Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable tourism management are being recognized as important means to an end—the attainment of sustainable development goals to the mutual benefit of local communities and visitors. However, assessing how well these methods work in various settings is essential. The purpose of this research is to investigate how different factors in the growth of ecotourism in Kurdistan, Iraq, affect sustainability, community involvement, and the protection of natural resources. A total of 109 people were polled using a quantitative methodology, and their responses were examined with descriptive statistics, checks for validity and reliability, correlations, and a hierarchical regression model. Ecotourism growth, sustainability, community involvement, and environmental protection all appear to have positive effects on one another and be interconnected. Using a hierarchical regression model, we find that local involvement greatly moderates the connection between ecotourism growth and long-term viability. The results can be used to manage sustainable tourism in Kurdistan and to theorize about ecotourism's role in advancing sustainable development. The research suggests that ecotourism's positive effects on the environment and local people can be increased by more community involvement in the industry's growth.

The formulation and implementation of development-oriented public policies, particularly in a post-conflict state like Iraq, requires empirical investigation. Consequently, this study investigates the effect of effective e-governance practices and decentralization on public administration in the Erbil district of Iraq. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of decentralization as a mediator between good e-governance practices and public administration in relation to the sustainable local development of the Erbil city. The sample of 409 employees of the Erbil municipality who participated in the survey was analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the assistance of WarPLS 7.0. The results of the study revealed a significant correlation between e-governance practices and decentralization and public administration. In addition, it was discovered that decentralization has a significant effect on public administration. The finding of a significant negative relationship between e-governance and decentralization suggests that e-governance has a negative impact on decentralization in Erbil. The implications of the study are discussed, and the study suggests that devolving power and authority to subunits in Iraq would enhance public administration and promote sustainable local development.