Tapan Sarker

Effectiveness of the Integrated Conservation and Development Program (ICDP) in conserving wildlife in the Annapurna Conservation Area in Nepal

Nepal has established 22 protected areas (PAs) with the primary aim of conserving wildlife biodiversity. The protected area system of Nepal has gone through various stages of trial and learning. Various problems relating to management of protected areas have emerged during such trials and processes. In the course of this process, the Integrated Conservation and Development Program (ICDP) approach in protected area management has emerged as an important tool to link conservation and development, with the aim of resolving various problems associated with existing protected area management regimes in the country. We investigated the success of the ICDP approach from the perspective of wildlife conservation. The perceived success of the ICDP approach to conserving wildlife in protected area management systems was examined in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), Nepal. An extensive field study was carried out with selected Village Development Committees (VDCs) within the ACA. We employed a social survey method using tools such as, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), structured and semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire survey conducted in two VDCs. Participatory tools such as matrices were also used to gain further insights into impact of the ICDP approach. We found that a significant positive impact resulted from the ICDP approach in study sites when compared with the pre-ICDP scenario. This study suggests that the Snow Leopard (Uncia uncial), Blue Sheep (Psedois nayaur) and Musk Deer (Moschus moischiferous) populations have increased since implementing the ICDP approach. Participatory tools, such as, interactive matrices, involving local people were used to obtain insights and identify changes in wildlife populations. Based on these findings, we argue that the ICDP approach is significantly enhancing wildlife conservation efforts throughout the ACA and it can also be stated that the ICDP approach could be a better alternative to the conventional approach of the protected area management systems in Nepal.

Super Cyclone SIDR 2007: Climate Change Adaptation Mechanisms for Coastal Communities in Bangladesh

Cyclone SIDR hit the coastal districts of Bangladesh on November 15, 2007 in the evening when it started crossing the country from northern Bay of Bengal with high tidal surges and strong winds of up to 260 km/hr. This study has been undertaken to assess the severity of the damage caused by SIDR, and identify causes of such cyclonic storms in recent years in order to suggest possible adaptive measures for the coastal people to cope with such situations in the future. The study reveals that both natural and human induced factors are responsible for such devastating catastrophes. The study suggests a number climate change adaptation andmitigation options that can be taken to reduce the severity of damages caused by cyclones in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. These include: developing an early warning system; constructing adequate cyclone shelters and tree plantations in the remote coastal areas; constructing structured and fortified houses and livestock shelters; livelihood diversification; and building awareness in the community regarding the impacts of changing climatic conditions in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

An Empirical Examination of the Role of Environmental Accounting Information in Environmental Investment Decision-Making

An experiment is used to investigate two important factors associated with environmental investment decision-making by managers: the regulatory regime in which the firm operates and the nature of environmental information used as a decision aid. Two regulatory regimes are examined, a command and control regulatory regime and a voluntary self-regulatory regime. Two accounting systems are contrasted, environmental management accounting and conventional management accounting, thereby providing a 2 × 2 experimental design for the empirical study. The paper considers environmental investment decision-making by different types of managers working in the Australian offshore petroleum industry. These empirical results indicate that environmental accounting information has a more significant influence on the willingness of managers to incorporate environmental considerations into investment decisions and to avoid future environmental risks, than does the type of regulatory regime.

The Political Economy of Sustainable Development

Since the Rio ‘Earth’ Summit of 1992, sustainable development has become the major policy response to tackling global environmental degradation, from climate change to loss of biodiversity and deforestation. Market instruments such as emissions trading, payments for ecosystem services and timber certification have become the main mechanisms for financing the sustainable management of the earth’s natural resources. Yet how effective are they – and do they help the planet and developing countries, or merely uphold the economic status quo? This book investigates these important questions.

Sustainable resource development in Asia: challenges and opportunities

Contents: Preface Introduction Moazzem Hossain PART I: FUTURE ISSUES OF ASIA 1. Agriculture, Structural Change and Socially Responsible Development in China and Vietnam Clem Tisdell 2. Population, Poverty and Responsible Social Protection Issues of Asia Moazzem Hossain 3. Resource Constraints and Asias Growth: Regional Cooperation for Enhancing Energy Security Shanawez Hossain and Tapan Sarker PART II: RESPONSIBLE POLICY MATTERS 4. Taxing for the Future: An Intergenerational Perspective Tapan Sarker 5. Indian Agriculture in the Era of Global Warming Ranajit Chakrabarty and Smwarajit Lahiri Chakravarty 6. Chinas Changing Public Health Paradox and the New Generation of Health NGOs Lai-Ha Chan and Ronald C. Keith 7. Towards Universal Sanitation: The Cambodian Case Paul Howard 8. Decentralization and Poverty Reduction in Indonesia: The Case of East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Yenny Tjoe 9. Migration of Bangladeshi Workers to Malaysia: Emerging Lessons of Economic and Social Costs and Benefits at the Migrant, Migrant Household and Community Levels Munshi Israil Hossain, M. Adil Khan and Patricia Short PART III: REALIZING THE ASIAN CENTURY: THE CHALLENGES 10. Sustainable Resource Development in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities Vigya Sharma and Tapan Sarker 11. Businesss Challenge: Relating Corporate Sustainability, Strategy and Leadership Vikram P. Murthy 12. The Asian Century is the Chinese Century and the Century of Turbulence Malcolm McIntosh Index

Adaptation strategies for safe drinking water supply in the low lying coastal regions in Bangladesh

This paper examines the current problematic situation and existing management system for safe water supply in the low lying coastal region of Bangladesh. Based on field survey and community consultations through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), this study identifies a range of factors that influence the shortage of safe water supply in the coastal region in Bangladesh. These include: salinity intrusion (from both human and natural causes), the local hydro-geological condition, poor implementation of water supply management, reduction of upstream sourced flow of water, and lack of adequate policy and research initiatives for technological innovation and implementation. This study suggests possible adaptation strategies that can help improve the safe water supply in the coastal region in Bangladesh.

