REGIONAL ECONOMIC MODELLING FOR INDONESIA: IMPLEMENTATION OF IRSA-INDONESIA5

Ten years after Indonesia implemented a major decentralisation policy, regional income per capita disparity and excessive rate of natural resource extraction continue to be pressing issues. There are great interests in identifying macro policies that would reduce regional income disparity and better control the rate of natural extraction, whilemaintaining reasonable national economic growth. This paper utilises an inter-regional computable general equilibrium model, IRSA-INDONESIA5, to discuss the economy-wideimpacts of various policies dealing with the development gap among regions in the country, achieving low carbon growth, and reducing deforestation. The results of simulations conducted reveal that, primarily, the best way to reduce the development gap among regions is by creating effective programs to accelerate the growth of human capital in the less developed regions. Secondly, in the short-term, the elimination of energy subsidies and/or implementation of a carbon tax is effective in reducing CO2 emission and producing higher economic growth, while in the long-run, however, technological improvement, particularly toward a more energy efficient technology, is needed to maintain a relatively low level of emission with continued high growth. Thirdly, if reducing deforestation means reducing the amount of timber harvested, it negatively affects the economy. To eliminate this negative impact, deforestation compensation is needed. Keywords: computable general equilibrium, development planning and policy, environmental economic

Regional Economic Modelling for Indonesia: Implementation of Irsa-Indonesia5

Ten years after Indonesia implemented a major decentralisation policy, regional income per capita disparity and excessive rate of natural resource extraction continue to be pressing issues. There are great interests in identifying macro policies that would reduce regional income disparity and better control the rate of natural extraction, whilemaintaining reasonable national economic growth. This paper utilises an inter-regional computable general equilibrium model, IRSA-INDONESIA5, to discuss the economy-wideimpacts of various policies dealing with the development gap among regions in the country, achieving low carbon growth, and reducing deforestation. The results of simulations conducted reveal that, primarily, the best way to reduce the development gap among regions is by creating effective programs to accelerate the growth of human capital in the less developed regions. Secondly, in the short-term, the elimination of energy subsidies and/or implementation of a carbon tax is effective in reducing CO2 emission and producing higher economic growth, while in the long-run, however, technological improvement, particularly toward a more energy efficient technology, is needed to maintain a relatively low level of emission with continued high growth. Thirdly, if reducing deforestation means reducing the amount of timber harvested, it negatively affects the economy. To eliminate this negative impact, deforestation compensation is needed

Harvesting of Residual Soil Phosphorus on Intensive Shallot Farming in Brebes, Indonesia

Accumulated residual soil phosphorus (P) on shallots farming in Brebes can be harvested through the application of ameliorants or bio-fertilizers. The information on the effect of ameliorants and bio-fertilizers on soil P fractions is limited. The study objective was to evaluate the transformation of accumulated P to available forms by adding humic substance (CHS), bio-fertilizers (CBF), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), or phosphate solubilizing fungi (PSF) on soil from Brebes. The experiment was conducted in rhizobox that has two compartments, namely inner compartment (rooting area) and outside compartment (non-rooting area). Shallots were planted for 26 days, observed for their growth, and analyzed for their P absorption. Soil samples in rooting and non-rooting area were analyzed for their P fractions after planting. The results indicated that the addition of CHS, CBF, PSB or PSF increased the harvesting of residual soil P through its transformation to a more labile P as high as 0.67% in rooting area. The dynamic of transformation in rooting area gave better information of harvesting P. The capability of harvesting accumulated P was in the order of CBF, CHS, PSF and PSB. For harvesting residual P, addition of humic substance or bio-fertilizers should be made in the rooting area

Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019 : a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Ending the global tobacco epidemic is a defining challenge in global health. Timely and comprehensive estimates of the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden are needed to guide tobacco control efforts nationally and globally. Methods We estimated the prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden for 204 countries and territories, by age and sex, from 1990 to 2019 as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study. We modelled multiple smoking-related indicators from 3625 nationally representative surveys. We completed systematic reviews and did Bayesian meta-regressions for 36 causally linked health outcomes to estimate non-linear dose-response risk curves for current and former smokers. We used a direct estimation approach to estimate attributable burden, providing more comprehensive estimates of the health effects of smoking than previously available. Findings Globally in 2019, 1.14 billion (95% uncertainty interval 1.13-1.16) individuals were current smokers, who consumed 7.41 trillion (7.11-7.74) cigarette-equivalents of tobacco in 2019. Although prevalence of smoking had decreased significantly since 1990 among both males (27.5% [26. 5-28.5] reduction) and females (37.7% [35.4-39.9] reduction) aged 15 years and older, population growth has led to a significant increase in the total number of smokers from 0.99 billion (0.98-1.00) in 1990. Globally in 2019, smoking tobacco use accounted for 7.69 million (7.16-8.20) deaths and 200 million (185-214) disability-adjusted life-years, and was the leading risk factor for death among males (20.2% [19.3-21.1] of male deaths). 6.68 million [86.9%] of 7.69 million deaths attributable to smoking tobacco use were among current smokers. Interpretation In the absence of intervention, the annual toll of 7.69 million deaths and 200 million disability-adjusted life-years attributable to smoking will increase over the coming decades. Substantial progress in reducing the prevalence of smoking tobacco use has been observed in countries from all regions and at all stages of development, but a large implementation gap remains for tobacco control. Countries have a dear and urgent opportunity to pass strong, evidence-based policies to accelerate reductions in the prevalence of smoking and reap massive health benefits for their citizens. Copyright (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.Peer reviewe

Global burden of chronic respiratory diseases and risk factors, 1990–2019: an update from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background: Updated data on chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are vital in their prevention, control, and treatment in the path to achieving the third UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a one-third reduction in premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 2030. We provided global, regional, and national estimates of the burden of CRDs and their attributable risks from 1990 to 2019. Methods: Using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019, we estimated mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), prevalence, and incidence of CRDs, i.e. chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pneumoconiosis, interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis, and other CRDs, from 1990 to 2019 by sex, age, region, and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) in 204 countries and territories. Deaths and DALYs from CRDs attributable to each risk factor were estimated according to relative risks, risk exposure, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level input. Findings: In 2019, CRDs were the third leading cause of death responsible for 4.0 million deaths (95% uncertainty interval 3.6–4.3) with a prevalence of 454.6 million cases (417.4–499.1) globally. While the total deaths and prevalence of CRDs have increased by 28.5% and 39.8%, the age-standardised rates have dropped by 41.7% and 16.9% from 1990 to 2019, respectively. COPD, with 212.3 million (200.4–225.1) prevalent cases, was the primary cause of deaths from CRDs, accounting for 3.3 million (2.9–3.6) deaths. With 262.4 million (224.1–309.5) prevalent cases, asthma had the highest prevalence among CRDs. The age-standardised rates of all burden measures of COPD, asthma, and pneumoconiosis have reduced globally from 1990 to 2019. Nevertheless, the age-standardised rates of incidence and prevalence of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis have increased throughout this period. Low- and low-middle SDI countries had the highest age-standardised death and DALYs rates while the high SDI quintile had the highest prevalence rate of CRDs. The highest deaths and DALYs from CRDs were attributed to smoking globally, followed by air pollution and occupational risks. Non-optimal temperature and high body-mass index were additional risk factors for COPD and asthma, respectively. Interpretation: Albeit the age-standardised prevalence, death, and DALYs rates of CRDs have decreased, they still cause a substantial burden and deaths worldwide. The high death and DALYs rates in low and low-middle SDI countries highlights the urgent need for improved preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic measures. Global strategies for tobacco control, enhancing air quality, reducing occupational hazards, and fostering clean cooking fuels are crucial steps in reducing the burden of CRDs, especially in low- and lower-middle income countries

East Asia in World Trade: The Decoupling Fallacy, Crisis and Policy Challenges

This paper examines the export experience of China and other East Asian economies in the aftermaths of the global financial crisis against the backdrop of pre-crisis trade patterns. The analysis is motivated by the decoupling' thesis, which was a popular theme in the Asian policy circles in the lead-up to the onset of the recent financial crisis, and aims to probe three key issues: Was the East Asian trade integration story that underpinned the decoupling thesis simply a statistical artifact or the massive export contraction caused by an overreaction of traders to the global economic crisis and/or by the drying up of trade credit, which overpowered the cushion provided by intra-regional trade? What are the new policy challenges faced by the East Asian economies? Is there room for an integrated policy response that marks a clear departure from the pre-crisis policy stance favoring export-oriented growth? The findings caution against a possible policy backlash against openness to foreign trade arising from the new-found enthusiasm for rebalancing growth, and make a strong case for a long-term commitment to non-discriminatory multilateral and unilateral trade liberalization