Climate change commitments and agriculture sectoral strategies in Cameroon: Interplay and perspectives

International audienceCameroon like other developing countries is developing approaches to respond to national and global climate change adaptation and mitigation commitments. Sufficient information on the interplay between sector policies and the causes, impacts and response to climate change is relevant for developing sustainable climate change response plans. Using the agriculture sector as a case, this paper examines this interplay in the context of the humid forest zone (HFZ) of Cameroon. Drawing on secondary information from agriculture sector strategies, forest cover change, climate vulnerability and agriculture systems in the HFZ, we found that: (i) the objectives of agriculture expansion and avoided deforestation and forest degradation are at crossroads ; (ii) agriculture as a livelihood strategy is vulnerable to climate variability and change; (iii) strengthening agriculture production systems technically, materially and financially are main suggestions for climate resilient and low carbon emission agriculture practices. We highlight barriers that need to be addressed for the agriculture intensification mechanism , i.e. the agriculture research and extension services in Cameroon to respond to the needs of adaptation and carbon emission reductions from avoided deforestation. These ABOUT THE AUTHOR Eugene L Chia is a researcher/expert with an interdisciplinary background that cuts across environment and development issues. He has published extensively on climate change and has years of experience working on climate change mitigation and adaptation from the policy level to the project level in the Congo basin region. He is currently providing advisory services to the government of Cameroon on climate change response policies and actions related to adaptation and carbon emission reduction. This paper is part of his contribution to policy inputs (information and knowledge) and the debate in the climate change policy response process in Cameroon

Climate policy integration at national scale

This thesis explores climate policy integration (CPI) particularly looking at the structures and processes at the national policy scale and draws on insights from two developing countries, Pakistan and Malaysia. Climate policy integration is an emerging area of research in scholarly and policy literature that has been advanced as a mechanism for dealing with an integrated climate and development challenge. However, the literature is deficient in terms of coverage of developing countries, evidence of CPI at national scales, exploration of structures and processes and the conditions under which the process of CPI can be most effective. This research attempts to fill this scholarly and practical gap. This thesis presents interdisciplinary research touching on, inter alia, the areas of development policy and economics, sustainable development, environmental policy integration (EPI), public policy, environmental change and history, governance and international relations. Theory construction was formulated using case study and adaptive theory approaches. Empirical evidence was collected qualitatively through review and analysis of literature, document analysis and semi-structured interviews. In order to extend into actual policy systems of national scale, case studies of two developing countries, Pakistan and Malaysia, with contrasting but in some ways similar development challenges, were undertaken. While some of the issues that arise in Pakistan and Malaysia are predictable from a policy integration perspective and often identified in the literature (e.g. silos, question of lead agency), some arise that are less familiar (e.g. the role of information). Climate policy development has occurred in both countries, but with very different foci and priorities, especially regarding mitigation versus adaptation. Key agencies are becoming sensitised to climate change. However, there is a clear disconnect between the high-level political priority being increasingly accorded to climate change in both countries, and the slow rate of agency response and implementation. Mainstreaming or integration is occurring, but incorporation of climate change objectives into all stages of policymaking is still weak. 'Silos' across the policy system are a major issue. The information basis and capacity to develop and justify policy action across sectors is an issue in both countries, but with different emphases. As a process to begin understanding the climate mitigation and adaptation imperatives and costs for each country was only starting to appear, a full aggregate of climate consequences into the all aspects of public policy has still to be made and contradictions between sectoral polices have not been removed. The work contributes a new interpretation of CPI within a public policy and administrative framework. It suggests an integration dynamic that advances low carbon and climate-resilient development and questions the hitherto piece meal and incremental approach that national and global policymakers have internalised to deal with the climate challenge. This views mainstreaming as a vehicle for advancing low carbon and climate-resilient development rather than as an end product of existing practices. This requires a paradigm shift from existing separation of discourses, in particular on EPI and CPI to advance sustainable development. -- provided by Candidate

Fair trade in food: the role of purchasing policy

This thesis examines the role of Alternative Trade Organisations (ATOs) in linking food producers in the developing world with consumers in the UK. 'Fair trade', as it has become known, involves consumers making purchases on the understanding that producers will receive benefits as a result of the trade. The inequities of the international trading system for developing countries is discussed, followed by a chapter which considers the expansion of the fair trade movement as a response to those inequities. Fair trade is facing new opportunities as it moves from a predominantly craft sales base towards more food products. The thesis explores the specific issues which ATOs must consider when trading in foods. Two chapters discuss the problems of trading with small, rural and often vulnerable producers in developing countries, and the role that ATOs can play in providing a more certain environment. The provision of appropriate information is shown to fulfil a particularly important function. It is argued that trade can be beneficial at a micro level but that ATOs must use policies which can help them 'maximise-the-best and minimise-the-worst' effects of the trade. These policies can guide them to trade relationships which are most likely to realise positive benefits to the producers. Part 2 of the thesis covers a case study with a large ATO, Traidcraft, whose strategy for the 1990s is to expand food sales. As part of this agenda the company wanted to re-write their Food Purchasing Policy and the research process to achieve this is described. All existing food products were reviewed against the new policy and the product group of dried fruit illustrates some of the issues which have to be considered by the company in the light of the findings. The thesis seeks to demonstrate how the purchasing policy can guide Traidcraft in their selection of producers. It also considers the complexity of bringing together producers and consumers in a way which is both profitable and sustainable

