‘Water war’ in the Mekong Basin?

The Mekong River system provides a crucial source of natural resources for riparian nations. However, the increasingly rapid pace of hydro‐development in the Mekong Basin is threatening the integrity of the river system, posing a real concern for Lower Basin states, which are particularly dependent on the basin. This scenario has led to warnings of armed conflict, or even ‘water war’, between riparian states. Certainly, the expanding scale of hydro‐development can be expected to continue increasing interstate tensions in the Mekong region; but are these tensions really likely to escalate to armed conflict? This paper explores this question by drawing on the water and conflict theory of Aaron Wolf. Ultimately, this paper concludes that interstate tensions over Mekong hydro‐development are unlikely to generate armed conflict. This is in part due to the strategic impracticality of such a conflict as well as the presence of a river basin management institution. Most compellingly, though, armed conflict is unlikely because the economic imperative shared by Mekong states is better served by cooperation – or at least non‐interference – than conflict, over regional hydro‐development. In closing, the paper urges that the study of water and conflict in the Mekong Basin be refocused at the intrastate level.     

From ‘wannabe’ Silicon Valley to global back office? Examining the socio‐spatial consequences of technopole planning practices in Malaysia

Cyberjaya is one of a long line of aspiring science and technology parks in the Asia‐Pacific region that have attempted to create a successful technopole, and in doing so become the ‘Silicon Valley of Asia’. The paper attends to the place‐making strategies through which Cyberjaya was positioned as a new ‘global hub’ for information communication technology and multimedia industries, framed as an extremely ‘sticky place’ (Markusen, 1996). That is, a place within a global economic system where local skills, infrastructure and capital attracts and makes research and development and corporate headquarters reluctant to leave. The paper considers that despite considerable infrastructural investment and state‐led urban boosterism to ‘sell’ Cyberjaya to prospective investors, more than 10 years after its completion in 1999 the development has become little more than a zone of disconnected business process outsourcing industries comprising low value‐added outsourcing activities.     

Diaoyu Dao,Diaoyutai or Senkaku? Creative solutions to a festering dispute in the East China Sea from an ‘Island Studies’ perspective

This paper draws on extensive island examples with a view to offer ‘creative’ solutions to the ongoing dispute over the Diaoyu/Diaoyutai/ Senkaku Islands between China (and Taiwan) and Japan in the East China Sea. In spite of the rhetoric and apparent intractability of island conflicts, there are various examples from the past (and the present) that suggest how island disputes may be decided, and in ‘win–win’ ways, to the satisfaction of the different parties involved. The resolution of island territorial problems can benefit greatly from a critical appreciation of how other small islands, also contested, have had their situation resolved in non‐zero‐sum ways. In such cases, sovereignty has been shared, split/divided or expunged; in other cases, sovereignty disputes have been put aside in order to co‐develop and co‐exploit natural resources. There is also one example of a UNESCO World Heritage Site consisting of a string of small islands and surrounding waters whose management is shared between three countries.     

Superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide in the yeast antagonist–fruit interaction: A new role for reactive oxygen species in postharvest biocontrol?

The importance of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plant defense responses against certain pathogens is well documented. There is some evidence that microbial biocontrol agents also induce a transient production of ROS in a host plant which triggers local and systemic defense responses to pathogens. The ability of biocontrol agents used to control postharvest diseases to induce defense-related oxidative responses in fruits, however, has not been explored. Here we show that the yeast antagonists, Metschnikowia fructicola (strain 277) and Candida oleophila (strain 182) generate greater levels of super oxide anion (O₂⁻) on intact fruit surfaces (poor in nutrients) then those applied on a nutrient-poor agar medium. Even though yeast antagonists show a high level of O₂⁻ on nutrient-rich media, when applied on fruits around wounds (areas abundant in nutrients) accumulation of O₂⁻, as detected by nitro blue tetrazolium staining, occurred much more rapidly on the latter. Using laser scanning confocal microscopy we observed that the application of M. fructicola and C. oleophila into citrus and apple fruit wounds correlated with an increase in H₂O₂ accumulation in host tissue. In citrus fruit, the level of H₂O₂ around inoculated wounds increased by 4-fold compared to controls (wounds inoculated with water) as early as 18 h after inoculation. Yeast continued to stimulate H₂O₂ production in citrus fruit up to 66 h after inoculation and H₂O₂ levels were still 3-fold above the control. Living yeast cells were detected in fruit wounds at this time point indicating the ability of M. fructicola to tolerate host ROS, which has been reported to be an intrinsic characteristic of efficient yeast antagonists. Similar increase in H₂O₂ accumulation around yeast-inoculated wounds was observed in apple fruit exocarp. The present data, together with our earlier discovery of the importance of H₂O₂ production in the defense response of citrus flavedo to postharvest pathogens, indicate that the yeast-induced oxidative response in fruit exocarp may be associated with the ability of specific yeast species to serve as biocontrol agents for the management of postharvest diseases.     

