Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility and the Case of Small and Medium Enterprises in a Kazakh Context

ABSTRACT The proposed case study seeks to acquire empirical evidence on the evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the context of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan. This research draws upon primary sources, including in-depth interviews of general managers of Kazakhstani SMEs along with professionals in the field of CSR in Kazakhstan, and a survey of SME customers. After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Kazakhstani business culture has been exposed to rapid changes, which affected almost every aspect of social interactions from political and institutional architecture to common cultural references and social norms. Simultaneously, transformations in business and economic relations at the global level have produced a growth in discourse on CSR, particularly in developing countries. These systemic changes and international developments prompted this research to explore what constitutes CSR in the case of SMEs in Kazakhstan? Without a consideration of contextual features, it becomes difficult to understand how and why phenomena such as CSR may or may not be adapted and incorporated into the local Kazakhstani business in the same way as in countries with established free economy markets. Findings from this research challenge the prevailing belief that local CSR is newly born phenomenon, which was merely brought to Kazakhstan from outside. Instead, this study demonstrates a considerable discrepancy between the Western conceptualisations and the local CSR realities. Contrary to popular assumptions, the notion of social responsibility has a unique and sustained history in Kazakhstan. This study examined the effect of local cultural and historical circumstances in shaping the development, conceptualisation, and adoption of CSR in Kazakhstani SMEs. To do so, this research 1) explored the “local roots” of Kazakstani CSR and analysed the determinants of its unique form, 2) identified the main recipients of SMEs’ CSR, whose concerns are prioritised, 3) unfolded the driving forces compelling local companies to adopt CSR practices

Towards local sustainability: social capital as a community insurance in Kazakhstan

This article focuses on how social capital, in the form of trust, reciprocal relations, and networks, has contributed to the sustainability of local communities in Kazakhstan in the face of various political and socioeconomic challenges. Drawing on qualitative data, we provide historical evidence of the persistence of locally derived social capital and investigate the ways in which it contributed to local sustainability in Kazakhstan. We first discuss how people in Kazakhstan have historically built and developed networks, reciprocal relations, and mutual trust under different political and economic institutions, for example, in the form of reciprocal labor aid as part of nomadic culture (e.g., “Asar”) and collective funds (e.g., “Kotel”) during Soviet times. We then offer an in-depth understanding of social capital as a form of insurance for local communities, and how it facilitates socioeconomic interactions in contemporary Kazakh society. This study contributes to the understanding of this traditional sense of trust and communal cooperation, as well as its viability in the context of a market economy

Estimating aerodynamic roughness over complex surface terrain

Surface roughness plays a key role in determining aerodynamic roughness length (zo) and shear velocity, both of which are fundamental for determining wind erosion threshold and potential. While zo can be quantified from wind measurements, large proportions of wind erosion prone surfaces remain too remote for this to be a viable approach. Alternative approaches therefore seek to relate zo to morphological roughness metrics. However, dust-emitting landscapes typically consist of complex small-scale surface roughness patterns and few metrics exist for these surfaces which can be used to predict zo for modeling wind erosion potential. In this study terrestrial laser scanning was used to characterize the roughness of typical dust-emitting surfaces (playa and sandar) where element protrusion heights ranged from 1 to 199 mm, over which vertical wind velocity profiles were collected to enable estimation of zo. Our data suggest that, although a reasonable relationship (R2 > 0.79) is apparent between 3-D roughness density and zo, the spacing of morphological elements is far less powerful in explaining variations in zo than metrics based on surface roughness height (R2 > 0.92). This finding is in juxtaposition to wind erosion models that assume the spacing of larger-scale isolated roughness elements is most important in determining zo. Rather, our data show that any metric based on element protrusion height has a higher likelihood of successfully predicting zo. This finding has important implications for the development of wind erosion and dust emission models that seek to predict the efficiency of aeolian processes in remote terrestrial and planetary environments

