The tropics is an area of enormous opportunity and potential. The countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are largely developing in nature. There is huge interest in the types of business investments made in Southeast Asia, Central Africa, and the Amazonian tropical belts. These tropical regions continue to face opportunities and challenges in attracting foreign direct investments as well as the need to complement and/or compete with larger economies external to the tropics. This book provides an empirical assessment of the key sociocultural, economic, environmental, and political factors that influence the business dynamics of organizations operating within the tropics. It will address but is not limited to topics such as attracting businesses to the tropics, facilitating smooth, stable conditions for business operations and sustainability, national institutions, and regulations that shape the way business is done, and the increasing deployment of new technologies and entrepreneurial innovations which are defining the global tropics as a distinct business region. It will offer readers a key focus for developing a deeper understanding of the factors and frameworks that influence and shape business activity in the area. While the primary audience for the book consists of academics and students from the fields of economics (environmental economics, developmental economics), business, international trade, tourism, and area studies, it will also provide a practical resource for government policy analysts wanting to fully appreciate some of the key economic and business issues facing the region.

The living standards and scale of development around the world are vastly unequal. One notable observation is that much of the poverty-stricken area is located between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. By contrast, affluent nations are situated in more temperate zones. Such a phenomenon gives weight to the geography hypothesis that seeks to explain the occurrence of global economic inequality, by placing an emphasis on the importance of natural elements such as location and climate in determining the economic conditions of a nation. This book concentrates exclusively and in depth on the key economic phenomena and factors which shape tropical economies today. It examines contemporary economic problems confronting the tropical countries and provides policy recommendations that align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals set in the 2030 Agenda. It contains research works and case studies of tropical economies that are related to the area of development and environment economics. The book’s themes range from economic growth, poverty reduction, income inequality, economic globalization, international trade, capital flow, financial development, and institutional development to environmental sustainability within the Tropics. Recognizing the dynamism and diversity of the tropics, the book encompasses empirical and policy analyses that address the key economic issues and challenges in the region so as to provide an important platform from which new policymaking initiatives can flourish. This book will draw readership primarily from the fields of economics and public policy, particularly under the subject areas of development and environment economics, as well as discussions in the sustainability policy space.

"The Tropics is an area of enormous opportunity and potential. The countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn are largely developing in nature. There is huge interest in the types of business investments made in Southeast Asia, Central Africa and the Amazonian Tropical Belts. These tropical regions continue to face opportunities and challenges in attracting foreign direct investments as well as the need to complement and/or compete with larger economies external to the tropics. This book provides an empirical assessment of the key socio-cultural, economic, environmental and political factors that influence the business dynamics of organizations operating within the Tropics. It will address but is not limited to topics such as attracting businesses to the tropics, facilitating smooth, stable conditions for business operations and sustainability, national institutions and regulations that shape the way business is done and the increasing deployment of new technologies and entrepreneurial innovations which are defining the global tropics as a distinct business region. It will offer readers a key focus for developing a deeper understanding of the factors and frameworks that influence and shape business activity in the area. While the primary audience for the book consists of academics and students from the fields of economics (environmental economics, developmental economics), business, international trade, and tourism, area studies, it will also provide a practical resource for government policy analysts wanting to fully appreciate some of the key economic and business issues facing the region"--

This book discusses how cities’ identities are formed and developed over time and portrays architecture and the arts as the embodiment of the historical, cultural, and economic characteristics of cities. Furthermore, it explores strategies and solutions to preserve the cultural heritage along the Silk Road, representing a compilation of research addressing the economic and social opportunities and challenges related to the development of a more sustainable and responsible approach to tourism development and the preservation of heritage. As such, it covers a wide range of audiences including economists, architects, planners, tourism experts, and decision-makers interested in making use of cities' available resources and features, offering strategies to explore development opportunities through sustainable and responsible tourism along the Silk Road. This book is a culmination of selected research papers from the first version of the International Conference on "Silk Road Sustainable Tourism Development and Cultural Heritage (SRSTDCH)" which was held in 2021 in collaboration with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the European Interdisciplinary Silk Road Tourism Centre, Greece and the 5th Edition of the International Conference on “Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts (CITAA)” which was held in 2021 in collaboration with University of Pisa, Italy.

Gale explains why international negotiations have not produced a sustainable solution to tropical rainforest degradation. Using an innovative, critical approach to international regimes, the author analyzes the structure and operation of the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). He shows how the timber industry and producing- and consuming-country governments created a blocking alliance that favoured developmentalist interests and ideas. The ITTO bolstered this alliance by permitting environmentalists merely to voice, but not to negotiate, their concerns.

Recent scientific development and politico-institutional experiences related to the conservation of the South-American Pantanal are explored in this book in relation to what is happening in other tropical wetland areas of international importance such as the Everglades in North America and the Okavango in Africa, as well as considering the European experience. An interdisciplinary group of authors examines the need to establish a constructive dialogue between scientists, policy-makers and local stakeholders and outline a future research agenda, including consideration of the impacts of climate change and the pressures of regional development, for wetland management.