Bactrian Gold: Challenges and Hope for Private-Sector Development in Afghanistan

Based on interviews with Afghanistan's business and economic stakeholders about developing the country's private sector, outlines obstacles to business growth, including security, corruption, and infrastructure; their implications; and recommendations

International Relations Study Team Briefing Paper

Fifteen papers discussing post-war constructions in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Vietnam are included

Recalibrating the War on Terror by Enhancing Development Practices in the Middle East

I takt med stigande oljepriser har ett av Sveriges största odlingsföretag Svegro bestämt sig för att byta ut sitt nuvarande värmesystem. Svegro består idag av växthus på ca 50 000 m2 på Thorslunda gård, Färingsö. Uppvärmningen sker idag med hjälp av oljeeldning samt den värmeenergi som omvandlas från växthuslampor. Det nya värmesystemet kommer att använda sig av ett annat förbränningsalternativ än mineralolja. Detta kommer göra det möjligt för Svegro att sänka sina energikostnader och minska miljöpåverkan genom reducerat koldioxidutsläpp. Kraven som ställs är att det nya värmesystemet ska kunna integreras med det befintliga värmesystemet och samtidigt leva upp till dagens ekologiska krav. Målet med bytet av värmesystem är att sänka energiförsörjningskostnaderna men också att klara av framtida högre ställda krav och miljömålsättningar. För att avgränsa rapporten har tre olika förbränningsalternativ behandlats där alla passar bra med den nuvarande vattenburna värmelösningen. Alternativen består av bioolja, pellets och flis. För att bestämma det bästa alternativet har en jämförelsestudie mellan de olika bränslena gjorts där faktorer som investeringskostnader, miljöpåverkan och bränsleeffektivitet beaktats. Utifrån analyserna av resultaten i rapporten föreslås pellets som det bäst lämpade systemet för Svegros anläggning. Enligt livskostnadsanalysen i rapporten kommer det nya systemet att ha betalat av sig efter 1,5 år och efter det kommer besparingar på ca 5,5 miljoner kr göras per år jämfört med om det befintliga systemet skulle bevaras. Det nya bränslet kommer utöver ekonomiska besparingar även minska CO2-utsläppen med ca 2300 ton per år. Konsekvenserna av att välja pellets som förbränningsalternativ är att man måste kombinera pelletsförbränningen med en biooljeuppvärmning, detta för att växterna ska klara av att överleva extremt kalla vinterdagarna.While the oil price continues to increase, one of Sweden’s largest indoor growing companies Svegro has decided to replace their existing heating system. Svegro is a large green house with an area of approximately 50 000 m2 and is located at Thorslunda gård, Färingsö.The heating system today uses mineral oil and the heat from assimilation lamps. The new system will be using an alternative combustion fuel to the expensive mineral oil. This will make it possible for Svegro to lower their energy costs and reduce their environmental effect by lowering the emissions of carbon oxide.The requirements are that the new heating system should be able to be integrated with the already existing system and at the same time live up to today´s ecological requirements. The goal of replacing the heating system is to reduce the energy costs but also to manage future demands and environmental ambitions. In order to define some limitations for the reports we have chosen three different combustion options where all alternatives fit with the present heating distribution. The combustion options are biological oil, wood pellets and wood chips. To determine the best option a comparison between the different fuels has been done considering factors such as investment costs, environmental impact and fuel efficiency.Based on the analyzed results we suggest that wood pellets will be the most suitable fuel for Svegros facility and heating system. According to the lifecycle cost the new system will have paid off itself after 1,5 years. The savings made each year from changing fuel will be approximately 5,5 million SEK per year compared if the oil still was used. The new fuel will in addition to the financial savings also reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 2300 tons per year.The consequence of choosing wood pellets as combustion fuel is that you have to combine the pellet burning with biofuel combustion. The combination will make it possible for the plants to survive extremely cold weather conditions during the winter

Lessons Learned on Gender Equality

The purpose of this evaluation study is twofold: Firstly, to compile lessons learned from Danida evaluations, evaluation studies and other evaluation publications, and secondly, to distil a set of recommendations relevant to the roll-out of The Right to a Better Life (2012), more particularly the planned update of Danida's strategy, Gender Equality in Danish Development Cooperation (2004). The evaluation study was carried out between June and September 2013. The methodology is based on a desk review of Danida evaluation publications carried out between 2004 and 2013, and comprises three interconnected phases:1. Screening of a long list of 104 evaluation publications2. Analysis of 26 shortlisted evaluations3. Reporting findings and recommendatio

Spending to save: Prospective case studies.

This case study considers the relative costs of conflict prevention and post-crisis intervention for Sudan during the period 2004-2018

'Good' state vs. 'bad' warlords? A critique of state-building strategies in Afghanistan

The current Afghan government, having weak social roots has been forced to rely on the support of ‘warlords’ to stay in power. But a high price had to be paid. Despite the predominant stress in much current analysis on the issue of regional warlordism, the limited reform achievements in the Kabul ministries and the enduring domination by the militias of some key ministries are potentially much more threatening to the reform and re-establishment of the Afghan state. Widespread corruption is preventing some key ministries from achieving the minimal effectiveness required. Even within Kabul, the focus of the international community has been misplaced. In particular, the pressure of donors on the Ministry of the Interior has been nowhere near as strong as that exerted over the Ministry of Finance. The international community also failed to support adequately the attempts by ‘civil society’ to change the corrupt practices of the state administration