Integration of Sectoral Policies: Potentials and Obstacles in a Complex and Interconnected World

Over the past decade, a myriad of challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, flooding, drought, biodiversity loss, and inequalities have emerged across the global landscape. These problems are not only characterized by their complex origins and solutions but also embedded across multiple sectors, each with distinct agendas and uncertainties. Given this complexity, the concept of integrating policies across sectors has gained increased attention both politically and scholarly. Through a comprehensive review approach, this paper investigates the complex and multifaceted global challenges. It examines the role of sector-specific policies and the integration of these policies in addressing these challenges as well as obstacles to change. The findings underscore the existence of multiple complex and interrelated global challenges spanning many sectors with adverse national and local impacts. The paper revealed the substantial contributions of sectoral policies in confronting these intricate cross-cutting issues, while also highlighting their complexities. To overcome these challenges, the paper argues that the integration of sector-specific policies is central. By ensuring the integration of sectoral approaches, inconsistencies across sectors, fragmentation, and conflicts between policies are minimized. The paper contends that despite notable advances and recognition of policy integration, political commitment, complex application, and effective utilization are the primary challenges that need to be tackled to enjoy their full potential. The paper thus emphasized the need to establish efficient institutional machinery and unwavering political support for EPI. This strategic approach is essential to effectively confront the complex cross-cutting challenges, promote policy rationality and advance sustainable transformation


INTRODUCTION
Over the last few decades, the world has been facing different social, economic, and environmental challenges (UN, 2015a).These challenges range from climate change, food insecurity, water shortages, deforestation, drought, wildfires, inequity, health issues, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (OECD, 2004).Research has shown that these issues are captured across different earth systems (biosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, etc.) and sectors with each sector having a distinct priority and varying interest among actors (OECD, 2001;Adelle & Russel, 2013).This has prompted various nations, governments, scholars, policymakers, planners, and politicians across the globe to devise strategies and concepts that will help to proactively deal with some of these menaces, mitigate and also adapt to ensure steady-state growth (UN, 2015a).
Different strategies have been introduced to manage some of the sectoral issues and challenges by putting in place policies, regulations, enforcing laws, and enhancing democracy (EEA, 2009).However, several of these issues still persist (EEA, 2007).Climate change, fossil energy use, pollution of water resources, and destruction of forest resources are increasing at an alarming rate (IEA, 2014;Fekete et al., 2021).It has been argued that to solve one problem, for example, water resource issues requires regulating sanitation, agriculture, mining practices, industrial waste, and housing development.
This has resulted in complexity among the challenges we face globally and also how to mitigate, respond and adapt to these challenges (Adelle & Russel, 2013).Given the complex nature of the earth system as well as the existing challenges, there has been a call for understanding comprehensively the issues and also ensuring policy change and support (Dryzek, 2014).This paper, therefore, seeks to understand these complex and interlinked issues, how we can face them, the advantages and disadvantages sector policies have as well as obstacles to change, and the chances of environmental policy integration in dealing with these issues.

METHODE
This paper adopts the literature review method of research.In this review, a total of 52 peer-reviewed and highly cited papers were identified and incorporated into this study.The data were collected through an online search (Google Scholar, Web of Science, Google, etc.).These search engines provide a platform that helps to find related papers concisely.The search data were collected according to the themes and objectives of the study.For searching the relevant literature, retrieval queries revolving around cross-cutting global challenges, sectoral policy challenges, policy integration, environmental policy integration, integrated strategy framework, etc. were developed.Related papers were identified and collected.A total of about 70 research articles were found under the study themes.These articles were briefly reviewed and also checked for their relevance to the subject area.Those that do not match the themes and objectives were excluded after the initial screening.The selected ones (52 articles) were finalized and incorporated into this paper.Data extracted from these papers were organized under various themes and sub-themes and analyzed to achieve the aims and objectives of this paper.The paper is outlined into 4 sections; First, it delved into the existing global challenges, their connections, and impacts on societal fabrics and their inherent complexities.Section two focused on tackling these problems from a sectoral policy perspective looking at the positive roles they play against the obstacles that impede their efficiency in addressing these pressing issues.Section three delved into the concept of policy integration as a response to these complex cross-cutting problems.A comprehensive overview of the policy integration framework and its efficacy in tackling the crosscutting problems were highlighted.Within this context, the factors restricting the efficient functioning and application of integrated policies and their pathways through which the efficiency of the approach could be realized were examined.Finally, the paper concluded by synthesizing its findings and proposing some measures that will help inform the development of future policy integration strategies.