Institutional Foundations for Cyber Security: Current Responses and New Challenges

Almost everyone recognizes the salience of cyberspace as a fact of daily life. Given its ubiquity, scale, and scope, cyberspace has become a fundamental feature of the world we live in and has created a new reality for almost everyone in the developed world and increasingly for people in the developing world. This paper seeks to provide an initial baseline, for representing and tracking institutional responses to a rapidly changing international landscape, real as well as virtual. We shall argue that the current institutional landscape managing security issues in the cyber domain has developed in major ways, but that it is still “under construction.” We also expect institutions for cyber security to support and reinforce the contributions of information technology to the development process. We begin with (a) highlights of international institutional theory and an empirical “census” of the institutions-in-place for cyber security, and then turn to (b) key imperatives of information technology-development linkages and the various cyber processes that enhance developmental processes, (c) major institutional responses to cyber threats and cyber crime as well as select international and national policy postures so critical for industrial countries and increasingly for developing states as well, and (d) the salience of new mechanisms designed specifically in response to cyber threats

Essays on financial integration

Financial integration has progressively increased over the past decade. Following the global financial crisis and the turmoil that ensued, external financing conditions changed. The global financial architecture went through significant adjustments consequently affecting global financing conditions. Emergent issues in response to the evolving global financial conditions included changes to monetary and financial sector regulation which had consequences for the capacity of banks to extend credit. Accordingly, the availability of credit is likely to have adversely affected the investment activity of firms, with potentially a more pronounced effect on for multinational corporations exposed to greater risk and information asymmetry associated with investing in foreign countries. In advanced economies, central banks pursued expansionary monetary policies to stimulate domestic economies by lowering the short-term policy interest rates. The central banks lowered the policy rate to the effective lower bound and resorted to unconventional tools of monetary policy in efforts to revive domestic economic activity. However, as a result of greater financial integration across countries, the unconventional monetary policies adopted by major economies also generated unintended consequences for countries abroad. International financial institutions which play a critical role in the intermediation and allocation of capital across countries also facilitated this cross-border transmission. Accordingly, the unconventional monetary policies pursued by the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and the European Central Bank instigated debate pertaining to the consequences of the spillover effects. Moreover, the evolving global financing conditions and low interest rate environment that ensued subsequent to the global financial crisis also catalysed the surge in capital flows going to emerging market and developing economies. Furthermore, a period of slow growth ensued in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. This slow global growth has been largely attributed to greater uncertainty which has been observed to have had a detrimental on real economic activity. Firms are more inclined to postpone large investment activities when uncertainty is high. Moreover, various types of uncertainty will probably influence firms and households' decisions differently. It is within this context that there has been a rise in prominence of policy debates on the role of different types of uncertainty for economic activity and most recently capital flows. Therefore, the focus of this thesis is the role of external financing conditions and uncertainty on multinational corporations' cross-border direct invest and the consequences of unconventional monetary policies implemented by major advanced economies on the portfolio allocation of institutional investors. The thesis presents three chapters in macroeconomics with an emphasis on cross-border capital flows and the role credit constraints and uncertainty and cross-border asset allocation of institutional investors in response to monetary policies in developed economies. The first empirical chapter examines the effects of country-specific financial market development on cross-border direct investment. It examines the extent to which financial development in source and host countries affects bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI). Using the gravity model, the effects of financial market development on outward foreign direct investment to emerging market and developing economies is investigated. Furthermore, it examines the role of the global financial crisis and idiosyncratic systemic banking crises on outward bilateral foreign direct investment. The main finding is that greater financial development in both origin and destination countries enhances outward bilateral foreign direct investment. The results confirm the volume of outward foreign direct investment to emerging market and developing economies declined with the global financial crisis. Furthermore, in source countries experiencing a systemic banking crisis, there is evidence that financial constraints reduced aggregate outward foreign direct investment. The second empirical chapter examines the international transmission of monetary policy through non-bank financial institutions. International financial institutions have a critical role in intermediating and allocating capital across countries and therefore facilitating cross-border transmission of monetary policy. Using quarterly data on individual institutional investors, this chapter studies the international transmission of monetary policy conducted by major advanced economies on the cross-border portfolio allocation of large institutional investors. The results reveal that in response to unconventional monetary policies, large institutional investors contributed to the surge in capital inflows to emerging markets and developing countries. While institutional investors contributed to the international transmission of monetary policy, the results also reveal that these policies prompted institutional investors to increase allocation at home. The results show cross-border transmission effects supportive of the portfolio balance and risk-taking channels of monetary policy transmission. The third empirical chapter examines whether foreign direct investment responds symmetrically to domestic and foreign uncertainty. The response of foreign direct investment to different types of uncertainty is empirically examined using the gravity model technique. Using bilateral foreign direct investment inflows, the results reveal that multinational corporations respond heterogeneously to different types of uncertainty in both source and host countries. Furthermore, this response is distinct between advanced economies and emerging markets economies recipients. Greater uncertainty regarding financial markets in the destination country deters foreign direct investment into the economy. However, this effect is only relevant for outward foreign direct investment going to advanced economies and is not relevant for emerging market and developing host countries. Political uncertainty in the host country reduces foreign direct investment to developed country destinations with no significant effects found for developing host countries. Similarly, macroeconomic uncertainty is only relevant in driving foreign direct investment flows to advanced economies. The empirical findings suggest that multinational corporations will respond to this aspect of uncertainty regarding economic activity in advanced economies and not in emerging market and developing economies. Generally, economic policy uncertainty in in both source and host countries discourages multinational corporations undertaking foreign direct investment activity. This negative effect is stronger for host country economic policy uncertainty. Nevertheless, there are distinct effects when country groups are considered. For foreign direct investment going into developed countries, higher economic policy uncertainty in the host country deters foreign direct investment inflows into the economy. Therefore, from the perspective of advanced economies, greater economic policy uncertainty is detrimental for attracting foreign direct investment in inflows. In contrast, for emerging market economies, economic policy uncertainty in the home country of the multinational corporation is found to be more important. This finding suggests that heightened economic policy uncertainty in the home country of the multinational corporation discourages outward foreign direct investment. This corroborates prior evidence in the empirical literature highlighting the relevance of the role of external supply-side factors in driving inflows to emerging market and developing host countries

