Interstate Border Research Articles

Epidemiology and outcomes of drug-resistant tuberculosis cases notified in a low-resource district in Kerala, India 2017–2021 – A 5-year retrospective analysis

Objectives: Kasaragod district reports the highest drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) case notification rates in Kerala. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Kasaragod to describe the DR-TB cases notified from January 2017 to December 2021 and to identify the factors associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes in DR-TB patients. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the programmatic data from the “Nikshay portal” (a web-based patient management information system for [TB] under the National TB Elimination Program), DR-TB treatment cards, and treatment registers available with the district TB center for all the DR-TB patients notified during the study period. We described the DR-TB cases by year, local self-government area (the local administrative setup), age, gender, income level, and treatment outcomes. We compared sociodemographic, anthropometric, and clinical factors among the DR-TB patients with favorable (cured and treatment completed) and unfavorable (died, lost to follow-up, and treatment failure) treatment outcomes. Results: From January 2017 to December 2021, 128 DR-TB cases were notified from Kasaragod. Annual notification rates varied from 1.4 to 3.4/100,000 population with the highest notification in 2019. The proportion of new TB cases notified tested for drug sensitivity rose from 22% in 2017 to 86% in 2021. Seven of 41 local self-government areas had not notified DR-TB cases during 2017–2021. The notification was higher in inter-state border areas and the coastal belt of the district. The notification of DR-TB cases was highest among the 45–59 age group (17/100,000), followed by the 60 above group (11/100,000). Males and those living below the poverty line had higher notification rates. Among the outcomes evaluated 118 DR-TB patients, 89 (75.4%) had favorable outcomes, whereas the remaining 24.6% had unfavorable outcomes (death 18 [15.3%], loss to follow-up 7 [6%], and treatment failure 4 [3.4%]). Age more than 45 years adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–8.8), income category below the poverty line aOR 6 (95% CI 1.2–28.6), admitted at least twice during treatment aOR 9.2 (95% CI 2.8–30.3), and body mass index at diagnosis <18.5 kg/m2 aOR 3 (95% CI 1.1–10.3) were found to be significantly associated with unfavorable treatment outcomes. Conclusion: DR-TB notifications have increased in the Kasaragod district from 2017 to 2021, with a high burden among males aged 45 years and above. The favorable treatment outcome is better than the national and state average. Regular monitoring and follow-up of multidrug-resistant patients with low incomes, above 45 years, and underweight may improve the final treatment outcomes.

Факторы изменения социально-экономического положения малых городов российско-белорусского приграничья

Small towns remain an important element of the settlement framework in the Russian Federation. Socio-economic status, settlement functions and motives of residents determine the prospects for the development or degradation of small towns. The article aims to classify existing and identify new factors in the socio-economic development of small border towns. The paper examined and analysed a set of Russian and foreign publications, as well as collected statistics from small towns in the Russian-Belarusian border area. A scientific hypothesis about the influence of border factors and interstate integration on socio-economic changes in small towns of the Russian-Belarusian border area was tested. As a result, new functions and socio-economic factors of small border towns were identified. The border position of a small town can be a development factor if the barrier of the interstate border remains. It was established that the population decline in small towns of the Russian-Belarusian border area is greater in comparison with its regional indicators and large cities. Investments in fixed capital per capita during the analysed period, with rare exceptions, do not exceed 50 % of the region’s value. However, the number of square metres of housing per capita in small towns is higher than the regional average. A proposed supranational strategy for the development of the Russian-Belarusian border area will help stimulate the economy of small towns and improve the quality of life of the population. When strategically planning the development of small towns in the Russian-Belarusian border area, it is necessary to determine their economic functions, define a specialisation to emphasise their identity and use competitive advantages in the struggle for resources with larger agglomerations.