Global Challenges: Complexity And Interconnectivity
The world over the years has been battling with multiple pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges across its various systems (OECD, 2004;WEF 2015).Among them are climate change, water shortages, deforestation, wildfires, inequality, involuntary migration, underemployment, health issues, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) with many cutting across their actual borders, government level, and policy domain (Candel & Biesbroek, 2016).This is having an adverse impact on individuals, cities, nations, sectors, economies, and systems globally.These challenges are not reinforced by a single factor but a multiplicity of factors such as rapid development of the global economy, increase in population, urbanization, etc. (UN, 2015a).The effect of this growth and widespread expansion has increased automobile use, energy consumption, housing development, agricultural production, inequality, CO2 emission, and industrial development.These have put crucial pressure on available resources (water, forest, land, etc.), health systems, species, and habitats that have altered their ability to meet our sustainable needs (Adelle & Russel, 2013).This clearly demonstrates that problems we face globally are not in isolation but rather interconnected (cross-cut) and also transcend from one sector to another (Dryzek, 2014).This makes them complex to be dealt with (Domorenok et al. 2021).Unraveling the driving forces of environmental problems is complex partly because most of them are tied to the driving forces of our economic and social growth and vice versa.
Projections suggest that as human interactions and biophysical phenomena continue to evolve, new impulses are going to be created in the global systems leading to more severe consequences (Puhe & Ulrich, 2012).GHG emissions will continue to increase and the impacts of climate change are going to cause substantial challenges such as food insecurity, prolonged drought, intensified heat waves, and widespread flooding across diverse geographical areas unless strict measures and strategies are put in place (UNEP, 2019).It is therefore imperative for nations to increase their efforts to mitigate these challenges through the adoption of rigorous measures and innovative solutions (Fekete et al., 2021).Governments across the world have shown commitment to several environmental agreements and introduced sectors that seek to specifically manage some of these issues (UN, 2015a).The adoption and commitment to the Paris Agreement, SDGs, and other environmentally related conventions and protocols by various nations are expected to play a significant role in the reduction of GHG emissions and other related challenges (UNFCCC, 2015;Fekete, 2021).

Advantages of the Sectoral Policy Approach
Current national sectoral policy strategies have been essential in battling some of the problems (UN, 2015a).Sectoral policies recognize the driving forces, pressures, and impacts of environmental issues such as the increase in motorization, population, agriculture, industrialization, and urbanization, and have come up with initiatives and responses to address some of these issues (Adelle & Russel, 2013).For example, the transport, forestry, agriculture, energy, and water sectors in the EU and elsewhere have introduced taxes, incentives, planning, and management initiatives that seek to address fossil fuel use, illegal logging, irresponsible farming, water pollution, poor sanitation, and encourage the use of renewable energies, etc. to promote social well-being, economic growth, and environmental justice (EEA, 2009).Similarly most developing economies particularly Africa have introduced and adopted various sectoral policies (transport, water, forestry, energy, etc,) that have come up with actions and strategies that seek to address concerns and challenges related to each sector.These sectors have and are playing an enormous role in curbing some of the emerging issues however a large part remains (EEA, 2007).

Disadvantages of Sectoral Policies
Despite the significant role sectoral policies play in augmenting some of the challenges we face there exist some backlogs in their application and functions.The introduction of sector initiatives has resulted in some conflict and contradictions between sectors and environmental goals thereby fueling the existing challenges (Dryzek, 2014).For example, the mining, agriculture, housing, and industrial sector continue to have a significant negative impact on water and forest resources.Irrigation and use of fertilizers measures to boost farm yield have resulted in the destruction and introduction of harmful chemicals into water bodies (EEA, 2007).The transport and energy sector continues to result in a rise in GHG emissions, and air and noise pollution.The quest to increase mobility and accessibility has resulted in a rise in automobile use, fossil fuel, and GHG emissions.Sectoral policy goals have however fueled the driving forces and pressures that translate into environmental challenges due to lack of consideration of these externalities in the decision-making process.These have resulted in climate change and other social and economic impacts across the globe.Assessing these impacts has also been complex due to the many factors responsible for their manifestation (Jordan & Lenchow, 2010).Diverging and incompatible interests among various sectoral policies and actors coupled with the centralization of the decision-making process have made the implementation and realization of sectoral goals a challenge (Adelle & Russel, 2013).

