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The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of smart systems and emerging technologies for disaster risk management (DRM) in Nepal. This delves into specific technologies, including advanced connection and communication technologies, AI, big data analytics, autonomous vehicles and advanced robotics, examining their capabilities and potential contributions to DRM. Further, it discusses the possibility of implementing these technologies in Nepal, considering the existing policies and regulations, as well as the challenges that need to be addressed for successful integration.

For this review journal series of search strategy for identifying relevant journals, the initial examination of results, a manual assessment, geographical refinement, establishment of criteria for the final selection, quality assessment and data management, along with a discussion of limitations. Before delving into the relevant literature within the field of research interest, the authors identified guiding keywords. Further, the authors refined the list by filtering for articles specifically related to Nepal, resulting in a final selection. The final selection of these 95 articles was based on their direct relevance to the research topics and their specific connection in the context of Nepal.

The way technology is used to reduce disaster risk has changed significantly in Nepal over the past few years. Every catastrophe has given us a chance to shift to something innovative. The use of new emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, autonomous vehicles, advanced robotics and advanced connection and communication technologies are increasing for the purpose of generating risk knowledge, reducing disaster risk and saving the loss of lives and properties. The authors conclude that the successful implementation of smart systems and emerging technologies for disaster risk management in Nepal has the potential to significantly improve the country's resilience and minimize the impact of future disasters. By leveraging data-driven decision-making, enhanced connectivity and automation, Nepal can build a more proactive, adaptive and efficient disaster management ecosystem.

Studies on the application of smart systems in Nepal are limited and scattered across different database. This work collects together such literatures to understand the current status of the application of the smart system and technologies and highlights the challenges and way forward for effective disaster risk management in Nepal. Therefore, this work is an original one and adds value to the existing literatures.

The world order is experiencing unremitting changes. With this, the national governance of emerging economies is also becoming robust. Therefore, the current study examines the efficacy of national governance in the context of emerging economies by investigating its effects on the profitability of the microfinancing sector. Further, the study inspects if national governance mitigates the impact of credit risks to protect profitability.

The study considers panel data from 224 microfinancing institutions from five economies of world importance: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). The study uses dynamic panel data modeling, particularly the generalized method of moments, alongside multiple univariate and multivariate techniques.

The findings indicate that credit risks negatively impact profitability. In addition, the study documents a significant positive linkage between national governance and profitability. However, national governance fails to restrict the adverse effects of credit risks. National governance is found to be effective in reducing internal agency problems; the monitoring effects successfully limit the moral hazards due to managers' actions. Conversely, the national governance in these economies misses the mark in regulating the moral hazards due to borrowers' behavior.

The current study provides fresh perspectives on the efficacy of national governance in microfinancing in the setting of emerging economies.

The authors examine the effect of greenhouse gas (ghg) assurance on cost of debt, and the effect of board gender diversity on cost of debt, for an international sample of listed companies.

Utilizing firm-level data and a quantile regression approach, this study examines the effects of greenhouse gas assurance and board diversity on cost of debt by employing an international sample of firms during 2015–2021.

The authors find that in firms with a relatively low cost of debt the external assurance of greenhouse gas emissions and gender diversity could significantly contribute to a reduction of cost of debt. Furthermore, other measures of board diversity that are linked with independent directors and skilled directors seem to contribute to an increase of firms' cost of debt in the lower end of distribution. Drawing from the agency theory, the authors showcase the fact that ghg assurance reduces information asymmetry and therefore agency costs such as borrowing costs and signals to the stakeholders a long-term commitment to excellence.

This study is the first that provides insights on the relationship between ghg assurance, board diversity and cost of debt.

This article aims to develop a measurement scale for assessing agripreneurial competencies relevant to emerging economies in alignment with the SDG2 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

The scale development procedure includes item development and refinement, data collection, reliability and validity tests and scale purification with exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

The validated scale carries eight dimensions of competencies: Agreeableness (AG), Technological Competency (TC), Competitive Spirit (CS), Innovativeness (IN), Self-Confidence (SC), Social Responsibility (SR), Conscientiousness (CO) and Leadership (LS). The analysis puts forth a good and fit model, and the new scale reports sufficient convergent and discriminant validity.

This study is focused on the agripreneurial competencies of individual agripreneurs; institutional agripreneurs are excluded from the study.

Identifying prominent agripreneurs using the scale developed from this study will aid in allocating various government and non-governmental organisations' assistance to agripreneurs. Since developing economies rely heavily on agriculture, any positive contribution can help alleviate poor economic growth, end hunger, and promote sustainable agriculture (SDG 2 of 2030).

Though several scales for measuring entrepreneurial competencies are available, there is no standard scale to measure agripreneurial competencies. This article presents the development and validation of a measurement scale to assess the major competencies of agripreneurs that influence agripreneurship performance.

Rapid innovation and developments in personal electronic technology have encouraged users to change users' devices more frequently than ever, which has resulted in creating a massive increase in the amount of electronic waste. The study focuses on identifying the barriers to closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) in the electronic industry.

A framework for analyzing the relationships among CLSC adoption barriers is designed. The authors adopted the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique to determine the critical barriers of electronic CLSC from the opinion of experts in the field.

The outcome from the analysis suggests that cost barriers, financial barrier, process barriers and supplier-side barriers are the main causal factors that prevent the adoption and implementation of e-waste CLSC. The causal relationship indicates that financial barrier is the most influential factor, while phycological barrier is the most flexible barrier to the adoption of e-waste CLSC.