A vertical profile of PM10 dust concentrations measured during a regional dust event identified by MODIS Terra, western Queensland, Australia

Accurate determination of the spatiotemporal properties of dust plumes and their dust concentrations is essential for calibration of satellite products and the initialization and validation of numerical models that simulate the physical properties and affects of dust events. In this paper, we present a 500 m vertical profile of PM10 dust concentrations measured during a regional dust event in western Queensland, Australia. PM10 dust concentrations within the haze were found to be >20 times background ambient values and decreased with height following an exponential function. We apply an over-land algorithm to MODIS Terra satellite images of the dust haze to enhance its visual appearance against the bright land surface and define its size. In conjunction with the measured attenuation of dust concentrations with height we calculate the PM10 dust load of the plume to be ∼60% of that which would have been calculated assuming a constant dust concentration up to the dust ceiling height. Results extend previous findings from tower-based studies made close to the surface and confirm that atmospheric dust concentrations decrease rapidly with increasing height, thereby enabling more accurate calculation of atmospheric dust loads during synoptic-scale dust outbreaks

Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI): facing the challenges and pathways of global change in the 21st century

During the past several decades, the Earth system has changed significantly, especially across Northern Eurasia. Changes in the socio-economic conditions of the larger countries in the region have also resulted in a variety of regional environmental changes that can have global consequences. The Northern Eurasia Future Initiative (NEFI) has been designed as an essential continuation of the Northern Eurasia Earth Science Partnership Initiative (NEESPI), which was launched in 2004. NEESPI sought to elucidate all aspects of ongoing environmental change, to inform societies and, thus, to better prepare societies for future developments. A key principle of NEFI is that these developments must now be secured through science-based strategies co-designed with regional decision makers to lead their societies to prosperity in the face of environmental and institutional challenges. NEESPI scientific research, data, and models have created a solid knowledge base to support the NEFI program. This paper presents the NEFI research vision consensus based on that knowledge. It provides the reader with samples of recent accomplishments in regional studies and formulates new NEFI science questions. To address these questions, nine research foci are identified and their selections are briefly justified. These foci include: warming of the Arctic; changing frequency, pattern, and intensity of extreme and inclement environmental conditions; retreat of the cryosphere; changes in terrestrial water cycles; changes in the biosphere; pressures on land-use; changes in infrastructure; societal actions in response to environmental change; and quantification of Northern Eurasia's role in the global Earth system. Powerful feedbacks between the Earth and human systems in Northern Eurasia (e.g., mega-fires, droughts, depletion of the cryosphere essential for water supply, retreat of sea ice) result from past and current human activities (e.g., large scale water withdrawals, land use and governance change) and potentially restrict or provide new opportunities for future human activities. Therefore, we propose that Integrated Assessment Models are needed as the final stage of global change assessment. The overarching goal of this NEFI modeling effort will enable evaluation of economic decisions in response to changing environmental conditions and justification of mitigation and adaptation efforts

Integrated Spatiotemporal Characterization of Dust Sources and Outbreaks in Central and East Asia