Policy Integration: Overview
Policy integration has gained heightened attention across a spectrum of disciplines, with one of those being environmental policy-making where integration is recognized as pivotal to the realization of sustainable development (Meijer & Stead, 2004;UN 2015b).These prominences are particularly the case as a result of the escalating complexity of global challenges and prevalent fragmentation of sectoral policies coupled with the decentralization of decision-making processes (Domorenok et al. 2021).In order to address these challenges, attention has been drawn to integrating different but interrelated sectoral policies and global concerns.Policy integration thus concerns the unification and management of cross-cutting issues in policymaking that transcends outside the realms of an actual policy field to stimulate an effective change.It has been advocated for from the perspective of facilitating rational and effective policymaking and change (Nilsson & Person, 2003;Domorenok et al. 2021).It is argued that coordination and collaboration of different policy stakeholders and consistencies within policies foster cross-boundary thinking (UN, 2015b).This approach facilitates enhanced knowledge, and awareness, and increased the chances of identifying synergies, trade-offs, and costeffective strategies (UN, 2015b; Candel & Biesbroek, 2016).Consequently, this leads to reduced uncertainties and amplifies transparency, and coherence, while obvious policy contradictions, inconsistencies, and conflict (Nilsson & Person, 2003;UN, 2015b;Russel et al. 2013).This concerted effort helps to reduce collective inefficiency throughout the various stages of the policy-making process and subsequently translates into efficient policy and effective outcomes (see Figure 1 for a visual illustration).For a policy framework to be recognized as integrated (normative motive) three benchmarks have to be met at the three stages of the policy-making process: • Comprehensiveness to the input stage: This involves recognizing policy consequences as a foundation for decision-making.• Aggregation to the processing: This entails weighing the costs and benefits of policy options and trading off one benefit at the expense of the other for societal welfare.• Consistency to the output: This refers to a policy in harmony with itself and whose diverse elements are consistent with each other.
From an organizational point of view, Collier (1994) argues that for a policy to be recognized as integrated it must: • Achieve sustainable development and prevent environmental damage • Remove contradictions between and within policies • Realize mutual benefits and the goal of making policies mutually supportive

