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This paper draws together the lessons learned from 30 "best practice" case study papers produced for the Water and Poverty Initiative.1 The focus of these case studies is the link between water and poverty reduction.

This publication presents 12 case studies that give an overview of the types of poverty reduction projects ADB is either currently engaged in or has recently undertaken in the water sector. They are taken from a range of ADB's DMCs and cover issues from water supply and sanitation to irrigation and drought relief. They represent a variety of development approaches, including: loans (water supply in the Philippines and Pakistan); technical assistance projects (community awareness and health in Viet Nam), and partnerships (donor cooperation on water supply for Timor-Leste). The cases highlight projects at various stages of completion, including: project design (sanitation in Papua New Guinea); midterm review (water supply and sanitation in Kiribati); complete, evaluated loan projects (irrigation and water supply in the Philippines); and innovative approaches to tackling complex water supply issues (the role of small-scale water providers in serving the urban poor).

This paper aims to stimulate debate on and promote a better understanding of the importance of water security in the lives of the world's poor. The goal is to set out a basic conceptual framework to help explain the relationship between poverty and water security. The paper primarily targets the international water community: water resources experts and policy makers who are part of the ongoing debate on how to sustain and improve our management of water resources and the delivery of the different services these resources provide.

Several hundred participants attended these sessions. The ADB Water and Poverty Initiative sessions alone attracted over 1,500 participants. The presentations and discussions in the sessions provided a dynamic picture of the contemporary debates on water-poverty relationships and numerous examples of actions to reduce poverty through water management. Many varying views were expressed, and in a few cases, strong arguments emerged over controversial issues. Overall, however, there was a strong consensus that emerged from all sessions on the core issues that water management should be a major factor in poverty reduction strategies and that this potential is not being realized in most parts of the world

Moving back to the land is, from different perspectives, a fascinating topic that has been on stage since the sixties. Since then, new forms of rurality have become an upcoming phenomenon on the media, still today we often hear of unexpected success of rural entrepreneurs who reinvented their life, they represent their triumph as reaction to market failure and city-life depression. From a sociological point of view, it is an exciting counter-cultural subject. How to study neo-rurality nowadays? Speaking in contemporary terms, we can talk about changes in rurality, taking Rural Social Innovation as our approach. As we'll see, social innovation is as appropriate as ambiguous when it comes to the research implementation, lacking in the specificity of the definition. Therefore, I decided to integrate the conceptual framework with two more solid theoretical approaches: social capital and moral market, which may analytically help understand and investigate the topic. From that, a research question rises, followed by an intense fieldwork. Let's go step by step, starting by introducing the study. a) The topic: Neo-rurality In the first chapter I explain the topic. Rurality studies connect different disciplines: sociology (marginality, mobility, market dynamics); geography (distance and periphery); policies and normative discourse (inner areas and rurality). 'Back-to-the-land' generally refers to the adoption of agriculture as a full-time vocation by people who have come from non-agricultural lifestyles or education. Originated in the 1960s, it situates back-to-the-landers as part of broader counterculture practices (Belasco, 2006). The back-to-the-land movement of the 1960s and 70s is often framed in relation to general cultural currents that encouraged "dropping out" of mainstream society in search of alternatives. "Multiplying fivefold between 1965 and 1970" writes Belasco (1989: 76) of communal back-to-the-land projects, "3,500 or so country communes put the counterculture into group practice". During the 1970s, the "protestant neo-ruralism" (neoruralismo protestatario, Merlo, 2006) conceives rural areas as the place where an alternative way of life can be experienced through the creation of an alternative agricultural production process. That approach refuses completely the Green Revolution (GR) paradigm (Shiva, 2016). Later, the development of alternative agricultural production was embedded in the agro-ecological paradigm, then absorbed by the global industrial system through the creation of organic certifications. Such a process of integration has developed a new critical reflection on food production and market relations. Neo-rurality is the frame that collects different approaches which are changing rural areas on different levels. It calls for attention to the relation between environmental issues, rural crisis and territorial issues (Ferraresi, 2013). Neo-rural farmers try a new model that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, protects biodiversity and promotes local quality food. In fact, production of quality food is key for the activation of practices and community relationships within the horizon of agro-ecological values. In Italy, pioneers of the alternative movements came from different backgrounds: the radical left, the ecologist movement and the anti-conformist or alternative movements. Also, a pioneering phase was characterized by a multiplicity of regional-level and often unconnected initiatives (Fonte, Cucchi, 2015). Ferraresi (2013) describes 'Neo-rurality' as a new, social and complex economy. Born partly in response to expansion of industrial food and partly due to the survival of some systems that resisted to conversion, we see emerging new or resurgent forms of production, trade and consumption, latterly conceptualised by academics as 'Alternative Agro-Food Networks' (AAFNs) or 'Alternative Food Networks' (AFNs). Movements become key players in the definition of new market places (Friedmann, 2005). Food movements act as an engine of awareness in consumption, and address issues that are core for social and media consensus, for instance health, environment, quality of life (Goodman, 1999), and also social justice and fair trade (Elzen et al., 2010). A second important effect of AAFNs is the empowerment of consumers, a leverage on citizenship action for the transformation of consumption behaviours into political action (Goodman, DuPuis, 2002). Exponents of neo-rural economy, as part of AAFNs, have promoted participation in alternative infrastructures contrasting the conventional market system, developing specific organisational forms, negotiating new forms of collaborative economy (Kostakis, Bauwens, 2014). They thus blur the distinction between public sphere and private sphere (Tormey, 2007). The AAFNs, as shown in the article by Murano and Forno (2017), has three main drivers shaping the form of development of this type of collective action: 1. Greater citizen awareness around economic, social and environmental sustainability issues; 2. The loss of purchasing power within important portions of the middle class, due to the increasing unemployment rates following the recession which started in 2007-2008; 3. General loss of meaning, due to the consumerism and the depletion of social relations, along with the decoupling of GDP growth and happiness (as suggested by the paradox Easterlin, 1974), people's search for a meaning in their life (Castells, Caraça, Cardoso, 2012) which seems to have been lost in a consumer society threatened by an economic, environmental and social crisis (D'Alisa et al., 2015). Tradition of local governance studies focuses on central areas, hi-tech districts, city-regions, overlooking the role of less industrialized areas, that actually represent two thirds of Italy. Northern Italy has been considered as a cluster of industrial development. Given current globalization forces, taking for granted recent government interest in undeveloped areas, inner areas have a stake in getting involved in wider market dynamics and renewed resources. An important contribution to the EU debate on territorial marginalisation has been provided by the Italian government's innovative approach to 'Inner Areas' (DPS, 2014). The government mapped all municipalities and categorized them according to their degree of remoteness from services, consistently with criteria that the debate on Foundational Economy indicates as key factors of spatial (in)justice. The emerging picture offers a polycentric connotation of the Italian territory. The geography of the inner peripheries includes mountain and coastal areas, as well as hilly and lowland areas, but provides no conclusive evidence to establish correlations between morphological conditions and degree of remoteness. The second chapter is dedicated to theoretical approaches: Rural Social Innovation, Social Capital and Sociology of Markets. b) Rural Social Innovation The neo-rurality phenomenon is strictly connected to Rural Social Innovation. Social innovation is a term on everyone's lips, indicating change and development, including social effects. Social Innovation is not specifically mentioned in literature on regional development, but in the more nuanced models we find that most important features are trust among actors, informal ties and untraded interdependencies between actors, which are key factors determining positive differentials in economic performance. Rural Social Innovation is helpfully used in many studies (Bock, 2012). Still, even though it is currently a very relevant phenomenon, Social Innovation itself is a critic concept, it is both one of the most common and ant the most unclear concepts nowadays. Because of its credits to local development, social networks and economic outcomes, I decided to use two more analytical sociological concepts to understand the phenomenon: social capital and sociology of markets. c) Social Capital Individuals generally pursue major life events—marriage, occupational choice—as part of a social network or group. As an exemplum, engaging in the creation of a new firm is generally done in a network of social relationships (Aldrich, 2005; Reynolds, 1991; Thornton, 1999); in that sense entrepreneurship can be considered a social phenomenon, rather than solely one of individual career choice. Social capital is a conscious use of embeddedness, the use of relations and resources for a purpose. According