Effect of Trade Liberalization on Low-Carbon Energy Technology Dissemination in Asia

The production and use of low-carbon energy technology and services, such as renewable energy, are imperative for Asia’s emerging economies (which are heavily dependent on imported energy and resources) to tackle global environmental issues like climate change. Acknowledging this fact, recently, governments in the Asian region individually have been taking effective actions in the form of voluntary targets and policy commitments to improve the production and use of low-carbon technology, such as solar, wind, geo-thermal, and so forth. Nevertheless, the diffusion of these technologies has been through liberalized trade, which has been low compared with trade and investment in other energy intensive sectors. Though effective tariffs are low, non-tariff barriers or behind-the-border constraints are very high. In this exploratory study, the potential for increased exports in low-carbon technology and services under a grand regional coalition, partial regional coalition, and stand alone scenarios is studied. We find that production, trade, and investment in renewable energy technologies are very low regionally. There is a large gap between the demand for and the supply of low-carbon energy technology and associated pollution abatement services. Behind-the-border constraints that exist within the exporting country, such as poor infrastructure and inefficient institutions, create this gap between actually realized and potentially possible exports. This supply gap provides an opportunity for those emerging Asian economies, which have the potential to contribute to the manufacturing of such technologies individually and collectively pooling their physical and human capital

Fostering coastal resilience to climate change vulnerability in Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon and Uruguay: a cross-country comparison

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V. This paper describes a comparative study of four different cases on vulnerability, hazards and adaptive capacity to climate threats in coastal areas and communities in four developing countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Cameroon and Uruguay. Coastal areas are vulnerable to sea-level rise (SLR), storm surges and flooding due to their (i) exposure, (ii) concentration of settlements, many of which occupied by less advantaged groups and (iii) the concentration of assets and services seen in these areas. The objective of the paper is twofold: (i) to evaluate current evidence of coastal vulnerability and adaptive capacity and (ii) to compare adaptation strategies being implemented in a sample of developing countries, focusing on successful ones. The followed approach for the case evaluation is based on (i) documenting observed threats and damages, (ii) using indicators of physical and socioeconomic vulnerability and adaptive capacity status and (iii) selecting examples of successful responses. Major conclusions based on cross-case comparison are (a) the studied countries show different vulnerability, adaptive capacity and implementation of responses, (b) innovative community-based (CBA) and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and (c) early warning systems are key approaches and tools to foster climate resilience. A recommendation to foster the resilience of coastal communities and services is that efforts in innovative adaptation strategies to sea-level rise should be intensified and integrated with climate risk management within the national adaption plans (NAPAs) in order to reduce the impacts of hazards

Sustaining Agriculture through Modernization of Irrigation Tanks: An Opportunity and a Challenge for Tamilnadu, India

Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a Technical article from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 3 (2001): V. Anbumozhi, K. Matsumoto, and E. Yamaji. Sustaining Agriculture through Modernization of Irrigation Tanks: An Opportunity and a Challenge for Tamilnadu, India. Vol. III, August 2001

A clinico-pathological study of primary intracranial neoplasms in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Central nervous system neoplasms represent a   unique, heterogeneous population of neoplasms and include both benign and malignant  tumours. The tumours of central nervous system are reported to be less than 2% of all malignancies. Aim: To study the frequency of intracranial tumours and their histopathological typing and their correlation with several clinical variables such as age, sex and clinical symptoms . Material & Methods: Study Design: Hospital based Prospective observational study. Study area: Dept. of. Pathology, Study Period: 2 years. Study population: patients who presented with signs and symptoms of primary intracranial tumours were examined and followed up for the histopathological diagnosis. Sample size: Study population consisted a total of 68 patients.  Sampling method: Simple Random sampling method. Inclusion criteria: Patients with both benign as well as malignant primary neoplasms of the brain including pituitary tumours. Exclusion criteria: All the spinal cord, calvarial and metastatic tumours were excluded. Ethical consideration: Institutional Ethical committee permission was taken prior to the commencement of the study. Study tools and Data collection procedure: Staining Procedures Adopted: After grossing, proper tissue bits were subjected for routine processing, fixation, dehydration, clearing and embedding in paraffin wax and blocks were made.&nbsp

A Clinico-pathological Study of Primary Intracranial Neoplasms in A Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Central nervous system neoplasms represent a   unique, heterogeneous population of neoplasms and include both benign and Malignant  tumours. The tumours of central nervous system are reported to be less than 2% of all Malignancies. Aim: To study the frequency of intracranial tumours and their histopathological typing and their correlation with several clinical variables such as age, sex and clinical symptoms . Material & Methods: Study Design: Hospital based Prospective observational study. Study area: Dept. of. Pathology, Study Period: 2 years. Study population: patients who presented with signs and symptoms of primary intracranial tumours were examined and followed up for the histopathological diagnosis. Sample size: Study population consisted a total of 68 patients.  Sampling method: Simple Random sampling method. Inclusion criteria: Patients with both benign as well as Malignant primary neoplasms of the brain including pituitary tumours. Exclusion criteria: All the spinal cord, calvarial and metastatic tumours were excluded. Ethical consideration: Institutional Ethical committee permission was taken prior to the commencement of the study. Study tools and Data collection procedure: Staining Procedures Adopted: After grossing, proper tissue bits were subjected for routine processing, fixation, dehydration, clearing and embedding in paraffin wax and blocks were made.&nbsp