Study On The Conceptual Framework Economics Essay

A conceptual model consists of several constructs that are linked to each other and specifies the dealingss between them. The research worker has adopted the conceptual model through modification/ extension of bing theoretical models for support analysis, specifically those by Ellis ( 1998 ) and Niehof and Price ( 2001 ) .

2.1.1 Wetlands

Wetlands are the topographic points that are temporarily or for good covered with H2O. A precise definition of wetland airss many challenges and there is confusion as to what should be classified as wetlands. There are more than 50 definitions of wetlands in the literatures ( Barendregt A. et Al, 2004 ) . Etymologically, wetlands mean wet lands ; that is countries with H2O. However, this significance does non separate between wetlands and other types of ecosystems. The job of definition comes when the country falls at the boundary line of wetlands ; whether this country should be considered a dry or wet ecosystem. The cardinal inquiries for specifying wetlands, hence, include “ how long and at what frequence wetland must stay wet or dry? Must wetness occur during the moisture season or even during the dry season? And, should wetness occur to the land surface, or if non what dirt deepness is critical? ” ( Tiner, 1999 )

All wetlands have three characteristics in common ; they are subjected to permanent or impermanent flood or drawn-out dirt impregnation ; have alone dirt conditions that differ from next highlands ; and give support to workss that are adapted to wet conditions ( Gosselink and Mistch, 2000 ; Tiner, 1999 ) .

Khurshid ( 2006 ) defines the Wetlands as:

The Ramsar Convention takes a wide attack in finding the wetlands. Under the text of the Convention ( Article 1.1 ) , wetlands are defined as:

In add-on, the Convention ( Article 2.1 ) provides that wetlands:

As a consequence of these commissariats, the coverage of the Convention extends to a broad assortment of habitat types, including rivers and lakes, coastal lagunas, Rhizophora mangles, peatlands, and even coral reefs. In add-on there are human-made wetlands such as fish and shrimp pools, farm pools, irrigated agricultural land, salt pans, reservoirs, crushed rock cavities, sewerage farms, and canals ( Ramsar, 2009b ) .

There are many other definitions of wetlands in usage throughout the universe but the Ramsar definition is the most frequently used, because it is wide and captures the widest possible scope of ecosystems that could be regarded as wetlands.

2.1.2 Changing View of Wetlands

World population growing has been significant in the last two centuries ensuing into increased demand for the goods and services. This has resulted in increased demand of nutrient and shelter for the increasing population which led to the industrial revolution. New engineerings have been invented and natural procedures have been altered to fulfill the increasing human demands and desires. Many wetlands have degraded historically through hydrologic intercessions and actions such as: drainage, dredging, ditching, deposition of fill stuff, watercourse channeling and recreation, and groundwater backdown. In Asia, a diverseness of civilizations has been built upon the control and development of wetland systems in the part. The civilisations of the Indus Valley and Angkor in Indochina drew much of their economic strength and stableness from the efficient use of the Indus and Mekong rivers ( Dugan, 1993 ) . The colonisation of new countries resulted in the constitution of colonies. The foundation of metropoliss are frequently tied to the drainage or filling of wetlands. Historically some metropoliss, such as St. Petersburg, were built on land reclaimed from fens. Similarly some colonial colonies in wetlands grew into metropoliss, such as Perth ( Giblett, 1996 ) .

Wetlands have of import natural maps such as inundation control, H2O purification and coastal protection. By virtuousness of their alone scenic landscapes, they are productive topographic points for activities like piscaries and touristry. Wetlands have ever supported a high biological diverseness, including worlds. Some societies use wetlands as a inexpensive cloaca or as an industrial country, others reclaimed wetlands to function as nature Parkss or cultivable land. The aesthetic quality of lakes, rivers and lagunas is deriving increasing acknowledgment in many parts of the universe. Landscapes are frequently of import to the local communities as portion of their traditional manner of life. They value such sites for cultural, religious or spiritual grounds. The spiritual beliefs of traditional people are integrated in their day-to-day life and non instantly seeable to foreigners. Therefore, from the dweller ‘s point of position, it is hard to counterbalance for the loss of a wetland site. Australian natives, for illustration, believe that in the past of import events took topographic point in their home ground and that, in their position, the landscape tells a narrative ( Williams, 1998 ) .

