Existing Development Policies Research Articles

New Developmentalism and the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism: Policy Options for the Global South

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), put forward by the European Union (EU), appeared as a new environmental trade policy that holds significance to the Global South. It necessitates the Global South countries to make changes in their development strategies to not only adapt to the CBAM, but to the overall shifting of the world’s economic growth pattern and sustainable development agenda from which it emerged. Against this backdrop, this article addresses how the Global South can adapt to the CBAM in particular and the larger pressure to transition to a more sustainable growth and development. This article uses qualitative methodology with data acquired through extensive desk research. Findings of this article show that new developmentalism is well suited to enhance the needed policy changes as the Global South can leverage its already-existing state capacity to effectively steer the transformation towards a more sustainable growth. This article is also equipped with possible policy options for the Global South as close examinations towards existing development policies of several Global South countries still list several challenges.

Development Policy of the International Trade Industry under the Background of Cloud Computing and Internet of Things

With the continuous development of Internet technology, new opportunities and challenges have emerged in international trade. If it does not seize new opportunities and take measures to meet challenges, it will cause the development of international trade to enter a state of stagnation, especially when the current domestic demand has not shown a strong recovery. The emergence of cloud computing and the Internet of Things (CCIoT) has provided new technologies and means for the development of international trade. In order to accurately analyze the development policy of the international trade industry and provide strong technical support for the development of the international trade industry under the Internet of Things environment, this paper studies the development policy of the international trade industry in the context of CCIoT. This paper borrows the method of cloud computing and collects relevant data provided by development policies through the perception Internet layer. It is transmitted through the network layer, processed through the high-performance computing cloud, and finally transformed into useful information for the international trade industry. The test results show that the use of cloud computing technology can analyze the existing development policies, promote the development of the international trade industry, and improve the trade efficiency by 3.84%. This reduces the impact of various factors on international trade, while providing strong and good services to users in international trade.

Franklin Obeng-Odoom, Property, institutions, and social stratification in Africa, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2020

Franklin Obeng-Odoom’s book, Property, institutions, and social stratification in Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2020) challenges prevailing ideas on existing development policies and attempts to provide new alternative perspectives for more equitable economic development in Africa. The economic concepts on which the author relies for this purpose are stratification economics and the ideas of Henry George (1839–1897). In this review, after a brief introduction to these two frameworks, the contents of the book are presented. Next, the significance of the author’s concepts is explained, and the reviewer’s comments regarding the author’s views are provided.

MINORITY REVOLTS AND UPRISING IN THE NIGER DELTA

The study examined the origin of minority revolts and uprising in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria in order to ascertain the factors responsible and the actors involved. The study observed that the foundation for revolts and uprising in the Niger Delta region were laid by the colonial masters during the pre-colonial and colonial era. The study relied on secondary sources of data and the basic human needs theory as its theoretical framework. The data obtained were analysed qualitatively. Findings from the study revealed that unequal level of trade, alienation, marginalization of the aborigines etc. accounts for minority revolts and uprising in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region. However, sustainable peace and development could return to the Niger Delta if conscious effort is made to review all existing development policies and programmes in the regions with a view to charting a new course for the people of the region. Policies and laws that will aid and accelerate development in the Niger Delta should also be given accelerated hearing and treated as an issue of national importance.

The integration of natural capital into development policies

In response to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, there has been a rising awareness of the need to address simultaneously the preservation of natural capital stocks and poverty alleviation at multiple scales. Focusing on tropical forest-rich developing countries, the article overviews the extent to which natural capital considerations are integrated into existing development policies and interventions. The review finds that the explicit consideration of natural resources is left out of many commonly applied development interventions, leading to suboptimal and unsustainable outcomes. The interventions that do tackle both development and conservation goals are often not coordinated and are implemented at a site-by-site basis, without providing the socially efficient levels of natural capital stocks or ensuring the long-term sustainability of the development and conservation impacts. Bringing in perspectives from development economics, environmental economics, and applied conservation, this article makes the case for a better integration of development and conservation goals in interventions in developing countries and outlines the emerging frontiers for research and policy.

Land Diversification as Adaptation to Climate Change: Case Study of Konda Reddis of Andhra Pradesh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32444/IJSW.2018.79.2.229-252 This paper explores aspects of land diversity that can help reduce livelihood vulner- ability to climate change. Using household data of 100 Konda Reddi families in Andhra Pradesh, it examines the land use pattern of different land types in this ‘agency belt’. Using the Land Diversity Index, the study provides insights into land use preferences across farmer categories and highlights vulnerabilities of marginal and small farmers to climate change. It expresses concern over maladaptive practices being perceived as ‘coping mechanisms’ in response to local climatic changes. It creates a case for policy makers to revisit the existing development policies from a climate lens.

Gender Disparity in Functionality and Consequence of Microfinance: Does it Function Currently?

