scholarly journals Impact of 2016 intense drought to small tropical reservoir: An early onset and late recovery experience in Timah Tasoh, Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol 920 (1) ◽  
pp. 012018
Author(s):  
N H Razak ◽  
M R Mahmud
Keyword(s):  
Control Site ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Tropical Lakes ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Tropical Reservoir ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Water Pipelines ◽  
Strategic Factors ◽  
Late Recovery ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study investigates the hydrological drought impact during the extreme 2016 El-Nino to small tropical reservoir of Timah Tasoh, in Perlis, Malaysia. Small tropical reservoirs are important freshwater supplier due to its economic & strategic factors including (i) closer distance to inhabitants and agriculture footprints, (ii) easy access to the resource, and (iii) cheaper cost of water pipelines system. In theory, small tropical lakes or reservoirs are facing higher risk to drought compared to the bigger ones. However, detail information and evidence are required for site specific drought adaptation in the future especially the onset and offset of the drought at specific hydrometeorological and dam scale. Prior to that, a case study was conducted in one of the small-sized and shallow reservoirs of Timah Tasoh, Perlis to analyze the impact. The larger Pedu reservoir was selected as control site. Both reservoirs were having identical hydro-climatic characteristics (seasonality of rainfall). The observation on the rainfall and reservoir level data indicated that the small sized reservoir (Timah Tasoh) tends to dry about 2 months faster (reached dam critical level) and recover 1 month late compared to the normal dry season. In comparison with the Pedu reservoir, the drought onset and offset in Timah Tasoh was earlier and late respectively although the rainfall pattern is typical. The total impacted drying days for Timah Tasoh is 197 days compared to 78 days of Pedu (about 3 months longer). The findings indicate that the 2016 extreme drought impacted the Timah Tasoh small reservoir where they would suffer longer dry season and experienced slower recovery compared to the bigger Pedu reservoir. The outcome of this investigation signifies that the early drought onset monitoring should be implemented for the small sized reservoirs to take appropriate mitigation and preventive measures in adapting to the intense drought.

How Does Online Lending Influence Bankruptcy Filings?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongchang Wang ◽  
Eric M. Overby
Keyword(s):  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Financial Products ◽  
Online Platforms ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Online Lending ◽  
The Impact

By providing quick and easy access to credit, online lending platforms may help borrowers overcome financial setbacks and/or refinance high-interest debt, thereby decreasing bankruptcy filings. On the other hand, these platforms may cause borrowers to overextend themselves financially, leading to a “debt trap” and increasing bankruptcy filings. To investigate the impact of online lending on bankruptcy filings, we leverage variation in when state regulators granted approval for a major online lending platform—Lending Club—to issue peer-to-peer loans. Using a difference-in-differences approach, we find that state approval of Lending Club led to an increase in bankruptcy filings. A complementary instrumental variables analysis using loan-level data yields similar results. We find suggestive evidence that the ease of receiving a Lending Club loan causes some borrowers to overextend themselves financially, leading to bankruptcy. Our results suggest that recent initiatives from online lending platforms to control how borrowers use loans, such as Lending Club’s “balance transfer loans” that send loan funds directly to creditors, can help these platforms provide safe and affordable credit. Our study adds to the literature that examines how online platforms influence society and the economy; it contributes to the literature that examines how financial products, services, and regulations influence bankruptcy filings; and it has policy implications for online lending design and regulation. This paper was accepted by Lorin Hitt, information systems.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic drought dominates groundwater depletion in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samaneh Ashraf ◽  
Ali Nazemi ◽  
Amir AghaKouchak
Keyword(s):  
Economic Security ◽  
Groundwater Depletion ◽  
Groundwater Storage ◽  
Rates Of Change ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Storage Basin ◽  
Groundwater Reserves ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hydrological Droughts

AbstractUsing publicly-available average monthly groundwater level data in 478 sub-basins and 30 basins in Iran, we quantify country-wide groundwater depletion in Iran. Natural and anthropogenic elements affecting the dynamics of groundwater storage are taken into account and quantified during the period of 2002–2015. We estimate that the total groundwater depletion in Iran to be ~ 74 km3 during this period with highly localized and variable rates of change at basin and sub-basin scales. The impact of depletion in Iran’s groundwater reserves is already manifested by extreme overdrafts in ~ 77% of Iran’s land area, a growing soil salinity across the entire country, and increasing frequency and extent of land subsidence in Iran’s planes. While meteorological/hydrological droughts act as triggers and intensify the rate of depletion in country-wide groundwater storage, basin-scale groundwater depletions in Iran are mainly caused by extensive human water withdrawals. We warn that continuation of unsustainable groundwater management in Iran can lead to potentially irreversible impacts on land and environment, threatening country’s water, food, socio-economic security.