Romanian-Ukrainian Anthroponymic Contact on the Interstate Border along the Tisza River

The area between Romania and Ukraine has been the site of frequent language contact for many centuries. This contact has impacted the onomastic store of both nations. This study analyzes anthroponyms (family and first names) in the border area between Ukraine and Romania, along the Tisza River. This study investigates the frequency and etymological origin of family names in the Ukrainian/Romanian communities on both sides of the Tisza. It explores the factors that may have facilitated the spread of Ukrainian/Romanian names beyond their linguistic communities of origin; and it discusses the cultural identity of the two minorities as expressed by their anthroponymic trends. Based on the results of a corpus of historical data gathered between 2000 and 2021, the findings of this research show how language contact, migration, fashion, and tradition can influence anthroponymic choices and reflect ethnic identity.

The impact of delimitation and demarcation of interstate borders after the colonial era in Peninsular Malaysia

As a result of the colonial administration’s use of correspondence, agreements, and gazettes to define interstate borders along the borders of neighbouring states, peninsular Malaysia’s interstate borders were organically drawn around rivers and watersheds. Unfortunately, several flaws need to be fixed, including the river’s fluctuating path, delays in decision-making, and the state government’s ignorance of the significance of demarcation. Due to the significant social, economic, political, and jurisdictional ramifications, the demarcation of the interstate border in peninsular Malaysia has been the focus of intense controversy. The interstate natural boundary, like the river, is linked to damaging common-pool resources in addition to the overconsumption of natural resources. In order to give a thorough understanding of inter-state border demarcation and to implicate useful policy actions, the application of effective factors for inter-state border demarcation revision into six factors should be made based on its impact: constitutive agreement, authoritative mandate, operational structure, technical specifications, dispute resolution mechanisms, and additional components known as sustainable border governance. This review was carried out by carefully examining the supporting data from the extensive border studies literature and questionnaire. The idea of interstate boundary demarcation involves several aspects that show how changing state borders can affect both states’ authority, law enforcement, socioeconomic conditions, and tax revenues. In order to help readers better comprehend the significance and impact of interstate border delineation in peninsular Malaysia, this article offered a different perspective on the topic.

Analysis and risk assessment of the introduction of small ruminant plague pathogens, sheep pox and goat pox through the territory of the West Kazakhstan region into the Russian Federation

Sheep pox and goat pox (GFP) and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) are infectious diseases of viral nature that mainly affect small ruminants. In domestic animals these are sheep and goats and in wildlife saigas, ibex, antelope and so on. These diseases are considered to be emergent infections, since they are characterized by a transboundary route of entry and spread, as well as causing enormous economic damage in small livestock due to almost 100% mortality and high lethality. Studies have shown that there is a high risk of introduction of emergent infectious diseases pathogens from the territory of West Kazakhstan region (through Kaztalovsky district) to Alexandrovo-Gaysky district of Saratov region. The risk is assessed as high, due to the fact that the largest number of susceptible small ruminants is concentrated on the territory of Kaztalovsky district, which amounts to 287640 heads. Small ruminants’ population density in this district was 15.5 heads/km2. The highest number of cattle is also observed on the territory of Kaztalovsky district (which is 117893 heads, which is of certain importance when keeping cattle and cattle together as a potential source-virus carrier of pathogens of the considered infections. Risk scoring, taking into account the criterion of availability of international routes of communication, showed 2 points out of 5. But, taking into account the fact that the interstate border is not marked and there is no control line, it entails the free movement of both wild and farm animals, in addition, the risk of uncontrolled movement and transportation of animals and livestock products through anthropogenic factor increases. Taking into account these facts, the risk can be assessed as 5 points out of 5.

