Daily Archives: December 15, 2021

In this guest blog, Michigan Tech researchers Shan Zhou and Daisuke Minakata explain how changes at the household level can create a more sustainable water use system.

Human society has traditionally followed the development path of a linear economy, wherein raw materials, products and waste are clearly distinguished from each other. This take-make-dispose step-by-step plan has led to significant problems for a human society dependent on a planet with finite resources. Obvious examples are wasting valuable materials, environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Meanwhile, take-make-dispose encourages a culture of consumption focused on the possession of goods, instead of their use values or values satisfying human requirements. There is a growing awareness among policy makers, environmental advocates, and the research community that the current method of linear economic development occurs at the expense of the health and productivity of ecosystems.

Scholars, policy makers and activists alike have pointed out the need to transit toward a circular economy, which optimizes the use of raw materials and resources, maximizes economic values and minimizes environmental damages. The circular water economy is based on the idea that all water is a resource, rather than a waste product following its use. But, changes at the societal and household level are necessary to establish a more sustainable water use system.

The U.S. is faced with severe water hardships. On the one hand, many communities across the country struggle with challenges regarding aging water treatment and delivery infrastructure, growing populations, and reliable and safe water supplies. Forty states expect to have water shortages during the next few decades that are not related to drought. Millions of U.S. residents are affected by a lack of clean running water and proper plumbing.

On the other hand, the U.S. has one of the highest per capita water consumptions in the world. The average American household uses about 552 gallons of water per day.

A circular economy offers an opportunity to capture the full potential value of water. However, the systematic discussions of water reduction, reuse and recycling at different economic sectors and levels have just emerged.

A circular water economy can be realized through the reduction in consumption, non-potable/potable reuse and recycling of graywater and wastewater, recovery of nutrients from blackwater, and recycling of materials for retrofitting and remanufacturing appliances. A circular water economy has the potential to provide a transformative approach to delivering sustainable, efficient and equitable water supply and sanitation services.

And, while establishing the circular water economy requires both state and national approaches with a backbone of thoughtful policy making, decisions made at the household level build a foundation for societal change.

We are members of a group of environmental engineers and social scientists with training in system optimization, input-output analysis and policy analysis. In a recent study, we focus on the microscale household circular water economy. We estimate the net greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption of household appliances under various scenarios based on a combination of assumptions, including electric power projections, household energy sources, household appliance efficiency levels, and water efficiency and recycled graywater quantities.

Our analysis led to two main findings. First, using 100% renewable-based electricity and eliminating the use of natural gas for household energy would lead to the largest carbon emissions reduction in households. Second and relatedly, household water consumption does not vary by energy sources. The largest water savings potential is in lawn irrigation, which can be decreased from 119 cubic meters to four cubic meters annually through a combination of water-saving irrigation techniques and graywater reuse and recycling. Appliance efficiency upgrades can reduce water consumption from 146 to 228 cubic meters annually, and the water savings potential due to graywater recycling alone ranges from 20 to 70 cubic meters.

Based on our research, there are a few strategies that households can adopt to enhance their water and energy efficiency, reduce environmental impacts and save money:

An efficient electric coil space heater furnace, although the least efficient, can help reduce costs significantly and achieve the optimal water savings.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.

Read this article:

Guest Blog: Offset Emissions and Save Water by Creating a Circular Water Economy in Your Home - Michigan Technological University

India is a maritime nation, and the country sitsastride a large number of busy InternationalShippingLanes that crisscross the Indian Ocean. About 90% ofour trade by volume and70% by value is transportedover the seas. For a rapidly growing economy seekingnew markets worldwide, the volume of maritime tradewill only grow in times to come.Indias economic resurgence is directly linkedto her overseas trade and energy needs, most of whichare transported by sea. Mercantile trade constitutesa substantial portion of Indias GDP and is likely to increase in the future. Maintenance of a secure maritime environment which enables unhindered pursuit ofeconomic activities is, therefore, essential for the overalleconomic development and security of the country.

The Indian Navy is the maritime arm of the Indian armed forces; it protects and securesthe Indian maritime borders. It also protects Indian shipping in the Indian Ocean region.It is one of the worlds largest Navies in terms of both personnel and Naval vessels.India has a rich maritime heritage that dates back thousands of years. The beginning ofIndias maritime history dates to 3000 BC. During this time, the inhabitants ofIndus Valley Civilisation had maritime trade link with Mesopotamia.The discovery of a tidal dock at Lothal in Gujarat is proof of Indias ancient maritimetradition. The mention of the Department of Navadhyaksha or Superindent of Ships inKautilyas treatise Arthasastra highlights the development of maritime commerce. Theancient Tamil empire of the Cholas in the south, and the Marathas and the Zamorins ofKerala during the 16th and 17th centuries maintained Naval fleets. You have read aboutall this in the previous lesson on Ancient Armies.

The East India Company came under the British Crownon 01 May 1830 and acquired combatant status. It was named as Her MajestysIndian Navy in 1858. In 1863, it was reorganised into two branches; one atBombay and the other at Calcutta, as the Bombay Marine and the Bengal MarineThereafter, it was called The Royal Indian Navy (RIN), under the British rule. By the end of the war, its strength had risen to 117 combatvessels and 30,000 personnel who had seen action in various theatres ofoperations.On India attaining Independence, the Royal Indian Navy consisted of 32 ageingvessels suitable only for coastal patrol., with R Adm ITS Hall, CIE, being thefirst Post-independence Commander-in-Chief. After the independence of Indiaon 15 August 1947 and the ensuing partition, the RINs fleet of ships and remainingpersonnel were divided between the newly independent Union of India andDominion of Pakistan.The first engagement inaction of the Indian Navy was against the PortugueseNavy during the liberation of Goa in 1961. During the Goa liberations, OperationVijay, the Indian Navy supported troop landings and provided fire support. The 1962 Sino-Indian War was largely fought over the Himalayas and the Navy hadonly a limited role in the war. Indian Naval activity in the Indo-Pakistani War of1965 largely involved coastal patrols. During the war, the Pakistani Navy attackedthe Indian coastal city of Dwarka, although there were no military resources inthe area. India deployed Naval resources to patrol the coast and deter furtherbombardment.

The Indian Navies capabilities were best demonstrated during the Indo-PakistanWar of 1971.The navy successfully enforced a Naval blockade of West andEast Pakistan. Pakistans lone long-range submarine PNS Ghazi was sunk offthe coast of Visakhapatnam. On 4 December 1971, the Indian Navy successfullyexecuted Operation Trident, a devastating attack on the Pakistan NavalHeadquarters of Karachi that sank a mine sweeper; a destroyer and ammunitionsupply ship. The attack also damaged another destroyer and oil storage tanks atthe Karachi port. To commemorate this action, 4 December is celebrated as theNavy Day.

The full range of operations in which a nations Naval forces may be involved is vast,

ranging from high intensity war fighting to humanitarian assistance and disaster reliefoperations. This can be broken down into distinct roles. The four main roles of theIndian Navy are described in the following sections:

The Naval air-arm is an important component of the Indian Navy, and it consists ofMiG-29Kjets and helicopters that operate from aircraft carriers. The Kamov-31operates from theaircraft carriers and provides airborne early warning cover for thefleet. In the anti-submarinerole the Sea King, Ka-28 and the Indian Dhruv are used.The Boeing P-8, Poseidon and the Ilyushin 38 carry out maritime patrol andreconnaissance operations. The UAV arm consists of the Heron and Searcher-IIs thatare operated from both surface ships and shore establishments for surveillance missions.

INS Kursura was commissioned at Riga, erstwhile USSR, on 18 December 1969 under thecommand of Commander A Auditto. The submarine embarked on her maiden passage fromBalrisk on 20th February 1970. The induction of INS Kursura showcased the augmentation of the 3rd dimension of the Indian Navy. She was the corner stone of foundation of Indian Naval Submarine Arm. During her 31 glorious year of service the submarine traversed 73,500 nautical miles participating in almost all types of Naval operations. INS Kursura played a vital role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. She was the pioneer submarine extending goodwill and harmony through visits and flag-showing missions to other nations. In her vast life span, INS Kursura changed hands 13 times, the last Commanding Officer being Cdr KM Sreedharan. INS Kursura was decommissioned on 27th February 2001.After her decommissioning, Kursura has been converted into a submarine museum beached on RK Beach, Visakhapatnam.