The Contribution of Policy Integration
Since the problems we face are cross-cutting, complex, and transcend the boundary of an established policy field, there is, therefore, a crucial need for us to face these challenges in a coordinated manner to deliver a long-lasting sustainable solution (Stead et al, 2004).And one way we could do this is by encouraging environmental policy and sector integration (Adelle & Russel, 2013;Dryzek, 2014).It has been argued that 'sectorization' is vital as it enables specialization in regard to dealing with complex issues.But this approach is not always positive for all challenges, particularly for those that require intervention from different sectors at a goal (Santos et al, 2010;Eriksson, 2016).These cross-cutting issues we face need to be managed through the establishment of joint or integrated policy frameworks that features several sectoral goals and reduce the risk of conflict and inconsistencies between different policies and sectors (Meijers &Geerlings, 2004).
Policy integration has attracted much interest in the policymaking process over the last few decades (Jordan & Lenchow, 2010).It has been argued that one of the significant mechanisms for achieving sustainable development is policy integration (Hull, 2011;UN, 2015a).This principle has gained much attention in the environmental discourse over the years (Adelle & Russel, 2013) and has been widely embraced as a principle of policy-making over decades (Candel & Biesbroek, 2016;Domorenok et al. 2022).
Most empirical studies frame the concept into vertical and horizontal of which the former features the degree to which sectoral authority adopts and sought to incorporate environmental concerns with its sectoral objectives to induce environmental sustainability whereas the latter captures the extent to which an authority formulates a comprehensive intersectoral strategy for EPI.OECD (2000) has argued that the most effective mechanism to promote sustainability necessitates policy approaches to focus on; integrating and coordinating regulatory instruments, sectoral policies, and improving the synergies of environmental concerns.Santos et al (2010) note for example that integrating transport and land-use plans will play a significant role in access to basic services and decreasing CO2 emissions as well as increasing economic development across regions.Other studies reinforced that improved sectoral policy integration addresses social injustices and stimulates market inclusion (Hine & Grieco, 2003;Cebollada, 2009).Stead (2004) state that to achieve sustainable development long-term environmental concerns should be consistent or linked with social and economic factors in general when formulating for instance transport and other sectoral policies.Hickman & Banister (2008) in a similar vein opines that to reduce or eliminate CO2 emissions and car use, implementation of a single policy alone will not yield substantial impacts as individual policies are insufficient.OECD (2000) argue that the vertical and horizontal coordination of policies and regulation should be encouraged through broad public engagement, stakeholders' consultation, enhanced ecological assessment, and effective decision-making measures.Persson et al (2018) assert that EPI's main goal is to deal with the causes rather than the symptoms of environmental challenges.Hull (2011) notes that integrated policy-making may not achieve its intended outcome if relevant institutional instruments fail to coordinate effectively.
Most nations, cities, planners, and individuals are beginning to realize the need for environmental policy integration (Santos  (Nilsson & Person, 2003;Candel & Biesbroek, 2016;Domorenok et al. 2022Domorenok et al. ). et al. 2010).It has received widespread political backing globally, especially within the EU where it's supported by regulatory frameworks (Person, 2004).A lot of other structures have also been put in place to help in its adoption, implementation, and realization.Pressure groups, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), and civil society organizations have risen and shown their commitment to EPI (Persson & Runhaar, 2018) to ensure that these cross-cutting issues are managed proactively (Dryzek, 2014).The SDGs have likewise provided a framework that guides and encourages most countries and their institutional structures in adopting integration as a principle to achieve these overarching goals (Nilsson & Persson, 2017).
The quest to achieve sustainability by several nations and the introduction of global agenda on sustainable goals has enlightened various nations on the need to see societal issues as cross-cutting and the only way to promote sustainability is by tackling these issues through the integration of environmental concerns across all sectoral policy-making (Person, 2004).Nations have thus begun to introduce structures and policies that are coordinated especially among the developed countries (Jordan & Lenchow, 2010).For example, in the UK, Denmark, and Germany there's been a call for policy integration to serve as a major objective for all policymaking (Ling T, 2002;Hull, 2011).Through knowledge, policy learning, and capacity building (Nilsson & Person, 2003), other developing countries are also following suit by integrating environmental concerns into other sectoral policies (Lenschow, 2002;Eriksson, 2016).Schmidt & Fleig (2018) note that Climate Policy Integration (CPI) a subsidiary of EPI has received enormous attention across countries instead of tackling climate issues in isolation.
The introduction of EIA and SEA in policy development, spatial planning, and project development globally have cemented the introduction, advancement, and realization of integration of diverse sectors, institutions, actors, and environmental objectives as well as alternatives in dealing with environmental impacts (Eggenger & Partidario, 2000).EIA and SEA have also ensured that environmental, social, and economic issues are similarly considered and addressed at an early stage of decision-making and policy development to promote sustainable development (OECD, 2000).These assessments have become an effective tool for EPI across several countries (Eggenger & Partidario, 2000).All these show how EPI has become a useful principle that has received attention and will continue to help promote sustainability, efficiency, and mutuality within sectors across nations (Lenschow, 2002).

