Politics will delay Mexican water reform

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Joint Effort ◽  
Running Water ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
The Social ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Water Reform

Subject Water scarcity and management. Significance On June 15, Roberto Ramirez de la Parra, head of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA), delivered Mexico's first rain harvesting system as part of the Water Capture Programme (Procaptar), a joint effort with the Social Development Ministry (SEDESOL) to provide small communities with access to water. SEDESOL Minister Jose Antonio Meade noted that Mexicans lacking running water at home have fallen to one in 20 today from one in four in 1990. Nevertheless, the issue of water scarcity still needs urgent attention; poor access to water and sanitation is a problem throughout the country due to pollution, waste, mismanagement and insufficient infrastructure -- despite a Water Agenda for 2030 being in place since 2011. Impacts Liberalisation of the energy sector and the eventual recovery of oil prices will increase pressure to address water reform. Without addressing water reform, government plans to boost agriculture will be ineffective. In the longer term, urbanisation and climate change will make improvements to water infrastructure and management increasingly urgent.

The development experiences of two small African and Northern European communities under globalisation

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomi Ovaska ◽  
Louw Van der Walt ◽  
Robert B. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Northern European ◽  
The Social ◽  
Development Literature ◽  
Global World

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to focus on the development experience in the global world of two small communities, Viimsi in Estonia and Magog in South Africa. These two communities were chosen as exemplars because the authors were familiar with both, and understood them to be illustrative of differing outcomes of interaction of small communities with the global economy offering the prospect of generalisation of findings to the framework and theory. Twenty years ago, both were poor, since then Viimsi has become wealthy, while Magopa remains poor. It is not believed that becoming the wealthiest community in Estonia was Viimsi’s per-determined destiny. What people of Viimsi did to make their community a success relative to the surrounding peer communities is a story of the visible as much as the invisible attributes. Design/methodology/approach – These attributes are examined using a framework the authors’ originally developed to explore the participation of Indigenous communities in the global economy in pursuit of development as they defined it. A thorough investigation was done on the interactions among various community stakeholder groups in an attempt to describe the social fabric of these two communities, and this was used to explain why Viimsi was able to take advantage of globalisation, when Magopa was not. Findings – While it will be hard, no doubt, to translate all the success attributes of Viimsi to a different location and time, some of the lessons that were uncovered from the study are universal in nature, making them potentially useable for other small communities trying to find their way in the global world. Research limitations/implications – Studying only two communities means that the generalisation of the findings is limited to theory. None can be made directly to the population of similar communities, except indirectly through exploration using the theory being developed to test its validity in other circumstances. Practical implications – The findings from this paper will increase the understanding of the factors that contribute the a community’s success of lack of, in participating in the global economy. Originality/value – This is an under-researched area within development literature.

Chile water reform may await next government

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Northern Chile ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pressure On Water Resources ◽  
Water Reform

Subject Reform of water-use rights. Significance Controversy over a bill to reform water-use rights, approved by the Chamber of Deputies on November 22 and now before the Senate, is partly ideological. However, it also reflects growing pressure on water resources and the prospect that, due to global warming as well as Chile’s economic development, this pressure will continue to mount. Impacts Given water scarcity in northern Chile, the mining industry will increasingly turn to seawater desalination. The introduction of fines for non-use of water rights in 2005 has not led to divestment of rights on the expected scale. Both sides in the debate allege that the proposed reform is ideological rather than technical in nature.

