产业集群建设不仅是加快乡村产业振兴的重要载体与机制，也是助推农业农村现代化、实现产业富民的重要基础与保障。在系统梳理新疆核桃产业集群发展优势的基础上，探究新疆核桃产业集群发展面临的现实困境，并提出新疆核桃产业集群发展路径。新疆核桃产业集群发展具有地理位置优越、生态环境良好，产品品质优良、市场需求向好，产业基础稳固、相关政策利好等优势，但面临生产机械化水平低、精深加工能力弱、市场开拓不足、仓储冷链设施建设滞后等困境。基于此，提出应推广核桃增产提效技术、夯实产业集群生产基础，增强核桃精深加工能力、促进核桃产业集群转型升级，加大新疆核桃品牌宣传力度、优化产业集群市场开发模式，推进产业集群基础设施建设、完善各主体利益联结机制等发展路径。
Industry cluster construction is not only an important carrier and mechanism to accelerate the revitalization of rural industries, but also an important basis and guarantee to promote the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and achieve industrial prosperity. Based on systematically sorting out the development advantages of Xinjiang walnut industry cluster, the existing problems of Xinjiang walnut industry cluster development were probed into and the development paths of Xinjiang walnut industry cluster were put forward. The development of Xinjiang walnut industry cluster has advantages such as superior geographical location, good ecological environment, excellent product quality, good market demand, solid industrial foundation, and favorable related policies, but there are some problems such as low production mechanization level, weak deep processing capacity, insufficient market development, and lagging construction of storage cold chain logistics facilities. Based on this, it is suggested that we should promote the technology of increasing production and improving efficiency of walnut, consolidate the production base of industry cluster, enhance the deep processing capacity of walnut, promote the transformation and upgrading of walnut industry cluster, increase the publicity of Xinjiang walnut brand, optimize the market development mode of industry cluster, promote the construction of industry cluster infrastructure, and improve the mechanism of connecting the interests of various subjects.
Abstract Previous studies have examined the supply of housing support and the economic impact of job-housing separation. However, they have paid inadequate attention to the location selection of affordable housing with a job-housing balance and its effects on migrant workers’ job burnout. To examine the effects and mechanisms of the job-housing balance in affordable housing locations on job burnout, this study employs the latest 2018 China Labour Force Dynamic Survey data and in-depth interview data on housing support for migrant workers collected by our research team in 2023. Our findings indicate that the job-housing balance significantly reduces job burnout, with this effect being more pronounced in the manufacturing sector and other industries. Labour intensity masks the impact of job-housing balance on job burnout, whereas work quality fully mediates this relationship exclusively in dormitory-type arrangements. This study offers policy implications for optimizing the siting of housing support projects. It also enhances the living conditions of affordable housing and promotes integrated urban-rural development.
History of scholarship and learning. The humanities, Social Sciences
Tangible cultural heritage is a strategic resource for the development of rural and urban settlements. Cooperation with stakeholders from EU countries and regions within the Danube macro-region, such as cultural heritage institutions and competent authorities, allows to agree on the preparation and adaptation of compatible digital innovation strategies in local initiative groups in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, as well as on impact mapping through a set of pan-European socio-economic indicators. Objectives of the study: to analyse the available European best practices and methodology for adaptation in the integration of the regions of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the interregional innovation partnership on the smart specialisation "Cultural and Creative Regional Ecosystems" (CCRE-S3) [1]. The overall horizontal objective of the integration into the platform should be to add value to the common characteristics of the cultural and creative sector and to create a permanent discovery mechanism that will carry out activities to identify strategic investments and the use of innovation transfer tools. Previous works: previous concept, research and experience are described in the articles [2] and [3]. Approach: European benchmarking, comparative analysis, bibliographic research. Outcome: recommendations aimed at stimulating new ideas and opportunities related to cultural and creative experiences for local communities and residents by involving several groups of professions that use, apply and implement new technologies in the cultural and creative industries sector. The European Programmes provide resources to support their implementation. In this way, the Danube Strategy participating States [4], by supporting partnerships between the cultural heritage sector and other sectors such as higher education and vocational education and training, creative industries and sustainable cultural tourism, will be able to stimulate innovation for new services and applications in their regions.
