Institutional economics approach to irrigation management with special reference to developing countries

Neoclassical economics has failed to address irrigation management issues in developing countries successfully. Institutions are at the heart some of these failures. Many academics in various disciplines in the social sciences now emphasize the need to pay attention to the multitude of informal institutions such as rotational irrigation in developing countries and not to treat them as irrelevant for development. Water user associations have been initiated for irrigation management in many countries. These have shown much promise although many problems still constrain the full adoption of this institutional mode. Water pricing is still at its infancy and significant problems remain in the use of the market system for improved management of irrigation water.

Self-regulation: a risky option for developing countries? The case of Bangladesh

In recent years, the command and control type of government regulation is giving way to self- regulatory approaches in which industry sectors are responsible for controlling the conduct of their own members. Although self-regulatory approaches are increasingly being adopted with the objective of both improving the rate of compliance and reducing costs in developed countries, this paper argues that this might be a risky option. Developing countries often do not have adequate levels of standards of efficiency, effective legal regulatory frameworks, institutional safeguards and public awareness. Using the Bangladesh agriculture sector as an exemplar, this paper investigates the prospects of self-regulation of small businesses trading in agricultural inputs as a possible remedy for the recent problems associated with the sale of contaminated inputs to the farmers. The paper argues that self-regulation does not develop and is not sustained  independently of the context in which business operates. Importantly, the context includes the legal infrastructure created by the state and the enforcement effort imposed by the state. In the absence of effective state intervention in the public interest, institutional safeguards and public awareness, private entrepreneurs are less constrained to behave in the public interest and in conformity with the objectives of self-regulation. The findings of this paper provide significant implications for addressing the issue of effective regulation in developing countries.

Globalisation, food and health in Pacific Island countries

Pacific Island countries (PICs) are experiencing an epidemic of obesity and consequent chronic diseases. Despite investment in the development of National Plans of Action for Nutrition (NPANs) and interventions to promote healthy eating and physical activity, nutritional status appears to show little improvement. This paper presents a synthesis of the findings from two research papers that were prepared for a 2003 food safety and quality meeting in Nadi, Fiji. The findings indicate that although lifestyle behaviours might be the immediate cause of dietary imbalances, greater attention should focus on omnipresent influences of globalisation as a critical element of the nutrition transition in the Pacific. In particular, those aspects of globalisation mediated through the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements that are placing pressures on food security and fostering increased dependence on imported food of poor nutritional quality. Rapid, significant and sustainable improvements in public health in PICs require interventions that can tackle these underlying contributors to ill health. There are opportunities to explore the use of food regulatory approaches to influence the composition, availability and accessibility of food products. Within the context of the WTO Agreements the legitimacy of food regulatory approaches will depend upon the case to demonstrate the relationship between the intervention and the protection of food security and public health nutrition. The challenges in realising these opportunities are: 1) to have the capacity to construct a case, 2) meet the technical and financial demands to administer and enforce regulatory approaches, and 3) to take advantage of opportunities available and to be able to fully participate in the international policy-making process.

Migrants getting fat in Australia: acculturation and its effects on the nutrition and physical activity of African migrants to developed countries

Obesity is a significant health problem in Australia and other developed countries and acculturation is one fo the many risk factors. This new book summarizes acculturation and anthropometric outcomes among sub-Saharan African migrants in Australia. The book further examines the relationship between acculturation and food, energy and nutrient intake and physical activity. Some policy recommendations are proposed.

Child labour in developing countries: review of theoretical and empirical issues

Contents:Child labour and economic development : emerging issues in developing Asia /​ Gamini Herath and Kishor Sharma
Child labour in developing countries : review of theoretical and : empirical issues /​ Gamini Herath
Cumulative causation as explanation and policy base for child labour /​ G. Bamberry
Child labour : an integrated approach /​ Manohar Pawar
Trade, growth and child labour practices in South Asia /​ Kishor Sharma
An overview of child labour laws, prevention strategies and assessment of their effectiveness in Bangladesh /​ Jesmul Hasan
An overview of child labour in India /​ Subhashini Subbaraman and Harald von Witzke
Child labour in India : a critical evaluation of four issues /​ Anna Pinto
Prevention of child labour in Nepal : an overview of strategy and effectiveness
Chiranjibi nepal
Prevention of child labour in Pakistan : analysis of strategy and effectiveness /​ Shafqat Munir and Hassan Mangi
Issues relating to prevention of child labour in Sri Lanka /​ Nisha Arunatilake and Roshani de Silva.

E-government in developing countries: a Sri Lankan experience

Even though there is an emerging literature on information age reform of the public sector, research focused on potential and problems related to introduction of information-based reforms in developing countries is still limited. Thus in this chapter, experience in one developing country, Sri Lanka, is examined. Problems related to information-based technology is analysed and the lacuna in the literature is narrowed. It is argued that despite the great potential for IT in enhancing effective and efficient public sector in Sri Lanka, there are a number of difficulties hindering the development of computerised information systems. The upgrading of infrastructure facilities in Sri Lanka is long overdue. A lack of competent and committed individuals who could provide effective guidance in developing IT services in the public sector is another concern. The issues such as appropriate training, attractive promotion systems and remunerations for public officials need to be addressed urgently. Reforming existing organizational structures and changing officials' attitudes towards change are essential. The increasing public awareness of the potential of IT services enhancing the quality and timeliness of the public service is essential.

