Journal of Sustainable Urban & Regional Development Studies (JSURDS)

Abstract Background and Objective: Sustainable development in OPEC member countries is influenced by various factors, including human development, energy consumption, and oil exports. A precise understanding of the long-term effects of these factors can assist economic policymakers in formulating effective strategies for sustainable regional economic growth. The aim of this study is to examine the long-term relationships between human development, energy consumption, and oil exports with sustainable development in OPEC countries.
Methodology: This applied research utilizes annual data from the period 2000 to 2021 and conducts an econometric analysis of the mentioned variables using the PMG-ARDL method within a panel data framework. The data were collected and analyzed from reputable international sources.
Findings and Conclusion: Given the structural dependence of OPEC economies on oil revenues and their vulnerability to price fluctuations, adopting a comprehensive approach to economic policymaking is essential. The results of this study indicate that, despite the positive role of oil exports in sustainable development, unmanaged and inefficient energy consumption can have adverse effects on economic and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, the weak impact of human development on sustainability highlights the need to reassess the quality and direction of human capital investments in these countries. Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers focus on enhancing energy efficiency, diversifying income sources, and strengthening human infrastructure to pave the way for balanced, resilient, and long-term development—one that not only fosters economic growth but also increases countries' resilience to external shocks.

Abstract Background and Objective: Over the past few decades, discussions related to human development and its impact on economic growth have been of particular importance. The Human Development Index is a combination of three key components: life expectancy, per capita income, and literacy level, and is used to measure the level of development, analyze spatial justice, and regional inequality at the national and regional levels. In this regard, the aim of the present study is to investigate the economic factors affecting the improvement of the Human Development Index in Ardabil province. The type of research is descriptive-analytical.
Methodology: The method of this study is based on quantitative-spatial approaches. The research method used in this study is a combination of documentary-library methods. In the analytical section, by considering the indicators and considerations of human development in the form of 13 target indicators, the economic factors affecting the improvement of the Human Development Index in Ardabil province have been examined on a case-by-case basis. To collect the required information, the main reliance was on the documents of the National Statistics Center, and the Morris model, GIS software, and Spss were used to analyze the collected data.
Findings and Conclusion: The results show that in terms of human development index, the three counties of Ardabil, Parsabad, and Meshginshahr are in the highest ranks, and the three counties of Kowsar, Namin, and Sarein are in the lowest ranks. Also, the spatial distribution of the human development index among the counties of the province shows that the central and northern counties of the province have relatively better conditions than the southern counties. Regarding the factors affecting the human development index, the results of the article showed that the indicators of rural percentage, household size, unemployment rate, dependency burden, actual dependency burden, theoretical dependency burden, and percentage of industrial sector employees, with correlation coefficients of 0.726, 0.768, 0.245, 0.512, 0.512, and 0.598, respectively, had a statistically significant negative relationship with the human development index, and the indicators of urbanization percentage, employment rate, economic participation rate, women's economic participation rate, percentage of agricultural sector employees, and percentage of service sector employees, with correlation coefficients of 0.726, 0.245, 0.395, 0.101, and 0.435, respectively, had a statistically significant positive relationship with the human development index.