scholarly journals Estimating the Impacts of Non-Tariff Measures in the Indian Ocean Rim Association

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Abdallah Akintola ◽  
Houcine Boughanmi ◽  
Alessandro Antimiani ◽  
Lokman Zaibet ◽  
Hemesiri Kotagama

In recent years, the Indian Ocean Rim Association has witnessed an increasing trend in the use of non-tariff measures (NTMs). This study evaluated the impact of NTMs in the Indian Ocean Rim Association through estimations of their ad valorem equivalents at the HS chapter and country levels. A gravity model using NTM count data (intensity) was specified and estimated to derive the importer-specific ad valorem equivalents for the four (4) most used NTMs in the region. The results showed the presence of both import-impeding and import-promoting effects of NTMs; however, the import-impeding effects dominated in the region. The quantitative restriction and safeguard measures were more restrictive compared to the sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade. This was expected since quantitative restrictions are trade-distorting by design. This calls for reforming trade policy in the region toward NTMs that are more transparent and trade enhancing for successful subsequent trade negotiations in the Indian Ocean Rim Association, which would support the sustainable economic development of the region.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 214
Author(s):  
Lihua Yuan ◽  
Xiaoqiang Chen ◽  
Changqing Song ◽  
Danping Cao ◽  
Hong Yi

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has become one of the main economic forces globally, and countries within the IOR have attempted to promote their intra-regional trade. This study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of the community structures of the intra-regional trade and the impact of determinant factors on the formation of trade community structures of the IOR from 1996 to 2017 using the methods of social network analysis. Trade communities are groups of countries with measurably denser intra-trade ties but with extra-trade ties that are measurably sparser among different communities. The results show that the extent of trade integration and the trade community structures of the IOR changed from strengthening between 1996 and 2014 to weakening between 2015 and 2017. The largest explanatory power of the formation of the IOR trade community structures was the IOR countries’ economic size, indicating that market remained the strongest driver. The second-largest explanatory power was geographical proximity, suggesting that countries within the IOR engaged in intra-regional trade still tended to select geographically proximate trading partners. The third- and the fourth-largest were common civilization and regional organizational memberships, respectively. This indicates that sharing a common civilization and constructing intra-regional institutional arrangements (especially open trade policies) helped the countries within the IOR strengthen their trade communities.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ava Cas ◽  
Elizabeth Frankenberg ◽  
Wayan Suriastini ◽  
Duncan Thomas

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 595-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siri Hettige ◽  
Richard Haigh

Purpose The impact of disasters caused by natural hazards on people in affected communities is mediated by a whole range of circumstances such as the intensity of the disaster, type and nature of the community affected and the nature of loss and displacement. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the need to adopt a holistic or integrated approach to assessment of the process of disaster recovery, and to develop a multidimensional assessment framework. Design/methodology/approach The study is designed as a novel qualitative assessment of the recovery process using qualitative data collection techniques from a sample of communities affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in Eastern and Southern Sri Lanka. Findings The outcomes of the interventions have varied widely depending on such factors as the nature of the community, the nature of the intervention and the mode of delivery for donor support. The surveyed communities are ranked in terms of the nature and extent of recovery. Practical implications The indices of recovery developed constitute a convenient tool of measurement of effectiveness and limitations of external interventions. The assessment used is multidimensional and socially inclusive. Originality/value The approach adopted is new to post-disaster recovery assessments and is useful for monitoring and evaluation of recovery processes. It also fits into the social accountability model as the assessment is based on community experience with the recovery process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (19) ◽  
pp. 6491-6511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh S. Baker ◽  
Tim Woollings ◽  
Chris E. Forest ◽  
Myles R. Allen

Abstract The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and eddy-driven jet contain a forced component arising from sea surface temperature (SST) variations. Due to large amounts of internal variability, it is not trivial to determine where and to what extent SSTs force the NAO and jet. A linear statistical–dynamic method is employed with a large climate ensemble to compute the sensitivities of the winter and summer NAO and jet speed and latitude to the SSTs. Key regions of sensitivity are identified in the Indian and Pacific basins, and the North Atlantic tripole. Using the sensitivity maps and a long observational SST dataset, skillful reconstructions of the NAO and jet time series are made. The ability to skillfully forecast both the winter and summer NAO using only SST anomalies is also demonstrated. The linear approach used here allows precise attribution of model forecast signals to SSTs in particular regions. Skill comes from the Atlantic and Pacific basins on short lead times, while the Indian Ocean SSTs may contribute to the longer-term NAO trend. However, despite the region of high sensitivity in the Indian Ocean, SSTs here do not provide significant skill on interannual time scales, which highlights the limitations of the imposed SST approach. Given the impact of the NAO and jet on Northern Hemisphere weather and climate, these results provide useful information that could be used for improved attribution and forecasting.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 3875-3891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Collier ◽  
Thomas Mölg ◽  
Tobias Sauter

