An approach for comparing agricultural development to societal visions

There is broad agreement that agriculture has to become more sustainable in order to provide enough affordable, healthy food at minimal environmental and social costs. But what is “more sustainable”? More often than not, different stakeholders have opposing opinions on what a more sustainable future should look like. This normative dimension is rarely explicitly addressed in sustainability assessments. In this study, we present an approach to assess the sustainability of agricultural development that explicitly accounts for the normative dimension by comparing observed development with various societal visions. We illustrate the approach by analyzing farm- and landscape-scale development as well as sustainability outcomes in a Swiss case study landscape. Observed changes were juxtaposed with desired changes by Avenir Suisse, a liberal think tank representing free-market interests; the Swiss Farmers Association, representing a conservative force; and Landwirtschaft mit Zukunft, an exponent of the Swiss agroecological movement. Overall, the observed developments aligned most closely with desired developments of the liberal think-tank (72%). Farmer interviews revealed that in the case study area farms increased in size (+ 57%) and became more specialized and more productive (+ 223%) over the past 20 years. In addition, interpretation of aerial photographs indicated that farming became more rationalized at the landscape level, with increasing field sizes (+ 34%) and removal of solitary field trees (− 18%). The case study example highlights the varying degrees to which current developments in agriculture align with societal visions. By using societal visions as benchmarks to track the progress of agricultural development, while explicitly addressing their narratives and respective systems of values and norms, this approach offers opportunities to inform also the wider public on the extent to which current developments are consistent with different visions. This could help identify mismatches between desired and actual development and pave the way for designing new policies.

Tracking hidden crisis in India’s capital from space: implications of unsustainable groundwater use

National Capital Region (NCR, Delhi) in India is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan cities which is facing a severe water crisis due to increasing water demand. The over-extraction of groundwater, particularly from its unconsolidated alluvial deposits makes the region prone to subsidence. In this study, we investigated the effects of plummeting groundwater levels on land surface elevations in Delhi NCR using Sentinel-1 datasets acquired during the years 2014–2020. Our analysis reveals two distinct subsidence features in the study area with rates exceeding 11 cm/year in Kapashera—an urban village near IGI airport Delhi, and 3 cm/year in Faridabad throughout the study period. The subsidence in these two areas are accelerating and follows the depleting groundwater trend. The third region, Dwarka shows a shift from subsidence to uplift during the years which can be attributed to the strict government policies to regulate groundwater use and incentivizing rainwater harvesting. Further analysis using a classified risk map based on hazard risk and vulnerability approach highlights an approximate area of 100 square kilometers to be subjected to the highest risk level of ground movement, demanding urgent attention. The findings of this study are highly relevant for government agencies to formulate new policies against the over-exploitation of groundwater and to facilitate a sustainable and resilient groundwater management system in Delhi NCR.

Implementing Reforms in Community Corrections: Lessons Learned During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This mixed-method study examined changes implemented in Pennsylvania community corrections agencies during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. We surveyed ( N = 54; 83% response rate) and interviewed ( N = 10) county Chiefs of probation and parole regarding changes to agency policies, processes of this change, and expected sustainability. Findings revealed meaningful changes to community corrections policy initiated by the pandemic through new modes of supervision contact —such as “ curbside probation”— and new policies regarding violations of supervision that align with evidence-based principles. The moment’s urgency provided a rare but effective impetus for reform, but perceptions of sustainability varied across Chiefs’ role orientations. Our findings demonstrate how this moment expanded the footprint of evidence-based practice through local criminal justice reform and reveal new insights into capacities for and processes of change.

Policies to combat nitrogen pollution in South Asia: Gaps and opportunities

Assessing and managing nitrogen sustainably is imperative for achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted for 2030. South Asian countries, aware of the environmental and health impacts of nitrogen pollution, regionally as well as globally, piloted the 2019 UN resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen Management, calling for urgent policy action. This paper assists South Asia policy development by providing new insights into nitrogen-related policies in the region; it makes a step-change advance on an existing global analysis and database. We built on available methods to better identify, classify and analyse 966 nitrogen-related policies for the region. We compared the global and regional nitrogen policy landscapes to explain the benefits of a deeper policy assessment. The policies we classified as having ‘higher’ relevance – those with direct reference to nitrogen and/or its potential impacts – represent the current nitrogen policy landscape for South Asia. We show that a small proportion of policies (9%) consider multiple pollution sources, sectors, nitrogen threats and impacts, with integrative policy instruments. 5% of policies also consider both non-point and point sources of pollution, representing standout policies. More such policies with an integrated approach are vital in addressing the complexities of nitrogen pollution. Adapting existing and drafting new policies are both required to deal with other current and emerging nitrogen issues. Our analysis provides evidence for a roadmap for sustainable nitrogen policy in South Asia and beyond and supports efforts to reduce the threats posed by nitrogen pollution to achieve the SDGs.