Social sciences (General), Cities. Urban geography
The improvement in urban production efficiency has led to income distribution being skewed towards urban labor, thereby widening the urban–rural income gap. However, integration of the agricultural industry at the county level can accelerate the flow of production factors between industries. Therefore, this study evaluates the degree of agricultural industry integration at the county level using the entropy weight method and explores its impact on the urban–rural income gap, based on sample data from 1122 counties in China spanning from 2014 to 2021. The research findings reveal the following: (1) The fixed model demonstrates that enhancing agricultural industry integration can significantly narrow the urban–rural income gap; (2) The mediating model indicates that this narrowing effect can be achieved by improving the green total factor productivity of agriculture; (3) Regional heterogeneity analysis indicates that the impact of agricultural industry integration is more pronounced in the central region and main crop production areas; (4) The results of the spatial Durbin model demonstrate that agricultural industry integration also exhibits a significant positive spatial spillover effect on neighboring areas. The outcomes of this study contribute to enriching the research on agricultural industry integration for green and low-carbon agricultural development, further promoting the development of county-level agricultural industry integration, and providing valuable insights for other similar countries.
Digital technology is shaping our traditional agriculture in unprecedented ways. As a new engine to empower farmers and promote common prosperity in rural areas, the development of the digital economy can help revitalize rural industries, providing strong support for increasing industrial value-added income and farmers' income levels. Based on 676 pooled cross-section data of high-quality farmers in China Guangdong Province from 2020-2021, the article empirically examines the impact of digital technology adoption on the production and business income of high-quality farmers and explores its mechanism of action, based on theoretical analysis and using the ERM model. It is found that the use of digital technology helps to increase the income of high quality farmers in production and business, but effects vary for different income levels and different types of high quality farmers. In addition, tests of the mechanism of action suggest that the introduction of digital technologies can mitigate the negative impact of market distance on the income of high quality farmers in production and business. After applying variable substitution, model replacement, and propensity score matching (PSM) for robustness checks, the research findings still hold true. Therefore, efforts should be made to speed up the upgrading of rural digital technology and other infrastructure, increase training for high quality farmers to improve their digital literacy through multiple channels, for the better marketing of agricultural products.
Abstract Introduction Dust and aerosol exposure affect the health of rural cottage industries workers and the residents near these units. Sericulture and incense sticks (agarbathi) units employ mostly women workers. The objective of this study was to detect prevalence of allergic bronchitis and asthma among workers in these industries and the nearby residents. Methods 50 sericulture and 50 agarbathi workers working for more than 5 years, and 50 nearby residents, all females aged 30 to 45 years were enrolled for this study with their consent. After general clinical examination and medical history, these participants underwent pulmonary function tests. Results Findings in each group of 50 persons showed: Asthma in 4 and allergic bronchitis in 11 sericulture workers. Asthma in 3 and allergic bronchitis in 14 agarbathi workers. Asthma in 1 and allergic bronchitis in 9 nearby residents. Discussion Dust and aerosols remain in the workplace and surrounding environment, affecting the workers and nearby residents. Workers are exposed to aerosols when silkworm cocoons are placed in hot water for reeling silk yarn. Workers in cocoon storage places and trading centers are exposed to epithelial dust from silkworm moths and cocoons. Previous studies had shown sericulture workers develop sensitization to silkworm allergens. In manually rolled agarbathi units, workers are exposed to chemicals and dusting powder while mixing ingredients, rolling, and dusting the agarbathis. Conclusion Asthma and allergic bronchitis are prevalent in these workers and nearby residents. Mechanization and barriers for dust is not possible in small units. Use of masks is recommended. These industries should be outside residential areas.
[Objective] The spatial and temporal evolution patterns and driving mechanisms of multifunctional cropland were analyzed in order to provide support for ensuring food security and promoting the coordinated development of regional multifunctional cropland along with socio-economic development. [Methods] The entropy power method, hierarchical analysis method, comprehensive index method, GIS spatial visualization analysis, and geographic probe were used in this study. [Results] ① The comprehensive function of arable land in each county of Poyang Lake p lain generally increased from 2000 to 2020, and was significantly influenced by socio-economic development level. Specifically, improvement of the comprehensive function of arable land was given priority to areas with faster socio-economic development, such as Nanchang County, Anyi County, and other areas around Nanchang City. ② Different trends of multi-functional changes were observed for arable land in Poyang Lake plain during the 20 years of the study. Production and landscape aesthetic functions showed a growing trend, while ecological maintenance and social security functions show a decreasing trend. These patterns indicated that even though the production function of arable land in Poyang Lake plain improved, it was difficult to guarantee the growing food and economic demand, while the rapid development of secondary and tertiary industries gradually decreased the proportion of economic contribution that arable land can provide. ③ The multi-functional development level of arable land in Poyang Lake plain was influenced by both social and natural factors. The social factors could be regulated by policies such as improving the basic conditions of agricultural production, guaranteeing the minimum income of rural residents, and improving the medical welfare standard of rural residents, while the natural environment requires human intervention to protect and restore the ecological environment. [Conclusion] A variety of factors jointly influenced the level of multifunctional development of arable land in Poyang Lake plain, and the rational formulation of policies related to the protection and utilization of arable land and the protection of rural residents’ living standards that have a facilitating effect on improving the level of multifunctional development of arable land.
