Research Publications Authored by SLIIT Staff

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3

Open Access
Global agricultural expansion and forest loss: a panel data analysis of major oilseed crop expansion and its impact on global forest cover across continents
(Springer International Publishing, 2026-07-15) Fernando, G; Dilmith, T; Dassanayaka, T; Rajapaksha, T; Kankanam Pathiranage, H, S
Vegetable oil production has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, raising concerns about its environmental consequences. This study examines the impact of palm oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil cultivation on agriculture-driven deforestation across six continents over 23 years (2001–2023). Using secondary data from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and Global Forest Watch, this study has constructed a balanced panel dataset of 138 observations (6 continents × 23 years). Panel regression analysis was employed, with model selection guided by Hausman and Breusch-Pagan tests, ultimately favouring the Random Effects estimator. Results indicate that palm oil (β = 0.109, p < 0.05) and soybean oil (β = 0.389, p < 0.01) are strongly associated with forest loss, particularly in Asia and South America. Sunflower oil also shows a positive impact (β = 0.189, p < 0.05), while rapeseed oil demonstrates a negative impact (β = − 0.151, p < 0.05), suggesting comparatively lower deforestation pressures in temperate regions. Confidence intervals and standard errors confirm the robustness of these findings. By integrating multiple oil crops simultaneously, this study provides a comprehensive assessment of how global demand for vegetable oils translates into forest loss. The results highlight the need for crop-specific and region-specific strategies to mitigate environmental impacts while balancing agricultural development with forest conservation.
Embargo
Macroeconomic determinants of child mortality in low and lower-middle-income nations
(Emerald Publishing, 2025-05-18) Samarawickrama, P.A; Fernando, G; Bernadeen, R; Jayasuriya, N; Pathirana, U
Purpose: Child mortality remains a major problem in the world, especially for children under five, as many deaths are reported each year. Disproportionately high death rates are seen in low- and lower-middle-income nations. This study seeks to examine the impact of macroeconomic factors on child mortality in low- and lower-middle-income countries to formulate policies for those income levels to achieve SDG 3.2 by 2030. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses panel regression analysis to investigate the impact of macroeconomic factors including inflation, labor force participation female, Current healthcare expenditure and GDP per capita income on child mortality within the two income groups, covering 18 low-income and 41 lower-middle-income nations from the year 2000 to 2022. Findings: The findings of the study indicated that in low-income countries women’s employment positively and significantly affects child mortality, while GDP per capita and current health expenditure negatively and significantly affect child mortality. In lower middle-income countries, inflation and GDP per capita negatively and significantly affect child mortality. This demonstrates the significance of economic stability, health investments and modifications in labor force participation female in mitigating child mortality in low and middle-income countries while offering critical insights for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to infant mortality reduction by 2030. Originality/value: Although previous research has investigated child mortality, there is a lack of comprehensive research that has examined the combined impact of inflation, labor force participation rate female, current healthcare expenditure and GDP per capita in these countries. This study offers new empirical evidence regarding the influence of macroeconomic conditions on trends in child mortality by implementing a rigorous methodological approach.
Open Access
Design and Fabrication of a Novel Hybrid Solar Dryer
(SLIIT, 2022-02-11) Perera, C; Fernando, G; Liyanage, M
A hybrid solar dryer was designed and tested for commercial dissemination of active and passive drying methods over traditional sun drying methods. The proposed dryer employs novel features such as user controllability of the drying parameters and includes sensors and controllers for active monitoring of drying parameters. The functionality of the dryer is broadened by using logic control whereby intermittent drying patterns are introduced to the system for more efficient operation. This paper documents the design calculations and fabrication process of the dryer as well as the results of drying obtained under a controlled environment. 10 experiments have been carried out to assess the limits and potential improvements to the system which yielded satisfactory conditions with a temperature fluctuation of ±1℃ and change in %RH of ±2% at any given temperature within the specified limits. The developed system has been used for drying apples which yielded dried products from an initial weight of 346 grams to a final weight of 55 grams in 5 hours in pure convection and the same initial weight was reduced to 52 grams in 3 hours when operating in solar hybrid mode. The average energy consumption of the dryer was obtained at 300 Watts at uninterrupted solar insolation operation and 224 Watts during pure convective operation, portraying the efficient operation of the system to be eligible to be powered by a solar-powered energy storage

Research Publications Authored by SLIIT Staff

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