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India's trans-boundary riparian policies affect four countries - Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh - on three river systems - the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra-Mehgna
. China's riparian policies affect nine countries to the south - Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam - on five river systems - the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra, the Salween and the Mekong. [IRN report]. URL:[http://www.internationalrivers.org/files/TransboundaryRiverBasins.pdf]
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The report presents the status and trends of biodiversity in various ecosystems of the country, and then examines the threats that the habitats, ecosystems and floral and faunal species are facing
. The report also assesses the present status of implementation ofNational Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) and progress made so far towards 2010 Biodiversity Targets. The report recognizes the dynamic pressures on biodiversity likepopulation pressure, conversion of forests, wetlands and lands under agro-ecosystems into settlements, commercial and industrial agglomerations, are seriously undermining the sustenance of biological resources of the country
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This report documents different approaches to conservation of medicinal plants and traditional knowledge in Bolipara union of Thanchi upazila of Bandarban hill district
. This initiative involved the collection of baseline data on medicinal plants and their uses, motivating people towards the uses and practices, identification and knowledge sharing with the traditional healers, establishment of an electronic database and carrying out specific conservation measures and awareness activities. This document also provides a number of recommendations to ensure sustainability of such initiatives for safeguarding medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge associated with them. It is hoped that this account will be useful to the people interested in medicinal plants, especially in developing countries
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Water resources in Indus-Gangetic basin serve as a powerful tool for development and for overcoming poverty in the region
. Rapid agriculture expansion and subsequent utilization of available water resources of the basin has placed the basin at risk with water scarcity issues on one hand, and flooding problems on the other, the scales of which are further exacerbated by impacts of climate change. The transboundary nature of the basin adds more complexity to the water resource challenges confronted
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Health is a basic requirement to improve the quality of life
. A national economic and social development depends on the state of health. A large number of Bangladesh’s people, particularly in rural areas, remained with no or little access to health care facilities. The lack of participation in health service is a problem that has many dimensions and complexities. Education has a significant effect on participation in health services and administrative factors could play a significant role in increasing the people’s participation in Bangladesh’s health sector. But the present health policy is not people oriented. It mainly emphasizes the construction of Thana Health Complexes (THCs) and Union Health and Family Welfare Centres (UHFWCs) without giving much attention to their utilization and delivery services. The study reveals that financial and technical support is very helpful to ensure health service among village people. However, the government allocates only 5 percent of the budget to the health sector, while it allocates 13 percent for defense. The paper shows that the government’s allocation and technical support (medical equipments) are not sufficient in the rural health complex and that the people’s participation is far from being satisfactory. The paper concludes with a variety of recommendations.
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The paper aims to analyse the critical factors of women entrepreneurship development in rural Bangladesh
. The analysis is based on recent theoretical ideas that have been supported by empirical research findings. The paper depicts an analytical framework based on institutional theory, which focuses on three kinds of factors: regulative, normative and cognitive. Regulative factors refer to different rules and regulations of the Government that facilitate women entrepreneurship development in rural Bangladesh. Normative and cognitive factors include norms, rules, regulation and values of society. Based on the analysis of these factors, the paper provides many significant policy implications on how to improve women entrepreneurship development in rural Bangladesh
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This paper from Oxfam focuses on how the "right to be heard" concept can strengthen public participation in policy making and accountability
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Recommendations for those upporting poor and marginalised people to lobby for changes in their situation include:
- recognise that change is long-term;
- understand that attitudinal change is important;
- put local priorities first;
- work at a number of levels and build alliances;
- bring people face to face;
- take different perspectives into account;
- recognise that international agencies can play an advocacy role;
- understand that NGOs are important as role models of accountability and integrity.
A number of case studies are used to illustrate these points including:
- fostering local accountability in Malawi;
- Honduran women raising voices to improve labour standards;
- indigenous people gaining recognition in Bangladesh;
- community participation in local budgeting in Georgia;
- challenging discrimination in Guatemala’s legal system;
- people living in poverty in the UK giving their views on government policy;
- policies favouring poor people in Indonesia;
- changing policies and beliefs in favour of women in Peru;
- campaigning to hold government to account in India.
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The global financial crisis is already beginning to have an impact on the ?real economy? in poorer countries around the world
. However, the debate in the west about the impact of the crisis has largely ignored its impact on the developing world, and the voices of people from these countries are rarely heard.
This report presents snapshots of the financial crisis as seen by 21 thinkers, academics and policymakers in 14 developing countries. IDS invited them to present their views on the likely impacts and possible responses to the crisis. Most importantly, results show that developing countries cannot be treated as a homogenous block ? concerns vary significantly across countries, depending on their current economic situation, exposure to specific impacts and capacity to respond. Isolation from world financial markets will not protect the poorest countries, as the indirect impacts are likely to be severe.
The report identifies six main pathways of impact:
- lower demand for exports. In Bangladesh, orders for ready-made garments from Europe and the US dropped 7 per cent in September. In Kenya, the cut flower industry is suffering as European customers are hit by the crisis;
- fall in portfolio and direct foreign investment. Investors shy away from markets that are perceived to be riskier. The Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation has indicated that its investment plans will be severely affected due to the crisis;
- falls in exchange rate. The sudden withdrawal of foreign capital from several developing countries has caused dramatic falls in their exchange rate. Companies and governments with substantial foreign currency denominated debts may contract or even collapse as a result;
- rising risk premiums and interest rates for developing countries on global capital markets;
- decline in remittances from workers in recession affected countries;
- foreign aid decline. Richer countries will reduce aid as governments reassess their fiscal priorities during a downturn. This could have particularly negative consequences for Africa.
Policy responses must take the following points into consideration:
- countries will be affected differently by the pathways listed above. Developing a typography of countries will allow for different responses to address their specific needs;
- within national economies some people will have more exposure to the affects than others;
- there are governance implications at international and national levels.
The authors propose three specific policies:
* increase in aid flows
* enhancing social protection
* restructuring International Financial Institutions
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This booklet presents the context of gender equality in health and gives guidance on gender sensitive programming with case examples from Tanzania, South Africa and Bangladesh
. Ideas for joint policy development and intervention activities to promote gender equality in health can be found on the last pages of the booklet
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The Global Gender Gap Report 2008 produced by the World Economic Forum utilises four indicators – economic participation and opportunity, education attainment, health and survival and political empowerment – for ranking the countries’ performance in term of gender equality
. It also shows improvement or regression in the last three years.
Unfortunately, besides China, countries in Asia are not performing well: - China is ranked 57 on 130 countries- ranked 73 in 2007
- Bangladesh is ranked 90th position – ranked 100 in 2007
- India is positioned 113th – ranked 114 in 2007
- Nepal is 120th – ranked 125 in 2007
- And Pakistan is 127th (on 130th!) - ranked 126 last year and 112 in 2006
(Afghanistan, Bhutan and Myanmar are not in the ranking)
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