Abstract Accurate knowledge of the impact of internal atmospheric variability is required for the detection and attribution of climate change and for interpreting glacier records. However, current knowledge of such impacts in high-mountain regions is largely based on statistical methods, as the observational data required for process-based assessments are often spatially or temporally deficient. Using a case study of Kilimanjaro, 12 years of convection-permitting atmospheric modeling are combined with an 8-yr observational record to evaluate the impact of climate oscillations on recent high-altitude atmospheric variability during the short rains (the secondary rain season in the region). The focus is on two modes that have a well-established relationship with precipitation during this season, El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Indian Ocean zonal mode, and demonstrate their strong association with local and mesoscale conditions at Kilimanjaro. Both oscillations correlate positively with humidity fluctuations, but the association is strongest with the Indian Ocean zonal mode in the air layers near and above the glaciers because of changes in zonal circulation and moisture transport, emphasizing the importance of the moisture signal from this basin. However, the most anomalous conditions are found during co-occurring positive events because of the combined effects of the (i) extended positive sea surface temperature anomalies, (ii) enhanced atmospheric moisture capacity from higher tropospheric temperatures, (iii) most pronounced weakening of the subsiding branch of the Indian Ocean Walker circulation over East Africa, and (iv) stronger monsoonal moisture fluxes upstream from Kilimanjaro. This study lays the foundation for unraveling the contribution of climate modes to observed changes in Kilimanjaro’s glaciers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lina Zhang ◽  
Bizheng Wang ◽  
Qingcun Zeng

Abstract The impact of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on summer rainfall in Southeast China is investigated using the Real-time Multivariate MJO (RMM) index and the observational rainfall data. A marked transition of rainfall patterns from being enhanced to being suppressed is found in Southeast China (east of 105°E and south of 35°N) on intraseasonal time scales as the MJO convective center moves from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean. The maximum positive and negative anomalies of regional mean rainfall are in excess of 10% relative to the climatological regional mean. Such different rainfall regimes are associated with the corresponding changes in physical fields such as the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH), moisture, and vertical motions. When the MJO is mainly over the Indian Ocean, the WPSH shifts farther westward, and the moisture and upward motions in Southeast China are increased. In contrast, when the MJO enters the western Pacific, the WPSH retreats eastward, and the moisture and upward motions in Southeast China are decreased. It is suggested that the MJO may influence summer rainfall in Southeast China through remote and local dynamical mechanisms, which correspond to the rainfall enhancement and suppression, respectively. The remote role is the energy propagation of the Rossby wave forced by the MJO-related heating over the Indian Ocean through the low-level westerly waveguide from the tropical Indian Ocean to Southeast China. The local role is the northward shift of the upward branch of the anomalous meridional circulation when the MJO is over the western Pacific, which causes eastward retreat of the WPSH and suppressed moisture transport toward Southeast China.


2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 109-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD CUTHBERT ◽  
JOHN COOPER ◽  
MARIE-HELENE BURLE ◽  
CONRAD J. GLASS ◽  
JAMES P. GLASS ◽  
...  

SummaryPopulations of the recently split Northern Rockhopper PenguinEudyptes moseleyiare restricted to Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island in the South Atlantic, and Amsterdam and St Paul in the Indian Ocean. The majority of the population is in the Atlantic (> 80%), but population trends at Tristan da Cunha and Gough are uncertain. Early records indicate “millions” of penguins used to occur at Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island. The most recent estimates indicate declines in excess of 90% for both Gough and the main island of Tristan that have occurred over at least 45 and 130 years, respectively. Numbers breeding at Inaccessible and Nightingale islands (TDC) also may have declined since the 1970s, albeit modestly, whereas numbers on Tristan appear stable over the last few decades. Current population estimates are 32,000–65,000 pairs at Gough, 18–27,000 at Inaccessible, 19,500 at Nightingale, and 3,200–4,500 at Tristan. Numbers and trends at Middle Island (TDC) are unknown. Middle Island supported an estimated 100,000 pairs in 1973, and recent observations suggest this colony is being impacted by competition for space with recently recolonising Subantarctic Fur SealsArctocephalus tropicalis. Past human exploitation and the impact of introduced predators may be responsible for the historical decline in numbers at Tristan, but these factors cannot explain the sharp decrease (since the 1950s) at Gough Island. Overall, declines at Gough, Tristan, Nightingale and Inaccessible islands indicate a three-generation decline of > 50%. Taken in combination with recent decreases in Indian Ocean populations, the Northern Rockhopper Penguins is now categorised as globally ‘Endangered’. Determining the causal factors responsible for these recent declines is an urgent priority.


