empirical insights into stakeholder pressures on the oil and gas sector, contributing to stakeholder theory by highlighting the fluidity of significant stakeholder influence on environmental governance. Full article

Ethiopia achieved a remarkable episode of agricultural intensification from the mid-1990s to the late 2010s, yet the political mechanisms that enabled this transformation—and the distributional and environmental consequences that followed—remain insufficiently understood. This article examines how political leadership, understood in institutional rather than personalistic terms, shaped both the drivers of large-scale intensification and the inclusiveness and sustainability of its outcomes. Using a five-dimension analytical framework of vision, commitment, timeframe, inclusion, and sustainability, and an analytical narrative approach, the study shows that the political leadership played a decisive role in enabling the agricultural intensification. It did so by articulating an agriculture-first reform vision, demonstrating commitment to sectoral investment, and maintaining a long policy horizon. However, uneven inclusion and limited progress in sustainable land and water management pose risks to long-term outcomes. The Ethiopian case illustrates that capable, long-horizon leadership can mobilize the public apparatus to produce substantial agricultural gains, but that enduring transformation requires deliberate policies for broad-based inclusion and environmental sustainability. Full article

Amid escalating climate change and delayed political measures to prevent them, questions of how individuals negotiate the tension between collective climate protection and personal disaster preparedness have become increasingly urgent. This study explores these dynamics by examining the biography of ‘Lukas Sandner’, a sustainability activist whose trajectory reflects a shift from collective climate action to personal adaptation. Using a reconstructive biographical analysis based on a biographical narrative interview and the documentary method, the study reconstructs the interpretive frameworks and orientations that shape his actions and that situate him within this tension. The analysis shows that transformative learning was triggered by a disorienting event—particularly a severe heavy rainfall event—which redirected his focus from collective prevention efforts towards individual preparedness. His strategies include stockpiling, technical measures, and gardening understood as a hybrid practice linking ecological ideals with precautionary foresight. These shifts are dialectical, shaped by earlier experiences of concealment and reframing. The findings illustrate how personal trajectories intersect with broader social dynamics, showing how biographical experiences, structural conditions, and collective discourses converge to shape preparedness, highlighting the interplay between collective responsibility and private resilience. The reconstruction of Sandner’s biography may provide clues to underlying societal trends toward individualised adaptation and risk prevention strategies in industrialised societies in response to growing disillusionment about the possibility of preventing climate change. Full article