Journal of Development Policy Research & Practice (JoDPRP)
Not a member yet
57 research outputs found
Sort by
Cyber Warfare Trends, Tactics and Strategies: Lessons for Pakistan
Get PDFWith the advent of the digital revolution, computer security has gradually evolved from a technology problem to a business and safety problem. Unlike conventional warfare, cyber warfare is inexpensive, effective and obscure, which in case of conflict, offers nation states a combination of cyber tools such as espionage, subversion, disinformation, and propaganda. Cyber warfare may prove decisive in many international conflicts in the future. This paper discusses the evolution of cyber-attack surfaces, adversaries and next generation cyber-attacks, and illustrates the security risks posed by the technological revolution and its impacts. It further discusses the potential solutions, and measures which the Government of Pakistan (GoP) may take to build effective detection and response cyber warfare capabilities. The GoP should consolidate the available cluster of skills and technology to establish a national agency mandated to conduct cybersecurity for efficient critical asset protection and effective response to any kind of cyber-attack.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs
Repackaging News Content: Exploring Routines of Pakistan’s Wire Services
Get PDFThis study was conducted to explore editorial processes of wire services in Pakistan, specifically looking at repackaging of content to reproduce news – a phenomenon known as Churnalism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data from wire services operating in Islamabad, Pakistan. Editors of wire services, recognised by the government’s Press and Information Department (PID), including the state-owned Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), were interviewed. It was found that wire services are heavily reliant on press releases, publicity reports, and monitoring of mainstream and social media for their reporting. Editors of wire services were of the view that their work is plagiarised, and this practice is more prevalent in regional newspapers. A strong dependence on government grants, allocated for news agencies, was also noted. No physical or online presence of several news agencies, recognised by the PID, could be found.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs
Disaster Risk Governance: Effects of Floods on Small Businesses in Jhang and Dera Ghazi Khan Districts, Pakistan
Get PDFAdapting to future climatic variability in semi-arid and arid areas requires devising effective adaptive strategies across sectors. It is in this context that this research surveyed two districts, Dera Ghazi Khan and Jhang in Pakistan, and investigated the impact of floods on small businesses through vulnerability analysis. The findings showed that flood damage to infrastructure and capital goods was debilitating for small businesses. Moreover, loss of utilities like electricity and transport was a significant hindrance in resuming business operations. Stocks and access to credit were deemed to be essential for ensuring quick recovery. In addition, the role of extended family, neighbours, police and Non-Governmental Organisations, was also found to be integral. Furthermore, risk was exacerbated due to the lack of effective early warning systems in communities. Therefore, decision-making was often based on existing power structures and tended to accentuate risks in flood-affected areas.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs.
Intercultural Dialogue for Sustainable Development
Get PDFClimate change, new economic and social-cultural issues have changed peoples’ lives significantly, forcing states and civil societies to take action which is why sustainable solutions and development are attracting more attention. ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ has been applied in different fields to build peace, promote education skills and enhance mutual understanding. This study scrutinises why ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ should be used to achieve sustainable development and comments on its role in different areas, particularly focusing on the work of the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) - an organisation which specifically works on this issue in Pakistan. Using analytical and a combination of qualitative methods, the study finds that ‘Intercultural Dialogue’ has been relevant in sustainable development because it enriches mutual understanding of different stakeholders who deal with issues such as gender, human rights and climate change, gain deeper knowledge about citizen concerns and inform policy.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs
Deconstructing Disruptive Industry Technological Models: Concord between Smoking and Vaping
Get PDFDomination of the tobacco industry’s innovative business models has forced many countries to develop defensive tobacco control strategies. Pakistan has been routinely adopting new legislation for this industry for the past several decades. However, constant tension exists between the legislative/policy development process and the transnational tobacco industry trying to outpace and evade new regulations. Expanding on the ‘Disruptive Industry Technological Model’ adopted by the transnational tobacco industry, this paper posits that the business model adopted during the previous century was radically disruptive, focusing on selling a product designed to kill almost half of its customers (WHO 2020). Subsequently, during the first two decades of the 21st Century, the tobacco industry adopted the ‘Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)’ to displace its traditional cigarette sales. This paper deconstructs the adoption of such radically disruptive technological models by the tobacco industry and finds concord between both. It recommends the development of broad-spectrum proactive and preventive policies for Pakistan instead of reactive ones in the tobacco control regime.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs.
