Analysis of risks and investments’ opportunities in water sector

While water demand is projected to grow by 41% by 2030, considering also the ultimate reserves of drinking water, it is believed that this element will attract the majority of investments in the coming decades. Opportunities in drinking water sector are numerous, because its process of providing and delivery of drinking water includes many aspects: management of infrastructure, design of technological solutions, conservation and water’s quality. These opportunities result from the difference between water supply and water demand; an increasingly difference that requires capital investments in production and water treatment technologies. Investments need to be combined with the knowledge on the legislation, regulatory framework and technological developments. This article may serve to clarify type of investments in drinking water sector, known by literature, to identify opportunities of investment in this sector, indicating the theoretical framework of beta and alpha risk ratio coefficient calculation and to suggest how these types of investments can be allocated to the investment portfolios

Rozwój branży leasingowej w Polsce w latach 2009–2013

This article presents the essence of the lease agreement in polish economy conditions during the period from 2009 to 2013. The main purpose of this article is the survey of leasing industry development under the condition that leasing is a main source of investment financing for economic operators. Different analysis of leasing in polish economy are presented using charts and tables based on data taken from Central Statistical Office and Polish Leasing Association

Water Privatization in Developing Countries: Case of Albania

A safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation service for all individuals is a human right recognized explicitly from the United Nations General Assembly (Resolution 64/292, July 2010). Access to clean drinking water is so crucial for development that developed countries have made significant investments in water infrastructure (production, distribution investments in investments in piping, pumps, water purification systems and wastewater treatment plants etc.), managerial structures and capacities. The picture is very different in developing countries. One of the main problems is the lack of efficiency of the water systems, leading to a higher loss rate (from system leakage and illegal connections to the system) and cost-recovery failure because of the low revenues from tap water sales. In most of the cases governments fail to finance the financial loss of the water suppliers and in this way fail to fulfill the public need for drinking water and sanitation and water treatment services. So an alternative to solve the situation is seen the privatization of drinking water sector. The paper will give a summarized picture of the phenomenon in the world having as the case study the situation in Albania during years starting from the legislative frame, previous attempts to future tendencies related to the privatization of drinking water sector. The main objective is to explore the arguments pros and cons related to the privatization of “an economic good” such as water suggesting different alternatives in this context

Developing, Testing and Interpreting a Cross Age Peer Tutoring Intervention for Mathematics: Social Interdependence,Systematic Reviews and an Empirical Study.

Abstract Cross-age peer tutoring is a peer learning strategy which has been shown to improve both socio and academic process of learning factors as well improve attainment in various subjects. There is, however, still room for the intervention to be developed: which was the aim of this work. This was done by applying important socio interdependent aspects such as resource, interpersonal and goal interdependence to a cross-age-peer tutoring intervention in mathematics. Prior to developing the method, the researcher engaged with the theoretical literature as well as provides two forms of systematic reviews. The newly informed cross-age peer tutoring method was then tested on three schools, two of which adopted a pre-post-test quasi-experimental design and one took a single group pre-post-test design. All the schools applied an Interdependent Cross-Age Tutoring (ICAT) format for a period of 6 weeks, on the basis of a 30 minute session once a week. Mathematics head-teachers, facilitators, teachers and students were all trained in various aspects of ICAT. To capture and interpret the impact of the intervention, performance instruments were innovated for each school, together with various previously established attitude sub-scales. In order to measure implementation fidelity ICAT lesson materials were collected for most of the topics and each school received general as well as structured pair observations from the researcher. Also, in order to explore how different groups learned under ICAT the lesson materials of the higher performing tutees were compared to those of the lower performing tutees on various aspects. The findings were mixed, with one of the quasi-experimental design schools showing a highest effect size of 0.81 favoring the ICAT group. The impact of ICAT on important and broader processes of learning attitude variables, social as well as academic, are also discussed. Comparisons of lesson materials between higher performing tutees and lower performing tutees revealed that the highest performing tutees showed better implementation of an essential socio-interdependent aspect: setting a shared academic goal