to Coleman (1988), social capital is defined by its function. It is not a single entity but a variety of different entities, with two elements in common: they all consist of some aspects of social structures, and they facilitate certain actions of actors within the structure. Coleman refers to the social structure that enables access to resources. Additionally, we can also recall Bourdieu, who sees social capital as the aggregate of actual or potential resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance or recognition. And Putnam pointing at three components: moral obligation and norms; social values (trust); and social networks (voluntary association). d) Sociology of Markets The structure of markets can be reduced to its minimal components, that are a buyer and two sellers which compete according to some defined rules (Aspers, 2006b). Relations among actors can be of exchange, as between buyers and sellers, or of competition, as between producers. In the structure of markets, people also mobilize beliefs, ethics, values and views of the common good to talk about the effects of market processes (Boltanski, Thevenot, 2006). As pointed in the recent book published by Granovetter "Society and Economy" (2017:28) The fact that people seek simultaneously economic and non-economic goals is an unprecedented challenge for that economic analysis that focuses only on one of the two horns, as for sociology that focuses only on the other. Current theories of action in social sciences offer little knowledge of how individuals mix these goals. We can therefore recall Zelizer (2007) highlighting that economists and sociologists face a common presumption: the twinned stories of separate spheres and hostile worlds. Separate spheres indicate a distinction between two arenas, one for rational economic activity, a sphere of calculation and efficiency, and one for personal relations, a sphere of sentiment and solidarity. The companion doctrine of hostile worlds affirms that contact between the spheres generates contamination and disorder: economic rationality degrades intimacy, and close relationships obstruct efficiency. Moral economy is based on this attack on the common presumption. According to these considerations on ways that shape relationships and market, the main question that rises is: "Are values and social relationship separate from the market?". e) The Research During my PhD studies I worked on an answer to this question. In the third chapter I present the case of alternative agro-food movements and neo-rurality in urban and inner areas in the region of Campania (southern Italy). The study is based on qualitative research design, composed of fieldwork and interviews, undertaken in Campania during 2014-2016, where inner and central areas are the scenery of innovative development processes, founded on structural and territorial resources, as well as on individual and social capitals. Here I present you with a quote from an Italian journalist, Alessandro Leogrande, recalling the most important anthropologist of southern Italy, Ernesto Demartino: In a complex society, old elements and new elements continue to coexist, traits of modernity and traits of archaisms, pre-Christian segments and post-Christian segments, or entirely de-Christianised ones. It seems to me that the [Italian] South of these years, precisely in the light of a Demartino's analysis, fully returns the overlapping of these various layers. (Leogrande, 2016) I wish you a pleasant journey throughout my pages, at the discovery of neo-rural dynamics in southern Italy, a special place for meeting contradictions, traces of ancient and futuristic art, holy and desacralized behaviours, traditional and innovative practices.

Section A The Mediterranean diet: Concepts and overviews -- The Mediterranean diet: History, concepts and elements / Jordi Salas-Salvadó, Christopher Papandreou -- Mediterranean diet: A long journey toward intangible cultural heritage and sustainability / Lluís Serra-Majem, F. Xavier Medina -- Mediterranean diet in children and adolescents / Emmanuella Magriplis, Antonis Zampelas -- The Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease: An overview / Emmanuella Magriplis, Antonis Zampelas -- Socioeconomic factors for the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in North Africa: The shift from 1990 to 2019 / Karima El Rhazi, Khaoula El Kinany, Vanessa Garcia-Larsen -- Mediterranean lifestyle: Linking social life and behaviors, residential environment, and cardiovascular disease prevention / Ekavi N. Georgousopoulou, Elena S. George, Duane D. Mellor, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos -- Orthodox religious fasting: A vital subset of the Mediterranean diet / Theocharis Koufakis, Spyridon N. Karras, Pantelis Zebekakis, Kalliopi Kotsa -- Food security and adherence to the Mediterranean diet: An interplay of socio-demographic characteristics / Maria G. Grammatikopoulou, Konstantinos Gkiouras, Antigoni Tranidou, Dimitrios G. Goulis -- Mediterranean diet, nutrition transition, and cardiovascular risk factor in children and adolescents / Roberta Ricotti, Marina Caputo, Flavia Prodam -- Precision nutrition: Mediterranean diet and genetic susceptibility / Mahmut Cerkez Ergoren, Gulten Tuncel -- Mediterranean food and environmental impacts / Youssef Aboussaleh, Hamid El Bilali, Francesco Bottalico, Gianluigi Cardone, Giovanni Ottomano Palmisano, Roberto Capone - -Mediterranean adequacy index: Features and applications / Alessandro Menotti, Paolo Emilio Puddu -- Nutritional adequacy of the Mediterranean diet / Itandehui Castro-Quezada, Blanca Román-Viñas, Lluís Serra-Majem -- Toward a Mediterranean-style diet beyond the Mediterranean countries: Evidence of implementation and adherence / Fotini Tsofliou, Xenophon Theodoridis, Eirini-Iro Arvanitidou -- Section B Components of the Mediterranean diet -- Contribution of nuts to the Medierranean diet / Emilio Ros -- The Mediterranean diet and mineral composition / Marta Mesías, Isabel Seiquer, Cristina Delgado-Andrade -- Hydroxytyrosol as a component in the Mediterranean diet and its role in disease prevention / MCarmen Ramírez-Tottosa, Cristina Ramirez-Perez, José J. Gaforio, José L. Quiles, Juan A. Moreno, Cesar L. Ramirez-Tortosa -- Light, regular red wine consumption at main meals: A key cardioprotective element of traditional Mediterranean diet / Marcello Iriti, Elena Maria Varoni, Sara Vitalini -- Frying a cultural way of cooking in the Mediterranean diet and how to obtain improved fried foods / Alba Garcimartin, Adrián Macho-González, Giulia Caso, Juana Benedi, Sara Bastida, Francisco J. Sánchez-Muniz -- Wild greens used in the Mediterranean diet / Rúbia C.G. Corrêa, Francesco Di Gioia, Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira, Spyridon A. Petropoulos -- Raisins and the other dried fruits: Chemical profile and health benefits / Magdalena Jeszka-Skowron, Beata Czarczyńska-Goślińska -- Date palm fruit (Phoenix dactylifera): Nutritional values and potential benefits on health / Najla Bentrad, Asma Hamida-Ferhat -- Dietary fiber intake and the Mediterranean population / Ligia J. Dominguez, Mario Barbagallo -- Oleic acid and implications for the Mediterranean diet / Aleksandra Arsic -- Fish in the Mediterranean diet / María Molina-Vega, Ana María Gómez-Pérez, Francisco J. Tinahones -- The Mediterranean diet and its individual components: Linking with obesity in Italy / Silvio Buscemi, Davide Corleo, Fabio Galvano, Antonino De Lorenzo -- Bioactive compounds in oranges from the Mediterranean climate area / Laura Cebadera-Miranda, Patricia Morales, Montaña Cámara -- Section C Medical, health, and nutritional aspects of the Mediterranean diet -- Gestational diabetes mellitus and Mediterranean diet principles / Carla Assaf-Balut, Nuria Garcia de la Torre, Laura del Valle, Johanna Valerio, Alejandra Durán, Elena Bordiú, Ana Barabash, Miguel Angel Rubio, Alfonso Luis Calle-Pascual -- The Mediterranean diet and asthma / Despina Koumpagioti, Barbara Boutopoulou, Konstantinos Douros -- The Mediterranean diet, dietary inflammatory index, and adiposity / Cristina Galarregui, M. Angeles Zulet, J. Alfredo Martínez, Itziar Abete -- Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation and Mediterranean diet / Ruth Hornedo-Ortega, Rocío M. de Pablos, Ana B. Cerezo, Tristan Richard, M. Carmen Garcia-Parrilla, Ana M. Troncoso -- Mediterranean diet, inflammation, and telomere length maintenance / Sergio Davinelli, Giovanni Scapagnini -- Olive oil nutraceuticals and chronic disease prevention: More than an offshoot of the Mediterranean diet / Ahmad Alkhatib -- The Mediterranean diet and metabolic syndrome / E. Gouveri, G. Marakomichelakis, E.J. Diamantopoulos -- The Mediterranean diet and breast cancer risk / Christiana A. Demetriou, Maria G. Kakkoura, Andreas Hadjisavvas, Maria A. Loizidou, Carlotta Sacerdote, Paolo Vineis, Kyriacos Kyriacou -- The Mediterranean diet and arthritis / Francesca Oliviero, Paolo Sfriso, Paola Galozzi, Leonardo Punzi, Paolo Spinella -- Mediterranean diet and pregnancy / E. Gesteiro, Francisco J. Sánchez-Muniz, Sara Bastida -- Laryngopharyngeal reflux and the Mediterranean diet / Craig H. Zalvan, Jan Geliebter, Raj Tiwari -- The Mediterrarean style diet and cognition / Roy J. Hardman, Melissa Formica -- Mediterranean diet and mental well-being in the young / J.J. Muros, E. Knox -- Mediterranean diet and female fertility: Cross-talk of an evidence-based approach / Maria G. Grammatikopoulou, Maria Lampropoulou, Dimitrios G. Goulis -- Mediterranean diet and the postprandial state: A focus on inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and hemostatis / Prarskevi Detopoulou, Elizabeth Fragopoulou, Tzortzis Nomikos, Smaragdi Antonopoulou -- Socioeconomic determinants of the adherence to the Mediterranean diet / Marialaura Bonaccio, Americo Bonanni, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello -- Fungal species and toxins in wines and grapes in the Mediterranean area / Francesco Tini, Giovanni Beccari, Lorenzo Covarelli -- Metabolomics and the Mediterranean diet / M. Isabel Ruiz-Moreno, Alberto Vilches-Perez, Cristina Gallardo-Escribano, Maria Garces-Martin, M. Rosa Bernal-Lopez -- Antiinflammatory activity exerted by minor compounds found in virgin olive oils / Cristina Sánchez-Quesada, Carmen Rodríguez-García, José J. Gaforio -- Red wine and atherosclerosis: Implications for the Mediterranean diet / Bianca Scolaro, Inar Alves Castro -- Section D Novel nutraceuticals and edible plants used in the Mediterranean region -- Effects of nutraceuticals of Mediterranean diet on aging and longevity / Anna Aiello, Giulia Accardi, Calogero Caruso, Giuseppina Candore -- Essential oils from Mediterranean aromatic plants / Filomena Nazzaro, Laura De Martino, Florinda Fratianni, Vincenzo De Feo -- Apoptotic activities of Mediterranean plants / José-Luis Rios, Isabel Andújar.

