Environment

The economic and social benefit-cost assessment undertaken in this study looks at two options of cleaner kiln technologies in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The two options involve improvement of existing Clamp Kilns and FCBTK to the Zig-Zag Kilns, and Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns (VSBK) technology.

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For the state of Andhra Pradesh the identified three interventions for analysis are: 1) Improving the availability of certified seeds; 2) Improving mechanization through custom hiring services, and; 3) Improving the extension services in the state through the use of modern ICT tools.

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Rayalaseema region (rain-shadow zone) in Andhra Pradesh state is a hot and dry region experiencing frequent meteorological droughts. This region has only about 30% of the cropped area irrigated, and rest of it is dependent on rain-fed cultivation, which is susceptible to the vagaries of monsoon. The region is socio-economically relatively backward and has poor water security.

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This study evaluates the benefits and costs of three interventions affecting household air pollution caused by the use of solid fuels for cooking. The interventions studied are Promotion of improved biomass cookstoves, Free provision of LPG connection to poor households and A 50% reduction of subsidies to LPG fuel. Benefits and costs are presented as a ratio of annualized benefits and annualized costs (benefit-cost ratios) over the expected useful life of each intervention.

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Agriculture and allied sectors in India account for 14% of GDP and were a source of livelihood for 58% of the population for the fiscal year 2016-17 (Central Statistics Office, Government of India, 2016). This paper seeks to research on the reasons for farmer distress in the state of Andhra Pradesh, and research on the interventions for alleviating the distress.

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The economic and social benefit-cost assessment undertaken in this study looks at two options of cleaner kiln technologies in the state of Rajasthan. The two options involve improvement of existing Clamp Kilns and (and FCBTK technology) to the Zig-Zag Kilns, and Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns (VSBK) technology.

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The Union Government is aiming to double farmer incomes by 2022, in this context it is necessary to review existing agricultural policies, and in particular to evaluate strategies related to productivity enhancement which may provide pathways to improving incomes.

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Expansion of irrigation in the desert region of western Rajasthan through lifting canal water into diggies (small pond to store the canal water supply that addresses the reliability issue) and using it for irrigation through sprinkler system and selection of crops that are less water-intensive enables farmers to take up crop production even in undulating land, having saline groundwater, thereby reducing irrigation water application requirements.

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Three interventions are evaluated in this paper in terms of their benefits and costs - promotion of improved biomass cookstoves; free provision of LPG connection to poor households and a 50% reduction of subsidies to LPG fuel.

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Agriculture and allied sector in India accounts for 14% of GDP and is a source of livelihood for 58% of the population with reference to fiscal year 2016-17 (Central Statistics Office, Government of India, 2016). This paper seeks to research on the reasons for farmer distress in the state of Rajasthan, and research on the interventions for alleviating the distress.

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Le problème Haïti a les taux de couverture pour l’amélioration de l’eau et de l’assainissement les plus bas de la région Amérique latine et Caraïbes (ALC), au même niveau que certains des pays les...

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Le problème Selon les dernières estimations, 72% de la population haïtienne n’a pas accès à des installations d'assainissement améliorées et utilisent soit des installations partagées, soit d'autres...

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The Problem Haiti has the lowest coverage rates for improved water and sanitation in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, on par with some of the lowest coverage countries in the world. Not...

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The Problem According to the latest estimates, 72% of Haiti’s population lack access to improved sanitation facilities and use either shared facilities, other improved facilities, or openly defecate...

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Description du problème La pollution de l’air domestique due aux combustibles solides est le quatrième facteur de risque le plus grave en Haïti en ce qui concerne la mortalité et les infirmités,...

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Description of Problem Household air pollution from solid fuels is the fourth-most serious risk factor in Haiti for death and disability, after child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe sex, and high...

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Description du problème Entre 70 % et 95 % de l’énergie utilisée pour la cuisson en Haïti provient du bois et du charbon de bois, ce qui est préjudiciable pour les forêts du pays. La superficie des...

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Description of Problem Between 70% and 95% of the energy used for cooking in Haiti is from wood and charcoal, which is detrimental to the country’s forests. Original forest area is now only 3.5%,...

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Research by Khorshed Alam, an associate professor of economics at the University of Southern Queensland, explores the smartest ways to deal with three growth-related issues in the capital: solid...

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The research examined a simple retrofitting into “improved zigzag” kilns, all the way to the top-of-the-line new hybrid Hoffman kilns. Hybrid Hoffman kilns promise large overall benefits...

