bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Permanent Sovereignty Over Natural Resources
Authors: ZORN STEPHEN 
Published: October 2009

In the 1960s and 1970s, the principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources was vigorously expressed by oil‐producing developing countries, through a series of measures to increase revenue from, ownership of, and effective control over the petroleum sector. Such recent significant developments as OPEC's crude oil price reduction, favorable tax treatment of transnational oil companies in the industrialized countries, the entry of the World Bank onto the international pertroleum scene and increasing competition among developing countries for scarce company exploration funds have combined to create a new, more difficult environment, in which further progress toward full sovereignty over petroleum resources will be achieved more by countries' own efforts, and less in the context of host country‐oil company negotiations.Le principe de souveraineté permanente en matière de ressources naturelles a été exprimé avec vigueur par les pays producteurs de pétrole en voie de développement au cours des decenics de 1960 et 1970 par une série de mesures visant à augmenter les revenus, les droits de proprieté et le contrôle effectif afférents au secteur pétrolier. Des éléments nouveux importants, tels que la baisse des prix du brut OPEP, les structures de l'ompót qui favorissent les sociétés pétrolieres transnationales des pays industrialisés, l'entrée en scène de la Banque mondiale en ce qui concerne le pétrole sur le plan international, et la concurrence croissante des pays en voie de développement pour les rares financements d'exploration par les sociétés privécs ont contribué à la création d'un milieu nouveau et plus ardu au sein duquel un nouveau progrès vers une souveraineté totale en matière de ressources pétrolieres se fera de plus en plus par les initiatives propres des pays et de moins en moins dans le contexte de négociacions entre les pays et les sociétés pétrolieres.En las décadas del 60 y 70, el principio de soberanía permanente sobre recursos naturales fue expresado vigorosamente por los países en desarrollo productores de petróleo, a través de diversas medidas con el objeto de aumentos el ingreso del sector petrolero y reafirmar el control y propriedad sobre éste. Nuevos hechos tales como la reducción del prccios acordados por la OPEP, impuestos favorables para las compañías transnacionales, la participatión del Banco Mundial en el sector del petróleo y la creciente competencia entre países en desarrollo por escasos fondos para exploración petrolera han creado un ambiente diffícil en el que la total soberanía sobre los recursos petroleros se obtendrán más por esfuerzo propio de los países y menos dentro del contexto de negociaciones entre país y las compañías de petróleo.
Arrangements for Mineral Development Cooperation between Socialist Countries and Developing Countries
Authors: DOBOZI ISTVÁN 
Published: October 2009

To obtain those fuels and minerals which cannot be supplied from intra‐CMEA sources, the European CMEA countries have resorted to compensation agreements, long‐term supply agreements, and joint venture with the developing countries. Examples of these are given. In the future the European CMEA countries will need to rely increasingly on the developing countries for supplies of raw materials. The reasons for this are examined and new forms of East‐South co‐operation aré explored.Pour obtenir ceux des carburants et des mineraux qui ne peuvent pas leur être livrés en provenance de fournisseurs internes du Conseil d'assistance d'économique mutuelle (CAEM), les pays européens du CAEM ont fait appel à des ententes de compensation, à des ententes de livraison à long terme et à des operations conjointes avec des pays en voie de développement. Des exemples sont donnés. Les pays européens de CAEM seront amenés, dans les années à venir, à dependre de plus en plus des pays en voie de développement pour les fournitures en maitières premieres. Les raisons correspondantes sont passées en revue et des formules nouvelles de cooperation est‐sud sont explorées.Para abastecerse de combustible s y minerales que no pueden ser suministros de fuentes de los países del Consejo de Asistencia Económica Mutua (CAEM), los países europeos de CAEM estan utilizando acuerdos de compensación, contratos a largo plazo e inversiones conjuntas con los países en desarrollo. En este artículo se dan ejemplos de estos contratos. En el futuro los países europeos de CAEM dependerán en el suministro de recursos naturales por los países en desarrollo. Se examinan las razones para esta creciente dependencia y se exploran nuevas formas de cooperación Este‐Sur.
No Easy Management: Irrigation Development in the Chao Phya Basin, Thailand
Authors: SRIVARDHANA RUANGDEJ 
Published: October 2009

