Environment In South Asia Research Articles

The Impact of Natural Resources Rent and Tourism on The Environment in South Asia

The Impact of Natural Resources Rent and Tourism on The Environment in South Asia

Does Economic Policy Impact the Environment in South Asia? The Role of Disaggregated Energy Consumption in an EKC Framework

Does Economic Policy Impact the Environment in South Asia? The Role of Disaggregated Energy Consumption in an EKC Framework

Market and Retail Food Environments in South Asia: A Comparative Analysis of Five Rural Districts

Market and Retail Food Environments in South Asia: A Comparative Analysis of Five Rural Districts

Afterword

If one were to chart the momentous transformations that South Asia witnessed in the twentieth century, the sea and its coasts would be an essential cipher. The geopolitical, socio-legal, and economic transformations over the past century in South Asia are a seaborne phenomenon, among others. This backdrop often remains suppressed when sketching its contemporary history. As this afterword details, the special section “Port Environments in South Asia” shows that as ports and littoral societies receded from scholarly focus, the relationship among state, market, and the ocean intensified at these edge spaces. Without careful attention to the recomposition of this relationship over the twentieth century, it is difficult to make sense of the current geopolitical consolidation between India and China in the Indian Ocean. From coasts, brackish backwaters, and dynamic littorals, the essays in this themed section open new ways of understanding the reconstitution of power in Asian port environments in a climate-changed world.

Emerging Insights on Human Histories and Past Environments in South Asia

Emerging Insights on Human Histories and Past Environments in South Asia

Heat-tolerant maize for rainfed hot, dry environments in the lowland tropics: From breeding to improved seed delivery

Climate change-induced heat stress combines two challenges: high day- and nighttime temperatures, and physiological water deficit due to demand-side drought caused by increase in vapor-pressure deficit. It is one of the major factors in low productivity of maize in rainfed stress-prone environments in South Asia, affecting a large population of smallholder farmers who depend on maize for their sustenance and livelihoods. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) maize program in Asia, in partnership with public-sector maize research institutes and private-sector seed companies in South Asian countries, is implementing an intensive initiative for developing and deploying heat-tolerant maize that combines high yield potential with resilience to heat and drought stresses. With the integration of novel breeding tools and methods, including genomics-assisted breeding, doubled haploidy, field-based precision phenotyping, and trait-based selection, new maize germplasm with increased tolerance to heat stress is being developed for the South Asian tropics. Over a decade of concerted effort has resulted in the successful development and release of 20 high-yielding heat-tolerant maize hybrids in CIMMYT genetic backgrounds. Via public–private partnerships, eight hybrids are presently being deployed on over 50,000 ha in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Asymmetrical analysis of economic complexity and economic freedom on environment in South Asia: A NARDL approach.

The environment has become a growing concern for many countries, as pollution and other environmental degradation can harm human health, economic growth, and overall well-being. This paper probes into the asymmetrical implications of economic complexity and freedom on ecological quality in four South Asian countries from 1995 to 2019. Using Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag methodology approach, our findings indicate that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are intensified by economic freedom both in the long and short term, while negative and positive shocks to economic complexity increase CO2 emissions in the long term. However, a negative economic complexity shock increases CO2 emissions, whereas a positive shock has the opposite effect in the short run. Moreover, our results confirm the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in the long run. Furthermore, we find that renewable energy usage and the interaction of FDI and renewable energy usage can help reduce environmental damage in both the short and long run. The findings suggest that countries should focus on attracting foreign direct investment that promotes the use of renewable energy. Additionally, policies aimed at encouraging renewable energy use should be implemented. It is important to note that as economic freedom and complexity increase, there is a corresponding increase in CO2 emissions. Therefore, South Asian policy makers are advised to prioritize the reduction in fossil fuels, the promotion of energy-saving technologies and efficient production, and trade that encourages the transition of renewable energy sources to reduce CO2 emissions.

INDO-US STRATEGIC NEXUS: A THREAT TO PAKISTAN'S SECURITY

The Indo-US strategic nexus, made up of different ways that India and the US work together, will upset the balance of power in the region, pose a security risk to Pakistan, and start an arms race between India and Pakistan, which are nuclear rivals. This recent alliance will disturb the balance of power between the two Atomic Powers, India, and Pakistan. It also suggests that strategic cooperation between India and the US will change the balance of power in South Asia, which would be bad for Pakistan's safety. The Indo-US alliance may affect military capabilities, regional influence, and ongoing wars. Pakistan would automatically make alliances with other powers like China and Russia to protect itself and not give up on its security concerns. To address Pakistan's security concerns and create a safe and cooperative environment in South Asia, the USA should first stress the importance of open communication, measures that build trust, and regional activities that include everyone.