Stringency and timeliness of COVID‐19 policies in managing the pandemic in Queensland: Lessons from 2020

AbstractQueensland experienced relatively low case numbers during the first year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. This may be due to timely, stringent policies, yet there is currently no research evaluating this link, despite the state government playing such a primary role in the pandemic response. This ecological study used a cross‐sectional design to examine the stringency and timeliness of Queensland's containment policies and their impact on COVID‐19 cases in 2020. To achieve this, the authors generated a stringency index for Queensland in 2020 in line with the Oxford COVID‐19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) method, since these data were not available at the time. The national context was also provided by examining the relationship between case numbers and policies in Australia. The findings demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between policy stringency and case numbers in both Australia and Queensland. While Australia experienced two waves of COVID‐19 in 2020, Queensland only experienced one. In terms of timeliness, there was a reactive approach to the first wave, with rapid escalation of policy stringency in both Queensland and Australia as a whole. Queensland's ability to prevent a second wave in 2020 may be due to a more systematic, gradual de‐escalation of policies and the maintenance of strategies such as interstate border controls. This study suggests that preventing the reintroduction of new cases after a period of elimination is important. Recommendations are made for the application and interpretation of the stringency index. Further research is needed to understand the relationship between de‐escalation strategies and outcomes.

Wastewater Surveillance Can Function as an Early Warning System for COVID-19 in Low-Incidence Settings.

During the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia implemented a series of international and interstate border restrictions. The state of Queensland experienced limited COVID-19 transmission and relied on lockdowns to stem any emerging COVID-19 outbreaks. However, early detection of new outbreaks was difficult. In this paper, we describe the wastewater surveillance program for SARS-CoV-2 in Queensland, Australia, and report two case studies in which we aimed to assess the potential for this program to provide early warning of new community transmission of COVID-19. Both case studies involved clusters of localised transmission, one originating in a Brisbane suburb (Brisbane Inner West) in July-August 2021, and the other originating in Cairns, North Queensland in February-March 2021. Publicly available COVID-19 case data derived from the notifiable conditions (NoCs) registry from the Queensland Health data portal were cleaned and merged spatially with the wastewater surveillance data using statistical area 2 (SA2) codes. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of wastewater detection for predicting the presence of COVID-19 reported cases were calculated for the two case study sites. Early warnings for local transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater surveillance were noted in both the Brisbane Inner West cluster and the Cairns cluster. The positive predictive value of wastewater detection for the presence of notified cases of COVID-19 in Brisbane Inner West and Cairns were 71.4% and 50%, respectively. The negative predictive value for Brisbane Inner West and Cairns were 94.7% and 100%, respectively. Our findings highlight the utility of wastewater surveillance as an early warning tool in low COVID-19 transmission settings.

Diplomat and Reformer S.L. Vladislavich-Raguzinsky: “...Eternal Peace Was Concluded and the Border Was Approved”

The authors consider the period of stay of Count Sava Lukich Vladislavich-Raguzinsky, from 1725 until 1728, in Eastern Siberia during and after his diplomatic mission to the Qing Empire. His role in the expansion and strengthening of Russia’s influence on the eastern borders is established. Particular attention is paid to the issue of streamlining relations between the local administration and the indigenous population, the restoration of bilateral trade between Russia and China, the arrangement of the border and trade territories, the organization of missionary activities of the Orthodox clergy in Siberia and the Qing Empire. All this significantly influenced the development of the peoples and territories of the region during the process of Russia’s expansion in the east, the change of its role in Russia's foreign policy in the Far East. Nowadays, especially relevant is the provision written by the ally of Peter the Great in the Treaty of Kyakhta that between Russia and China “peace should be sustainable and eternal” and the interstate border should become peaceful at all times.

Political ties between the Оttoman state and Byzantine empire (according to byzantine sources)

In the XIV century, the Turkish conquest of Asia Minor and the establishment of the Ottoman sultanate made this state border with Byzantium.The interstate border shaped the conditions of the war and led to the emergence of political problems. At the same time, mutual good neighborly relations and political processes have been established between the states, which lasted more than a century and a half. Relations between the two states were at different levels, which depended on political issues. Byzantine sources provide new information about the relationship between these states. This scientific paper discusses the history of the Turko-Byzantine relationship, from the formation of the Ottoman Sultanate to the capture of Constantinople by the Turks according to Byzantine sources. Based on the information presented in the chronicles of medieval Byzantine authors, the movement of the Turks in Asia Minor in the XIV-XV centuries, their political pressure on Byzantium, as well as interstate diplomatic and trade relations are explored. The main directions of relations between the Ottoman Sultanate and Byzantium and their political significance are analyzed. The policy and expansion of the Ottomans in the Balkans and the position of the Byzantine Empire regarding the development of the Turkish state are studied. Under studying political events between the two states, conducting a comparative analysis and studying Byzantine sources are  considered one of the main tasks of the article. Key words: Ottoman state, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine sources, Byzantine chronicles, External relations.