Towards a water balanced utilization through circular economy

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 572-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rahmi Eneng ◽  
Kris Lulofs ◽  
Chay Asdak
Keyword(s):  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
High Water ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Water Conflict ◽  
Governance System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relative Water ◽  
Access To Water

Purpose The purpose of this study is to describe and explain the relative water scarcity condition as one of the main problems encountered in Indonesia. It is caused by fierce competition between water users, water over consumption and high water price. The water conflict and increasing phenomena of relative water scarcity result in unequal access to water between the rich and the poor. This research is intended to contribute to a balanced water governance system that secures equal and fair access to water resources for all users. Design/methodology/approach A mixed method approach was used involving interviews with the owners of the established bottled water companies, the community leaders, guard for sluice gate, local NGOs and several government agencies. Findings Research results indicate that water policies and implementation are lacking coherency. It is also shown that the complex government structure with responsibilities divided over multiple agencies is responsible for this. The circular economy for water governance system used to find alternative solutions for reducing social conflicts so that the water will be made available to those who have no water access. Research limitations/implications This research used only one location with a representative number of interviewees; hence, the findings are not possibly generalizable. Originality/value The combination of water legal framework and circular economy concept was used to reduce water scarcity

scholarly journals Models of Subsidies for Water and Sanitation Services for Vulnerable People in South American Countries: Lessons for Brazil

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1976
Author(s):  
Daniel Narzetti ◽  
Rui Marques
Keyword(s):  
South American ◽  
Demand Side ◽  
Public Authorities ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
The Social ◽  
Vulnerable People ◽  
Access To Water

Access to water and sanitation services (WSS) in developing countries is constrained by the conditions of social inequality and the services affordability for the poorest households. Therefore, public policies related to WSS need to broaden in scope given the challenge of reaching all customers, especially the most vulnerable, in order to achieve a balance between the social and financial objectives of WSS. This paper will contribute to the understanding of the main access and subsidy policies in South American countries focusing on the Brazilian case study. The different experiences in this region have provided some interesting lessons about these issues for Brazil; the conclusion is that the current indirect and cross-subsidy policies are important, but the needed practices for expanding pro-poor access require direct demand-side subsidies. A more proactive intervention through public authorities is also needed. A new subsidization model for Brazil is highlighted and discussed.

Algerian efforts to reduce imports lack conviction

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Prices ◽  
Balance Of Power ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
Oil Price ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Will ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Government

Subject The car import debate and dynamics of the social contract. Significance A longstanding weakness of the Algerian economy has been its overdependence on oil and gas for income, and on imports for consumption. The risks of this dependence were exposed when oil prices halved in the final quarter of 2014. The government has responded by trying to revive investment in both the oil and non-oil economy, and by seeking to curb imports. One important aspect of this latter policy -- new restrictions on car imports -- has sparked significant public debate and raised questions about the government's competence and political will. Impacts If the oil price sustains its recent rally to 60-65 dollars per barrel, the government will have some time to adjust. It would also allow the political elite to maintain the current balance of power. Algeria will not close its markets to foreign imports so long as it continues to seek WTO membership.

The path of support-to-sales: mediating role of seller collaborative information exchange in social commerce

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Chen ◽  
Fengxia Zhu ◽  
Murali Mantrala
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
Instrumental Support ◽  
Trade Volume ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Social ◽  
Source Data ◽  
Negative Effect

Purpose This paper aims to systematically investigate the direct and indirect effects of four types of support – peer instrumental support, peer emotional support, platform business support and platform communication support – on seller trade volume in social commerce. It also aims to uncover the path of support-to-sales of the seller from a platform perspective and provides a more complete picture of the social commerce phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses multi-source data including primary survey data and secondary data on trade volume to test the hypotheses. PROCESS mediation model is used to analyze the multi-source data set. Findings This study finds that the positive effects of peer instrumental support, platform business support and platform communication support on seller trade volume are fully mediated by seller collaborative information exchange. Also, peer emotional support has a significant negative effect on seller trade volume and collaborative information exchange can serve as a buffer to mitigate the negative effect. Research limitations/implications The authors provide new insights into what types of support are or are not conducive to improving transaction volume of individual sellers and highlight the mediating role of seller information exchange in this value generation process in social commerce. These findings advance current knowledge of how seller interactions increase value in social commerce. The chosen research setting may limit the generalizability of the findings of this study. Practical implications This paper offers valuable implications for social commerce platforms on how to better serve their sellers to achieve high growth. Specifically, the findings suggest that platforms should encourage instrumental support and information exchange among peer sellers. In addition, platforms should expand seller support from a single-focus on sellers’ business to a dual-focus on both sellers’ business and socialization in social commerce. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to study how sellers can better derive value from the social interactions and how social commerce platforms can effectively influence transactions, support sales and serve as a selling platform.

