OIDA International Journal of Sustainable Development
Open access peer-reviewed journal
Our Children Are Our Children: Non-Government Organisations Working on Children’s Issues in Pakistan,
and Their Relationship with the State
Tahira Jabeen
Social Work Department, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 12-20, 2013.
Abstract: Non-government organisations have generated a considerable academic interest in past three decades. However, considering the wide array of activities they are involved in, there are areas still requiring scholarly attention. Organisations working on children’s issues in Pakistan are one such project. Based on data from both primary and secondary sources, this article provides an overview of the nature and functions of non-government organisations working on children’s issues including international and national organisations involved in delivery of basic social services and/or advocacy for the human rights of children. The nature and functions of these organisations largely determine their relationship with the state. While needs-based service delivery organisations collaborate with the government agencies in fields such as health and education, rights-based organisations focused on advocacy for children’s rights have an adversarial relationship with the state. However, considering the decisive power of a government in state policy and practice relating children, these organisations need to engage with the state representatives in the larger interest of children.
Keywords: child welfare and rights; needs-based approach, non-government organisations; NGO-state relationship
Selection of India’s Energy Resources using
Fuzzy VIKOR Method
Deepak Sharma a, b, Sarita Azad c
a School of Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, H.P., India.
c School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, H.P., India.
b Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 20-38, 2013.
Abstract: An optimum selection of potential future energy resources is now need of all the nations. This study aims to rank viable energy resources for India. We consider six sources of energy namely, hydropower, solar, wind, coal & lignite, gas & liquid, and nuclear energy. The objective is to provide a quantitative analysis for the selection of most feasible and sustainable source of energy by critically analyzing them based on six criteria namely: feasibility, investment ratio, useful life, operational & management cost, risk in operation and pollutants emission. We have employed fuzzy based multiple attribute decision making (MADM) approach named Fuzzy VIKOR method in order to consider uncertainty associated with the data. The criteria understudy are prioritized using modified digital logic method and by the use of trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Our results show that solar, hydropower and wind energy are the most effective sources of energy due to their ease of access, lack of risk and eco-friendly nature. Eventually, the research aims at providing constructive inputs to the energy policy of India for sustainable growth of nation.
Keywords: Energy, Fuzzy, India, Selection, Solar
Revision of the Macro Climatic Regions of Southern Africa
Muzi Bonginhlanhla Mndawe a, Julius Ndambuki b, Williams Kupolati c
a ,b, c Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology,
Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 38-45, 2013.
Abstract: Factors influencing pavement designs are divided into two, namely controllable and non-controllable. Controllable factors include engineering design, selection of materials, construction quality and control, standards and progress. Uncontrollable factors include climate, terrain and geological conditions such as surface and sub-surface hydrology. Therefore there are many influential factors that the engineer cannot control and hence understanding risk and reliability is a key aspect of design to cater for uncertainties. It is believed that by the year 2100, world climate will have changed in ways that are difficult to imagine – as difficult as it would have been at the end of the 19th century to imagine the changes of the 100 years since. The current heat, drought, floods and rainfall spurts are evident of the effects of climate change. The response to climate change is often seen as twofold; adaptation and disregard. Adaptation often viewed as the most essential part of the response to the threat of climate change whereas disregard comes from a poor understanding of the influential factors of the African climate. Severe lack of local weather data, particularly for central Africa is also part of the problem. This lack of knowledge makes it very difficult to predict with any degree of accuracy what will happen as a result of climate change at a country, or even sub-regional level in Africa. Extensive research has been done by climatologists on the subject of climate change. However, engineers and technologists have not yet adapted an approach that aims to address the topic within the engineering sector. Improvements ought to be made particularly on climate based parameters used in transportation engineering and designs. The Macro Climatic Regional Map of Southern Africa adopted from Weinert (1980) by Technical Recommendations for Highways (TRH4) (1994) is one of the most outdated weather based catalogues used in the industry. To date, even in light of the eminent threat of climate change, no credible advances have been made yet for any improvements on this over thirty year old design climatic regional map. Minor editions on the Weinert N-Values include up to ten percent adjustments on net cold binder whereby an increase is made on dry areas (N-value > 5) and reduction in wet/humid areas (N-value < 2). A gap therefore exists and speedy research is imperative in order to optimize our roads’ serviceable life and also keep abreast with the ever changing environmental factors influencing our roads. The methodology adopted in this study included identifying and mapping areas within the Southern African region that may suffer from future increased precipitation and flash flooding among other climate based parameters. Results of preliminary analysis indicate a shift in rainfall patterns within the region where increases in rainfall per annum are expected in the central Free State and North escarpment of the Eastern Cape provinces in South Africa. In future there shall be more moderate and wet areas than when the original map was adopted. Areas characterised as dry such as the Western Cape and the Karoo shall be now described as moderate. Another visible change on the map is the increase from three different climatic regions to six.