The potential of atmospheric dust aerosols to modify the Earth's environment and climate has been recognized for some time. However, predicting the diverse impact of dust has several significant challenges. One is to quantify the complex spatial and temporal variability of dust burden in the atmosphere. Another is to quantify the fraction of dust originating from human-made sources. This thesis focuses on the spatiotemporal characterization of sources and dust outbreaks in Central and East Asia by integrating ground-based data, satellite multi-sensor observations, and modeling. A new regional dust modeling system capable of operating over a span of scales was developed. The modeling system consists of a dust module DuMo, which incorporates several dust emission schemes of different complexity, and the PSU/NCAR mesoscale model MM5, which offers a variety of physical parameterizations and flexible nesting capability. The modeling system was used to perform for the first time a comprehensive study of the timing, duration, and intensity of individual dust events in Central and East Asia. Determining the uncertainties caused by the choice of model physics, especially the boundary layer parameterization, and the dust production scheme was the focus of our study. Implications to assessments of the anthropogenic dust fraction in these regions were also addressed. Focusing on Spring 2001, an analysis of routine surface meteorological observations and satellite multi-sensor data was carried out in conjunction with modeling to determine the extent to which to this integrated data set can be used to characterize the spatiotemporal distribution of dust plumes at a range of temporal scales, addressing the active dust sources in China and Mongolia, mid-range transport and trans-Pacific, long-range transport of dust outbreaks on a case-by-case basis. This work demonstrates that adequate and consistent characterization of individual dust events is central to establishing a reliable climatology, ultimately leading to improved assessments of dust impacts on the environment and climate. This will also help to identify the appropriate temporal and spatial scales for adequate intercomparison between model results and observational data as well as for developing an integrated analysis methodology for dust studies.Ph.D.Committee Chair: Irina Sokolik; Committee Member: Derek Cunnold; Committee Member: Irina Petropavlovskikh; Committee Member: Judith Curry; Committee Member: Robert Dickinso

Development of a physically based dust emission module within the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model: Assessment of dust emission parameterizations and input parameters for source regions in Central and East Asia

International audience[1] Significant problems with modeling dust emission are highlighted. Not only do dust emission schemes rely on various assumptions, but also their implementation within a regional or global model presents challenges. This paper provides an in-depth comparative analysis of two different physically based schemes that were originally developed by Marticorena and Bergametti (1995) and Shao et al. (1996) with some recent improvements. Both schemes were implemented in a dust module (DuMo) and coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Here we examine the physical parameterizations employed by these schemes, identify the key input parameters, and establish linkages between them by developing a new data set for dust sources in Central and East Asia. The relative importance of the input parameters is assessed through partial derivatives. The major issues involved in implementing the physically based schemes within a regional model are also discussed. Consistent implementation of two state-of-the-art dust schemes within the same regional model enables us to bracket inherent uncertainties in simulated dust emission. The results of a case study based on WRF-DuMo simulations are presented to demonstrate associated biases in the magnitude and spatial patterns of emitted dust vertical fluxes. Also, recommendations on the selection of input parameters, including land and meteorological variables, to achieve an improved modeling of dust emission in Central and East Asia are provided

Drought-sensitivity of fine dust in the U.S. Southwest: Implications for air quality and public health under future climate change

We investigate the present-day sensitivity of fine dust levels in the U.S. Southwest to regional drought conditions and use the observed relationships to assess future changes in fine dust levels and associated health impacts under climate change. Empirical Orthogonal Function analysis reveals that the most dominant mode of fine dust interannual variability for each season consists of a pattern of large-scale co-variability across the Southwest. This mode is strongly correlated to the Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) accumulated over 1-6 months in local and surrounding regions spanning the major North American deserts. Across the seasons, a unit decrease in 2-month SPEI averaged over the U.S. Southwest and northern Mexico is significantly associated with increases in Southwest fine dust of 0.22-0.43 μg m-3. We apply these sensitivities to statistically downscaled meteorological output from 22 climate models following two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), and project future increases in seasonal mean fine dust of 0.04-0.10 μg m-3 (5-8%) under RCP2.6 and 0.15-0.55 μg m-3 (26-46%) under RCP8.5 relative to the present-day (2076-2095 vs. 1996-2015). Combined with the same projections of future population and baseline incidence rates, annual premature mortality attributable to fine dust exposure could increase by 140 (24%) deaths under RCP2.6 and 750 (130%) deaths under RCP8.5 for adults aged ≥30 years, and annual hospitalizations due to cardiovascular and respiratory illnesses could increase by 170 (59%) admissions under RCP2.6 and 860 (300%) admissions under RCP8.5 for adults aged ≥65 years in the Southwest relative to the present-day. Our results highlight a climate penalty that has important socioeconomic and policy implications for the U.S. Southwest but is not yet widely recognized