Bordering Nations Research Articles

Is US trade policy reshaping global supply chains?

This paper examines the reshaping of supply chains using detailed US 10-digit import data between 2017 and 2022. The results show that while US-China decoupling in bilateral trade is real, supply chains remain intertwined with China. Over the period, China's share of US imports fell from 22 % to 16 % as a result of US tariffs. US imports from China are being replaced with imports from large, developing countries with revealed comparative advantage in a product. In strategic industries, countries replacing China tend to be deeply integrated in China's supply chains and are experiencing faster import growth from China. Put differently, to displace China on the export side, countries must embrace China's supply chains. There is no consistent evidence of reshoring but evidence of nearshoring to border nations. Despite the significant reshaping, China remained the top supplier of directly imported goods to the US in 2022.

Tropical cyclones position and intensity in the Southwest Indian Ocean as represented by CFS and ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis datasets

AbstractTropical cyclones are the most devastating meteorological systems that affect the Southwestern Indian Ocean (SWIO) bordering nations. The understanding of their track and intensity evolution is essential for the characterization of the systems. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction–Climate Forecast System (CFS) dataset and the ECWMF fifth‐generation reanalysis (ERA5) are evaluated against best‐track data from the International Best‐Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) from 1980 to 2019 cyclone seasons. The cyclones were tracked within the reanalyses using a tracking algorithm based on relative vorticity and identified using a spatiotemporal matching method. Climatology from IBTrACS showed significant negative (positive) trend in the total number (number of intense) of systems; however, the evaluation of trends has to be cautious because it may be limited due to uncertainties in the first decades of data. Results for reanalyses showed that both performed similarly although some peculiarities were noted. CFS presented a slightly higher probability of detection, related to its special treatment of tropical cyclone‐like vortex, being able to reproduce all systems between 2000 and 2019. For positions, the majority of the systems have average errors around 50–60 km and the errors generally decrease with the intensity of the systems in both reanalyses, with ERA5 being slightly better during the early stages, while CFS outperforms ERA5 for intensity beyond the IBTrACS's moderate tropical storm category. Intensity follows a reverse pattern of position, with reanalyses largely degrading systems' intensity as they intensify. CFS (ERA5) appeared to be slightly better in terms of maximum wind (minimum sea‐level pressure), representing stronger systems although both datasets were unable to reproduce wind intensities beyond the tropical cyclone category. All evaluated parameters showed improvements when the most recent data period (2000–2019) is considered, especially in ERA5, tailored to an improved quality of the observations that are used to generate best‐track data and also to nudge the reanalyses through data assimilation. Based on the reanalyses characteristics revealed here, the choice of the most suitable dataset to address a specific study within the SWIO region may be dependent on the desired parameters and period.

The Rapprochement of Saudi Iran and Its Impact on Pakistan

The dynamic relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has significant implications for both the region and the global community. While the two individuals may not see eye to eye on every issue, their shared religious beliefs play a significant role in their connection. Factors such as multiethnicity, Arab vs Persian influence, and the diverse interests of individuals within and outside the region are significant considerations. The two prominent countries in the area have influenced their bordering nations to establish various types of alliances. Pakistan is impacted in terms of its economy, security, and tensions among religious and ethnic groups. Fortunately, the current political climate is facilitating the process of rebuilding relationships. Pakistan attempted to reconcile with the opposing party but was unable to do so. Consequently, Iraq is now seeking to resolve the conflict through arbitration. This paper examines the impact of the Saudi Arabia-Iran conflict on Pakistan and analyses the present reconciliation efforts. The predominant methodology employed was qualitative, revealing that achieving peace is a complex endeavor due to the intricate nature of relationships. Pakistan believes that escalation should be kept at a level below where a dispute requiring distinct positions arises but above the level of complete peace to address Pakistan's security concerns. Diplomatic efforts should focus on pacifying disagreements rather than resolving them.