Keywords: Weinert N-value, flooding, climatic regions, environmental factor, climate change
Predicting Four Day Sub-Grade CBR Strength from Unsoaked Laboratory Specimens
Muzi Bonginhlanhla Mndawe a, Julius Ndambuki b, Williams Kupolati c
a, b, c Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology,
Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 46-53, 2013.
Abstract: Most construction projects take place on soil and fewer projects are carried out on solid bedrock. Therefore the bearing capacity of any soil must be evaluated prior to the construction of any road. The bearing capacity or strength of granular materials for road construction is measured in terms of California Bearing Ratio (CBR). This test method has been used for the past seven decades with very limited improvements in its lifetime especially with regards to the time it takes to complete. It is considered one of the most fundamental tests of any granular material in road construction. It takes any soil laboratory a period of at least seven days to produce a comprehensive set of CBR and Indicator tests. The former is in essence a five day long test method. The waiting period means whatever progress that can be made with regards to construction on site will in the meantime be all based only on experience of site technical staff and very little scientific reliance. Therefore there is a need to make improvements on current test methods in order to expedite such a lengthy test procedure. The methodology followed in this research included extensive soil laboratory testing, particularly CBR tests on identical samples that are compacted at Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and compressed after soaking at varying daily intervals. The results of such tests for all the specimen are then plotted on a graph to obtain a trend that will best represent the plotted data such that a formula can also be developed. An equation aimed at obtaining CBR strength of materials within a shorter timeframe than the current five day period it takes to soak and compress the soil specimen has been derived from the obtained data. Preliminary findings reveal that the equation is ideal for use on weaker gravels used as subgrade for road pavements as it has only been tested on such materials. These are materials that generally have a CBR strength ranging from 3% to 15%. Thus far, the formula has provided an impeccable correlation with the conventional four day CBR strength test method. The equation, similarly to other test methods such as DCP, provides a rapid and accurate way to determine the CBR of weaker materials. Ordinarily, the Maximum Dry Density (MDD) and CBR test alone would take five days to complete and the proposed formula shall drastically reduce that turnaround time as it manages to remove the entire four day soaking period. This means the CBR of such materials can be confirmed in two days, the same day as the actual MDD.
Keywords: cbr; soaking; maximum dry density; sub-grade; optimum moisture content
Challenges in Measuring Sustainability and the Quality of Life – The Case of a Small Canadian City
Hasnat Dewan
Department of Economics, School of Business & Economics, Thompson Rivers University, Canada
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 54-64, 2013.
Abstract: Many set of indicators are currently available to measure sustainability and the quality of life or well-being of the people. However, choice of the set of indicators can widely affect the ranking of a place in terms of the quality of life of the people. For example, Costa Rica ranks 1st in terms of the 2012 Happy Planet Index, but it ranks 69th in terms of the Human Development Index. The goal of this paper is to design a robust mechanism by combining several methodologies to assess the quality of life in a place. We used a small Canadian city, Kamloops, for our case study. This 311 square km city in Interior British Columbia has a population of about 87,000. MoneySense ranked it 44th and 64th best places to live in Canada in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The index that is too sensitive to annual fluctuations of a few indicators could be good for understanding short-run quality of life changes, but might not necessarily reflect the level of well-being and its sustainability in a place.
In this paper, we have defined a methodology to select an appropriate set of indicators for Kamloops that would measure the average quality of life and its sustainability. With hundreds of global and regional quality of life and sustainability indicator initiatives, and many available methodologies, it is important for any city to choose the appropriate indicators and evaluation methods. Economists often use estimated monetary values of desired indicators to compute Genuine Progress Indicator, or such other quality of life or composite sustainability indices. Natural scientists, on the other hand, use only a few physical indicators for environmental sustainability assessment. We believe that both monetary and physical indicators are important components of any quality of life index, and therefore, have to be part of a comprehensive sustainability plan.
