The asymmetric effect of global value chain on environmental quality: Implications for environmental management.

This study examines the dynamic relationship between global value chain integration, and carbon emissions, in 57 developing economies from 2000 to 2018. Our results show a multipart link between GVC involvement and carbon emissions. Specifically, forward participation, which involves domestic content in foreign exports, offers the potential to reduce emissions, whereas backward participation, defined by foreign content in domestic exports, typically increases emissions. This imbalance draws attention to the dual nature of using mineral resources, which can contribute to and mitigate environmental damage depending on the extent of GVC engagement. The NARDL model employed in the study also reveals the dynamic and nonlinear responses of carbon emissions to variations in the utilization of mineral resources within GVCs. Our findings show that positive shocks to mineral resources use within GVCs negatively influence carbon emissions, while adverse shocks have less impact. The results have significant policy implications, indicating that developing nations should prioritize environmental sustainability while planning their GVC participation. This entails promoting value-added mining resource use initiatives and pushing for strict environmental regulations in GVCs. Our results also highlight the significance of implementing customized measures to mitigate economic activity's asymmetric and nonlinear impacts on environmental quality. It enlightens policymakers in developing nations on balancing environmental conservation and economic growth in a global economy that is becoming more interconnected.

Are natural resources a curse, a blessing, or a double-edged sword? Implications for environmental sustainability.

Natural resources have a significant impact on economic and political landscapes of developing countries which determines environmental sustainability. This study explores the convoluted connection between governance and natural resources, examining how resource abundance might influence governance quality. The main components of this dynamic that the theoretical framework considers are the Rentier effects, the repression effects, and the obstruction of modernization. This study creates a governance index applying principal component analysis (PCA) on several governance characteristics, such as political stability, rule of law, government efficacy, regulation and control of corruption, to measure governance comprehensively. Natural resource exports, rents, and the differentiation between renewable and non-renewable natural resources are the three proxies used to quantify natural resources, providing a more nuanced view. To calculate the effect of renewable and non-renewable natural resources on governance in developing nations, the econometric methodology uses a dynamic panel model and system GMM. This analysis reveals that the ability of renewable resources to promote inclusive development has a favourable impact on governance. On the other hand, non-renewable resources show a negative correlation, mainly because of their vulnerability to swings in the world price and their propensity to consolidate power and promote corruption. The significance of differentiating between natural resource types is highlighted in this study, along with the possible advantages of renewable resources for governance and the disadvantages of an over-reliance on non-renewable resources. Policymakers, researchers, and practitioners interested in the development and governance difficulties encountered by resource-rich developing nations can benefit greatly from this research's larger and more complex understanding of the link between natural resources and governance.

An analysis of E-governance in Pakistan from the lens of the Chinese governance model.

In this era of digitalization, the role of information and communication technology (ICT) has significantly increased. The integration of ICT into the government system has improved efficiency and working processes. Some countries such as China have successfully integrated ICT into their governance system. However, many other countries especially the developing world are yet to effectively utilize the role of ICT in their governance structure and these countries are struggling to produce a better governance system. It is, therefore, imperative for the developing world to learn from successful nations and devise their governance systems so that ICT can be fully utilized and produce good governance. However, such comparative analyses are not done as such to bring strengths and weaknesses in the integration of ICT into the governance system especially in developing countries' governance systems. This study contributes by conducting a comparative study on the China-Pakistan e-government progress. China has widely implemented e-government, which has helped the country to ensure good governance. Pakistan, on the other hand, is also moving towards digitalization and making efforts to implement e-government. This research examines the United Nations' E-Government Development Index (EGDI) reports and rankings. The findings of our research show that China has significantly improved its ranking, whereas Pakistan's ranking has indicated a gradual decline except for the year 2008. This happened because of a lack of investment in infrastructure, scarcity of financial resources, weak institutional capabilities, and limited access to advanced technologies. Moreover, there is a big gap between public policy and public implementation in Pakistani scenarios. However, it has been dug out in this study that employing the Chinese model and seeking cooperation with China can improve e-governance ranking and overall governance in Pakistan. The study advances the understanding of e-governance and its challenges in Pakistan and the findings of the study will assist researchers, policymakers, and officials in the implementation and development of e-projects in Pakistan.