Climate change poses serious risks for rural livelihoods and food security in Rwanda. At the same time, a significant number of Rwandan farmers pool their resources together through cooperatives and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) in order to increase productivity. Therefore, it is important to consider on the one hand the future impacts of climate change on the microfinance sector in Rwanda, and on the other to ensure that the benefits of microfinance can decrease rural residents' vulnerability to climate impacts. This research project focuses on the clients of Urwego Bank, one of Opportunity International UK's local partners in a development project funded by the Scottish Government, with the aim to provide microcredit loans to 8,500 smallholder farmers working in government-supported agricultural cooperatives. The study specifically investigates the impacts of small loans on the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of farmers in southern and western Rwanda (Huye and Rubavu districts). The study involved field visits to the districts of Huye (Southern Province) and Rubavu (Western Province). Both regions are being increasingly affected by climate change in the form of increasing drought spells and erratic rainfall. Farmers involved in this study formed part of two distinct forms of associations: a rice cooperative (Huye field site) and VSLAs specialised in potato production (Rubavu site). Membership of these allows access to Urwego Bank loans used to procure seeds and fertiliser. A total of 28 interviews were conducted: 24 with farmers (20 cooperative/VSLA members and 4 non-members), 3 with Urwego Bank staff and one with a government agency representative. The study was supplemented by analysis of documents, including government reports and policies, and grey literature. The farmers in the study viewed loans as one of the most effective ways to increase agricultural productivity and income. Loans increase disposable incomes in the short term, allowing farmers to direct resources to other household expenses. The loans also give farmers access to higher quality seeds and fertiliser, helping them to close the 'yield gap'. Specific aspects of the Urwego Bank model, including cashless loan delivery, the timing and efficiency of loan disbursement were also valued by the farmers interviewed. Most participants had direct experience of both droughts and floods in recent years. Farmers reported a range of adverse climate impacts on their crops, which could significantly reduce harvests. These had led to food scarcity, financial difficulties - with several mentions of struggling to pay for school fees – and migration of labourers. To cope with climate impacts, participants reported to have implemented hydrological solutions (contours and water channels), changed farming practice (planting earlier, crop rotation, or climate-resilient crops), increased pesticide use, engaged in off-farm income generation or made changes to their financial management. Microloans of fertilisers were perceived to ensure at least some harvest and thus income, even in adverse conditions, which helped participants cope with climate impacts. In some instances, the seeds provided through microloans by Urwego Bank appeared to be of climate-resilient variety. Microloans were not available for other climate adaptations, such as contour digging, irrigation or pesticide application. Overall, the loans seemed to provide greater financial flexibility which helped with general expenses. However, several participants reported that paying back the loans to the cooperative was challenging after harvests had failed. The financial and 'good agricultural practice' training provided by Urwego Bank was generally perceived as helpful by the farmers and appeared to include broader farming guidance not directly related to the seed or fertilisers provided. There was however no evidence that long-term impacts of fertiliser or pesticide use on water and soil quality were considered during the training, something that is recommended in Rwandan government policies. Non-members indicated that not having access to training could be an impediment to adaptation but that they had sometimes learned from neighbours. Cooperatives and VSLAs serve both as a safety net and a catapult for their members' economic and social development by way of enhanced access to loans, training and markets. However, interviews with both members and non-members suggest that there is also the risk of reduced social mobility (involving technical, economic, social and political entry barriers that complicate access to such groups) and consequently growing socio-economic stratification, posing a serious challenge to inclusive development. Study findings do not support the theoretical effectiveness of the 'trickle-down' approach to development, whereby increasingly productive farmers will indirectly share their wealth with poorer farmers. Farmers reported that both the cooperative and VSLAs did not have any major issues with repaying loans for members who have defaulted, which protects Urwego Bank from financial loss. Farmers and Urwego Bank employees highlighted that there is an informal understanding between the Bank and its clients whereby there is a certain degree of flexibility in repayment if crops are negatively affected by changes in weather. While this certainly benefits the clients, questions remain on the financial sustainability of the Urwego Bank model if the frequency and intensity of climate events increases in the future. Farmers' feedback on how their livelihoods can be improved include changes to the purpose, scope and timing of loans, training opportunities, meteorological information, crop insurance and connections to other development partners. The research team suggest a number of recommendations centred on similar issues (loan purpose, training, and crop insurance) as well as on the financial, social and environmental sustainability of the microfinance sector, the needs of young people, partnerships, the need for large-scale investments and future research directions.