A Critical Narrative Analysis of Kosovar Teachers’ Understanding of Literacy Education

The purpose of this qualitative study, grounded on New Literacy Studies and Critical Literacy theoretical frameworks, was to examine how Kosovar teachers understand and teach literacy. More specifically, this study examined the following research questions: (1) How do Kosovar teachers make sense of literacy? (2) How do these perspectives inform teachers’ pedagogical choices in relation to literacy? The study draws on the insights and experiences of five Kosovar teachers at a public school in Prishtina, the capital city of Kosova. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and participant observations and analyzed through the Critical Narrative Analysis methodological framework, looking at two displays of agency: grammatical agency and framing agency. The findings revealed that teachers understand literacy as standardized language teaching while expressing their morally contested views on literacy and language instruction in standardized Albanian in a Gheg-dominant society. Additionally, teachers perceived literacy as print-based and school-bound, constructing literacy as skills whose proximity to school grounds deemed them valuable. Moreover, teachers employed textbook-driven and blackboard-centered pedagogies in the teaching of literacy, further aligning themselves with a framework of literacy as print-based. These findings indicate a need for an expanded conceptualization of literacy, encompassing the multiple forms of literacy that go beyond the traditional ‘reading and writing’ understanding of literacy

The induced chemical defenses of norway spruce [Picea abies (L) Karst.]: ecological function and regulation

Methyl jasmonate, a well-known inducer of plant defense responses, was used to manipulate the biochemistry and anatomy of mature Picea abies (Norway spruce) stems. The aim of this study was to investigate if this treatment protected trees against attack by the blue-stain fungus Ceratocystis polonica [(Siem.) C. Moreau], the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) and the white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck.). Application of methyl jasmonate lead to several biochemical and anatomical changes and the results suggest that induced defenses such as formation of traumatic resin ducts, enhancement of resin flow, and increased accumulation of volatile terpenes and diterpene resin acids, all triggered by application of jasmonates, play a significant role in Norway spruce defense against multiple enemies. The results also confirmed that the jasmonate pathway directly regulates the formation of these induced defenses

Financing the Urban Food Transition: Lessons and Innovations

Context. Urban food policies (UFPs) have become important for modern cities as a strategic tool to enhance public health, promote social inclusion, advance sustainability, and strengthen resilience. Yet, despite their growing importance, and their wide adoption by many cities worldwide, many urban food initiatives rely heavily on short-term or project-based funding. This explicit dependence raises critical concerns since it undermines their contribution to urban sustainability and equity transformations and their institutional existence. Recognising financing as a critical, yet underexplored, dimension of urban food governance, this study examines how cities can secure sustainable, resilient funding for UFPs over time exploring works of literature on urban governance, public finance, and food systems transformation to investigate sustainable funding approaches for UFPs. Data and methodology. This study implements a comparative qualitative case study methodology, focusing on five diverse cities with established urban food strategies: Milan, Toronto, Paris, Barcelona, and Belo Horizonte. Each city is unique (i.e., in political, economic, and socio-cultural contexts) in the typology of the problematics that it faces, offering different insights into the challenges and solutions associated with financing UFPs over time. Data sources include city policy documents, budget reports, and secondary literature. The analysis follows a qualitative comparative case study approach. Each case was systematically reviewed to identify the sources of funding, financial mechanisms used, and strategies for integrating food policy initiatives into durable urban budgets. A typology of financing models was developed inductively through thematic analysis across cases. The study further extracted enabling factors and strategic principles that appear consistently across successful long-term funding examples. The main research question, the article aims to answer is: RQ1:” How can cities finance urban food policies sustainably over the long term?” followed by RQ1a: “How are urban food policies currently financed across different global cities?” and RQ1b: “What mechanisms and strategies enable the transition from short-term, project-based funding to sustainable, institutionalised financial models?” Results. The research identifies four main types of financing models: (i) integration into existing municipal departmental budgets (e.g., health, environment, education departments), (ii) creation of dedicated food policy offices with their line-item funding, (iii) leveraging external partnerships and co-funding with philanthropy, private actors, or higher levels of government, (iv) innovative fiscal tools, such as earmarked taxes or community wealth-building initiatives. The key strategic principles for durable financing observed are: (i) early integration of food goals into broader municipal strategies (e.g., climate, health, social inclusion); (ii) building strong cross-sectoral coalitions to advocate for budgetary commitments, (iii) demonstrating the multi-dimensional benefits (economic, social, environmental) of food policy to justify continued public investment, (iv) developing adaptive governance mechanisms that align food policy goals with evolving political and economic contexts. The findings emphasise that financial sustainability is not only a technical issue but deeply political, requiring persistent coalition-building, strategic framing, and institutional innovation. Policy implications. The study offers practical insights for cities aiming to insert food policies into permanent governance structures from early budgetary planning for food initiatives to cross-sectoral alliances between food, health, and sustainability departments, and innovative fiscal tools, considering a food justice framing. By securing stable and predictable funding streams, cities can move from pilot programs toward transformative, systemic interventions that advance both urban sustainability and food justice

