South Regional Research Articles

The South China Sea Dispute and Regional Response

Background: Beginning in December 2013, the South China Sea dispute has emerged as a complex and highly contested issue with significant implications for regional stability in East and Southeast Asia. The Chinese military began constructing artificial islands anchored by seven coral atolls in the Spratly Islands until it had created land that it then claimed in October 2015. The construction is over 3000 acres and houses military equipment (anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems) and personnel for the People's Republic of China. Objective: From a realist perspective, the dispute reflects a struggle for power and influence among claimant states, driven by their desire to secure regional strategic interests. Neighbouring countries, recognising the implications of China's rise as a significant power, have responded mainly by using soft realist methods to accommodate or counter China's growing influence in a collective setting. This paper explores the geopolitical implications of the dispute and how other powers have chosen to engage with China and other regional actors. Methods: This article is a case study. The article analyses the case of the South China Sea dispute since 2000 through a realist lens. It first explains the lens and its focal points. Then, it examines the different facets of the dispute through this lens: economic interests, national security concerns, domestic and regional politics, and historical issues. The focus is on analysing China and ASEAN member-states as the primary parties to the conflict. Results: This lens provides valuable insights into the power struggles, self-interest, and security concerns that underlie the conflict. This paper provides a comprehensive understanding of its multifaceted nature by critically examining the dispute's territorial claims, legal frameworks, and historical context. It also explores the geopolitical implications and the involvement of major regional powers. Liberal solutions have largely failed, while more minor actors have cooperated on limited terms when their interests intersect using soft realist diplomacy and collective action within international arenas. Conclusion: The dispute has unveiled the limits of international diplomatic efforts brokered by organisations such as ASEAN to address aggressive behaviour consistently. Small and medium states are largely constrained from directly confronting China, have accommodated China, used international forums to advance power positions and prestige, and cooperated on other issues to indirectly address the dispute.

Evaluation of precipitation extremes in ERA5 reanalysis driven regional climate simulations over the CORDEX-Australasia domain

Reanalysis-driven regional climate simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in New South Wales (NSW) and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) Version 2.0 are assessed for capturing precipitation extreme indices. Seven configurations of the WRF model driven by ECMWF (European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts) Reanalysis v5 (ERA5) for Australia from 1979 to 2020 at 20 km resolution are evaluated. We assess the spatiotemporal patterns of six selected Expert Team on Sector-Specific Climate Indices (ET-SCI) precipitation extremes by comparing regional climate model (RCM) simulations against gridded observations. The RCMs evaluated have varying levels of accuracy in simulating precipitation extremes. While they capture climatology and coefficient of variation of precipitation extremes relatively well, temporal correlation and trend reproduction present challenges. Some RCMs perform more effectively for specific extreme indices, while others encounter challenges in accurately replicating them. No single RCM excels in all aspects, highlighting the need to consider specific strengths when selecting RCMs for global climate model (GCM) driven simulations.

The Effect of Mutation and Work Experience on Employee Performance at Perum BULOG, South Sumatra and Babel Regional Office

This study aimed to determine the effect of mutation and work experience on employee performance in BULOG Public Company Sumatra and South Regional Offices. The sample in this study was selected through nonprobability sampling and the solving formula with 40 employees obtained from each field. Data were obtained by distributing questionnaires to respondents. The data collection method in this study was a data analysis technique using multiple regression analysis. The results of this study were that mutations had a positive and significant effect on employee performance, work experience had a positive and significant effect on employee performance, and mutations and work experience together have a positive and significant influence on employee performance. Keywords: mutation, work experience, performance

Spatiotemporal variation of projected drought characteristics in Iran under climate change scenarios using CMIP5-CORDEX product

Abstract This study aims to assess the change of drought characteristics (intensity, duration, and frequency) under the effect of climate change in Iran using the modified standardized precipitation index (MSPI) and theory of runs on annual and seasonal scales for three near-future, mid-future (MF), and far-future climates. Hence, regional climate models extracted from South Asia-Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiments (CORDEX-SA) are applied. Regarding the result, MSPI could assign the standardized precipitation index (SPI) values better than the conventional form of SPI during the historical period (HP). The outcomes revealed that the northeast stations will experience a decrease in intensity (up to 24.57% in MF compared with HP) until 2100 at seasonal timescale, while the duration and frequency of drought will be increased. Although the greatest increase in intensity changes of droughts (up to 91%) until the end of the century will happen in the eastern and southwestern regions of Iran, these regions will face the maximum decrease in the duration (−30.54%) and frequency (−25%) of droughts compared with HP at seasonal timescale. In addition, regarding the outcomes of this study, strategies can be adopted to better manage water resources for various regions of Iran.