“One thing leads to another”, but where? – Gateway cities and the geography of production linkages

Although it has been argued that current configurations of extractive industries provide opportunities for developing production linkages, in other words, that “one thing leads to another”, these opportunities are not necessarily realised directly in the resource‐holding countries. This article aims to explain why the greater opportunities for creating increased production linkages may remain unrealised. While existing research on production linkages is characterised by a national scale mode of analysis, this article examines production linkages in the resource‐poor gateway city of Singapore that are intended to serve oil and gas operations at the macro‐regional level in Indonesia and Vietnam. The results reveal that a significant depth and breadth of production linkages have unfolded in Singapore, highlighting that in particular sophisticated production linkages tend to have a broader geographic scope. Moreover, the analysis identifies factors that have shifted the territorial scale of labour‐intensive and low‐technology production linkages from a macro‐regional towards a national or subnational level, to the advantage of the resource‐holding countries. These insights add some complexity to the study of production‐linkage development and emphasise the need for a multi‐scalar perspective that does not stop at national borders.     

“Bad Neighborhood” and Internet Adoption in Poor Countries: What is behind the Persistent Digital Gap?

The paper investigates the determinants of Internet adoption in poor countries, focusing on the role of macro‐geographic location (neighborhood). It is argued that neighboring countries are interconnected by various kinds of spillovers, including knowledge spillovers as well as spillovers of norms and attitudes that affect individual adoption behavior. The empirical findings support the view that Internet adoption is affected by adoption rates in neighboring countries, even when controlling for a wide range of covariates. Addressing potential endogeneity concerns using an instrumental variable approach moreover suggests these relationships to be causal. The findings imply that international policies to support Internet adoption in poor countries might be more effective if they target groups of neighboring countries rather than single countries in order to better exploit spillovers between neighboring countries.     

The introduction of oil palm in Northeast Thailand: A new cash crop for smallholders?

As part of the Thai Government's objective to increase energy security through biodiesel, oil palm was introduced to Northeast Thailand in 2005. Nong Khai Province was selected as a pilot project because of its suitable environmental conditions. This study assesses the acceptance of policy interventions and socio‐economic conditions by adopters and non‐adopters. We found that total farmland size was significantly higher among oil palm producers than among non‐producers. Nevertheless, the area under oil palm cultivation did not increase in accordance with land size in the way rubber did. Oil palm and non‐oil palm farmers had almost equal amounts of rice area thereby providing household food security. Oil palm did not replace food crops. Farmers investing in oil palm tend to base their livelihood around on‐farm production, whereas non‐adopters tend to diversify with off‐farm income sources. Oil palm was found to be one component of a diversified farming system and an additional income source, albeit not the primary one. In conclusion, oil palm was a crop that had been tried by (wealthier) farmers with sufficient capital, and an aim to further diversify on‐farm household income. Oil palm is certainly not (yet) contributing substantially to household income in Thailand's Northeast.     

Reconciliation or exclusion? Integrating indigenous and non-indigenous land management concepts for Australia’s Native Title era

Indigenous and non-indigenous concepts of land ownership and use are fundamental elements in Australian debate on the implications of Native Title for development. However these approaches are not necessarily incompatible but can be reconciled. Drawing on evidence from the central Australian rangelands, this paper argues that the adaptations of land use practised by indigenous people, who have converted their land tenure from pastoral leasehold to Aboriginal freehold land, suggest that such reconciliation is possible and practical. Provision of appropriate support tools, such as participatory extension for improved land management, or community land management planning, strengthen the integration of indigenous and non-indigenous land management approaches. Successful integration will be essential for the management of Australia’s rangelands under Native Title.     