List of active Indian Navy ships is a list of ships in active service with the Indian Navy. In service ships are taken from the official Indian Navy website.As of July 2021, the Indian Navy possesses 1 aircraft carrier, 1 amphibious transport dock, 8 Landing ship tanks, 10 destroyers, 13 frigates, 1 Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, 16 conventionally powered attack submarines, 23 corvettes, 8 Landing Craft Utility, 10 large offshore patrol vessels, 5 fleet tankers and various auxiliary vessels and small patrol boats.

India has a coastline of about 7500 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of over 2 million sq kms. In addition, we are endowed with abundant oceanic wealth comprising a large number of island territories and vast seabed area, over 97 % of our national trade is carried by sea routes! We must protect our natural wealth and keep our trade routes open in order to progress and per. It is therefore, imperative that India maintains a strong Navy which is always in a high state of preparedness.In times of distress and natural disaster such as floods, droughts, cyclones, earthquakes etc. The Navy is always called upon for rescue and relief operations. Little wonder then, the Indian Navy is so relevant to us all! And that also explains why the public hold a great deal of affections for the Navy and its officers and sailors.

Of all the diverse elements that go into the making of a strong and effective Navy, no single factor is as important as its men.

The potential to grow the blue economy is limited by a series of challenges.

A more systematic approach, based on a better understanding of nationally defined priorities, social context, and resource base, can guide sustainable and inclusive blue growth. Countries increasingly recognize that they need more knowledge about the biophysical characteristics, carrying capacity, synergies, or trade-offs between sectors to ensure an efficient and sustainable management of different activities.

Marine and coastal spatial planning and integrated maritime surveillance are needed to give authorities, businesses, and communities a better picture of what is happening in this unique space. Digital mapping of maritime and coastal space and natural assets can form the basis for cross-sector analysis and planning in order to prevent conflicts and avoid externalities.

Similarly, the growing science of data-limited stock assessments can provide critical information needed for improved fisheries management. In places such as South Africa and Indonesia, mobile technology is being tested to gather previously unavailable data, for example on fishery landings and fish stock health.

Coastal zones are among the areas most vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards. Risks include flooding, erosion, sea level rise as well as extreme weather events due to ad hoc development. The Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) seeks to coordinate the application of different policies affecting the coastal zone and maritime activities. ICZM is an iterative process which includes a variety of approaches, from mapping, delineation and demarcation of the hazard lines and coastal sediment cells, to building the capacity of agencies, institutions, and communities to make informed decisions about growing the blue economy within the carrying capacity of its living natural resource base.

Growing the blue economy requires assessing the value of marine resources. Not only are marine living resources poorly measured and understood, but they are also rarely valued properly.

Human Capital: Skilled labor is in high demand in all developing countries and highly relevant to the blue economy. Investment in the broader blue economy and in parallel skills training for fishers who can no longer make a decent living from the living aquatic resources can produce win-wins for economic development across sectors and make space for conservation.

Secured Governance presents a vision of rapid economic development based on natural resource utilization and urban expansion through next five years. It prioritizes immediate development needs and the interests of coastal developers and extractive industries over the proactive preservation of ecosystem services. As the scenario was developed over time, it came to represent possible construction and development that could occur with minimal government investment. Substantial benefits are to be derived through this type of secured governance functions via many interacting mechanisms which define and control them.

Apart from the obvious benefits of additional revenue through coastal development, one major advantage is tremendous improvement in export and import of weapons in India. While refining valuation methods is going to lead to more rational coastal land-use decisions, it will design sustain additional revenue to department of Indian Navy and improve our understanding on the ecologicaleconomic mechanisms that contribute to the value of our natural capital assets.

Viewing the marine environment as natural capital sets the framework for assessing how that environment contributes to human well-being and establishes that the marine environment is not just an amenity or an expendable aspect of coastal lives. A healthy marine ecosystem provides an irreplaceable foundation for fisheries, recreation, and tourism industries, as well as less recognized services such as waste processing, hydrological cycling, storm protection, and nutrient cycling all of which contribute to the habitability of a place, the region, and the planet as a whole. The innovative blue economy is driven by business-level innovation using locally sourced resources, with a focus on job creation, building social capital and generating multiple cash flows by stimulating entrepreneurship and business-model innovation. Historically there has been a close correlation between economic growth and environmental degradation: as communities grow, so the environment declines. So, the various policy tools that have encouraged more sustainable production and consumption patterns. On the production side, this owes much to the research and development of environmentally sound technologies, fostered by environmental regulation. In addition, frequent dialogue, knowledge management, technology transfer, education, training, and capacity building must be developed so that sustainable industrial practices can spread throughout the world. Coastal plains are a geologic feature found on both the eastern and western coasts of India. The coastal area of India has the potential to generate multiple revenue streams. The market turns around money; money is thus a medium of exchange. Innovations that generate more market applications have greater appeal and are thus most likely to be embraced by established businesses and entrepreneurs. The opportunity to generate multiple revenues is a very attractive phenomenon since it mobilizes parallel investments for several niche markets. Nonetheless, these are still high-risk investments. The terms may not be appealing for the inventors but the need for cash may be so urgent that they accept an investment agreement. The capacity to reduce risk by generating more cash flow makes products and services competitive. This is how millions of sustainable jobs will be created, fundamentally shifting old model products and by-gone production methods to innovations and processes based on the scientific understanding of already benchmarked solutions that encourage the next generation to become innovators.

The scope of the ocean economy varies considerably among countries. For example, in the United States we see six sectors and 26 categories whereas in Japan we see only three sectors but 33 categories. This is a reflection of the many different classification sectors and categories in different countries. In other words, one industry in one country is divided into several industries in another country.

Despite this disparity, we can identify the main scope and characteristics of some common industries:

Fisheries generally consists of fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing;

Marine Mining all countries where marine mining exists include it in the ocean economy. Some countries include the salt industry while others separate it from marine mining.

Offshore Oil and Gas Many countries with an offshore oil and gas industry include it in the ocean economy.

Ship and boat-building all countries where ship and boat building exists include it in the ocean economy.

Marine Manufacturing though the scope of marine manufacturing differs according to country, most include it in the ocean economy.

Marine Construction all countries with a marine construction industry include it in the ocean economy.

Marine Transportation all countries include marine transportation in the ocean economy, but some countries categorize marine transport-related services as separate industries.

Port many countries integrate the port industry into marine transportation.

Marine Tourism although all countries include marine tourism in the ocean economy, the industry is very complex. This makes it difficult to innumerate the differences in scope in the marine and costal tourism industry.

Marine Commerce: Marine financial services, marine legal services, marine insurance, ship finance & related services, charterers, media & publishing.

Maine ICT: Marine engineering consultancy, meteorological consultancy, environmental consultancy, hydro-survey consultancy, project management consultancy, ICT solutions, geo-informatics services, yacht design, submarine telecom etc.

Public Sectors such as education, national defense, R&D, and public administration most countries include them in the ocean economy.

Ocean Renewable Energy:Offshore wind energy production, wave energy production, tidal energy production

India has navigable network length is 14,500 km, in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. There are 6 waterways in 15 states with 70 terminals all over India waterways. Various surveys show that water-based activities are among the most popular recreation activities. Sometimes restricted zones are set up so that certain activities, such as fishing, do not interfere with other activities, such as swimming. Even a medium-sized hydropower project can have recreational and tourism value to residents and visitors, provide jobs for thousands, and have a monetary benefit in the crores of Indian Rupees.

The water-based group was dominated by young males who were involved in a wide variety of recreational activities, especially those based on water adventures. The learning and-passive group contained a majority of highly educated, older women who were most interested in learning and viewing about activities, and in participating in popular outdoor activities such as family gathering, picnicking, and walking. In order to improve planning and management for these participants, the survey provided recommendations for appropriate services and facilities at the recreation areas, formulated policies, and encouraged proper use of natural resources.

Local government will get additional revenue through this various mini-HUBs to meet extra budget burden of river maintenance (includes deepening, cleaning etc.) expenditure.

India is blessed with 1,382 individual islands in that Smart City Scheme is an ambitious economic development programme aimed at consolidating the international business and financial HUB by creating ideal conditions for working, living, and spurring investment through the development of smart cities. It provides technology-driven facilities to the business community and creates a vibrant city lifestyle. Smart city concepts demand a change in lifestyle and can only be successful if the people are willing to adapt to this new lifestyle. The social and cultural settings in islands are known to be different; islanders often have a unique lifestyle shaped by various factors such as physical isolation, size etc. Therefore, if authorities want to create smart islands, they need the people to be among the most important stakeholders, that is, they need the people to want to live in a smart island.