A data aggregation method has been suggested in this paper for computing relatively more composite indices from the large number of quality of life and sustainability indicators. The absence of reliable and adequate data is a serious challenge in measuring the desired indicators. Due to data constraints, a complete assessment of the average quality of life and its sustainability in Kamloops is not possible at this time using our suggested methodology. However, the proposed methodology and the data compiled for this study are steps forward to a complete and systematic accounting of well-being, happiness, income, wealth, and sustainability indices for Kamloops.
We have assessed the current Kamloops Sustainability Plan based on our proposed criteria. It is expected that this study will make different stakeholders in the City of Kamloops re-think about their sustainability plans, and will help contribute to make Kamloops a better place to live. The methodology recommended in this paper is general enough to be used for quality of life and sustainability assessment in any place.
Keywords: Kamloops, quality of life, small city, sustainability, well-being index
Rising Issues Relating to Balancing Public Access with Patentability in the Field of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in India
Rishika Arora
Amity Law School, Delhi (affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi) India.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 66-76, 2013.
Abstract: New technology brings with it new openings and avenues for development and progress. Thus, providing the human race a step forward towards leading a life better than before. Not just socially, technology is also used by the Nations to establish their economic relations globally. Stem cell research being one such advancement in the biomedical field, that brings within its scope the social sciences involved in establishing the research; along with a need towards maintaining a political balance and leading towards global economic development. Human Embryonic Stem Cell research has become the new domain of research and development in biomedical science. But with the new technology and advancement comes its own issues and problems, that require to be dealt with and a path needs to be paved for better tomorrow.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells are characterized by great potential and flexibility to renew and regenerate into new cells. These cells can renew and regenerate into new specialized cells, while maintaining their original undifferentiated state. The research holds great promise for better cure and treatment of several diseases that are yet incurable; diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer. But due to the derivation of these cells from an embryo of 5-7 days, it gives rise to several ethical and moral issues. This in turn creates challenges for regulatory bodies, policy makers and scientists as they try to establish their way through a tangled web of regulations.
In the middle of the ongoing debate relating to legality of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research emerges the question of patentability expected to arise in the near future. Once, the research has been proved and established the question as to who will own this medical breakthrough is expected to rise. The paper tries to establish the patentability trend expected to rise in the future in India, relating to Stem Cell Research based on the present laws and the recent Novartis AG v. Union of India Judgment.
Patentability gives rise to question relating to funding of the research. Funding being the source of investment for research and development majorly affects the right of patentability. The paper tries to evaluate the pros and cons of the State owned and private funding, and how it affects the patent rights.
At present there are no codified laws relating to stem cell research and development in India. With only draft guidelines introduced by the Indian Council of Medical Research, a non-bindery regulatory framework; the question of patentability still remains unanswered. The aim of the paper shall lie in establishing a test that shall balance the present laws of patentability and issues expected to rise in the future relating to patentability of Stem Cell Research as against social stability and accessibility, at the same time raising a question with regard to availability of this technique and it’s importance towards public health and benefit.
Keywords: Funding, Novartis AG v Union of India, Patentability, Public accessibility, Stem Cell Research.
Customized Row Markers: An Innovation Enhancing Food Security and Reducing Drudgery
in Tribal Communities of Koraput Tract, Odisha, India
Chaudhury Shripati Mishra a, Trinath Taraputia b
a, b M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation, Jeypore, Koraput, Odisha India.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 78-83, 2013.
Abstract: Millets and rice serve as major cereal crops in the tribal communities of Koraput tract, Odisha, India. Low agricultural productivity due to adverse agro-climatic conditions, rainfed agricultural system and absence of scientific agronomic practices threaten food security in this hilly terrain. To augment productivity, an initiative under crop intensification through line sowing in millet and paddy was taken up. The row marker developed by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, India needed customization to meet local requirements. The revised row markers were employed in millet and paddy cultivation in community participation. Need based capacity building programmes were conducted with constant technical support and social mobilization. The present paper attempts to study the contribution of customized row markers towards food security and reduction of drudgery in the tribal communities of Koraput tract. Use of customized row markers enhanced productivity, reduced drudgery in line sowing/transplanting and generated additional employment for agricultural laborers.