Housing Prices and Government Approval: The Impact of Housing Booms on Left- and Right-Wing Governments in 16 Advanced Industrialized Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 163-185
Author(s):  
Sung Min Han ◽  
Mi Jeong Shin
Keyword(s):  
Housing Prices ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Industrialized Countries ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Approval Ratings ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact

AbstractIn this article, we argue that rising housing prices increase voter approval of incumbent governments because such a rise increases personal wealth, which leads to greater voter satisfaction. This effect is strongest under right-wing governments because those who benefit from rising prices—homeowners—are more likely to be right-leaning. Non-homeowners, who are more likely to vote for left-leaning parties, will view rising housing prices as a disadvantage and therefore feel the government does not serve them well, which will mitigate the advantage to left-wing governments. We find support for our arguments using both macro-level data (housing prices and government approval ratings in 16 industrialized countries between 1960 and 2017) and micro-level data (housing prices and individuals’ vote choices in the United Kingdom using the British Household Panel Survey). The findings imply that housing booms benefit incumbent governments generally and right-wing ones in particular.

scholarly journals Land Policy and Food Prices: Evidence from a Land Consolidation Program in Rwanda

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
Aimable Nsabimana ◽  
Fidele Niyitanga ◽  
Dave D. Weatherspoon ◽  
Anwar Naseem
Keyword(s):  
Food Prices ◽  
Land Policy ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Food Crops ◽  
White Potato ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Price Differences ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Rwanda’s “Crop Intensification Program (CIP)” is primarily a land consolidation program aimed at improving agricultural productivity and food security. The program, which began in 2007, focuses on monocropping and commercialization of six priority crops: maize, wheat, rice, white potato, beans, and cassava. CIP has facilitated easy access to improved seed stocks, fertilizer, extension services, and postharvest handling and storage services. Although studies have documented the impact of CIP on changes in farm yield, incomes, and productivity, less is known about its impact on food prices. In this study, we examine the crop-food price differences in intensive monocropped CIP and non-intensive monocropped CIP zones in Rwanda. Specifically, the study evaluates price variations of beans and maize along with complementary food crops in intensive and non-intensive monocropped zones before and after the introduction of the CIP policy. We find that the CIP policy is not associated with differences in CIP crop prices between the intensive and non-intensive monocropped zones. Over time, prices increased for CIP crops but generally, the crop prices in the two zones were cointegrated. Prices for non-CIP crops in the two different zones did show price differentials prior to the implementation of CIP, with the prices in intensive monocropped zones being greater than in the non-intensive monocropped zones. Moreover, the prices in intensive areas are cointegrated with prices in non-intensive areas for maize and beans and these prices are converging. This indicates that farmers who intensively produced one CIP crop were able to go to the market and purchase other food crops and that price differences between zones have decreased over time, potentially making the CIP intensive farmers better off.

scholarly journals Seasonal feeding plasticity can facilitate coexistence of dominant omnivores in Neotropical streams

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayara P. Neves ◽  
Pavel Kratina ◽  
Rosilene L. Delariva ◽  
J. Iwan Jones ◽  
Clarice B. Fialho
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Variation ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Diet Overlap ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Neotropical Streams ◽  
Feeding Plasticity ◽  
The Impact

AbstractCoexistence of ecomorphologically similar species in diverse Neotropical ecosystems has been a focus of long-term debate among ecologists and evolutionary biologists. Such coexistence can be promoted by trophic plasticity and seasonal changes in omnivorous feeding. We combined stomach content and stable isotope analyses to determine how seasonal variation in resource availability influences the consumption and assimilation of resources by two syntopic fish species, Psalidodon aff. gymnodontus and P. bifasciatus, in the Lower Iguaçu basin. We also tested the impact of seasonality on trophic niche breadth and diet overlap of these two dominant omnivores. Seasonal changes in resource availability strongly influenced the consumption and assimilation of resources by the two fish species. Both species exhibited high levels of omnivory, characterized by high diversity of allochthonous resources in the wet season. Terrestrial invertebrates were the main component of diet during this season. However, in the dry season, both species reduced their isotopic niches, indicating diet specialization. High diet overlap was observed in both seasons, but the isotopic niche overlap was smaller in the dry season. Substantial reduction in the isotopic niche of P. bifascistus and a shift toward aquatic invertebrates can facilitate coexistence during this season of resource shortage. Feeding plasticity allows omnivorous fish to adjust their trophic niches according to seasonality, promoting the exploitation of different resources during periods of greater resource diversity. This seasonal variation could be an important mechanism that contributes to the resource partitioning and coexistence of dominant omnivores in Neotropical streams.