Analysis of risks and investments’ opportunities in water sector

While water demand is projected to grow by 41% by 2030, considering also the ultimate reserves of drinking water, it is believed that this element will attract the majority of investments in the coming decades. Opportunities in drinking water sector are numerous, because its process of providing and delivery of drinking water includes many aspects: management of infrastructure, design of technological solutions, conservation and water’s quality. These opportunities result from the difference between water supply and water demand; an increasingly difference that requires capital investments in production and water treatment technologies. Investments need to be combined with the knowledge on the legislation, regulatory framework and technological developments. This article may serve to clarify type of investments in drinking water sector, known by literature, to identify opportunities of investment in this sector, indicating the theoretical framework of beta and alpha risk ratio coefficient calculation and to suggest how these types of investments can be allocated to the investment portfolios

From money transfers to meal tables: Unravelling the nexus of remittances, food security, and economic growth in Turkey

The link between remittances, food security, and economic growth is a complex and important element of the economic development of the society. The study aims to explore the causality relationships between Remittances, Food Security and Economic Growth in the Turkish economy. The period of study from 1974 to 2018 and annual data of Remittances, Calories intake (as a proxy for the food security) and Economic Growth are used in the framework of time series. Techniques such as Zivot-Andrews (ZA) unit root, Toda-Yamamoto (TY), Breitung- Candelon (BCG), and Hatemi-J tests are used to detect the causality assessing the direction of it. The main findings consist of: (i) the presence of cointegration of rank two among series, the lack of linear TY time domain causality; (ii) the presence of BCG spectral causality from Calories intake to Growth only in medium period at 10% significance and, (iii) the presence of asymmetric causality from Remittances to Growth in positive changes, from Growth to Calories intake in negative changes and from Calories intake to Remittances in positive changes respectively at 1,5, and 1% significance. These results provide policymakers with valuable insights into the complexity nature of the relationship among remittances, food security, and economic growth, guiding them in designing effective strategies for poverty alleviation, sustainable development, and inclusive growth

POPULATION, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE EMERGING ECONOMIES

The impact of population on economic development is an issue that has sparked debate across different organizations. Despite discussions, one thing is clear: developing countries are not able to afford a very large increase in population. Unlike developing countries which are facing increasing number of population Albania has recently decrease of population. The main challenge for Albania is: population is ageing; this brings reduction in workforce participation. The methodology consists in using secondary data from World Bank reports for econometric approach, obtaining quantitative results through regression analysis, for a period of 24 years (1990-2014) with the purpose to examine the economic effects of the demographic transition in developing countries. The objective of this paper is to determine main demographic factors that affect economic development and economic growth in developing countries, empirically stated for Albania case. By identifying the factors that influence the economic decrease we have the opportunity to put forward in the future the best policies to ensure sustainable economic growth