Policy Integration: Obstacles To Change
Despite the widespread interests, political legitimacy, and significance associated with EPI, there still exist some obstacles that seek to slow and make the adoption of the concept very difficult (Persson, 2004;Adelle & Russel, 2013;Cejudo & Trein, 2023).Several nations both developed and developing in their quest to achieve their development priorities have focused more on one sector at the expense of the other.For example, capitalist societies have seemingly directed their attention to the economic development of their countries and for that matter, the environmental and social sector is under-prioritized.
A lack of integration between sector policies has obstructed the implementation of sustainable goals (Jordan & Lenchow, 2010).This has however resulted in severe social and environmental problems, especially among the vulnerable (poor, women, children) section of the society.For example, health issues, food shortages, drought, poverty, species, and habitat destruction amongst others have entangled most citizens and communities as a result of these economic systems.Although the adoption of EPI has been widespread, its actual application and implementation seem to be of great concern (Lafferty, 2002;Jordan & Lenchow, 2010).Structures, commitments, and mechanism to ensure the enforceability of the principle is not sufficient across various jurisdictions (Nilsson et al., 2009;Persson & Runhaar, 2018).Likewise, the indicators, criteria, and interpretation of the concept seem fragmented (Adelle & Russel, 2013).Politically as well as conceptually EPI has proven to be complex and challenging (Person, 2004;Jordan & Lenschow, 2010).The quest for economic growth, scarce resources, and the cost of trade-offs associated with EPI implementation have resulted in limited commitment, concerns, and outcomes of EPI goals across the globe (Persson & Runhaar, 2018).
Institutional coordination and sectoral integration (vertical) challenges are also restricting the effectiveness of EPI due to discerning views.Even within the EU (UK, Sweden, etc.) where EPI seems impressive and backed by law, a lot needs to be done to ensure the full adoption of more integrated approaches to policy-making to stimulate EPI goals (EEA, 2003).According to the European Commission ( 2007), the EU recently saw the need to mainstream its climate change objectives into its other policies.Russel et al, (2018) note that in the EU, EPI was recognized to be limited in harmonizing climate adaptation concerns into its marine and coastal strategies.The actual practice and aspirations of EPI seem fragmented despite the level of popularity of the concept (Jordan & Lenchow, 2010).It has been argued that attention has mostly been directed to ensuring its attainment in the policy process with the neglect of its success in the actual policy output (Nilsson & Person, 2003;Candel & Biesbroek, 2016;Cejudo & Trein, 2023).A lot, therefore, needs to be done to ensure the adoption, effectiveness, and implementation of EPI in both the decision-making process and the actual policy output to help respond to the complex and interconnected issues the world faces.

Pathways to Policy Integration
Policy Integration has proven to be central in dealing with the rising complex but distinct challenges we face globally and existing sectoral complexities.However, its practical delivery and realization is a daunting challenge particularly in developing country contexts (UN, 2015b).How then can it be achieved?Two approaches have emerged to realize policy integration: direct and indirect approaches.
Direct Approach: This entails putting in place specific policy guidelines to inform government agencies.These guidelines could be in the form of policy coordination among agencies, communication processes, intra-and inter-organizational relations, policy goals, actions, regulatory processes, etc. (Nilsson & Person, 2003).For example, if environmental problems are overlooked within a certain level of governance policy directives could be issued to guide these levels to make these problems a priority to prevent unforeseen development and damage.Also, a guideline could be issued to prevent fragmentation backlog and ensure coherence within a globally agreed environmental principle.The effect of this approach mostly relies on the ability to produce coherent and coordinated goals and guidelines and see to their application (Cejudo & Trein, 2023).Principles to prevent environmental problems may exist but seeing to their realization in a specific context may usually be difficult and challenging (Candel & Biesbroek, 2016).General and vague principles are often difficult to formulate and implement across the different subsystems due to the difference in perception, the likelihood of undermining the defined principles, and the energy and time required (Adelle et al. 2009).For real change to take place, guidelines must be clearer and specific to ensure a more coherent approach.Controversies surround the guidelines and their actual application in this regard (Nilsson et al. 2012).To prevent prevailing uncertainties and ensure guarantee, integration should take place across the different levels of the policy process and within the different sectoral subsystems (UN, 2015b).Thus subsystems must adapt their policy goals to jointly address a cross-cutting problem to ensure a comprehensive approach that could be achieved by managing trade-offs and finding synergies (Candel & Biesbroek, 2016).
Indirect Approach: This entails strategies that seek policy integration through research, training, technical assistance, and participation to ensure a comprehensive and holistic perspective on the part of decision-makers or organizational change.These initiatives can help develop innovative paradigms, expand information, and provide insights into strategies and problems (Russel et al. 2018).Comprehensive training of stakeholders on the implications of environmental problems could inform them of policy consequences they would have otherwise not prioritized (Cejudo & Trein, 2023).Exploring research on public sector knowledge networks offers valuable insight into different stakeholders that collaborates to achieve policy integration.This helps establish and nurture trust which is critical for effective collaboration (UN, 2015b).Consequently, it is imperative to judiciously select and cultivate stakeholders, and offer them appropriate training to fulfill their roles effectively.The engagement of experts and careful selection of tools and techniques suitable to the problem, and the consideration of policymaking as a learning process are essential components of the integration drive (UN, 2015b).
Both approaches have the potential to contribute to integration but their effectiveness may vary with integration challenges.They should therefore not be adopted in isolation but rather in tandem, to effectively tackle coordination problems (Russel et al. 2018).While these approaches can facilitate integration to a certain degree, realizing effective integration depends strongly on political will (UN, 2015b).Policy integration challenges are fundamentally political (Cejudo & Trein, 2022).Thus it is imperative to embrace both bottom-up approaches (horizontal) involving sectoral and lower-level governance learning and top-down approaches (vertical) encompassing central planning (Russel et al. 2018).Concurrently, there is a need to understand the political and economic dynamics that support or obstruct integration efforts and facilitate interaction among institutions, agencies, and resources (UN, 2015b).This is important to identify emerging problems, set priorities, respond to novel insight, and recognize and rectify uncertainties to manage problems before they escalate (Hong & Lee, 2001).
Governments when designing an integration policy can choose among different planning procedures, financial instruments, economic resources, and institutions with the capacity of confronting integration problems (Peters, 2018).There is a necessity for institutional arrangements to be harmonized in the policy-making process to ensure commitment and prevent unexpected, undesirable, and misunderstood policy outcomes (Cejudo & Trein, 2023).
Moreover, it is argued that to principally achieve policy integration, integrated output (goals, actions, etc.) must be implemented and stimulate a substantial shift in behavior (Russel et al. 2018).Equally important is the focus on outcomes, which entails an evaluation of the policy impact on behavioral change across time and space (Candel & Biesbroek, 2016).This is necessary to comprehensively appraise policy options, understand exerted pressures, and emerging externalities, and how to address them through coordination.For this purpose, EIA and SEA for sectoral policies have been recommended (Cejudo & Trein, 2023).
Ultimately, to achieve integration, the approach should not characterize sectoral policies as bad and cross-sectoral as optimal (Nilsson et al. 2012).The success of policy integration does not lie in pressuring stakeholders to discard the sectoral perspective, rather it thrives by encouraging them to perceive integration as central also from a sectoral standpoint (UN, 2015b).

