812 research outputs found
NEW WATER POLICY, IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT TRANSFER AND SMALLHOLDING IRRIGATION SCHEMES IN SOUTH AFRICA: INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES
This paper briefly reviews the situation of smallholding irrigation schemes SIS- in previously disadvantaged rural areas of South Africa. It then analyses the implication of the new National Water Act of 1998 on those schemes, with regard to the IMT process. An analysis of water rights related issues is proposed. It highlights a number of contradictions, uncertainties and possible threats which may hinder further development, and sustainable IMT in SIS.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
SUPPORTING DECISION MAKING ON REHABILITATION AND MANAGEMENT TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT SMALLHOLDING IRRIGATION SCHEMES: THE SMILE APPROACH
Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Separation Framework: An Enabler for Cooperative and D2D Communication for Future 5G Networks
Soaring capacity and coverage demands dictate that future cellular networks
need to soon migrate towards ultra-dense networks. However, network
densification comes with a host of challenges that include compromised energy
efficiency, complex interference management, cumbersome mobility management,
burdensome signaling overheads and higher backhaul costs. Interestingly, most
of the problems, that beleaguer network densification, stem from legacy
networks' one common feature i.e., tight coupling between the control and data
planes regardless of their degree of heterogeneity and cell density.
Consequently, in wake of 5G, control and data planes separation architecture
(SARC) has recently been conceived as a promising paradigm that has potential
to address most of aforementioned challenges. In this article, we review
various proposals that have been presented in literature so far to enable SARC.
More specifically, we analyze how and to what degree various SARC proposals
address the four main challenges in network densification namely: energy
efficiency, system level capacity maximization, interference management and
mobility management. We then focus on two salient features of future cellular
networks that have not yet been adapted in legacy networks at wide scale and
thus remain a hallmark of 5G, i.e., coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and
device-to-device (D2D) communications. After providing necessary background on
CoMP and D2D, we analyze how SARC can particularly act as a major enabler for
CoMP and D2D in context of 5G. This article thus serves as both a tutorial as
well as an up to date survey on SARC, CoMP and D2D. Most importantly, the
article provides an extensive outlook of challenges and opportunities that lie
at the crossroads of these three mutually entangled emerging technologies.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 201
Decentralized Delay Optimal Control for Interference Networks with Limited Renewable Energy Storage
In this paper, we consider delay minimization for interference networks with
renewable energy source, where the transmission power of a node comes from both
the conventional utility power (AC power) and the renewable energy source. We
assume the transmission power of each node is a function of the local channel
state, local data queue state and local energy queue state only. In turn, we
consider two delay optimization formulations, namely the decentralized
partially observable Markov decision process (DEC-POMDP) and Non-cooperative
partially observable stochastic game (POSG). In DEC-POMDP formulation, we
derive a decentralized online learning algorithm to determine the control
actions and Lagrangian multipliers (LMs) simultaneously, based on the policy
gradient approach. Under some mild technical conditions, the proposed
decentralized policy gradient algorithm converges almost surely to a local
optimal solution. On the other hand, in the non-cooperative POSG formulation,
the transmitter nodes are non-cooperative. We extend the decentralized policy
gradient solution and establish the technical proof for almost-sure convergence
of the learning algorithms. In both cases, the solutions are very robust to
model variations. Finally, the delay performance of the proposed solutions are
compared with conventional baseline schemes for interference networks and it is
illustrated that substantial delay performance gain and energy savings can be
achieved
A SIMULATION-BASED APPROACH TO ASSESS THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF SMALLHOLDING IRRIGATION SCHEMES IN SOUTH AFRICA: CONCEPTUALISATION AND FIRST IMPLEMENTATION
Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,
Improving irrigation project planning and implementation processes in Sub-Saharan Africa: Diagnosis and recommendations
Irrigation programs / Planning / Financing / Financial institutions / Irrigation management / Operations / Maintenance / Privatization / Cost recovery
Docitive Networks. A Step Beyond Cognition
Projecte fet en col.laboraciĂł amb Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de CatalunyaCatalĂ : En les Xarxes Docents es por ta mĂ©s enllĂ la idea d'elaborar decisions intel ligents. Per mitjĂ de compartir informaciĂł entre els nodes, amb l'objectiu primordial de reduir la complexitat i millorar el rendiment de les Xarxes Cognitives. Per a això es revisen alguns conceptes importants de les bases de l'Aprenentatge AutomĂ tic, prestant especial atenciĂł a l'aprenentatge per reforç. TambĂ© es fa una visiĂł de la Teoria de Jocs Evolutius i de la dinĂ mica de rèpliques. Finalment, simulacions ,basades en el projecte TIC-BUNGEE, es mostren per validar els conceptes introduĂŻts.Castellano: Las Redes Docentes llevan más alla la idea de elaborar decisiones inteligentes, por medio de compartir informaciĂłn entre los nodos, con el objetivo primordial de reducir la complejidad y mejorar el rendimiento de las Redes Cognitiva. Para ello se revisan algunos conceptos importantes de las bases del Aprendizaje Automático, prestando especial atencion al aprendizaje por refuerzo, tambiĂ©n damos una visĂłn de la TeorĂa de Juegos Evolutivos y de la replicaciĂłn de dinamicas. Por Ăşltimo, las simulaciones basadas en el proyecto TIC-BUNGEE se muestran para validar los conceptos introducidos.English: The Docitive Networks further use the idea of drawing intelligent decisions by means of sharing information between nodes with the prime aim of reduce complexity and enhance performance of Congnitive Networks. To this end we review some important concepts form Machine Learning, paying special atention to Reinforcement Learning, we also go insight Evolutionary Game Theory and Replicator Dynamics. Finally, simulations Based on ICT-BUNGEE project are shown to validate the introduced concepts
Irrigation management transfer in sub-Saharan Africa: an analysis of policy implementation across scales
This article explores how irrigation management transfer policies were implemented in Mali, Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. In Mali and Mozambique, where the irrigation bureaucracy controlled one large irrigation system, state agencies retained control over irrigation management despite reduced state funding. In Malawi and Zimbabwe, where the state irrigation systems and the irrigation bureaucracy were smaller, users have taken over irrigation management, but are having trouble sustaining irrigated agriculture. We show how irrigation management transfer policies were shaped by the interplay between international donors, macro-economic dynamics, national politics and the interactions with (and the nature of) irrigation infrastructure, bureaucracies and organized users.</p
Pro-poor interventions strategies in irrigated agriculture in Asia: poverty in irrigated agriculture: realities, issues, and options with guidelines
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/propoor/files/ADB_Project/Project%20Reports/Summary_Report_Part_2.pdfhttp://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/propoor/files/ADB_Project/Project%20Reports/Summary_Report_Part_3.pdfIrrigated farmingPovertyIrrigation programsIrrigation systemsWater distributionEquityWater rightsWater allocationUser chargesInvestmentIrrigation managementInstitutions
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