INSTITUTIONAL ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF INTER-STATE JOINT BORDER COMMITTEE IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Determining the inter-state border in Peninsular Malaysia is done through allocation, delimitation, demarcation and documentation. Starting in 1993, the JointBoundary Committee (JBC) organised this procedure with the involvement of numerous state and federal organisations under the Ministry’s coordination. This study examines how JBCs interact to make decisions and how well JBC formation rules-in-use work. Surveys, interviews, participant observations and document reviews were used to gather data which was then analysed using the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework (IAD) based on content analysis. Position rules, boundary rules, choice rules, aggregation rules, scope rules, information rules and pay-off rules are some of the rules in creating the JBC, although they have not been able to successfully direct interaction. For enhancement, a configuration of seven types of rules can be used because the analysis results show that seven types of rules have found significant weaknesses in establishing existing JBCs. Therefore, implementing the IAD will effectively coordinate the management and administration of the JBC in making decisions to expedite the inter-state border delimitation and demarcation in Peninsular Malaysia in line with the 16th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A framework of institutional analysis toward an effective inter-state border delimitation and demarcation in Peninsular Malaysia

The determination of the inter-state border in Peninsular Malaysia is done through the process of allocation, delimitation, demarcation, and documentation. This process was organized by the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) with the involvement of several agencies from the state and federal governments, coordinated by the Ministry, starting in 1993. This study analyzes the interaction of JBCs in decision-making and the effectiveness of rules-in-use of JBC formation. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, participant observations, and document reviews and then analysed using the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework (IAD) based on content analysis. The rules-in-use in the establishment of the JBC include position rules, boundary rules, choice rules, aggregation rules, scope rules, information rules, and pay-off rules that cannot direct interaction effectively. For enhancement, a configuration of seven types of rules can be used because the analysis results show that seven types of rules have found significant weaknesses in establishing existing JBCs. Therefore, the implementation of the IAD will effectively coordinate the management and administration of the JBC in making decisions to expedite the inter-state border delimitation and demarcation in Peninsular Malaysia in line with the 16th goal of the Sustainable Development Goals. Keywords: Demarcation, institutional analysis, inter-state border, Joint Border Committee, Peninsular Malaysia, rules-in-use

Spatiotemporal changes in tropospheric nitrogen dioxide hotspot due to emission switch-off condition in the view of lockdown emergency in India

The COVID-19 outbreak has elicited forced lockdown conditions for all anthropogenic emissions across the globe. It has brought an opportunity for the researchers to sort out the relative contribution of the environmental pollutants which are emerged from the coal-based thermal power plants and other industrial sectors. In countries like India, some industrial sectors and thermal power plants coexist; henceforth, they mutually produce NO2 concentration canopy in the upper atmosphere in raised form. Focusing on this issue, the present work intends to explore the NO2 emission hot-spots’ foci using switch-off conditions in consequence of emergency lockdown. Our results indicate that stable {(CV}_{mathrm{low};}mathrm{and;NO}{2 }_{mathrm{;max}}) and large NO2 concentration canopy is noticeable in the inter-state border areas among Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand (around “Govind Ballabh Part Sagar” reservoir) where a cluster of thermal power plant is located. The “OFF” situation also proposes a close correspondence between the NO2 richness column and installed capacity (R2 value > 0.7 with 0.0002 p value). States that are situated in the eastern part of the country and megacities like Delhi and Kolkata represent a crucial role in NO2 emission while in certain regions of south India are more or less safe from NO2 emission. As a consequence, the lockdown has created a temporary pollution baseline for tropospheric NO2 that offers research prospects to think of alternate sources of energy that can maintain environmental health as well as human well-being.