Do banking sector development, economic growth, and clean energy consumption scale up green finance investment for a sustainable environment in South Asia: evidence for newly developed RALS co-integration

Concern about climate change is spreading around the globe. The urge to comprehend the environmental effects and take action is sharply rising. Regarding this, the banking industry has a great chance to offer a solution in terms of green financial solutions and can meet the needs of carbon-conscious organizations to combat and defend our planet. Therefore, in light of this, according to the greatest understanding of the authors, this is the first study to investigate the role of banking sector development, economic growth, and clean energy consumption in scaling up green finance investment in South Asian nations, taking carbon emissions, foreign direct investment, remittances, inflation, and trade openness as control variables. This study uses a novel residual augmented least squares-Engle and Granger (RALS-EG) co-integration to test the long-term link and the quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL) econometric approach to extract the association across the quantiles (q0.05-q0.95) for the period 2000-2020. The outcomes of QARDL show that banking sector development, economic growth, clean energy, carbon emissions, foreign direct investment, remittances, and trade openness play a positive role in attracting green finance in the long term. However, only inflation has a negative influence on scaling up finance in South Asian nations. Therefore, the concerned authorities (government, central banks, environmentalists, and policymakers) are urged to implement green finance policies and strategies as suggested and recommended by the results of this study.

The Repositioning of the Conflict Resolution in South Asia: A Key for Progressive Pakistan

The growing international concerns and changing dimensions in terms of global strategic interests are introducing the region of South Asia an epicenter of the great games, where the political situation of bordering states like Afghanistan are making the available options less opportunistic for Pakistan to decide where to go and whom to support. Unwillingly or unfortunately after the incident of 9/11, the world politics looked towards Pakistan as a coin of long life without knowing the reservations of its democratic society against the war on terror. Under the leadership of a Democratic President, the United States of America pushed a dictator in Pakistan to legitimize an ambiguous war. It was not very simple for Pakistan to jump into hell but the presence of president Musharraf made it easy for the US to achieve its objectives. The story is not as smooth and easy-going as it looks because as a result, Pakistan had lost a lot of what we have never thought and invested to vanish. It was a step, which affected Pakistan’s well-articulated and well-managed policy in the region, particularly for India and Afghanistan. Pakistan’s acceptance and support in the US-led war on terror placed a full stop for our future options and opportunities, which eventually opened new avenues for India, a state on the waiting list. India had always believed in the inversely proportional relationship for its progress when it comes to Pakistan and as result, we are suffering a lot. Interestingly and amazingly this is not an end but a new start for progressive Pakistan. In this paper, I will try to throw some light on the future and possible opportunistic ways for Pakistan to regain its progressive pace to become an ‘Asian Tiger’ by avoiding traditional conflictual policy with India. For that, I will emphasize and explore the causes, character, prospectus, and nature of the conflict in South Asia. For a brief look at the pace of the issue, this paper will also focus on the emergence and the effects of the nuclear environment in South Asia and possible prospects for conflict resolution.

Quaternary environments in South Asia

Quaternary environments in South Asia

Nonlinear and nonparametric causal relationship between financial inclusion and sustainable environment in South Asia.

This study analyzes the causal connection between financial inclusion and carbon emission in selected South Asian countries through a quantile technique-based linear Granger and non-parametric causality test. The analysis of the studycovers quarterly data from 1980Q1 to 2019Q4. However, the linear Granger causality assessment outcome does not indicate any causal relationship between financial inclusion and carbon emission. In contrast, results from non-parametric assessment reveal a non-linear connection between the variables. The non-parametric test results of the South Asian countries exhibit that financial inclusion leads to carbon emission, which instigates the deterioration of the environment, except for Bhutan. Subsequently, creating awareness by promoting renewable energy resources is essential while investing in fuel-efficient technology to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. The results of this study provide significant information to the governments and policymakers in emerging countries to improve financial literacy among people to reduce the risk of global warming by encouraging investment in energy-efficient resources.

INDIAN MILITARY DOCTRINE AND ITS IMPACT ON SOUTH ASIA’S STRATEGIC STABILITY

India’s aggressive military doctrine exploits the questionable space for a limited war under a nuclear overhang. This doctrine is designed to dilute, if not fully compromise, the notion of nuclear deterrence. Indian military high command has often boasted about waging a conventional war against Pakistan. India’s unilateral decision to repeal Kashmir’s special constitutional status has further exacerbated the volatility of the hitherto conflict-prone environment in South Asia. India’s doctrine manifests in the offensive deployment of S-400 missile systems along Pakistan’s border, further supplemented by the positioning of Dassault Rafale fighter jets. While it might temporarily alter the region’s strategic stability equation, Pakistan must rebalance this shift in its strategic stability. There is a need to review the notion of strategic stability as it applies to the region’s nuclear balance of power. This paper analyses India’s aggressive military doctrine fuelling its desire to wage a limited conventional war against Pakistan, examines the effects of growing military asymmetry, evaluates the impact of the short but swift military action in February 2019, and finally endeavours to determine the stabilizing impact of the nuclear deterrent on South Asia’s strategic stability. Bibliography Entry Ali, Muhammad, and Syed Mussawar Hussain Bukhari. 2022. "Indian Military Doctrine and Its Impact on South Asia’s Strategic Stability." Margalla Papers 26 (1): 74-84.

