Abstract
Achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 is a daunting task. The status report of SDGs 2022 indicates uneven progress across goals and countries. However, the countries have their own pathways to deal with SDGs in the local context (Masuda et al. 2021), whereas the SDGs are global. Localising SDGs calls for a push to achieve SDGs by 2030. The term ‘rural assets’ is local (Brockington et al. 2018). It encompasses socio-economic assets, digital assets and rural infrastructure and services (Carter and Michuda 2019). The emergence of industry 4.0/5.0 and web 4.0/5.0 has diversified the broad contours of assets, gradually transforming them into digital-interfaced assets. Assets have the potential for soft, autonomic, grid, cloud, fog and edge computing (Ghobakhloo et al. 2022; Ingram et al. 2022). Thus, these assets are data-rich, and various aspects of machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI) and associated analyses ensure their maintainability, availability, assurance and other related decision-making prospects (Adams et al. 2018). Effective and productive use of assets needs management principles with an inter-domain managerial interface for holistic decision-making. Rural assets need no different treatment (Oosterhoff 2018). Rural assets need the attention of policymakers to ensure good governance of rural assets, services and supporting technologies. Rural enterprises must also govern their assets and services to meet the SDG agenda (Sachs et al. 2022).
The special issue considered various dimensions of rural assets discussed hereunder to focus on the research output for consideration. This special issue was part of the International Conference on Maintenance and Intelligent Asset Management 2022 (ICMIAM 2022). This special issue aimed to promote dialogue and discussion by exploring the contribution of rural assets in achieving SDGs in general and promoting community development, social justice and poverty alleviation (DESA 2021; Satterthwaite 2017; United Nations 2020). The special issue explored mechanisms and pathways rural assets could use to achieve SDGs. Evidence-based research, exploratory research, development of the theoretical framework with extant literature reviews and recommending future directions to the theme were encouraged to be part of the submissions. The special issue theme also encouraged submissions with practical and policy relevance and expects to bring relevant learning for practitioners and recommendations for policymakers. The submissions were invited on the following areas, but not limited to:
Conceptualisation of managing rural assets across different contexts and shreds of evidence, policies and regulations Social assets and solidarity economy leading to social cohesion, knowledge generation, co-governance, measuring monetary and non-monetary outcomes of managing rural assets Using geospatial data and technologies to build indicators for rural SDGs monitoring Educating and engaging citizens and local communities in rural SDG strategies Spatial and non-spatial technologies for rural asset management areas for SDGs Smart cities, smart regions and smart local communities for supporting SDGs Industry 4.0, web 4.0 services; ML, AI and related soft computing tools for managing rural assets, services for SDGs Digital infrastructure and services for rural enterprises to support SDGs Socio-economic planning and use of rural infrastructure and services
The ICMIAM 2022 had submissions across three tracks as follows:
Socio-economic assets and SDGs: Evidence suggests that local government and community institutions are better poised to use locally available socio-economic assets effectively to achieve SDGs. Existing community engagement frameworks such as ‘solidarity economy’ and ‘collective actions’ are contextually relevant for the SDGs to be successful. Broad contours of rural asset classifications, the rationale, contributions of rural assets and how rural commons, rural enterprises, rural households and rural governing institutions could enumerate rural assets and use them for productive purposes. It is essential to find amenable approaches for policymakers, governing institutions, academia and practitioners to devise a strategy to ensure rural assets generate returns and contribute to a benchmark for the rural–urban continuum, rural assets in the social and economic context. Digital assets governance and SDGs: Achievement of SDGs is highly dependent on governments’ and communities’ ability to augment resources and plan and execute in a sustainable fashion. SDGs alone are not poised to provide unique solutions. The pace and outcomes of the development process should be smart and fast-tracked, requiring digital technologies. These technologies represent digital assets that rural areas need to cope with in their development to meet the SDGs. Digital technologies can enable stakeholders and facilitate the pace through which SDGs can be achieved. Digital technology accelerates the pace of development and provides a level playing field for people from all walks of life. In recent times, blockchain technology has been found beneficial in bringing socio-economic gains to people. Therefore, it is essential to understand the role of different stakeholders in promoting the adoption of new technologies and digital asset management in rural areas. Rural infrastructure, services and SDGs: Infrastructures and services are critical in bridging socio-economic gaps between individuals and communities, which would fulfil several SDGs. However, stakeholders need to recognise this while planning and implementing. The end outcomes need to be sustainable and resilient. The World Social Report 2021 released by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs underlines the importance of technology as a ‘fundamental driver’ of development and defines productivity in terms of sustainability. Rural infrastructure and services influence human development indicators, including poverty, directly. Hence, these assets are needed to be managed in a fashion that help people make use of them, mobilising resources and catalysing their skills for individual and public good.