The loss of wetlands global is immense. Wetlands are threatened by air and H2O pollutants ; and by activities like hydrological change, urbanisation, industrialisation, agribusiness, lumber harvest home, and excavation. Many wetland parts have been destroyed because society viewed their disappearing as either a good thing in itself or as a little monetary value to pay for the benefits expected from wetland transition. Today, such policies are progressively condemned as short-sighted, and as being socially and economically untenable ( Dugan 1993 ) .

About every wetland in the universe is capable to some signifier of development by people. Some of the wetlands merchandises are sold, such as fish, harvests, meat and teguments from herds. Wetlands are dynamic ecosystems, and any signifier of use or direction will impact their natural balance in some manner. In Asia, which supports about 60 % of the universe ‘s population, such development is frequently really intense. But positive maps ( values ) of wetlands, like services such as H2O purification and inundation protection, do non hold identifiable markets. Because these values are ‘free goods ‘ they tend to be ignored in the economic computations. Development in certain Asiatic states occurs at high velocity. Many of these states still depend to a great extent on their natural resources which have led to an increasing claim on scarce resources such as H2O, dirt, and lumber.

2.1.3 Ramsar Convention and Wise Use of Wetlands

Under Article 3.1 of Convention on Wetlands, Contracting Parties agree to “ explicate and implement their planning so as to advance the preservation of the wetlands included in the List, and every bit far as possible the wise usage of wetlands in their district ” . The Conference of the Parties in its 3rd meeting held in 1987, defined the wise usage of wetlands as:

At the same clip, “ sustainable use ” of a wetland was defined as:

The Ramsar Strategic Plan 1997-2002, which was adopted by the Conference of the Parties in Brisbane in 1996, states that the Contracting Parties consider the term “ wise usage ” to be synonymous with “ sustainable usage ” ( Ramsar, 2009a ) .

2.2.1 Fishermans and Fisheries

Historically, commercial fishermen were independent boat proprietors who were chiefly engaged in angling to fulfill their stuff and societal demands instead than to roll up capital ( Davis, 1991 ) . They normally lived by the sea and formed angling communities comprised of households who were closely linked for coevalss by affinity and matrimony ( Paolisso, 2002 ) . Fishermen ‘s dependance on fishing, to certain grade, is boosted by the deficiency of alternate occupation picks ( Ellis, C, 1986 ) . Some fishing communities in LEDCs ( Less Economically Developed Countries ) depend wholly on aquatic resources for non merely subsistence but besides their cultural and religious individualities. Western piscaries direction, ab initio designed as economic stock direction tool ( Adams, 1998 ; Schrank, 2005 ) , now involves more complex environmental direction issues, which include the protection of local communities ( Jones, 2002 ) .

The enlargement of fishing at all degrees from industrial to artisanal has prompted frights of a world-wide piscaries crisis ( Crean and Symes, 1996 ; FAO, 2004 ; McGoodwin, 1990 ) . The jobs associated with common pool resources are nowhere more evident than in the universe ‘s oceans, and the jobs range from large-scale Atlantic Cod piscaries to little scale artisanal coral reef piscaries ( Ostrom, et al. , 2002 ) . In 2002, an estimated 38.5 million people made all or portion of their life from fish production and gaining control ( FAO, 2004 ) ; the huge bulk of which ( 85 % ) were small-scale artisanal fisherfolk in Asia ( Allison, E. , 2001 ) . In 1998 around 60 % of the universe ‘s reefs were at hazard from assorted menaces associated with human activity ( Bruke, et al. , 1998 ) and Jackson et Al ( 2001 ) estimates that in South East Asia, up to 80 % of reefs are endangered. Continued diminution ( Pandolfi, et al. , 2003 ) and historical grounds illustrates the significance of overfishing as a cause of present ecosystem instability in coral reefs ( Jackson, et al. , 2001 ) . Resource depletion is endangering supports and, through reduced per capita supply, the nutritionary position of low-income families in fishery-dependant locations such as the rural coastal zones of South East Asia ( WHAT, 2000 ) .