The impact of governance on economic growth: spatial econometric approach

PurposeThis paper investigates the impact of governance on economic growth, considering the spatial dependence between countries.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs spatial regression models to estimate the impact of governance on economic growth in a sample of 116 countries worldwide in 2017.FindingsThe findings imply that the influence of governance on economic growth is statistically significant. Moreover, if all other economic control variables are constant, 1% increase in governance raises the economic growth on average by 1% at 10%, 5% and 1% significance levels, respectively. Furthermore, each country's rise in economic growth favorably and substantially influences the economic growth of its bordering nations. The unobserved characteristics or similar unobserved environments in adjacent countries also affect its economic growth.Originality/valueThis study adds to the discussion and investigation of the influence of governance on economic growth by considering the spatial dependence between countries, which is lacking in the literature.

Regulating Impacts of Noise on Marine Mammals in North America: An Overview of the Legal Frameworks in Canada and the United States

Marine mammals are protected under dedicated taxonomic legislation, endangered species legislation, and general environmental stewardship laws in many countries. Governments and agencies within those countries are tasked with assessing and limiting human impacts in accordance with their own laws, including those arising from underwater noise emissions. While the United States (US) has established thresholds for permanent and temporary threshold shifts (PTS and TTS) in the hearing of marine mammals, Canada has not yet established specific numeric onset thresholds for hearing impairment or other noise-related impacts. Given that Canada and the US are jointly responsible for the management of a number of at-risk marine mammals, we provide a brief overview of the main laws and associated standards relevant to management of noise impacts on marine mammals in these two jurisdictions. The US PTS/TTS thresholds are only a small part of a suite of elements collectively applied to assess and mitigate the full range of impacts of noise on marine mammals, and the implementation of these (or any other) thresholds in Canada would not negate the need to conduct case-specific impact assessments to satisfy their own broader requirements. Caution should be taken when applying US thresholds to address Canadian legal standards, as there are substantial differences in the legal definitions to which these thresholds might be applied. Thus, the need for, and application of, similar generalised PTS/TTS thresholds in Canada is still under debate and noise impacts will likely continue to be assessed in different ways in these two bordering nations.

Augmenting the concept of Institutional Analysis to the inter-state border delimitation and demarcation practice in peninsular Malaysia

Enhancing border management policies appears to be a crucial aspect of the state border nations’ proposal for interstate border governance. Understanding the action principle that guides an effective decision-making process among the institutions involved is necessary to improve a policy. The Institutional Analysis and Development Framework (IAD), proposed by Elinor Ostrom, an American political scientist specializing in institutional behaviour, is the most applicable framework for reforming guidelines. This article aims to raise awareness of the significance of incorporating the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework concept into the Joint Border Committee’s (JBC) effective practice of interstate border determination in Peninsular Malaysia. Although incorporating social science knowledge into border management cycles remains limited, it appears to have increased over the past decade. The findings are analyzed to determine the suitability of integrating Institutional Analysis & Development (IAD) into Peninsular Malaysia’s JBC practice to predict institutional behaviour and relationships related to the outcomes

Cascading Risks for Preventable Infectious Diseases in Children and Adolescents during the 2022 Invasion of Ukraine

Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine triggered the mass displacement of two-thirds of Ukrainian children and adolescents, creating a cascade of population health consequences and producing extraordinary challenges for monitoring and controlling preventable pediatric infectious diseases. From the onset of the war, infectious disease surveillance and healthcare systems were severely disrupted. Prior to the reestablishment of dependable infectious disease surveillance systems, and during the early months of the conflict, our international team of pediatricians, infectious disease specialists, and population health scientists assessed the health implications for child and adolescent populations. The invasion occurred just as the COVID-19 Omicron surge was peaking throughout Europe and Ukrainian children had not received COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, vaccine coverage for multiple vaccine-preventable diseases, most notably measles, was alarmingly low as Ukrainian children and adolescents were forced to migrate from their home communities, living precariously as internally displaced persons inside Ukraine or streaming into European border nations as refugees. The incursion created immediate impediments in accessing HIV treatment services, aimed at preventing serial transmission from HIV-positive persons to adolescent sexual or drug-injection partners and to prevent vertical transmission from HIV-positive pregnant women to their newborns. The war also led to new-onset, conflict-associated, preventable infectious diseases in children and adolescents. First, children and adolescents were at risk of wound infections from medical trauma sustained during bombardment and other acts of war. Second, young people were at risk of sexually transmitted infections resulting from sexual assault perpetrated by invading Russian military personnel on youth trapped in occupied territories or from sexual assault perpetrated on vulnerable youth attempting to migrate to safety. Given the cascading risks that Ukrainian children and adolescents faced in the early months of the war—and will likely continue to face—infectious disease specialists and pediatricians are using their international networks to assist refugee-receiving host nations to improve infectious disease screening and interventions.

