4501 research outputs found
Sort by
Pakistan: Reinvigorating the Trade Agenda
No full textThis paper reviews Pakistan's recent trade performance, its trade policy and trade costs. Different dimensions of trade performance growth and orientation, diversification and sophistication are assessed, complemented by an in-depth analysis of export dynamics in the period 2001-10 using firm-level data. An econometric exercise is also performed to identify the impact of tariffs, exchange rates, fixed costs to export, foreign demand, and preferential trade policy on the ability of firms to increase their exports. The analysis of Pakistan's trade policy includes tariffs, effective protection and trade restrictiveness estimates, as well as an assessment of the role of preferential trade agreements in the context of regional integration. Finally, the main characteristics of trade facilitation and logistics are analyzed, covering the capacity, performance, quality of services and degree of integration of the logistics system
Gender and Public Transport: Kathmandu, Nepal
No full textThis study was commissioned by The World Bank as part of the research to feed into the development of the Government of Nepal's national transport management strategy. The overall strategy vision is 'to develop safe, efficient and environmentally friendly transport'. Under the second pillar of the draft strategy which refers to 'management of road transport', there is specific reference to the particular needs of women in transport. The study took place between October and December, 2013 and comprised a review of secondary data and the collection of primary data via a questionnaire survey of public transport users in the Kathmandu valley, qualitative conversations and focus group discussions with users and non-users of public transport as well as key informant interviews with transport operators, police and relevant Government department staff and supplemented by participant observation. The questionnaire survey was carried out with 470 people (60 percent women) and qualitative conversations involved a further 165 (58 percent women). The questionnaire was administered 'in situ' as people were commuting on public transport at different times of the day and on different transport routes in and around the city
India, Uttarakand Disaster, June 2013: Joint Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment Report
No full textThe State of Uttarakhand experienced an unprecedented high rainfall between June 15 and 17, 2013 that resulted in flash floods and landslides within the State. The continuous rain disrupted normal life resulting in a total of 580 human lives being lost, more than 4,000 persons missing and over hundred thousand pilgrims being stranded. This event has affected over 900,000 people in Uttarakhand this year. The numerous landslides and toe erosion by the sediment loaded rivers caused breaching of roads and highways at many locations and washed away several bridges; disrupting traffic and telecommunication links within the state. The Government of Uttarakhand (GoU) launched a massive emergency rescue and evacuation operation with assistance from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the local Police evacuating more than 110,000 people from these flood affected areas. The State Government continues to ensure that there is no shortage of food and other essential supplies, especially for communities in areas with connectivity problems. Additionally, doctors and paramedics were deployed in the disaster affected areas to provide medical services. This report presents an assessment of the physical damages with a sector-wise impact of the disaster, reconstruction needs and preliminary estimates specifically with regards to infrastructure, housing, services and livelihood
Village Sanitation and Children's Human Capital: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment by the Maharashtra Government
No full textOpen defecation is exceptionally widespread in India, a county with puzzlingly high rates of child stunting. This paper reports a randomized controlled trial of a village-level sanitation program, implemented in one district by the government of Maharashtra. The program caused a large but plausible average increase in child height (95 percent confidence interval [0.04 to 0.61] standard deviations), which is an important marker of human capital. The results demonstrate sanitation externalities: an effect even on children in households that did not adopt latrines. Unusually, surveyors also collected data in districts where the government planned but ultimately did not conduct an experiment, permitting analysis of the importance of the set eligible for randomization
Increase in Protectionism and Its Impact on Sri Lanka's Performance in Global Markets
No full textSri Lanka's external performance defies global trends on two counts. First, the level of openness as measured by the ratio of trade in goods and services, after a strong increase in 1987-95 and stagnation in 1996-2004, sharply fell in 2005-10 to the levels experienced during the era of import substitution. Second, the share of clothing in manufactured exports has remained largely unchanged over the past 25 years. Had there been no economic growth, this would not have been puzzling. The paper argues that these unique features can be traced to (a) the duality of Sri Lanka's economic regime -- the legacy of unfinished structural reforms of a socialist economic regime -- and (b) high and growing protectionism in the 2000s. Sri Lanka's experience shows that the lack of stability in trade policy combined with recently expanding protectionism and the state's micromanagement of investment does not create an institutional/policy setting conducive to rapidly evolving composition of exports and their fast growth. The practice of dealing with weaknesses in trade policies and the business environment through granting exemptions to various activities deemed desirable by the authorities only exacerbates distortions and creates more fertile ground for rent seeking. Without a radical overhaul of the current policy framework shaping interaction of Sri Lankan businesses with global markets, economic growth may be reduced, if not reversed
Aufbruch in Myanmar Mit europäischen Investitionen zu Wohlstand und Frieden?
