scholarly journals Introduction: Peri-Urban Water Security in South Asia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Vishal Narain ◽  
Dik Roth
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Ecological Modernization ◽  
Scale Efficiency ◽  
Urban South ◽  
Access To Water

AbstractThis chapter sets the context for the analysis of water security in peri-urban South Asia. Urbanization has been a key demographic trend globally as well as in South Asia, in the recent past and increasingly also in the future. While cities are often seen as engines of economic growth and development, and are associated with economies of scale, efficiency and sustainability, much urban growth occurs through the appropriation and reallocation of land and water from their peripheries. This creates patterns of deprivation for resource-dependent peri-urban and rural communities, as well as increasingly severe environmental problems, such as the over-extraction of groundwater and water pollution. This chapter first introduces the various perspectives, themes and cases presented in the book chapters. It then discusses urbanization and the peri-urban more specifically, introducing two contrasting views — ecological modernization and political ecology — and introduces the concept of water security. Referring to the examples from the book, the chapter then gives an overview of some of its key themes: the role of material infrastructure; property transformations and the declining commons; socially differentiated access to water; intervening in the peri-urban; and the role of conflict and cooperation.

scholarly journals Climates of urbanization: local experiences of water security, conflict and cooperation in peri-urban South-Asia

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (sup1) ◽  
pp. S78-S93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dik Roth ◽  
Muhammad Shah Alam Khan ◽  
Israt Jahan ◽  
Rezaur Rahman ◽  
Vishal Narain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Asia ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Conflict And Cooperation ◽  
Urban South

scholarly journals Water as a tool for development. An analysis of the conflict of the Ñuble River, Chile

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cristian Leaman-Constanzo
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Social Inequality ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
Water Project ◽  
Peasant Communities ◽  
Environmental Institutions ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Natural Water Bodies

<p>After three decades of neoliberal policies, there are growing concerns in Chile about how nature is used and understood. These concerns are reflected in the relationship between humans and natural water bodies which has reconceptualised the use of and access to water, especially for rural communities. These reconceptualisations have been affected by the model of water rights and river basin governance adopted which have raised issues about social inequality. As a result, rural communities have argued for greater participation in decision-making on matters that affect their lives.  This thesis explores conflict that arose around the Punilla Dam Project on the Ñuble River, Biobío Region in Chile. The research employs a political ecology perspective to explore the socio-environmental outcomes of water management in this case and in Chile more generally. The case illustrates how water is important for Chile as a tool for development, the role environmental institutions play, and the tensions between peasant communities, irrigators and hydroelectric interests, while placing these tensions in the context of wider economic and political structures. It is clear that water is key in Chile, hence an examination of the encounter between the model of development and nature is required. I argue that the outcomes of these encounters will increase social inequality and marginalisation, showing that a water project is not always good for all. The omission of these issues in places often rich both in biodiversity and socio-cultural heritage is a cause of concern for Chile and more globally.</p>

scholarly journals Bonds, Battles and Social Capital: Power and the Mediation of Water Insecurity in Peri-Urban Gurgaon, India

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal Narain ◽  
Sumit Vij ◽  
Aman Dewan
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Resource Access ◽  
Underlying Factor ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
Differential Access

This article describes the role of social capital and power as a significant underlying factor influencing water security in peri-urban Gurgaon. The article shows how differential access to social capital shapes differential access to water. In peri-urban contexts, communities that lack access to water mobilise their social capital to enhance their water security. We use the concepts of power and social capital to explain how the actors interact in peri-urban Gurgaon, paying attention to which social groups are powerful and how the powerless use social capital to adapt to changing resource access and usage. We conclude by drawing theoretical- and policy-relevant insights from the field.

Efficiency of Islamic banks and role of governance: empirical evidence

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 590-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Najla Mezzi
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Scale Efficiency ◽  
Optimal Size ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Mena Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the efficiency level of Islamic banks, the differences between Islamic banks in the MENA region and Southeast Asia and the role of the governance in improving performance. Design/methodology/approach This paper examines, on the one hand, the performance of Islamic banks by measuring their efficiency through data envelopment analysis (DEA) method and, on the other hand, the determinants of this efficiency emphasizing on the impact of the governance structure through the panel estimation of Islamic banks based on the three proxies of cost efficiency, namely, technical efficiency (TES), pure technique (PTE) and scale efficiency (SES). Findings The findings indicate that Islamic banks are experiencing an improvement in their efficiency cost. The technical efficiency of Islamic banks is largely explained by the scale efficiency where Islamic banks realize large economies of scale in order to achieve optimal size, especially in Malaysia and the GCC countries. Pure technical efficiency is less important than the efficiency of scale and improvement is necessary regarding the managerial performance. In terms of governance, the results show that the board of directors through its size and independence and the presence of a central Sharia board constitute a robust determinant of the Islamic banks’ efficiency. The ownership structure and the size of the Sharia board do no effect banking efficiency. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies mainly on the examination of the effect of the governance structure on the Islamic banks’ efficiency where studies on this issue for Islamic banks are almost inexistent. In addition, the size and the diversity of the Islamic banks’ panel constitute the strong point of this study.