Blue Economy is comparatively unexplored in terms of its economic potential and long-term developmental programme of the world. Island could be one of the major destinations in the journey of creating smart sustainable city. Islands could be allocated to develop tourism HUBs & Smart Cities for sustainable Economic development to meet financial obligation of India.

These smart city projects would require huge capital investment initially that could be brought about by public private partnerships for developing sustainable smart cities. The smart cities in Island will help the Indian Economy to provide long term funding and more employment opportunities in future.

Optimum and efficient utilization of water resources is at the core of blue economy. Singapore is a group of Islands without natural resources. Even it is to be a leader in implementing the smart city concept and moves to be a smart Nation. In India there are more than 1,200 Islands with abundant natural resources and beautiful scenery. Some of these islands are equal or even larger in size of Singapore. These islands could be leased out by the central government to state governments for smart city development and other economic activities, based on the population of the state. Every Island would be one of blue economy resources which facilitates greater use of untapped economic growth in a much bigger way, in turn, may raise the contribution of smart city development to the major portion of economy. Development of smart city projects with private capital through Public Private Participation (PPP) route has become one of the commonly acquired procurement strategies in developed and developing countries. The development of smart cities in Islands would be opening up a plethora of investment opportunities. The Smart City Scheme provides an enabling framework and a package of attractive fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to investors for the development of smart cities across the island. Even it would be new initiative to stimulate innovative scientific and technological activities, provide technology-driven facilities to the business community and create a vibrant city lifestyle.

The Smart City development would be an ambitious economic development programme aimed at consolidating the international business and financial HUB by creating ideal conditions for working, living and spurring investment across the island. Islands have great potentialities in smart city development; it will accelerate employment opportunities, promote local economic growth and create an effective roadmap that derogates the financial obligations of States and Union Territories of India.

Social Benefit: Conceptually, helps people in areas of HUBs, Mini HUBs & Micro HUBs, thus allowing greater access to employment and other productive opportunities. Increase output such as tourism and other allied services or facilities in the region, which reflects into an improvement in living standards.

Economic Benefit: Facilitate innovation and new ideas in the water-based region of India. Significantly increase the land values and economic growth. Stimulate investment from Private stakeholder and foreign investors for the next five years would be around INR. 1.5 lakh cr. and create 20 million new job opportunities and business opportunities for local. Around 3.6% of private investment would be additional revenue to Government of India.

The raising importance of the Blue Economy in global activities represents a great opportunity for innovation, be it in coastal management, navigation assistance or biodiversity protection. The Blue Economy represents an opportunity to boost the local economy and create jobs in knowledge intensive economic sectors. The creation of new services are really need in order to better tackle the challenges faced by coastal regions and inland water bodies to achieve their unleash business opportunities and boost the local economy. Both local and regional authorities should therefore not hesitate in investing even more into the adoption of innovative technologies. It is indispensable to promote and enhance collaboration between the various actors of the value-chain to develop strong and vibrant local economies.

Value and Valuation of the Blue Economy allied projects will make it a self-sustaining mechanism while bringing unprecedented growth and development for the region.

By,Commander Vijay Vadhera, (Veteran)President Navy Foundation, Mumbai Chapter

By,Dr. P. Sekhar, Chairman,Unleashing India, Global Smart City Panel & MTGF

Summary

Article Name

Post Covid devastation important role of Naval Personnel past and present for Reincarnation through Smart and Secured Governance

Description

Indias economic resurgence is the direct link to her overseas trade and energy needs, most of which are transported by sea. Mercantile trade constitutes a substantial portion of Indias GDP and is likely to increase in the future.

Author

TPT News BUreau

Publisher Name

THE POLICY TIMES

Publisher Logo

See original here:

Post Covid devastation important role of Naval Personnel past and present for Reincarnation through Smart and Secured Governance - thepolicytimes.com

The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in India going into an unprecedented nationwide lockdown in the months of March and April 2020. The effect of the pandemic is being felt across all aspects of the economy with GDP growth falling to as low as 2.5% in the calendar year. The Indian government has responded to this by providing several guidelines including restricting the movement of people and social distancing.

University Grants Commission (UGC) and other apex education bodies also issued COVID-19 specific guidelines for Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) resulting in temporarily closing, students being asked to go home, and efforts being undertaken to move classes online. These measures will have varying degrees of impact on ~3.75 crore students enrolled in and ~14 lakh faculty employed by the system.

Higher education leaders are also concerned that an extended lockdown due to the pandemic could have a deeper impact on the sector, as COVID-19 has disrupted the admissions cycle and might have an effect on enrolments; creating a cash flow crunch, slowing down research and consulting activities.

This year, close to 1.44 crore students are appearing for their school-leaving exams, and close to 50 lakhs of these students will be looking to enroll in a higher education institution in this academic session.

Institutions planning for their admissions cycle will need to muster their limited resources, have an agile response plan to COVID-19, and build resilience to minimize the impact on their enrolments, diversity of students, and revenues.

Todays rapidly growing economies depend on the creation, acquisition, distribution, and use of knowledge and this requires a well-educated and highly skilled population. The various report says that India has the potential to become the second-largest economy in the world by 2050 in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms (third in Market Exchange Rate (MER) terms), although this requires a sustained developmental program in the existing educational system. Education plays a key articulating role between nation and economic growth. No country can achieve sustainable economic development without substantial investment in human capital. Education enriches peoples understanding of themselves and the world. It improves the quality of their lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Indeed, investing in education helps to achieve a sustainable economic growth of a nation.

Generally, funding of education mainly comes from the government, with a smaller role for non-educational private sources (including for example households, enterprises, non-profit organizations, and religious institutions) and generally an even smaller role for international organizations.

But education budgets are limited, especially in times of economic downswing. The government spends on education per student for top 10 countries are given in the table. In India, the total public expenditure per year on each student in a government school could range from INR12,000 (US$160, US$ = INR 75.00) per student at the elementary level to INR16,000 (US$213.33, US$ = INR 75.00) at the secondary and higher secondary level. Although the budgetary allocation to the education sector rises every year, it is still inadequate for ensuring quality education. It is because a large portion of the education budget is spent on non-developmental purposes. Besides, the ministry had to pay salaries, allowances, and pensions to its officials and carry out repair and maintenance works. This economic burden is widening the gap between innovative education and skills development to meet the skilled manpower demand in India.

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

(RE to BE)

Expenditure on education by the centre and the states as a proportion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been around 3% between 2014-15 to 2018-19. Out of this figure, roughly 1% is spent on higher education in India.

The COVID-19 scare is giving sleepless nights to students who were to appear in entrance exams like JEE for B. Tech. admissions and/ or to class 12 students appearing for Board exams. KCET, GUJCET & MHT CET (supposed to be conducted in April) were postponed by few months. CBSE has also postponed its exams. It is not incorrect to assume that we will soon see many other organisations follow suit and a whole lot of entrance exams in India be further postponed due to Coronavirus. Looking at the state of affairs, it is a matter of concern what the impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will have on the higher education system in India.

The rate at which Coronavirus has spread to different regions in India has forced the central and state governments to shut down educational institutions and schools as a precautionary measure resulting in the disruption of studies. This problem is prevalent everywhere. In a well-thought-through move by almost 10 US organizations to the Federal Government, they said, While closing campuses or moving entirely to remote instruction have been necessary steps in slowing the spread of the virus among students and staff, these shifts have caused massive disruption to students, institutional operations and institutional finances. The substantial financial impacts on colleges and universities will ripple through local communities, the group said, given the wide economic role higher education plays in much of the country. Similarly, in India, unless contingency measures are undertaken, students looking for admissions could face hard times.

While academic experts are pushing for online models of education even beyond pandemic be it classroom teaching or tutorials, we are yet to see how effectively a nation that primarily relies on an offline mode of teaching can seamlessly transgress to an online medium of teaching and education. So, the question is, will the Coronavirus Pandemic result in a new solution for education and innovation?

Given the digital gap in India, how successful will the digital education model be in a country like ours? Will India be able to embrace learning anywhere, anytime? Will it lead to innovation in the field of education? Or will it fall flat on the face for the lack of a more agile infrastructural setup?

