Industrialization is indispensable for socio-economic development but poses far-reaching implications for resources and the environment. Consequently, industrial symbiosis-based collaborations are gaining recognition as a viable strategy to manage resource consumption for mitigating environmental distress. However, these types of synergistic collaborations are more prevalent in developed regions and are linked to larger-sized industries. Admittedly, such collaborative partnerships are less focused in developing regions and small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs). This calls for discovering the potentials for synergistic partnerships among the small and medium scaled industrial entities in developing economies. Therefore, the study was designed to identify, assess and explore the prospects of symbiotic collaborations among SMEs in Pakistan. Moreover, the inputs are equally relevant for developing and expanding such productive associations in developing regions. Data regarding inputs and outputs was collected from sixty-one (61) SMEs through field survey during the year 2019. It was processed and analyzed to uncover existing and potential synergies among SMEs. The significant findings transpired that the majority of collaborative linkages are bilateral and are driven to maximize economic gains. However, informal networks of recyclers and absence of a stringent regulatory regime are the ground realities in developing/transforming economies. These factors symptomatically interfere with the process of formal/informal exchanges between and among firms. Furthermore, it was observed that the lack of awareness and impulsiveness of SMEs, as well as the inconsistent supply of by-products, act as barriers for such partnerships in developing countries. It calls for proactive engagements and facilitations from the state institutions through policy instruments. The study addresses a broad audience including industrialists, investors, policy makers and researchers engaged in IS studies. Moreover, the inputs will provide impetus for stimulating eco-industrial progress in developing regions such as Pakistan.

Sustainable maritime development needs coherent governance, particularly for the shipping sector, to ensure a stable maritime economy. However, maritime governance in Pakistan is considered inadequate and incoherent and thus poses a serious challenge to sustainability. The National Maritime Policy (NMP) was launched two decades ago, in 2002, to provide an overarching governance framework for long-term benefits, but it is now outdated. This study aimed at analyzing the extent to which the NMP of 2002 is coherent with provincial, national, and international obligations and addresses emerging requirements for the development of a sustainable shipping sector in Pakistan. An analytical framework based on three (03) guiding principles, seven (07) criteria, and twenty-eight (28) indicators was employed using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Coherence across twenty-one (21) governing instruments was analyzed, scored (0–5), and rated on a ratio scale to represent the coherence index for each indicator. Thus, a matrix representing the coherence index score for each indicator individually and in pairwise comparison with the NMP was developed. An overall coherence index was calculated as 2.1, which shows poor coherence across governing instruments. This indicates that the NMP 2002 is unable to address emerging governance needs for sustainability issues such as climate response, pollution control, ballast water management, ecosystem conservation, social well-being, stakeholder engagement, and economic diversification, thus requiring revision to meet the challenges created by incoherent governing instruments at all levels and among segments of the maritime economy.

The external influence due to the severe repercussions of unprecedented and un-attended pollution has put vulnerable marine ecosystems at high risk of irreversible damage. This business-as-usual scenario could render them unfit to offer sustenance along with innumerable ecosystem services. Since the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment 1972, there have been global efforts to raise awareness, build capacity, and govern the pollution issue for a sustainable solution. However, there is a growing concern about the adequacy of the desired level of mobilization and readiness so far achieved at the level of various stakeholders to respond to the issue of maritime pollution. In this context, the present study was aimed at assessing the relationship between knowledge, perception, and attitude of the stakeholders regarding their engagement towards maritime pollution at sea, beach, and coastal environments, by incorporating multi-criteria quantitative analysis method for a case study of Karachi area in Pakistan. The structured questionnaire incorporates Knowledge, Perception, and Attitude as three key variables for three principles; four standardized criteria each, with eighteen indicators transformed into queries by applying MCDA’s Simple Multi Attribute Rating (SMART) technique for scoring to quantify the feedback of 304 respondents through a ratio scale having nominal qualifiable classes. The analysis has offered insight into the ways the stakeholders are perpetrating pollution and how their respective actions are important in the abatement of marine pollution. One-tailed Pearson Correlation analysis reveals insignificant relationship between the variables, indicating that the level of understanding of the stakeholders has not developed opinions to an extent that would enable an appropriate behavioral approach toward the abatement of the pollution. It suggests inducing awareness, mobilization, and reforms to encourage collective action by all actors.

Agriculture has a very strong nexus with water and energy sectors due to their complex interdependence and interplay in the context of adaptation, resilience, mitigation, and low carbon development to cope with the increasing effects of a changing climate. The situation demands a comprehensive response in terms of policies, legal instruments, institutional strategies, and management in the national, sub-national, and local contexts of the governance for climate compatibility, environmental security, and sustainable agriculture development; particularly in developing countries, as they are at the forefront of a high vulnerability risk and severe environmental insecurity due to a business-as-usual complex and weak governance. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the adequacy of the climate response vis-à-vis policies, legal and other appropriate arrangements in place for agriculture governance by reviewing the high vulnerability case of Pakistan. Considering the need, the assessment model was developed using the first climate principle, nine criteria, and 43 composite indicators. A multi-criteria decision analysis method along with Simple Multi Attribute Rating Technique (SMART) on a ratio scale, combining qualitative and quantitative data and employing rule-based and rights-based governance approaches were adopted to collect and analyze a dataset of 357 observations from 17 locations, which were validated through Pearson Correlation, Regression, and KW H-Tests. The findings reveal significant gaps at the federal, provincial, and district levels in policies, legal and institutional strategies to step forward the climate agenda in Pakistan’s agriculture sector. However, the inadequacy is not homogenous at all levels of governance. The overall situation is similar to what has been reported in developing countries in the United Nations Report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2020. Provincial climate strategies are required along with enhanced coordination and capacities for execution at all tiers of constituencies.