scholarly journals IMPACT OF FUEL SUBSIDIES ON FISHERMEN INCOME AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF SMALL-SCALE FISHERMEN IN KEDAH AND PERLIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (No.1) ◽  
pp. 35-47
Author(s):  
Wan Hafidzatul Akmal Mgt Husain ◽  
Jamal Ali ◽  
Amizam Arzemi
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Background ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Incentive Value ◽  
Fuel Subsidies ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Even though fuel subsidy can give more profit to the fisheries sector, it also has drawbacks to the ecosystem that tends to lead to overcapacity. This study investigated the impact of fuel subsidies on the income of fishermen operating in Zone A and Zone B in Kedah and Perlis. Focus group discussions with fisherman association committees were conducted to understand the issues related to fuel subsidy. The regression analysis method was used to examine the relationship between the fishermen’s monthly income and various explanatory variables, such as oil subsidy received by the fishermen, the incentive value of catch received, the monthly allowance, the location of fishing activity, and the socioeconomic background of fishermen. The result of the study revealed that Boat B fishermen gained more benefits from the implementation of fuel subsidized policy than Boat A fishermen because the former used larger boat sizes and better fishing gear. In addition, variables, such as fuel subsidy, operating costs, and duration of fishing hours, influenced fishermen's income. Although fuel subsidies may contribute toward overfishing, fuel subsidy is still needed by small-scale fishermen since it can reduce the cost of fishing activities and thus increase their monthly income. This research indicates that it is important to understand the contribution of fuel as the total cost of fishing activities and how fuel subsidies can reduce these costs to improve the income of fishermen in the study area.

scholarly journals Impact of mechanized clam dredging on the discarded megabenthic fauna on the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Marc Baeta ◽  
Claudia Rubio ◽  
Françoise Breton
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
Lethal Damage ◽  
Catalan Coast ◽  
Nw Mediterranean ◽  
Chamelea Gallina ◽  
Level Scale ◽  
Nw Mediterranean Sea ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Partial Damage

Abstract There is an important small-scale fishery using mechanized dredges and targeting clams (mainly wedge clam Donax trunculus and striped venus clam Chamelea gallina) along the Catalan coast (NW Mediterranean Sea). This study evaluated for the first time the discards and impact of mechanized clam dredging on the Catalan coast. To this end, three surveys were performed on board standard clam vessels (September and November 2016 and January 2017). Surveys were conducted in the three main clam fishing areas (Rosas Bay, South Barcelona and Ebro Delta). The composition of discards and the impact caused to discarded species was assessed using a three-level scale (undamaged; minor or partial damage; and lethal damage). Our study revealed that a large proportion of the catch (between 67–82% weight) is discarded. Even though about 63% of the discarded species were undamaged, 11% showed minor or partial damage and 26% lethal damage. Infaunal and epifaunal species with soft-body or fragile shells were the most impacted by the fishing activity (e.g. the sea urchin Echinocardium mediterraneum (~89%) and the bivalve Ensis minor (~74%)). Our results showed different levels of impact by target species and fishing area.

scholarly journals The Influence of Varying Cost Formats on Preferences

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Changchuan Jiang ◽  
Liana Fraenkel
Keyword(s):  
Blood Sugar ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Mechanical Turk ◽  
Treatment Preferences ◽  
Relative Impact ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Monthly Income ◽  
Sugar Levels ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Background. Numerous studies have found that cost strongly influences patients’ decision making. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of varying cost formats on patients’ preferences. Methods. Mechanical Turk workers completed a choice-based conjoint (CBC) survey. The CBC survey was designed to examine stated preferences for the use of second-line agents to treat diabetes across 5 attributes: route of administration, efficacy, risk of low blood sugar, frequency of checking blood sugar levels, and cost. We developed 7 versions of the CBC survey that were identical except for the cost attribute. We described cost in terms of: Affordability, Monthly Co-pay, Dollar Sign Rating, How Expensive, or How Cheap compared with other medications, Working Hours Equivalent (per mo) and Percent of Monthly Income. The resulting part-worth utilities were used to calculate the relative importance of cost and to estimate treatment preferences for exenatide, a sulfonylurea, and insulin. Results. The relative impact of cost varied significantly across the 7 formats. Cost had the greatest influence on participants’ decisions when framed in terms of Affordability [mean (SD) relative importance, 37.3 (0.9)] and the lowest influence when framed in terms of How Cheap (compared with other drugs) [12.1 (0.9)]. A sulfonylurea was strongly preferred across 4 of the 7 formats. Preference for insulin, the most effective, albeit riskiest, option was low across all cost formats. Conclusions. The format used to describe cost affects how the attribute impacts patients’ preferences. Individuals are most cost-sensitive when cost is framed in terms of affordability and least cost-sensitive when cost is described in terms of how cheap the medication is compared with others.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Fisheries Sector: A Case Study from Three Harbors in Western India

