Postsocialist Shrinking Cities

This book provides a comparative analysis of shrinking cities in a broad range of postsocialist countries within the so-called Global East, a liminal space between North and South. While shrinking cities have received increased scholarly attention in the past decades, theoretical, and empirical research has remained predominantly centered on the Global North. This volume brings to the fore a range of new perspectives on urban shrinkage, identifying commonalities, differences, and policy experiences across a very diverse and vivid region with its various legacies and contemporary controversial developments. With chapters written by leading experts in the field, insider views assist in decolonizing urban theory. Specifically, the book includes chapters on shrinking cities in China, Russia, and postsocialist Europe, presenting comparative discussions within countries and crossnational cases on theoretical and policy implications. The book will be of interest to students and scholars researching urban studies, urban geography, urban planning, urban politics and policy, urban sociology, and urban development

Postsocialist Shrinking Cities

This book provides a comparative analysis of shrinking cities in a broad range of postsocialist countries within the so-called Global East, a liminal space between North and South. While shrinking cities have received increased scholarly attention in the past decades, theoretical, and empirical research has remained predominantly centered on the Global North. This volume brings to the fore a range of new perspectives on urban shrinkage, identifying commonalities, differences, and policy experiences across a very diverse and vivid region with its various legacies and contemporary controversial developments. With chapters written by leading experts in the field, insider views assist in decolonizing urban theory. Specifically, the book includes chapters on shrinking cities in China, Russia, and postsocialist Europe, presenting comparative discussions within countries and crossnational cases on theoretical and policy implications. The book will be of interest to students and scholars researching urban studies, urban geography, urban planning, urban politics and policy, urban sociology, and urban development

Australian innovation system report 2013

Australian innovation and engagement with Asia is the theme of the Australian Innovation System Report 2013, the fourth in a series of Australian Government reports on the Australian innovation system. The core message of this report is that the rise of Asia presents many opportunities for Australia beyond the resources sectors. Seizing these opportunities will require an economy that is flexible, resilient and embraces market diversification. To achieve this, the comparative advantage of Australia’s proximity to Asia needs to be complemented with its competitive advantages in innovation and better knowledge of Asian markets. This report continues, where possible, to update indicators established in previous reports and add new insightful indicators that show trends in the innovation system. Many of these indicators benchmark Australia’s innovation performance against other countries, primarily Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries

Food for All

This book is a historical review of international food and agriculture since the founding of the international organizations following the Second World War, including the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and into the 1970s, when CGIAR was established and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) was created to recycle petrodollars. The book concurrently focuses on the structural transformation of developing countries in Asia and Africa, with some making great strides in small farmer development and in achieving structural transformation of their economies. Some have also achieved Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG2, but most have not. Not only are some countries, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, lagging behind, but they face new challenges of climate change, competition from emerging countries, population pressure, urbanization, environmental decay, dietary transition, and now pandemics. Lagging developing countries need huge investments in human capital, and physical and institutional infrastructure, to take advantage of rapid change in technologies, but the role of international assistance in financial transfers has diminished. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only set many poorer countries back but starkly revealed the weaknesses of past strategies. Transformative changes are needed in developing countries with international cooperation to achieve better outcomes. Will the change in US leadership bring new opportunities for multilateral cooperation

Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Volume 6

This volume of Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability covers topics on green finance and investment, collaboration building and public engagement, and industry governance towards carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability. First, it presents issues related to embodied carbon in the international trade, impacts of the green finance system on carbon emissions, the implementation of green deal strategies, linkage between foreign direct investment and carbon emissions, and the implications of COVID-19 for decarbonisation actions. Following such critical problems, theoretical conceptualisation of new green deals, international research team collaboration for sustainability, nature conservation communication in social networks, and the efficiency of environmental policies in emission reduction are discussed. Next, close attention is paid to various industries, including agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing, by analysing topics relevant to the impacts of climate-related factors, assessment indicator systems or appraisal systems, and value chain systems. In addition, the book also presents disaster risk mapping studies for assessing vulnerability, best practices of risk management, and cases on environment-induced impacts on health. Results reported in this book are conducive to a better understanding of green finance and investment regimes, community engagement, and industry sustainability. We expect the book to benefit decision-makers, practitioners, and researchers in different fields and contribute to carbon neutrality and economic growth