Border Nation: Indigenous Peoples, State, and the Border in Indo-Myanmar Borderlands

ABSTRACT Border studies in general and the historiography of nation-making process in South Asia with its exclusive focus on Partition Studies have overlooked indigenous people voice and experience. This also implies that certain border regions received far more emphasis whereas certain regions are accorded a marginal status. In this paper, we situate indigenous people’s experience of border-making in Indo-Myanmar borderlands. In doing so, we note that borderlands are not homogenous spaces, with the experience and functions of the border being interpreted differently by various social actors. Taking indigenous Mizos of the Indo-Myanmar borderland as a case study, the paper examines how indigenous communities’ understanding of their history, memory, place, politics, and nationhood are entangled with the border. Using a multiperspectival study of borders, we take an approach that considers the Indo-Myanmar border “beyond the line” by highlighting the border’s dynamism and exploring alternative social and political imaginaries that inform lives in the borderland.

Corrupt thy neighbor? New evidence of corruption contagion from bordering nations

The continuing presence of corruption worldwide has policymakers looking for broader trans-national efforts to combat corruption. We examine the effects of a nation’s physical proximity (via land borders and the number of bordering nations) as well as prevailing corruption on cross-border corruption spillovers. Using data on 147 countries from 2012-2018, results show that while border corruption positively affects corruption in a nation, a longer land border, and more neighbors have a mitigating effect on corruption. Nesting the analysis in the literature on the determinants of cross-national corruption, these new findings imply that a nation’s geographic location might play a larger role in transmissions of corruption than previously recognized. This finding has relevance for the design of anti-corruption coordination across nations.

The COVID-19 tale of the six European Microstates: How did these “overlooked” microstates fare?

Background: COVID-19 has impacted the European microstates of Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, the Republic of San Marino, and Vatican City. Even though they have similar population sizes, they are rarely studied. The goal was to summarize the COVID-19 situation (January 2020–July 2021) for these microstates, as well as the outcome and immunization roll-out throughout the first 18 months. While researching COVID-19 incidence and mortality trends among microstates and their land bordering nations,Methods: Epidemiological data was gathered from the database "Our World in Data," whereas COVID-19-related tactics were based on Ministry of Health webpages and local newspapers. Using COVID-19 data (where applicable), the six microstates and their adjacent nations were compared.Results: From the start of COVID-19 until August 1, 2021, the microstates reported a total of 60,174 positive cases and 730 deaths. Andorra had the greatest rates of COVID-19 infection (190 per 1,000) and mortality (1.66 per 1,000). The microstates had similar COVID-19 results, but their bordering nations shared the most striking similarities. COVID-19 cases, fatality rates, and vaccine doses all have a bidirectional link.Conclusion: Whether land borders exist, timely mitigation measures and vaccination rollouts appear to be the keys to pandemic containment. The greatest pandemic impact on a country, however, appears to be dependent on cross-border transmission rates.

L. Cowan, Border Nation: A Story of Migration, reviewed by Ellen Van Damme

L. Cowan, Border Nation: A Story of Migration, reviewed by Ellen Van Damme

The Implication of Farmers - Herders Conflicts on the Socio-Economic Development of Omala L.G.A, Kogi State, North Central Nigeria

