Contextual and interdependent causes of climate change adaptation barriers: Insights from water management institutions in Himachal Pradesh, India

Research on adaptation barriers is increasing as the need for climate change adaptation becomes evident. However, empirical studies regarding the emergence, causes and sustenance of adaptation barriers remain limited. This research identifies key contextual causes of adaptation barriers in water institutions in the mountainous Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with representatives from twenty-six key governmental, non-governmental, academic and research institutions in the State with responsibilities spanning domestic water supply, irrigation and hydropower generation, environmental monitoring and research. It identified low knowledge capacity and resources, policy implementation gaps, normative attitudes, and unavailability and inaccessibility of data and information compounded with weak interinstitutional networks as key adaptation barriers. Although these barriers are similar to those reported elsewhere, they have important locally-contextual root causes. For instance, inadequate resources result from fragmented resources allocation due to competing developmental priorities and the desire of the political leadership to please diverse electors, rather than climate scepticism. The identified individual barriers are found to be highly inter-dependent and closely intertwined which enables the identification of leverage points for interventions to maximise barrier removal. For instance, breaking down key barriers hindering accessibility to data and information, which are shaped by systemic bureaucracies and cultural attitudes, will involve attitudinal change through sensitisation to the importance of accurate and accessible data and information and the building trust between different actors, in addition to institutional structural changes through legislation and inter-institutional agreements. Approaching barriers as a system of contextually interconnected cultural, systemic, geographical and political underlying factors enriches the understanding of adaptation enablers, thereby contributing to achieving a better adapted society

Currency Portfolios and Currency Exchange in a Search Economy

We develop a dual currency search model to study equilibrium currency exchange and the determination of nominal exchange rates. Agents hold portfolios consisting of two distinct currencies. We study equilibria in which the two currencies are identical and equilibria in which the two currencies differ according to their relative purchasing power risk. We use numerical methods to solve for the steady-state distributions of currency portfolios, nominal exchange rates and value functions. When one of the currencies is 'risky', equilibria exist in which the safe currency trades for multiple units of the risky currency with the observed ratio being the nominal exchange rate. However, due to the decentralized trading environment, we obtain a steady state distribution of nominal exchange rates. The mean and variance of the nominal exchange rate distribution are based on the fundamentals of the model and change in predictable ways when the fundamentals change. -- Wir entwickeln ein Modell mit zwei Währungen, um das Gleichgewicht beim Austausch der Währungen und die nominalen Wechselkurse zu bestimmen. Die Wirtschaftssubjekte halten Portfolios, die aus den zwei verschiedenen Währungen bestehen. Wir untersuchen Gleichgewichte, in denen die zwei Währungen identische Eigenschaften haben und Gleichgewichte, in denen sich die zwei Währungen hinsichtlich ihres Kaufkraftrisikos unterscheiden. Es werden numerische Methoden verwendet, um die Verteilungen der Währungsportfolios, der nominalen Wechselkurse und der Wertfunktionen im langfristigen Gleichgewicht zu bestimmen. Wenn eine der Währungen risikobehaftet ist, dann existieren Gleichgewichte, in denen die sichere Währung gegen mehrere Einheiten der risikobehafteten Währung gehandelt wird. Das Austauschverhältnis ist der nominale Wechselkurs. Da der Handel dezentral erfolgt, ergibt sich eine Gleichgewichtsverteilung der Wechselkurse. Der Mittelwert und die Varianz dieser Verteilung hängt von den Fundamentalfaktoren des Modells ab. Wenn sich die Fundamentalfaktoren ändern, dann ändert sich diese Verteilung in vorhersehbarer Weise.

