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Confronting Poverty in Iraq

Confronting Poverty in Iraq PDF Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821385631
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Book Description
This report provides the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of Iraqi income and expenditure in several decades. The report makes extensive use of the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey, the first nationwide income and expenditure survey since 1988. IHSES data is complemented income and expenditure data from a wide range of other measures of living standards, allowing us to analyze living standards in a holistic way. The analysis presented here was performed with two main goals first, to inform the Government s Poverty Reduction Strategy; and second, to serve as a baseline for future assessments of changes in living standards and the identification of critical issues for deeper examination. Iraqi living standards have two unusual characteristics. First, they have fallen over the past generation. Second, they feature surprisingly little inequality. These characteristics are both rooted in Iraq s recent history of authoritarian government, war, military occupation, insurgency, and civil strife leading to infrastructure destruction and population displacement. There have been few opportunities for individuals to prosper from professional or entrepreneurial activities. Decades of neglected investment have resulted in deterioration of social services and economic infrastructure. Consequently, individuals have lacked capabilities to prosper and an investment climate conducive to prosperity. School enrollment and life expectancy have declined. Extremely low returns to education reflect the combination of poor educational quality and lack of employment opportunities. In terms of economic infrastructure, access to reliable electricity and water, and even access to paved roads are low, are further reflections of decades of neglect. While the upper end of the distribution has been pulled down by a lack of opportunities, the lower end has been supported by direct government provision of food. The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides 85 percent of food needs. While PDS has been useful as a safety net for the poor and the vulnerable, the system is expensive, inefficient, and fiscally risky. Indeed, PDS food rations account for a far greater share of public spending than does education or health. Going forward, Iraq faces two main challenges. First, although Iraq does not have to develop from scratch, it faces a formidable challenge in re-development. Second, a shift by the Government is required from direct provision of basic subsistence toward investment in human capacities. The Government can provide an enabling environment through investments in economic infrastructure and services to business and citizens, thus allowing the population to make productive use of education and their own labor. Both challenges are now being taken up by the Poverty Reduction Strategy, which articulates a detailed set of required actions and outlines priorities for government spending.

Confronting Poverty in Iraq

Confronting Poverty in Iraq PDF Author: World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821385631
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 114

Book Description
This report provides the most comprehensive and rigorous analysis of Iraqi income and expenditure in several decades. The report makes extensive use of the Iraq Household Socio-Economic Survey, the first nationwide income and expenditure survey since 1988. IHSES data is complemented income and expenditure data from a wide range of other measures of living standards, allowing us to analyze living standards in a holistic way. The analysis presented here was performed with two main goals first, to inform the Government s Poverty Reduction Strategy; and second, to serve as a baseline for future assessments of changes in living standards and the identification of critical issues for deeper examination. Iraqi living standards have two unusual characteristics. First, they have fallen over the past generation. Second, they feature surprisingly little inequality. These characteristics are both rooted in Iraq s recent history of authoritarian government, war, military occupation, insurgency, and civil strife leading to infrastructure destruction and population displacement. There have been few opportunities for individuals to prosper from professional or entrepreneurial activities. Decades of neglected investment have resulted in deterioration of social services and economic infrastructure. Consequently, individuals have lacked capabilities to prosper and an investment climate conducive to prosperity. School enrollment and life expectancy have declined. Extremely low returns to education reflect the combination of poor educational quality and lack of employment opportunities. In terms of economic infrastructure, access to reliable electricity and water, and even access to paved roads are low, are further reflections of decades of neglect. While the upper end of the distribution has been pulled down by a lack of opportunities, the lower end has been supported by direct government provision of food. The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides 85 percent of food needs. While PDS has been useful as a safety net for the poor and the vulnerable, the system is expensive, inefficient, and fiscally risky. Indeed, PDS food rations account for a far greater share of public spending than does education or health. Going forward, Iraq faces two main challenges. First, although Iraq does not have to develop from scratch, it faces a formidable challenge in re-development. Second, a shift by the Government is required from direct provision of basic subsistence toward investment in human capacities. The Government can provide an enabling environment through investments in economic infrastructure and services to business and citizens, thus allowing the population to make productive use of education and their own labor. Both challenges are now being taken up by the Poverty Reduction Strategy, which articulates a detailed set of required actions and outlines priorities for government spending.

Conceptual Modeling for Traditional and Spatio-Temporal Applications

Conceptual Modeling for Traditional and Spatio-Temporal Applications PDF Author: Christine Parent
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 354030326X
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 475

Book Description
From environmental management to land planning and geo-marketing, the number of application domains that may greatly benefit from using data enriched with spatio-temporal features is expanding very rapidly. This book shows that a conceptual design approach for spatio-temporal databases is both feasible and easy to apprehend. While providing a firm basis through extensive discussion of traditional data modeling concepts, the major focus of the book is on modeling spatial and temporal information.

Polymers for Photonics Applications II

Polymers for Photonics Applications II PDF Author: Kwang-Sup Lee
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 9783662146279
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 213

Book Description
The future of information technology requires ultra high speed processing and large data storage capacity. Since the electronics technology using semi conduc tors and inorganic materials is about to reach its limits, much current research is focused on utilizing much faster photons than electrons, namely photonics. To achieve any significant effect on the actual use of the science of photonics, devel opments of more efficient photonics materials, better optical property evaluations, manufacture of devices for system applications, etc. are the subjects which need to be explored. In particular, the development of photonics materials stands in the forefront of research as this constitutes the most pertinent factor with regard to the development of ultra high speed and large capacity information processing. In this respect, there has been continuous research on photo responsive materials through molecular structure design and architecture and the results so far are very promising as functions and performances are beginning to realize their high expectations. The two special volumes "Polymers for Photonics Applications" give authorita tive and critical reviews on up to date activities in various fields of photonic poly mers including their promising applications. Seven articles have been contributed by internationally recognized and they deal with, polymers for second and third order nonlinear optics, quadratic parametric interactions in polymer waveguides, electroluminescent polymers as light sources, photoreflective polymers for holo graphic information storage, and highly efficient two photon absorbing organics and polymers.