Agricultural intensification and forest cover change in South Asia: A panel econometric and ridge analysis
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Author(s)Bidyut Kumar GhoshLink to ORCID Index: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7835-8171
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Suvayan NeogiLink to ORCID Index: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5761-3110
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DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ee.17(2).2026.02
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Article InfoVolume 17 2026, Issue #2, pp. 15-28
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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
In the context of growing pressure on forest ecosystems arising from agricultural area expansion and intensification, expanding population, and climate variability, this study aims to identify and quantify the impacts of these changes on forest coverage in the South Asian region. Using a balanced panel dataset for 1990–2023, the analysis employs a regularized fixed-effects estimation to identify the key drivers of forest area change and assess variable importance.
The findings show that a 1% increase in agricultural value added is achieved at the cost of a 0.32% decrease in forest area, making it the most significant driver of forest loss. Use of inorganic fertilizer also exerts a strong negative influence, as forest cover is reduced by 0.18% for every additional percentage usage of fertilizer. Irrigation expansion has a similarly adverse effect, contributing to a 0.21% decline per 1% increase in irrigated area. Population density growth intensifies pressure on forests, with each additional 10 persons per km² corresponding to a 0.05% decrease in forest area. However, pasture share exhibits a positive association: a 1-percentage-point increase corresponds to a 0.14% rise in forest area, and cattle density also shows a modest but positive effect. The results indicate the presence of mixed livestock–forest systems and early forest-transition dynamics in some countries.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that the pattern of agricultural practices determines forest trajectories in South Asia, and achieving sustainability will require country-specific strategies that balance productivity growth with integrated land-use planning and long-term conservation goals.
- Keywords
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JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)C23, Q12, Q15, Q23, Q56
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References43
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Tables4
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Figures3
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- Figure 1. Forest percentage over years in select south Asian countries
- Figure 2. Accumulated local effects plot
- Figure 3. Country-specific feature contribution
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- Table 1. Descriptive statistics of variables
- Table 2. Model selection in panel data analysis
- Table 3. Variance Inflation Factors (VIF) for FE model predictors
- Table 4. Ridge regression results for forest area determinants
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Exploring the environmental Kuznets curve for CO2 and SO2 for Southeast Asia in the 21st century context
Patrick Wijaya Tjoek , Pei-Ing Wu
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ee.09(1).2018.01
Environmental Economics Volume 9, 2018 Issue #1 pp. 7-21 Views: 3783 Downloads: 745 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯThis study aims to investigate the relationships between economic development and environmental degradation regarding the emissions of CO2 and SO2 in Southeast Asia (SEA). The pooling data consist of 10 countries, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, in the period 2003-2012. Furthermore, income elasticity of CO2 and SO2 emissions is computed for each country to observe the sensitivity of environmental degradation through the emissions of CO2 and SO2 brought by economic development.
The results indicate that CO2 displays an inverted U-shape pattern, whereas SO2 has decreased at an increasing rate since 2003. It is expected that SO2 will increase as the SEA economies further develop. The turning points for both CO2 and SO2, indicate that the current SEA income level has not reached the turning point. The income elasticities show that income elasticities for CO2 are positive for all 10 countries. Both Singapore and Malaysia are classified as countries with high income. However, Singapore, with 0.64%, has the highest income elasticity, and Malaysia, with 0.15%, has the second lowest. There is no indication that wealthy countries have a significant impact on CO2 through economic development. Income elasticities for SO2 of each country are all negative. This suggests that SO2 is an inferior good. Brunei, with 8.41%, has the most sensitivity toward change in SO2 emissions, whereas Myanmar, with only 0.58%, is the least sensitive to SO2 emissions. -
A financial performance-based assessment of SMEs’ competitiveness – an analysis of Hungarian and US small businesses
Vivien Csapi ,
Virgínia Balogh
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.18(3).2020.37
Problems and Perspectives in Management Volume 18, 2020 Issue #3 pp. 452-464 Views: 3410 Downloads: 2097 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯThe study aims to identify the financial performance measures used as a proxy of the firm-level competitiveness dimensions of small and medium-sized enterprises and their competitiveness. By investigating the factors that affect competitiveness in general, those areas will be introduced, related to an identified competitiveness dimension. Financial and non-financial performance indicators will assess these areas. The paper considers competitiveness as an outcome variable, suggests a relationship between financial performance and the identified areas, and searches for the financial performance measures drivers.
A panel data model was tested on Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and US SMEs. The collected data cover the period between 2013 and 2017. As a result of the applied panel regression, those variables were successfully identified that drive and could predict financial performance measures related to competitiveness. The research found a significant difference between the two-sample dataset results, which differences can be connected to country, industry, and, in general, to economic development characteristics.
The results provide decision-making support and hint about the managerial tools and techniques aiming to control the firm characteristics, performance, and, eventually, firm-level competitiveness. Based on the results, further research can be dedicated to the development characteristics of firm-level competitiveness and the analysis of the relationship between the competitiveness dimensions and competitiveness itself.Acknowledgment
The research was financed by the Higher Education Institutional Excellence Programme of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology in Hungary, within the framework of the 4th thematic programme „Enhancing the Role of Domestic Companies in the Reindustrialization of Hungary” of the University of Pécs. -
The connection between Capital structure and performance: Does firm size matter?
Marwan Mansour ,
Mo’taz Kamel Al Zobi ,
Ahmad Al-Naimi ,
Luay Daoud
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/imfi.20(1).2023.17
Investment Management and Financial Innovations Volume 20, 2023 Issue #1 pp. 195-206 Views: 3106 Downloads: 1202 TO CITE АНОТАЦІЯThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of capital structure decisions on firm performance in Jordan (2010–2018), as well as the extent to which firm size matters in the capital structure-performance relationship. The dependent variable was market share. The main independent variables were the book value of total debt ratios, and firm-specific factors such as firm size, firm age, firm growth, and market-to-book value of equity served as control variables. This study used a quantitative research method using panel data analysis of 830 firm-year observations. Random effects model was employed to analyze the capital structure-performance nexus. To infer correctly, the main analysis was re-examined using the generalized method of moment estimator to overcome possible endogeneity concerns. After controlling for endogeneity and firm heterogeneity, this study finds that the book value of capital structure has a significantly positive relation to a firm’s market share. Hence, every one unit increase in the book value of total debt ratios will increase market share by 4.77%. The firm size, sales growth, and market-to-book value of equity had a significantly positive association with market share. Hence, every one unit increase in firm size, growth and market-to-book equity ratio will increase a firm’s market share by 8.84%, 2.06%, and 2.15%, respectively, but surprisingly, firm age did not meaningfully contribute to operating performance. Another important finding was that the strength of a positive relationship between the book value of total debt ratios and market share depends on the size of a firm and is mostly higher for larger-sized firms. Hence, every one unit increased in the book value of total debt ratios for large firms will increase market share by 10.58%.