This study is restricted to CLSC adoption barriers in the electronic industry by evaluating 36 sub-barriers grouped into 8 main dimensions related to different members of the supply chain.

Closed-loop adoption barriers have been proposed to understand the crucial barriers to implementation of CLSC in the electronic industry. The cause-and-effect relationship indicates the critical factors to be improved to increase adoption of e-waste CLSC, helping managers and regulatory bodies to mitigate the problem areas.

This study contributes to the literature on CLSC by adopting a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique which captures the critical barriers of e-waste CLSC adoption in Indian scenario.

The purpose of the research is to analyze the human resource practices as resilience for the tourism and hospitality business in India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study uses an exploratory research design focusing on qualitative interview methods to collect information. Respondents were chosen by using purposive sampling to record human resource practices to develop resilience in the tourism and hospitality sector in India while dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

The author concludes valuable HR resilience-building practices such as broad resource network, talent management and job redeployment and performance management to enhance the adaptive capacity of tourism and hospitality businesses after the pandemic.

The study offers clear implications regarding understanding how managers react to a crisis or pandemic to enhance employees’ and organizational resilience during a crisis.

The research provides useful and novel insight to managers in the tourism and hospitality business to develop resilience strategies related to human resource practices during a crisis.

The objective is to develop an empirical model estimating the relationship and interaction amongst the factors affecting and enhancing green finance (GF) in developing economies like India.

Around nine growth-accelerating enablers of green financing were found through literature and unstructured interviews and analysed using the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) method. The hierarchical link between each factor is established using TISM, and further to evaluate the driver-dependent relationship the Matriced’ Impacts Croises Appliquee Aaun Classement (MICMAC) approach is utilised.

The findings demonstrate an interrelationship between growth-accelerating factors, where the political environment and information and communication technology (ICT), have minimal dependency but a strong driving force. Political environment and ICT are found as strategic-level factors lying at the bottom of the model driving towards the dependent variables. The government should focus on enacting effective policies such as the green credit guarantee scheme and carbon credit and establishing a regulatory framework to enhance green financing.

This study examines the literature to generalise the findings and focus on the primary motivators for developing green financing. To increase green financial activity, practitioners must concentrate on aspects with significant driving forces. Furthermore, it makes organisations more profitable, efficient and competitive and promotes long-term growth.

The study is the first in the literature which identifies the growth-accelerating factors of green financing using the TISM and MICMAC-based hierarchical models.

Sustainability is a major challenge for India’s (Bharat’s) coal mining industry. The government has prioritized sustainable growth in the coal mining industry. It is putting forth multifaceted economic, environmental and social efforts to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research aims to identify the factors for sustainable improvements in coal mining operations. Secondly, this study examines the intensity of causal relations among the factors. Thirdly, this study examines whether causal relations exist among the factors to be considered for sustainable improvement in coal mining operations. Lastly, the study aims to understand how the factors ensure sustainable improvement in coal mining operations.

An integrated three-phase methodology was applied to identify the critical factors related to coal mining and explore the contextual relationships among the identified factors. Fifteen critical factors were selected based on the Delphi technique. Subsequently, the fifteen factors were analyzed to determine the contextual and causal relationships using the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and DEMATEL methods.

The study identified “Extraction of Coal and Overburden” as the leading factor for sustainable improvement in coal mining operations, because it directly or indirectly influences the overall mining operation, environmental impact and resource utilization. Hence, strict control measures are necessary in “Extraction of Coal and Overburden” to ensure sustainable coal mining. Conversely, “Health Impact” is the lagging factor as it has very low or no impact on the system. Therefore, it requires fewer control mechanisms. Nevertheless, control measures for the remaining factors must be decided on a priority basis.

The proposed structural model can serve as a framework for enhancing sustainability in India’s (Bharat’s) coal mining operations. This framework can also be applied to other developing nations with similar sustainability concerns, providing valuable guidance for sustainable operations.

The current study highlights the significance of logical links and dependencies between several parameters essential to coal mining sustainability. Furthermore, it leads to the development of a well-defined control sequence that identifies the causal linkages between numerous components needed to achieve real progress towards sustainability.

This review paper delves into the comprehensive understanding of Ashwagandha, spanning its botanic occurrence, conventional applications, extraction techniques and pivotal role in addressing various disorders.

Introduction Ashwagandha, also known as Withania somnifera, is a remarkable botanical resource with a rich history of use in traditional medicine.

In botany, Withania somnifera thrives in diverse ecosystems, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Its extensive distribution across regions, the Canary Islands, South Africa, the Middle East, Sri Lanka, India and China underscores its adaptability and resilience. The traditional uses of Ashwagandha in Ayurvedic and indigenous medicine systems have persisted for over 3,000 years. With over 6,000 plant species utilized historically, India, often regarded as the “botanical garden of the world,” has firmly established Ashwagandha as a cornerstone in traditional healing practices.

Extraction methods play a pivotal role in harnessing the therapeutic potential of Ashwagandha. Ultrasonic-assisted extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography are among the techniques employed to obtain the key bioactive compounds. Ashwagandha’s significance in modern medicine is underscored by its potential to address a spectrum of health issues. The multifaceted bioactivity of Ashwagandha is attributed to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, heart conditions, metabolic disorders, renal ailments, hepatic diseases and adaptogenic properties, making it a subject of increasing interest in contemporary medical research. This review synthesizes the assorted perspectives of Ashwagandha, from its botanical roots and conventional employments to its advanced extraction strategies and its intention to basic well-being challenges, advertising important bits of knowledge for analysts, specialists and healthcare experts alike.