Livestock based livelihoods and pathways out of poverty: the case of smallholder farmers in Bangladesh

This paper evaluates livelihoods of smallholder livestock farmers who were beneficiaries of a poverty alleviation programme involving longer term intervention towards building the strength of stakeholders such as government department, NGOs, village organisations and women beneficiaries. Data are drawn from a survey of 400 women farmers in 2006 and 2008. These farmers have been the members of BRAC, a well known NGO in Bangladesh. Poverty profiles, transition matrices and regression analysis drawn from asset-base framework are used to analyze data. A number of key questions related to poverty transition through livestock based activities, heterogeneity in livelihood choice and its impact on household welfare, extent of poverty reduction using different strategies etc. are addressed.Poverty, Women and livestock, Livelihood Strategies, Asset-base Framework, Bangladesh, Food Security and Poverty, O1, O3, Q13, Q55,

Optimum Partition Parameter of Divide-and-Conquer Algorithm for Solving Closest-Pair Problem

Divide and Conquer is a well known algorithmic procedure for solving many kinds of problem. In this procedure, the problem is partitioned into two parts until the problem is trivially solvable. Finding the distance of the closest pair is an interesting topic in computer science. With divide and conquer algorithm we can solve closest pair problem. Here also the problem is partitioned into two parts until the problem is trivially solvable. But it is theoretically and practically observed that sometimes partitioning the problem space into more than two parts can give better performances. In this paper, a new proposal is given that dividing the problem space into (n) number of parts can give better result while divide and conquer algorithm is used for solving the closest pair of point's problem.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1010.590

Migration and Human Development in India

The paper discusses how gaps in both the data on migration and the understanding of the role of migration in livelihood strategies and economic growth in India, have led to inaccurate policy prescriptions and a lack of political commitment to improving the living and working conditions of migrants. Field evidence from major migrant employing sectors is synthesised to show that circular migration is the dominant form of economic mobility for the poor; especially the lower castes and tribes. The authors argue that the human costs of migration are high due to faulty implementation of protective legislation and loopholes in the law and not due to migration per se. The paper discusses child labour in specific migration streams in detail stressing that this issue needs to be addressed in parallel. It also highlights the non-economic drivers and outcomes of migration that need to be considered when understanding its impacts. The authors calculate that there are roughly 100 million circular migrants in India contributing 10% to the national GDP. New vulnerabilities created by the economic recession are discussed. Detailed analysis of village resurveys in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are also presented and these show conclusively that migration is an important route out of poverty.India; circular migration; caste; tribe; child labour; human development

Migration and Human Development in India

The paper discusses how gaps in both the data on migration and the understanding of the role of migration in livelihood strategies and economic growth in India, have led to inaccurate policy prescriptions and a lack of political commitment to improving the living and working conditions of migrants. Field evidence from major migrant employing sectors is synthesised to show that circular migration is the dominant form of economic mobility for the poor; especially the lower castes and tribes. The authors argue that the human costs of migration are high due to faulty implementation of protective legislation and loopholes in the law and not due to migration per se. The paper discusses child labour in specific migration streams in detail stressing that this issue needs to be addressed in parallel. It also highlights the non-economic drivers and outcomes of migration that need to be considered when understanding its impacts. The authors calculate that there are roughly 100 million circular migrants in India contributing 10% to the national GDP. New vulnerabilities created by the economic recession are discussed. Detailed analysis of village resurveys in Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are also presented and these show conclusively that migration is an important route out of poverty.India; circular migration; caste; tribe; child labour; human development

Poverty transition through targeted programme: the case of Bangladesh Poultry Model

Poverty transition through a capacity development programme called the Bangladesh Poultry Model is assessed using self-assessment dimension in a quasi experiment framework. Current poverty situation is compared with money metric measure. The programme involves longer term intervention towards building the strength of stakeholders such as government department, NGOs, village organisations and women beneficiaries. A number of key questions related to poverty transition through poultry based activities, heterogeneity in livelihood choice and its impact on household welfare, extent of poverty reduction etc. are answered for policy recommendations. Data are drawn from a survey of 400 beneficiary households in 2006; about 50% of them are survivors in the programme. Poverty profiles, transition matrices and regression analysis using asset-base framework are used to analyse data. Results are discussed along with recommendations and policy implications. Adaptation of the programme in several countries is also reviewed briefly using published information to discuss wider implications.Bangladesh, Poultry, Poverty, Asset-base Framework, O3, Q16,