Impact of rubber tree dominated land-use on biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Die vorliegende Dissertation analysiert den Einfluss von steigendem Kautschukanbau (Hevea brasiliensis) hinsichtlich Biodiversität und Ökosystemdienstleistungen (ÖSD) in der Greater Mekong Subregion. Kautschukplantagen beeinflussen die Bereitstellung verschiedener Ökosystemdienstleistungen wie Kohlenstoffspeicherung, Wasserverfügbarkeit und qualität und beeinträchtigt die Biodiversität. Um diese Einflüsse zu untersuchen war die erste Aufgabe die Erstellung eines Überblicks über Veröffentlichungen bezüglich ÖSD und Biodiversität in Kautschuk-Anbaugebieten. Die Literaturübersicht zeigte, dass die Mehrzahl der Publikationen nur eine einzige oder sehr wenige ÖSD behandelt. Dies entspricht nicht den Anforderungen von Entscheidungsträgern, die für fundierte Entscheidungen hinsichtlich Landnutzungsplanung oder die Entwicklung von Zahlungen für ÖSD ein holistisches Bild brauchen, das mehrere ÖSD simultan betrachtet. Um einen Beitrag zu einer holistischeren Sichtweise zu leisten, war die zweite Aufgabe die Analyse des Einflusses von Kautschuk auf die ÖSD Kohlenstoffspeicherung, Bodenerosion, Wasserverfügbarkeit und -qualität, sowie Einkommen und Existenzsicherung. Obwohl es bezüglich der Kohlenstoffbindung in verschiedenen Landnutzungsformen noch große Unsicherheiten gibt, verdichten sich die Hinweise darauf, dass in Kautschukplantagen weniger Kohlenstoff gespeichert ist, als in natürlichen Wäldern. Das Risiko von Erodibilität von Böden in Kautschukanlagen ist im Vergleich zu natürlichen Wäldern höher. Der lokale und regionale Wasserkreislauf wird von Kautschukplantagen ebenfalls beeinflusst. Die Wasserqualität für Menschen und wasserlebende Organismen wird ebenfalls beeinträchtigt. Zweifelsfrei hat die Einführung von Kautschuk eine signifikante Steigerung des Farmeinkommens bewirkt. Allerdings legen sich die Bauern mit der Kautschukproduktion auf Jahrzehnte fest und sind somit abhängig von einer einzelnen Kultur. Weitere ökologische Gefahren bestehen durch Pflanzenkrankheiten und schädlinge, ungünstige Witterung oder Klimaveränderung. Die Auswertung der Studien zeigte deutlich, dass der zunehmende Kautschukanbau in der GMS von verschiedenen Problemen und Bedrohungen für die Bauern und die Umwelt begleitet wird. Die Entwicklung von nachhaltigen Landnutzungskonzepten ist daher unabdingbar. Aufgrund der beschriebenen Ergebnisse basieren Vorschläge für eine nachhaltigere Landnutzung auf Diversifizierung der Plantagen und die Wiederaufforstungen von Wäldern, beides erfordert aber ökonomische Anreize für die Bauern. Ein weiterer Teil der Dissertation behandelt die Entwicklung eines Biodiversitäts-Indikators, der in bestehenden Biodiversitätsmodellen verwendet werden kann. Unser Datensatz umfasste Flora, Vertebraten und Invertebraten. Der resultierende Indikator wurde als Eingabe in ein bestehendes Modell zur Bewertung von ÖSD verwendet. Abschließend wurde eine Landnutzungskarte aus dem Jahr 2007 mit zwei Szenarien verglichen. Um ein differenzierteres Bild zu erhalten wurden zusätzlich Untergruppen analysiert. Die erste Untergruppe Arten für den menschlichen Gebrauch beinhaltete nur die Arten, die der Mensch direkt nutzt (Wildbienen für die Honigproduktion und Pflanzen für Traditionelle Chinesische Medizin). Die zweite Unter-gruppe Rote Liste Arten, bestehend aus Pflanzen und Säuger die auf der roten Liste verzeichnet sind, wurde getrennt untersucht, um Naturschutzaspekte mit einzubeziehen. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass es bei einer Beschränkung auf die Arten für den menschlichen Gebrauch weniger Unterschiede zwischen den Szenarien gibt, da die Medizinalpflanzen auch in Kautschukplantagen vorkommen, wenn auch mit anderen Arten (Generalisten und Ruderalpflanzen). Dies führt zu einer wichtigen Schlussfolgerung: Allein die Entscheidung Was untersucht wird ist nicht ausreichend (Biodiversität), sondern auch das Wie (Gruppierung von verschiedenen Artgruppen) ist wichtig, da es erhebliche Auswirkungen auf die Ergebnisse hat. In einem letzten Aspekt wurde die Übertragbarkeit der Projektergebnisse auf andere Regionen der Welt untersucht, um die Relevanz des Kautschukanbaus auch für Gebiete außerhalb des eigentlichen Untersuchungsgebietes zu ermitteln. Dafür wurde das System der Land-Archetypen benutzt, das eine große Auswahl von Landnutzungsintensitäten verwendet und gleichzeitig ökologische und sozio-ökonomische Gegebenheiten mit einbezieht. In einem ersten Schritt wurde der Projekt-Archetyp definiert, basierend auf der Zusammenführung von globalen Indikatoren mit deren Hilfe Landnutzung und Landeigenschaften beschrieben werden können. Für das Verbundprojekt Sustainable Rubber Cultivation in the Mekong Region wichen nur wenige der 32 untersuchten globalen Indikatoren von den realen lokalen Werten ab. Das Übertragbarkeitspotenzial für die GMS war relativ hoch und unterstützt damit