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NTS Bulletin

NTS Bulletin April 2010 (Issue 1)
Issues:
Note: Please click on the respective titles or headers for the full report.

Disclaimer: All links and news reports are correct at the time of publication.

HEALTH SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

Following the emergence of the 2009 A/H1N1 influenza pandemic, public health interventions were activated to lessen its potential impact. Computer modelling and simulation can be used to determine the potential effectiveness of the social distancing and antiviral drug therapy interventions that were used at the early stages of the pandemic thus providing guidance to public health policymakers regarding intervention strategies in future pandemics involving a highly pathogenic influenza strain. Results from this study suggest that the aggressive use of antiviral drugs together with extended school closure may substantially slow the rate of influenza epidemic development. These strategies are more rigorous than those actually used during the early stages of the relatively mild 2009 pandemic, and are appropriate for future pandemics which have high morbidity and mortality rates.

Medical professionals working in nursing homes bear a substantial burden of influenza morbidity and mortality. Vaccination of residents and healthcare workers (HCWs) is the main strategy for prevention. Despite recommendations, influenza vaccination coverage among HCWs remains generally low. This nationwide study assessed for the first time the rate of influenza vaccination among residents and HCWs in nursing homes for the elderly in France. Better communication on the current recommendations regarding influenza vaccination is needed to increase the compliance of HCWs. Vaccination programmes should include free vaccination and targeted education campaigns, with priority given to nurses and nurse assistants.

As young adults are at a greater risk of infection during a pandemic, there is an increased possibility that universities will become major facilitators in the spread of a particular disease.  Outbreak management is essential to reduce the impact in both the institution and the surrounding community. Through the use of an online survey, authors of this study sought to measure the perceptions and responses of staff and students towards the H1N1 pandemic in 2009 at a major university in Sydney, Australia. The survey was conducted from 29 June to 30 September 2009. The sample group included academic staff, general staff and students of the University. Responses to a pandemic are subject to change in its pre-, early and mid-outbreak stages. Lessons for these institutions in preparation for a second wave and future disease outbreaks include the need to promote positive public health behaviour amongst young people and students.

In this report, the CSIS Commission on Smart Global Health Policy – a diverse group of opinion leaders drawn from business, finance, media, philanthropy, foreign affairs, security, government, public health, and the US Congress – calls on Washington policymakers to embrace a five point agenda for global health. These are mutually reinforcing sets of goals to achieve US ambitions and partner country needs, and are as follows:

  1. Maintain the commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis
  2. Prioritise women and children in US global health efforts
  3. Strengthen prevention and capabilities to manage emergencies
  4. Ensure the United States has the capacity to match its global health ambitions
  5. Make smart investments in multilateral institutions

Events & Announcements

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CLIMATE CHANGE, ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

This report is divided into two parts namely the proceedings and the decisions adopted by the Conference of the Parties.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of forests and forestry to date and also examines the current status and recent trends for about 90 variables covering the extent, condition, uses and values of forests and other wooded land, with the aim of assessing all benefits from forest resources. Information has been collated from 233 countries and territories at four points in time: 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010. The results are presented according to the seven thematic elements of sustainable forest management.

The UN-REDD Programme’s ‘2009 Year in Review’ reflects on its first full year in operation, highlighting the significant progress of its pilot countries, the partnerships it cultivated with international partners throughout the year, and the impact that it was able to make in building international consensus for REDD+. The report also highlights the important national and international work UN-REDD supported in key work areas, including measuring, reporting and verification (MRV), engagement of indigenous peoples and civil society, and in the promotion of the multiple benefits of forests.

This working paper claims to demonstrate that, under a wide range of parameter values, biofuels subsidies will increase the rate of extraction of fossil fuels in the short and medium term, and possibly bring climate-change damages closer to the present.

Events & Announcements

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FOOD SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

Nations of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) need to ‘rethink’ their agricultural industries to meet future food needs, given the social shifts and climate changes that are forecast for the coming decades. With better farming practices, and by managing agriculture within the wider context of natural ecosystems, nations could boost production and increase the wealth and resilience of poor people in rural communities. Demand for food is forecast to double by 2050, as populations swell and people’s dietary choices change. If governments act now, they will be better placed to meet this target and withstand the more severe climatic changes likely to affect the GMS beyond 2050. These are the main messages of the summary report Rethinking Agriculture in the Greater Mekong Subregion: How to Sustainably Meet Food Needs, Enhance Ecosystem Services and Cope with Climate Change, published by IWMI in cooperation with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the WorldFish Center.