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 183
Author(s):  
Ram Avtar ◽  
Deepak Singh ◽  
Deha Agus Umarhadi ◽  
Ali P. Yunus ◽  
Prakhar Misra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Western India ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Land Area ◽  
Fishing Activity ◽  
South West Monsoon ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 related lockdowns have brought the planet to a standstill. It has severely shrunk the global economy in the year 2020, including India. The blue economy and especially the small-scale fisheries sector in India have dwindled due to disruptions in the fish catch, market, and supply chain. This research presents the applicability of satellite data to monitor the impact of COVID-19 related lockdown on the Indian fisheries sector. Three harbors namely Mangrol, Veraval, and Vankbara situated on the north-western coast of India were selected in this study based on characteristics like harbor’s age, administrative control, and availability of cloud-free satellite images. To analyze the impact of COVID in the fisheries sector, we utilized high-resolution PlanetScope data for monitoring and comparison of “area under fishing boats” during the pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown phases. A support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm was used to identify the area under the boats. The classification results were complemented with socio-economic data and ground-level information for understanding the impact of the pandemic on the three sites. During the peak of the lockdown, it was found that the “area under fishing boats” near the docks and those parked on the land area increased by 483%, 189%, and 826% at Mangrol, Veraval, and Vanakbara harbor, respectively. After phase-I of lockdown, the number of parked vessels decreased, yet those already moved out to the land area were not returned until the south-west monsoon was over. A quarter of the annual production is estimated to be lost at the three harbors due to lockdown. Our last observation (September 2020) result shows that regular fishing activity has already been re-established in all three locations. PlanetScope data with daily revisit time has a higher potential to be used in the future and can help policymakers in making informed decisions vis-à-vis the fishing industry during an emergency situation like COVID-19.

scholarly journals Non-Oil Revenue and Economic Growth on major net oil exporters? Evidence from Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raja Almarzoqi ◽  
Assil EL MAHMAH
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Total Consumption ◽  
Oil Revenue ◽  
Negative Side Effects ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This research paper attempts to assess the impact of the economic reforms on the fiscal policy adopted recently by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which aim to increase non-oil revenues and diversify the government income away from oil. To this end, a small-scale macroeconomic model comprising several econometric equations has been estimated using the OLS method over the period 1990-2018, in order to take into account numerous channels through which macroeconomic drivers can affect economic growth for the KSA’s economy. The results show that, on one hand, increasing non-oil revenue has led to a surge in government spending, which contributed, to a lesser extent, to boost total consumption and private investment. However, this continued rise in revenue, through cutting subsidies, implementing VAT and introducing fees and taxes, has on the other hand put more pressure on the private sector and disposable income starting to weaken the investment and consumption. These measures eventually will increase the cost of living as well as the cost of labor, which contradicts the vision 2030 goals to increase the non-oil export. Our finding revealed also that enhancing non-oil revenue would probably not offset its negative side effects, if the government is still aggressive with these types of policy reforms.JEL codes: E62, O40, O53, Q48

scholarly journals MODELING THE IMPACTS OF E-GOVERNMENT SERVICES ON CORRUPTION REDUCTION IN RWANDA: A CASE EVIDENCE FROM NYAMASHEKE DISTRICT, RWANDA