die Wichtigkeit der Projektergebnisse für diese große Region.The present dissertation analyzes the impact of rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) dominated land-use on biodiversity and ecosystem services (ESS) in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Although originating from South-America natural rubber is mainly cultivated in South-East Asia. This expansion of rubber plantations affects different ESS such as carbon storage, availability and quality of water and threatens biodiversity in this highly biodiverse region. In order to analyze these impacts the first task was to give a comprehensive overview about publications concerning ESS and biodiversity in rubber cultivation systems. A thorough literature review showed that the majority of publications concentrated on single or few ESS, which does not match the demands of decision-makers. In order to make sound decisions for land-use planning or developing Payments for Ecosystem Services Schemes a holistic view including multiple services. In order to fill this knowledge gap, the second task was to analyze the impacts of rubber on the ESS carbon storage, soil erosion, water availability and water quality and economically and socially related ESS, such as income and livelihood security. Although there are still great uncertainties about carbon storage in different land-use systems there are hints that the carbon storage in rubber plantations is lower than in natural forests. Concerning erodibility, rubber plantations increase the soil erosion risk compared to natural forests. Rubber cultivation also affects the local and regional water balance. Since rubber production in monocultures requires the use of huge amounts of pesticides and chemical fertilizers which enter the aquatic system by rainfall-induced run-off, water quality for humans and aquatic organisms is as well threatened. Undoubtedly, from an economic point of view the introduction of rubber resulted in significant increases in household income and is hence a possibility to move households and communities out of poverty. However, by deciding to grow rubber, farmers are committing themselves for decades to come and are thus dependent on a single product, which exposes them to further risks. In addition, there are ecological hazards due to crop diseases, pests, unfavorable weather conditions or changes in climate. The review of studies clearly indicates that increasing rubber cultivation in the GMS is accompanied by various problems and threats to farmers and the environment. Therefore, the development of more sustainable land-use concepts is required. Concordantly, suggestions for land-use change are based on system diversification and forest restoration, which both require economic incentives for farmers. The next part of this dissertation deals with the development of a biodiversity indicator (based on selected flora and fauna species) that can be included in existing biodiversity models to show the impact that different rubber cultivation scenarios will have on various species groups. A combination of multi-species data supplemented with literature data was used and included flora, vertebrates and invertebrates. The resulting indicator was used as input into an established ESS assessment framework. Finally, a current land-use map from 2007 was compared with two scenarios. In order to get a more detailed picture, sub-groups of biodiversity were analyzed as well. First, a sub-group of human use species category was assessed which included only species which are directly used by humans. Second, the sub-group red list species, consisting of red list plants and mammals was analyzed separately to include the conservational aspect. The results showed that when considering the indices from the category human use species there is less of an impact between the scenarios, because medicinal plants for example are still commonly distributed within rubber plantations, albeit with different species (generalists, ruderal flora). This leads to an important conclusion: not only the decision on what is analyzed (biodiversity), but also how it is analyzed (groups of different species) considerably influences the results. To complete this dissertation the transferability of this place-based research to other regions of the world was tested to assess the relevance beyond the study area. To do this the system of land archetypes was used, which utilizes a wide range of land-use intensity metrics and incorporates simultaneously environmental and socio-economic conditions. In a first step, the project archetype was defined, based on a synthesis of global land system indicators. For the project Sustainable Rubber Cultivation in the Mekong Region, only few of the 32 global indicators did not closely match the local reality. The transferability potential for the GMS was quite high and therefore emphasizes the importance of the project results for this huge region

