The need for cooperation between the different levels of governance, and in particular the integration of the potential of action by cities and regions, is now widely recognised as a necessary effort to reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement and to make its implementation credible. This was the main message of the International Conference on Climate Action (ICCA) in May 2019 in Heidelberg, which the Director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) summarised as follow: “harnessing the full power of towns and cities to drive the shift to a…
Read MoreAuthor: Ashvin Barshinge
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS, INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT AFFECT SURVEILLANCE QUALITY
Variation in the quality of global surveillance systems can be attributed in large measure to disease characteristics. Under certain circumstances— for example, if a disease can be eradicated or if it poses a high risk of a global pandemic—disease-specific control programs have attracted broad support and have employed this support to create comparatively effective surveillance systems. Surveillance for other diseases, including emerging infections has received less international support and is more limited. The best surveillance systems have been established to support international campaigns aimed at eradicating or eliminating certain diseases,…
Read MoreTHE CHALLENGE OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY IN AN ERA OF GLOBALIZATION
Many people consider globalization nothing new – societies have been interconnected for years. But globalization took different forms in the past and the contemporary conjuncture is new. The world has never experienced globalization at this level of intensity before or the speed at which it is transforming and integrating societies. There is no single, all encompassing definition of globalization. Instead, it has become a broad heading for a multitude of global interactions, ranging from the expansion of cultural influences across borders to the enlargement of economic and business relations throughout…
Read MoreYOUTH MENTAL HEALTH CURRENT USE DEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERVENTION AND DESIGN
The growing reliance of youth on online support for mental health represents an opportunity for providers of mental health services, apps, and other supports. Online spaces offer unique affordances that can help create scalable, personalized, and timely interventions. For example, we may be able to reach youth who are difficult to reach through more traditional clinical supports or in moments when current providers do not have visibility. Many people, especially youth, may not want traditional mental health support. An online screening platform hosted by Mental Health America, which has screened…
Read MoreSOIL HEALTH : BENEFITS AND CURRENT POLICY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Soil health plays an important role in agricultural productivity, environmental resiliency, and ecosystem sustainability. Soil health is simultaneously remarkably easy and remarkably difficult to define. In the abstract, soil health is a straightforward concept: it is a measure of a soil’s ability to support life, withstand transient environmental stresses, and endure as a core component of a resilient ecosystem. John W. Doran, Soil Scientist and Timothy Parkin, Soil Microbiologist of United States Department Of Agriculture(in 1994) suggest defining soil quality as “the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem…
Read MoreDIGITAL AGE: PRIVACY CONCERN AND LOOPHOLES IN LEGISLATION
The development of new information technology has improved the ability to communicate and share information with others, thus enhancing freedom of expression and democratic participation. However, these technological developments have also made it possible for electronic surveillance and communications interception to be carried out on a large scale and with relative ease. Furthermore, arbitrary communications surveillance poses a threat to anonymity of communications and in turn human rights defenders, whistleblowers and investigative journalism – all of which are important elements of a free and democratic society. Article 17 of the…
Read MoreOIL SUPPLY AND PRICES : GLOBAL IMBALANCES
The persistent increase in oil prices over the past decade suggests that global oil markets have entered a period of increased scarcity. Given the expected rapid growth in oil demand in emerging market economies and a downshift in the trend growth of oil supply, a return to abundance is unlikely in the near term. This chapter suggests that gradual and moderate increases in oil scarcity may not present a major constraint on global growth in the medium to long term, although the wealth transfer from oil importers to exporters would…
Read MoreRESERCH TO IMPROVE ANALYSES FOR RISK OF FOREST LAND CONVERSION: EXPECTED BENEFITS AND COSTS