ABSTRAK Good Mining Practice (GMP) atau kaidah teknik pertambangan yang baik adalah suatu kegiatan pertambangan yang mentaati aturan, terencana dengan baik, menerapkan teknologi yang sesuai yang berlandaskan pada efektifitas dan efisiensi, melaksanakan konservasi batubara, mengendalikan dan memelihara fungsi lingkungan, menjamin keselamatan kerja, mengakomodir keinginan dan partisipasi masyarakat, menghasilkan nilai tambah, meningkatkan kemampuan dan kesejahteraan masyarakat sekitar serta menciptakan pembangunan yang berlanjutan. Penerapan kaidah teknik pertambangan yang baik pada pengusahaan mineral dan batubara sebagaimana amanat UU No. 4 Tahun 2009 tentang Pertambangan Mineral dan Batubara, salah satunya adalah melaksanakan kewajiban pengelolaan keselamatan dan kesehatan kerja pertambangan serta pengelolaan dan pemantauan lingkungan pertambangan. Implementasi amanat undang-undang tersebut harus diiringi komitmen yang tinggi untuk melindungi keselamatan pekerja dan operasi pertambangan, paralel dengan upaya perlindungan serta pencegahan terjadinya gangguan terhadap lingkungan hidup. Dalam implementasi praktek pertambangan yang baik dan benar ini, semua pihak (Pemerintah, pelaku bisnis, dan masyarakat) harus berperan aktif dan saling melakukan kontrol. Berdasarkan UU No. 4 Tahun 2009 tentang Pertambangan Mineral dan Batubara, ada beberapa ciri good mining practice, beberapa diantaranya adalah kepedulian terhadap Kesehatan dan Keselamatan Kerja (K3) serta keselamatan operasi pertambangan dan penerapan prinsip konservasi sumberdaya dan cadangan. Dalam realisasi program good mining practice di lingkungan PT Kuansing Inti Makmur (KIM), maka dibuat manual book dan checklist sebagai acuan untuk melakukan standardisasi dan perapian tambang yang elegan. Dalam penerapan awal, diperoleh kesulitan karena merupakan hal baru bagi Pengawas. Setelah program berjalan 1 bulan, maka menjadi biasa. Di bulan pertama, yaitu Juli 2018, perolehan persentase GMP di PT KIM sangat kecil, yaitu hanya 61% saja. Padahal target minimal yang harus dicapai adalah 85%. Kemudian dilakukan upaya sosialisasi dan sharing mengenai aspek penilaian GMP. Setelah itu dilakukan improvisasi antara Tim Mine Operation dan Mitra Kerja di lapangan sehingga di Semester II Tahun 2018 bisa tercapai sesuai target, yaitu 85%.Di area industri 4.0 diperlukan metode paling efektif dan efisien sekaligus menerapkan value Sinarmas yaitu continuous improvement sehingga memudahkan Tim Mine Operation dalam realisasi good mining practice di lingkungan PT KIM. Maka dibuat GMP online, yaitu Pengawas dapat melakukan submit item checklist good mining practice dengan sistem online, yaitu melalui komputer ataupun handphone. Hal ini sangat mempermudah bagi Tim Mine Operation karena yang biasanya harus mengisi checklist form diatas kertas saat di lapangan, dengan tool ini menjadi lebih mudah dan cepat dengan sekali klik saja pada link GMP online maka sudah bisa langsung mengisi untuk melakukan penilaian. Kata kunci : good mining practice, standardisasi, perapian tambang, online system. ABSTRACT Good Mining Practice (GMP) is a mining activity that obeys rules, is well planned, applies appropriate technology based on effectiveness and efficiency, carries out coal conservation, controls and maintains environmental functions, guarantees work safety, accommodates the desire and participation of the community, generating added value, increasing the ability and welfare of the surrounding community and creating sustainable development. The application of good mining technical principles to the exploitation of minerals and coal as mandated by Law No. 4 of 2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining, one of which is to carry out the obligation to manage the safety and health of mining work and to manage and monitor the mining environment. Implementation of the mandate of the law must be accompanied by a high commitment to protect the safety of workers and mining operations, in parallel with efforts to protect and prevent disruption to the environment. In the implementation of good and correct mining practices, all parties (The Government, business people, and communities) must play an active role and exercise mutual control. Based on Law No. 4 of 2009 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining, there are several characteristics of good mining practice, some of which are concern for Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) as well as the safety of mining operations and the application of the principle of conservation of resources and reserves. In the realization of a good mining practice program within PT Kuansing Inti Makmur (KIM), a manual book and checklist are made as a reference for standardization and an elegant mine fireplace. In the initial application, difficulties were obtained because it was new to Supervisors. After the program runs for 1 month, it becomes normal. In the first month, July 2018, the percentage of GMP at PT KIM was very small, only 61%. Even though the minimum target that must be achieved is 85%. Then an effort was made to socialize and share aspects of GMP assessment. After that an improvisation was made between the Mine Operation Team and the Partners in the field so that in Semester II 2018 it could be achieved on target, which is 85%.In the industrial area 4.0, the most effective and efficient method is needed while applying Sinarmas value, namely continuous improvement, making it easier for the Mine Operation Team to realize good mining practice within PT KIM. So GMP is made online, which is the Supervisor can submit good mining practice checklist items with the online system, namely through a computer or mobile phone. This makes it very easy for the Mine Operation Team because those who usually have to fill in the checklist form on paper while in the field, with this tool become easier and faster with just one click on the GMP online link then it can immediately fill out to make an assessment. Keywords: good mining practice, standardization, mine face improvement, online system.

Ambitions to mitigate climate change, increase the pressure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across all sectors of the economy, with significant implications for the energy landscape as well as other emissions sources. Switzerland has committed to reducing its annual direct emissions of GHG by 50% by 2030 compared to 1990. A major share of this reduction shall be achieved domestically while some emissions can be based on measures abroad through the use of international credits. The Swiss government has also formulated the long-term goal to reduce GHG emissions in 2050 by 70-85% compared to 1990 levels (including measures abroad), and to achieve climate neutrality after 2050. Today, domestic GHG emissions in Switzerland originate by about 60% from energy conversion in the transport and building sectors, and by 40 % from other sources including industry. Carbondioxide (CO2) is the major GHG that is emitted with the transport sector being the sector with largest contribution. Given this distribution of GHG emissions, particularly CO2 emissions in the demand sectors attributable to energy conversion and industrial production processes need to be avoided to achieve the climate goals. As of 2017, the Swiss electricity sector is already almost CO2-free as electricity is mainly generated from hydropower (60%), nuclear (32%) renewable and non-renewable combustible energy (5%) and other renewable energy (4%). Future pathways for the developments of the Swiss energy sector are framed by the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050, which aims at discontinuing energy supply from nuclear power plants in Switzerland, and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency. The transformation of the Swiss energy economy calls for the deployment of new low-carbon energy solutions while maintaining the high level of energy supply reliability, which in particular applies to the electricity sector. One option to provide low-carbon energy services is an increased electrification of energy demand services while using low-carbon generation sources. Against the background of a growing share of variable renewable energy sources in the electricity mix, such as wind and solar energy, the challenges of temporal and spatial balancing of supply and demand is expected to increase in future. Temporal balancing arises due to the inevitable mismatch between renewable electricity production and demand as a consequence of day/night cycles, weather effects and seasonal differences, while spatial balancing is resulting from differences between the locations of electricity production and consumption. A future Swiss energy supply substantially relying on large shares of intermittent electricity generation (mainly photovoltaics and wind power) will need sufficient flexibility options. These must allow for shifting energy between day and night as well as from summer to winter: roof-top PV installations, which exhibit the largest potential for new renewable electricity generation in Switzerland by far, show a distinct seasonal peak in summer and daily peak at noon. These peaks in electricity generation – if not to be curtailed – must either be stored and re-used as electricity at times without sufficient generation, or transformed into other energy carriers such as gases and liquids, which can be used as e.g. transport or heating fuels. In addition to the flexible power plants operated in Switzerland already today, i.e. dam hydro plants and pump storage power plants, increasing the system's flexibility and installing of further flexible power plants and storages becomes inevitable at very high shares of wind and solar PV electricity production in order to operate the electricity system cost-efficiently and to ensure the system's secure operation. A related aspect concerning flexibility options is their location in the system, which, preferably, is close to the Solar-PV generation sites which are often embedded in the consumption centres. There are multiple technologies and measures to avoid CO2 emissions and to increase the energy system's flexibility with Power-to-X (P2X) technologies representing one possible option of the technology portfolio. As defined in this White Paper, the terminology "P2X" refers to a class of technologies that use an electro-chemical process to convert electricity into a gaseous or liquid energy carrier or chemical product (and vice versa), and which may include energy storage. As such, P2X technology not only offers the possibility of enhanced sector coupling between the power sector and energy demand sectors but also to provide short and long-term supply and demand balancing. The objective of the White Paper its supplementary report is to collect the major existing P2X knowledge and to provide a synthesis and evaluation for the Swiss energy market. With the aim to derive a technical, economic and environmental assessment of P2X in the energy system, the gas market, the mobility sector and the electricity market are specifically investigated. Where possible, the White Paper also provides information on applications of P2X technologies in production industries. P2X technology stands for a cluster of technologies which use electricity and other inputs in order to produce other secondary energy carriers. Hence, P2X comprises multiple conversion pathways and energy carriers. In this White Paper we focus on the conversion to hydrogen as well as further gaseous and liquid energy carriers, such as methane, methanol, OME and FT-diesel, as well as the reelectrification where appropriate. For industrial P2X applications further energy carriers/conversion pathways might be included (depending on available information). Since this White Paper focusses on P2X technologies based on chemical conversion processes, technologies for the conversion of electricity with the purpose to produce heat as target product is not in the scope of this White Paper. The White Paper on Power-to-X Technology and its supplementary report emanate from the corresponding project of the Joint Activity of five Swiss Competence Centers for Energy Research (SCCER) funded by Innosuisse with complementary funding from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE).