This paper reviews the water resources management experience with respect to large‐scale irrigation in the Chao Phya Basin in Central Thailand. Following a description of the physical setting and the water resources development schemes that have evolved since the early 1900s, the applicable governmental organization structure is presented in relation to specific water resources management activities.A summary of major accomplishments and environmental consequences of the development is presented. Finally, major problems and issues of water resources management are raised, including: lack of comprehensive planning; data shortages, overemphasis on physical factors; emerging water scarcities; and difficulties of achieving efficient and equitable development.
Crisis in the Commodities Market Are the LDCs to Blame?
Authors: VITERBO PATRICK , WALLARD HENRI‐EDME 
Published: October 2009

Many analysts blame the LDCs for the present oversupply crisis in certain commodity markets, and suggest that a reduction in the loans provided by multinational agencies would oblige them to reduce production levels. The underlying assumption is that the producers in LDCs can react like their counterparts in North America to a temporary decline in prices.A detailed comparison between two copper producers, one in the United States and the other in Zambia, leads to a very different conclusion. Unlike its North American counterpart, because of social and technical conditions, the Zambian company would not draw any benefit from a temporary closure. Its policy is, very logically, to maximize output, with the support of a government which wants to keep both employment and foreign exchange earnings high. Although this policy relies on external finance, it is very doubtful that a change in lending policies could impose significant production cuts. Any analysis of the commodity market should take into account the diversity of the producers, and particularly the low flexibility of mines in the LDCs.
Analysis of the Recent Climatic Evolution in Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)
Authors: CARBONNEL JEAN‐PIERRE 
Published: October 2009

This paper analyses the recent climatic evolution in the Sahel, and more particularly in Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta). For this evolution, three stages can be recognized which go from a humid phase before 1950 to a dry phase after 1965. The main evidence of this evolution is the steady decrease in the number of rains exceeding 40 mm and the relative increase in the number of annual rains.It is suggested that rainfall of less than 20 mm constitutes the stable component of the rainfall. An analysis of the data available does not indicate an improvement in climatic conditions in the near future.
Innovative Approach to Financing Energy Conservation Investments in Developing Countries
Authors: FISHER MICHAEL 
Published: October 2009

A common barrier to undertaking conservation measures in developing countries is the limited ability or the reluctance of energy users to acquire and deploy the capital needed to develop these opportunities. Industrial firms, for example, have had frequent opportunities in recent years to benefit from the use of new, more energy‐efficient production technologies, but insufficient internal cash, combined with an ability to raise debt or equity capital under favourable terms, have often prevented firms from funding these investments.Confronted with such impediments to mobilizing capital for conservation investments, some financiers and entrepreneurs in industrialized countries have recently implemented five innovative arrangements for financing conservation and other energy‐related investments. These five financing arrangements are discussed. For each arrangement, the structure and operation, the distribution of risk between the energy user and the creditors/external investors, and the financial benefits that accrue to the energy user are described.
Analysis of Feedstock Supply Costs for Wood‐fired Electric Power Plants in Liberia, West Africa
Authors: BARRON WILLIAM F. , PERLACK ROBERT D. , SAMUELS GARLAND 
Published: October 2009

In Liberia, as in many developing countries, electrification of towns and cities throughout the country has long been a major development goal. However, fuel expenditures by the Liberian Electricity Corporation (LEC) for its rural public stations represent a major and growing burden on the financially hard‐pressed utility. In this paper we evaluate the economics of supplying wood to rural electric power plants utilizing different sources of feedstock. We also evaluate the cost implications of differences in wood supply requirements based on the use of steam or gasifier technology, and from variation in plant utilization level.The wood supply we consider as sources are: (1) retired rubber trees; (2) the harvesting of secondary‐growth forest just before the land is returned to temporary cultivation; (3) the establishment of commercial short‐rotation wood energy plantations; and (4) adding to the system of shifting agriculture the planting of fast‐growing wood species. The results indicate that wood can probably be supplied under a wide range of supply and demand conditions for US$1.00–1.70 per GJ. We estimate that wood steam plants can generate power for about $0.09‐0.14 per kWh and gasifier plants for $0.10‐0.18 per kWh. These costs are well below the present cost of oil‐based rural electric power generation in Liberia (about $0.20–0.27 per kWh).
Legislative Approaches to Drought Management
Authors: SOLANES MIGUEL R. 
Published: October 2009