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

The effect of real estate purchase subsidies on property prices

This paper assesses to which degree housing purchase subsidies are capitalized into property prices. Using a large-scale micro-dataset on German house prices, I exploit the introduction of a new subsidy scheme in the state of Bavaria. My difference-in-difference estimations at the Bavarian interstate border indicate that the prices of single-family homes increased by approximately 10,000 euros more in Bavarian border regions. This is consistent with a full capitalization of the subsidy. No effect is found for apartments, whose purchasers seldom qualify for the subsidy. A heterogeneity analysis confirms that the price effect is larger in segments of the real estate market with a higher exposure to the subsidy scheme. I also provide suggestive evidence that the subsidy scheme slightly stimulated construction activity. Overall, my results indicate that instead of making house purchases more affordable for families, the subsidy scheme led to a rise in house prices and mainly benefited sellers of properties.

Probabilistic Forecasts Using Expert Judgment: The Road to Recovery From COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on many industries around the world including tourism and policy makers are interested in mapping out what the recovery path will look like. We propose a novel statistical methodology for generating scenario-based probabilistic forecasts based on a large survey of 443 tourism experts and stakeholders. The scenarios map out pessimistic, most-likely and optimistic paths to recovery. Taking advantage of the natural aggregation structure of tourism data due to geographic locations and purposes of travel, we propose combining forecast reconciliation and forecast combinations implemented to historical data to generate robust COVID-free counterfactual forecasts, to contrast against. Our empirical application focuses on Australia, analyzing international arrivals and domestic flows. Both sectors have been severely affected by travel restrictions in the form of international and interstate border closures and regional lockdowns. The two sets of forecasts, allow policy makers to map out the road to recovery and also estimate the expected effect of the pandemic.

Исторический опыт формирования российско-финляндской границы: теоретические аспекты становления (и формирования) международно-правового регулирования

The problems of the historical aspects of the formation of interstate borders, which continue to be the focus of attention of representatives of the scientific and practical community, are analyzed. The above is due, among other things, to the specifics of the geopolitical position of individual border territories, which were the subject of disagreements and disputes. From the standpoint of the theory and methodology of law, the problems around state borders are dictated by the growing objective and natural needs of states and the legally formalized directions of the latter's policy in this area. Attempts have been made to consider some historical aspects of the formation of the legal basis of the Russian-Finnish border. Against the backdrop of increased rivalry between key centers of power, growing contradictions and dynamic changes in international relations, a new rethinking of the historical process of legal registration of the establishment of the border between the two countries will become of particular relevance. An analysis of the early historical patterns and the genesis of the formation of the interstate border makes it possible to build it in line with the revision and reassessment of certain aspects of the logic of the formation of the border space within the framework of the historical and legal process. It is concluded that in modern conditions, on the one hand, the readiness to develop in-depth cooperation within the framework of the emerging new model of behavior in this area and, on the other hand, the moods traditionally taking place in certain political and public circles of Finland regarding the return of the lost Karelian lands determine the use of the most stable border regimes and adequate political and legal mechanisms, procedures to avoid the negative impact of the factor of increasing the process of militarization of the border and individual risks. In the context of a possible change in the policy of the two countries, the theory of legal regulation of the issues under study is of great importance, without which it seems impossible to achieve a balance of the multifaceted interests of states.