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to find a balance between tourism development and environment, on the one hand, and achieve a consensus between the profitability and development of local community, on the other hand.Design/methodology/approachThe research model presented is a model of structural equations with three variables (tourists, local population and resources); these variables attempt to explain how we can develop ecotourism in Farasan Island. This study is based on a survey conducted in June 2015 of 600 Saudi citizens and residents. A list comprising 900 potential participants was created from various public sources as well as from the researchers' professional and social contacts. The interviewees were contacted to alert them to participate in the survey. A total of 600 completed responses were received within 10 weeks of launching the survey, and these responses are analyzed and reported in the present study. The questionnaire consists of a series of questions with a five-point Likert scale for each concept in the model. The authors also used a set of demographic questions that delved into respondents' tourism and ecotourism knowledge.FindingsThe results of this study indicate that the impact of local population and resources toward ecotourism is statistically significant and that they positively influence ecotourism as hypothesized. However, it was surprising that tourist was negatively related to ecotourism. This may be because the benefits of tourist are more apparent at leisure and social level rather than at the environmental level. The data were analyzed using factor, correlation and multiple regression analyses. Factor analysis was used to determine the dimensionality of each construct. The reliability and validity of the constructs resulting from the factor analysis were evaluated before they were used in the regression analysis. Reliability was tested using Cronbach's alpha, where the degree of acceptance of reliability is 0.70 (Nunnally, 1978).Research limitations/implicationsNegative attitudes toward a potentially empowering tourist need further investigation and attention from policymakers. One possible explanation for this result may be that ecotourism through foreign tourist is not entirely anonymous, and this may dissuade people for fright of negative effects. It can be explained by the conservative culture of Saudi Arabia and the so-called "intermediate paradox" (Persson and Lindh, 2012), where the same people who are responsible for new forms of ecotourism explicitly or implicitly oppose these reforms.Practical implicationsFrom a practical perspective, the findings regarding attitudes toward ecotourism lend support to the notion that the government is doing a relatively good job and this work should be sustained. The respondents recognize that significant benefits can be derived if the government uses ecotourism to develop and increase livelihood of citizen. These benefits include more efficient policy- and decision-making processes and outcomes and greater engagement of citizens in government initiatives and priorities for ecotourism. This perception is in accord with the pervasive thinking in the literature regarding the transformative potential of ecotourism. The lack of interest or discomfort in engaging with the government via ecotourism has profound implications for the development of Farasan Island in Saudi Arabia. The finding suggests that regardless of the level of government investment in ecotourism, uptake may remain low. The study has also proposed and empirically tested a model of ecotourism that provides fertile grounds for further testing in other contexts and socio-political environments. From a practical perspective, the findings reported here could help shape the strategies and tactics the government could use to increase the rate of ecotourism in Saudi Arabia.Social implicationsFrom an original exploratory study that puts in perspective of Island experience, this study examines the scope of ecotourism as an alternative to tourism to the Farasan Island in Saudi Arabia. Considering the tourism potential existing on Farasan Island and its socio-cultural consequences discussed, we think of making tourism otherwise based on conservation of ecology and participation of local people. It is then shown that the position of the authorities in terms of alternative tourism, which remains the order of discourse, encourages local actors to pursue their own projects. But in terms of local development, the impact of these local initiatives, scattered and disjointed, are altogether very low. The authors try, through well-designed questionnaire, to explore and to take measures leading to the expected sustainable management of resources, while investments are gradually encouraging ecotourism in Farasan Island. The results indicate that the impact of local population and resource toward ecotourism is statistically significant and that they positively influence ecotourism. However, it was surprising that tourist was negatively related to ecotourism.Originality/valueResearch on ecotourism in Saudi Arabia is virtually non-existent, particularly research relating to tourist as opposed to the technological aspects of fostering ecotourism. The results of this study indicate that two variables positively influence ecotourism: local population and resource, through the use of nature and social tradition. The perceived benefits of ecotourism were statistically significant but negatively related to tourists. Moreover, both age and gender influence the level of ecotourism – age positively and gender negatively. These findings suggest that as people become more mature, they are more willing to encourage ecotourism of the country via natural and cultural channels. Also, it appears that women are not likely to use ecotourism more because of traditional practices of the role of women. Moreover, participants have a favorable attitude toward the progress and efforts made by the government to encourage greater ecotourism. Finally, while participants recognize the benefits of interacting with the government through programs and that program is likely to play a major role in future efforts, they currently do not see the need to use ecotourism or are not comfortable to engage with the government.

Ilmastonmuutos on yksi keskeisimmistä kestävän kehityksen haasteista, koska se vaikuttaa niin yksilöihin, organisaatioihin kuin yhteiskuntaan. Ilmastonmuutos on fyysinen ihmiskunnan tulevaisuuteen kohdistuva uhka, joka asettaa kyseenalaiseksi käsityksiä itsestämme sekä taloudellisista ja poliittisista järjestelmistä. Yrityksillä on hallussaan huomattavia resursseja, kuten tietotaitoa, ja siten niillä on keskeinen rooli ilmastonmuutoksen tuomiin haasteisiin tarttumisessa. Haasteena on kuitenkin ilmastonmuutoksen monitahoisuus ja sitä koskevien, yleisesti hyväksyttyjen normien ja ohjeistuksien puute. Tutkimus tarkastelee tätä väistämättä syntyvää pulmatilannetta, kun yritykset pyrkivät toimimaan suhteessa ilmastonmuutokseen. Tutkimus liittyy kestävää kehitystä ja ilmastonmuutosta käsittelevään kirjallisuuteen tarkastelemalla diskurssianalyysin keinoin ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumista yrityksissä. Yritykset ja johtajat ovat keskeisessä asemassa tuottamassa ratkaisuja kestävän kehityksen haasteisiin, ja siksi on ratkaisevan tärkeää tutkia, kuinka he rakentavat diskursiivisesti ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumista. Tämä tutkimus kysyy: Kuinka ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutuminen rakentuu diskursiivisesti yrityksissä? Teoreettisesti tätä kysymystä tarkastellaan ympäristöä, kestävää kehitystä ja ilmastonmuutosta liiketoiminnassa käsittelevän kirjallisuuden näkökulmista sekä sosiaalisen konstruktionismin ja diskurssianalyysin lähestymistapojen kautta. Tutkimuksen empiirinen tarkastelu keskittyy suomalaisiin yritysammattilaisiin, jotka ovat osallistuneet suomalaiseen vuosina 2009–2011 toteutettuun vähähiilisen talouden Peloton-projektiin. Empiirinen aineisto koostuu työpajahavainnoinneista ja haastatteluista. Analyysissa tunnistetaan kaksi diskurssia, joiden kautta keskustellaan ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumisesta yrityksissä: rationaalinen ja moraalinen diskurssi. Rationaalisessa diskurssissa ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutuminen rakentuu ennen kaikkea strategisena kysymyksenä. Rationaalinen diskurssi pohjautuu perinteiseen liiketoimintapuheeseen ja keskittyy kannattavuuteen, win-win mahdollisuuksiin ja tehokkuuteen. Moraalinen diskurssi sekä täydentää että kyseenalaistaa rationaalista diskurssia esittäen, että strategisten syiden lisäksi on moraalisia syitä sitoutua ilmastonmuutostoimintaan. Tarkastelemalla näiden diskurssien seurauksia tämä tutkimus esittää, miten rationaalisen diskurssin kautta diskursiivisesti hallitaan ilmastonmuutosta ja miten moraalista diskurssia käytetään laajentamaan rationaalisen diskurssin tuottamaa näkemystä. Rationaalisen diskurssin seurauksia ovat epävarmuuden lieventäminen, toiminnan tuottaminen ja oman aseman hallinta. Moraalisen diskurssin kautta tuotetaan moraalisia merkityksiä ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumiselle yrityksissä ja yritysammattilaisten omalle työlle ja lisäksi esitetään vastakkainen näkemys rationaaliselle diskurssille. