Concerns over the potential harmful impacts of changing climate are strongly echoing around the globe. With its wide range of hazards to human societies, climate change is posing serious threats to human survival and impacting every aspect of human life, including food production systems. It is, therefore, imperative to gauge the local knowledge, perceptions, and adaptation capacity for the effective mitigation of the ill impacts of climate change. In this backdrop, the present study has been designed to investigate the perceptions of farmers regarding causes and impacts of climate change on agriculture. Required data were collected from the Madinah region in Saudi Arabia and analyzed to answer the following study questions: How do farmers perceive impacts of climate change? What factors affect their perceived impacts of climate change? Additionally, what factors affect their perception about the causes of climate change? Individual logit models were used to assess the impacts of various factors on perceived causes and perceived impacts of climate change on agriculture. A multinomial logit model was also employed to figure out significant determinants of perceived causes of climate change on agriculture. Results indicated that the most dominant perceived impacts of climate change are its effects on crop production, followed by drying water sources. The results also revealed that the age of the farmers had a positive effect on their perception of natural processes being the cause of climate change. Similarly, farming experience had an inverse effect on their perceptions regarding causes of climate change. The majority of the farmers seemed clear about the possible drivers of climate change in the country. In particular, about 79 percent of the farmers believed that GHGs and pollution are causing climate change in the country. The findings provide useful insights into farmers’ perceptions about causes and impacts of climate change and may be used by policymakers to strategically design extension and agricultural development initiatives for helping the farmers to implement sustainable agricultural practices to adapt to and lower the adverse impacts of climate change in the Kingdom.

| The study in hand provides analysis of Pakistan’s comparative and competitive advantage in production of top three fruits, namely mango, citrus and dates by using Revealed Comparative Advantage, Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage, Relative Export Advantage Index and Log of Relative Export Advantage Index. For this purpose, time series data has been collected for the period 2001-2018 from Food and Agricultural Organization Statistics, International Trade Centre map, and World Banks’ World Integrated Trade Solutions, Trade Development Authorities of Pakistan, and Pakistan’s Economic Surveys. It was found that Pakistan comparative advantage in production of all three fruits as values of the Revealed Comparative Advantage were greater than one and Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage values remained positive throughout the study period. Despite having comparative advantage, results of Relative Export Advantage Index and log of Relative Export Advantage Index revealed that Pakistan do not have export competitiveness and competitive advantage in case mango, citrus and dates. Value of Relative Export Advantage Index is less than one which illustrates that Pakistan is having competitive disadvantage of Pakistan in case of production of mango, citrus and dates throughout the study period. In a similar token results of log of Relative Export Advantage Index in all years under consideration, reveals competitive disadvantage of Pakistan as value of this index remained negative in case of all the three fruits. If value of Revealed Comparative Advantage is compared in case of these three fruits, dates have higher value of the index, hence comparatively higher comparative advantage than other two fruits. Pakistan should focus on improvement of quality of its top three important fruits in order to increase international competitiveness and retain the comparative advantage in production of mango, citrus and dates.

A landfill is where trash is disposed of. Although landfills contribute to the cleanliness of our communities, they also represent a significant risk to public health and the cost of living for nearby individuals. Around the world, many people agree that having a property near a dumpsite affects the price or rent of the home in one of two ways: favorably or adversely. The study's primary objective was to investigate the influence of landfill proximity on housing prices. Data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire administered to a random sample of 200 households. Results revealed several significant findings. The distance from the landfill site significantly negatively impacts housing prices (? = -0.177, p < 0.05). Specifically, properties located closer to landfills are valued lower, indicating the detrimental impact of landfills on house prices close to residential areas. Environmental variables highlight significant community concerns. Most respondents reported an increase in pollution since the dump's operation and 95% believe the landfill negatively affects neighborhood attractiveness. Additionally, 90% of respondents feel bothered by bad odors, and 81% are concerned about groundwater contamination. The study's conclusions showed that more features mainly affect residential property values when it comes to home prices than landfills. Key findings indicated that, aside from landfill proximity, other factors such as house size, number of bathrooms, a drawing room, and a lawn significantly influence house prices. By addressing the adverse effects of landfills, policymakers can enhance environmental quality and, in turn, improve residential housing prices policymakers should ensure that new landfill sites are situated at a reasonable distance from residential areas to minimize their adverse effects on property values and the quality of life for residents.

