North African Management of the Post COVID-19 Crisis

2022 ◽  
pp. 197-211
Author(s):  
Mohamed Hadach ◽  
Ed-Dali Rachid

Tourism is vulnerable and sensitive to natural, socio-political, and economic hazards. The bulk of destinations are threatened by natural, terrorist, cyclical, epidemiological, political, and social perils. Tourism is a salient industry and represents 14% of the GDP of certain MENA countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and Egypt. The latter's GDP has shrunk sharply and affected other vital economic sectors that inductively and deductively rely on tourism. Generally, the industry's recovery depends, to a large extent, on these governments' decision-makers alongside the encouragement and satisfaction of the tourist.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marleen de Ruiter ◽  
Anaïs Couasnon ◽  
Philip Ward

<p>The increased complexity of disaster risk due to climate change, expected population growth and the increasing interconnectedness of disaster impacts across communities and economic sectors, require Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) measures and practitioners that are better able to address these complexities. Nonetheless, in the traditional risk paradigm, there is a strong focus on single-hazards and the risk faced by individual communities and sectors.</p><p><em>Breaking the Silos</em> is a narrator-led, role-playing game designed to support decision makers and stakeholders in understanding and managing the complexities of implementing DRR measures in a multi-(hazard) risk setting. The game starts in de aftermath of a (randomly selected) disaster. The different roles include key decision-makers and stakeholders of a country. The team is responsible for the post-disaster recovery process and can decide to implement DRR measures. However, while some of these DRR measures can decrease risk of one hazard, they can increase the risk of another hazard. In each subsequent round, the team faces another (randomly selected) disaster. Unlike many other risk serious games, <em>Breaking the Silos </em>includes many random factors to better simulate reality. The roles are designed such that expert knowledge and objectives are spread throughout the participants and they can even be conflicting at times.</p><p>The game was successfully launched during the World Bank’s 2020 Understanding Risk conference. Before and after playing the game, participants were asked to complete surveys asking them about their perception of the challenges of Disaster Risk Management and whether the game raised their awareness of these challenges. The preliminary findings indicate that <em>Breaking the Silos</em> is a useful tool in supporting decision makers and practitioners to become aware of (the risks of) hazard-silo thinking and possible (a)synergies of DRR measures.</p>


Author(s):  
Piotr Jurga

In the face of many global challenges, including ongoing climate change, policymakers are seeking viable solutions. The bioeconomy and its development are one of them. Partnerships, such as BIOEAST, are established to support the development of the bioeconomy in CEE countries. The conversion of biological biomass into new bio-products with high added value can contribute to a reduced environmental impact. One of the three economic sectors producing biomass for manufacturing is agriculture. Within the framework of this study, using the PRODCOM statistical list, which provides statistics on the production value of manufactured products, an assessment of manufacturing involving biomass processing utilizing biomass from the agricultural sector in countries of the BIOEAST initiative was performed. In BIOEAST Initiative countries, biomass from agriculture is predominantly used by the food production sector, followed by economic sectors, such as beverages, textiles, leather and wearing apparel. In several BIOEAST initiative countries, the percentage of the production value utilizing biomass from the agricultural sector is remarkable. Poland is one of those countries for which the value of manufacturing production utilizing agricultural biomass represents almost 30% of the total manufacturing value. The results obtained from the analysis, along with detailed information on specific product groups, can provide valuable information for decision makers planning the development of the bioeconomy in reviewed BIOEAST countries, including Poland.


Author(s):  
Aniruddha Thuse

The Middle East and North African or MENA countries are very keen about restructuring in the field of education. The countries otherwise are not known for the overall industrial development and growth. The huge populations of youth and high unemployment in the MENA countries have made it essential to go for overall industrial development. However, considering the fact that the industry and education of any economy should go hand in hand, it has become unavoidable to stress the higher educational development in the MENA countries. The educational institutions that provide business education (popularly known as B-Schools) in the country will have to work with high productivity, inputs wise. This will enable the economy to bridge the industry-academic gap. However, for this, the realistic approach should be the priority to evaluate the B-Schools' productivity. The investments made in B-Schools are always high (infrastructural and financial), so Return on Investments becomes significant, not only financially but also approach wise. The same approach is discussed in this chapter with proper analysis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 715-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhail Al Rukn ◽  
Michael V Mazya ◽  
Faycal Hentati ◽  
Samia Ben Sassi ◽  
Fatma Nabli ◽  
...  

Background and methods Stroke incidence and mortality are reported to have increased in the Middle-East and North African (MENA) countries during the last decade. This was a prospective observational study to examine the baseline characteristics of stroke patients in the MENA region and to compare the MENA vs. the non-MENA stroke cohort in the Safe Implementation of Treatments in Stroke (SITS) International Registry. Results Of the 13,822 patients with ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke enrolled in the SITS-All Patients Protocol between June 2014 and May 2016, 5897 patients (43%) were recruited in MENA. The median onset-to-door time was 5 h (IQR: 2:20–13:00), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 8 (4–13) and age was 65 years (56–76). Hypertension (66%) and diabetes (38%) were the prevailing risk factors; large artery stenosis > 50% (25.3%) and lacunar strokes (24.1%) were the most common ischemic stroke etiologies. In comparison, non-MENA countries displayed an onset-to-door time of 5:50 h (2:00–18:45), a median of NIHSS 6 (3–14), and a median age of 66 (56–76), with other large vessel disease and cardiac embolism as the main ischemic stroke etiologies. Hemorrhagic strokes (10%) were less common compared to non-MENA countries (13.9%). In MENA, only a low proportion of patients (21%) was admitted to stroke units. Conclusions MENA patients are slightly younger, have a higher prevalence of diabetes and slightly more severe ischemic strokes, commonly of atherosclerotic or microvascular etiology. Admission into stroke units and long-term follow-up need to be improved. It is suspected that cardiac embolism and atrial fibrillation are currently underdiagnosed in MENA countries.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-289
Author(s):  
Asmaa Ezzat ◽  
Hanan Nazier