African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation

This open access book discusses current thinking and presents the main issues and challenges associated with climate change in Africa. It introduces evidences from studies and projects which show how climate change adaptation is being - and may continue to be successfully implemented in African countries. Thanks to its scope and wide range of themes surrounding climate change, the ambition is that this book will be a lead publication on the topic, which may be regularly updated and hence capture further works. Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more severly affected than others. One of these regions is the African continent. Due to a combination of unfavourable socio-economic and meteorological conditions, African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change and its impacts. The recently released IPCC special report "Global Warming of 1.5º C" outlines the fact that keeping global warming by the level of 1.5º C is possible, but also suggested that an increase by 2º C could lead to crises with crops (agriculture fed by rain could drop by 50% in some African countries by 2020) and livestock production, could damage water supplies and pose an additonal threat to coastal areas. The 5th Assessment Report produced by IPCC predicts that wheat may disappear from Africa by 2080, and that maize— a staple—will fall significantly in southern Africa. Also, arid and semi-arid lands are likely to increase by up to 8%, with severe ramifications for livelihoods, poverty eradication and meeting the SDGs. Pursuing appropriate adaptation strategies is thus vital, in order to address the current and future challenges posed by a changing climate. It is against this background that the "African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation" is being published. It contains papers prepared by scholars, representatives from social movements, practitioners and members of governmental agencies, undertaking research and/or executing climate change projects in Africa, and working with communities across the African continent. Encompassing over 100 contribtions from across Africa, it is the most comprehensive publication on climate change adaptation in Africa ever produced

Factors Influencing Customer Satisfaction towards E-shopping in Malaysia

Online shopping or e-shopping has changed the world of business and quite a few people have decided to work with these features. What their primary concerns precisely and the responses from the globalisation are the competency of incorporation while doing their businesses. E-shopping has also increased substantially in Malaysia in recent years. The rapid increase in the e-commerce industry in Malaysia has created the demand to emphasize on how to increase customer satisfaction while operating in the e-retailing environment. It is very important that customers are satisfied with the website, or else, they would not return. Therefore, a crucial fact to look into is that companies must ensure that their customers are satisfied with their purchases that are really essential from the ecommerce’s point of view. With is in mind, this study aimed at investigating customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among students randomly selected from various public and private universities located within Klang valley area. Total 369 questionnaires were returned, out of which 341 questionnaires were found usable for further analysis. Finally, SEM was employed to test the hypotheses. This study found that customer satisfaction towards e-shopping in Malaysia is to a great extent influenced by ease of use, trust, design of the website, online security and e-service quality. Finally, recommendations and future study direction is provided. Keywords: E-shopping, Customer satisfaction, Trust, Online security, E-service quality, Malaysia