Keywords: Drudgery; Food security; Row marker; Sustainable Agriculture; Tribal farmer
Urban Characteristics and co2 emissions: The case of Japanese Cities
Kenichi Imai
The International Centre for the Study of East Asian Development, Kokurakita, Kitakyushu, Japan
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 84-96, 2013.
Abstract: In Japan, office & commercial, household, and transport sectors have made less progress in reducing CO2 emissions than has an industrial sector. CO2 emissions in these three sectors account for a half of Japan’s total CO2 emissions as of 2010. Since 90% of Japanese population live in urban areas, the reduction of CO2 emissions in the three sectors depends on how urban areas can reduce the consumption of fossil-fuel energy (for example, fossil-fuel oriented electricity and heating). To create low-carbon cities that depend on less fossil-fuel energy, both supply and demand sides of energy must be considered. In the energy supply side it is desirable to shift from fossil-fuel energy to renewable energy in all aspects of urban activities. This is particularly true for Japan since renewable energy accounts for only 6% of its total primary-energy supply. Besides the shift from fossil-fuel energy to renewable energy, efforts in energy demand side are also crucial. However, what kinds of efforts in energy demand side are effective to reduce CO2 emissions is a complex issue. How to reduce the consumption of fossil-fuel energy (in other words, how to consume fossil-fuel energy less and efficiently) in all aspects of urban activities depends on environmental technologies, individual lifestyle and business style, and urban characteristics such as population size, population density, demographic structure, industrial structure, per capita income, urban compactness, transportation system, temperature and so on, all of which are interlinked each other. What urban characteristics are significantly relevant in terms of consuming fossil-fuel energy less and efficiently? The purpose of this study is to investigate quantitatively the impacts of urban characteristics on urban CO2 emissions for the case of Japanese cities. Firstly, using the cross-sectional data of 712 Japanese cities the relationship between CO2 emissions and population size, which is considered as the most influential urban characteristic in the consumption of fossil-fuel energy, was investigated. Correlation coefficients between population size and CO2 emissions show the strong relationships in all of three sectors, namely, office & commercial, household, and transport sectors, but there is no significant relationships between population size and per capita CO2 emissions, which reflect per capita consumption of fossil-fuel energy and thus reflect the efficiency in the consumption of fossil-fuel energy, in all of three sectors. Secondly, using the data of same 712 Japanese cities multiple regression analysis was conducted to investigate what urban characteristics besides population size have significant impacts on per capita CO2 emissions. The results of multiple regression analysis show that population density, per capita income, and annual average temperature have statistically significant impacts on per capita CO2 emissions. In conclusion the paper discusses the implications of research findings to urban policies and planning for creating low-carbon cities and also to the society with declining and aging population which many Japanese cities face and other Asian cities will also face in the near future.
Keywords: CO2 emissions, Japanese cities, low-carbon cities, urban characteristics
Microinsurance and Microtakaful: Strategies for Poverty Reduction towards Sustainable Development
Sadegh Bakhtiari
Department of Economics, Islamic azad University, Khorasgan,Isfahan, Iran.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 94-100, 2013.
Abstract: Access to insurance is an important strategy for poverty reduction. The inability to manage the risk of vulnerability caused by the sudden death of a family member, illness, loss of income or property can perpetuate poverty. Insurance services, can play an important role in mitigating welfare losses resulting from the occurrence of such risk events. Use of insurance also provides a catalyst for sustainable economic development in low-income communities.
In Islamic countries another form of insurance and microinsurance established called takaful and microtakaful. It could be considered as a substitute or even an effective complement to existing social protection programs. Takaful and Microtakaful are flexible and powerful instruments, that could reduce vulnerability and mitigate the negative effects of external shocks on poor households. These instruments try to protect the poor and vulnerable by empowering them to find a way out of their poverty and give them a real hope of being financially self-sufficient.
Sustainable development implies economic growth and furthermore protection of environmental quality. The essence of sustainable development is a stable relationship between human activities and the natural world, which does not diminish the prospects for future generations to enjoy a quality of life at least as good as our own.
Since poverty is one of the main reasons for devastating the environment and natural resources, any strategy which reduces poverty and improves life styles will have a positive effect on sustainable development. The present paper argues that, sustainable development is impossible when a large portion of the population are living in poverty. If we think about sustainable development, we should consider policies such as microinsurance and takaful insurance to overcome poverty.