Ensuring access to water in an emergency context: Towards an overexploitation and contamination of water resources?

2021 ◽  
pp. 096466392110316
Author(s):  
Chloé Nicolas-Artero
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
Water Rights ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Supply Network ◽  
Mining Pollution ◽  
Access To Water

This article shows how geo-legal devices created to deal with environmental crisis situations make access to drinking water precarious and contribute to the overexploitation and contamination of water resources. It relies on qualitative methods (interviews, observations, archive work) to identify and analyse two geo-legal devices applied in the case study of the Elqui Valley in Chile. The first device, generated by the Declaration of Water Scarcity, allows private sanitation companies to concentrate water rights and extend their supply network, thus producing an overexploitation of water resources. In the context of mining pollution, the second device is structured around the implementation of the Rural Drinking Water Programme and the distribution of water by tankers, which has made access to drinking water more precarious for the population and does nothing to prevent pollution.

The 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joyce
Keyword(s):  
Public Awareness ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Source Material ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.

“Please tidy up before leaving”: nudging Airbnb guests toward altruistic behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Ranson ◽  
Daniel Guttentag
Keyword(s):  
Social Presence ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Altruistic Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Relationship Model ◽  
Social Market ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aimed to investigate whether increasing the social presence within an Airbnb lodging environment could nudge guests toward altruistic cleaning behaviors. Design/methodology/approach The study was based around a theoretical framework combining the social-market versus money-market relationship model, nudge theory and social presence theory. A series of three field experiments were conducted, in which social presence was manipulated to test its impact on guest cleaning behaviors prior to departure. Findings The experimental results confirmed the underlying hypothesis that an Airbnb listing’s enhanced social presence can subtly induce guests to help clean their rental units prior to departure. Originality/value This study is the first to examine behavioral nudging in an Airbnb context. It is also one of the first field experiments involving Airbnb. The study findings offer clear theoretical and practical implications.

scholarly journals WASH Financial and Social Investment Dynamics in a Conflict-Arid District of Jariban in Somalia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4836
Author(s):  
Wonder Mafuta ◽  
Jethro Zuwarimwe ◽  
Marizvikuru Mwale
Keyword(s):  
State Government ◽  
Random Number Generator ◽  
Limited Resource ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Sanitation Services ◽  
The Social ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Infrastructure Investments ◽  
The Government

The paper investigated the social and financial resources’ interface in WASH programmes for vulnerable communities. Nineteen villages were randomly selected from the Jariban district in Somalia using the random number generator based on the village list. Data was collected in a sequential methodology that started with transect walks to observe and record the WASH infrastructure. Thirty-eight focus group discussions and desktop reviews triangulated transact walk recordings. The findings indicate minimum to zero investments towards WASH infrastructure in Jariban from the state government, with more dependency on the donor community. The study revealed that resources for the construction of latrines and water sources come from the following sources, NGOs (54.3%), diaspora community (34.5%) and community contributions (11.2%). The findings revealed a backlog in the WASH infrastructure, resulting in low access to water supply and sanitation services. The results demonstrate limited resource allocation by both the government and community, affecting the WASH infrastructure’s sustainability and further development. Due to the backlog in investments, particularly on improved latrines, it is concluded that their usage is low and a hindrance to having access to sanitation, hygiene and water as per the SDG goals, of leaving no one behind. While investment towards WASH in Jariban demonstrates multiple potential sources, there is a need to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation and explore governments’ role and capacity to secure WASH infrastructure investments. It is also recommended to explore how to tax the remittances to fund WASH infrastructure development and the private sector’s role in WASH infrastructure investment.

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