The effects of Environmental Kuznets Curve toward environmental pollution, energy consumption on sustainable economic growth through moderate role of technological innovation.

South Asia is a hub for encompassing air contamination, with 37 of the top tiers of the 40 most contaminated urban communities around the globe (IQAIR, 2020). From this perspective, this research aims to explore the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve while controlling for the impacts of technological innovation and energy consumption on the sustainable economic growth-environmental pollution nexus in the backdrop of South Asian economies by using panel dataset from 1998 to 2018. Therefore, this analysis adopts a fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) approach for examination, which affirms the EKC hypothesis existence, suggesting that the environment in South Asia is deteriorating while technological innovations have moderated the impact. Moreover, the empirical findings indicate that energy consumption as well as technological innovations both have a significant positive impact on the CO2 emanations, which harms biodiversity.

Emergence of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance tet(X4) gene in Escherichia coli isolated from poultry, food and the environment in South Asia

The recent emergence of mobile-tigecycline resistance tet(X) genes in human and animals in China seriously threats the clinical utility of tigecycline. Here we focused on the isolation and molecular characterization of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance tet(X4)-positive E. coli from different sources in Pakistan using MinION and Illumina sequencing. The tet(X4) gene was detected in four E. coli isolates from poultry, chicken meat, wild bird and the slaughterhouse wastewater in Pakistan. Co-existence of colistin resistance mcr-1 gene was also detected in three isolates. The four isolates belonged to different sequence types and the tet(X4) gene was located on plasmids ranging from 12,331 bp to 113,610 bp belonging to IncFII and IncQ replicon types with two genetic contexts ISCR2-tet(X4)-abh-ISCR2-lysR-floR-virD2 and ΔISCR2-abh-tet(X4)-ISCR2-virD2-floR, respectively.In all the four E. coli strains, tet(X4) was transferable by conjugation to E. coli J53 host strain. In addition, three of four strains transferred tet(X4) to a wild-type carbapenem resistant E. coli strain. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the emergence of plasmid-mediated tet(X4) gene from Pakistan. The convergence of tigecycline and colistin resistance in South Asia is a serious threat to human health.

Naya Pakistan?

Naya Pakistan? The Selected Issues of Pakistan’s Foreign Policy in View of the Transformations in the Regional Security The Islamic Republic of Pakistan faces many internal and external challenges and remains a major point of reference in contemporary international security analysis. This article examines selected issues relating to Pakistan’s foreign policy contextualized within the transformations in the security dynamics of South Asia. The specificity of the security environment in South Asia, the least politically and economically integrated region of the world, engaged in the protracted Kashmir conflict, serves as the starting point for the multi-dimensional study of the key objectives of Pakistan’s foreign strategy towards its neighbouring states, such as India, China and Afghanistan. Methodological approach for this research is based on offensive realism, which seems to present the appropriate explanatory tool for studying the South Asian securityrelated specificity. The naya (new) Pakistan narrative, promoted by the Prime Minister Imran Khan seems hardly a game-changing chapter in the history of the state. Analysis of Pakistan’s current policies, persistent domination of the army over the state’s bureaucracy, increasing dependency on external loans and bailouts provokes rather opposite conclusions. Pakistan’s strategic goals vis-à-vis Afghanistan and India exploit its own resources and strongly affect the regional security system whilst the country has no adequate means to achieve them. Consequently, there is a vital need of a paradigm shift in Pakistan’s regional security calculus from ideologically motivated, unfeasible claims to a more cooperative posture, supplemented by campaigns for de-radicalization. This research study was conducted during seven trips to Pakistan during the last decade; the results and conclusions of this study were discussed and debated with academics and other South Asia experts both in Asia and in Europe.

