Impacts of climate change on the hydrological regime in the Olifants River, South Africa

Olifants River watershed one of the largest river basins in South Africa, which is home for one of the most important natural parks in the world, Kruger National Park (KNP). The activities in this watershed generate 6% of the Gross Domestic Product. It requires a minimum amount of water termed as ecological reserve for sustaining the ecohydrology which is often jeopardized due to the water scarcity. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of climate change on the hydrologic regime in the Olifants River watershed.A hydrological model is developed using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The model was calibrated using multisite data (2003-2008) and validated (2009-2012) by comparing the simulated results with the observed streamflow data. The Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), Kling Gupta Efficiency (KGE) and Percent Bias (PBIAS) for the Mamba (B7H015) flow station are found to be 0.60, 0.80, -2.21% and 0.56, 0.63, -0.47% for the calibration and validation period, respectively. The same are 0.52, 0.65 19.26% and 0.74, 0.81, 8.82% for the calibration and validation periods for Blyde (B6H005) station.The calibrated model is forced with the bias corrected future climate data extracted from Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) for nine climate ensembles under moderate (rcp4.5) and high (rcp8.5) emission scenarios for mid-century (2041-2070) and end-century (2071-2100) periods. The results indicate that the annual average temperature is projected to increase by 1.7°C to 4.6°C by the end century compared to the base period (1985-2005). The mean annual precipitation is projected to decrease in the future by 12-29%. The minimum flow (0.5 m3/s) availability at B7H015 for the ecological reserve of KNP would decrease 2-12% in the future

Policy working paper : dynamic agribusiness-focused aquaculture for poverty reduction and economic growth in Bangladesh

Aquaculture development, Bangladesh,

Alternative institutional arrangements for contract farming in poultry production in Bangladesh and their impacts on equity

Also available in the ILRI Repository on Livestock Research at http://hdl.handle.net/10568/217Livestock Production/Industries,

Efficacy and Concerns of Technical Project in Bangladesh: An Assessment of the Managing at the Top 2 (MATT2) Project

Least-Developed Countries (LDCs) and developing countries receive various supports for their development and technical projects from developed nations and development partners. Bangladesh is no exception. Managing at the Top 2 (MATT2) is a technical development project that was designed in collaboration with the governments of the UK and Bangladesh and carried out in Bangladesh with funding of the UK. The primary aim of the project was to provide practical training for approximately 2000 top-level officials of the Bangladesh Civil Service to enhance their efficiency in developing and implementing innovative projects to deliver public services. In this paper, the purpose, process and results of the project are analyzed using a qualitative approach to understand the benefits and barriers of the project. It was found that MATT2 produced remarkable success, with 305 performance improvement projects (PIPs) were developed and implemented by the participating bureaucrats. Government employees were benefitted from practical knowledge on project preparation, skill development and the citizens were benefited from the outputs. Although the project claims 100% success in terms of implementation, projects were influenced by some bottlenecks that include unsuitability of PIPs, lower reform value, monetary motivation and selection of project area out of the participants’ jurisdiction.  The authors suggest considering the intended and unintended consequences of the MATT2 to undertaking similar projects in the future. Keywords: Bangladesh; Civil servants; Development; Experiential learning; PIPs; Skill developmen

Alternative institutional arrangements for contract farming in poultry production in Bangladesh and their impacts on equity

This study is conducted to identify forms of market institutions that would allow smallholder poultry producers to commercially produce broilers and eggs to raise household incomes under rapidly differentiating livestock markets in Bangladesh. The report documents the range and extent of contract farming and other organizational arrangements used in smallholder poultry production in Bangladesh; analyses the structure and conduct of the hatchery, feeds and equipment industries serving the poultry sector and compare the geographical distribution of and access to these inputs along with health, extension and credit services of poultry farming under independent and contract farming arrangements; Identifies factors that influence participation or non-participation in contract farming; compares net incomes and production and marketing costs under independent and contract farming arrangements; analyses determinants of cost per unit output and net income under independent and contract farming arrangements, and identifies policy implications of the findings to promote and facilitate profitable poultry farming

有機溶媒中のクロモバクテリウムリパーゼの活性化,安定性化とその反応機構

取得学位：博士(工学)，学位授与番号：博甲第658号，学位授与年月日：平成16年3月25日,学位授与年：200

Improving the quality of family planning and reproductive tract infection services for urban slum populations: Demand-based reproductive health commodity project

Quality of care has been a neglected dimension of family planning (FP) services for a long time in Bangladesh. Furthermore, effective programs are yet to be implemented to address the imbalance in contraceptive method mix. As outlined in this report, efforts were made through an operations research project to improve the quality of FP and reproductive tract infection (RTI) services provided by NGO clinics in selected slums in Bangladesh. The capacity of these NGO clinics to offer high-quality services to slum neighborhoods was strengthened by training service providers, strengthening service delivery points, and improving counseling services to ensure client satisfaction. Service providers were trained to follow standard screening criteria and informed counseling so that clients can select an appropriate contraceptive method. They were also sensitized to counsel clients by using the “life cycle approach” with emphasis on long-term and permanent methods for women who have completed their family size. The aim of this study was to test a service delivery model for client-centered FP and RTI services to improve the reproductive health of couples living in urban slums

Effects of Polypropylene Bag on Storage Properties of Litchi (Litchi Chinensis Sonn.)

The present study was run in the laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period of 15 May to September, 2016. The objectives of the study were to determine the effects of different postharvest treatments on the storage behaviour of litchi. Eight postharvest treatments viz., control, fruits stored in 50µ polypropylene bag at ambient temperature, fruits stored in 75µ polypropylene bag at ambient temperature, fruits stored in 100µ polypropylene bag at ambient temperature, fruits stored at 4ºC temperature, fruits stored in 50µ polypropylene bag at 4ºC temperature, fruits stored in 75µ polypropylene bag at 4ºC temperature, fruits stored in 100µ polypropylene bag at 4ºC temperature were assigned to the litchi fruits. The single factor experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design with three replications. 75µ polypropylene bag at low temperature (4ºC) caused minimal weight loss, whereas, the untreated fruits exhibited maximal weight loss. The pericarp turned brown within 4 days of storage in the untreated fruits, while polypropylene bags helped keep its bright red colour, but microbial decay was evident at the end of the storage period. Different postharvest treatments showed highly significant variation in the shelf life of litchi. Among the treated and untreated fruits, 75µ polypropylene bag at low temperature (4ºC) treatment exhibited better storage performance. The fruits kept in 75µ polypropylene bag at 4°C showed the highest shelf life (20.67 days) followed by 50µ polypropylene bag at 4°C (20.33 days), and it was the lowest in the untreated fruits (3 days)