From Agricultural Waste to Energy: Assessing the Bioenergy Potential of South-Central Texas

This paper addresses the challenge of meeting increasing energy needs by assessing the potential of bioenergy as a sustainable resource option in South Central Texas. Available agricultural crop residues suitable for bioenergy production are evaluated from the 21 counties in South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Area (Region L). The residues produced and available for bioenergy are quantified according to the production areas for each field crop and tree area. Residue-to-product ratios of field crops are determined according to crop type and production quantity. Biomass potential of trees is calculated based on tree density and biomass production per tree. The results demonstrate that the potential productions of utilizable agricultural wastes are in the range of 898.7 t kt–1421.39 kt for Region L. The average annual energy potential is estimated at 19.27 PJ, and ranges between 14.36 and 24.18 PJ. The average potential biomass-based electricity production could compensate significant amount of coal-based electricity generated in the Texas and when agricultural wastes are available.

Evaluation of Energy Efficiency in Large-Scale Public Lighting. The case of the City of Cuenca, Ecuador.

This paper describes a large-scale energy efficiency assessment of the public lighting system in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, carried out with the collaboration of the system administrator, the Central South Regional Power Company (CENTROSUR). For the evaluation, the Spanish regulation ITC-EA-02 and the European standard UNE-EN 13201 were used since there are no similar efficiency standards in Ecuador. Three thousand measurement points distributed on about 200 city roads were surveyed. The results allowed to evaluate the levels of average horizontal illuminance on the road and the mean and general uniformities of the arteries as well as the energy efficiency during the years 2014-2015. As a conclusion, and according to the aforementioned European regulation, 81% of the studied roads have excessive levels of illumination; 13% deficient levels and only 6% of the roads complied fully with the standards.

The Effects of Various Land Use Types on Particular Physicochemical Characteristics of the Soil in Mante Watershed, South Regional Government of Ethiopia

Soil quality is threatened when the forest cover is replaced by cultivated and grazing lands in Mante watershed found in South Ethiopia. The study aimed to ascertain how different land use patterns and slope gradients affected the physicochemical characteristics of the soil. The watershed was stratified according to the predominant land use types, namely, grazing land, cultivated land, and forest lands with slope gradient variations to choose sites for soil sampling. Three slope classes were used to categorize the catchments of the watershed: 0–15%, 15–30%, and >30%. In soil depths of 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm, fifty‐four (54) composite soil samples were taken (3 land use types × 3 slope classes × 2 soil depths × 3 replications). The results showed that the highest mean values of total nitrogen, available phosphorus, CEC, Ca, K, Mg, and Na were high but pH was low under forest lands and slope gradients of >30% but cultivated lands with the lowest mean values found in the range of 0–15% slopes. Regarding soil depth, the upper layer (0–20 cm) had higher mean values for silt fraction, pH, CEC, and Mg, while the lower layer (20–40 cm) had lower mean values. The soil quality was higher under the forests because Na had a greater significance in the upper soil layer and a lower value in the lower soil layer. The decline in the soil quality under the cultivated land suggests that integrated soil and water management is necessary to maintain the favorable soil physicochemical properties and replenish the degraded soil.

Research Initiative in SARPS Countries: Fostering Pathways for Sustainable Development

The South Asian Regional Pain Society (SARPS), founded in 2003, attained the official status of a Federation-in-formation of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) in 2020. It encompasses five member countries from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region; Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The Primary objective of SARPS is to supports its member countries in providing effective, accessible, affordable, and ethical care to individual suffering from pain conditions while also enhancing research collaboration across the region. Although there are many similarities, there are also variations within SARPS countries regarding the barriers they face in research. Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort through SARPS to raise awareness about the importance of pain research. It is essential to establish clear priorities for pain treatment and research, improve higher education and governance systems, and invest in healthcare and research infrastructure.