Famers’- Herders’ conflict has become a widespread occurrence spreading to all parts of Nigeria. The study examined how farmers-herdsmen conflict constitutes a threat to rural development, internal security, and socio-economic development in Nigeria about Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State, North Central Nigeria. The study adopted the qualitative method making use of semi-structured interviews and 100 informants were purposively selected. Findings from the study revealed among others that; Crop damage by cattle, land encroachment without permission, inadequate grazing reserves, lack of access to water points, killing of stray cattle, pollution of the water point, cattle routes blockage, Mbororo migrants, ECOWAS treaty, fertile land of the host community, socio-economic, cultural differences, the political economy of cattle herders were major causes and persistence of farmers-pastoralists conflicts. The study among others recommends that; since farmers-pastoralists conflicts were resource-based conflict due to blockage of cattle route by farmers which eventually leads to encroachment of farmers land and thus translate to open violence and animosity, there is a need for resignification of cattle routes for the pastoralist to have a route to avoid farmlands encroachment, regarding the transit route for irregular migrants through Niger, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Chad, Cameroon, it is suggested that the Minister of Interior should initiate dialogue with the neighboring governments on how to address and curb the rising number of migrants transiting border Nations. Based on the study findings, to end this crisis once and for all, there is a need for the consideration of cattle colonies implementation while implementing former recommendations.

Update on Distribution and Conservation Status of Amphibians in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea: Conclusions Based on Field Surveys, Environmental Modelling, Molecular Analyses and Call Properties.

Simple SummaryIn this study, we used field and literature surveys, call recordings, photographs, landscape models and molecular tools to estimate the presence, range and status of amphibians in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We found 18 native species and the suspected presence of Karsenia koreana and two Onychodactylus species. We also determined northern range boundaries for Rana uenoi and Dryophytes japonicus with molecular tools. Based on distribution and modelling, we can expect the contact zone between species within the Rana and Onychodactylus genera to be located along the Changbai Massif, a high mountain range. The species richness was higher in the lowlands and at lower latitudes, with up to 11 species, while species richness in northern areas was half that value. Following the categories and criteria of The IUCN Red List of species, ecological models and known threats, we recommended ten species to be listed as threatened at the national level. The ecology of species in the DPR Korea is understudied, although species reliant on agricultural wetlands (e.g., rice paddies) are not as threatened as species living in forested areas due to the enduring presence of extensive agricultural landscapes.Determining the range, status, ecology and behaviour of species from areas where surveys and samplings are uncommon or difficult to conduct is a challenge, such as in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPR Korea). Here, we used genetic samples, field surveys, call recordings, photographic identification and a literature review to estimate the presence, range and status of amphibians in the DPR Korea. From our combined results and based on the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, we were able to estimate the national threat levels for most species. Our results demonstrated the presence of 18 native species and the suspected presence of Karsenia koreana and two Onychodactylus species. We reported the first record for Rana uenoi in the vicinity of Pyongyang using molecular tools and similarly confirmed the presence of Dryophytes japonicus at the same location. Based on distribution and modelling, we can expect the contact zone between species within the Rana and Onychodactylus genera to be located along the Changbai Massif, a mountain range that marks a shift in ecoregions and acts as a barrier to dispersion. The species richness was higher in the lowlands and at lower latitudes, with such areas populated by up to 11 species, while more northern regions were characterised by species richness of about half of that value. The combination of ecological models and known threats resulted in the recommendation of ten species as threatened at the national level following the IUCN Red List categories and criteria. This high number of threatened species was anticipated based on the high threat level to amphibians in bordering nations and globally. While the ecology of species in the DPR Korea is still understudied, we argue that species relying on agricultural wetlands such as rice paddies are not under imminent threat due to the enduring presence of extensive agricultural landscapes with low rates of chemical use and mechanisation. The maintenance of such landscapes is a clear benefit to amphibian species, in contrast to more industrialised agricultural landscapes in neighbouring nations. In comparison, the status of species dependent on forested habitats is unclear and threat levels are likely to be higher because of deforestation, as in neighbouring nations.