Environmental sciences, General. Including nature conservation, geographical distribution
Gabriel Gbenga Ojo, Oluwaseun Augustine Lottu, Tina Chinyere Ndiwe
et al.
Solar energy stands as a transformative force in addressing the world’s energy needs while mitigating the effects of climate change. This comprehensive review paper explores solar energy adaptation and efficiency across diverse climates, focusing on Nigeria, a nation grappling with energy access disparities and environmental challenges. The paper surveys technological advancements, climate-specific considerations, policy and regulation, environmental and economic impacts, challenges, and future directions in solar energy. Real-world case studies from rural Nigeria to Canada illustrate the versatility of solar technologies, while policy frameworks and regulatory approaches are analyzed to provide insights into effective solar energy promotion. The paper underscores the interconnected nature of environmental and economic benefits. It emphasizes the importance of tailored solutions and community engagement. Technological innovation, policy alignment, and capacity building address challenges such as intermittency, climate-related factors, and upfront costs. Future directions emphasize technological innovation, policy alignment, energy access, capacity building, international collaboration, public awareness, and monitoring and evaluation. As Nigeria and the world navigate a sustainable and solar-powered future, the sun emerges as a boundless energy source, illuminating homes, powering industries, and fueling economic growth while preserving the environment for future generations.
Sirima Sinthusamran, Jaksuma Pongsetkul, Nattaporn Rungchawala
et al.
Ultrasound-assisted washing had an expectant to increase the concentration of myofibrillar proteins that play an important role in gelling properties of surimi. This work investigated the effect of low-intensity ultrasound-assisted washing on surimi's biochemical and gelling properties from yellowstripe scad. Washed minced fish was obtained by conventional method or washing process through ultrasound at a frequency of 45 kHz with different steps. Physicochemical properties and protein patterns of washed minced and surimi gel were evaluated. Results showed that the washed minced fish treated by ultrasound three times (U-3) showed the highest L* (50.37 ± 0.23) and whiteness (48.69 ± 0.23) (p < 0.05). The ultrasound washing process significantly reduced total myoglobin content (from 2.790 ± 0.078 to 0.178 ± 0.029 mg/g) (p < 0.05). An increase in oxymyoglobin content was found in minced fish treated with ultrasound. Compared with the conventional method, ultrasound-assisted washing had reduced lipid oxidation as indicated by malondialdehyde content (from 2.50 ± 0.11 to 1.81 ± 0.11 mg/kg). The ultrasound treatment also improved water combining ability and increased the water hold capacity of the minced fish. The sarcoplasmic protein was removed, resulting in a concentration of myofibrillar protein that plays an important role in enhancing the surimi product's breaking force and gel strength. Therefore, low-intensity ultrasound-assisted washing effectively improved the gel properties of surimi from the yellowstripe scad.
Nutrition. Foods and food supply, Food processing and manufacture
As more attention is given to green and sustainable industries, an analysis of the industrial impacts on all aspects of life, including inclusive affluence, is gradually developing. Idle rural residential land is a valuable resource and an important factor in promoting sustainable development. Balanced urban and rural development contributes to inclusive prosperity, so understanding the relationship between industry and the balanced development of urban and rural can significantly impact social development. In China, achieving the balanced development requires narrowing the urban-rural income gap. This paper analyzed the impact of reallocating idle rural residential land on promoting the balanced development. The study found that industry development has a positive impact on the balanced development, with a regression coefficient of 1.478. Regions with higher industry indices in counties had better outcomes regarding the balanced development. When the development of rural industry derived from idle residential land was in good condition, the effect increased by 3.326 percentage. The results showed heterogeneity, with the regression coefficient of industry development on the balanced development in county-level cities being 0.498 larger than in urban areas. In summary, the reallocation of idle residential land can promote sustainable development, increase residents’ income, and improve overall regional economic development. The results are applicable to the comprehensive reallocation of rural land resources.