What Curbs Social Investment? The Effect of Foreign Electoral Outcomes on Childcare Expenditure Levels

This study aims to deepen our understanding of social investment expansion proposing a political learning mechanism to link existing institutional and political explanations. When resources are limited, increased spending in social investment often comes at the expense of politically costly retrenchment of established social insurance policies. Previous studies suggest that this trade-off results in existing entitlements crowding out new policies, and that party ideology plays less of a role in determining social policy expansion. I argue that this is because parties face an electoral dilemma, as individual preferences for social investment and social insurance have been shown to differ between groups that partly overlap in their voting behaviour. Applying a policy diffusion framework to the analysis of childcare expenditure, this study proposes that policymakers learn from the political consequences of past decisions made by their foreign counterparts and update their policy choice accordingly. The econometric analysis of OECD data on childcare expenditure shows that governments tend to make spending decisions that follow those of ideologically similar cabinets abroad and that left-wing governments with a divided electorate tend to reduce childcare expenditure if a previous expansionary decision of a foreign incumbent is followed by an electoral defeat. The findings have implications for the study of the politics of social policy development.

A Robust Measure of Core Inflation in Saudi Arabia: Empirically Investigating the Trimmed Mean and the Median CPI

The headline inflation in Saudi Arabia is subject to dramatic changes caused by new policies as the economy is undergoing structural changes since 2016. These changes could mislead policymakers as the underlying inflation may differ from the headline one. Since the announcement of Saudi Vision 2030 in April 2016, the Saudi economy entered a new era where the government has started to reform the economy to reduce its dependence on oil. As a result, many initiatives have been implemented with different impacts on the headline inflation such as imposing new taxes and expat levies and reforming energy prices. This research aims to calculate the core inflation in Saudi Arabia using two different methods: Trimmed Mean, and Median CPI. These two different methods were assessed based on their ability to track trends in the headline inflation over time as measured by the root mean square error and it ability to predict the future headline inflation.

MANAJEMEN KESISWAAN DI SEKOLAH DASAR ISLAM MOHAMMAD HATTA DI MASA PANDEMI COVID-19

The covid-19 pandemic has had an impact on various aspects of life. With various new policies taken regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, new adaptations are needed for our lives. The existence of the PSBB policy (large-scale social restrictions), social distancing and stay at home forced everyone during this pandemic to carry out all activities from home on an online basis. Likewise in the education sector, which must adapt to new habits related to policies during the Covid-19 pandemic. This research was conducted with the aim of knowing student management at the Mohammad Hatta Islamic Elementary School during the Covid-19 pandemic based on research. This research is a case study research using a descriptive qualitative research approach to describe the findings obtained after the research. The data in this study were collected by means of interviews, observation and documentation study. The research results show that in a managerial system, the activities in this institution have been systematically organized even though they are still adapting to the latest policy updates from the government. This institution strives to continue to optimize student activities amidst the limitations of meeting face to face.

The Effect of Chinese Green Transformation on Competitiveness and the Environment

People in China are paying more attention to environmental issues as they increase in importance and consequence. At the same time, the Chinese government has gradually begun paying more attention to the environment, advocating sustainable development. The government has been actively developing green financial products such as green loans, green insurance, green funds, and other financial products to help Chinese companies “go green” and reach peak carbon and carbon-neutral goals ahead of schedule. China attaches great importance to its “green transformation” goals, as can be seen from the number of new policies related to green and sustainable development. Under these circumstances, companies must follow the policy and carry out green upgrades or risk total failure. This chapter mainly discusses the background of what firms face in China's green finance environment, taking clean energy, green buildings, and green transportation as examples of how companies should adapt to these trends and improve their competitiveness.

Powering the Sustainable Development Goals for Green Growth in Nigeria

This chapter is on the use of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the achievement of green economy in Nigeria with the specific aim of assessing the performance of key issues in the SDGs. Five goals SDGs 6, 7, 11, 12, and 15 for water and sanitation, safe human settlements, renewable energy, sustainable consumption and production, and ecosystem, respectively, are selected for assessment for the green initiatives and the economy. Budgets on economic and social services follows the pattern theory: that government allocates and reallocates at will without cognizance of the population's interests. The assessment holds the fact that only two of these goals are being met somehow—renewable energy and clean water—and not necessarily because of the need to achieve the goals but as part of private sector and dynamic market initiatives, clearly indicating failures for the others. For the most part, Nigeria failed in the areas of ecosystem, good human settlement, and responsible consumption. The chapter suggests the encouragement of entrepreneurial initiatives, the initiation of new policies on green economy, and the enforcement of regulations already in place to power the economy.

CAPTURING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: A CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN

The spread of COVID-19 has obstructed construction projects worldwide owing to disruptions in supply chain, restriction on the combine work and legislative enforcements. Construction projects from developing economies are more susceptible to these challenges. The aim of this research is to identify factors caused by COVID-19 impacting progress of construction projects and review tools to lessen its negative impact. Multistep methodology is adopted using semi-structured interviews with construction experts to identify factors affected the progress during COVID-19; and data collection from professionals to quantify the significance of each identified factor; Cronbach’s alpha for reliability and multiple regression to assess the effect of COVID-19 on progress of construction projects. The findings show that COVID-19 has left severe issues at the operational and financial levels. The remedies use to correct these issues will help policymakers from construction industry to improve existing strategic plans and develop new policies to manage the issues caused by COVID-19.