Droughts are a natural scourge with extremely serious socio‐economic consequences, leading not only to human suffering and misery, but also to grave environmental deterioration. Some of the impacts of drought may be curbed through technological, economic and legal measures. This paper deals particularly with the last of these.Legal measures are grouped according to their objectives, such as: the mitigation of drought impacts; the regulation of water use; the control of production and distribution of goods and services; the regulation of the relationship between man and the environment; and the promotion of general socio‐economic change.While developed countries have been able to manage production factors and promote, enact and enforce regulatory legislation, most developing countries face serious restrictions either to managing drought situations or to enforcing any kind of legislation intended to deal either with the impact of drought or with the artificial situations reinforcing these impacts.
The completion of the preparatory work for the UN Convention on the Law of International Watercourses
Authors: Tanzi Attila 
Published: October 2009

This article deals with the debate of the UN General Assembly on the establishment of a framework convention on the Law of the Non‐Navigational Uses of International Watercourses. The debate took place in two sessions, held in October 1996 and March/April 1997, with the final voting and adoption of the Convention on 21 May 1997.The present article concentrates on the second part of the negotiations and the finalization of the text. Salient aspects are analyzed, such as the normative function of the Convention, the two important principles of “equitable utilization” and the “no‐harm rule”, as well as peaceful settlement of disputes. The preparatory work concerning these provisions is examined, and some general consideration is given to the results achieved.The present article is a sequel to the account by the same author, published in NRF 21:2, which deals with the first part of the debate and outlines the main legal and political issues at stake. The original text of the ILC articles is also included in the Special Issue on Transboundary Waters.Although the author was a member of the Italian Delegation to the Working Group, the opinions expressed in the present article are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Italian Government. The author apologizes for any inaccuracies in the presentation of the views of other delegations in this article.
Energy taxation and the environment: a developing country perspective
Authors: Bhattacharyya Subhes C. 
Published: October 2009

Economists prefer to monitor environmental protection and sustainable development through the use of economic instruments rather than with ‘command and control’ mechanisms. Energy taxes and subsidies have emerged as a standard prescription for internalising externalities. Yet existing energy tax policies, both in developed and developing countries, show considerable contradictions in terms of environmental considerations. The question needs to be asked why this is so. Moreover, the suitability of fiscal measures for internalising negative externalities in developing countries needs to be questioned.The objective of this article is to reveal the inherent contradictions and ambiguities in the application of taxes or subsidies to satisfy multiple objectives. It is argued that economic theory does not provide any ready‐made solution to the problem and often socio‐political considerations determine the outcome. Similarly, certain characteristics of developing countries, such as the existence of an important informal sector and the extensive use of traditional energies, violate certain basic assumptions of the underlying theory and require special attention in the application of pricing mechanism for internalising externalities.
Scope of fossil energy resources in Mexico and the Andean Group
Authors: de la Vega Francisco Figueroa , Bösl Bernhard 
Published: October 2009

The article focuses on fossil energy resources in the Andean Group and Mexico, and argues for a dynamic approach to calculating reserves to production ratios. Individual countries are surveyed in terms of estimated reserves of fossil energy resources, current production rates and future prospects; energy policy options for individual countries are analysed. As a primary objective of energy policy is to ensure security of supply, it is important that calculations of reserves to production ratios accurately estimate the desired level of investment in exploration. The calculations need to take into account a variety of parameters, including different energy sources, availability and risk; geographic considerations including proximity, transport, storage capacity and commercial aspects; the competitive and environmental implications of developing indigenous resources; and the use of instruments to establish contingency plans for emergencies.The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of OLADE, ECLAC or GTZ. The authors apologize for any inaccuracies or omissions in the article.
The dilemma of the mining royalty: contractual or realty interest
Authors: Harries Karl J. C. 
Published: October 2009

At common law, the legal nature of a mining royalty between private parties will decide the respective rights of payor and recipient. In some circumstances, it will also determine whether the interest of the recipient will prevail or may be lost and ignored. Industry practices, even those of long standing, that are contrary to the law will not change the law or its effect to meet such concerns. This paper looks at the development of the mining royalty between private parties in Canada and the effect of the realization by recipients that contractual royalties, as opposed to royalties that are interests in the lands or product to which they relate, can be lost in certain circumstances. Suggestions are made for some features that may assist in transforming an otherwise contractual royalty into a real property interest. Some of the concerns for both payor and recipient with respect to the implementation of such suggestions are also discussed.The article has two appendices attached. Appendix A is an extract from an article by the author discussing the concept of payment of a royalty in kind which is relevant to such suggestions. Appendix B contains some of the more lengthy explanatory notes referred to in the text of the article.
Natural gas pricing policies in Southeast Asia
Authors: Pacudan Romeo B. 
Published: October 2009