No full textÜber 100 Vertreter europäischer Unternehmen und Wirtschaftsverbände haben die EU-Delegationsreise nach Yangon und Nay Pyi Taw im November 2013 begleitet. Europäische Firmen eröffnen vorsorglich schon mal Büros in den großen Städten. Sogar die Industrie- und Handelskammer NRW organisiert extra eine Informationsreise nach Myanmar. Kurzum, die europäische Wirtschaft hat handfeste Interessen in Myanmar, deren Durchsetzung sie jetzt nach Aufhebung der Sanktionen und den ersten Demokratisierungsschritten vorantreiben kann. Denn es verspricht profitabel zu werden: Riesige Infrastrukturprojekte in Planung, reiche Rohstoffvorkommen, Aufbau einer exportorientierten Agrarindustrie, der politische Wille zum massiven Ausbau des Tourismussektors und – nicht zu vergessen: Investorenfreundliche Gesetze
La Germania e l'avvento dell'Orientalismo: L'Indologia in terra tedesca
No full textIn der deutschen Kulturgeschichte begründet der Orientalismus einen Forschungsbereich von bemerkenswerter Bedeutung, sowohl wegen seines Beitrages an interessanten Thematiken und Interpretationsvorschlägen, die der Osten der deutschen Kultur anbieten konnte und die ihr ein "anderes" Gedankensystem eröffneten, als auch wegen der genaueren Kenntnis einiger Gesichtspunkte deutscher Kultur, die erst nach der Gegenüberstellung offenkundig werden. Der Ausdruck „Orientalismus“, heute werden ihm spezifischere Ausdrücke wie „Östliches Erlernen“ oder „Area Studies“ vorgezogen, kann in der zweifachen Bedeutung von wissenschaftlichem Lernen und Sympathie und Begeisterung für die östlichen Kulturen verstanden werden. Raymond Schwab hat diese Doppelbedeutung des Wortes gut erfasst, als er es in seinem Buch "La Renaissance Orientale" (Paris 1950) als "laienhafte und berufliche Begeisterung für alles Asiatische" bestimmt hat. Schwab verglich diese Begeisterung, wie aus dem Titel seines Werks hervorgeht, mit dem großen Interesse für griechisches und römisches Altertum, das zu Beginn der Renaissance Europa erobert hatte. Diese neue "Orientalische Renaissance" erfasste jedoch ab dem Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts ganz Europa und besonders Deutschland. Die Begeisterung für indische Sprache und Kultur setzte ein, nachdem William Jones die "Verwandtschaft" zwischen Sanskrit und Latein und Griechisch angenommen und diese auch für Keltisch und Gotisch vorausgesetzt hat. Die Behauptung Jones fiel in eine günstige Zeit: was er sagte, konnte nämlich das für die Romantiker typische Verlangen nach der Kenntnis des Ursprungs befriedigen. Die Romantiker Jenas fingen also an, Indien und den Osten zum Mythus zu erheben und viele wichtige sprachwissenschaftliche und philologische Studien durchzuführen. Deutschland, wie der ganze Westen allgemein, betrachtete sein Spiegelbild im Osten, um dort den eigenen fehlenden Teil, die eigene Komplementarität zu finden. Die deutschen Romantiker schauten nämlich mit träumerischem Blick nach Indien, um ihre gegenwärtige Lage zu kritisieren. Indien war für sie ihre eigene unverdorbene Vergangenheit und die angenommene Verwandtschaft zwischen Sanskrit und den europäischen Sprachen wurde greifbarer Beweis solcher Vermutung, weil viele Sprachwissenschaftler am Anfang die These des gemeinsamen Ursprungs allen Sprachen von Sanskrit aufgestellt hatten. Deutsche Forscher sowie die zwei Brüder Schlegel, F. Bopp, W. von Humboldt, R. Rask, J. Grimm und A. Schleicher, waren die wichtigsten Wissenschaftler, die vertiefte und gewissenhafte Untersuchungen einleiteten. Diese brachten mit der Zeit die geschichtlich-komparative Sprachwissenschaft hervor, sowie die Vermutung der indo-germanischen sprachwissenschaftlichen Einheit und den Wiederaufbau der Ursprache, aus der die Sprachen der indogermanischen „Familie“ entstanden sein sollten. Der Orientalismus hatte auch auf die deutschen Philosophen des 19. Jahrhunderts einen sehr wichtigen Einfluss. In dieser Hinsicht sind besonders Hegel, Schelling und Schopenhauer