CONCLUSION
The global landscape is undeniably experiencing a rise in complex and interrelated problems with important national and local consequences as outlined in the study.These complex dilemmas have increased the difficulties faced by numerous nations and individuals globally.However, it has been revealed that these challenges can sustainably be addressed if they are dealt with in a coordinated approach.Since the challenges we face globally are not in isolation but rather interconnected as outlined in the study.To be able to sustainably overcome them we must adopt improved coordinated and integrated practices and policy-making processes across all levels of society.
Sectoral policies have played an eminent role in responding to some of these menaces as highlighted in the study.However, since the challenges are diverse and cross-cutting, sectoral policies have resulted in an unwanted and unexpected externality.It is therefore imperative for each sector to focus on its distinct challenges to comprehensively understand the situations and collaborative work together to deal with these issues in an integrated fashion.Although synergies lead to a conflict of interest and other related issues such as the need to prioritize one sector at the expense of another, contradictions, lack of regulation and enforcement, etc.Nevertheless, its benefits far outweigh its backlogs.Prevailing challenges therefore shouldn't be a deterrent but rather an encouragement to promote and adopt efficient solutions such as effective regulations, education, research, participation, institutional engagement, political will, capacity, and consensus-building to ensure successful delivery.It is important to note that integration effort at the early stages of planning is of critical importance.However, the realization of such intervention doesn't manifest overnight; rather it unfolds as a transformative process.The success of this process hinges on strong commitment, efficient governance, and effective institutional machinery at the sector-specific problem design, policymaking, implementation, and execution.Furthermore, I believe as individuals, organizations, nations, and policymakers get to realize the challenges we face globally are interlinked, the need for an integrated approach to deal with them will become highly evident.This realization will push policy integration to its height and its potential fully utilized.Although some challenges surround its adoption, and implementation across various jurisdictions, utilizing this perspective will permit us to confront these challenges effectively.Through this lens, the benefits of sectoral policies and their synergies to tackle the complex and interconnected social, economic, and environmental challenges we face globally can be unlocked.This approach will not only stimulate coordinated benefits, increased efficiency, and innovation but also promote sustainability and rationality in policymaking.