South Asian Conflicts and Regional Security in the Context of Pakistan-India Relations: A Political Analysis

Pakistan and India are geographically proximate and possess a shared historical and cultural background. Consequently, they ought to possess the most favourable interactions, although they have consistently exhibited hostility towards one another. The subject of Kashmir holds significant importance for both states involved. The conflict has occurred on three separate occasions. Despite the existence of significant and effective endeavours aimed at fostering peace, the fundamental challenges that perpetuate the strained relations between the two nations remain unresolved. Pakistan has consistently demonstrated a willingness to propose potential improvements. However, India does not consistently accord them due consideration. India and Pakistan have maintained their independence for a period of over 70 years; nonetheless, they exhibit a lack of concern towards addressing enduring challenges such as the Kashmir dispute and the water crisis. The region of South Asia is predominantly characterised by peace and stability for the two major nations. The inability of the two primary actors in South Asia to reach a peaceful resolution to their respective issues has significant implications for the local security framework.

The Geoeconomic Simulacrum of BRI and the South Asian Regional Security Complex

The Belt and Road Initiative rattled the South Asian security environment vigorously as it involved strong territorial sensitivities of India, which found itself engaged on two fronts with Pakistan and China. The BRI has been the geoeconomic drive projecting China’s peaceful rise. It has been welcomed with hope and suspicion as Western powers are equally interested in containing China in the Asian order. This paper examines BRI as a source of external transformation to the regional security complex model devised by Buzan. South Asia’s inadequacies in bringing internal transformation, as envisioned by Buzan, allow the BRI to be a source of cold peace in the region. The BRI looks at decentered region-building with an appeal of great power overlay. This tier is relevant in diluting the South Asia geopolitical polarities. The paper claims that BRI influences South Asian geopolitics, where India and Pakistan are no longer locked into bipolarities. The smaller states are bandwagoning with China, and that calibrates the South Asian regional security complex. The cold peace laced with geoeconomic transformation can render a regional transformation to the security complex such that the South Asian regional security complex might dissipate into two or more mini-complexes.

Factors Affecting the Completion of Follow-Up On Audit Results In Regional Equipment Organizations in South Buton District

Communication is a crucial process for information exchange between parties acting as senders and recipients through various media. Competency of Human Resources (HR) is essential for successful company operations, and improving it contributes to effective follow-ups on examination results. This study employs a quantitative descriptive method to examine the influence of communication, HR competency, and disposition on Follow-Up Examination Results (TLHP) in South Buton Regency's Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) with unfinished audit recommendations. The research involves 100 civil servants as the sample and utilizes primary and secondary data collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis. Multiple regression analysis using SPSS software reveals the significant impact of communication and competency on TLHP. Communication has a positive influence (p-value = 0.002, t = 3.294), while competency positively affects TLHP (p-value = 0.002, t = 3.181). However, disposition shows no significant effect (p-value = 0.807, t = 0.245) on TLHP. The coefficient of determination (R2) at 0.503 indicates that 50.3% of TLHP is explained by these variables. Therefore, this study enhances understanding of the factors influencing TLHP and contributes to local government accountability. In summary, this research emphasizes the significant impact of communication and competency on the effective resolution of Follow-Up Examination Results (TLHP) in the context of the studied organization. However, disposition does not exhibit a substantial influence on TLHP. These findings offer valuable insights for TLHP management, suggesting avenues for organizations to enhance their resolution efficiency.

Political and Economic Relation in The SAARC Countries

The level of cooperation among the member countries of SAARC has increased after its formation in 1985. SAARC was founded with the objective to improve living standards of the people, contribute to political, cultural and regional economic growth and to increase cooperation with another region of the world. Realizing the importance of regional cooperation and development, SAARC members have cooperated to establish and initiate various programs and forums for mutual benefit. Agreement on Judicial cooperation on Counter-Terrorism, establishment of Development Funds, Telemedicine Network, SAARC Writers and Literature Foundation, South Asia Women’s Centre and South Asia Olympic Council. Other major achievements include adoption of Social Charter in 2004, establishment of SAARC Arbitration Council in Islamabad in 2005, and establishment of SAARC Energy Center in Islamabad (2006), South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) was established in Dhaka (2014), SAARC Disaster Management Center was established in Gujarat in Nov 2016. Area of cooperation has been extended from five to eight. The economic ties and integration have not been very strong in SAARC countries.

Prevalence, knowledge, and lifestyle-associated risk factors of dyslipidemia among Ghanaian type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in rural and urban areas: A multicentercross-sectional study.

