‘Episodes of Liberalisation’ or ‘The Logic of Capital’: The Genesis of Liberalisation in India

This paper examines the genesis of liberalisation in India, it argues that once we locate its origin we can understand its direction and underlying political economy with much greater clarity. In particular the paper seeks to answer three questions. Why was reform launched in 1991 when the real economy was essentially in good condition? Why did the state choose a neo-liberal policy package when other options were available? Why did the state sustain liberalisation even after the economy had recovered from the immediate crisis? Existing answers to these questions are found to be inadequate. Instead this paper focuses on an alternative explanation that emphasises continuity, the reforms in 1991 can be traced back to the early 1970s. The Momentum of reform was sustained and assumed a particular form due to an underlying ‘logic of capital’

Export Promotion, the Fallacy of Composition and Declining Terms of Trade (or the Moors’ Last Sigh).

This paper examines various schools of trade policy reform and finds little difference between them in regards their essential export optimism. This optimism is based on an unwarranted assumption in cross-country empirical studies. In practise the increasing number of large LDC’s shifting towards export promotion since the 1980s is found to coincide with declining terms of trade for labour-intensive manufactures. So far this decline has been offset by growth in volume. The positive relation is actually dependent on market growth in developed countries rather than domestic policy reform. Marx (the Moor) provides a useful framework in which to analyse this process. His analysis of competition and accumulation within a national economy is transposed to that of international trade. Finally, the increasing integration of capital into ‘value chains’ and the formation of regional trading blocs can be related to the crisis tendencies of competition and the erosion of profit margins

Decision support systems for large dam planning and operation in Africa

Decision support systems/ Dams/ Planning/ Operations/ Social impact/ Environmental effects

Technical note: Hydrology of the Bahi Wetland, Tanzania

Wetlands / Rivers / Flow / Hydrology / Climate / Water budget / Irrigated farming / Rice / Tanzania / Bahi Wetland / Bubu River

Water storage in an era of climate change: addressing the challenge of increasing rainfall variability. Blue paper

Water storage / Climate change / Rain / Dams / Reservoirs

Inventory of water storage types in the Blue Nile and Volta River Basins

Water storage / River basins / Reservoirs / Ponds / Tanks / Groundwater / Soil moisture / Wetlands

Evaluation of historic, current and future water demand in the Olifants River Catchment, South Africa

Poverty / Mapping

The Role of the State and Episodes of Growth and Stagnation in the Indian Economy, 1951-2004.

This thesis begins my making a critique of the orthodox approach to analysing economic growth. In particular using medium-run averages hides an important empirical reality of growth in developing countries. These are the episodes of growth and stagnation that actually characterise such growth. In addition there are severe empirical and theoretical problems with uncovering any such link through cross-country regressions. This thesis makes the case for using case-studies and looks at the specific case of India since independence. The thesis uses an empirical approach to define a number of episodes of growth or stagnation. The quantitative aspects relate to changes in average growth of GDP or its components, agriculture, industry or services, or at an even more disaggregated level such as heavy industry. The qualitative aspects relate to issues relevant for the sustainability of growth and stagnation, these include productivity, and the diversification and volatility of output growth. Episodes of growth or stagnation are here defined as a significant change in both the quantitative and qualitative nature of growth relative to a developing country's (India's) own history. This thesis finds that there are four aggregate episodes of growth and stagnation in post-Independence India. These are, the break in economic growth from colonial stagnation after 1951, industrial stagnation from 1965 to 1980, the increase in economic growth after the late 1970s/early 1980s, and a continued episode of growth after reforms beginning in 1991. These are the four case studies focused on in the main empirical section of this thesis. In order to analyse these four episodes of growth and stagnation this thesis makes a case that there is a crucial role for the state either in promoting and sustaining an episode of growth, or the constraints on it leading to an episode of stagnation. These are firstly, the financial role of the state is in allocating the economic surplus to those able to invest productively. Secondly, the role of the state with regard production is to ensure financial resources so allocated are used productively, to either raise productivity in an existing market niche (learning) or upgrade to a higher technology market niche. Finally there are the institutions necessary to mediate the relationship between conflict and economic growth. In this thesis a broad institutional perspective is considered. A repressive state, an inclusive state or an ideological state can help reduce the negative implications of conflict on development. These three factors, the financial and productive roles of the state and institutions are used to frame the analysis of each of the four episodes of growth and stagnation in the post-independence Indian economy

Malaria transmission in the vicinity of impounded water: evidence from the Koka Reservoir, Ethiopia

Malaria / Waterborne diseases / Disease vectors / Habitats / Disease control / Entomology / Epidemiology / Surveys / Dams / Reservoirs / Villages / Case studies / Africa / Ethiopia / Koka Reservoir / Rift Valley / Awash River Basin