Investment In Social Infrastructure Research Articles

Economic benefit assessment of the geo-hazard monitoring and warning engineering system in the Three Gorges Reservoir area: a case study of the landslide in Zigui

The completion and operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China have increased the frequency of geo-hazards and dangers in the area. To monitor and to warn of geo-hazards effectively, the Chinese government has invested billions of funds for constructing a monitoring and warning engineering system. Similar to other social infrastructure investments, a reasonable assessment of investment returns is necessary. Therefore, this study proposes an economic benefit assessment model, which considers both the expected and the actual values. The economic benefit of the geo-hazard monitoring and warning engineering in the Three Gorges Reservoir areas is evaluated. Based on the engineering characteristics, the model reasonably defines the frontier of the input and output and adds the casualties and the losses of ecological environment into the economic benefit evaluation index system. A case study on the Zhangjiawan landslide in Guojiaba Town, Zigui County, was conducted. The evaluation results show that (1) land has the largest benefit in direct reductional loss (total of 56.7 %), while the largest indirect reductional losses of the hazard-bearing bodies are in agricultural production and ecological environment (total of 97.6 %); (2) the costs-to-expected return ratio of landslide monitoring and warning engineering is 1:280, whereas the cost-to-actual benefit ratio is 1:30; (3) the accumulation of relevant information and the public knowledge of geological disasters should be strengthened.

Quality of life of Turkish type 2 diabetics in Germany and Turkey – a comparison between Hamburg and Istanbul

Objectives. The analyses address the following research questions: (1) Do Turkish diabetics in Germany and Turkey differ in terms of quality of life? (2) If yes, can these differences (in part) be explained by social factors (age, gender, education, household size), functional limitations and availability of support? (3) Are social factors, functional limitations and availability of support differently associated with quality of life among Turkish diabetics in Germany and Turkey?Design. For this comparative cross-sectional study, 111 patients with type 2 diabetes were personally interviewed in Istanbul (Turkey) and 294 Turkish patients in Hamburg (Germany). For quality of life measurement we have used the Turkish version of the WHOQOL-Bref-26. Sociodemographics included age, sex, education and household-size. Health related functional limitations were assessed on the basis of an index of (instrumental) activities of daily living including the availability of help. Statistical analyses were conducted on group comparisons with Chi-square- and T-tests as well as linear regressions.Results. There are no significant differences between Turkish diabetics in Germany and Turkey in the physical and the psychological dimensions of the WHOQOL-Bref. However, in the WHOQOL-domains ‘social QoL’ and ‘environmental QoL’ Turkish diabetics living in Hamburg have a significantly better quality of life than their counterparts in Istanbul. These differences cannot be explained by individual sociodemographic factors, functional limitations and availability of support. Furthermore, we found much stronger positive associations between education and quality of life in Istanbul than in Hamburg.Conclusion. Beyond strong similarities between the two samples in sociodemographics, physical and mental health the social and environmental quality of life was significantly assessed better by the Turkish diabetics living in Hamburg. This is most likely an effect of public investment in social security, infrastructure and health care which is also influencing the decision as to where to spend life in retirement.

A Quantity Prediction Model for Reinforced Concrete and Bricks in Education Facilities Using Regression Analysis

Since the amendment of the law on the private sector investment in social infrastructure in January of 2005, the government has been actively promoting Build-Transfer-Lease (BTL) projects. Notably, most new educational facilities have been built as BTL projects. For these facilities, the unit cost per unit area has been applied to predict construction costs. However, since construction costs are mostly managed after the detailed design phase, the costs can be estimated incorrectly. For this reason, cost management is needed in the planning phase, with a sound approximate estimate to prevent the wasteful use of funds. To address this shortcoming, this study aims to develop a quantity prediction model for education facilities using regression analysis in the planning phase. The developed model is focused on the required quantities of reinforced concrete and bricks. In order to achieve the objective, the data of 44 educational facility projects collected from Gyeonggi-do was used in the regression model. This study can be utilized by major stakeholders to accurately predict construction costs by estimating the appropriate quantities of reinforced concrete and bricks in the planning design phase.