For the overall personality development of children, receiving care and attention from their parents is crucial. Mothers play a crucial role in a child's upbringing and nutritional status. Employed women face many challenges in society, including multitasking. They are obliged to balance their job with household responsibilities and childcare. This study analyzed the impact of a mother’s employment status on the nutritional status of children under five years in the district Faisalabad of Punjab Province of Pakistan. The respondents included in this study were between 15-49 years mothers. A multi-stage probability sampling was used, where the first step involved the selection of five towns. In the second step, 218 respondents were selected. Respondents from each town were selected in proportion to the population of the town. A well-structured questionnaire comprising both open and close-ended questions was used to collect data. Children were assessed using anthropometric measures to see if they were underweight, wasted, or stunted and to evaluate a person's weight for height, weight for age, and height for age. Results revealed that children of working mothers had healthy body weight (BMI within the 5th percentile to 85th percentile) compared to mothers who do not work, i.e., 43.1 and 27.5 percent, respectively. Almost one-fifth of working mother’s children were underweight, which is the lowest ratio compared to children of non-working mothers, i.e., 37.6 percent. 6.4 percent of mothers with working children were overweight, which is higher than 2.8 percent of mothers without jobs. Children with working mothers made up 29.4 percent of the population, and children with jobless mothers made up 17.4 percent. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. A significant association was found between the mother's employment and the nutritional wellbeing of a child. At a 95 percent confidence interval, mother's age was statistically significant (p = 0.028) and its Wald statistics was 4.84 with 1 degree of freedom. The odds ratio, i.e., Exp (B), is 0.935, and regression coefficient B of Mage (Mother Age) is-0.067which reduces the likelihood of children’s nutritional status to 6.5 percent. Duration of breastfeeding (DBF) is significant (p 0.05) at a 95 percent confidence of interval, and its Wald statistics is 16.233 at 1 df. The regression coefficient DBF is 0.137, showing an increase in the nutritional status of children.

The clothing and textile industry is crucial to Pakistan's economy, significantly contributing to GDP and employment. Pakistan, with its strong expertise in cotton manufacturing, faces intense competition from China in the lucrative United States market. This study aims to evaluate Pakistan's textile and clothing exports to the United States and analyze its competitive advantages against China. Utilizing two analytical techniques, the Trade Competitiveness Index and Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA), this research assesses Pakistan's positioning in the US market relative to China. Secondary data from authoritative sources such as WITS and UN Comtrade, along with scholarly articles, serve as the basis for the analysis. The study focuses on three key textile divisions (SITC 26, SITC 65, and SITC 84) and examines their impact on US imports. Key findings indicate that while Pakistan has demonstrated growth in textile exports, particularly in textile fabrics (SITC 26) and clothing (SITC 84), it still lags behind China in overall export volume and market share. The RCA analysis reveals that Pakistan possesses a comparative advantage in specific textile categories, though China's market dominance remains unchallenged. The research identifies several challenges for Pakistan, including inefficient resource use, energy supply issues, high production costs, and outdated equipment. However, opportunities for improvement lie in enhancing quality standards, compliance with international trade requirements, and strategic policy enhancements. The study provides actionable recommendations to strengthen Pakistan’s competitiveness, such as modernizing production equipment, optimizing resource use, and exploring new markets. The findings of this study are crucial for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and businesses aiming to strengthen Pakistan's textile exports and navigate the highly competitive global textile landscape.

Depression causes a substantial burden to persons, their beloved ones, and the nations as a whole. Major depression results in disability, high morbidity, high mortality, suicides, physical and mental impairment, and deteriorates the quality of life in a society. Depression is common in developing countries like Pakistan. This study analyzes the economic burden of depression and depressive disorders in Pakistan. The study was conducted in Pakistan’s third largest city, Faisalabad. Respondents were selected using a multistage sampling technique. As a first step, hospitals were selected from both the public and private sectors. In step two, respondents were selected and interviewed using a well-structured and pre-tested questionnaire. Review of literature reveals that the largest share of the burden of depression and depressive disorders is in the form of indirect cost. Direct healthcare cost is mostly in the form of outpatient care, doctor fee, and medicine bills, etc. This study, therefore, estimated both types of costs using cost of illness (COI) analysis. In order to find out the level of depression in patients, the center of epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D) scale was used. Then the direct and indirect cost of depression was estimated. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was used to examine the determinants of health cost, including the level of depression. The direct and indirect costs of depression were 11,108 Pakistani Rupees (PKR) and 4,869 PKR per month, respectively. Results of regression analysis revealed that besides the level of depression, monthly income, age, education, and the number of visits to a doctor’s clinic determine health cost, positively and statistically significant. Additionally, the occurrence of depression and anxiety was evident in adults more than other age groups. Females were suffering from this disorder comparatively more than male respondents. The economic burden related to depression is considerable, especially for those who belong to low-income group. Government should provide facilities for treatment for depression in public hospitals by keeping a special focus on less privileged groups of the population.