How do grassroot NGOs in rural Myanmar express their visions for the food system? Food security and food sovereignty as entangled narratives within NGO struggles and strategies

Recent research has promoted the idea that political struggles over food systems can be understood through the concepts of food security (the right to access food) and food sovereignty (the right to exercise control over food systems). These concepts emphasise different political priorities in the social relations of food: for the former, the promotion of decent work and the strengthening of the social safety net to enhance people's abilities to put food on their plates; for the latter, the defence of land, water and resource rights, to underpin capabilities for food own‐provisioning. The question we pose in this paper is how these priorities are articulated by grassroots non‐government organisations working at the frontline of global food poverty? Interviews with 22 representatives of food‐related non‐government organisations in Myanmar were used to elicit narratives about how they understood their challenges. The paper finds that narratives did not cohere exclusively to either the food security or food sovereignty concept, but blended ideas associated with the political priorities of both in complex and contradictory ways. These insights lend important firsthand evidence to the argument that supports a multi‐dimensional framing of the politics of food that is inclusive of the diverse struggles highlighted by food security and food sovereignty concepts.     

Gateways or backdoors to development? Filtering mechanisms and territorial embeddedness in the Chilean copper GPN’s urban system

This paper analyses the role played by different urban nodes in the Chilean copper mining Global Production Network (GPN), and how filtering mechanisms act in favour of the capital city, limiting the territorial embeddedness of extractive industry in resource peripheries. In doing so, we make three contributions to the literature. First, in addition to observing gateway cities (those connecting the mining hinterlands to the global economy), we propose an intermediate category in urban hierarchies which we label the “backdoor city” (those that can perform one or more functions of a gateway city but lack chances for value capture and sustainable development outcomes). Second, we analyse the filtering mechanisms that work to the detriment of resources peripheries. Third, we analyse how these mechanisms reduce the territorial embeddedness of mining activity across the Chilean urban hierarchy. Our main results show that the capital city of Santiago stands out as the only gateway city in the country, and Antofagasta acts as a backdoor city for the Chilean resource peripheries where the extractive activity is weakly embedded, limiting their development opportunities.     

Can the Informal Economy Be “Managed”?: Comparing Approaches and Effectiveness of Day‐Labor Management Policies in the San Diego Metropolitan Area

Day‐labor hiring sites are found in more than 120 municipalities across the U.S., there is limited research examining the specific drivers that generate direct interventions into the day‐labor market, nor is there any research examining the effectiveness of day‐labor management policies. In what follows, I draw on examples from the San Diego Metropolitan Area (SDMA) to address this gap in policy‐research. The findings demonstrate the pervasiveness of neoliberal ideology in day‐labor management, from policing strategies to social service provision. In each case examined, local governments only took direct action when they believed day‐labor activity threatened local commercial activity or when residents' fear of “illegal immigrant” day‐laborers made them question the state's ability to control space effectively. In each case, I also evaluate the effectiveness and cost of the management strategy. The results of this analysis clearly demonstrate that attempts to eliminate day‐labor activity are costly and expensive while efforts to formalize day‐labor cost less and have a higher success rate.     

I,River?: New materialism,riparian non‐human agency and the scale of democratic reform

This article is a discussion of the “discourse on the unthinkable” surrounding potential future democratic engagements with rivers as non‐human persons or natural objects. In the context of the Asia–Pacific region, this article suggests that the developments in material philosophy entitled “new materialism” are essential tools in the reconceptualisation of rivers as democratic entities but that local socio‐historical conditions must also be taken into the account. In order to make its case, the article not only surveys the context for considering rivers as non‐human persons in a juridical context but also discusses the new material context that assists modern democracies in the renegotiation of the demos that forms the body politic of democracy – often in the face of neoliberal exploitation and a legacy of extremes in instrumentalism. The article argues that the incorporation of water in the democratic project of enfranchisement is an essential exercise born of many Western beliefs and ideals but articulated uniquely at a regional and national level.     

Can additional N fertiliser ameliorate the elevated CO2‐induced depression in grain and tissue N concentrations of wheat on a high soil N background?