A sustainable village phone model to serve the rural developing world

Wireless technologies have created an unprecedented opportunity for rural customers in the developing world to solve their communication and information problems in an instantaneous, interactive and customized way. The framework of the study focuses on existing mobile village phone model in Bangladesh and suggests ways to make it sustainable through mobile information services marketing. The study has treated ‘village phone’ as a cost effective and interactive channel through which various time befitting information can be marketed to serve customers in the rural settings

Testing construct validity of verbal versus numerical measures of preference uncertainty in contingent valuation

The numerical certainty scale (NCS) and polychotomous choice (PC) methods are two widely used techniques for measuring preference uncertainty in contingent valuation (CV) studies. The NCS follows a numerical scale and the PC is based on a verbal scale. This report presents results of two experiments that use these preference uncertainty measurement techniques. The first experiment was designed to compare and contrast the uncertainty scores obtained from the NCS and the PC method. The second experiment was conducted to test a preference uncertainty measurement scale that combines verbal expressions with numerical and graphical interpretations: a composite certainty scale (CCS). The construct validity of the certainty scores obtained from these three techniques was tested by estimating three separate ordered probit regression models. The results of the study can be summarised in three key findings. First, the PC method generates a higher proportion of ‘yes’ responses than the conventional dichotomous choice elicitation format. Second, the CCS method generates a significantly higher proportion of certain responses than the NCS and the PC methods. Finally, the NCS method performs poorly in terms of construct validity. Overall, the verbal measures perform better than the numerical measure. The CCS is a promising method to measure preference uncertainty in CV studies. To better understand its strengths and weaknesses however, further empirical applications are needed.preference uncertainty, contingent valuation, numerical certainty scale, polychotomous choice method, composite certainty scale, climate change, Australia., Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q51, Q54,

A cognitive psychological approach of analyzing preference uncertainty in contingent valuation

The sources of preference uncertainty in contingent valuation (CV) studies have rarely been investigated from a theoretical standpoint. This paper proposes a holistic theoretical framework of preference uncertainty that combines microeconomic theory with the theories of cognitive psychology. Empirical testing of the proposed theoretical model was carried out in Australia in the context of a national ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS)’ to be introduced in 2010. Two separate ordered probit models for a certainty score associated with CV ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ responses were estimated. The results of the estimated regression models provide evidence supporting the hypotheses drawn from the theoretical model.Contingent valuation, preference uncertainty, cognitive uncertainty, climate change, Australia,

Estimating non-market values under scenario and policy ambiguity: the case of climate change mitigation in Australia

This report proposes an extension to existing models of non-expected utility (NEU) in the stated preference (SP) literature. The extension incorporates the impact of multiple sources of ambiguity in individual decision making behaviour. Empirical testing of the proposed decision model was carried out in Australia using a dichotomous choice contingent valuation study of a national carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS). The results of the study demonstrate that subjective expectations of the context scenario and subjective policy expectations are important determinants of individual decision making in a stated preference framework. The results of the study also demonstrate that decision weight functions are non-linear (quadratic) in subjective scenario expectations and subjective policy expectation. Although evidence was found to link willingness to pay to scenario ambiguity, policy ambiguity was found to have no statistically significant influence on individual decision making.non-expected utility, scenario ambiguity, policy ambiguity, climate change, Australia, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, C93-D81,

Household perceptions of climate change and preferences for mitigation action: the case of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme in Australia

This study aims to show how Australian households perceive climate change and what they are prepared to do to reduce the harmful effects of climate change. A web-based survey in November 2008 asked approximately 600 New South Wales households about their willingness to pay additional household expenses caused by the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) proposed by the Australian government. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), a widely used non-market valuation technique, was applied. Results of the study show there is a positive demand to mitigate climate change in Australia resulting from a wish to avoid climate change. Households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for climate change was, however, significantly curbed as households was uncertain about the extent of climate change and whether climate change policies are effective. Australian household support for the CPRS is influenced by schemes of other major greenhouse gas emitting countries (global co-operation). Only when people who didn’t answer the survey are assumed to value climate change mitigation the same as people who did answer the survey, do the benefits of the CPRS, as estimated by respondents’ WTP, exceed its costs.Contingent valuation, climate change, Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, willingness to pay, uncertainty, Australia, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,