Forests account for a little over one-third (38%) of habitable land area. This is around one-quarter (26%) of total (both habitable and uninhabitable) land area which range from wild land forests to urban forests. These diverse ecosystems provide a variety of habitats for wildlife; help to cleanse the air and water; supply timber, fuelwood, and other harvested products; serve as places for recreation; help to mitigate the effects of global climate change; and provide other essential goods and environmental services. Forests are vulnerable to conversion to other land uses. An increasing number of…
Read MoreDRUG DEVELOPMENT FOR COVID – 19 : CHALLENGES AND KEY CONSIDERATION FOR CLINICAL TRIAL DESIGNS
Identification of the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the associated coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) global pandemic is the foremost human tragedy affecting our life today. This disease has reached nearly every country, causing significant morbidity and mortality as it continues to spread. The development of drugs and vaccines is critical to win the battle against the COVID-19 virus. At present, although different countries have employed different methods of controlling COVID-19 based on their national conditions and health-care systems, the general strategy is consistent: Flatten the growth curve of COVID-19 infections…
Read MoreTHE PROBLEM OF ARCHIPELAGIC STATES
For the Philippines and Indonesia, adoption by the Third Law of the Sea Conference in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention (1982 LOS Convention) of Articles 46-54 on “Archipelagic States,” marked the capstone of the two countries’ efforts to win international recognition for the archipelagic principle.’ For both, acceptance by the international community of this principle was an important step in their political development from a colony to a sovereign state. Their success symbolized independence from colonial status and their role in the shaping of the international community in…
Read MoreRELATION BETWEEN STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE AND OIL PRIZES
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) was created in response to the 1975 Arab Oil Embargo and was intended to, “Store petroleum to reduce the adverse economic impact of a major petroleum supply disruption”. Despite long history of purchases and releases of crude oil, little is known about the effect of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) on crude oil prices. Much of the existing literature on the SPR focuses on the optimal purchase and release strategies and does not directly estimate the effect of the SPR on crude prices. It is…
Read MoreCOVID 19 THERAPEUTICS STRATEGIES
Till date, no potential therapeutic agents (antivirals) have been discovered to treat specifically this Covid -19 global disease. Currently, researchers all over the world are working aggressively to discover a potential drug. Drug discovery and development is a tedious /challenging task, takes several years, and involves billions of dollars. Numerous experiments and techniques have been aimed at preventing further spread of COVID-19 and to improve successful and secure therapeutics. Depending on the target, possible anti-CoV therapies can be classified into two categories: (1) those acting on the Covid itself and…
Read MoreTHE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS
The drivers of conflict and vulnerability to climate change are multiple, complex, and oftentimes, cyclical, making it difficult to analyze their differentiated impacts on Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights(SRHR) in isolation. As such, evidence related to the impacts of climate change on SRHR is often discussed more broadly in the context of these drivers of vulnerability, without distinguishing between, for example, post-disaster and conflict-affected settings. However, it is clear that settings of conflict and fragility are areas of high vulnerability in relation to SRHR and it is expected that…
Read MoreCOVID – 19 AND CRISIS IN FAMILIES : IMPACTS AND ECONOMICAL REPERCUSSION OVERVIEW
The coronavirus pandemic represents the biggest shock to the world economies since the great depression. COVID- 19 is/ was a seismic social shock even for families that lost no income due at least in part to abrupt school closures and the widespread threat of illness and death. In many instances, the school closures substantially increased the time that parents, especially mothers, spend with their children. For school children, school closures and learning interruptions could threaten children’s learning and adjustment but the effects will depend on the quantity and quality of parent-child…
Read MoreTHE CONCEPT OF ARMED CONFLICT: THE ADDITIONAL PROTOCOLS AND THE 1998 ROME STATUTE
The two 1977 Additional Protocols contain updates on the substantive law and the first comprehensive regulation of the conduct of hostilities in international armed conflict. While Protocol I extended the range of international armed conflicts to which it applies by including ‘armed conflicts in which peoples are fighting against colonial domination and alien occupation and against racist regimes in the exercise of their right to self-determination’. Protocol II on non-international armed conflicts introduced stringent requirements for the applicability of its rules and a minimum threshold below which it should not…
Read More