PROBLEMS OF UNREGULATED POLITICAL STATUS OF TERRITORIES AS A FACTOR OF DEEPENING CONTRADICTIONS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

All international conflicts regarding unregulated political status of territories, despite the variety of their types, can be united by the lack of legitimate power in different parts of the earth's surface or the desire to establish such power. In order to differentiate all the conflicts regarding international legal unregulated political status of the territories according to their origin the following types can be proposed: 1) conflicts that arose as a result of the forcible annexation of territories, the incorporation of which is not recognized by the international community; 2) conflicts that arose due to the creation of the self-proclaimed states in the territories controlled by the occupation regimes; 3) conflicts that arose due to the creation of the self-proclaimed states as the result of domestic crisis reasons, but with the participation of foreign policy factors; 4) conflicts over disputable border areas and islands; 5) conflicts regarding political claims to dependent countries under the control of other states; 6) latent conflicts over claims on land and water areas, which according to international conventions should not be extended to the sovereignty of any state; 7) the Middle East conflict due to non-compliance with the decision of the UN General Assembly of 1947 on the establishment of a sovereign Arab state. The conflict over the legal status of Palestine and the there solution of the so-called self-proclaimed states are the main issues of geopolitical controversy among the various types of conflicts. The conflict-generating potential regarding disputes over control independent countries is much smaller today. Interstate border disputes mostly concern the status of individual islands. In order to avoid new conflicts, the UN needs to strengthen the status of Antarctica and the areas adjacent to the North Pole, making them as a neutral demilitarized territory, which can not be extended to the sovereignty of individual states. The greatest concentration of conflicts regarding the international legal unregulated political status of the territories is connected with the contradictions in the collapse of the USSR and in thein completeness and disorder of decolonization.
 Thus, the resolution of territorial and political conflicts requires the UN Security Council and international law modernization and reform, paying much attention to the conditions and circumstances of state and political self-determination, as well as the realization of effective sanctions in the case of annexation of territories.
 Among the various types of conflicts related to the international legal unresolved political status of territories, the main nodes of geopolitical controversy are Russia's occupation of Crimea and part of Donetsk and the conflict over the state status of Palestine and resolving the problems of so-called self-proclaimed states. its influence in the post-Soviet space.
 Key words: territorial-political conflict, types of conflicts concerning international legal unregulated status of territories, self-proclaimed states, border conflicts, status of Antarctica and Arctic.

Long term hydrological and environmental monitoring of the Stryi River using remote sensing data and GIS technologies


 
 
 The proposed research sets the task of conducting monitoring aimed at determining the horizontal displacements of the channel of the Stryi River the largest right-bank tributary of the Dniester River. For this purpose, the river was zoned according to morphometric and hydrological characteristics. Three parts were identified, namely highland, piedmont and lowland ones, which radically vary in the nature of the flow and the amount of the displacement. The main research purpose consists in analyzing the impact of anthropogenic factors on the hydrological regime of the Stryi River, as well as studying the effect of the Ukrainian Carpathian Foredeep (UCF) and the Stryi Deep on the mode of horizontal displacements. The research object is processes occurring within the Stryi River channel. Considering main natural factors affecting the channel’s horizontal displacements, special attention is paid to the geological and sedimentological structures located in the region where the Stryi River and its tributaries flow; among the anthropogenic factors, deforestation and the extraction of building materials from the river channel are highlighted. Topographic, geological, soil maps and satellite images of various periods uploaded into ArcGIS software allowed us to monitor displacements observed for as long as 140 years ago. To monitoring the Stryi River channel displacements, such materials as topographic maps scaled 1: 75000 (Austrian period – 1874), 1: 100000 (Polish period – 1933, Soviet period – 1990); satellite images of Sentinel-2 (2019 and 2020 (after the flood)); a map of Quaternary sediments and a soil map scaled 1: 200000 were used. The Stryi River flows between two structures, i.e. the Skybovi Carpathians and the UCF. The right-bank tributaries (Bystrytsia, Limnitsia, Stryi, etc.), which begin in the Carpathians, cross the outer and inner boundaries of the UCF and are characterized by the stable river channel in its mountainous part, multi-braided in its piedmont part, as well as perennial and significant meandering within the Pre-Carpathian region. Lithological deposits have a significant impact at the mouth of the Stryi River. According to the research study results, displacements of up to 1,350m are measured in this area. The research includes an analysis of the influence of geological and sedimentological structures on the Stryi River displacement and the nature of its flow. It has been established that deforestation in the river basin, as well as unauthorized extraction of gravel materials, creates a significant environmental problem in this region. The results of monitoring of the channel deformation processes should be taken into account when solving problems related to river channel processes, namely the construction of hydraulic structures, the design of power transmission networks crossing rivers, the development of gas pipelines, the identification of hazardous flooding zones, the determination of consequences of destruction after floods, the establishment of boundaries of water protection zones, the management of recreational activities, monitoring of border lands and the establishment of an interstate border along rivers.
 