2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (21) ◽  
pp. 7743-7763 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Santoso ◽  
M. H. England ◽  
W. Cai

The impact of Indo-Pacific climate feedback on the dynamics of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is investigated using an ensemble set of Indian Ocean decoupling experiments (DCPL), utilizing a millennial integration of a coupled climate model. It is found that eliminating air–sea interactions over the Indian Ocean results in various degrees of ENSO amplification across DCPL simulations, with a shift in the underlying dynamics toward a more prominent thermocline mode. The DCPL experiments reveal that the net effect of the Indian Ocean in the control runs (CTRL) is a damping of ENSO. The extent of this damping appears to be negatively correlated to the coherence between ENSO and the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD). This type of relationship can arise from the long-lasting ENSO events that the model simulates, such that developing ENSO often coincides with Indian Ocean basin-wide mode (IOBM) anomalies during non-IOD years. As demonstrated via AGCM experiments, the IOBM enhances western Pacific wind anomalies that counteract the ENSO-enhancing winds farther east. In the recharge oscillator framework, this weakens the equatorial Pacific air–sea coupling that governs the ENSO thermocline feedback. Relative to the IOBM, the IOD is more conducive for ENSO growth. The net damping by the Indian Ocean in CTRL is thus dominated by the IOBM effect which is weaker with stronger ENSO–IOD coherence. The stronger ENSO thermocline mode in DCPL is consistent with the absence of any IOBM anomalies. This study supports the notion that the Indian Ocean should be viewed as an integral part of ENSO dynamics.


2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (13) ◽  
pp. 3910-3915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Wichura ◽  
Louis L. Jacobs ◽  
Andrew Lin ◽  
Michael J. Polcyn ◽  
Fredrick K. Manthi ◽  
...  

Timing and magnitude of surface uplift are key to understanding the impact of crustal deformation and topographic growth on atmospheric circulation, environmental conditions, and surface processes. Uplift of the East African Plateau is linked to mantle processes, but paleoaltimetry data are too scarce to constrain plateau evolution and subsequent vertical motions associated with rifting. Here, we assess the paleotopographic implications of a beaked whale fossil (Ziphiidae) from the Turkana region of Kenya found 740 km inland from the present-day coastline of the Indian Ocean at an elevation of 620 m. The specimen is ∼17 My old and represents the oldest derived beaked whale known, consistent with molecular estimates of the emergence of modern strap-toothed whales (Mesoplodon). The whale traveled from the Indian Ocean inland along an eastward-directed drainage system controlled by the Cretaceous Anza Graben and was stranded slightly above sea level. Surface uplift from near sea level coincides with paleoclimatic change from a humid environment to highly variable and much drier conditions, which altered biotic communities and drove evolution in east Africa, including that of primates.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (16) ◽  
pp. 6611-6631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Hirons ◽  
Andrew Turner

The role of the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) in controlling interannual variability in the East African short rains, from October to December, is examined in state-of-the-art models and in detail in one particular climate model. In observations, a wet short-rainy season is associated with the positive phase of the IOD and anomalous easterly low-level flow across the equatorial Indian Ocean. A model’s ability to capture the teleconnection to the positive IOD is closely related to its representation of the mean state. During the short-rains season, the observed low-level wind in the equatorial Indian Ocean is westerly. However, half of the models analyzed exhibit mean-state easterlies across the entire basin. Specifically, those models that exhibit mean-state low-level equatorial easterlies in the Indian Ocean, rather than the observed westerlies, are unable to capture the latitudinal structure of moisture advection into East Africa during a positive IOD. Furthermore, the associated anomalous easterly surface wind stress causes upwelling in the eastern Indian Ocean. This upwelling draws up cool subsurface waters, enhancing the zonal sea surface temperature gradient between west and east and strengthening the positive IOD pattern, further amplifying the easterly wind stress. This positive Bjerknes coupled feedback is stronger in easterly mean-state models, resulting in a wetter East African short-rain precipitation bias in those models.


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