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In 2021, there was a global energy crisis that affected different parts of the world. In most countries, energy heavily relies on natural gas, including Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh. Several studies have explored the differences in the energy of crude oil and natural gas. Nonetheless, little effort has been made toward exploring the exportation of energy for exchange markets in Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh. This paper primarily aims at comparatively exploring the energy of crude oil and natural gas for exchange markets in the aforementioned countries. The methodology used in this paper is qualitative content analysis (QCA) and a systematical literature review (SLR) which includes various sources such as journals, the core collection of the Web of Science (WOS), oil peer review resources, and library sources. The study systematically mapped out different bibliographic materials whereby the visualization of similarities (VOS) was used to explore exchange markets for energy, crude oil, and gas in Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh. The results of the analysis indicated that, in Africa, Nigeria is regarded as the largest producer of natural gas and crude oil, with an approximation of 1.2 million barrels per day. Concerning oil and gas reserves, the country is considered the 10th and 8th largest producer in the world, having 37 billion barrels and roughly 206 trillion cubic feet, respectively. Thus, the exportation of energy is considered a central pillar of the country's economy. In addition, India is regarded as the second largest producer of crude oil with 4.972 million barrels per day, which is approximately 5.1% of the entire world's capacity for refining crude oil. Similarly, at the global level, India is considered the topmost consumer of crude oil, accounting for 4.8% of the world's consumption. In the context of Bangladesh, their gas reserves account for 39.4 trillion cubic feet, and they are considered to be 70% of the commercial energy supply in the country. In conclusion, the importance of energy, crude oil, and natural gas cannot be underestimated, specifically, for the exchange import markets in the current context of the aforementioned countries. It is, therefore, suggested that the governments of Nigeria, India, and Bangladesh should strengthen their national policies on energy in order to be responsive to the global energy crisis as well as boost the exchange market in the energy sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literature survey was proposed, aiming at summarizing the state of the art and, consequently, the research potential, in the increasingly popular field of circular economy, specifically applied to the construction industry in South Asian countries (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh). In particular, the role of a life cycle assessment (LCA) to support the circular building design concept in construction projects was investigated. This review organized 71 published papers that examined environmental building assessments, certifications for sustainable buildings, the awareness of sustainable buildings, and recent advancements in this field between 2005 and 2022. The review pointed out that half of the LCA studies used the cradle-to-grave LCA methodology for environmental impact assessment, while the other half used the cradle-to-cradle LCA methodology. Regardless of the recent research, the literature still lacks the cradle-to-cradle implementation of the LCA methodology in selected countries which is essential for implementing truly circular building strategies. Moreover, the literature showed a lack of interest and awareness among all stakeholders in the construction of environmentally friendly buildings. The main barrier to carry out LCA for building performance is the unavailability of a regional database, which was pointed out in the literature, as well as the criteria for certification that are not available or do not comply with the standards of the specific contexts of Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (IPB) are the largest South Asian countries in terms of land area, gross domestic product (GDP), and population. The growth in these countries is impacted by inadequate renewable energy policy and implementation over the years, resulting in slow progress towards human development and economic sustainability. These developing countries are blessed with huge potential for renewable energy resources; however, they still heavily rely on fossil fuels (93%). IPB is a major contributor to the total energy consumption of the world and its most energy-intensive building sector (India 47%, Pakistan 55% and Bangladesh 55%) displays inadequate energy performance. This paper comprehensively reviews the energy mix and consumption in IPB with special emphasis on current policies and its impact on economic and human development. The main performance indicators have been critically analyzed for the period 1970–2017. The strength of this paper is a broad overview on energy and development of energy integration in major South Asian countries. Furthermore, it presents a broad deepening on the main sector of energy consumption, i.e., the building sector. The paper also particularly analyzes the existing buildings energy efficiency codes and policies, with specific long-term recommendations to improve average energy consumption per person. The study also examines the technical and regulatory barriers and recommends specific measures to adapt renewable technologies, with special attention to policies affecting energy consumption. The analysis and results are general and can be applied to other developing countries of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for controlling the pandemic. Despite the development of safe and efficacious vaccinations, low-and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) continue to encounter barriers to care owing to inequitable access and vaccine apprehension. This study aimed to summarize the available data on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates and factors associated with acceptance in LMICs. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception through August 2021. Quality assessments of the included studies were carried out using the eight-item Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate pooled acceptance rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. A total of 83,867 respondents from 33 countries were studied. Most of the studies were conducted in India (n = 9), Egypt (n = 6), Bangladesh (n = 4), or Nigeria (n = 4). The pooled-effect size of the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 58.5% (95% CI: 46.9, 69.7, I2 = 100%, 33 studies) and the pooled vaccine hesitancy rate was 38.2% (95% CI: 27.2–49.7, I2 = 100%, 32 studies). In country-specific sub-group analyses, India showed the highest rates of vaccine acceptancy (76.7%, 95% CI: 65.8–84.9%, I2= 98%), while Egypt showed the lowest rates of vaccine acceptancy (42.6%, 95% CI: 16.6–73.5%, I2= 98%). Being male and perceiving risk of COVID-19 infection were predictors for willingness to accept the vaccine. Increasing vaccine acceptance rates in the global south should be prioritized to advance global vaccination coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical theileriosis, caused by the apicomplexan hemoparasite of the genus Theileria, is a major constraint to livestock production in various parts of world, including South Asia. Several studies have been carried out over the last five decades; however, comprehensive information in this region regarding the diversity and distribution of Theileria is lacking. Therefore, keeping in mind the economic importance of theileriosis, we have systematically reviewed the current knowledge about Theileria spp. diversity and distribution affecting cattle, water buffaloes, goats and sheep in three countries included India, Pakistan and Bangladesh of the Indian sub-continent. The data collected indicated that the microscopic method is the widely used method for evaluating Theileria species in the three countries from 1970 to 2021. This is the first study in this region to compile a comprehensive knowledge about the diversity and distribution of Theileria. Our study revealed the existence of 11 different species of Theileria, including Theileria spp. Theleria annulata, T. orientalis, T. mutans, T. velifera circulating in cattle and buffalo while T. annulata, T. lestoquardi, T. luwenshuniT. ovis, Theileria spp. and T. lestoquardi-like spp., were infecting goats and sheep from various regions of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. We find that T. annulata can be found in both small and large ruminants and is widely distributed in the different regions of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. In addition, our analysis revealed that the existence of possible tick vectors of the genera Hyalomma, Haemophysalis, Rhipicephalus and Amblyomma may be responsible for the diverse and wide distribution of different Theileria species. However, the competence of these tick vectors for different Theileria species still need to be explored. Therefore, further studies are needed to bridge this gap and to improve the health and production of livestock and reduce economic losses due to theileriosis in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Furthermore, we selected representative 18S rRNA sequences for T. annulata from the different regions to infer phylogenetic relationship. Phylogenetic analysis of the selected isolates clustered in different clades which might be due to the variation in a hypervariable region of 18S rRNA. The outcome of this analysis is expected to provide a coherent and integrated framework about the different Theileria species prevailing in these countries and contribute to improving the surveillance and control plans of various Theileria species in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A previous study into successful international animal welfare management strategy presented the vital need for animal welfare proponents to establish mutual benefits with the livestock industry. What the perceived benefits to addressing farm animal welfare are, is therefore important information not previously researched. This study asked leaders in the livestock industry in regions across six Asian countries what they saw as the key benefits for improving animal welfare, and which of those benefits they found the most compelling. The potentials to increase productivity of the animals and improve meat quality were among the most frequently cited and most highly rated across the countries. Important differences in the focus of other benefits existed by country, with food safety of highest importance in China and Vietnam, and people-focused benefits (such as human health and improved community livelihood) of greater importance in countries with higher rates of poverty such as India and Bangladesh. Animal-based reasons, such as improving animal welfare to the benefit of the animals themselves, were not compelling benefits in any of the investigated countries, other than India. The results of this study could assist in the development of improved animal welfare strategies. In this study, 17 focus group meetings were held with livestock industry leaders in geographically dispersed areas of China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, India and Bangladesh, regarding animal welfare issues, potential solutions and attitudes. Livestock leaders were asked 'what do you see as the benefits to improving animal welfare' and later to discuss the potential benefits and rank them according to their associated importance. While differences existed by country, the most important perceived benefit area across all countries was financial in nature, primarily focussed on the potential to increase the productive output of the animals and to improve meat and product quality. However, doubt existed around the ability to increase profit against the cost of improving animal welfare, particularly in China. Human health benefits and the tie to human welfare and community livelihood were considered most important in India and Bangladesh, and animal-focussed benefits were not significant in any countries, except India and, to a lesser extent, Bangladesh. Thus, improving animal welfare for the sake of the animals is unlikely to be a compelling argument. The results presented here can be used to create meaningful mutual ground between those that advocate improvement of animal welfare and the stakeholders that have the ability to implement it, i.e., the livestock industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The year 2022 has served as a recall for the impact that climate change has in the South Asian region, which is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate shock. With a paucity of climate-based and geospatial observational studies in South Asia, this paper (i) links power sectors and carbon dioxide emissions, (ii) maps nitrogen dioxide density across three countries (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh), (iii) understands electricity generation trends and projects weather changes through 2100. We monitored data monitored between 1995 and 2021. The following databases were used: the International Energy Agency, the World Bank, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization. Raw data was obtained for climate indicators, which were entered into Microsoft Excel. Geospatial trends were generated in the ArcGIS geostatistical tool by adopting the ordinary kriging method to interpolate and create continuous surfaces depicting the concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the three countries. We found increased usage of coal and fossil fuels in three countries (Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh). Both were significant contributors to carbon dioxide emissions. The geographic localities in South Asia were densely clouded with nitrogen dioxide as reported with the tropospheric column mapping. There are expected to be increased days with a heat index >35 °C, and consecutive dry days from 2020 and 2100. We also found increased chances of flooding in certain regions across the three countries. This study monitored climate change indicators and projects between 1995 and 2100. Lastly, we make recommendations to improve the relationship of the environment and living beings.