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, miten ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumisen diskursiivinen hallinta tuottaa yksinkertaistetun näkemyksen ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumisesta, ja että tällä näkemyksellä on mahdollisesti huolestuttavia seurauksia ilmastonmuutokselle. Tutkimus kontribuoi aikaisempaan tutkimukseen tuomalla esiin niitä monimutkaisia tapoja, joilla yritysammattilaiset rakentavat ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumista, ja miten he tuottavat, ylläpitävät ja uusintavat merkityksiä ja sovittelevat ilmastonmuutostoimintaan liittyviä jännitteitä. Se, että ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumista rakennetaan kahden diskurssin kautta, paljastaa, että ilmastonmuutos on moniulotteinen ja jossain määrin haastava kysymys yritysammattilaisille. Lisäksi se osoittaa, että ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumisen diskurssi sisältää diskursiivisen kamppailun tutkimuksessa tunnistettujen kahden diskurssin välillä. Tutkimuksen käytännöllinen kontribuutio esittää, että vaikka ilmastonmuutos on monimutkainen ilmiö, siihen voidaan sitoutua käytännössä. Lisäksi tulokset osoittavat, että arvot ja tunteet ovat keskeinen, vaikkakin vähemmän huomioitu, osa ilmastonmuutokseen sitoutumista yrityksissä. ; Climate change is one of the most pressing sustainability issues of the modern era affecting individuals, organisations and societies. Climate change poses physical threats to our survival and challenges the way we view ourselves and the economic and political systems. Today, business organisations control substantial resources and knowledge and thus have a crucial role in addressing climate change. However, climate change is a complex issue with no commonly accepted standards and guidelines. This study is concerned with the dilemma that business organisations face when they are striving address climate change. This study contributes to previous literature on corporate sustainability and climate change by using discourse analysis to examine climate change engagement in business organisations. Business organisations and managers are vital leaders in providing solutions to sustainability challenges and therefore, examining their discursive constructions of climate change engagement is crucial. The study asks: How is climate change engagement discursively constructed in business organisations? Theoretically, this is addressed by discussing literature on environmental, sustainability and climate change issues in business and the social constructionist and discourse analytic approaches. The empirical focus is on Finnish business professionals who have participated in a Finnish low-carbon economy project called 'Peloton' in 2009–2011. The empirical data consists of workshop observations and interviews. The analysis identifies two discourses that are used to discuss climate change engagement in business organisations: the rational and moral discourses. The rational discourse constructs climate change engagement first and foremost as a strategic issue utilising traditional business language focusing on profitability, win-win opportunities, and efficiency. The moral discourse both complements and questions the rational discourse by suggesting that, in addition to strategic business reasons, there are moral reasons for engaging with climate change. Furthermore, by examining the functions of these two discourses, this study explicates how the rational discourse is used to discursively manage climate change engagement in business organisations, while the moral discourse is used to extend the view of the rational discourse. The functions of the rational discourse are to mitigate uncertainty, to produce action and to manage one's own position. The functions of the moral discourse are to produce moral meaning for climate change engagement in business and for the business professionals' work, as well as to provide an opposing perspective to the rational discourse. Moreover, this study discusses how the discursive management of climate change engagement produces a simplified view of climate change engagement with potentially concerning consequences for climate change. To summarise, the study contributes to earlier research by revealing the sophisticated ways in which the business professionals construct climate change engagement and how they create, maintain, and recreate meaning and reconcile the tensions of climate change engagement in their language use. Utilising two discourses to discuss climate change engagement indicates that the complex issue is multidimensional and somewhat challenging for business professionals. In addition, it shows that the climate change engagement discourses contain a discursive struggle between the two ways used to talk about climate change in business organisations. As a practical contribution the study brings forth that although climate change is a complex phenomenon, it can be effectively engaged with. In addition, findings indicate that values and emotions are an essential, though less emphasised, aspect of climate change engagement in business organisations.

Several months in 2013 and 2014 have been a hardly predictable time in Ukraine, and the situation is still far from being stable. This made the editorial team of TCPHEE based in Ukraine postpone publishing consecutive issues. However, while the situation still requires practical steps, many aspects including those related to public health require analysis and debate. Thus we invite opinion pieces and studies addressing all different spheres of how public health should function under changing social circumstances. There might be a wide range of such related topics.The most obvious ones are those linked to changing living conditions. Many studies have been undertaken and published with regard to health threats to refugees, people involved in natural or technical disasters (Noji, 2005). Along with environmental health threats, there might be mental health disturbances (World Health Organization, 1992) resulting from long-term strain, losses et cetera.Another important focus is related to changes in health services provision. Crimea, which is a former Ukrainian territory now occupied by the Russian Federation, was among those in Ukraine highly affected with HIV (Dehne, Khodakevich, Hamers, & Schwartlander, 1999). This was responded by several NGOs actively providing harm reduction services to high-risk groups along with methadone substitution therapy to opiate users and antiretroviral medicines to those HIV-infected (Curtis, 2010). However, there are news reports that Russia is going to stop provision of methadone (kommersant.ru, 2014). As opiate substitution programs have been shown an effective approach towards preventing HIV transmission among people who inject drugs (MacArthur et al., 2012), such change in public health policies might affect not only most at risk populations but their partners and population as a whole as well resulting in a rapid spread of HIV.Yet another related topic is that of how health services can be organized at times of social upheavals. Health service of Maidan, though has already attracted much attention (Yasynska, February 7, 2014), should probably become a focus of more scrutiny as an example of volunteer labor force and resources involvement.However, a wide range of even more difficult issues is to be addressed once life comes to some order after the power transfer to those people who were in favor of the changes. Some models have long been known and just required practical implementation - including those related to preventive medicine and primary health care, to mention just two established internationally as a must of health care several decades ago but still not fully in place in Ukraine. Nevertheless, as these models could not be properly implemented for many years in line, this might derive from the obstacles pertaining to either how health workers are educated or how the system is regulated.Considering the best intentions of people who aimed, as opposed to the bygone authorities, to work for the benefit of their compatriots, we may assume that they would be willing to implement the ideas and technologies with proven ability to improve health and well-being of people. Yet, implementation of evidence-based approaches might be deemed slow and boring in comparison to heroic happenings and populist slogans of the power transfer. What are the tipping points to achieve changes in how people think and work in order to open doors for the best practices elaborated elsewhere along with trial-based implementation of new ideas arising on the spot? Though diffusion of innovation (Rogers, 1962) is a well-known model that describes the process, what could be made to facilitate it?If evidence-based and benefit-aimed technologies are to be brought into deployment, obviously good surveillance systems (Klaucke et al., 1988) become inexorably needed. Yet, overall they are costly and difficult to justify in a poor country. What is an appropriate way of their step by step implementation which allows quick display of payoffs and cost-effective use with the impact on the ways people think and act?Yet, the opposite side of the same story, those pieces of surveillance which are already in place are very unlikely to be properly used. Even those favorable trends in national statistics which showed years of declining mortality (Polischuk, Krasovsky, & Andreeva, 2009) and could be presented by ruling politicians as a sign of their successes, is neglected. This certainly does not mean that surveillance is not needed, but this is still the need to be felt and the tool to be understood and learnt.Many models considered normal and well-developed within the public health in the West are still beyond proper understanding of most health professionals in Ukraine, and probably other countries which resemble it in some features. An important achievement of Maidan was the feeling of community, the ability to self-organize in order to solve arising issues. While 'community' was a hardly definable entity in most countries deriving from the former Soviet Union, it now becomes tangible how people can be together and act together. This gives opportunities to address issues of 'community health,' which was never perceived a realistic construct before. How communities live and act, how they might interact with health policies and health determinants at different levels, how to diagnose and understand them is still another large area that was never studied or taught in a country we come from.Moving towards Europe, as Ukraine strives now, requires crucial changes in many spheres of life. What are the known rules for these changes to happen? What are the hypothetical predictors of these changes to be successful? What are the additional factors yet to be explored and taken into account? Your knowledge, ideas and guesses are welcome!