Qualitative analysis of the care of children in hospital in four countries : part 2

As part of a large study of the care of children in Australian, British, Indonesian, and Thai hospitals, qualitative methods were used to examine differences influenced by culture. Two groups were surveyed: parents of hospitalized children, and staff caring for them. Vignettes were used to invoke discussion, and content analysis was used to examine the data. Subjects were interviewed singly, or in focus groups. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed for analysis. This article is the second of a two-part series, and includes results of the staff's interviews and discussion. The parents' results and discussion were published in Part 1 (Shields [amp ] King, 2001). Staff in all the countries considered communication with parents to be an important part of care of the hospitalized child, and this was consistent with the parents' responses. Staff were mindful of safe practices, though more so in Australia and Britain than Indonesia and Thailand. Cost of treatment for the parents was an important consideration for staff in Indonesia and Thailand when they were planning care for the child. Cultural constructions were more likely to be considered by the Australian and British staff than the Indonesian and Thai staff, and this may have been influenced by the prevailing culture of medical dominance in those countries.

Qualitative analysis of the care of children in hospital in four countries : part 1

As part of a large study of the care of children in Australian, British, Indonesian, and Thai hospitals, qualitative methods were used to examine differences influenced by culture. Two groups were surveyed: parents of hospitalized children, and staff caring for them. Vignettes were used to invoke discussion, and content analysis was used to examine the data. Subjects were interviewed singly, or in focus groups. These interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The data were explored by using content analysis to extract themes of understanding of cultural experiences. This article is the first of a two-part series, and includes a review of the literature, description of the methods used, and results of the parents' interviews. The staff results and discussion will be published in Part 2. Analysis revealed that parents in all countries were primarily concerned with treating the child's illness and the child's recovery. Parents were concerned with their work (employment), but this was a much larger consideration in Indonesia and Thailand, where no social security systems exist, than in Australia and Britain. Communication with staff was the most commonly mentioned theme for parents, indicating that irrespective of the culture in which the care was given, good communication between parents and staff was of paramount importance.

Evidence-based public health: what does it offer developing countries?

The global burden of disease and illness is primarily situated in developing countries. As developing countries have limited resources, it is particularly important to invest in public health and health promotion strategies that are effective. Systematic reviews are central to evidence-based public health and health promotion practice and policy. This paper discusses issues surrounding the relevance of evidence-based public health and systematic reviews to the health of developing countries. It argues that there is a lack of systematic reviews relevant to the health priorities of developing countries; many interventions reviewed can not be implemented in resource-poor situations; and, a limited amount of primary research is conducted in developing countries. The paper further argues that improvements in public health are determined not only by effective health services and interventions, but through an approach that includes other sectors and influences broader structural and systematic barriers to health. Given the social complexity of human development, and the inter-sections amongst different development goals, there is no question that gains in developing country public health are unlikely to emerge from systematic reviews alone, but will require decisions about inter-sectoral collaboration and social policy initiatives. Nonetheless, evidence around intervention effectiveness has an important role to play in addressing health priorities in developing countries and resource-poor areas. The public health evidence base urgently needs strengthening, with dedicated effort towards increasing the relevance of primary evidence and systematic reviews.

Measuring wellbeing in developing countries: the case of Algeria

The International Wellbeing Index (IWI) has been developed as a complementary measure to already well-known economic measures, and as a tool for cross-cultural comparisons. It comprises two subscales: the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) and the National Wellbeing Index (NWI). The aims of this paper are two-fold. Firstly, to test the psychometric characteristics of the IWI. Secondly, to study how people of Algeria, a third world country that is yet suffering from a harsch economical and social situation, respond to questions dealing with their own lives and life in their country in general, compared to samples from more developed countries where wellbeing was previously measured. The IWI items were presented to individuals either in a questionnaire form to be self-rated or in interview sessions. The total of 1417 answers were analysed. As was expected, a very low satisfaction on both scales was found, compared to the results that were reported in countries, such as Australia or Hong Kong. Comparisons on the demographic characteristics basis show that women are significantly more satisfied than men with their personal lives, though no differences were found with regard to NWI. Eldest and youngest age groups rated the PWI significantly higher than other age groups. Education groups comparisons showed higher ratings on both subscales in favour of groups with no education and those with university levels. Marginal statistically significant differences were found with regard to the PWI in favour of the higher earning group, but no differences in the NWI. No statistically significant results were found as far as marital status, number of children, and income are concerned. The results add to the evidence of the usefulness of the scale to predict satisfaction of people with their own lives and life in their country. Its psychometric performance was proved to be very high in terms of validity, reliability and sensitivity. The results were interpreted on the light of the Homeostasis Theory and the particular situation of the Algerian society.

Soil erosion in developing countries: a socio-economic appraisal

Soil erosion is the single most important environmental degradation problem in the developing world. Despite the plethora of literature that exists on the incidence, causes and impacts of soil erosion, a concrete understanding of this complex problem is lacking. This paper examines the soil erosion problem in developing countries in order to understand the complex inter-relationships between population pressure, poverty and environmental-institutional dynamics. Two recent theoretical developments, namely Boserup's theory on population pressure, poverty and soil erosion and Lopez's theory on environmental and institutional dynamics have been reviewed. The analysis reveals that negative impacts of technical change, inappropriate government policies and poor institutions are largely responsible for the continued soil erosion in developing countries. On the other hand, potential for market-based approaches to mitigate the problem is also low due to the negative externalities involved. A deeper appreciation of institutional and environmental dynamics and policy reforms to strengthen weak institutions may help mitigate the problem.