Financial Access of Latin America and Caribbean Firms: What Are the Roles of Institutional, Financial, and Economic Development?

2021 ◽  
pp. 097265272110153
Author(s):  
Lan Khanh Chu
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Country Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Latin America And Caribbean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Moderating Role

This article examines the impact of institutional, financial, and economic development on firms’ access to finance in Latin America and Caribbean region. Based on firm- and country-level data from the World Bank databases, we employ an ordered logit model to understand the direct and moderating role of institutional, financial, and economic development in determining firms’ financial obstacles. The results show that older, larger, facing less competition and regulation burden, foreign owned, and affiliated firms report lower obstacles to finance. Second, better macro-fundamentals help to lessen the level of obstacles substantially. Third, the role of institutions in promoting firms’ inclusive finance is quite different to the role of financial development and economic growth. JEL classification: E02; G10; O16; P48

scholarly journals How does area-level deprivation depress an individual’s self-rated health and life satisfaction? Evidence from a nationwide population-based survey in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Oshio ◽  
Hiromi Kimura ◽  
Toshimi Nishizaki ◽  
Takashi Omori
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Internet Survey ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Level Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Area-level deprivation is well known to have an adverse impact on mortality, morbidity, or other specific health outcomes. This study examined how area-level deprivation may affect self-rated health (SRH) and life satisfaction (LS), an issue that is largely understudied. Methods We used individual-level data obtained from a nationwide population-based internet survey conducted between 2019 and 2020, as well as municipality-level data obtained from a Japanese government database (N = 12,461 living in 366 municipalities). We developed multilevel regression models to explain an individual’s SRH and LS scores using four alternative measures of municipality-level deprivation, controlling for individual-level deprivation and covariates. We also examined how health behavior and interactions with others mediated the impact of area-level deprivation on SRH and LS. Results Participants in highly deprived municipalities tended to report poorer SRH and lower LS. For example, when living in municipalities falling in the highest tertile of municipality-level deprivation as measured by the z-scoring method, SRH and LS scores worsened by a standard deviation of 0.05 (p < 0.05) when compared with those living in municipalities falling in the lowest tertile of deprivation. In addition, health behavior mediated between 17.6 and 33.1% of the impact of municipality-level deprivation on SRH and LS, depending on model specifications. Conclusion Results showed that area-level deprivation modestly decreased an individual’s general health conditions and subjective well-being, underscoring the need for public health policies to improve area-level socioeconomic conditions.

scholarly journals Seasonal changes in water quality and macrophytes and the impact of cattle on tropical floodplain waterholes

2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 788 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Pettit ◽  
T. D. Jardine ◽  
S. K. Hamilton ◽  
V. Sinnamon ◽  
D. Valdez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Aquatic Macrophyte ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Dry Tropics ◽  
The Impact

The present study indicates the critical role of hydrologic connectivity in floodplain waterholes in the wet–dry tropics of northern Australia. These waterbodies provide dry-season refugia for plants and animals, are a hotspot of productivity, and are a critical part in the subsistence economy of many remote Aboriginal communities. We examined seasonal changes in water quality and aquatic plant cover of floodplain waterholes, and related changes to variation of waterhole depth and visitation by livestock. The waterholes showed declining water quality through the dry season, which was exacerbated by more frequent cattle usage as conditions became progressively drier, which also increased turbidity and nutrient concentrations. Aquatic macrophyte biomass was highest in the early dry season, and declined as the dry season progressed. Remaining macrophytes were flushed out by the first wet-season flows, although they quickly re-establish later during the wet season. Waterholes of greater depth were more resistant to the effects of cattle disturbance, and seasonal flushing of the waterholes with wet-season flooding homogenised the water quality and increased plant cover of previously disparate waterholes. Therefore, maintaining high levels of connectivity between the river and its floodplain is vital for the persistence of these waterholes.

The Impact of the Credit Channel on Macroeconomic Variables and Bank Characteristics in the Brazilian Economy from 2009 to 2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Farajnezhad
Keyword(s):  
Monetary Policy ◽  
Fixed Effect Model ◽  
Credit Channel ◽  
Macroeconomic Variables ◽  
Brics Countries ◽  
Effect Model ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Monetary Policy Transmission Mechanism ◽  
The Interest Rate ◽  
The Impact

This article uses commercial bank-level data to examine a credit channel of the monetary policy transmission mechanism in the Brazilian economy from BRICS countries.  Static panel data with a fixed-effect model are used for data analysis. Using a sample of 212 commercial banks from 2009 to 2018. According to the findings of this study, there is a significant and positive relationship between macroeconomic variables that affect the interest rate and GDP with the loan amount, but not with the inflation rate. Also, it is reasonable to conclude that banks in Brazil react to monetary policy in a variety of ways.

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