scholarly journals Accounting for Changes in Extreme Daily Rainfall Intensity in Pacific Island Countries

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Rainfall Intensity ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Pacific Island Countries

scholarly journals Assessing the links between human rights and global tobacco control through statements made on global fora

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neiloy R. Sircar ◽  
Stella A. Bialous
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Tobacco Control ◽  
Western Pacific ◽  
Global Health Governance ◽  
Pacific Region ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Western Pacific Region ◽  
Health Governance ◽  
Pacific Island Countries ◽  
The Western Pacific

Abstract Background Increasingly, international health bodies frame public health measures, including tobacco control, in the context of human rights (HR). It is unclear how prevalent is the connection between human rights and tobacco control within global health governance. This paper describes the inclusion of HR in tobacco control governance, and the inclusion of tobacco control in HR treaty oversight. We depict the current reach of HR’s normative influence in framing the tobacco epidemic in global, regional, and country-specific contexts. Methods We reviewed documents (agenda, reports) from 2010 to 2019 from the World Health Assembly (WHA); the WHO Western Pacific Regional Committee Meetings (RCM); the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) Conferences of the Parties (COP); and documents provided by Pacific Island Countries party to, or by committees overseeing, HR treaties. We purposively selected the Western Pacific Region, and Pacific Island Countries specifically, to represent countries of varying populations, capacities, and governance. Results Tobacco control and HR are infrequently mentioned together in the WHAs, and primarily in only one COP. Tobacco control is mentioned in 47 HR treaty committee documents for Pacific Island Countries, mostly under the Convention of the Rights of the Child recognizing or calling for ratification of the WHO FCTC. HR and tobacco control are connected in WHO Western Pacific RCM, particularly through their two most-recent action plans adopted by respective RCMs. Discussion Tobacco control as a HR concern is gaining traction within HR treaty bodies, at least with respect to children’s health in the Western Pacific Region. Conclusion Globally, HR is just emerging as an influence in global health governance for tobacco discussions. Within the Western Pacific Region however tobacco control is seen by some authorities as a HR issue. Similarly, to HR experts, tobacco control is becoming important to how Pacific Island Countries fulfill their treaty obligations, suggesting tobacco control advocates might explore these mechanisms to further influence the development of strong tobacco control measures to implement the WHO FCTC.

scholarly journals The Wet and Dry Spells across India during 1951–2007

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nityanand Singh ◽  
Ashwini Ranade
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rainfall Intensity ◽  
Total Duration ◽  
Daily Rainfall ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Change Scenario ◽  
Monsoon Period ◽  
Northwestern India ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Dry Spells

Abstract Characteristics of wet spells (WSs) and intervening dry spells (DSs) are extremely useful for water-related sectors. The information takes on greater significance in the wake of global climate change and climate-change scenario projections. The features of 40 parameters of the rainfall time distribution as well as their extremes have been studied for two wet and dry spells for 19 subregions across India using gridded daily rainfall available on 1° latitude × 1° longitude spatial resolution for the period 1951–2007. In a low-frequency-mode, intra-annual rainfall variation, WS (DS) is identified as a “continuous period with daily rainfall equal to or greater than (less than) daily mean rainfall (DMR) of climatological monsoon period over the area of interest.” The DMR shows significant spatial variation from 2.6 mm day−1 over the extreme southeast peninsula (ESEP) to 20.2 mm day−1 over the southern-central west coast (SCWC). Climatologically, the number of WSs (DSs) decreases from 11 (10) over the extreme south peninsula to 4 (3) over northwestern India as a result of a decrease in tropical and oceanic influences. The total duration of WSs (DSs) decreases from 101 (173) to 45 (29) days, and the duration of individual WS (DS) from 12 (18) to 7 (11) days following similar spatial patterns. Broadly, the total rainfall of wet and dry spells, and rainfall amount and rainfall intensity of actual and extreme wet and dry spells, are high over orographic regions and low over the peninsula, Indo-Gangetic plains, and northwest dry province. The rainfall due to WSs (DSs) contributes ∼68% (∼17%) to the respective annual total. The start of the first wet spell is earlier (19 March) over ESEP and later (22 June) over northwestern India, and the end of the last wet spell occurs in reverse, that is, earlier (12 September) from northwestern India and later (16 December) from ESEP. In recent years/decades, actual and extreme WSs are slightly shorter and their rainfall intensity higher over a majority of the subregions, whereas actual and extreme DSs are slightly (not significantly) longer and their rainfall intensity weaker. There is a tendency for the first WS to start approximately six days earlier across the country and the last WS to end approximately two days earlier, giving rise to longer duration of rainfall activities by approximately four days. However, a spatially coherent, robust, long-term trend (1951–2007) is not seen in any of the 40 WS/DS parameters examined in the present study.

Does tourism predict macroeconomic performance in Pacific Island countries?

2013 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 780-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paresh Kumar Narayan ◽  
Susan Sunila Sharma ◽  
Deepa Bannigidadmath
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Island ◽  
Macroeconomic Performance ◽  
Pacific Island Countries

Intangible Cultural Property, Tangible Databases, Visible Debates: The Sawau Project

2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Carlo Pigliasco
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Cultural Property ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Protection Measures ◽  
International Agencies ◽  
Intangible Heritage ◽  
Collaborative Tool ◽  
Digital Documentation ◽  
Pacific Island Countries

AbstractIntellectual property claims have long been sustained in a way that is now under severe scrutiny. Pacific Island countries continue to face unauthorized uses of their traditional knowledge and practices. In response, international agencies in collaboration with Pacific Island countries are promoting sui generis forms of protection. The Institute of Fijian Language and Culture's Cultural Mapping Programme looks beyond ongoing debates about indigenous collection and digitization of intangible heritage to promote sui generis protection measures in lieu of western intellectual property law. Supported by an Institute grant, the unfolding Sawau Project creates an archive of sites, stories, and shared memories of the Sawau people of Beqa, an island iconic in Fiji for its firewalking practice (vilavilairevo). Advocating a form of social intervention in situ, The Sawau Project has become a collaborative tool to encourage digital documentation, linkages, and institutional collaborations among Fijian communities and their allies to negotiate and promote alternative forms of protection.

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