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the gender differences in time poverty in two Middle East North African (MENA) countries, particularly Egypt and Tunisia, as well as examining its determinants across gender. Design/methodology/approach To this end, the authors make use of data provided by the Labor Market Panel Survey (LMPS) in Egypt (2012) and in Tunisia (2014) to estimate probit regressions to identify various determinants that explain time poverty. Findings The empirical findings show that the probability of time poverty, in both countries, is lower for women compared to men. In addition, the determinants of time poverty (individual, household and community variables) and their marginal effects differ across gender. Originality/value Research on the gender inequalities in time poverty and its determinants has been very limited. Additionally, the relationships between individuals’ time use and the conditions under which this might represent time poverty have not been fully studied in the literature. Moreover, most of the available studies have focused on developed countries; while studies tackling this issue in developing countries are very few. For the MENA region, in particular, this topic is totally missing in the available literature.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3259-3277 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Hurford ◽  
J. J. Harou

Abstract. Competition for water between key economic sectors and the environment means agreeing allocations is challenging. Managing releases from the three major dams in Kenya's Tana River basin with its 4.4 million inhabitants, 567 MW of installed hydropower capacity, 33 000 ha of irrigation and ecologically important wetlands and forests is a pertinent example. This research seeks firstly to identify and help decision-makers visualise reservoir management strategies which result in the best possible (Pareto-optimal) allocation of benefits between sectors. Secondly, it seeks to show how trade-offs between achievable benefits shift with the implementation of proposed new rice, cotton and biofuel irrigation projects. To approximate the Pareto-optimal trade-offs we link a water resources management simulation model to a multi-criteria search algorithm. The decisions or "levers" of the management problem are volume-dependent release rules for the three major dams and extent of investment in new irrigation schemes. These decisions are optimised for eight objectives covering the provision of water supply and irrigation, energy generation and maintenance of ecosystem services. Trade-off plots allow decision-makers to assess multi-reservoir rule-sets and irrigation investment options by visualising their impacts on different beneficiaries. Results quantify how economic gains from proposed irrigation schemes trade-off against the disturbance of ecosystems and local livelihoods that depend on them. Full implementation of the proposed schemes is shown to come at a high environmental and social cost. The clarity and comprehensiveness of "best-case" trade-off analysis is a useful vantage point from which to tackle the interdependence and complexity of "water-energy-food nexus" resource security issues.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (03) ◽  
pp. 123-131
Author(s):  
Ganzorig G ◽  
Enkh-Amgalan G ◽  
Аmartuvshin O ◽  
Densmaa Sh ◽  
Gantulga Ts

The state protected areas (PAs) lack with financial resource, which weakens the PA management including lack of human resource and their skill development, transparent cooperations, and of equipments and vehicles for ecosystem conservation and rehabilitation activities of the PAs. Thus, research on analysing the economic value of the PAs is vital important for the decision makers and policy planners, because they have lack of understanding of benefits of investing to the PAs. In 2013, United Nations Development Programme published a book that reflects the approach of “Targeted Scenario Analysis”, which is used in our study. The Khangain Nuruu National Park (KNPA) locates in 11 soums of three provinces, namely Arkhangai, Bayankhongor and Uvurkhangai, and we analyzed economic value of the KNPA for six economic sectors (livestock husbandry, crop farming, forestry, tourism, mining and industry), and two non-economic but consumption based sectors (carbon sequestration from larch trees, and drinkable water). The economic value or the contribution to the economy of Mongolia from KNPA was about MNT 165.4 billion in 2014, and it summed up to MNT 1 trillion between 2002 and 2014. Livestock husbandry, mining and tourism sectors benefitted about two third of this value. In case of “Business As Usual-BAU” scenario takes, continuesly, in place the total economic loss would reach to MNT 1.4 trillion between 2015 and 2040, compared to “Investing in Natural Capital-INC” scenario. Hence, implementing INC in the KNPA management would save this loss. We recommend to increase the financial resources for the KNPA management, therefore the economic sectors will not diminish due to lack of ecosystem services of the PA, which would then develop the sectors in the long run sustainably.


2014 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 485-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Apergis ◽  
Ghassen El-Montasser ◽  
Emmanuel Sekyere ◽  
Ahdi N. Ajmi ◽  
Rangan Gupta

Author(s):  
Ali Said

<p><em>The present paper measured the influence of the oil prices on the Islamic banking efficiencies scores during the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The study showed that there is no a direct relationship between the oil prices and the efficiencies scores of Islamic banks in the MENA area. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that Islamic banks in the GCC area showed a higher mean in pure technical efficiency compared to Islamic banks in the North African and other MENA. Islamic banks in other MENA countries and North Africa considered to be technically inefficient. The inefficiencies were due to the underdeveloped banking system and the lack of experiences in those countries to allocate resources between the bank inputs and outputs. </em></p>


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