Exchange Rate Volatility and India-U.S. Export at Commodity Level: Evidence from an Autoregressive Distributed Lag Approach

The paper focuses on the impact of exchange rate volatility on the trade flow between India and U.S. Previous research on the trade flow of India has concentrated on the overall aggregate export of India with a cross border nations. Many maintain the work on bilateral trade pair-wise although a very few have observed about the commodities trade at disintegrated scale. This paper explores Indian export trade at disaggregate by commodity-wise, undertaking 60 Indian exporting commodities to U.S. We apply generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (GARCH) based models to gauge the real exchange rate volatility and to discover the shortrun and longrun relationships, an autoregressive distributed lag model is applied on the time series data. The empirical analysis at disaggregate level of export indicates the shortrun as well as longrun effect of exchange rate volatility. However, the estimated shortrun effect which last onto longrun effect is in 16 exporting commodities. This paper provides more specific information about the relationship between exchange rate volatility and bilateral export commodities using individual level data. The finding of the study helps to undertake the view of invariability and considering the industry before policy making.

The Role of Sports in Promoting Muslim-Jewish Social Ties: An Analysis

Those who support Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) often ensure that the game can have an impact. The study provides up-to-date information on this topic in the framework of the battle between Muslim Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. It examines the "harmony" segment of SDP initialism and what "harmony" resources in this struggle. Thirteen associations involved in peacekeeping activities in the region are evaluated. The article notes that most harmony plans involve Jewish Israelis and Muslim Palestinians/Arabs in Israel, while there are few attempts to reach Muslim Palestinians in Gaza Strip, the West Bank or in IDP camps in bordering nations. This game is not seen as an appropriate way to achieve peace between Muslim Palestinians and Jewish Israelis because of the lack of harmony which is a key precursor to compromise. The original policy, together with Israel's regional expansion and the Muslim Palestinians struggle for fundamental freedoms, forces "Sport for Harmony" programmes to create a framework that goes too far.

Roots, Repatriation, and Refuge: Pakistan and the Afghan Refugee Crisis

In the world today, registered Afghan refugees total approximately 1.6 million with one to two million more living undocumented in border nations like Iran and Pakistan. They are the largest ‘protracted’ refugee population on the Asian continent and have existed in a perpetual state of displacement since the Soviet-Afghan War from late 1970-1980. The status of these refugees in Pakistan today remains steadfastly connected to the concepts of displacement, migration, settlement, and repatriation. This research paper explores how the Afghan refugee crisis evolved within the confines of socio-cultural, political, economic, and historical crises created and imposed by international actors who sought to control it for their own purposes. A major component of finding a solution to the Afghan refugee crisis requires us to move away from the overworked ‘objective’ view of their situation and toward a more subjective identification of their personhood as refugees, and this act pulls into itself the question of how they dealt with and continue to deal with refuge and resettlement in Pakistan. Furthermore, the Afghan refugee crisis is an ongoing global dispute involving human lives that requires much more attention and sincerity than it has received.

‘LAND BANDITS’ OR ‘LAND GRABBERS’: FULANI HERDSMEN AND LOCAL FARMERS INCESSANT BLOODY CLASHES IN NIGERIA

Incontáveis mortes desnecessárias ocorreram devido aos incessantes e sangrentos conflitos entre pastores Fulani e fazendeiros locais nigerianos. A situação da segurança no país já é ruim o suficiente sem esta ameaça, que envolve a simples, inocente e trabalhadora população de base. No entanto, as autoridades parecem não ter pistas sobre o ângulo apropriado, a partir do qual abordar a questão. As principais discussões acadêmicas sobre o assunto também não deram atenção ao embate em relação às leis de pastoreio e uso de terra. Esta pesquisa, portanto, investiga as mortes perpetradas por pastores Fulani sob a luz de fatores multidimensionais, que estão, também, sujeitos a um cenário político em constante alteração. A pesquisa é qualitativa e utiliza fontes de dados secundárias e de arquivo. As discussões são baseadas na Teoria da Modernização e na Teoria da Escassez de Recursos, o que permite abordar os conflitos de perspectivas variadas. O estudo identifica as políticas contraditórias para o uso pacífico e apropriado de terras e o problemático esquema de apaziguamento nos diversos níveis do governo nigeriano como um dos gatilhos para os confrontos. Além disso, o fraco pacote de segurança social ofertado à população pode ser conectado às Lutas sangrentas e incessantes Visto que não são realizados planos de desenvolvimento estrutural apropriados, que criem reservas de pastagem para os mercantes nômades, estes decidiram expandir seus negócios à força, uma opção que rapidamente atende às suas necessidades em um país deficitário em segurança. Novamente, a porosidade das fronteiras da nação é, também, um fator crucial considerado nesta pesquisa, já que abundam evidências para provar que a maior parte dos perpetradores destes assassinatos sem sentido tem seus esconderijos em nações fronteiriças, de onde armas são transportadas para dentro do país, a fim de executar suas atividades. Por último, o estudo discute a tomada de terras rurais como a finalidade dos massacres realizados pelos pastores Fulani. Após destruir as vilas, os criminosos confiantemente ocupam a terra, algumas vezes com ajuda militar, enquanto os donos originais fogem em busca de segurança. Este desafio securitário contribui para o atraso econômico, social e político, visto que leva à perda de vidas e propriedades, dificulta e provavelmente impede investimentos locais e estrangeiros, destrói terras férteis e aráveis, além de reduzir o fornecimento de alimentos, em última instância reduzindo a produtividade como um todo. Se o governo não responder à altura, por meio de medidas de segurança drásticas, ocorrências futuras permanecerão prováveis.