International Violence Against Women: U.S. Response and Policy Issues

[Excerpt] In recent years, the international community has increasingly recognized international violence against women (VAW) as a significant human rights and global health issue. VAW, which can include both random acts of violence as well as sustained abuse over time, can be physical, psychological, or sexual in nature. Studies have found that VAW occurs in all geographic regions, countries, cultures, and economic classes, with some research showing that women in developing countries experience higher rates of violence than those in developed countries. Many experts view VAW as a symptom of the historically unequal power relationship between men and women,and argue that over time this imbalance has led to pervasive cultural stereotypes and attitudes that perpetuate a cycle of violence. This report addresses causes, prevalence, and consequences of violence against women. It provides examples of completed and ongoing U.S. activities that address VAW directly or include anti-VAW components, and it outlines possible policy issues for the 112th Congress, including • the scope and effectiveness of U.S. programs in addressing international VAW; • further integrating anti-VAW programs into U.S. assistance and foreign policy mechanisms; • U.S. funding for anti-VAW activities worldwide, particularly in light of the global financial crisis, economic recession, and subsequent calls to reduce the U.S. budget deficit; and • strengthening U.S. government coordination of anti-VAW activities

Public opinion and development issues: a survey of Irish university student opinions

Surveys of Irish public opinion on international development assistance have shown high levels of support combined with relatively low levels of knowledge. This article discusses the finding of a survey of university students in Ireland in 2006-7. The results suggest that the attitudes of students in Ireland closely mirror that of the wider population. They are supportive of aid and think official aid from the government should be increased. Irish development NGOs are seen as the public face of development assistance and there is little recognition of Irish Aid – the state’s official development agency. While there is awareness of the importance of structural issues such as trade access and debt relief, the spontaneous responses to what needs to be done to allow development still focus on aid and volunteering. Students are already persuaded that development is important and are motivated to donate or act, development education efforts however need to focus more on creating a better understanding of the causes of underdevelopment and the structural factors relating to interactions between wealthy and poor states

A Reporter's Guide to U.S. Global Health Policy

Provides basic information and data on the main diseases and conditions prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, U.S. government funding for global health, major policy issues, and initiatives among U.S. and international agencies and multilaterals

Internet Governance : exploring the development link

This paper seeks to explore the issues of Internet governance from a development perspective. The WSIS process and the report of the UN Working group on Internet Governance provide an initial framework within which to develop the issues. These issues not only concern the equitable distribution of Internet resources and the ways in which a secure and reliable function of the Internet can be achieved, but also include issues of multi-lingualism and local content as well as the institutional setting of Internet governance mechanisms and participation. The paper observers that realising the contribution of the Internet to development goals requires a shift in policy focus away from supply side initiatives in the telecommunications sector to more co-ordinated approaches