Environmental health in BIMSTEC: the roles of forestry, urbanization, and financial access using LCC theory, DKSE, and quantile regression

In recent years, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) region has faced pressing environmental concern, containing deforestation, pollution, biodiversity depletion, and increasing vulnerability to environmental change. Since many member countries depend highly on the Bay of Bengal's ecosystem for livelihoods and economic activities, addressing such environmental challenges is crucial for sustainable development. This research examines the impacts of forestry, urbanization, and financial inclusion on the load capacity factor (LCF) in the period of 2000–2022. The study seeks to understand the factors influencing regional LCF using econometric methods, such as cross-sectional dependence, slope homogeneity tests, and second-generation unit root and panel cointegration analyses. The Driscoll Kraay Standard Error (DKSE) method reveals a U-shaped connection between…