The theme for this week’s sustainability research is NATURAL RESOURCES
Watch the Summary in less than 2 minutes!
Research in Details
Research #1
Irrigation practices causing vulnerability of groundwater resources in water scarce Goghat-I and II Blocks of Hugli District using MCDA, AHP, Fuzzy logic and novel ensemble models
Highlights
Groundwater recharge is scarce in Goghat-I and II blocks.
Groundwater abstraction for agricultural purpose is a concern for this region.
Declining trend of groundwater level over the years is a serious problem in this region.
Vulnerability is very high in western part of Goghat-II block.
Authors: Biswajit Das, Subodh Chandra Pal
Date of publication: 15 JUNE 2020
Summary
This study tries to show the vulnerability of dynamic groundwater resources in water scarce Goghat-I and II blocks of West Bengal. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) of India has classified Goghat-I as a semi-critical and Goghat-II as the only critical block of West Bengal. Abstraction rate of annual rechargeable groundwater is a matter of concern in these blocks. Different methods like MCDA, AHP, Fuzzy logic and ensemble has been used to find out the spatial vulnerability of renewable groundwater resources. Annual groundwater recharge has been measured by the WLF method, whereas abstraction for irrigation and domestic use has been measured through field survey. These are essential to show the use of the water resource, which reveals the level of vulnerability of this precious natural and dynamic resource. In both the blocks, over 80% of renewable resource is used; and the trend of groundwater level is continuously decreasing over the years. Sustainability of groundwater is a concern for both the blocks. Various controlling factors of groundwater vulnerability have been used to show the micro-level variation of vulnerability over this region. Results of all the methods reveal that very low and low vulnerability is present in north-eastern and southern parts in small extent. High and very high vulnerability is found in the entire western, north-western and south-eastern parts; and it is present over an extensive area. Rest of the area represents moderate vulnerable areas. ROC curve is used to validate the results; AUC value of more than 0.8 for all the methods shows that the applied methods are suitable for this study.
Keywords: Groundwater vulnerability, Goghat, MCDA, AHP, Fuzzy, ROC curve
Research #2
Recycle option for metallurgical sludge waste as a partial replacement for natural sand in mortars containing CSA cement to save the environment and natural resources
Highlights:
Metallurgical sludge waste may be utilized as a partial sand replacement.
Delayed initial setting time and increased water-demand are main issues.
Superplasticizer for better consistency of mortars with metallurgical sludge waste.
Calcium sulphoaluminate cement efficient for shortening of initial setting time.
Authors: Alwaeli Mohamed, Gołaszewski Jacek, Niesler Marian, Pizoń Jan, Gołaszewska Małgorzat
Date of publication: 9 JUNE 2020
Summary
The utilization of metallurgical sludge waste as a 10-30% replacement of natural sand has been investigated in this paper for its effect on the initial setting time and hydration heat evolution of cement and the mechanical properties of mortars. The results revealed that the addition of metallurgical sludge waste increased the water demand by up to 30%, delayed the initial setting time by 3 hours for 10%, to over 25 hours for 30% sand replacement, decreased the hydration heat evolution rate by 30% for 30% sand replacement, and negatively affected the mortars’ mechanical properties from 5-40% for 20% sand replacement, and from 30-50% for 30% sand replacement. For 10% of sand replacement compressive strength was similar to the reference mortar. In order to obtain a shorter initial setting time, decrease the shrinkage and accelerate hydration heat evolution, part of the Portland cement (CEM I) was replaced by calcium sulphoaluminate cement (CSA). It was found that this method was effective for 20-30% of CEM I replacement by 10% of CSA and 10-30% of CEM I replacement by 20-30% of CSA in the case of setting acceleration, and for 10% replacement in case of hydration heat evolution.
Keywords: Metallurgical sludge waste, mortar properties, sand replacement, cement properties, calcium sulphoaluminate cement (CSA)
Research #3
Natural resource endowment, institutional quality and China's regional economic growth
Highlights:
Multi-dimensional selection institutional quality index.
The “resource curse” proposition is valid at the provincial level in China.