The conventional Indian education system follows face-to-face or physical teaching, even though the trend of audio-visual aids in classrooms was introduced a decade ago. Renowned universities in India such as the University of Delhi are offering online classes to their students already. But many higher education institutes in India are not equipped with such facilities. In the event of such a gap, some students might face the brunt brutally.

In a survey by Times Higher Education in 2018, the leaders of well-known global universities were of the opinion that online teaching could never match with physical room teaching. When we talk about how equipped Indian Higher Education System is to handle the change, we need to keep in mind that the digital shift in India is relatively new. This is not only true for India but for Asia as well. One may be amazed to know that the first Asian Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was developed by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in the year 2012 only.

Indian Colleges will need time to handle the change and be open to the new methods as the approach of the education system here is a lecture-based approach to teaching. Digital teaching is more evident in schools and the school students/ teachers/parents are more comfortable with this approach when compared to higher education set-up in India. In the event of COVID-19, online teaching has become a necessity, for not only colleges in India but worldwide to look for innovative solutions in a short period of time and to always have a Plan-B in place.

With board exams, university exams, college exams, the entrance test being postponed, it is a big challenge for colleges to complete their syllabus on time without compromising on the education quality. From delay in board exams to college being shutdown to delay in national level entrance tests, it is the academic year of the students that is compromised. As already discussed, JEE Main which is the ticket to engineering education in India has already been postponed due to the Coronavirus outbreak &willhad led to a delay in the start of academic sessions for most of the engineering colleges, and most of the other colleges have witnessed a delay as well.

A large chunk of Indias admission system is fractured and most of the students in India rely on the offline process for admissions. It is a known fact that most people in the country do not have access to high-speed Wi-Fi and most of the students in small cities/towns/ villages prefer the offline admission process.

While it is a still grey area, platforms like ours have provisions to facilitate remote applications to colleges in India for their UG & PG. A platform called the Common Application Form or CAF, wherein students can fill up a single application form to apply to more than 250+ colleges in India at one go!

In a country like China that practices a much more centralized education system, a switch to digital learning could be easier. Whereas, even in a country like the U.S.A, where there are many low-income students who do not have access to broadband and laptops, digital learning might not be the ideal solution. The same is the case with India. Not every student here is tech-savvy or has access to the high-speed internet and will therefore suffer. When classes commenced online, many students suffered because of their inability to bear the cost. Unless India makes internet available to all, there are chances that the gap in education quality may widen.

Given that the traditional focus has been on offline centers of education, we believe a mix of online and offline is what will work in the coming years, which then hopefully be converted into a permanent mode of education. COVID-19 has impacted higher education in India but what it has taught us is to build resilience to face such threats in the future. The outbreak of Coronavirus has reminded us that one should be prepared to handle unexpected situations.

In the wake of the lockdown to prevent COVID-19 pandemic from community spread, everything including schools are closed. In fact, they closed a week before the lockdown. Adopting novel ways to continue with the learning process, schools are using technology to the optimum to keep the students engaged at home so they may learn constructive things.

The task of providing better educational facilities to support the goal of providing universal access to education is very great. The approaches required to make sustainable progress are increasingly clear, but implementation challenges remain considerable. The government needs to develop a holistic and long-term strategy for operating and maintaining their physical assets that may represent as a tool to meet maximum operational cost, increase utility and increase lifetime value.

The Secured Governance Strategic Infrastructure design has been providing a roadmap to steer governments and private operators to comprehensive framework and actionable best practice that help to reduce the maintenance cost of physical assets. Mostly educational institutes are situated in the affluent and ideal areas of the nation. As we know the development of social and economic infrastructures like schools and hospitals are all essential to create places where people want to live and can reach their full potential. One may observe that certain type of public infrastructure such as schools, colleges and universities are capturing some of the additional value as it heightens the adjacent property value. Those who operate a business near the educational institutes, potentially benefit from the flow of people approaching or leaving the schools and institutes. The concept suggests that if government provides additional FSI to those institutes it can generate enough revenue through the school-based commercial activities in their premises. But it is important that these activities should be relevant and add educational value to teaching and learning. They should not interfere with the educational system at any cost. Given that the concept of school based commercial involvement in education, particularly in non-vocational ways, is a relatively new area of policy making for governments, the evidence base is still being developed. It is gradually being built up as education, commercial activities, community groups and governments increasingly recognise the benefits that can come from collaborative approaches to improving educational outcomes.

Secured governance for Education has major characteristics like participation, rule of law, transparency, and responsiveness, at each stage of its operations and in developing a robust education system in the country with improved resource allocation and enhanced governance.

Education HUB planned to use Secured Governance growth model will benefit students, attract foreign investment, retain local students, build a regional reputation by providing access to high-quality education and training for both international and domestic student, and create a knowledge-based economy. An education hub can include different combinations of domestic/international institutions, branch campuses, and foreign partnerships, within the hub. When education thrives, higher productivity and faster economic growth become a norm. Investment in education under Secured Governance methodology will give a big boost to the Indian economy.

Secured governance for Education has major characteristics like participation, rule of law, transparency, and responsiveness at each stage of its operations and in developing a robust education system in the country. With improved resource allocation, enhanced governance, interdependency among sectors, and transparency in the system going hand in hand with development and effective use of Information Technology and Innovation can deliver a safer, cleaner, and more accountable delivery of self-sustaining Education infrastructure and services. A secured governance will establish a vibrant institutional framework in the educational system. India could capture a greater global opportunity in technology and other knowledge-intensive fields.

By,Dr. P. Sekhar, Chairman,Unleashing India Global Smart City Panel & MTGF

By,Prof Raghunath Shevgaonkar,Eminent Educationist, Former VC,Pune University,Ex-Director IIT D,Prof Emirates IIT B.

Summary

Article Name

Post covid devastation strategic role for Higher Education for Techno-Economic Growth for Global Reincarnation through Smart and Secured Governance

Description

University Grants Commission (UGC) and other apex education bodies also issued COVID-19 specific guidelines for Indian higher education institutions (HEIs) resulting in temporarily closing, students being asked to go home, and efforts being undertaken to move classes online.

Author

TPT News Bureau

Publisher Name

THE POLICY TIMES

Publisher Logo

See the original post here:

Post covid devastation strategic role for Higher Education for Techno-Economic Growth for Global Reincarnation through Smart and Secured Governance -...

It is said the only thing more beautiful than mountains is more mountains. But mountains provide more than beauty.

They nourish ecosystems, nurture biodiversity, bestow food and livelihoods for local populations, and bolster national economies. Mountains are crucial for economic growth, and preserving mountain landscapes is among the key objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals for a green and just future.

Yet, in Europe and Central Asia, mountains are at the epicenter of climate change impacts and climate-driven weather events, like droughts, floods, mudflows, and landslides. Coupled with unsustainable land use practices, overgrazing, or deforestation, such impacts threaten more than just landscapes. They destroy agricultural lands, homes, roads, and bridges, while rising temperatures and melting mountain glaciers jeopardize water supply for millions of people in valleys across Europe and Central Asia.

Preservation and restoration of mountain landscapes represents a key component in protecting against such losses and advancing countries' ambitions for a greener economy. Increasingly, landscape restoration and afforestation - together with improved agricultural productivity, rural development, and nature-based tourism - are at the core of national strategies for green growth, yielding nature-based solutions to strengthen countries' resilience to natural disasters and climate change.

That's why we at the World Bank are proud to work with the countries of Europe and Central Asia to preserve landscapes and restore ecosystems in mountainous regions, like we are doing in Albania, Turkey, and the Aral Sea Basin.

Albania is endowed with mountain ranges covering more than half its territory. However, unsustainable forestry and farming practices like overgrazing have led to soil erosion, reduced agricultural output, water and air pollution, and degraded landscapes, especially in erosion-prone upland areas.

Through the Environmental Services Project (ESP), the World Bank, jointly with the Government of Albania and with support from the Government of Sweden and Global Environmental Facility, has been helping communities, farmers, and relevant associations in forest planning and restoration. Since 2015, ESP has trained more than 1,200 farmers who are now implementing best practices in sustainable resource and land use. The project has also expanded the first formal registration of property rights for municipalities to more than one million hectares (35% of Albania's territory).