Purpose This study aims to argue the concept of cultural and creative industries (CCIs)-led tourism within a rural context to investigate the potential of local cultural and creative assets from the perspectives of rural communities, visitors and public institutions to stimulate co-creation experiences and long-term development. Design/methodology/approach By adopting qualitative methodology and case study research, this paper aims at evaluating the positive and negative aspects of developing local CCIs through the case of Rudkhan Castle rural villages in Gilan, Iran, where is the source of various indigenous cultural resources. This will be followed by classifying common CCIs through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders leading to policy planning suggestions. Findings Results demonstrated that the existence of cultural heritage or a historical site in a village has a direct impact on the prioritisation of indigenous CCIs from the perspective of the local community, tourists and governmental organisations. In this case, local authorities need to focus on the development of lesser-known cultural industries such as crafts or gastronomy by involving locals in decision-making processes that could be extendable to long-term tourism development planning. Originality/value Although the initiation of CCIs has led to new debates on the significance of co-creation experiences and cultural values in the tourism industry, it is criticised for creating social exclusion or unstable jobs. This research contributes to filling the gap between the potential of CCIs and rural tourism development from a policy perspective.
IntroductionThe world today is struggling with many issues and problems that it is not able to solve these problems, although sometimes solutions are offered by networks to solve these problems, but they can not completely solve these problems. And requires the collective and common wisdom of global actors. For decades, rural areas around the world have faced challenges such as declining economic activity, restructuring traditional agricultural industries, aging populations and migrating young people abroad for higher education, and reducing the quality of life in small towns and villages. The effective performance of public administration units is considered a condition for the development of regions, countries and communities. This well-known model provides the basis for the principles of good governance proposed by the World Bank in the 1990s. Governance has emerged as an alternative to traditional methods of governance and governance, and has emerged as a political structure or organization and NGOs to address policy issues and can serve as decision-making processes. Define a group of governmental and non-governmental actors to deal with different situationsMethodologyThis research is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of nature and method of descriptive-analytical work, which is done in two ways: library study and field survey. In the descriptive study section, the library method has the main application because the theoretical foundations of research and aristocracy on the subject of research are available and documented only by reviewing existing studies and researches. It is also possible to know the current situation of the study area by describing what exists. The statistical population of the study consists of all the people of Tamandan village, which according to the 2016 census, is 272 people. Using the Cochran's formula, 160 questionnaires were completed randomly in such a way that each element of the target community was selected Are equal. It should be noted that the number of samples was selected from people over 18 years. For the validity of the questionnaire in the present study, the formal method has been used to increase the degree of validity. For this purpose, the questionnaire was given to experts, specialists and professors after compilation, and after collecting their opinions, the necessary corrections were made. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was also used to obtain the reliability of the questionnaire. The obtained Cronbach's alpha value for governance indices is 0.84 and for viability indices is 0.81. Multivariate regression analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient and one-sample t-test were used to analyze the findings.Discussion and ResultsThe descriptive results of the study show that 50 respondents, equal to 30% of the frequency, are women and 110 respondents, equal to 70% of the frequency, are men. 57 people were married with 36% of the frequency and 103 people were married with 64% of the frequency. The lowest frequency is related to the age group of 20-30 years with a frequency of 16 people, 10% of the frequency and the highest frequency is related to the age group of 30-40 years with a frequency of 46 people, which is 29% of the frequency. . The highest frequency percentage is related to the diploma group with 39% and the lowest frequency percentage with 3% is related to the master's degree group and higher. The highest frequency is related to farmers with 35% and the lowest percentage is related to the occupational group of employees with 8% of frequency. The highest frequency percentage with 31% is related to the income of 700 thousand Tomans up to 1 million Tomans and the lowest frequency percentage with 10% is related to the income group higher than 2.5 million Tomans.ConclusionThe results of the studies indicate that if good governance in the villages is in a good and desirable condition, it will undoubtedly increase the livelihood in the villages, which will prevent the migration of villagers to the cities. Improving the quality of life of the villagers, providing appropriate infrastructure in the village, reducing tensions and interactions among the villagers, creating green and pleasant spaces in the villages, involving the villagers in rural development projects and consulting with them, providing A safe and secure environment that leads to peace of mind for the villagers, increasing the sense of place among the villagers, increasing the level of trust among the villagers towards the village managers, providing desirable health and educational facilities in the village and providing conditions in the village for rural employment In the rural environment, all the factors that rural managers can provide in the form of good governance in the village and improve livability in the village, otherwise the livability in the village is reduced and the villagers seek to increase Quality of life will inevitably migrate from the village, which will cause instability in the village.