In 2000, the United Nations committed to the Millennium Declaration (UN 2000), a global partnership to eradicate poverty and foster development, which embodied eight time-bound targets covering various aspects of human deprivations, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first MDG focus on poverty and food insecurity, with the aim of halving their proportions, as measured by the World Bank $1 dollar-a-day headcount and by the FAO Prevalence of Undernourishment, by 2015. Despite the broad agreement on the overall objective, however, the dispute on how to measure poverty and food insecurity is, as of yet, as pervasive and impassioned than ever in both academic and policy circles. Many commentators have in fact questioned whether the two resource-based metrics used to track progress in the MDG1 can satisfactory capture the inherent complexities characterising the concepts of poverty and food insecurity. Implicitly, such a stark disagreement emphasises the fundamental role that evaluative assessments play in policy-making, from design and formulation to monitoring and evaluation. The present Thesis aims at assessing poverty and food insecurity by grounding the evaluative exercise in the overall theoretical framework of the Capability Approach (CA). Specifically, the present work is structured in three main Parts: while Part A provides the conceptual and methodological framework for rest of the dissertation, Parts B and C respectively focus on the analysis of food security and childhood poverty. In particular, Part A is structured in two main chapters, which, respectively, address the three basic steps that are required in any measure of deprivation: choice of the space of the analysis on the one hand, and identification and aggregation in multidimensional spaces on the other. Later, Part B of the dissertation focuses on the measurement of food security. Chapter 3 provides an original conceptual framework for the assessment of the following chapters, while Chapter 4 reviews available measures of food security. In turn, Chapter 5 presents an original methodology to select indicators in multidimensional assessments and in turn applies it to the choice of a suite of indicators of food security, and Chapter 6 develop a multidimensional measure of food security based on the latent variable methodology. In this framework, countries' "capability to be food secure" can be seen as a latent construct that is manifested through a vector of measurement indicators and in turn is influenced by some economic, social, and institutional factors. Finally, Part C of the dissertation is concerned with the measurement of multidimensional childhood poverty and the modelling of its medium-term effects. By grounding the analysis in the CA, the Chapter attempts for the first time to bridge the gap between the literatures on the measurement of children's multidimensional poverty and the one on Early Child Development (ECD), which scrutinises the effects of deprivations experienced in utero and in the first three years on later achievements. By using data from Young Lives, an innovative longitudinal study on childhood poverty in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam, the Chapter empirically addresses the critical question of whether the experience of multiple deprivations is dynamically associated to worse cognitive attainments at different development stages (i.e. the preschool and primary school years). In doing so, it takes a step beyond the measurement of multidimensional poverty by scrutinising its potential effects on children's cognitive development in various domains at age 5 and 8. Also, it asks whether the interaction across multiple dimensions of deprivations is dynamically complementary in leading to worst cognitive attainments. Despite the many difficulties that any operationalisation of the approach entail, the Thesis shows that there are theoretical, methodological and empirical advantages when the evaluative exercise is framed in the CA. On a theoretical basis, the conceptualisation of poverty and food insecurity as deprivations of critical capabilities sheds new light on their meaning and on the role they assume in the field of international development. Now, poverty and food insecurity are the worst forms of human unfreedoms conceivable. If, as in the CA, the ultimate end of development relates to the removal of the substantive unfreedoms that constrain the flourishing of human beings, the reduction of poverty and food insecurity is definitely a key priority in the development agenda, as also pointed out by the MDG framework. In the CA, capabilities are interconnected and mutually reinforcing. The empirical analysis of Chapters 6 and 7 shows such interconnectedness very well. In the case of the former, the empirical results show that countries' food security is strongly and significantly associated to their levels in three critical capabilities: health, female education and income poverty. By the same token, the estimates included in Chapter 7 not only show that early childhood poverty matters in children's later cognitive development, but also that other capabilities related to the children themselves, their care-givers and households reinforce the effect of early deprivation and amplify it over children's life-course. This evidence underlines that a truly multidimensional approach to the analysis of childhood poverty and its dynamic repercussions is needed. This conclusion is also reinforced at the light that the empirical analyses show that a multidimensional approach to measurement is able to seize more effectively the complex nature of food insecurity and childhood poverty than single indicators. Finally, the empirical results show that country-specific institutional, social and environmental characteristics are fundamental factors in the determination of well-being outcomes. Sen refers to these elements as 'instrumental freedoms' (Sen 1999), and they represent the "enabling environment" that allows for the determination of the capabilities. This Thesis provides evidence-based research to critically inform the post-MDG agenda, as the goal is not to measure poverty and food insecurity – but to reduce them.

Irrigated agriculture for cotton and wheat production forms the backbone of the rural economy in the Khorezm region. Ecological deterioration and inefficient resource use have resulted in and now present a significant threat to the livelihoods of those most dependent on this sector. Inefficient water use has led to rising ground water tables and widespread water and soil salinization has resulted. The high water demand in the region for crop production renders farmers vulnerable to the recurrently predicted decrease in water supply. Farmers in the Khorezm region are vulnerable to uncertain water supplies due to current policies which restrict their decision making in terms of what type of crops to grow, when and where. Similarly, there are ever increasing risks in terms of yields and price fluctuations due to natural conditions and fluctuations in the market. This study contributes to understanding key obstacles and potential solutions to promoting sustainable development in the region. Moving beyond previous disciplinary approaches in this area, this work includes different crop allocation and water use options in a systems context, where linkages between the environment and socio-economic impacts are considered simultaneously in the analysis of economic and ecological benefits from different agricultural activities. To this end, a static, stochastic model for Khorezm was developed to explore potential risk reducing strategies for farmers, while accounting for the ecological consequences potential policies. Worldwide, mathematical modelling has proven to be an effective instrument for increasing the overall understanding of the complexity of water demand and supply processes, while analysing resource-saving alternatives that are both economically and ecologically sustainable. In order to maximize the utility and applicability of such an approach, each model must incorporate local agro-ecological, social and economic conditions. A stochastic programming model was developed to combine the Expected Value-Variance (EV) approach with chance-constrained programming. Analysis was carried out using data from one Water Users' Associations (WUA), Shamahulum, located in the Khiva district of the Khorezm region. The developed model considered the optimization of water and land allocation of 300 fields, belonging to 99 farmers in one Water User Association (WUA). The availability of Geographical Information System (GIS) based data allowed the integration of spatial aspects into the model. The model was calibrated using various Constant Relative Risk Aversion levels (CRRA). The CRRA is adjusted as the core parameter in the base run of the model and is set to match the observed activity level in the case study WUA. Following the calibration, various simulations were conducted to account for the impact of different policy scenarios. The combined outcomes of the simulations provided a basis for assessing potential effects of different policy measures given the dynamics of the on-going reform strategies in Uzbekistan. The model findings suggest that allocating the area to less water demanding crops and usage of alternative irrigation methods will help to secure farmer income. However, farmers remain unable to fully utilize these risk coping strategies due to occupation of more than 70% of the area with state order, low income crops, including cotton and winter wheat. Key findings from the study indicate the possibility of improving water use efficiency (WUE) and thus the environmental situation in the region through the introduction of water pricing. Results also showed that economic and ecological development could be achieved simultaneously only under the presence of more flexible decision making at the farm level. ; Modellierung der Verteilung von Ackerkulturen und Frischwasser in der Beregnungslandwirtschaft unter Unsicherheit : Eine Fallstudie aus der Khorezm Region in Uzbekistan Bewässerungslandwirtschaft für Baumwoll- und Weizenproduktion ist das Rückgrat der ländlichen Wirtschaft in der Khorezm Region Usbekistans. Ökologische Zerstörung und ineffiziente Ressourcennutzung haben zu einer signifikanten Bedrohung der Existenzgrundlage derjenigen Menschen geführt, die am meisten von diesem Sektor abhängen. Ineffiziente Wassernutzung hat steigende Grundwasserspiegel verursacht, mit der Folge verbreiteter Wasser- und Bodenversalzung. Die hohe Wassernachfrage für den Pflanzenbau in der Region Landwirte verwundbar für den wiederholt vorhergesagten Rückgang der Wasserversorgung. Landwirte in der Khorezm Region sind gefährdet durch unsichere Wasserversorgung gefährdet, da aktuelle Politiken ihre Entscheidungsfindung darüber, welche Pflanzenarten wann und wo anzubauen sind, einschränken. Ebenso bestehen steigende Risiken in Bezug auf Erträge und Preisfluktuationen aufgrund von natürlichen Bedingungen und Schwankungen am Markt. Diese Studie trägt zum Verständnis der Haupthindernisse und potentiellen Lösungen für die Förderung von nachhaltiger Entwicklung in der Region bei. Als Weiterentwicklung von früheren disziplinären Ansätzen in diesem Bereich, bringt diese Arbeit verschiedene Allokationen von Anbaupflanzen und Optionen der Wassernutzung in einen Systemkontext, wobei Verbindungen zwischen der Umwelt und den sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen in der Analyse der wirtschaftlichen und ökologischen Vorteile verschiedener landwirtschaftlicher Aktivitäten gleichzeitig berücksichtigt werden. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein statisches stochastisches Model für Khorezm entwickelt, um, unter Berücksichtigung der ökologischen Konsequenzen möglicher Politiken, die potentiellen risikovermindernden Strategien für Landwirte zu untersuchen. Weltweit hat sich die mathematische Modellierung als ein effektives Instrument erwiesen, um das Gesamtverständnis der komplexen Prozesse von Wassernachfrage und -angebot zu verbessern und gleichzeitig ressourcenschonende Alternativen, die sowohl ökonomisch als auch ökologisch nachhaltig sind, zu analysieren. Um den Nutzen und die Anwendbarkeit eines solchen Ansatzes zu maximieren, muss jedes Modell lokale agro-ökologische, soziale und ökonomische Bedingungen einbeziehen. Es wurde ein stochastisches Programmierungsmodell entwickelt, um den Erwartungswert Varianz Ansatz (Expected Value Variance, EV) mit Chance-Constrained Programmierung zu kombinie-ren. Die Analyse wurde mit Rückgriff auf Daten einer Wassernutzervereinigung, Shamahulum, aus dem Khiva Distrikt der Khorezm Region durchgeführt. Das entwickelte Modell betrachtete die Optimierung von Wasser- und Landallokation von 300 Feldern, die im Besitz von 99 Landwirten einer Wassernutzervereinigung sind. Die Verfügbarkeit von Daten auf Basis des Geographical Information System (GIS) erlaubte die Integration von räumlichen Aspekten in das Modell. Das Modell wurde mit Hilfe verschiedener Konstanter Relativer Risikoaversionsstufen (Constant Relative Risk Aversion, CRRA) kalibriert. Die CRRA wurden im Grunddurchlauf des Modells als Hauptparameter eingerichtet und so eingestellt, dass sie dem beobachteten Aktivitätsniveau der Wassernutzervereinigung der Fallstudie entsprachen. Nach der Kalibrierung wurden verschiedene Simulationen durchgeführt, um den Einfluss verschiedener Politikszenarien aufzuzeigen. In Anbetracht der Dynamiken der fortlaufenden Reformstrategien in Usbekistan lieferten die kombinierten Ergebnisse der Simulationen eine Grundlage für die Bewertung der potentiellen Effekte verschiedener Politikmaßnahmen. Die Modellergebnisse lassen darauf schließen, dass die Bebauung des Gebietes mit weniger wasserverbrauchenden Pflanzen und die Nutzung von alternativen Bewässerungsmethoden dazu beitragen werden, das Einkommen der Landwirte zu sichern. Allerdings ist es für die Landwirte weiterhin nicht möglich, diese risikovermindernden Strategien vollständig zu nutzen, da unter staatlicher Kontrolle auf mehr als 70% des Gebietes ertragsschwache Pflanzen, wie Baumwolle und Winterweizen, angebaut werden. Schlüsselergebnisse der Studie deuten auf die Möglichkeit, die Effizienz der Wassernutzung – und damit die Umweltsituation in der Region – durch die Einführung von Wasserbepreisung zu verbessern. Die Resultate haben auch gezeigt, dass wirtschaftliche und ökologische Entwicklung nur dann gleichzeitig erreicht werden kann, wenn auf Farmebene die Möglichkeit einer flexibleren Entscheidungsfindung besteht.

2005/2006 ; The degradation of the environment has become a subject of public concern and awareness during the past decades, and has been exacerbated in the public's mind by the deliberate release into the environment of Genetic Modified Organisms (GMOs) for commercial purposes. Particularly in Europe, it has provoked broad public discussion and demands for scientific safety assurance and clear legislation rules. Based on this, the new scientific domain of "biosafety" has appeared. Biosafety is strongly influenced by large amounts of data, both scientific and non-scientific, including from molecular biology, plant pathology, agronomy, government policy, legislation, sociology and socio-economic issues. The perceived negative aspects derived from the development of modern biotechnology and its application in agriculture has increased scepticism and fears among consumers and public authorities. In Europe, the environmental release of GMOs has become a symbol of controversy and public resistance. For instance, Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) activists regularly conduct protest actions, such as blocking or even destroying experimental field trials of GM plants. Additionally, the governments of several countries have announced national bans on GM products that have already been approved elsewhere, or even by departments within their own government. In order to elucidate why these views and actions may have come about, and to better understand the various interactions, correlations and influences in the biosafety domain, it was proposed to assess and exploit reliable resources related to the biosafety of GMOs found on the Internet, and to analyse them with the aid of advanced statistical techniques (data-mining). In this thesis, important online databases relevant to GM plants have be identified and described in order to highlight the current situation with regards to biosafety knowledge. The results demonstrate that a large number of biosafety online resources are mostly dedicated to policy-makers, regulators, and academics, rather than being in a format easily accessible to the population at large. To investigate the extent of biosafety knowledge further, it was decided to analyse biosafety research output with the use data-mining techniques. This pioneering investigation employed a scientometric study of peer-reviewed scientific publications selected and stored in the online Biosafety Bibliographic Database (BBD) maintained on the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) webpages. The study identified substantial regional biases in country-driven approaches towards GMOs between the USA, the EU and China. The EU is associated with biosafety, human health, food safety and consumer protection, where the USA and China are more concentrated on transgenic plants technology development and application. The results of keyword association analyses emphasised particular biosafety concerns related to specific GM plants. Our results suggest that biosafety research is strongly correlated with public opinion, public attitudes, government policy and law. ; Nell'ultimo decennio il degrado ambientale è diventato oggetto di crescente preoccupazione nell'opinione pubblica e l'uso degli organismi geneticamente modificati (OGM) è considerato dal grande pubblico come una ulteriore fonte di degrado. Particolarmente in Europa la commercializzazione degli OGM è alla base di un contenzioso che ha portato a chiedere a gran voce rassicurazioni, in particolare scientifiche, sull'innocuità di tali organismi ed una legge che ne regoli la diffusione nell'ambiente. Come conseguenza di questa posizione del grande pubblico è nata una nuova disciplina scientifica che chiamiamo "biosafety" (biosicurezza nel campo degli OGM). Questa si basa su una grande quantità di dati e sull'integrazione di differenti discipline: biologia molecolare, patologia vegetale, agronomia, politiche ambientali e di sviluppo, legislazione, sociologia e socio-economica. La percezione negativa che deriva dallo sviluppo della biotecnologia e dalla sua applicazione in agricoltura ha incrementato lo scetticismo e le paure tra i consumatori e le pubbliche autorità tanto che in Europa la diffusione degli OGM nell'ambiente è diventato un simbolo di avversione verso la scienza e un motivo di pubblica resistenza. Ad esempio le organizzazioni non governative (NGO) promuovono con insistente regolarità attività di protesta distruggendo campi sperimentali di OGM e devastando laboratori di ricerca. I governi di molti paesi hanno messo al bando molti prodotti OGM anche se approvati altrove. Per capire l'evoluzione della ricerca sugli OGM e la posizione della "biosafety" questa tesi si è proposta di effettuare una analisi delle ricerche sulla biosafety presenti in internet mediante tecniche statistiche e di "data-mining". In particolare la tesi si occupa delle piante geneticamente modificate usate in agricoltura. La tesi identifica le più importanti banche dati in linea che raccolgono informazioni sulle piante geneticamente modificate. Quindi le interroga per capire la situazione corrente delle conoscenze sulla "biosafety" ad esse relative. I risultati dimostrano che la gran parte delle informazioni in linea sono dedicate ai politici, a coloro che stabiliscono regole e agli accademici piuttosto che essere accessibili al grande pubblico. Le tecniche di "data-mining" sono state applicate in modo originale alle banche dati contenenti pubblicazioni scientifiche soggette a revisione (peer-reviewed articles). Lo studio "scientometrico" applicato, basato su tecniche di analisi multivariata alla co-occorrenza di parole chiave negli articoli scientifici, ha messo in evidenza che gli studi sono fortemente condizionati dalle politiche dei governi influenzate dalle opinioni pubbliche, differenze notevoli sono state trovate infatti tra gli studi effettuati in Europa, USA e Cina. Gli studi Europei sono più legati alla salute pubblica e alla protezione dei consumatori, mentre, in misura diversa, ma sia negli USA che in Cina c'è maggior enfasi sull'aspetto tecnologico e applicativo per l'incremento della produzione. Dai nostri risultati si evince che la ricerca nel campo della "biosafety" è strettamente correlata all'opinione pubblica, al comportamento del pubblico, alla politica del governo e alla legislazione.