Apart from preserving and restoring mountain landscapes and formalizing land tenure rights, ESP has secured livelihoods for over 3,850 people (28% of whom are women) in 3,000 remote and poor communities, through access to $5.6 million in grants. And, as a result of this project's success, the Government of Albania has included forestry development in its new Instrument for Pre-Accession for Rural Development (IPARD III) Program, which is set to receive another $6.8 million in EU-funded grants.

With more than 12,000 hectares of new or improved forests and pastures, ESP has contributed to the greening of Albania's mountains and bettered the livelihoods and well-being of those most in need.

Like in Albania, Turkey's rugged mountain topography, steep slopes, short rivers, degraded natural resources, and ever-evolving land use policies have increased the risks of floods, landslides, and soil erosion. Exacerbated by climate change, these natural calamities harm people's health and livelihoods and cause substantial damage to infrastructure, property, and agriculture.

The World Bank's $135 million Turkey Resilient Landscape Integration Project (TULIP), recently launched jointly with the Government of Turkey, aims to address seasonal flooding, droughts, soil erosion, and landslides in the Bolaman and Cekerek river basins - areas with high poverty rates and extreme vulnerability to climate change impacts which include mountains. TULIP will restore forests, train farmers in sustainable agriculture, and build climate-resilient infrastructure for irrigation and water supply.

Through TULIP, we expect more than 90,000 people to directly benefit from increased access to flood protection, better quality and availability of drinking water, irrigation supply for agriculture, and roads. Around 20,000 farmers will be able to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and 13,000 households in remote forest villages will receive improved and climate-resilient infrastructure for irrigation and water supply.

The Pamir and Tian Shan - Central Asia's main mountain ranges- extend across Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. For rural populations residing in these upland and mountainous areas, agriculture is the principal source of income. Unfortunately, climate change and unsustainable land use practices here are harming people and the environment.

Mountains and ecosystems know no borders, so strong regional cooperation is key. The World Bank's Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program in the Aral Sea Basin (CAMP4ASB) has been supporting mountainous regions in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to address the basin's common climate and environmental challenges.

Supported by IDA and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and implemented jointly with Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia (CAREC) and the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, CAMP4ASB works to improve regional cooperation and adoption of climate-smart agriculture and landscape management in those rural communities most vulnerable to climate impacts and extreme weather events. By increasing resilience to, or reversing, desertification and land degradation, the program can improve food security and livelihoods.

Through CAMP4ASB, since 2016, nearly 6,000 farmers have learned and adopted sustainable climate-smart agricultural, landscape, and water management practices on 18,450 hectares across Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The project has contributed to conservation agriculture, sustainable mountain ecosystems, and ecotourism, while supporting energy efficient improvements and renewable energy. Some 200,000 rural poor have benefitted from an enhanced knowledge base and investments in crop diversification, climate-resilient seed banks, and efficient water resource management. CAMP4ADB is now focused on working with local communities to expand these practices thanks to additional financing from GCF.

Building on these successful initiatives, the World Bank is supporting governments in Europe and Central Asia with innovative studies and projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Armenia, as well as a regional program in the mountains of Central Asia, through Resilient Landscapes (RESILAND CA+). These activities will help restore landscapes across boundaries, protect lives and livelihoods, promote ecotourism, and increase the resilience of people and places against climate change and natural disasters.

As we celebrated International Day of Mountains on December 11, 2021 and are wrapping up the first year of the 2021-2030 UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in the Europe and Central Asia region, we continue to recognize the critical role mountains and mountainous communities play in preserving and nurturing, the environment, culture, and economies. If we don't, both the beauty and bounty of our mountains could be irrevocably lost.

Protecting Central Asia's mountains and landscapes to transform people's lives and livelihoods

Restoring Uzbekistan's landscapes: Lessons from a virtual field trip

Read the original post:

From the Alps to the Pamirs: Investing in mountain economies to make people and places more resilient - marketscreener.com

India and the U.S. are natural allies, especially in the field of education. There is a lot of potential to strengthen collaborations between India and US educational institutions, specifically in an interlinking industry, academia, and policymakers. Educational partnerships can play an increasingly vital role in that relationship. The new administration can strengthen U.S.-India higher education cooperation by funding research in areas of mutual interest, encouraging reciprocity in student and researcher mobility, and invigorating entrepreneurship.

As we are aware, the main goal of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is to transform the educational system by bridging the chasm between current learning outcomes and more desirable goals for the future of work and employability. In a recent lecture in Hyderabad on The Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Modern Context, Principal Secretary of the Industries & Commerce and Information Technology Departments of Telangana, stated that universities should lead in establishing Centers of Excellence and emphasizing education that developing students as thinkers rather than merely passive receptors of information. Furthermore, Principal Secretary emphasized the need to accelerate the development of entrepreneurial skills instead of only relying on the state or private sector for future employment opportunities.

There were over 200,000 Indians in American universities in 2019-20. Covid-19 and Americas tightening immigration policy reversed some of these gains, but student interest is still high. But student mobility is only one area to build upon. Others include joint research in areas of strategic importance and entrepreneurship education for job creation. The National Education Policy, 2020 will drive much of the conversation from Indias side, but the issues of educational partnerships go far beyond just what is outlined there. There are three reasons why the U.S.-India relationship will become even stronger under President Biden: personal interests, strategic importance, and economic potential.

Personal interests do not always get attention when talking about foreign policy. The personal connection between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi did get some attention. Who can forget the September 2019 Howdy Modi rally in Texas or February 2020 Namaste Trump rally in Gujarat? But that was more show than substance. Now, in Vice President Kamala Harris, we have a true, if complicated, daughter of India. Her mother emigrated to the United States from Tamil Nadu to pursue higher education and then work in research. Modi has called her victory pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride, not just for your chittis, using the Tamil term for aunties. When Harris makes her first trip to India, it will be celebrated as a homecoming. Leveraging that personal goodwill and Harris stories of her mother benefiting from U.S. education should further the potential for strengthened ties in education.

The strategic issue that gets the most attention is Indias role in hedging the rise of China. And while that is a crucial dynamic in a dangerous neighborhood, especially given Chinas increasing military activities on the border with India. There should also be more collaborative planning involving the Indian governments Strategic Forces Command and the U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska which could involve university partners.

Economic development is one of the key impacts of education. Not only is education a driver of higher human resource capacity, but there are often entrepreneurial initiatives that create jobs. The community college model, prevalent in the United States in which quick skills development is done for industries where the workforce is needed and jobs await, can be more widely adopted in the Indian context. Covid-19 has forced many institutions to rethink online education. That could be a boon to educating Indias huge population but will require better infrastructure and more attention to technology access disparities between rural poor and urban rich, which is also a barrier faced in U.S. education.

There are at least three key policies the US administration should focus on to further educational partnerships:

Many India observers in the United States are enthusiastic about the potential for the Biden-Harris administration to build upon the successes of the past, right some of the wrongs in perception and policy, and forge a common path ahead for the people of the two largest democracies.There is also renewed enthusiasm in the U.S. education sector with the appointment of experienced and lifelong educators to key leadership positions in the U.S. Department of Education leaders who embrace the key elements of the NEP and who will champion the value of international education and exchange.

Cooperation in the education sector has been made an integral part of the strategic partnershipbetween the two countries. The Fulbright program was renewed in 2008, with an enhancedmandateand joint funding, to provide more student and scholar exchange grants. About 130,000 Indianstudents are pursuing advanced degrees in the U.S. The Higher Education Dialogue, which hashad four meetings since 2011 (last in November 2014 in New Delhi), laid out the road map forpromoting strategic institutional partnerships, deepening collaboration in research anddevelopment, fostering partnerships in vocational education, and focusing on junior facultydevelopment.

India is learning from the U.S. experience in community colleges to meet ourdemandsfor skilldevelopment. It has been agreed to collaborate with U.S. institutions in thearea ofTechnology Enabled Learning and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to extend the reachof education in India. Under the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) launched byIndia, upto 1000 American academics will be invited and hosted each year to teach in Indianuniversities at their convenience. The two sides are also collaborating to establish a new IndianInstitute of Technology in Ahmedabad.

The India-U.S. S&T cooperation has been steadily growing under the framework of U.S.-India

Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement signed in October 2005. There is an Indo-U.S.Science & Technology Joint Commission, co-chaired by the Science Advisor to U.S. Presidentand Indian Minister of S&T. The U.S. attended as the partner country at the Technology Summit2014 at New Delhi.