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When it comes to cooking indoors over open fires, the harmful health effects can be equal to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. This indoor air pollution plagues nearly nine out of every 10 Bangladeshi households, which use wood and other biofuels to cook inside.

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The last two decades have seen a large body of evidence of substantial health effects for long term exposure to air pollution – especially fine particulate matter – be it in the form of outdoor ambient air pollution (AAP) or household air pollution (HAP) from the use of solid fuels. There are compelling arguments that air pollution should feature in a new set of post-2015 development goals.

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The assessment paper provides an accessible entry into a problem of major global importance for both health and environmental sustainability.

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As realization has grown of the impact of air pollution, so too has it become clear that the effects of individual pollutants (particles, SO2, NOx, NH3 and volatile organics) are linked and that they should not be considered in isolation. Health has become the prime driver of air pollution policies in North America and Europe since the mid-1990s, following new analysis that found detectable effects at levels previously considered ‘safe’ and no evidence for an exposure threshold for fine particulates.

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The post 2015 agenda seeks to replace the MDGs with new goals that “move beyond meeting basic human needs and promote dynamic, inclusive and sustainable development”. There has been an active debate on what precisely these goals should be and what indicators should be used to track them. The Zero Draft of proposed goals and targets from the UN Open Working Group includes under Goal 14 ten targets focused on marine resources, while Goal 15 has 12 targets dealing with terrestrial natural resource issues.

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This perspectives paper explores in greater depth part of the cost-benefit analysis undertaken by Markandya, particularly for Sustainable Development Goal 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all type of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and increase afforestation and reforestation by x% globally.

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This perspective paper makes a proposal for improved methodologies for conducting large scale assessments of the costs and benefits of meeting targets for biodiversity and ecosystem change. This is driven by the recognition that currently applied approaches, such as those used by Markandya in the challenge paper, do not produce sufficiently accurate information for use in cost-benefit analysis. For example, the enormous span of results for the wetland program implies that we cannot estimate even the order of magnitude of benefits.

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This report assesses the targets in the OWG’s Final Outcome Document from 19 July 2014. This builds upon the information presented in similar documents which the Copenhagen Consensus Center released...

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The Copenhagen Consensus has updated our benefit-cost assessment of UN Post-2015 Millennium Development Goals for the 12th session of the Open Working Group. The Copenhagen Consensus will present...

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Some of the world’s top economists have assessed the targets from the 11th session Open Working Group document into one of five categories, based on economic evidence: Phenomenal, Good, Fair, Poor and Uncertain.

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Much has been written and said on the loss of biodiversity that we have been experiencing in recent decades. Species are estimated to be going extinct at rates 100 to 1000 times faster than in geological times. Moreover there is reason to believe that these extinctions are associated with economic and social losses.

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The biggest environmental problem in the world is, perhaps surprisingly, air pollution. Perhaps even more surprisingly, it has been declining for past 110 years. This is because most air pollution deaths are caused by indoor pollution from cooking and heating with dirty fuels.

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An Assessment Paper on Biodiversity has been written by S. S. Hussain , A. Markandya, L. Brander, McVittie A, de Groot , Vardakoulias O, A. Wagtendonk and P. Verburg and released by the Copenhagen...

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A Perspective Paper on Biodiversity has been written by John Whitehead and Paul Chambers in response to Salman Hussain, Anil Markandya, et al.'s Assessment Paper for the Third Copenhagen Consensus.

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A Perspective Paper on Biodiversity has been written by Juha Siikamäki in response to Salman Hussain, Anil Markandya, et al.'s Assessment Paper for the Third Copenhagen Consensus.

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An Assessment Paper on Air Pollution was prepared for the second Copenhagen Consensus by Bjorn Larsen, Guy Hutton, Neha Kkanna. The working paper used by the Expert Panel is available for download...

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Air pollution causes 2.5 million deaths each year, the vast majority in the developing world. Improving both indoor and outdoor air quality - in particularly moving away from indoor cooking fires -...

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By Roger A. Sedjo. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the benefits of forests and biodiversity in Latin America and to move toward the selection of cost-effective solutions for the protection of these resources.

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Dan Biller presented his paper on loss of biodiversity at the Bill Gates for a Day event in March 2007. The slideshow presentation can be downloaded here.

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Estimating the value of biodiversity is very difficult, uncertain, and controversial. Research usually focuses on estimating the benefits of conserving or using biodiversity in a sustainable way in a particular ecosystem or through specific species.

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Guy Hutton's presentation for the Bill Gates for a Day conference held in March 2007...

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