Based on the above facts the paper tries to answer the following questions: (a) What are the relationship between poverty, insurance and sustainable development. (b) What are the differences between, conventional insurance, and takaful insurance? (c) How these policies could provide a kind of social protection and social security program for the poor? (d) Which institutional arrangements are needed to have an effective and sustainable Finance Institutions?
To answer the aforementioned questions, the present paper consists of five sections:.The first part of the paper devoted to explain the concepts of microinsurance, microtakaful and sustainable development. The second part explain the link between poverty, insurance and sustainable development. The third part will explain differences between conventional insurance, and takaful insurance in terms of protecting poor and vulnerable. The fourth section gives a short performance of takaful in the real world. Finally the last part presents the challenges remain and concluding remarks.
Keywords: Microinsurance, Microtakaful, Sustainable Development, Social protection, Vulnerable groups
Farmers’ Capacity in Livestock Production and its Relation to Productivity: The Case of Goat Production in Northern Philippines
Mary Jane B. Alcedo a, Kasumi Ito b , Keichiro Maeda c, Patricia Barcelo d
a,b Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan
c Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan
d Department of Agriculture, Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Philippines.
Volume 06, Issue 01, Pg. 102-109, 2013.
Abstract: Goats play a vital role in the Philippine rural economy. It has always been an integral part of every farmers’ activity since time immemorial, hence, its potential of contributing to poverty alleviation, food security and employment generation in the rural is eminent. However, an account of this industry is few, particularly on the capacity of farmers on the proper goat production and management practices. This situation gives policy makers and extension workers limited information as to what direction or focus should be taken into consideration for the industry’s development. Capacity is arguably correlated to productivity, hence, this paper aims to find out the status of farmers’ capacity in goat production and management and relate it to productivity. Ilocos Region in northern Philippines was the study area considering that it is the third top goat producing region in the Philippines and is dubbed as goat-eating region. Stratified random sampling using proportional allocation was used to determine the number of samples per province. After which, the top ten goat producer municipalities per province were identified for data collection – 40 municipalities in total. In coordination with the local government agencies, a semi-structured interview was conducted to gather data on the current goat production and management practices of 1,493 goat producers in the region. Capacity evaluation score was computed as summation of raw score over maximum score multiplied by 100. Results showed that majority of producers were in their late 30’s and household income were below household poverty threshold. Majority were raising goat for more than 15 years, however, only 55.00% were able to attend goat seminars or training. In 15 years, they were able to attend only seminars/training three times. The mean heads of goat raised was 7 and majority (52.79%) were raising native goat having an average slaughter liveweight of 14kg at 8 months old and average mortality of 4 heads a year. The most common diseases and symptoms observed by farmers on their goats were diarrhea, respiratory diseases and bloat. Result of capacity evaluation score of farmers’ production and management practices (PMP) was 48.02% out of 100.00%. This can imply that the capacity of farmers on the proper goat production and management is poor having it lower than the neutral score of 50.00%. In this case, it can be argued that result of goat’s productivity in the area is linked to the poor capacity of producers on the proper goat production and management practices. Data shows that the average annual per capita consumption in the region was 1.76kg, the lowest among farm animals, however, majority of consumers (67.66%) answered that there is insufficient supply of goat in the market which can be due to the low mature weight of goat raised by farmers. In addition, goats are generally sold per head and price is determined based on the physical appearance and size. This pricing system can somehow put producers at the losing end. With the poor capacity of farmers in technical and marketing of goat, they may not foresee the prospect and opportunities goat production can contribute to their economic status. This is an important issue that should be addressed if potentials of goat in contributing to poverty alleviation be realized. In the same manner, it should be understood that there are other factors related to why farmers have low capacity on goat PMP such as financial constrain and marginalized programs or projects of government intended for the development of the goat industry. It is then suggested that in order to improve the goat industry in northern Philippines and for farmers to reap the potentials goat production offers, developing the capacity of farmer in the proper production, management, forage development and marketing be an utmost importance. In the same manner, government policies favorable to goat producers such as goat price standardization, market price information, small scale entrepreneurial financial assistance and investing in providing available services of breeder goats of high genetic make-up should be considered.
Keywords: capacity, goat industry, production and management practices, producers/farmers, Northern Philippines