In 2023, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded a total of 399 disasters related to natural hazards. These events resulted in 86,473 fatalities and affected 93.1 million people. The economic losses amounted to US$202.7 billion. The 2023 earthquake in Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic was the most catastrophic event …
To meet the growing population demands rainwater harvesting is the need of the hour. The study area was a site in Kathacheruvu Village, Anantapur District. Past rainfall records were collected and annual rainfall was computed. Water levels in the open wells and bore wells near the site were measured at …
The effect of sand mining on the economic performance of groundwater irrigation has been studied in the Panruti taluk of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu. A comparison of water productivity for different farms-size categories has been done in sand mining and non-sand mining blocks. The cropping sequence, cropping intensity, irrigation …
To meet the requirements of the research community, a high resolution daily gridded temperature data set for the Indian region was developed. For this purpose, daily temperature (maximum, minimum and mean) data of 395 quality controlled stations for the period 1969-2005 were considered. We have used a modified version of …
This paper summarises the key findings of a number of studies that were prepared for two international conferences devoted to comparing the rural development and agricultural reform experiences of China (the dragon) and India (the elephant) over the last several decades.
The main objective of this study is to assess the overall debt position of the farmers in Punjab and identify the factors affecting their indebtedness.
This paper estimates and compares the paid-out cost of cultivation of wheat in India, the most state-protected crop, during the input subsidy regime of the 1970s and 1980s and after its abolition in the 1990s, when economic reforms were initiated. The study uses the valuable time series information collected as …
This paper discusses the various factors that have been identified as responsible for the current global crisis in the availability of food and for the rise in prices of cereals. It argues that the crisis is different from the ones in the 1960s and 1970s in that there is now …
Sanjeev Menon Agricultural institutions account for 14.5 per cent of the total establishments in the country and provide employment to over 11 lakh workers. According to the Government of India's Economic Survey 2005, the state providing the maximum employment in the agricultural sector was Andhra Pradesh at 18.21 per cent. …
Demographic factors have reappeared in the economic development debate with the emergence of the concept of the "demographic dividend'. With many developing countries experiencing a rapid decline in fertility, there has been overwhelming optimism that a demographic bonus will take these countries to greater economic heights. At the same time, …
The mid-day meal programme was initiated as a means of achieving universal primary education of satisfactory quality for all schoolchildren below the age of 14 by increasing enrolment, improving attendance and retention, and simultaneously improving nutritional status. This paper attempts to investigate some of these aspects based on primary data …
Low on water Little groundwater recharging a cause groundwater level in Dhaka has dropped to 61.18m below the surface putting the sprawling metropolis at risk. A recent study by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (badc) has revealed that Dhaka's groundwater table has gone down by 35m in the past 11 …
The concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is at its highest since the past 650,000 years, says the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between 1979 and 2007, the level of CO2, the primary driver of climate change, increased at an average rate of 1.65 parts per million. The growth …
A recent survey, Greendex 2008, carried out among 14,000 people in 14 countries, studied how environment friendly the behaviour of consumers was Consumers in developing countries scored the highest for their environmentally responsible behaviour
With lobbying going on to replace cooked meals in the mid-day meal programme with processed foods like biscuits, this article reports on a consultation earlier this year that saw academicians, medical professionals, and nutrition and public health experts discuss the impact of providing dry rations versus cooked foods.
Nitrogen (N) is essential to the survival of all life forms and often limits productivity, decomposition and the long-term accumulation of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems. Soil and vegetation are the respective primary and secondary sinks for N in terrestrial ecosystems. Litter production determines the amount and quality of N returned …
Cities in the developing countries have multiple modes of human and animal waste treatment and disposal that finally decide the overall impact on the urban ecosystem, and these have been studied for the city of Bangalore. Four modes are found, namely underground sewage systems, decentralized soak pits and septic tanks, …
The capacity of countries to take advantage of the patent system bears a relationship with their stage of development. This paper explores the relationship between economic development and domestic and foreign patenting behaviour. The study uses a unique data set covering 55 countries and 24 years. It determines the association …
Says Fuel Price Rise Unjustified, Wants PM To Resign Gauging that it could only add to the its ammunition against the government in a year leading up to the Lok Sabha polls, BJP on Wednesday reacted strongly to the government's decision to hike fuel prices, saying a "directionless' UPA has …