Dyslipidemia in diabetes mellitus has been linked to unhealthy lifestyle and bad eating habits. However, this association has not been well studied among rural and urban Ghanaian populations. In this study, we determined the prevalence, knowledge, and lifestyle-associated risk factors of dyslipidemia among Ghanaian type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in rural and urban areas. This comparative multicentre-cross-sectional study recruited 228 T2DM outpatients attending the St. Michael Hospital, Pramso (rural) and Kumasi South Regional Hospital (urban), Ghana for routine check-ups. Self-structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic, knowledge, and lifestyle characteristics. Fasting blood samples were taken to measure lipid profiles. Dyslipidemia was defined per the American Diabetes Association criteria. All p < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The overall prevalence of dyslipidemia was 79/228 (34.7%). Dyslipidemia was more prevalent among urban participants 43 (18.9%) than rural participants 36 (15.8%). Twenty-seven (11.7%) had adequate knowledge about the risk factors, complications, and management of diabetes. Eating supper after 7 p.m. [adjusted odds ratio = 3.77, 95% confidence interval (1.70-8.37), p = 0.001] significantly increased one's risk of having dyslipidemia by 3.8-fold compared to eating supper earlier (before 5 p.m.). Dyslipidemia is increasing among T2DM patients in both urban and rural areas and it's independently influenced by eating supper after 7 p.m. Most participants were ignorant of the risk factors, complications, and management of diabetes. Adjusting eating habits and increasing diabetes awareness programs to sensitize the general public can mitigate the increasing prevalence of dyslipidemia in both urban and rural areas.

Educational achievements and export earnings: a comparison between leader and follower countries

PurposeThis study examines whether education in developing countries directly impacts their foreign income from the top export sector.Design/methodology/approachAs most developing countries follow developed nations to shape their development, this study assumes developing countries as education-follower and developed countries as education-leader countries. Considering selected countries from the South Asian Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and African countries as follower countries and Group of Seven (G7) as leader countries, this study employs Dumitrescu-Hurlin Granger non-causality tests.FindingsThis study finds that education-follower countries' achievements do not directly impact foreign earnings from their leading export sectors. However, findings also confirm that leader countries have a bidirectional causal relationship between tertiary education and earnings from high technology exports.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study urging research-intensive education with comparative advantages in international trade. Using educational attainment on export earnings from the leading sector, findings support dependency theory in education is still existed.

Fostering more resilient systems to face climate change challenge: the South Regional Center (CRS) message at the Expo Melilla agricultural exhibition

Fostering more resilient systems to face climate change challenge: the South Regional Center (CRS) message at the Expo Melilla agricultural exhibition

Implementation of the South Australian Regional Telestroke service is associated with improved care quality and lower stroke mortality: A retrospective cohort study.

Stroke in Regional Australia may have worse outcomes due to difficulties accessing optimal care. The South Australian Regional Telestroke service aimed to improve telestroke neurologist access, supported by improved ambulance triage. To assess stroke care quality and patient mortality pre- and postimplementation of a vascular neurologist-led Telestroke service. Historically controlled mixed methods cohort study comparing key quality indicators and patient mortality (6 months pre- vs. 18 months postimplementation date [4 June 2018]) at the three major South Australian regional stroke centres. The primary outcome was 13 care quality indicators as a combined composite risk-adjusted score, and the secondary outcome was risk-adjusted mortality at 12-month postadmission. On an annualised basis, of 189 patients with stroke, more were admitted postintervention to the regional stroke centres than in the control period (158 [annualised rate 105.3, 95% CI 86.2-127.4] vs. 31 [annualised rate 62.0, 95% CI 47.5-79.5]) Baseline patient characteristics were similar in both periods. Post-implementation, median last-known-well time to presentation (3.5 h [IQR 1.6-17] vs. 2.0 [IQR 1-14]; p = 0.46) and door to needle times (121 min [IQR 97-144] vs. 90 [IQR 75-138]; p = 0.65) were not significantly lower but an improvement in the combined composite quality score was observed (0.069 [95% CI 0.004-0.134; p = 0.04]), reflecting individual improvements in some quality indicators. Mortality at 12-month postimplementation was substantially lower postimplementation (prechange 23% vs. postchange 13% [hazard ratio 0.58 (95% CI 0.44-0.76; p < 0.001)]). Implementation of a South Australian Regional Telestroke service was associated with improved care metrics and lower mortality.