Abstract To achieve nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets, China has developed a series of low carbon development plans. Among them, the clean energy transformation is very crucial. This study evaluates the impact of a set of policies including the development of renewable energy, upgrading heavy industry, and energy efficiency improvement on China’s income gap between 2012 and 2050. A dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model with detailed representations of economic activity, an upgraded labor market and disaggregated labor types based on statistical and survey data is used. Our research provides support for the necessity of low-carbon policies to achieve NDC targets. Results show some key findings. First, low-carbon policies have the greatest impact on employment across all energy industries, with negative impacts in most traditional energy sectors and positive impacts in most renewable power sectors. Second, labor will continue to migrate from rural to urban areas with the transformation of the economic structure and the urbanization rate will further increase, reaching a maximum of around 70%. The reduction of the rural population will bring new opportunities for the modernization of agriculture, increasing the income of rural residents and realizing the equitable development between urban and rural areas. Third, the income gap among urban residents will widen due to the different level of labor demand for employees with different education levels.
slicing packet network (SPN) has become one of the technologies of the mainstream transmission bearer network for 5G services with its technical advantages.Along with the rapid development of 5G services in towns and rural areas and the higher and broader demand for 5G services from various 5G vertical industries, the SPN deployed in urban and county areas in the early stage could no longer fully meet the service demand.To meet the demand for 5G service development in townships and rural areas, SPN need to be considered down to the township level.Based on the development trend of 5G services in townships, the SPN construction conditions were comprehensively considered in townships, combined with SPN architecture, network topology and other conditions, a township SPN architecture model was built and an in-depth analysis of the actual application scenario construction plan was obtained in a local city, providing reference and ideas for the later township SPN construction.
Lene Lange, Kevin O. Connor, Sigurjon Arason
et al.
This paper gives an overview of development of the EU-bioeconomy, 2014–2020. The Vision of the new Circular Bio-based Economy, CBE is presented: Unlocking the full potential of all types of sustainably sourced biomass, crop residues, industrial side-streams, and wastes by transforming it into value-added products. The resulting product portfolio consists of a wide spectrum of value-added products, addressing societal and consumer needs. Food and feed, bio-based chemicals, materials, health-promoting products; and bio-based fuels. The pillars of CBE are described, including biotechnology, microbial production, enzyme technology, green chemistry, integrated physical/chemical processing, policies, conducive framework conditions and public private partnerships. Drivers of CBE are analyzed: Biomass supply, biorefineries, value chain clusters, rural development, farmers, foresters and mariners; urgent need for climate change mitigation and adaptation, and stopping biodiversity loss. Improved framework conditions can be drivers but also obstacles if not updated to the era of circularity. Key figures, across the entire BBI-JU project portfolio (2014–2020) are provided, including expansion into biomass feedstocks, terrestrial and aquatic, and an impressive broadening of bio-based product portfolio, including higher-value, health-promoting products for man, animal, plants and soil. Parallel to this, diversification of industrial segments and types of funding instruments developed, reflecting industrial needs and academic research involvement. Impact assessment is highlighted. A number of specific recommendations are given; e.g., including international win/win CBE-collaborations, as e.g., expanding African EU collaboration into CBE. In contrast to fossil resources biological resources are found worldwide. In its outset, circular bio-based economy, can be implemented all over, in a just manner, not the least stimulating rural development.