English

This paper examines the relationship between public expenditure and economic growth in Nigeria during the period 1970-2009. A disaggregated public expenditure level was employed using the Gregory-Hansen structural breaks cointegration technique. The result confirms Wagner’s law in two models in the long run; there was a break in 1993 in which the political crisis that engulfed the nation was accountable. The result also shows that economic growth and development are the main objectives of government expenditure, especially investment in infrastructure and human resources all of which falls under social and community services. Based on the result, there should be efforts to maintain adequate levels of investment in social and economic infrastructure.   Key words: Public expenditure, economic growth, structural breaks, cointegration. &nbsp

Social infrastructure investments: accounting and information systems' roadblocks

The study, sponsored by Office of Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC), aims to help implement the concessionary concept for social infrastructure investments and upgrades in Thailand. Given the ongoing national trends, the OPDC has decided to examine international practices to help maintain the country’s fiscal disciplines while providing sufficient social services. On the basis of the UK’s Victoria Dock Primary School and Australia’s Royal Children’s Hospital cases, an accounting information system represents Thailand’s roadblock in adapting the finance-build-operate-transfer model. Finally, the study recognises the need to link this accounting system with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to form effective back-office operations for a public agency.

Economic and Spatial Determinants of Interregional Migration in Kazakhstan

In this paper we analyze economic and spatial determinants of interregional migration in Kazakhstan using quarterly panel data on region to region migration in 2008-2010. In line with traditional economic theory we find that migration is determined by economic factors, first of all income: People are more likely to leave regions where incomes are low and more likely to move to regions with a higher income level. As predicted by gravity arguments, mobility is larger between more populated regions. Furthermore, distance has a strong negative impact on migration, indicating high migration related costs and risks. Assuming that high migration costs are caused by poor infrastructure, investments in public and social infrastructure should facilitate regional income convergence in Kazakhstan and improve living standards in depressed regions.

Determinants of Internal Migration in Kazakhstan

In this paper we analyze the determinants of interregional migration in Kazakhstan using quarterly panel data on region to region migration in 2008–2010. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study on interregional population flows in Central Asia. We find that migration is determined by economic factors, first of all income: People are more likely to leave regions where incomes are low and more likely to move to regions with a higher income level. Furthermore, mobility is larger between more populated regions. Distance has a strong negative impact on migration, indicating high migration related costs and risks. Assuming that high migration costs are caused by poor infrastructure, investments in public and social infrastructure should facilitate regional income convergence in Kazakhstan and improve living standards in depressed regions.

Trade, growth, and poverty in Zambia: Insights from a dynamic GE model

We analyze how trade policy and aid affect poverty and economic development in a dynamic optimizing model that features a full array of imports (intermediates, consumer goods, and capital goods), transport and distribution costs, sector-specific capital, public investment in social and physical infrastructure, learning externalities, and a dualistic labor market. Our main finding is that policy packages that combine an escalated structure of protection with an escalated structure of export promotion score best; there is no support for the view that free trade or a low uniform tariff is approximately optimal.

자산관리개념을 접목한 네트워크 방식의 도로시설물 유지관리시스템 개발

최근 사회기반시설물에 대한 공공투자는 신규건설에 대한 지출이 감소하고 유지관리분야에 대한 지출이 점진적으로 늘어나는 추세로 변화되고 있다. 이에 따라 해외 도로시설물에 대한 유지관리분야에서도 선진 개념인 자산관리 방법론이 접목되고 있으며, 보다 근본적인 시스템 개선이 요구되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 중소규모 도로관리주체에서 사용할 수 있는 자산관리개념의 유지관리 프로그램을 개발하여 예산편성의 효율성을 높이고, 도로망 전체를 고려한 네트워크 방식의 합리적인 유지보수 방안을 제시하고자 한다. 또한, 향후 다수의 시설물을 통합적으로 관리할 수 있는 체계 및 방법론을 정립하였다. Recently, the paradigm of social infrastructure investment has been changed from new construction to maintenance and management. As a consequence, the management and maintenance system of existing highway facilities needed an innovation involving the concept of asset management. This paper discusses the new facility management system suitable to local highway agencies. The new system incorporates asset management concept so that it can analyze the network level facility management solution and it can also improve the budget efficiency for local government. This paper also presents systematic method to integrate various facilities for management system.

Social Capital and Regional Social Infrastructure Investment

In this article, we link unique data on local social infrastructure expenditure with microlevel individual survey data of self-reported social capital measures of trust and participation in community activities. We use both probit and tobit models to estimate the impact of social infrastructure expenditure on social capital formation. Our results imply that the links between social capital, demographic characteristics, human capital, geography, and public social infrastructure investment are rather more subtle and complex than much of the literature implies. While we find evidence in support of many of the hypothesized relationships discussed in the social capital literature, our results also suggest that the impact of public social infrastructure investment is affected by both selection effects and free rider processes.