Incidence of Value Added Tax (Vat) in the Developing Countries: A Case in Bangladesh

VAT is a broad-based tax levied at multiple stages of production (and distribution) with - crucially taxes on inputs credited against taxes on output. Bangladesh introduced VAT in 1991 replacing the previous taxes like sales tax, excise duty and business turnover taxes. In last two decades VAT has become an all encompassing domestic tax covering the domestic manufacturing, wholesale, retail and all the service sectors in the country. This paper is a first attempt to measures the incidence of Value Added Tax (VAT) in Bangladesh. The results show that the VAT incidence varies for people in different income groups. For instance, the VAT incidence for the lowest income group is 6.92 percent whereas for the highest income group it is only 4.56 percent. The higher income groups are also enjoying fewer burdens than the lower income groups. Comparing the results with and without VAT exemptions, the study finds that overall the VAT in Bangladesh is regressive. The study provides some policy recommendations that could help design a better VAT system in the developing countries with a particular case in Bangladesh.

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation through Technology Transfer in Developing Countries: A Climate Hotspot Case from Coastal Bangladesh

Countries in the South-Asian region like Bangladesh are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change for a number of reasons. These include extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, monsoons, temperature variation and higher risk of sea level rise. Rapid and unplanned human settlements also aggravate the degradation of its self-sustaining natural environment. Furthermore, these countries also suffer from limited financial resources and capacity, extreme poverty, and inadequate technology. This study explores the technological solutions for climate change adaptation in the coastal areas of Bangladesh in four highly vulnerable sectors including water resources, coastal protection, livelihood and health. The study suggests that using innovative and cost-effective technology could help minimise the climate change induced vulnerability of these sectors. The study also highlights the importance of coordinated trans-country cooperation to minimise conflicts in sharing water resources in the region and preventing saline intrusion in the coastal regions, by using the adaptation fund declared for the developing and small island nations in COP15 in Copenhagen. The study provides some solutions to the economic and policy barriers to technology transfer and implementation, while also drawing conclusions on how to create a stable platform to mainstream climate change adaptation in the region and lessons learned from other regions that are experiencing a similar problem.

Incentives and Disincentives for Reducing Emissions under REDD+ in Indonesia

This chapter explores the fiscal incentives and disincentives that contribute either positively or negatively to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) in Indonesia. Indonesia is an important participant in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change programme on REDD+. The programme is funded through financial contributions from developed to developing countries, which can eventually be part of a country’s nationally determined contribution to reducing emissions, either domestically, or via international emissions trading. Our study finds that there are a number of formal charges, fees and taxes that apply on forest-related activities in Indonesia, which are stipulated within regulations promulgated by various government departments. A range of informal subnational charges also apply to forest-related activities, which has often provided a monetary incentive for local government, especially forest-rich districts, to exploit their timber resources. However, this has been proven as a disincentive for REDD+ implementation in Indonesia. We also find that there is a need for improved financial governance in future fiscal policy reform, which should include the removal of perverse incentives for forest conversion, the equitable and accountable distribution of financial incentives, the prevention of corruption and fraud, and the strengthening of economic benefits for smallholders. We recommend that in implementing the REDD+, the Government of Indonesia should consider providing incentives for the nonexploitation of forests by businesses engaged in the provision of environmental services as well as carbon transactions. This could take the form of private investments, private–public partnerships or civil society engagement in forestry and land use change, and may include incentives such as payment for ecosystem services and for forest ecosystem restoration.

Understanding the Challenges Involved in Transitioning to a Low Carbon Economy in South Asia

This study stems from the hypothesis that there are gaps at local, national and regional levels concerning policy making and project formulation, related to climate change, sustainable development and human security. This chapter focuses on the South Asia region, with particular emphasis on India and Bangladesh, as these are two countries faced with high vulnerability to climate change. It is clear that the increased level of projected growth in the region needs to tread down a path towards a low carbon economy, in order to face up to the challenges of climate change. Inadequate regional cooperation, energy insecurity and weak governance are identified as key impediments to achieving a low carbon economy in South Asia. However, some progress has been made through the formation of climate change specific policy, establishment of forums for regional cooperation, and private sector initiatives, promoting sustainable practices. The step from policy and ideas to action needs to be taken. Barriers such as, political instability, lack of economic integration and limited natural resources need to be acknowledged and surmounted before any real progress towards sustainable development in the region can be achieved. The promotion of a low carbon economy is touted as a key step in the right direction. Emerging from this literature review is a series of examples and mechanisms that may help in the formulation of coordinated and integrated policy and mechanisms that would be needed to see real progress towards low carbon economy and an effective response to the challenges derived from climate change in South Asia.