In 2000, both the governments endowed the India-U.S. Science & Technology Forum (IUSSTF) to facilitate mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation in science, engineering, and health. Overthe past decade, the IUSSTF has facilitated more than 12,000 interactions between Indian andU.S. scientists, supported over 250 bilateral workshops, and established over 30 joint researchcenters. The U.S.-India Science & Technology Endowment Fund, established in 2009, under theScience and Technology Endowment Board promotesthe commercialization of jointly developedinnovative technologies with the potential for positive societal impact.

Collaboration between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has been strengthened under the 2008 MOU on EarthObservationsand Earth Sciences. A monsoon desk has been established at the U.S. National Centers forEnvironmental Prediction. Indias contribution of US$250 million towards the Thirty-Meter TelescopeProject in Hawaii and Indian Initiative in Gravitational Observations (IndiGO) with U.S. LIGOLaboratory are examples of collaboration to create world-class research facilities.

The 3.5million-plus strong Indian American community is an important ethnic group in theU.S., accounting for about 1% of the total population in the country. Indian Americancommunity includes a large number of professionals, business entrepreneurs, and educationalistswith increasing influence in society. With two Indian Americans occupying high-level postsof Governor and several representatives of the people, the Indian Diaspora has assimilated intotheir adopted country and is acting as a catalyst to forge closer and stronger ties between Indiaand the U.S. The two countries have been working together to facilitate the travel of their respectivecitizens, and to this end, an MOU has been signed in June 2016 to facilitate Indias joining of theGlobal Entry Programme for expedited immigration for eligible Indian citizens at U.S. airports.

Education HUB planned to use Secured Governance growth model will not only benefit students, attract foreign investment, retain local students, build a regional reputation by providing access to high-quality education and training for both international and domestic students, and create a knowledge-based economy. An education hub can include different combinations of domestic/international institutions, branch campuses, and foreign partnerships, within the hub. When education thrives, higher productivity and faster economic growth become a norm. Investment in education under Secured Governance methodology will give a big boost to the Indian economy.

Secured governance for Education has major characteristics like participation, rule of law, transparency, and responsiveness, at each stage of its operations and in developing a robust education system in the country. With improved resource allocation, enhanced governance, Interdependency among sectors, and transparency in the system going hand in hand with development and effective use of Information Technology and Innovation can deliver a safer, cleaner, and more accountable delivery of self-sustaining Education infrastructure and services.

Through secured governance establish a vibrant institutional framework in the educational system. India could capture a greater global opportunity in technology and other knowledge-intensive fields.

Indias National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has opened the mobility of students and teachers across the globe and it encourages research partnerships and mutually beneficial educational collaborations.New guidelines have been issued for Indias higher education institutes to move ahead in research at the international level. Regulations for embedding internships in general education have been set into motion. The government proposes to set up a national research foundation to further improve the research ecosystem in the country.

All these provide huge opportunities for US institutions. We could now look at two-way student and research mobility: US students can do short-term courses or some semesters in Indian institutions. We could certainly have more student and academic exchanges as well as joint research programmes. Education institutions in both countries can also explore joint projects in third countries including in Africa, Latin America, and Indo-Pacific.

By,Dr. P. Sekhar, Chairman,Unleashing India Global Smart Cities Panel& MTGF

By,Dr. Ronald Kovach,American International Accreditation Association of Schools & Colleges

Summary

Article Name

Indo US Education and Skill development with Smart and Secured Governance for Global Reincarnation

Description

The new administration can strengthen U.S.-India higher education cooperation by funding research in areas of mutual interest, encouraging reciprocity in student and researcher mobility, and invigorating entrepreneurship.

Author

TPT News Bureau

Publisher Name

THE POLICY TIMES

Publisher Logo

See original here:

Indo US Education and Skill development with Smart and Secured Governance for Global Reincarnation - thepolicytimes.com

FAYETTEVILLE -- Growing recycling in the local business community depends in part on marketing and motivation, according to panelists in an online forum Tuesday.

The Northwest Arkansas Council created the Onward Ozarks speaker series to provide organizations, companies and individuals a platform to share news, events and other information with a regional audience, according to the council's website. Randy Wilburn, host of the "I Am Northwest Arkansas" podcast, hosts the series.

Tuesday's event, held via Zoom, featured Joe Tucker, vice president for business development with eSCO Processing and Recycling in Rogers, a company that processes electronic devices for reuse and recycling. Also on the panel were Faebyan Whittle, director of sustainability with the Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville; Heather Ellzey, environmental educator with the city of Fayetteville; and Tom Rohr, CEO of Food Loops, a Rogers firm that works with businesses to compost food waste and other products.

Each panelist explained what he does and how it relates to the Northwest Arkansas business recycling effort. The Northwest Arkansas Council is spearheading a project to encourage recycling and the growth of a circular economy.

A circular economy is one in which materials are recycled and reused, as opposed to a linear economy where materials are used once and discarded, according to a study done as part of the council's effort. One example of a circular economy is food waste recycling in which the original food products are used and the food waste recycled and used to grow more food.

Fayetteville is working in food waste recycling as well as more traditional home and business recycling programs, Ellzey said. Much of her work involves education about how those programs work. She gave an example from the recycling program, saying the market for plastics right now is such that the city can recycle only No. 1 and No. 2 plastic bottles.

Ellzey said the bales of material can't include different types of plastics, for example, because they have different melting temperatures. The material can be rejected if there is too much contamination, she said.

"Our buyers are very picky," Ellzey said.

Whittle said the recycling effort at the Pack Rat center is less formal. The business makes information about recycling available to people based on the experience the employees gain through their work, she said.

"It's about gathering information and making it available," she said.

Whittle said the business makes the information available at the center and through social media. She said it's a very informal process.

"Usually people are just there to shop in the store, and we have these conversations," she said. "It's a very organic experience."

Tucker said the electronics recycling business has several layers that may not exist in more traditional recycling. Businesses want to be sure their company's data will be removed from the devices, he said. After that, the devices may be refurbished for reuse or taken apart to recover the materials that can be recycled, he said.

"Electronics are not aluminum cans," he said. "It's not a clean piece of cardboard. We're turning a difficult material into a raw material that's valuable."

The panelists agreed recycling stems from different motivations and what resonates with one person or group may not move others.

Ellzey said she often focuses on resource conservation, sustainability and on preserving the planet for future generations while making her presentations. She added it helps when she can show a business that recycling can benefit them financially.

Tucker agreed that showing how recycling fits into a business model works. He said he tries to show how his company makes money and how his clients save money.

Rohr said while money is important, it's also important to build a culture that values recycling, something he said hasn't happened across Northwest Arkansas.

"Maybe you can save money in Fayetteville, but in the rest of Northwest Arkansas, it's very inexpensive to throw something away," he said.

Regional recycling

More information about recycling resources in Northwest Arkansas can be found through the nwarecycles.org website, a joint effort of the Northwest Arkansas Council and the Benton County and Boston Mountain solid waste districts.

Source: Staff report

Original post:

Speakers in Northwest Arkansas forum say information drives recycling - Arkansas Online

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 15, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascot Resources Ltd. (TSX: AOT; OTCQX: AOTVF) (Ascot or the Company) is pleased to announce additional assay results from the 2021 exploration drill program at the Companys Premier Gold Project (PGP). This release summarizes assays from the Companys first two drill holes this year on the Sebakwe Zone near existing resources and the Premier mill building, along with an overview and background on the Sebakwe Zone itself.

Highlights from the drill results include:

Derek White, President and CEO of Ascot commented, In similar fashion to the Day Zone and Premier West, the Sebakwe Zone represents yet another exciting opportunity for Ascot to discover accretive, high-grade mineralization close to existing infrastructure and current underground resources. Given the sparse historical drilling, the mapped structural geometry, and the strong IP signature, we knew Sebakwe was highly prospective for high-grade gold mineralization. However, we were still pleasantly surprised by the impressive result of 36.2 g/t over 7.1m, including two very high-grade sub-intervals grading over 100 g/t and containing coarse visible gold.

Given the similarities to the structurally controlled Premier and Northern Light deposits adjacent to the south, our hypothesis is that Sebakwe could potentially be a third repeat of the same structure. While we only completed two drill holes at Sebakwe this year, the results were outstanding and this zone will be followed up on in a much more meaningful way in next years exploration program.