The very dynamic economies of Southeast Asia have recently been experiencing a rapid increase in energy demand. Parallel to this development, there has been an increase in the utilization of indigenous natural gas resources. This article reviews gas‐pricing policies in the region, which partly explain the rise in gas utilization. Although diverse, energy pricing policies in Southeast Asia address the common objective of enhancing domestic gas production and utilization.The article concludes that a more rational gas‐pricing policy framework is emerging in the region. In global terms, gas pricing in the region tends to converge in a market‐related framework, despite the many different pricing objectives of individual countries, and the predominance of non‐economic pricing objectives in certain countries (especially gas‐rich nations). Specifically, governments have been flexible enough to follow global trends and initiate changes in contractual agreements (pricing and profit‐sharing), giving oil companies more favourable terms, and encouraging continued private investment in gas development. At the same time, promotional pricing has also been used to increase utilization of gas, through set prices and adjusted taxes achieving a lower price level compared to substitute fuels.For an efficient gas‐pricing mechanism, refinements in the pricing framework should be undertaken, as demand for gas approaches existing and/or forecast production capacities.
Experiences in the water resources development and management for sustainable use in Zimbabwe
Authors: Mtetwa Sibekile 
Published: October 2009

AbstractFresh water has become a very topical, emotive and sensitive issue in Zimbabwe following the recent continued droughts in conjunction with lack of finance to expand water resources development. Heated debates have arisen over the availability, allocation, distribution, disbursement and conservation of this precious resource. A great deal of inefficiency has also resulted from Government Ministries or Departments playing all the roles, from policymaking to supply operations. Government authorities often make the mistake of controlling day‐to‐day management of water and sewage services. In fact, greater accountability results when Government authorities focus on policymaking, establishing regulatory regimes that provide incentives for achieving goals and sanctions for serious failures, while giving sufficient autonomy to entities responsible for investment and operations to control outcomes. It is becoming more and more evident throughout the world that provision of water, as opposed to the planning and allocation of the water resource, should be handled by commercial undertakers. Indeed, Zimbabwe and its neighbours are currently involved with changing the status of their water departments to corporate entities; Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia have already commercialised or are currently in the process of commercialising their freshwater supply services.
Environmental impact assessment and management in the mining industry
Authors: Sinding Knud 
Published: October 2009

AbstractThe mineral industries have always had significant environmental problems. Dealing with them is in many cases technically possible, but the cost is often prohibitive in an industry with uniform products and much trade. As a possible solution, it is suggested to make mineral products less uniform and more distinguishable in terms of the environmental impacts involved in producing a specific shipment or volume of mineral; this could be combined with means to identify each shipment. Such action would require identification techniques and, more particularly, clear and unequivocal evidence regarding environmental impacts at all stages of production.
Strengthening Agricultural Research in Africa
Authors: Atkinson Kim W. , Kwabena‐Osei Collins , Gulley James L. 
Published: October 2009

AbstractTraining programmes that involve agricultural researchers with farmers and extension field‐workers have helped national agricultural research systems in sub‐Saharan Africa to improve their communication with farmers. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has worked with national crop research institutes and agricultural extension agencies in building communication links with farmers. In a continent where population growth still outstrips food production increases, feedback from farmers on performance of high‐yielding crop varieties and on new farming techniques is essential in boosting food production.
Coastal issues for oceanic islands: implications for human futures
Authors: Nunn Patrick D. , Veitayaki Joeli , Ram‐Bidesi Vina , Vunisea Aliti 
Published: October 2009

AbstractCompared to continental areas, most islands have exceptionally long coastlines relative to their total land area. For this reason, islands are uncommonly vulnerable to problems associated with coasts. The future of the human inhabitants of many island states depends intrinsically on the sustainable management of their coasts, a challenge which grows more pressing as island populations increase and the associated demands on island coastlines change and grow. These issues are presented and discussed in this article. The mechanics of the sustainable management of island coasts is itself an important issue. At the national or local level, management is plagued by problems of insufficient and/or imprecise data and understanding that may lead to inappropriate solutions that even exacerbate the problems they are intended to solve. At an inter‐governmental or international level, problems associated with the understanding of island environments need to be resolved before optimal management strategies can be developed. This article presents a brief explanation of the nature of coastal vulnerability on oceanic islands, followed by a discussion of several key problems associated with their sustainable development and the role of human and non‐human factors in recent environmental change. It discusses the future of oceanic island coasts in the face of both internal and external threats to their sustainable management. It concludes with a blueprint for their survival.