Human security in pastoralist areas of Eastern Africa

Pastoralist groups in Eastern Africa are extremely vulnerable as a result of inter-community conflicts, the harsh terrain, and unfavourable climatic conditions. They have been neglected by successive regimes on matters of socio-economic development. At present pastoralist areas in Eastern Africa have the lowest literacy rates and insufficient health care facilities. This article interrogates the historical relationship between governments, humanitarian groups and pastoralists. It notes with great concern that pastoralists have been branded as hunger-stricken populations with insignificant economic potential that can be harnessed from their day-to-day livelihood. They are treated as sedentary populations who need a constant supply of relief food to keep going. In order to reverse these misconceptions, the article places emphasis on mitigating the threats of intra-community conflicts, diseases and natural disasters through investment in social schemes and infrastructure in order to open up the areas for service provision. Indeed, for a majority of the pastoralists, insecurity comes not so much from traditional security concerns, but from human insecurity concerns about their survival, preservation of their lifestyle and well-being in a day-to-day context.

Infrastructure and Poverty Reduction: Implications for Urban Development in Nigeria

The paper investigates the impact of infrastructural development on poverty reduction in Nigeria. Specifically, the relative effects of physical and social infrastructure on living standards or poverty indicators are examined, with a view to providing empirical evidence on the implications of increased urban infrastructure for the urban poor. The paper employs secondary data for the period 1970:1 to 2005:4 and the Structural Vector Autoregressive technique is adopted in the analysis. The study unequivocally finds that infrastructural development leads to poverty reduction. Results also show that though infrastructure in general reduces poverty, social infrastructure explains a higher proportion of the forecast error in poverty indicators relative to physical infrastructure. This suggests that massive investment in social infrastructure in cities would drastically reduce poverty in the urban areas.

Factors affecting rural development in turkey: Bartın case study

The aim of this study is to establish the most important factors affecting rural development in Turkey by means of a multi-dimensional approach and to achieve realistic and practical rural development strategies using these factors. For this purpose, a total of 96 villages are selected fully covering two counties in the Bartın province located in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey, which is among the provinces with the lowest per capita income and the highest share of village population. 36 variables which characterise the level of development in villages are developed. These variables are measuring environmental, economic and socio-cultural dimensions and the relationships among them. Principal component and regression analyses are applied determining that there are 12 factors affecting development of the villages. These are (1) geographical location, (2) size of a village, (3) productivity of land, (4) type of land use, (5) active population, (6) poplar production areas, (7) proximity to a river, (8) housing comfort, (9) characteristics of drinking water, (10) productive fruit areas, (11) cooperativization and (12) social infrastructure investments. Based on these 12 factors, a development index (DI) is developed consisting of the 12 variables with the highest factor loading in each derived factor. Villages are divided into three groups based on (1) the DI values and (2) 36 variables used in a discriminant analysis, showing that the proposed DI is a reliable index to measure variation in development. According to these results, development strategies for each village group are put forth. Subsequently, the methodology developed in this paper can be used to monitor village development and to assist in effective use of resources for sustainable forestry and development in Turkey.

Social Capital and Regional Social Infrastructure Investment: Evidence from New Zealand

In this paper we link unique data on local social infrastructure expenditure with micro-level individual survey data of self-reported social capital measures of trust and participation in community activities. We use both probit and tobit models to estimate the impact of social infrastructure expenditure on social capital formation. Our results imply that the links between social capital, demographic characteristics, human capital, geography and public social infrastructure investment are rather more subtle and complex than much of the literature implies. While we find evidence in support of many of the hypothesized relationships discussed in the social capital literature, our results also suggest that the impact of public social infrastructure investment is affected by both selection effects and free rider processes.

The Impact of Liberalization and Globalization on India’s Agrarian Economy

This paper describes and analyzes the impact of policies of globalization and liberalization on the agrarian economy of India. In particular, it discusses the reversal of land reform, changes in the policies of administered agricultural input costs and output prices, cutbacks in public investment in rural physical and social infrastructure, the dismantling of the institutional structure of social and development banking, the withdrawal of quantitative restrictions on the import of agricultural products, cutbacks in the public distribution system, and the undermining of national systems of research and extension and protection of national plant and other biological wealth. The data used in the paper come from the major sources of national-level official statistics and primary data collected as part of a Project on Agrarian Relations in India.