The special issue received numerous submissions, with significant contributions from delegates who presented at ICMIAM 2022, alongside a few from the general category. Overall, preference was given to articles that could demonstrate strong theoretical foundations, pose research questions and offer avenues for further exploration, as well as provide insights for practitioners and researchers to draw comparable or broader conclusions, aligning with the objectives set for ICMIAM 2022. Among the submissions, seven were accepted for publication, and their contributions to the special issue are discussed below.
The opening piece authored by the guest editors (Misra and Singh) delineates an actionable framework aimed at advancing SDGs through enhanced utilisation of rural assets. They delve into the significance of rural digital assets in facilitating local online service delivery. It emphasises the growing importance of digital assets in leveraging digital transformation opportunities, including mobile computing and Internet of things (IoT). The authors advocate for aligning e-government services with these assets to bridge digital divides and enhance rural livelihoods. Panda et al. further the line of argument presented the use of digital assets in the education sector. They explore the impact of the Virtual Tutorial Project (VTP) on education in an Indian state. The project aims to provide e-learning support, especially for rural students. Using the SERVQUAL model, the authors evaluate user satisfaction and find a need to improve service quality for a better user experience.
Another article by Prasanth and Balasubramaniam looks at the role of specific communities in furthering the agenda of SDGs. They explore economic factors influencing social institutions in indigenous societies, emphasising their role in achieving SDGs. Despite increased access, many indigenous people in India still experience poverty. The authors developed and validated a scale to measure economic institutions’ perceived role performance, revealing varied perceptions and highlighting the need for targeted strategies and policy interventions to foster sustainable development in indigenous communities. The contribution by Baruah and Saha highlights the role of micro-enterprises in strengthening the SDGs. They analyse the technical efficiency of handloom-based micro-enterprises in India using stochastic frontier analysis. They find labour to be the most impactful factor in boosting output. Their research, based on primary data from 312 enterprises, highlights factors affecting efficiency, such as capital, product diversity and training.
We also have one contribution that highlights the role of service delivery. Ahmed et al. emphasise on water management’s critical role in achieving SDG 6, especially in India. They analyse the Jal Jeevan Mission’s impact on rural water supply, finding groundwater as the primary source due to surface water scarcity. They recommend revised river interlinking projects to address future water stress challenges.
Lastly, two articles broaden the focus and present an international perspective. Gupta and Nath examine the success and failure of cooperatives globally. They highlight the dominance of high-performing cooperatives in Europe and the United States compared to developing countries. Using data from the World Cooperative Monitor, they link cooperative performance to democratic conditions, finding better performance in countries with higher democratic values. The contribution by Gniza investigates the determinants of agricultural contracts in Côte d’Ivoire, focusing on small rice producers. The study examines factors influencing creditworthiness and contractual compliance. Findings suggest that producer characteristics, farm size and trust significantly impact contract terms. Recommendations include hydro-agricultural schemes and strengthening trust among value chain actors for policymakers supporting rice value chain development.
The special issue on ‘Rural Assets, Services, Technologies, Enterprises and Sustainable Development Goals: Exploring Transforming Pathways’ seeks to contribute to the body of existing literature in asset management to support the SDGs, enhance performance in social enterprises and promote sustainability in organisations, especially those in rural sectors. The issue also aims to promote the digital transformation of assets and services and to create digital assets for further consolidation. Through the theses of ICMIAM 2022, there was a distinct endeavour to create a pool of knowledge and to attract the attention of practitioners, administrators, researchers and academia in this emerging area. The special issue recognises the scope for the inclusion of rigour in research, which is interdisciplinary and calls for the application of modern tools like ML and AI in the discovery of services, asset management and optimal deployment and utilisation of assets to contribute to the SDGs. This special issue could attempt to work towards this direction.