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mweruli Fidele Tubanambazi ◽  
Eric Ruvuna
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
Local Services ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Services Use

The study entitled modeling the impacts of e-government services on corruption reduction in Rwanda: Case evidence from Nyamasheke District, Rwanda was about assessing the contribution of e-government services use on reducing corruption in the area under study. The study was guided with the objective of exploring the utilization of multinomial logistic regression (MLR) in modeling the impact of e-government services on reduction status of corruption. In this regard, the MLR model was performed using a maximum likelihood estimation method on the data set collected to find the parameter estimates of the model describing the relationship between the explanatory and the outcome variables and determine the significance of the explanatory variables that contribute significantly to the reduction status of corruption in the area under study. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative approaches to collect data from 381 respondents from the target population of 8041 using Solvin’s formula for sample size calculation. Data were collected using questionnaire and interview schedule techniques and analyzed using SPSS-23. In this analysis, the results show that on the total of eleven independent variables, the explanatory variables such as age, income, ownership of the devices used in applying for the local government services and the advice types were dropped from the training set of explanatory variables that contribute significantly to the reduction of corruption in the area under study. In model selection that overall fits well the data, the obtained variables that contributed significantly to the outcome variable were education, e-government services’ use status, cost of accessing e-government services and the e-government services types delivery. The parameters estimate of the selected model revealed that the variables that best predicted the probability of reducing corruption once the e-government services are delivered online were education, status of using e-government services, types of e-government services delivery online while the cost of accessing the e-government services decreased the logit (the probability) of reducing corruption. The main challenges faced by users of e-government services were the cost given while applying to these e-government services is high and lack of enough skills to cope with technological usage. Finally the study recommended that local leaders in the area under study should strengthen the online system in delivering local services to people, educate people to be aware about the use of e-government services since the more a person is educated the more is attempting to use e-government services and then reduce the cost of using e-government services while applying to the local services since this has been the only explanatory variable that decreased the logit of reducing corruption in the study area. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0790/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Solar Desalination Based on Micro Gas Turbines Driven by Parabolic Dish Collectors

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Sánchez ◽  
Miguel Rollán ◽  
Lourdes García-Rodríguez ◽  
G. S. Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Reverse Osmosis ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Distillation Unit ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Micro Gas Turbine ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper presents the preliminary design and techno-economic assessment of an innovative solar system for the simultaneous production of water and electricity at small scale, based on the combination of a solar micro gas turbine and a bottoming desalination unit. The proposed layout is such that the former system converts solar energy into electricity and rejects heat that can be used to drive a thermal desalination plant. A design model is developed in order to select the main design parameters for two different desalination technologies, phase change and membrane desalination, in order to better exploit the available electricity and waste heat from the turbine. In addition to the usual design parameters of the mGT, the impact of the size of the collector is also assessed and, for the desalination technologies, a tailored multi-effect distillation unit is analysed through the selection of the corresponding design parameters. A reverse osmosis desalination system is also designed in parallel, based on commercial software currently used by the water industry. The results show that the electricity produced by the solar micro gas turbine can be used to drive a Reverse Osmosis system effectively whereas the exhaust gases could drive a distillation unit. This would decrease the stack temperature of the plant, increasing the overall energy efficiency of the system. Nevertheless, the better thermodynamic performance of this fully integrated system does not translate into a more economical production of water. Indeed, the cost of water turns out lower when coupling the solar microturbine and Reverse Osmosis units only (between 3 and 3.5 €/m3), whilst making further use the available waste heat in a Multi Effect Distillation system rises the cost of water by 15%.