Obesity and the Economy: From Crisis to Opportunity

To the authors of this article, the economic stimulus program in Washington provides a unique opportunity to develop and institute a comprehensive national obesity initiative with immediate and long-term benefits to public health and the economy. They believe that part of the estimated $700 billion economic stimulus program should be invested in a national initiative to prevent obesity. This article provides an overview of the factors responsible for the obesity epidemic and highlights lifestyle choices among Americans that lead inevitably to obesity and obesity-related diseases, thereby addressing the need for a long-term national initiative to prevent obesity. An increasingly unhealthful lifestyle among the US population in the last 50 years has led to an obesity epidemic as a consequence of national economic, social, and policy decisions. During this time, government subsidies to industrial agriculture have supported low-cost high-calorie commodities―highly processed fat and sugar-based products―that have largely displaced a wide range of more expensive nutritious whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, once grown at low cost on family farms. One consequence of these policies is the increasing popularity of low cost fast food that contains a high amount of fat and low-quality carbohydrates and has little nutritional value or fiber. Coincident with increased energy consumption, the level of energy expenditure in the form of physical activity has sharply declined. In cities and suburban communities, there has been a reduction in consumer use of recreational or other facilities involving physical activity and limited money allocated to build or improve upon such facilities. Changes in family lifestyle contribute to obesity. Parents prepare few meals at home due to busy work schedules and the need to commute. Children have little time for recreational physical activities because of academic pressure; any free time available is used for sedentary activities such as television or computers. Reduced physical activity combined with psychosocial stress leads to an unhealthy diet, overeating and ultimately to increased fat deposition and obesity and greatly increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, myocardial infarction, and cancer. Current obesity-related costs amount to more than $100 billion per year, which represents 5% to 7% of annual health care expenditures. The authors suggest implementation of several projects that could be part of a planned national strategy to promote a healthy life style and reduce obesity. For Americans, addressing the obesity crisis will require a long-term integrated national program involving restructuring of US food production and distribution, together with major investments in social infrastructure. The authors believe that failure to act now will have devastating consequences for society much worse than the mortgage crisis.

The Impact of the Social Investment of Collective Remittances on the Relationship Between Public and Private: The Case of the "Tres Por Uno Para Migrantes"

Mexican migration to the U.S. has a history of more than 100 years. This flow is characterized by the age of its members, its massiveness and the neighborhood relationship: It is the longest migratory cycle in the history of the United and its origin can be traced back to 1848; in 2000 there were 20.6 million people of Mexican origin in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau 2001) and 10.8 million of them were Mexican-born (Consejo Nacional de Poblacion 2000). Even though this flow has prevailed, in the last years its characteristics have changed as a consequence of the transformations in the economic model and migratory policies applied by Mexico and the United States. As a result of the persisting and increasingly large migration flows, the role that migrants and remittances play in the Mexican economy is fundamental to the way that Mexico is shaping its policies and is affecting agency, poverty and community development in the localities of origin.For the purposes of this paper I will concentrate on Zacatecas. It is one of the states with the longest migratory tradition in Mexico, and is inscribed in what Durand calls the traditional region of Mexican migration to the United States along with Aguascalientes, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacan and San Luis Potosi (Durand 1998, 104). More than half of the flow of Mexican migrants to the U.S. belongs to this region. This long history of Zacatecan emigration and the interaction of the federal, state and municipal governments with the communities of origin and the Hometown Associations (HTAs) has led to new forms of organization and the implementation of community development projects such as the Tres por uno para migrantes (3x1, Three for One Migrant Program), which was created by Zacatecan migrants in the 1990s.The World Bank and other international development agencies have identified remittances as a potential source of income that can be used to alleviate poverty in the countries that receive them. Mexico's efforts with respect to migrants is reflected in the creation of the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior (Institute for Mexicans Abroad, IME) in 2003; different policies, such as the new initiative that allowed Mexican citizens that reside abroad to vote in the federal election in 2006; and government programs, such as the 3x1, instituted at the national level in 2002, that uses remittances for developmental purposes. However, this paper argues that the power relations that come into play and the definition of remittances can affect the use that they are given as well as the final outcome. This is why it is important to analyze how migrants, the federal, state and municipal governments and the community are coming together around remittances.The 3x1 is a community-driven development program that offers a three-to-one matching for collective remittances sent by Mexican migrant clubs in the United for investment in social infrastructure and development projects in their localities of origin. It is an innovative exercise of international management of remittances and public policies oriented towards development that has attracted the attention and collaboration of international organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). It was the first program of its kind in the world and has served as a model for other experiences such as that of Unidos por la Solidaridad from El Salvador. It is an example of Mexico's growing interest in harnessing remittances for development. The goals of the program are to target poverty and promote local development, as well as establishing a more solid relationship between the migrants and their communities of origin.In Mexico, the total amount of remittances received in 2005 was $20.35 billion according to the central bank (Banco de Mexico 2006), and in 2006, the total amount was $23.054 billion (Banco de Mexico 2007). Remittances have become the second largest source of foreign exchange after oil, surpassing foreign aid, tourism and foreign investment. …