Review of Outdoor Air Pollution in Sri Lanka Compared to the South Asian Region

Air pollution is a significant issue that affects almost all the countries in the world while predominating in South Asian Regional countries due to poverty, less attention, and less awareness towards the implementation and obeying of air quality guidelines in public. As a developing country, Sri Lanka stands at an optimum state of national air quality compared to other SARC because it is an island with a minor population compared to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, etc. Maldives and Bhutan lie straightforwardly in owing mild air quality in SARC. However, SARC is far behind the world in maintaining optimistic air quality nationwide. Ambient air pollution-attributable deaths have become interim in past decades, a severe burden to the sustainable existence of SARC. A well-established systematic epidemiological, empirical studies and revisions regarding air pollution, strategic planning for mitigating air pollution, and frequent Spatio-temporal pollution monitoring nodes are necessary for Sri Lanka to achieve the sustainable goal. Other South Asian countries: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives, also should pay attention to minimizing outdoor air pollution nationwide for the betterment of future existence.

Evaluation of Convective Environments in the NARCliM Regional Climate Modeling System for Australia

Severe thunderstorms lead to multiple hazards including torrential precipitation, flash flood, hail, lightning, and wind gusts. The meso- to micro-scale nature of thunderstorms impose great challenges from understanding individual storm dynamics, storm climatology as well as projecting their future activities. High-resolution regional climate models can resolve the convective environments better than global models. Australia, especially the east and southeast parts of the continent, is a global hot spot for severe thunderstorms. This study evaluates the simulated convective environments from the New South Wales (NSW) and Australian Regional Climate Modelling (NARCliM) project based on the parameters of CAPE, CIN, 0–6-km vertical wind shear and storm severity. The ensemble regional downscaling is compared against the fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast Reanalysis (ERA5). The results show that although there are apparent biases (generally positive for CAPE and negative for CIN, and slightly overestimated vertical wind shear) in the downscaled storm parameters, the climatology of measures of storm severity over land, including their spatial patterns and seasonality, agree well with ERA5. These results have strong implication on the application of the climate projection to assess future convective environments in the region.

Capacity Building to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) in Reduce Maternal and Infant Mortality Rate (Study in the Organizational Scope of Regional Development of Timor Tengah Selatan)

The Regional Government of South Central Timor Regency is fully aware of and knows what the SDGs are. Some OPD leaders and officials know the SDGs are only an extension of the MDGs, but do not know the substance of the agenda. The method used in this study is a descriptive method with a qualitative approach, then the primary data and secondary data collected are analyzed using data analysis techniques from Creswell (2016). Capacity building in order to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) in reducing maternal and infant mortality within the scope of the South Central Timor Regency Regional Apparatus Organization uses the opinion of Thompson (2003: 60) which develops the concept created by Parsons (1960 with research results namely on ;( a) at the technical level it was found that the Regional Apparatus Organization (OPD) in TTS Regency did not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the SDGs with indicators of maternal and infant mortality so that they were still limited to the problem of stunting alone and still had problems integrating databases in each agency.(b) level managerially it was found that there was no synchronization of personnel allocation for each unit and function in carrying out SDG's goals (c) at the institutional level it was known that local governments had not developed effective policies regarding the implementation of SDGs in regional development plans.

‘South Asia’: Construction and Deconstruction of Spaces and Institutions. Part I

‘South Asia’ in its present meaning was coined in the late 1940s following a reinterpretation of previous approaches to the study of the (ancient) Orient, which proved to be ill-suited under the conditions of the Second World War. The author of the concept was the American Indologist W. Norman Brown (1892–1975) who thus designated almost the entire territory of British India and founded the Department of South Asia Regional Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. This innovation led to the institutionalization of the modern socio-political disciplines essential for the familiarization with the area of the languages studied. Later this model spread to the educational institutions of the New World and reached the Old one. In the mid-1970s, the Chair of History of India, Pakistan, Nepal and Ceylon of the Institute of Countries of Asia and Africa of Moscow State University was renamed the Chair of History of South Asia, and 40 years later several units under the heading of ‘South Asia’ sprang up in several Russian academia. Part I sheds light on Brown’s activities in the US Office of Strategic Services and his contacts with the Institute of Pacific Relations, as well as the US reaction to the launch of the first Soviet satellite, the passage of the US National Defense Education Act, and the ‘cold war’ contest between the US and the USSR in the field of training specialists to be engaged as an instrument of influence on the post-colonial world structure within the South Asian countries.