Building the resilience of periurban communities to the impacts of climate change and urbanization

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-125
Author(s):  
Vishal Narain
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Water Security ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Water Insecurity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Purpose This paper aims to describe how social capital is mobilized in the mediation of periurban water insecurity induced by urbanization and climate change. Investing in social capital through the process of creating mechanisms for civic engagement is an important means of building resilience of periurban communities. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on ethnographic and action research. The main sources of data were direct observation of water appropriation and access and semi-structured interviews. Convenience, snowball and theoretical sampling were used. Findings The residents of periurban Gurgaon have lost access to water on account of urbanization and climate change. In this context, they mobilize social relationships to collectively improve their access to water. Norms of cooperation and kinship play an important role in the mediation of water insecurity. Creating social capital by building platforms for civic engagement helped to improve their water security. Originality/value While there has been much interest in issues of periurban water insecurity, the role of social capital in the mediation of water insecurity has received scant attention. At the same time, while scholars have been interested in the role of social capital in adapting to the impacts of climate change, it has scarcely been studied in a periurban context. This paper seeks to bridge this research gap.

scholarly journals Monitoring extinction: defaunation, technology and the biopolitics of conservation in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Kiggell
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Adverse Impacts ◽  
Global Positioning

Due to habitat fragmentation, Brazil's Atlantic Forest is considered one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots. Much of the biome has become extinct of its largest-bodied mammals,leading some to refer it as a 'half-empty forest.' One of the ways conservation actors are responding to this crisis is by utilizing Global Positioning System(GPS), camera trapping, and remote sensing satellite imagery. Together, these tools enable the collection of data at unprecedent levels. By intensifying wildlife monitoring, it is thought that better-directed actions can be taken to avoid species extinction. Although there is a nascent body of research in political ecology examining the role of these new technologies in conservation,so far there has been little exploration of what this implies for the transformation of the governance of conservation spaces. Bringing together literatures on biopolitics of conservation and conservation technologies, this article reflects on the ways new technologies are changing the biopolitical governance of conservation in the Atlantic Forest. I argue that the increase of information flows, together with the ability to process data through models and algorithms, intensifies the capability of biopolitical governance to justify claims for new protected areas, while changing ecological subjectivities. With the increased use of remote sensing technologies, some ecologists are being distanced from the field, and are consequently having less interactions with rural communities. As pressures on biodiversity increase, this may facilitate advocacy for coercive conservation measures that have adverse impacts on local communities.

scholarly journals Water as a tool for development. An analysis of the conflict of the Ñuble River, Chile

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Cristian Leaman-Constanzo
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Social Inequality ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
Water Project ◽  
Peasant Communities ◽  
Environmental Institutions ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Natural Water Bodies

<p>After three decades of neoliberal policies, there are growing concerns in Chile about how nature is used and understood. These concerns are reflected in the relationship between humans and natural water bodies which has reconceptualised the use of and access to water, especially for rural communities. These reconceptualisations have been affected by the model of water rights and river basin governance adopted which have raised issues about social inequality. As a result, rural communities have argued for greater participation in decision-making on matters that affect their lives.  This thesis explores conflict that arose around the Punilla Dam Project on the Ñuble River, Biobío Region in Chile. The research employs a political ecology perspective to explore the socio-environmental outcomes of water management in this case and in Chile more generally. The case illustrates how water is important for Chile as a tool for development, the role environmental institutions play, and the tensions between peasant communities, irrigators and hydroelectric interests, while placing these tensions in the context of wider economic and political structures. It is clear that water is key in Chile, hence an examination of the encounter between the model of development and nature is required. I argue that the outcomes of these encounters will increase social inequality and marginalisation, showing that a water project is not always good for all. The omission of these issues in places often rich both in biodiversity and socio-cultural heritage is a cause of concern for Chile and more globally.</p>

The Role of Music and Allied Arts in Public Writings on Cultural Diversity: “People of Sri Lanka”

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 93-100
Author(s):  
Gisa Jähnichen
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Sri Lankan ◽  
Culturally Different ◽  
The World ◽  
Official Languages ◽  
The Way

The Sri Lankan Ministry of National Coexistence, Dialogue, and Official Languages published the work “People of Sri Lanka” in 2017. In this comprehensive publication, 21 invited Sri Lankan scholars introduced 19 different people’s groups to public readers in English, mainly targeted at a growing number of foreign visitors in need of understanding the cultural diversity Sri Lanka has to offer. This paper will observe the presentation of these different groups of people, the role music and allied arts play in this context. Considering the non-scholarly design of the publication, a discussion of the role of music and allied arts has to be supplemented through additional analyses based on sources mentioned by the 21 participating scholars and their fragmented application of available knowledge. In result, this paper might help improve the way facts about groups of people, the way of grouping people, and the way of presenting these groupings are displayed to the world beyond South Asia. This fieldwork and literature guided investigation should also lead to suggestions for ethical principles in teaching and presenting of culturally different music practices within Sri Lanka, thus adding an example for other case studies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document