This study has been designed to represent gender disparity in different issues like adequacy of loan amount, rate of interest, formalities to take loan and consequence of microfinance in poverty alleviation. Both descriptive and inferential statistical tools have been used to test our research hypothesis. This study reveals that there is a significant perceptional difference between male and female respondents regarding adequacy of loan amount, rate of interest, formalities to take loan. Although female respondents have more positive attitude regarding adequacy of loan amount, rate of interest, formalities to take loan than that of men, they are less positive relating to poverty alleviation as a consequence of microfinance than that of male respondents. The findings of this study urge that if the macro-economic policymakers don’t upgrade existing development policies, the socio-economic barriers of the women keep them behind in accruing and using microfinance to reduce their poverty.

Praktik Demokrasi Pasca-Pemilu di Tingkat Lokal: Preferensi para Aktor Elite dalam Perspektif Teori Pilihan Rasional

Electoral democracy generates the political elites. Because these political elites are born through a democratic process, they are expected to practice their power in accordance to the basic principles of democracy. One of them is to open the opportunity and acces of people to participatie in decision making proceses. Nevertheless, the problem is that the political elites who were elected through electoral democracy tend to close the participation of citizen in policy making process. To analyze how the political elites formulated the policy and what the rationality of the policy was, this article used rational choice theory. Article used secondary data to analyze the problem. Results of the analysis showed that democracy in local level after elections was determined by rationality, preferences, and interests of the political elites. The practices of power of the elites in local level in the context of rational choice theory made opportunity and access for the people obstructed. It then affects the existing development policies reflect only rationality, preferences, and interests of some elites.

Women's differentiated vulnerability and adaptations to climate-related agricultural water scarcity in rural Central Vietnam

This field-based study applies a mixed methods approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative analyses to investigate the differences in women's vulnerability and adaptations to climate-related agricultural water scarcity in Ky Nam commune, Central Vietnam. The study highlights the heterogeneity of women as a group and their intersectional dynamics as they adapt to increasing agricultural water scarcity on their rural livelihoods. The findings show that social differences including gender, class, household headship, age and stage of life shape women's differentiated experiences in vulnerability in access to water, to forestland and credit; in turn mark their adaptation differentiation to climate-related agricultural water scarcity. It also stresses that existing development policies can cause inequality in resource access in practice, running the risk of further marginalizing certain groups of women, especially female heads of household. Meanwhile, the current National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change of Vietnam is blind to issues of women's differentiated vulnerability and adaptive capacity. This study suggests that if these current development and adaptation measures do not pay proper attention to differentiated gender experience, it is likely to exacerbate the vulnerabilities of those affected, particularly female heads of household, rather than help them. In addition, these development and climate programmes have to be redesigned to accommodate more context-specific policies instead of one-size-fits-all packages that will effectively address women's (and men's) differential needs and unequal relations and circumstances.

Sustainable development and climate change: lessons from country studies

Sustainable development has been suggested as a framework for integrating development and climate change policies in developing countries. Mainstreaming climate change into sustainable development policies would allow these countries to achieve their development goals while addressing climate change. A number of research programmes have investigated how potential synergies could be achieved at national level and what kind of trade-offs between the various aspects of sustainable development have to be faced. An overview of these studies is provided, focusing on national case studies. The energy and transportation sectors are covered in many studies, but some attention is also given to the infrastructure sector and water supply. Most existing development policies will not lead to a sustainable development pattern, since they insufficiently address climate change. However, good opportunities exist for integrated policies to achieve development goals while engaging with climate change. The energy and transportation sector studies identified many alternative national low-cost policies with much lower GHG emissions than the business-as-usual policy. Opportunities are identified for alternative national development policies for infrastructure and water supply that provide resilience against climate variability and climate change.

Sustainable development and climate change: lessons from country studies

Sustainable development has been suggested as a framework for integrating development and climate change policies in developing countries. Mainstreaming climate change into sustainable development policies would allow these countries to achieve their development goals while addressing climate change. A number of research programmes have investigated how potential synergies could be achieved at national level and what kind of trade-offs between the various aspects of sustainable development have to be faced. An overview of these studies is provided, focusing on national case studies. The energy and transportation sectors are covered in many studies, but some attention is also given to the infrastructure sector and water supply. Most existing development policies will not lead to a sustainable development pattern, since they insufficiently address climate change. However, good opportunities exist for integrated policies to achieve development goals while engaging with climate change. The energy and transportation sector studies identified many alternative national low-cost policies with much lower GHG emissions than the business-as-usual policy. Opportunities are identified for alternative national development policies for infrastructure and water supply that provide resilience against climate variability and climate change.

Will a Trade and Investment Link in the Global Trade Regime Be Good for Human Development?

There is a long history of failed attempts to forge an international agreement on investment. The most recent attempt focuses on the multilateral trade regime. Both industrial country attempts and developing country opposition grew in the lead up to Doha in 2001 with investment becoming perhaps the most contentious issue at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Cancun Ministerial in September 2003. Disagreement on it was both a proximate and significant cause for the Cancun meeting's collapse. This brief article traces the history of attempts to reach an international agreement on investment. Using a human development lens, it analyses both the experience of the Uruguay Round agreement on trade-related investment measures and the pros and cons of a future multilateral agreement focused on foreign direct investment. It concludes that such an agreement, especially one focused on the pre-establishment phase which has been under discussion at the WTO, is likely to constrain existing development policy space, wit...