Cruise Report C-115 : scientific activities undertaken - SSV Corwith Cramer, Lisbon, Portugal - Funchal, Madeira - Port Royal, Antigua - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, November 29, 1990 to January 7, 1991

Lisbon, Portugal - Funchal, Madeira - Port Royal, Antigua - Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, November 29, 1990 to January 7, 1991Figure 29 [last page] has been reduced from its original size (9" x 48")This cruise report outlines the scientific research and academic program conducted on board SSV Corwith Cramer during late fall of 1990

Cruise Report C-102 : scientific activities, Woods Hole - Antigua - Grenada - Carriacou - St. Thomas, 14 October 1988 - 22 December 1988, SSV Corwith Cramer

Woods Hole, MA - Antigua - Grenada - Carriacou - St. Thomas, 14 October 1988 - 22 December 1988This cruise report presents a basic outline of the academic program and scientific research conducted on board the SSV Corwith Cramer during the fall of 1988. It consists of a brief cruise narrative describing operations during our six weeks at sea as well as tabulated information on the location and type of samples taken. Some raw data are included; detailed cruise logs and full student reports are available through Sea Education Association and the Chief Scientist

Assessing the cumulative environmental effects of marine renewable energy developments: establishing common ground

Assessing and managing the cumulative impacts of human activities on the environment remains a major challenge to sustainable development. This challenge is highlighted by the worldwide expansion of marine renewable energy developments (MREDs) in areas already subject to multiple activities and climate change. Cumulative effects assessments in theory provide decision makers with adequate information about how the environment will respond to the incremental effects of licensed activities and are a legal requirement in many nations. In practise, however, such assessments are beset by uncertainties resulting in substantial delays during the licensing process that reduce MRED investor confidence and limit progress towards meeting climate change targets. In light of these targets and ambitions to manage the marine environment sustainably, reducing the uncertainty surrounding MRED effects and cumulative effects assessment are timely and vital. This review investigates the origins and evolution of cumulative effects assessment to identify why the multitude of approaches and pertinent research have emerged, and discusses key considerations and challenges relevant to assessing the cumulative effects of MREDs and other activities on ecosystems. The review recommends a shift away from the current reliance on disparate environmental impact assessments and limited strategic environmental assessments, and a move towards establishing a common system of coordinated data and research relative to ecologically meaningful areas, focussed on the needs of decision makers tasked with protecting and conserving marine ecosystems and services

A Contribution to the Geology of Southern Maine.

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Serotype-specific replicating AAV helper constructs increase recombinant AAV type 2 vector production

One of the major limitations of the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) as a tool for gene therapy is the difficulty in providing sufficient quantities of the virus for pre-clinical and clinical trials. Here, we report a novel approach for amplifying AAV helper functions, which mimics the normal replication of wild type (wt) AAV resulting in a high yield of AAV vectors. Cotransfection of replicating but non-packaging AAV helper constructs in the presence of adenovirus (Ad) produces a high level of Rep and Cap proteins. Yield of AAV2/GFP vector obtained from this helper DNA replication system was approximately 20-fold higher than traditional methods. Molecular analysis suggested that virus yield was associated with capsid protein production. The transfection ratio was optimized using these novel helper constructs, resulting in an additional 2-fold increase in vector yield without presence of replication competent AAV (rcAAV). This strategy supports development of AAV packaging systems that retain normal virus replication capability without helper virus encapsidation

Delivering organisational adaptation through legislative mechanisms: Evidence from the Adaptation Reporting Power (Climate Change Act 2008)

There is increasing recognition that organisations, particularly in key infrastructure sectors, are potentially vulnerable to climate change and extreme weather events, and require organisational responses to ensure they are resilient and adaptive. However, detailed evidence of how adaptation is facilitated, implemented and reported, particularly through legislative mechanisms is lacking. The United Kingdom Climate Change Act (2008), introduced the Adaptation Reporting Power, enabling the Government to direct so-called reporting authorities to report their climate change risks and adaptation plans. We describe the authors' unique role and experience supporting the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) during the Adaptation Reporting Power's first round. An evaluation framework, used to review the adaptation reports, is presented alongside evidence on how the process provides new insights into adaptation activities and triggered organisational change in 78% of reporting authorities, including the embedding of climate risk and adaptation issues. The role of legislative mechanisms and risk-based approaches in driving and delivering adaptation is discussed alongside future research needs, including the development of organisational maturity models to determine resilient and well adapting organisations. The Adaptation Reporting Power process provides a basis for similar initiatives in other countries, although a clear engagement strategy to ensure buy-in to the process and research on its long-term legacy, including the potential merits of voluntary approaches, is required