The Impact of Cultural Values on the Development of the Cultural Industry: Case of the Kente Textile Industry in Adanwomase of the Kwabre East District, Ghana

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Osei Asibey ◽  
Kwasi Osei Agyeman ◽  
Vivian Yeboah
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Textile Industry ◽  
Customary Law ◽  
Advisory Council ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cultural Industry ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Craft Industry ◽  
The Impact

The importance of cultural enterprises to the creation of jobs, generating incomes, alleviating poverty and distributing development has long been recognized. Based on empirical research, this article adopts the convergent parallel mixed design to assess extent of influence of cultural values on the type of cultural industry established in Ghana, taking a case of the kente textile industry in Adanwomase. Adanwomase is argued to be a prominent traditional community in the printing of kente cloths in Ghana. Primary data were obtained from 210 weavers and relevant bodies, such as the Business Advisory Council and traditional leaders through direct interviews, observation and focus group discussions. Findings show that the craft industry in Adanwomase is informal and small-scale in nature. Six key cultural values were identified to statistically have significant influence on the establishment of the textile craft industry. Strongest among them were the festival celebrations and customary law/traditional customs. There was strong correlation between the identified cultural values and the establishment of the textile industry in Adanwomase. Urgent policy and creation of the enabling environment to promote entrepreneurship and create employment through support for research and development (R&D) of cultural industries are needed.

scholarly journals Smallholder Decision-Making on Sawlog Production: The Case of Acacia Plantation Owners in Central Vietnam

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliza Zhunusova ◽  
Le Thi Hoa Sen ◽  
Jobst-Michael Schröder ◽  
Stefan Ziegler ◽  
Matthias Dieter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Raw Materials ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Rotation Periods ◽  
Short Rotation ◽  
Central Vietnam ◽  
High Production ◽  
Land Holdings ◽  
The Impact

Background and objectives: Smallholder households with a plot size of 1–5 ha manage nearly half of Vietnam’s acacia plantations. They mostly harvest acacia timber after short rotation periods (5–6 years) producing woodchips with relatively low financial returns compared to potential profits from sawlog production through long rotation periods. The domestic wood production cannot yet meet the needs of the booming furniture industry for raw materials. This paper investigates factors that influence the adoption of long-rotation periods for sawlog production by small-scale plantation owners. Materials and methods: The impact of farmer and farm characteristics and the characteristics of the external environment on the probability to adopt long rotation periods is analyzed. The data were collected through focus group discussions (FGD) and a household survey to capture the wider socio-economic situation of small-scale plantation owners in central Vietnam. Findings: Results from FGDs and probit regressions show that factors that potentially constrain small-scale plantation owners from the production of sawlogs can be grouped into four themes: (1) small and fragmented land holdings, (2) high risks related to natural disasters and other biotic and abiotic hazards, (3) high production and monitoring costs, and (4) lack of knowledge and experience in plantation management. Conclusions: Potential policy approaches to promote the adoption of long rotation periods should include a package of measures that simultaneously address the constraints of smallholders and the various risks that they face.

scholarly journals Design and Implementation of a Highly Scalable, Low-Cost Distributed Traffic Violation Enforcement System in Phuket, Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1210
Author(s):  
Somphop Limsoonthrakul ◽  
Matthew N. Dailey ◽  
Ramesh Marikhu ◽  
Vasan Timtong ◽  
Aphinya Chairat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Road Safety ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Traffic Violation ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

The number of global road traffic accidents is rising every year and remains undesirably high. One of the main reasons for this trend is that, in many countries, road users violate road safety regulations and traffic laws. Despite improvements in road safety legislation, enforcement is still a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Information technology solutions have emerged for automated traffic enforcement systems in the last decade. They have been tested on a small scale, but until now, the cost of deployment of these systems is generally too high for nation-wide adoption in low- and middle-income countries that need them the most. We present the architectural design of a traffic violation enforcement system that can optimize the cost of deployment and resource utilization. Based on the proposed architecture, we describe the implementation and deployment of the system, and perform a comparison of two different versions of the video-based enforcement system, one using classical computer vision methods and another using deep learning techniques. Finally, we analyze the impact of the system deployed in Phuket, Thailand from 2017 to the present in terms of local road users’ compliance and the road safety situation. We conclude that the system has had a positive impact on road safety in Phuket at a moderate cost.

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