Sebakwe Zone

Two exploration drill holes (total of 820m) were completed in October 2021 targeting mineralization in the Sebakwe Zone to the north of established resources of the Premier deposit. Gold mineralization at Premier is hosted in two arcuate structures as depicted in Figure 1. The new drill holes targeted an area where historical drill holes from the 1920s and 1930s were completed, but did not have accurate location or survey information. These historical drill holes, and now the new holes, seem to indicate the possible existence of a third structure to the north of the two known structures.

The new drill holes intersected the prospective andesite stratigraphy at a depth of 290m (hole 2385) and 270m (hole 2386), respectively. Gold mineralization was intercepted at a vertical depth to topography of approximately 200m and at a similar elevation as the mill building approximately 600m to the west. The mineralized zone has an apparent dip of approximately 40 degrees to the north (see Figure 2) and is located about 150m to the north of the deepest part of the Northern Light structure, but the distance to an equivalent location on that structure may be as far as 500m which coincides with the distance between the Premier structure and the Northern Light structure.

The topography immediately above the Sebakwe Zone is very steep and given the gradually increasing depth of the Betty Creek Formation cover rock, this area was seldom drilled in the propertys history. The intercepts in the new drill holes confirm the results from historical drilling and open up exciting possibilities to establish additional high-grade resources in this area. The 2022 exploration program will aim to establish additional drill platforms to test the strike and dip extent of the Sebakwe Zone.

Figure 1 Location map of the new Sebakwe drill holes. The established gold mineralization in the Premier and Northern Light structures to the south are illustrated by blocks in the Indicated and Inferred category (Ascot PGP Resource, Bird 2020).

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ea9aff38-f893-4398-bb96-a5fa374e60cd

Figure 2 Cross section showing the new Sebakwe drill holes superimposed on an induced polarization section illustrating that the location of mineralization is coinciding with a chargeability feature in the geophysical data.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b238a22f-9e71-4a7a-9f4d-845d1c7a6033

Figure 3 Visible gold occurrences in drill hole P21-2385 at approximately 370m depth.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8fc5ce9c-2132-4867-b1ed-74f7afa6b73e

Table 1 Sebakwe drill results

Note: If the interpreted northerly dip of the mineralized zone is correct, reported intercepts are close to true width. However, there is limited information available for this area and interpretations will have to be confirmed by additional drilling.

Table 2 Drill pad location

Qualified Person

Lawrence Tsang, P.Geo., the Companys Senior Geologist provides the field management for the PGP exploration program. John Kiernan, P.Eng., Chief Operating Officer of the Company is the Companys Qualified Person (QP) as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control

Analytical work is being carried out by ALS Canada Ltd. (ALS). Ascots quality-assurance and quality-control program includes the use of analytical blanks to monitor for cross contamination, certified reference material standards to assess analytical accuracy, and duplicate samples to quantify sampling precision. This is in addition to the internal quality assurance program employed by ALS.

Samples are dried and weighed by ALS. They are then crushed to 75% passing 2mm, with 250g split and pulverized to 85% passing 75m. Samples are processed at the ALS preparation lab in Terrace and sent to ALS in North Vancouver for analysis. There, all samples are dissolved using four acid digestion with an ICP-AES finish and fire assay with AA finish for gold. Samples over 100ppm silver are digested with aqua regia and then volumetrically diluted before an ICP-AES or AA finish (up to 1,500ppm). Samples over 1,500ppm silver are fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Samples over 10ppm gold are fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Identified or suspected metallic gold or silver are subjected to metallics assays. Sampling and storage is located at the Companys secure facility in Stewart.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Ascot Resources Ltd.Derek C. WhitePresident & CEO

For further information contact:David Stewart, P.Eng.VP, Corporate Development & Shareholder Communicationsdstewart@ascotgold.com778-725-1060 ext. 1024

About Ascot Resources Ltd.

Ascot is a Canadian-based junior exploration and development company focused on re-starting the past-producing Premier gold mine, located in British Columbias prolific Golden Triangle. Ascot shares trade on the TSX under the ticker AOT. Concurrent with progressing the development of Premier, the Company continues to successfully explore its properties for additional high-grade underground resources. Ascot is committed to the safe and responsible development of Premier in collaboration with Nisgaa Nation as outlined in the Benefits Agreement.

For more information about the Company, please refer to the Companys profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com or visit the Companys web site at http://www.ascotgold.com, or for a virtual tour visit http://www.vrify.com under Ascot Resources.

The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, trend analysis and other information contained in this press release about anticipated future events or results constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Companys exploration and development plans, the success of the Projects, the implementation of the Agreement, the benefits of the Agreement to Nisgaa Nation, its citizens and businesses as well as the shareholders and stakeholders of Ascot, and related matters. Although Ascot believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements and/or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements since the Ascot can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements, including the risks, uncertainties and other factors identified in the Ascots periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators, and assumptions made with regard to: the anticipated benefits of the Agreement, the estimated costs associated with construction of the Premier Gold Project; the timing of the anticipated start of production at the Projects; the ability to maintain throughput and production levels at the Premier Mill; the tax rate applicable to the Company; future commodity prices; the grade of Resources and Reserves; the ability of the Company to convert inferred resources to other categories; the ability of the Company to reduce mining dilution; the ability to reduce capital costs. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Ascots expectations include risks associated with the implementation of the Agreement, risks associated with the business of Ascot; risks related to exploration and potential development of Ascots projects; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and indigenous groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals; risks associated with COVID-19 including adverse impacts on the world economy, construction timing and the availability of personnel; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time and additional risks identified in Ascots filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at http://www.sedar.com). The timing of future economic studies; labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of the Premier Gold Project as well as those factors discussed in the Annual Information Form of the Company dated March 26, 2021 in the section entitled "Risk Factors", under Ascots SEDAR profile at http://www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. Ascot does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

Go here to read the rest:

Ascot Intercepts 36.2 g/t Gold Over 7.1 Metres Including Multiple Occurrences of Coarse Visible Gold in Exploration Drill Hole on the Sebakwe Zone -...

By CHRYSPIN AFIFU

Women constitute 89 percent of the workforce in the informal economies in sub-Saharan Africa.This sector constitutes economic activities, enterprises, and workers that are neither regulated nor protected by the government.

In East Africa, the informal economies make significant contribution to employment creation, income generation, poverty reduction and overall economic growth. However, gains made in this sector stand to be eroded by the COVID-19 pandemic.The International Labour Organization projected that 1.6 billion informal workers to have been among those most severely affected at the onset of the pandemic globally. Women in this sector have borne the brunt of the socio-economic shocks brought about by the pandemic.

Cycles of lockdowns, cessation of movements, social distancing, and other COVID-19 containment measures for almost 21 months for countries in East Africa proved disruptive to the informal sector, especially women workers in the sector.

Evidence from a study undertaken by the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) on the impact of COVID-19 on informal women workers, demonstrates an increase in women working in this sector from 34% in June 2020 to highs of 83% in May 2021 in the region. Women in this sector also experienced (and continue to) increased vulnerabilities due to loss of livelihoods &income, gender-based violence, increased unpaid care and domestic work burden, mental instability, and lack of social and labour protections.

Notwithstanding, women in this sector are not a homogenous group. The pandemic had differential impacts on the informal economy, specifically the service (food and trading) sub-sectors. Workers in these sub-sectors were extensively affected by the restrictive movements, business closures, and all other COVID-19 containment measures which increased business operating costs and disruptions in supply chains and market operations.

While no country has been spared from the impact of the pandemic, the lack of gendered data further compounds this gap. Hence the lack of understanding on the exact impact of the pandemic on this sector, and the continued invisibility of the informal sector in current post-pandemic economic recovery and policy responses.

The significant repercussions of the pandemic to the informal sector demands pragmatic considerations for a gendered response of the pandemic. Governments ought to position the economic recovery for informal workers at the center of their recovery plans by recognizing the challenges encountered, barriers to their bounce back and opportunities for enhancing coping and resilience mechanisms by the informal workers.

What next for the informal women workers?

Job and social protections for workers: The increased burden of care placed on women workers underscores the need for childcare benefits as an income and job protection measure. Innovations towards setting up of workplace or community childcare infrastructure options for women in the informal sector are requisite in enabling a work- life balance by women in the sector and providing alternatives to reducing the care load. Investments by both the government and private sector will go along away in making this a reality for the informal workers.