interessant. Sie erläutern, wie die Beziehung zwischen der westlichen Welt und dem "Osten" ambivalent und manchmal auch widerspruchvoll gewesen ist. Ebenso interessant ist auch die Begegnung Nietzsches mit den indischen Gedanken, weil auch er von der indischen Weisheit schöpfte und in ihr gültige Ausgangspunkte für seine philosophische Denktätigkeit fand. Die Beziehung zwischen dem Orientalismus und der deutschen Kultur wurde aber auch durch die gefährlichen Folgen des Gebrauchs und des Missbrauchs des Orientalismus und der philologischen Lehren (so wie der germanischen Mythologie) charakterisiert. Darauf kann der Entwicklungsprozess des deutschen Nationalgefühls und die sich widersprechenden Prozesse der graduellen Ausbildung des Dritten Reiches zurückgeführt werden, die mit der Zeit zu jenen abenteuerlichen Konstellationen führten, die bis zum Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs das Schicksal Deutschlands und ganz Europas in tragischer Weise mitbestimmten
Clouds over the Rainbow: LGBT Communities in Bangladesh
No full textThe paper deals with the situation of sexual minorities in Bangladesh. Bangladesh, although historically a relatively tolerant and open-minded Muslim majority country, remains conservative on sexual matters. Therefore, large sections of Bangladesh's society seem to reject each sexual orientation which is perceived as "non-traditional" and portrays heterosexuality as the only accepted cultural norm. In consequence, homosexuality is becoming criminalized to such an extent that not only cultural values and societal norms but also national laws are in serious conflict with internationally accepted human, gender, and sexual rights
Can Political Empowerment Help Economic Empowerment? Women Leaders and Female Labor Force Participation in India
No full textThis study examines whether political empowerment of women affects their economic participation. In the context of mandated political representation reform for women in India, the study finds that the length of exposure to women politicians affects overall female labor force participation. These effects seem to arise through direct and indirect channels: political representation of women directly affects hours of work assigned to women under the recent national public works program, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. In addition, the level of access to public goods, as influenced by exposure to women leaders over time, increases the likelihood of women being engaged in the labor force. The findings suggest that women's participation in politics could be a useful policy tool to increase both the supply of and the demand for labor market opportunities for women, potentially helping to stem India's declining female labor force participation rate
Multisectoral Preventive Health Services in Sri Lanka: Lessons for Developing Countries in Providing Public Goods in Health
No full textWhat can other developing countries learn from Sri Lanka on achieving good health at low cost? While its well-organized medical and maternal-child health services have been documented elsewhere, this paper fills a gap in documenting how it organizes services to reduce the population's exposure to disease -- a pure public good. The key factors underlying the effectiveness of these services are (1) strong focal points in the central Health Ministry for supporting preventive services; (2) pro-active outreach by the health line agency to collaborate with other sectors / agents whose work influences public health outcomes; and (3) community-level delivery institutions with well-trained multivalent Public Health Inspectors -- all underpinned by (4) assured tax-based financing. This paper describes this system in some detail such that other countries can learn from Sri Lanka's successful approach to improving population health. It also makes some recommendations for strengthening the system in response to changing conditions