Elevated CO₂ stimulates crop yields but leads to lower tissue and grain nitrogen concentrations [N], raising concerns about grain quality in cereals. To test whether N fertiliser application above optimum growth requirements can alleviate the decline in tissue [N], wheat was grown in a Free Air CO₂ Enrichment facility in a low‐rainfall cropping system on high soil N. Crops were grown with and without addition of 50–60 kg N/ha in 12 growing environments created by supplemental irrigation and two sowing dates over 3 years. Elevated CO₂ increased yield and biomass (on average by 25%) and decreased biomass [N] (3%–9%) and grain [N] (5%). Nitrogen uptake was greater (20%) in crops grown under elevated CO₂. Additional N supply had no effect on yield and biomass, confirming high soil N. Small increases in [N] with N addition were insufficient to offset declines in grain [N] under elevated CO₂. Instead, N application increased the [N] in straw and decreased N harvest index. The results suggest that conventional addition of N does not mitigate grain [N] depression under elevated CO₂, and lend support to hypotheses that link decreases in crop [N] with biochemical limitations rather than N supply.     

A dominant gene for garnet brown seed coats at the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rk</Emphasis> locus in ‘Dorado’ common bean and mapping <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rk</Emphasis> to linkage group 1

The color of the seed coats of ‘Dorado’ (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is garnet brown (dark red kidney bean color) and differs from most other dry bean varieties in the Honduran red bean market class. A genetic investigation of the color of ‘Dorado’ (same as DOR364) and G19833 (Liborino market class) seed coats was conducted. Crosses with genetic tester stocks demonstrated that the gene for garnet brown (GB) in ‘Dorado’ was not allelic with the R gene for dominant red (oxblood) seed coat. An allelism test between the ‘Dorado’ gene for GB seed coat and the rk ^drv gene for recessive expression of GB demonstrated allelism. We propose the gene symbol for Rk ^r for the ‘Dorado’ GB seed coat color gene. Rk ^r expresses partial dominance over Rk, where Rk ^r/Rk expresses a paler and highly variable intermediate red color. The interactions of Rk ^r, rk ^drv, and c ^u are discussed. Segregation analysis in the mapping population made up of DOR364 (same as ‘Dorado’) × G19833 recombinant inbred lines showed that the Rk ^r gene mapped to linkage group 1. The new allele at Rk was located at a distance of 17 cM from the RFLP marker Bng130 with a LOD > 3.0.     

Strategies for Improving the Overall Environmental Quality of Rivers Based on “Renovation and Restoration” Concept: A Case Study of Landscape Planning of Linjiang River,Yongchuan District,Chongqing City

The concept of renovation and restoration marks the transformation from urban and rural planning and construction to intensive development mode and to quality improvement stage.The environmental imbalance problem of emphasizing development and neglecting ecology in the past has become the focus of the current urban quality improvement stage.Rivers are related to the origin,development and evolution of cities,affect the layout,transportation and environment of cities,and bear the culture,economy and characteristics of cities.Taking the Linjing River of Yongchuan in Chongqing as an example and taking the concept of renovation and restoration as the guidance of the design of the overall environmental quality improvement of the river,this study analyzed and summarized the problems to be solved in the improvement of the environmental quality of the river based on the four river environmental impact factors of water pollution,water resource supply and demand,ecological environment and shore water waterfront type and the strategies of optimizing the aquatic environment management,constructing the ecological landscape pattern,shaping the regional cultural landscape and combining the economic development along the river were put forward in order to improve the overall environmental quality of Linjiang River and provide reference for relevant planning and design.     

Strategies for Improving the Overall Environmental Quality of Rivers Based on “Renovation and Restoration” Concept: A Case Study of Landscape Planning of Linjiang River,Yongchuan District,Chongqing City

The concept of renovation and restoration marks the transformation from urban and rural planning and construction to intensive development mode and to quality improvement stage.The environmental imbalance problem of emphasizing development and neglecting ecology in the past has become the focus of the current urban quality improvement stage.Rivers are related to the origin,development and evolution of cities,affect the layout,transportation and environment of cities,and bear the culture,economy and characteristics of cities.Taking the Linjing River of Yongchuan in Chongqing as an example and taking the concept of renovation and restoration as the guidance of the design of the overall environmental quality improvement of the river,this study analyzed and summarized the problems to be solved in the improvement of the environmental quality of the river based on the four river environmental impact factors of water pollution,water resource supply and demand,ecological environment and shore water waterfront type and the strategies of optimizing the aquatic environment management,constructing the ecological landscape pattern,shaping the regional cultural landscape and combining the economic development along the river were put forward in order to improve the overall environmental quality of Linjiang River and provide reference for relevant planning and design.