EADI Research Monitor – March Issue (2013)
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: The Missing Link with Agriculture
Long-Term Monarchical Survival in the Middle East: A Configurational Comparison, 1945–2012
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: The Missing Link with Agriculture
2013/01 – Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn; Authors: Daniel Tsegai, Florence McBain and Bernhard Tischbein
Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services coupled with poor hygiene practices continues to kill, sicken and diminish opportunities of millions of people in developing countries. In this paper, we argue that the ‘nexus’ approach should take peoples’ multiple water needs as a starting point for providing integrated services and thus move beyond conventional sectoral barriers of domestic and productive sectors. Isolated approaches have their drawbacks missing out on positive externalities on health and nutrition outcomes.
We also argue that (the prospect of) a holistic approach including WSH and agriculture sectors for a long term health and nutrition impact should be explored. The paper reviews the body of literature dealing with WSH and irrigation agriculture, synthesizes the remarks thereof and concludes with suggestions to unravel the ‘nexus’ between WSH and agriculture for a long term health and nutrition impact.
2013/02 – German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA); Authors: André Bank, Thomas Richter and Anna Sunik
The survival of eight monarchies during the “Arab Uprisings” of 2011 has put center stage the fundamental question about the durability of this subtype of authoritarian regime. Seen from a broader historical perspective, however, the idea that monarchies have an inherent advantage in retaining power is less evident: a number of authoritarian monarchies broke down and subsequently became republics (Egypt 1952, Iraq 1958, North Yemen 1962, Libya 1969, Iran 1979), while others survived (Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, , Saudi Arabia, UAE).
The findings support the existence of two broad pathways to monarchical survival – linchpin monarchies, like Jordan and Morocco, versus the dynastic Gulf monarchies – and also reveal a possible third pathway, one which shares linchpin characteristics, but relates to cases on the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, the historical Imamate in North Yemen, and Saudi Arabia).
2013/02 -African Studies Centre (ASC); Author: Sofiane Bouhdiba
While many factors were behind the ‘Arab Spring’, this study proposes to explore the socio-demographic ones, focusing on the cases of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. The research aims also at an understanding of what this North African wave of revolts may mean for Sub Saharan Africa.
What were the main socio-demographic factors behind the Jasmine revolution? Will these same factors support the Tunisian population in achieving their democratic transition? Can we expect that other North African countries (Morocco, Algeria, or Mauritania) to engage in such a process? Why has none of the Sub Saran African countries followed in the footsteps of Tunisia? Will there be an ‘Arab Spring’ for Sub-Saharan Africa? These are some of the questions to which I will try to find answers in this study.