Remote sensing and geospatial techniques are being used to provide large-scale and regional solutions for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, including sustainable infrastructure development. Road transportation infrastructure has a significant contribution to the economy, but it also increases environmental pressure. However, little knowledge is available about spatial characteristics in the relationship between road impacts on the economy and impacts on the roadside environment. This research explores the spatial disparities in the relationship of road impacts on a continental level in Australia from 2011 to 2016. The performance of road transportation infrastructure is characterized from the perspectives of road density, connectivity, traffic volumes, and service to communities, other transportations (e.g. ports and airports), and industries, using remote sensing data and spatial heterogeneity models. Local economy and roadside environment are respectively presented using resident income and the change of roadside Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) derived from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard the Terra satellite generated from Google Earth Engine. The road impacts of variables and their interaction on the economy and environment were calculated using an optimal parameters-based geographical detectors model (OPGD). Results reveal that the interaction of road density and traffic volumes can explain 47.4% of the resident income. In addition, results demonstrate the significant spatial disparities in the relationship between road impacts on the economy and impacts on the local environment. In major cities, such as Sydney and Melbourne, the pressure of roadside environment is increased with the economic growth, but the roadside environment has been improved in suburban and rural areas. Areas with the service to industries range from 64.4 km to 128 km have the most significant roadside EVI increase (2.5%). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research to explore spatially differentiated trade-offs between the economic and roadside environmental impacts of roads using remotely sensed data, geospatial data, and spatial heterogeneity model at the continental level. Findings from this study provide an in-depth understanding of the interactions and trade-offs of road impacts on the local economy and the environment. Geospatial trade-offs and impact analysis methods in the study can be applied in wider fields to achieve global and regional SDGs.
Fatemeh Maleki Fard, Rezvan Ghanbari Movahed, Saeed Gholamrezai
et al.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various types of entrepreneurial activities of rural women on the sustainable food security of their households in Khorramabad township. The statistical population of the present study was rural women entrepreneurs in Khorramabad township (N = 395) who were selected as a sample using Jrejcie and Morgan table (n=190) and three-stage cluster sampling method. The main data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. The results showed that the food security situation of households is not in a favorable condition (2.59). The results of the Kruskal-Wallis test showed that in terms of sustainable food security, there is a significant difference in the types of entrepreneurial activities of rural women in terms of consumption and access dimensions (P <0.05). In addition, the results of the LSD post hoc test in the access dimension showed that the handicrafts group is significantly (P < 0.05) different from the processing industries and agricultural products group and entrepreneurial households engaged in agricultural products and conversion industries are in a better position than entrepreneurial households engaged in handicrafts. In terms of consumption, entrepreneurial households engaged in processing industries are in a better position than the agricultural production group. Therefore, based on the obtained results, suggestions such as providing financial credits by policy-makers, diversification of entrepreneurial activities based on agricultural products and food processing, and holding training workshops for women entrepreneurs working in the conversion industry with the aim of providing and maintaining food processing and packaging, safety and health are provided.
Resilience to increasingly frequent extreme weather events from climate change is of concern in many industries, especially those in the agricultural sector. This qualitative study utilizes interviews with 38 dairy farmers in New Zealand, observations recorded on site and archival documents to examine retention–enactment–selection sensemaking microprocesses thematically, and to show how sensemaking enables and constrains resilience. We found that farmers have achieved organizational resilience to extreme weather patterns during the decade to 2014 that is benign to belief in climate change; that adaptation to climate change can be anticipatory; and that social relationships in rural communities are instrumental to building organizational resilience. The implication for farmers and policy‐makers is that resilience can be built by local members of rural communities in places that are familiar to them—a phenomenon we introduce as “community sensegiving.” Future research directions using place‐based research approaches and sensemaking concepts to build resilience are offered.
Rana Bahadur Thapa, Bishnu Raj Upreti, Durga Devkota
et al.
Access to electricity is generally recognized as an important factor for economic and social development. Moreover, the world energy consumption depends on the use of limited resources like fossil fuels that induce adverse impact on the environment and society. As an alternative, renewable energies turn into crucial alternative energy ensuring sustainable energy needs and taking care of society, economy and the environment. In order to combat such issues, the United Nations has declared universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for by 2030. In many cases, different types of renewable energy systems are being developed to serve energy need without considering the best alternative. Thus, this paper tries to prioritize the installed Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) systems for rural electrification in Nepal by analyzing nineteen sustainability indicators related to four sustainability dimensions - technical, social, economic and environmental. An Analytical Hierarchy Process-Online Software (AHP-OS) model is used for ranking various DRE systems. Suitable goals, criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives are developed after reviewing pertinent literature and consultation of the experts. The results reveal that micro-hydropower is the best electrification option followed by the solar home system, solar mini-grid, and wind-solar hybrid for decentralized electrification in Nepal. Biomass is found to be the least prioritized alternative in Nepal. The outcome of the research can help the policy-makers and decision-makers in shaping energy policies, plans, and programs, and foster sustainable energy development in the country. Similarly, the relevant stakeholders will be benefited by improving their products and services in the future.