Financial inclusion: Studies show that women depleted their savings to meet their business and household basic needs during the pandemic. Some of the workers traded off their assets, such as land and business equipment as a means to their survival. In building back, the economy, the need for access to low-cost credit and financing solutions by informal enterprises is a priority. Women in the informal economy continue to rely on loan sharks and fintech for alternative financing. While these alternatives are easy to access, they have high interest rates. Most of the women in this sector do not have a credible credit history to facilitate their access to finance from formal and regulated financial institutions such as banks and microfinance institutions. There is need therefore for actors in the financial sectors to design financial products and services that will benefit women in the informal sector.

Inclusive social protection packages: While vulnerable households were targeted by governments and civil society with cash transfers or food rations, there is insufficient evidence on whether the right beneficiaries were reached through these schemes. The absence of health insurance packages targeting informal workers is glaring in most of the East Africa countries. It is therefore imperative for the governments to invest in responsive, targeted social protection measures which gives entitlement to the women in the informal economy. This calls for sealing all loopholes in cross-sectoral programming, expanding social protection systems including scaling up social transfer programmes to protect female-headed households and their microenterprise from the worst secondary impacts of the continuing COVID-19 crisis.

Responsive tax regimes: The effects of emerging taxation regime that seem to target the informal businesses such the turnover taxes, the minimum taxes, value added taxes on essential commodities and digital taxes should be reconsidered in the period of recovery. They have a direct negative impact on the survivalist income drawn by the informal women workers. The IMF and World Bank Group recommend that fiscal policies should prioritize spending on human development programmes. Financial tracking and monitoring public finance systems for women-sensitive spending are imperative measures to ensure adequate resource allocation and expenditure to meet their economic needs not just taking away from them.

In conclusion, for women to thrive in the informal sector and overcome shocks and risks, gender smart investments by all relevant stakeholders must be made. The governments in the East African Community need to acknowledge the diversities among women in the informal economy to necessitate a gendered analysis of the pandemic, and the inclusion of the women in designing solutions contextualized to the various sectors and sub-sectors.

Chryspin Afifu is a Gender & Women Eonomic Empowerment Specialist at the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

By the REBUILD Project Team | International Center for Research on Women (ICRW)

Here is the original post:

Adapting to the new normal sustainably: What next for informal women workers in East Africa? - The East African

Markisha Beacham is balancing classes and a work-study job while pushing toward a degree in administrative assistance at San Antonio College.

The 34-year-old mother of two struggles to provide for herself and her teenagers on her current salary.

Basically, its like, are we going to eat today or not eat today to get a bill paid? Beacham said.

She has turned to the colleges food pantry, a resource that often makes the difference between giving her kids a hot meal or a bowl of cereal for dinner.

And, Beacham found, theres an app for that. This year, the San Antonio Food Bank became one of the first in the nation to adopt OrderAhead, an online platform developed by the nonprofit network Feeding America.

Users enter their ZIP code, select a pickup time and location, choose from an array of available products and confirm their order. With a $20,000 grant from Feeding America, the Food Bank is testing the system at SAC.

San Antonio Food Bank staffer Herminio Pesina hauls a cart of groceries between two cars during a curbside distribution Wednesday. The San Antonio Food Bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

San Antonio Food Bank staffer Maureen Gallington loads a box of mixed vegetables into the back of a vehicle during a curbside distributionWednesday. The San Antonio Food Bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

People fill carts with groceries for a curbside distribution Wednesday. The San Antonio Food Bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

San Antonio Food Bank staffer Herminio Pesina pulls a cart of groceries to a vehicle during a curbside distribution Wednesday. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

Volunteer Robert Bishop loads food onto carts as the San Antonio Food Bank conducts a curbside distribution Wednesday. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

Volunteer Robert Bishop loads food onto carts as the San Antonio Food Bank conducts a curbside distribution Wednesday. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

Lauren Granado with the San Antonio Food Bank loads bags of groceries into a vehicle during a curbside distribution Wednesday. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

San Antonio Food Bank staffer Herminio Pesina loads groceries into a vehicle during a curbside distribution Wednesday. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

About 60 percent of students there are considered food-insecure, which makes the campus a perfect proving ground, said Roger Narvaez, a former Food Bank employee and now the senior coordinator at the colleges Student Advocacy Center, which aims to improve retention and graduation rates by helping with nonschool needs.

You have to have food before you can focus on your studies or your education or school, Beacham said. Without that, you cant think about anything, because you have to survive first.

Narvaez described OrderAhead as very accessible, very easy, very user-friendly.

Its also private, designed to lighten the emotional burden of obtaining food help as well as improve the efficiency of distributing it.

The need for food assistance increased dramatically in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic upended San Antonios service-based economy. The Food Bank went from serving 200 to 400 families at its frequent pop-up distribution events to 2,000 to 4,000 and was looking for ways to feed more people faster, said Eric Cooper, its president and CEO.

Integrating the app into its operations will help us reduce the stigma and increase dignity in how people access charitable food, Cooper said.

As a community, we have a high rate of inequity when it comes to those with resources and those without, and so we have, per capita in our population, one of the highest poverty rates in the country, Cooper said.

But the process of picking up food can be difficult and even humiliating, and clients might have to wait for hours to obtain a single box of supplies.

Ernest Garcia (left) watches as Maureen Gallington (from right) and Herminio Pesina with the San Antonio Food Bank load groceries into his vehicle during a curbside distribution Wednesday. Garcia said hes on fixed income and has twice sought the help of the food bank. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

Maybe theres some embarrassment, Cooper said. (Maybe theyre thinking), I dont want to be seen, I dont want my family to know or I dont want someone to judge me.

Loading his trunk in front of the Food Banks sprawling warehouse recently, Jorge Quiroz said he had never had to rely on the organization before the pandemic. But work in the oil fields has been scarce, severely affecting his income.

Things get bad. I guess you got to try whatever, he said.

But Quiroz isnt comfortable with it. He doesnt relish feeling as though he has to rely on handouts to survive.

Im not used to it. Im used to working for what I get, he said. I never liked to live off food stamps or anything. I like to work for what I earn.

Food insecurity, or inconsistent access to sufficient amounts of nutritious food, is a nationwide problem. In 2020, 10.5 percent of households were food-insecure at some point during the year, according to the U.S. Agriculture Department.

Generally, the need is greatest in the South, according to a map of food insecurity maintained by Feeding America.

OrderAheads solution is to expand pickup locations to include less obvious venues such as schools and libraries, including the Alamo Colleges, which have established food pantries.

Cooper expects that the platform also will improve the existing model of food distribution by increasing flexibility.

Tools like OrderAhead mimic what one might experience (at) their local H-E-B or a restaurant and how they might use an app like Uber Eats or DoorDash, Cooper said.

Gastrointestinally speaking, one size does not fit all. Prepackaged boxes can include ingredients or entire meals that contain allergens or violate dietary restrictions. By taking individual needs and preferences into account, OrderAhead can cut down on waste.

They can pick what they want from their phone rather than have to go in and shop for it, said Narvaez, the coordinator at SAC.

No. 1 is convenience for the students, he said. It definitely is going to (save them time), especially when they have children, they have tests, theyre in between classes.

Beacham was eager to try the platform. She expects that it will make meal planning easier, potentially improving the quality of her familys diet in the long run.

You can just make better decisions when you have more time to pick your items, she said. When you go into a store, if you have 15 or 20 minutes, then youre going to probably just grab whatever. But if you dont have those options right in your face, youll do better with your choices.

Kelly Figueroa with the San Antonio Food Bank rolls a cart of groceries to a car during a curbside distribution Wednesday. The food bank is piloting a new model of charitable food distribution called OrderAhead. OrderAhead allows users to select from a variety of options and choose a designated pickup time and location, increasing efficiency and discretion. In addition, the food bank hosted curbside pickup sessions every afternoon of the week.

She hopes the platforms increased privacy will encourage her peers to use it.

For some people, I know theyre ashamed to even say they need help, Beacham said. A lot of students will rather go hungry than feel the shame.

Sometimes we just need a helping hand to get us to the point to where we can give back, she said. Because if we have nothing, what can you give?

caroline.tien@hearst.com

See more here:

Are we going to eat today? San Antonio Food Bank adds online ordering as COVID-19 increases need - San Antonio Express-News