Nigeria in the Global Economy

This paper provides a perspective on Nigeria's global economic position and integration into the world economy. While other emerging market economies have benefited from globalization, there is concern that African countries continue to be marginalized. Among African countries, Nigeria is one of two major countries with strong potential to harness the opportunities and meet the challenges that the global economy could provide. Nigeria has the largest population in the continent and has been growing rapidly, due in part to gains from economic reforms and rising prices of oil. However, Nigeria's integration into the global economy has been below potential. While it has improved its global rankings on indicators of competitiveness, business climate, and productivity in the past five years, it still ranks below most of its peer group on these indicators. It is among the poorest countries in the world in terms of social indicators despite oil wealth. Further integration into the global economy would require sustained policy reforms, improved governance, and public-private investments in social, human, and physical infrastructure.

Economic Development Incentives: Research Approaches and Current Views

Economic development incentives—state and local government efforts to encourage economic development—are one of a limited number of tools local policymakers have for stimulating local economies. Some broad measures—investments in infrastructure (such as transportation), human capital (education, for example), and social infrastructure (such as recreational facilities)—may produce significant results over the long term. Targeted measures crafted to attract or retain businesses—usually a tax preference or financial assistance—offer the possibility of a quick payoff. Public interest in incentives has generally been muted, except when very generous incentive packages, egregious practices, or legal issues have prompted questions about their appropriateness and effectiveness. Policymakers struggling with practical decisions have frequently turned to economists for guidance: Should incentives be offered? If so, how large should they be? And how can an incentive program be designed to increase its effectiveness? Much of the research assessing the effectiveness of incentives has been inconclusive or unsatisfactory, in part because of methodological flaws and inadequate data. Interest in incentives surged in the 1980s and 1990s as a result of very public bidding wars among localities to entice businesses to their communities. In particular, the dollar amount of incentive packages offered to automobile manufacturers looking to locate new facilities soared during that period. In 1980, Nissan received an estimated $33 million, or $8,000 per anticipated job, for locating a new facility in Tennessee. The amount of subsequent incentive packages handed out to Mazda, Saturn, DiamondStar, and Toyota, among others, rose over the next few years, and by 1987, Toyota was receiving an estimated $150 million, or $50,000 per anticipated job, for locating a new facility in Kentucky.1 And the incentive packages were growing again before long. Although BMW’s 1992 package to locate in South Carolina was reportedly just $150 million, MercedesBenz reportedly received $258 million the next year to locate a facility in Alabama.2 News accounts of ever-larger incentive packages caught the attention of economists and policymakers as well as the public. An essay entitled “Congress Should End the Economic War among the States” appeared in the 1994 Annual Report of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.3 A few years later, a conference on the same topic brought together policymakers, economists, tax experts, economic developers, and business-site location consultants from around the country to discuss the matter.4 Many questions were raised, and research goals were identified, among them the goal of establishing good data with which to answer the economic questions. In the past ten years, case studies, input-output analyses, and other research techniques have addressed some of the methodological flaws of earlier incentives studies. The availability of better data on both incentives and economic activity has also improved analyses of incentives research. The work described in this article illustrates some of the fresh ways that researchers have found to look at the effectiveness of incentives. The focus is not on proving or disproving the effectiveness of incentives as a

The Impact and Targeting of Social Infrastructure Investments: Lessons from the Nicaraguan Social Fund

This brief summarizes the impact and targeting of social infrastructure investments: lessons from the Nicaraguan Social Fund. The fund was created in 1990. The benefit incidence and impact of projects financed by the Nicaraguan Emergency Social Investment Fund are investigated using a sample of beneficiaries, a national household survey, and two distinct comparison groups. The first group is constructed on the basis of geographic proximity between similar facilities and their corresponding communities; the second is drawn from the national living standards measurement study survey sample using propensity score matching techniques. The analysis finds that the social fund investments in latrines, schools, and health posts are targeted to poor communities and households, whereas those in sewerage are targeted to the better-off. Investments in water systems are poverty-neutral. Education investments have a positive, significant impact on school outcomes regardless of the comparison group; the analysis finds that use of health investments is less clear. Using one comparison group, the analysis finds that use of health clinics increased as a result of the investments; using both it finds higher use of clinics for children under age six with diarrhea. With neither comparison group does it find improvements in health outcomes. Social fund investments in water and sanitation improve access to services but have no effect on health outcomes.