 

Drug offence detection during the pandemic: An ARIMA analysis of rates and regional differences in Queensland, Australia

Public commentary has offered mixed opinion on the likely impact of COVID-19 restrictions on drug-related offending. On the one hand, it is argued that drug users – and the drug markets in which they interact – may have become the incidental targets of law enforcement as police seek to enforce social distancing regulations by focusing their efforts on street-level pedestrian activity or open-air gatherings. On the other, interstate border closures and restrictions on person and freight traffic are thought to have interrupted illicit drug supply chains, temporarily reducing or displacing market activity at the street level and thus reducing police detections of drug users. In this study, we extend current analyses of crime during the COVID-19 pandemic to explore how the rate of police detection for drug possession and other drug-related offences has changed. Using crime data from the Australian state of Queensland, we use Auto-Regressive Integrated and Moving Average time series modelling techniques to explore historical trends and their dynamic forecasts. We then compare actual offence rates for March through June to identify any statistically significant changes. We find that reported drug offences significantly vary across time and location highlighting that the impact of COVID-19 is not universal across Queensland. Thus, the significant heterogeneity in local drug market dynamics that has elsewhere been documented remains even in a major crisis with significant changes in policing activity and resource allocation. Our analysis has significant import for criminal justice practitioners in further understanding drug market dynamics and drug-related offending during COVID-19 restrictions.

Inter-Regional State Boundary Friction Resolution Mechanism Under Federal Constitution of Ethiopia: Principles and Institutions

Federalism presupposes the existence a stable territorial boundary of units/ states that exercise their constitutional power and territorial autonomy. Inter-state boundary friction is a kind of contests over territory between two or more states assert sovereign power over one or the same territory; that is an apparent problem in Ethiopia. Boundary contest and misunderstanding is a serious political and human rights issue in federations where territory is potential identity-builders for ethnicities and is viewed as having high inherent values. Similarly, the boundary issue in Ethiopia is characterized by clashes between regional police and security forces and ethnically identified attack and violence between ethnic groups that has also resulted mass killings and person’s displacement in contested boundary areas. Federal Constitution is an important legal framework to regulate the behaviors and actions of the disputed parties and determine the policies and procedures of inter-state border claim and friction resolution. In other words, federal constitution supplants international law and military power and serve as mechanism for interstate coordination and dispute settlement. The purpose of this study was to identify the effective inter-regional boundary friction resolution mechanisms under Federal Constitution of Ethiopia. The study has employed doctrinal legal research using secondary data and revealed the following. First, the study has found eight (8) constitutional principles support peaceful boundary friction resolution in Ethiopia Viz. primacy of federal union, cooperation and dispute settlement, codependence and disablement, federal oversight, sanctity of human rights, inclusive human rights invocation, peaceful coexistence, and rule of law. Ironically, in Ethiopia these constitutionally stipulated principles are not given due emphasis or are ignored and border conflicts are not adequately handled. Second, the study has revealed the need of a comprehensive legislation that proactively determine the nature inter-state border claim and friction resolution procedures and regulate the behaviors and actions of the parties that involve in the process. In this regard, the Federal Government has Legislative power under FDRE constitution. Third, the House of Federation and Administrative Boundaries and identity question Commission are the two inter-state boundary disputes resolution institutions in Ethiopia. However, both of these institutions have limitations in handling boundary disputes effectively- impartially. Finally, the study recommends that the Federal Government to enact comprehensive legislation based on the aforementioned eight principles. Besides, the federal legislator has to reconsider the composition, accountability, transparency of the Administrative Boundaries and Identity Question Commission.