Jurisdiction, Sovereignties and Akwesasne: Shiprider and the Re-Crafting of Canada-US Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement

AbstractAgainst the historical backdrop of the sinking of the Canadian rum-running schooner theI’m Aloneby the US Coast Guard in 1929, this paper examines the re-crafting of maritime jurisdictional practices in the 2000s through the Canada-US Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Program known as Shiprider. Thinking jurisdictionally and taking seriously the materiality of the water, we explore the significance of Shiprider’s patrols in the local context of Kaniatarowano’on:we (St. Lawrence River) which flows through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory, an indigenous border nation cleaved by the Canada-US international border where local communities contend with and continue to refuse imposed colonial settler boundaries.

A Study on the Path of Transformation and Development of Colleges and Universities in China’s Frontier Minority Area —Exploration of Colleges and Universities in Northwest Yunnan

Based on the case study and spatial comparison, the analysis of the present situation of the survival and development of colleges and universities in the southwest frontier of China shows that the backward economic development has led to the weakening of higher education. The incompatibility of personnel training and regional development, backward development concept and poor service capacity and other issues are highlighted. Start with the colleges and universities in northwest of Yunnan Province, promote the comprehensive docking of university personnel training and local economy to implement higher education supply-side structural reform, construct school-running mechanism with border characteristics, set up government and enterprise cooperation platform and mechanism, finally realizing transformation and development of border nations regional colleges and universities.

Zmienność czy konsekwencja? Problem relacji Polski ze Związkiem Sowieckim w publicystycznej refleksji Aleksandra Bocheńskiego od lat trzydziestych XX wieku do 1952 roku

The purpose of the article is to analyze the transformations of the relations betweenPolandand theSoviet Unionin Aleksander Bochenski’s journalism since the 1930s to 1952. The author also tries to establish if they were an effect of international situation or maybe stemmed from the journalist’s ideological views. The analysis of historical sources has proven the existence of two stages in Bochenki’s writings about the Soviet Unionin this period. Before 1939, he called for the liquidation of this state by Polandthrough military aggression, the liberation of bordering nations and the creation of a “sanitary cordon” between Polandand Russia, which was in Polish interest. The publicist perceived the Soviet Union as another form of imperial Russia. He disregarded ideological issues. Thus, in the years 1939–1945, he sought the possibility of agreement with Germany. However, at the end of the war, when the Soviets occupied Poland, Bochenski referred to 19 th century positivism and he thought about a compromise with communists. As a result, he become involved in the creation of the progressive Catholics movement. He claimed that the Soviet Union was the only guarantor ofPoland’s western border and thatPoland should become a credible ally of Moscow. The analysis of Bochenski’s narrative about the Polish-Soviet relations allowed to perceive him as a political realist. His attitude to theSoviet Uniondepended on the correlation between geopolitical situation and national interests, which could justify both the strive to liquidate this state and to agree with it.