Growth and Inequality in Pakistan: Agenda for Reforms by Dr Hafiz A. Pasha Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Pakistan, 2019, 550pp.
Get PDFThis book is a promising addition to economic literature which explains the sluggish growth pattern of Pakistan and the various forms of inequalities in society. The book defines the country’s growth and inequality pattern during times of various governments from 2001-18.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs.
Cyber Security Imperatives and Pakistan’s Readiness: A Brief Overview
Get PDFWith increasing use of the Internet and its free for all availability, the cyber space is expanding making it easier for hackers to target infrastructure and services. The next war between adversaries will be a cyber war. The country stronger in cyber warfare will win without even taking to the battlefield. This paper describes the types of cyber threats; advantages cyber-attackers have; categories of cyber-attacks; threats to data; and information confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA). It also highlights the possible targets of cyber-attacks; and the type of leadership needed in the cyber security and cyber war environment. The study aims at creating awareness in Pakistan’s policymakers and other stakeholders about prevailing cyber threats and making recommendations to mitigate the dangers. Finally, some Pakistan-specific recommendations are included to mitigate the threats to the country’s cyber security.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs
Consanguineous Marriages: Effects on Pregnancy Outcomes in Pakistan
Get PDFBeing a traditional and close-knit society, Pakistan has a substantial portion of the population who have consanguineous marriages. The purpose of this study is to investigate the socioeconomic and demographic factors behind consanguineous marriages and their effects on pregnancy outcomes. Secondary data of 13,558 married women, as provided in the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (2012-13), was utilised to conduct this research. The results demonstrate that women who are poor, uneducated and belong to the least developed regions of the country, are significantly more likely to be in consanguineous marriages. There is a higher prevalence of miscarriages, abortions and stillbirths in such marriages as compared to non-consanguineous ones. Therefore, there is a need to create public awareness on the adverse health impacts of consanguineous marriages.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs.
Kamlahari Movement in Nepal: Expanding Opportunities, Uncertain Achievements
Get PDFThis paper maps out a movement of Kamlahari girls in Nepal which is popularly known as ‘Kamlahari’ both in lingual and literal terms. This study analyses a semi-bonded child labour system among the girls of the Tharu ethnic community. Despite the long historical background of the Tharu movement, critics suggest that the freedom of Kamlahari in 2013 is largely neglected and has become a less prioritised agenda. Building on this critique, the paper aims to analyse different issues, challenges and opportunities of and from the Kamlahari movement, particularly in context of the western Tarai region of Nepal. Methodologically, the paper follows a set of qualitative methods, including narrative analysis of both primary and secondary sources. The central proposition of the paper is that there are some critical issues and contestations in the movement of Kamlahari girls, ranging from rescue and rehabilitation to educational support and livelihood sustenance. With the changing socioeconomic and constitutional provisions, Kamlaharies have had a number of opportunities for their mainstreaming, but there have been some uncertainties to benefit from them both at the level of policies and programmes. To emphasise this dilemma, the paper argues that ‘freedom of the Kamlahari girls’ is yet to be institutionalised at the grassroots level through a set of policy inputs and livelihood outcomes.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs.
An Assessment of Community Intervention for Reduction of Waterborne Illnesses in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Get PDFGiven the recent rise in the scarcity of clean drinking water in Pakistan and waterborne illnesses, a collaborative project between the Institute of Management Sciences (IMS) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, took place in the city of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The aim of the study was to reduce waterborne illnesses by building knowledge and capacity of the communities to enable them to have clean drinking water without incurring high financial costs. A number of awareness seminars, along with health educational material, were delivered to the community through educational institutes. To analyse the effectiveness of the intervention, a pre-project and post-intervention phase through knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) analysis was conducted to quantify the perceptions and knowledge of the community. The analysis showed that knowledge about waterborne illnesses increased from 52% to 87%, attitude change moved from 16% to 93%, whereas improvement in practices by adopting low cost measures for clean water increased from 15% to 68%. It can be concluded that awareness has positive impact on peoples’ behaviour, knowledge and practice, especially when educational institutes are actively involved in community uplift projects. Effectiveness of such initiatives can be assured by widening their scope with involvement of government and non-government agencies as they play a pivotal role in social uplift of communities.
The scope of this article is related to the following SDG / SDGs