Negative correlation between natural resources and economic growth.
Low institutional quality leads to serious “resource curse".
Authors: Qiu Qiang, Chen Jian
Date of publication: JUNE 2020
Summary
The provincial panel data from 2005 to 2018 in this paper classifies institutional variables into the degree of market resource allocation, market openness, and property rights diversification. It empirically analyzes the relationship between economic growth, natural resources, and institutions quality. The research results show that the “resource curse” proposition is valid at the provincial level in China. The low-quality market resource allocation system and property rights system curbed the potential advantages of natural resources to promote economic development and caused the “resource curse” effect. Similarly, the increase in market openness can ease the “resource curse” effect. Moreover, in the context of the spatial agglomeration of natural resources, there is a negative spatial correlation between economic growth, and the “resource curse” effect is more severe in areas where resources are more abundant. In addition, it is found that natural resource endowments will affect the quality of the system. Under the effect of the causal cycle mechanism, the lower the quality of the system, the more severe “resource curse” effect.
Keywords: Economic growth, Institution, Natural resource endowment, Resource curse
Research #4
Natural resource endowment and ecological efficiency in China: Revisiting resource curse in the context of ecological efficiency
Highlights:
The study employed super efficiency DEA model.
Regional eco-efficiency is low and the volatility is increasing.
Large differences have been found among different regions under investigation.
“Resource curse” does not exist in the context of eco-efficiency in the area of the eastern region.
Authors: Ying Wang, Xiangyuan Chen
Date of publication: JUNE 2020
Summary
With the continuous emergence of ecological crisis and resource shortage, ecological efficiency has increasingly become the focus of human attention. To analyze the impact of natural resource endowment on urban ecological efficiency, the study used the data of 30 provinces and cities in China from year 2006–2018. The study employed super efficiency DEA model for empirical analysis. The results highlights that regional eco-efficiency is low and the volatility is increasing. The regional differences are large and the zonal characteristics are apparent. The problem of “resource curse” does not exist in the context of eco-efficiency in the area of the eastern region, and the natural resource endowment does not exist. It constitutes an obstacle to the improvement of ecological efficiency. Whereas, the central and western regions have a significant “resource curse” effect in the context of eco-efficiency, natural resource endowment significantly inhibits the growth of regional eco-efficiency, mainly manifested by natural resource endowment to human capital and other industries. The “extrusion” of the industry has weakened the effective play of this campaign. Finally, the study concludes with some policy suggestions.
Keywords: DEA-Tobit model, Ecological efficiency, Resource curse, Resource endowment
Research #5
Role of natural resource abundance, international trade and financial development in the economic development of selected countries
Highlights
Broader view of economic development examined with inclusion of a human development index in addition to usual economic growth proxy.
Economic growth positively impacted by natural resource abundance, trade openness and institutional quality.
Natural resource abundance and trade openness had a respective negative and positive effect on human development.
International trade and financial development adversely affected economic development.
Authors: Trumel Redmond, Muhammad Ali Nasir
Date of publication: JUNE 2020
Summary
Economic development in a contemporary setting encompasses a broad range of parameters. This balanced panel study of 30 countries uses two single-equation models to investigate the impacts of natural resource abundance, international trade, financial development, trade openness and institutional quality on two proxies for economic development – economic growth and a human development index. The data spans from 1990 to 2016 and the impact is assessed in aggregate as well as the countries' level of development in three groups – Lower-middle, Upper-middle and High Income Countries. Four panel estimation approaches are used: Fixed Effects (FE), Random Effects (RE), Panel Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS) and Panel Dynamic Least Squares (DOLS). While natural resource abundance has a significantly positive impact on economic growth, a primarily negative and insignificant effect on human development exists. Interestingly, international trade and broad money have significantly negative impacts on economic development. Trade openness’ positive effect exceeds that of institutional quality. The findings suggest that the variables have a stronger influence on economic growth as compared to human development.
Keywords: Natural resource abundance, International trade, financial development, Trade openness, Institutional quality, Economic development, Economic growth, Human development