Rural poverty has many causes and dimensions and these are often specific to a country and a particular context. The root causes of poverty need to be understood in order to design efficient measures tailored to the needs and strengths of poor people. Simple and efficient tools are required to assess the various dimensions of poverty in the specific context, in order to make the right decisions when creating poverty reduction programmes and policies. The Multidimensional Poverty Assessment Tool (MPAT) provides a methodology and a framework for the development community to implement better poverty reduction programmes. MPAT was designed to be used in different contexts and countries of the developing world. A simple tool like MPAT allows project managers, government officials and others to regularly monitor and determine those sectors which require support for improving livelihoods. MPAT also serves as a mechanism to help government agencies cooperate on shared poverty reduction goals. In India, for example, MPAT may be useful for the current ‘convergence’ process. But MPAT’s utility can go beyond poverty reduction. Its assessments are accessible and hence it can contribute to increase transparency with regard to how investments in poverty reduction are made. Its accessibility enables poor people to be further involved in the process and to become empowered.

Events & Announcements

Latest Publications

This book explores indirect and direct relationships between environmental degradation and food security, provides a comprehensive treatment of major factors influencing China’s food production, consumption and control systems, and analyses actors (national and sub-national officials, scientists, non-governmental organisations, and media) that are involved in food policy formation and implementation and who are also charged with the examination of recent controversies such as GMOs and human health, as well as ‘tainted’ food products.

In this article, the author argues that concerns over food security have emphasised food while appearing to give less attention to the meaning and significance of security. Consequently, the valuation and perceptions of food have not secured its place at the top of a state’s priorities and at the heart of development. Many states have already bargained food production for resource extraction in their quest for revenues and this bargain is now being made in Laos. Observation and analysis of this process in this article reveal why food consistently comes second to resource extraction, leaving people facing the peril of food insecurity. Valuation and perceptions of food often overlook its special significance as the source of life, sustaining society and its security. This article further suggests that food is as critical to national security as resources such as oil, steel and rubber that often pre-empt it.

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ENERGY SECURITY

News & Commentaries

Papers & Reports

Using the three largest Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries – Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam – as case studies, the authors attempt to examine and quantify the role of clean and advanced energy technologies for efficient local resource exploitation and in improving energy security and environmental conditions. The particular focus in this study is on power sectors and it concludes that a large potential market for clean and advanced energy technologies exist in these three countries. The authors argued that these technologies can potentially lead to reductions in primary energy and power investment requirements, while at the same time reducing carbon emissions and electricity costs, among a range of benefits.        

The authors first argue that a ‘must-go path’ has to be undertaken in order to guarantee a sustainable future of mankind. This entails measures to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and at the same time limit further damage to the environment. To accomplish this, they next argue, the role of fast nuclear reactor technology and the development of cost-effective renewable energy sources will be pivotal. In addition, they advocate for the clean use of fossil fuels to curb pollution. Lastly, the authors propose a range of policy recommendations; in particular emphasising on the importance of worldwide collaboration among states and with international organisations in order to put the proposed ‘must-go path’ into real action in the coming decades.    

A review of the contemporary environmental economics literature on the effectiveness of and interactions among renewable energy policies is undertaken by the authors in this study. While acknowledging that some of the existing policies implemented to date are useful for environmental reasons, economic rationale and political expediency, not all of them worked together to achieve the desired effects. In order to evaluate renewable energy policies, the authors argue, a narrow context cannot be used. Instead, they propose that one must understand how specific policy mechanisms interact with each other and under what conditions are multiple policy levers necessary.     

Events & Announcements

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Use of this article:

You are free to publish this article in its entirety or only in part in your newspapers, wire services, internet-based information networks and newsletters and you are also free to use the information in your radio-TV discussions or as a basis for discussion in different fora. We would, however, appreciate it if you could let us know when and where the article was used.

About the Centre:

The Centre for NTS Studies of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, was inaugurated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary-General Dr Surin Pitsuwan in May 2008. The Centre maintains research in the fields of Climate Change, Energy Security, Health Security, as well as Internal and Cross Border Conflict. It produces policy-relevant analyses aimed at furthering awareness and building capacity to address NTS issues and challenges in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The Centre also provides a platform for scholars and policymakers within and outside Asia to discuss and analyse NTS issues in the region.

In 2009, the Centre was chosen by the MacArthur Foundation as a lead institution for the MacArthur Asia Security Initiative, to develop policy research capacity and recommend policies on the critical security challenges facing the Asia-Pacific.

The Centre is also a founding member and the Secretariat for the Consortium of Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies in Asia (NTS-Asia). More information on the Centre can be found at www.rsis.edu.sg/nts


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