Non-metallic Minerals and the Developing Countries: Patterns, Constraints, Initiatives

This paper reviews the role of non-metallic minerals in the economy and examines the relationship between demand patterns and the process of industrialization. As developing countries industrialize, large volumes of construction minerals (sand, gravel, crushed stone, etc.) will be required while with most other industrial minerals increasing quantities will be consumed only in the more advanced stages of economic development. In many developing countries the assurance of an adequate supply of these minerals from indigenous resources will necessitate initiatives aimed at removing constraints and barriers to mining sector development.     

Petroleum Company Operations and Agreements in the Developing Countries

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Petroleum Company Operations & Agreements in Developing Countries Author : Raymond F. Mikesell     

Biological and Social Feasibility of Sesbania Fallow Practice in Small Holder Agricultural Farms in Developing Countries: A Zambian Case Study

Many small holder farmers in developing countries face problems of declining soil fertility and crop yields and insufficient money to buy expensive inorganic fertilizers. The Sesbania fallow system, an agroforestry technology, seems to hold a key to these problems. Based on field studies in eastern Zambia, this paper reports that fallow system has the potential to improve and sustain soil productivity in the small holder farms. However, the paper also reports that the ability for subsistence farmers to adopt the Sesbania fallow system is affected by gender differences in resource allocation to productive resources and institutional, cultural, and social structural settings in which farmers exist and make decisions.     

Suburban Areas in Developing Countries and Their Relationship to Groundwater Pollution: A Case Study of Mar del Plata, Argentina

2 were sampled in order to verify the impact of these problems on groundwater. All samples were analyzed for major ions, and about 30 of them for fecal coliforms and heavy metals. Nineteen samples were selected for pesticide analyses. The average nitrate content was 80 mg/liter, eight times the regional background value. Fecal coliforms were detected in 60% of the analyzed samples. Zinc content and a high Cl⁻/HCO₃ ⁻ ratio were observed in the surroundings of the solid waste disposal area. Moreover, lindane and heptachlor pesticides were detected in ten samples.     

Factors Affecting Flood Disasters in Small Island Developing States and Potential Adaptation Measures: The Case of Funchal City,Portugal

This work highlights the evolution of flood disasters and their impacts upon environmental and socioeconomic aspects both worldwide and in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in particular. For our research, we reviewed the stress factors affecting flood disasters and performed surveys of two focus groups in Funchal municipality on Madeira Island (Portugal). Our research identifies the main causes of the serious impacts that flash floods can have on Funchal city. These include:

• The occupation of floodplain areas,
• Canalization of water courses,
• Erosion and transport of soil from upstream hillslopes due to deforestation, and
• Intensive precipitation of long duration.

     

Problems and Prospects of Meeting the Basic Energy Needs of Rural Communities in Developing Countries Through the Utilization of Wind and Solar Energy Systems

The problems and prospects of solar and wind energy technologies for rural energy supply in developing countries are examined, followed by an overview of key attributes of these technologies. The application of wind and solar systems for cooking, water pumping, drying, water heating, and electric power supply are reviewed. Two detailed case studies are given, the first discussing the potential of solar and wind systems for rural water pumping in Morocco, and the second, examining the "wind farms" producing electric power in California and the potential for their use in developing countries.     

Recent Evolution of Petroleum Exploration and Exploitation Agreements in Developing Countries: New Approaches to Introduce More Flexibility and Progressivity in the Contractual Terms

Over the last decade rather important changes have occurred in the legal and economic aspects of international petroleum agreements for exploration and exploitation. In the late nineteen seventies, as a consequence of the strong increase in oil prices, there was a general tightening of contractual terms and conditions. With the present oil market imbalance, characterized by sharp price falls, there is a tendency to ease the applicable contractual terms. In such a rapidly changing environment, the economic terms contained in a petroleum agreement should be properly designed to introduce a certain element of flexibility and progressivity in regard to the government take, without unduly complicating the fiscal package or discouraging potential investors. This is the present challenge for international petroleum negotiators.