The effect of board and audit committee effectiveness on internal control disclosure under different regulatory environments in South Asia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the internal control disclosure (ICDISC) practices in South Asia and compare those disclosure practices across enforced setting (India) versus comply or explain setting (Pakistan and Bangladesh). Further, whether the audit firm size moderates the relationship between ICDISC practices and board & audit committee effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve these objectives, a sample of 100 non-financial companies was selected from Pakistan and India for three years’ period (2013-2015), whereas 93 companies were selected from Bangladesh based on market capitalization. The ICDISC index has been used which is based on the COSO framework.FindingsResults of univariate analysis show that public sector companies in South Asia tend to disclose significantly more internal control information as compared to private sector companies. In terms of enforcement variable, the results of Mann–Whitney test show that companies listed in enforced setting have disclosed significantly greater extent of overall as well as individual categories of ICDISC as compared to companies listed in comply or explain setting. Based on multivariate analysis results for overall sample, it was found that board and audit committee characteristics and ownership by government have positive significant effect on ICDISC except representation of female or foreigner on audit committee which was found negatively significant. In addition to this, listing on foreign stock exchange and enforcement effect emerged as significant variables to influence ICDISC. Finally, the results of additional analysis state that the role of board and audit committee for influencing ICDISC has been moderated by the external auditor size in South Asia. In addition, enforcement variable is highly positively significant for companies having non-big four audit firm.Research limitations/implicationsThese results imply that enforcement variable acts as an important alternative external control mechanism when companies do not have big four audit firm as their external auditors.Originality/valueThis is very first study on ICDISC in South Asia which explores the effect of enforcement and governance on ICDISC practices of firms. It also contributes toward the literature that the regulation on reporting of internal control can be effective in developing country only if there is strong penalty for non-compliance by regulatory authorities.

Environmental variables contributing to differential performance of tropical maize hybrids across heat stress environments in South Asia

Heat stress resilience in maize hybrids is emerging as an important trait in germplasm targeted for cultivation in the post-rainy season spring in South Asia. One of the major challenges in targeted breeding for these agro-ecologies is the differential response of maize genotypes to heat stress across locations during the spring season. This study is targeted at identifying the major environmental variables that contributed to the genotype × environmental (GEI) yield variations observed among genotypes grown in response to heat stress. The trial dataset used for this study constitutes 46 trials × location combinations spread over a period of three years (2013-2015). Partial least square (PLS) regression analysis was implemented to decipher the important environmental variables contributing to the observed yield variation among maize trials planted during spring across locations of South Asia. The first two factors from the PLS study explained the 30 per cent yield variation across trials. The largest contributor of this variation was relative humidity (RH) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) during flowering stage of the crop across the years.

The Nadwat al-‘Ulama's Romance with Iqbal: Narrative construction and historiography

AbstractThis article examines the Indian poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal's appropriation by three Nadwat al-‘Ulama scholars: Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi (d. 1953), Abu'l-Hasan ‘Ali Nadwi (d. 1999), and ‘Abd al-Salam Nadwi (d. 1956). It argues that the particular depictions of Iqbal by the Nadwa ‘ulama can be mapped onto larger evolutions within the institute. The early Nadwa ‘alim Sulayman Nadwi imagines Iqbal as a Muslim leader par excellence. A more conservative understanding of Islam emerged with the later Nadwa ‘ulama. They emphasize traditional theological ideas, particular modes of piety, and ritualistic actions. The article suggests that the later Nadwa ‘ulama’s writings on Iqbal are reflective of this particular understanding of Islam and morality, although there are two distinct responses to the poet. The above examination of the Nadwa is placed within its broader historical context. In so doing, the article contends that the impact of the political milieu in India must be taken into account to understand shifts in the Nadwa and South Asian Islam more broadly. It also asserts that the political environment in South Asia influenced Iqbal's reception by the Nadwa ‘ulama as well as by Muslims in South Asia and beyond. Additionally, this article argues that all three works by the Nadwa ‘ulama are subjective portrayals informed by the social imaginaries of their authors. In fact, in a broader sense, all works of narrative historiography are subjective accounts. This realization problematizes the boundaries between the categories of historiography and hagiography, and this research calls for a rethinking of these tensions.

Moderation and Modernism in India’s Nuclear Policy: Post 1974 Era

India, after its first nuclear explosion in 1974 moved to modernize and moderate nuclear policy as security environment in the region deteriorated further due to China, pursuing a strategy of containing India by using Pakistan as a surrogate, had supplied technology nuclear materials andwarhead designs for the Pakistani bomb. Clearly with Chinese help Pakistani detonated six nuclear devices as follow up of India’s repeat detonation in the second week of May 1998. This development changed the security environment in South Asia forever and this time India convinced the international community that it would not become a destabilising nuclear force in the international system. Thus, in the post-1998 era India adopted two concepts, (i) No first use for attack or war and (ii) Credible minimum deterrence. As a step further in the direction India also signed with the US a nuclear deal under which it agreed to separate its civil and military nuclear facilities under international safeguard and supervision. The paper analyses the evolution of India’s nuclear capability in regional and global contexts.