Any limitations on a piscary will necessarily transpirate through the infliction of ‘legalities ‘ upon the several fisherfolk. Following the thought of ‘livelihoods ‘ literature ( Allison, E. and Ellis, 2001 ) , limitations upon a piscary in a little graduated table piscaries dependent community will hold a great impact on the day-to-day lives of the local fishermen and their ability to defy ‘shocks ‘ ( Chambers and Conway, 1992 ) . Whereas on the Canadian shores of Newfoundland the ‘people have occupations or are on public aid, in a small-scale piscary in an LEDC, if the ability to work the stock is compromised, resource dependence has a much more fecund impact on the local community where a public assistance province does non be ( Allison, E. and Ellis, 2001 ; Pomeroy, 1995 ) . It is of import to observe that there is a cardinal relationship between the sustainable development construct, and the sustainable supports attack. It is of import to integrate sustainable development into the creative activity of sustainable supports so that the benefits derived from any alteration are substantiated in the long term. In fact, DFID ( 1999 ) identifies supports as being sustainable when they: ‘are resilient in the face of external dazes and emphasiss ; are non dependent upon external support ( or if they are, this support itself should be economically and institutionally sustainable ) ; keep the long-run productiveness of natural resources ; and make non sabotage the supports of, or compromise the support options open to, others ‘ .

It is by and large accepted that restraints to the sustainable development of aquatic resources are poverty and the deficiency of sustainable supports for people in coastal communities. So by puting restraints on the primary support of such communities there is possible to compromise their manner of life ( Nichols, 1999 ) .

2.3 Poverty and Livelihoods

2.3.1 Poverty

Poverty targeting can be thought of as the usage of policy instruments to impart resources to a mark group identified below an in agreement national poorness line. The poorness line usually reflects a minimal necessary criterion of life ( or that adequate for a minimal calorie consumption ) , and to place who falls below this line. In rule, these resources can be either for protectional ( to keep public assistance in the face of inauspicious dazes ) or promotional ( to assist raise public assistance in the long term ) intents ( Weiss, 2005 ) .

However, more sophisticated indexs are besides available which aim to measure the deepness of poorness ( that is how far on mean the hapless are from the poorness line ) and the badness of poorness ( that is the distribution of income or ingestion within the group of the hapless ) . The deepness of poorness is captured by the ‘poverty spread ‘ step, which is the difference between the income ( or ingestion ) of a hapless person, and the income ( or ingestion ) poorness line as a proportion of the poorness line, aggregated for all of those in poorness and so divided by the entire population. A discrepancy of the poorness spread that reflects distribution within the hapless is the squared poorness spread, which is calculated in the same manner, except for the of import difference that the spread between the income of a hapless person and the poorness line as a proportion of the line is squared, so that the larger spreads are given a greater comparative weight in the index ( Weiss, 2005 ) .

Marginality is by and large used to depict and analyse socio-cultural, political and economic domains, where disadvantaged people struggle to derive entree to resources, and full engagement in societal life. In other words, marginalized people might be socially, economically, politically and lawfully ignored, excluded or neglected, and are hence vulnerable to livelihood alteration. Marginality is closely related to the exposure of both people and environment as “ it victimizes location and communities that are characterized by one or more factors of exposure ” ( Gurung and Kollmair, 2005 ) .

2.3.2 Supports

Chambers ( 1989 ) defines support as “ equal stocks and flows of nutrient and hard currency to run into basic demands ” . Chambers and Conway ( 1991 ) specify support as “ Accordingly, support is a set of economic activities, affecting self-employment and/or wage-employment by utilizing one ‘s endowed accomplishments ( human and stuff ) to bring forth equal resources ( hard currency and non-cash ) , for run intoing the demands of ego and the family, normally carried out as a agency of life.

Campilan ( 1988 ) cites the definition of the World Commission on Environment and Development ( WCED ) for support: “ equal militias and supplies of nutrient and hard currency to run into basic demands ” . He farther states that Nutritional position “ sustainable supports can be assured through: sustainable employment and equal wage ; battle in productive activities which are ecologically sustainable and economically sound ; and ownership of or entree to resources and their direction, within their capacity to retrieve ” . Huq ( 2000 ) argues that “ supports encompass income, both hard currency and sort, every bit good as societal establishments associating to kinship, household, vicinity and small town, adult females ‘s groups and belongings rights required to back up and to prolong a given criterion of life. Livelihoods involve societal and kinship webs for easing and prolonging diverse income possibilities ” . Livelihood should maintain a individual meaningfully occupied in a sustainable mode and with assurance ( Chambers and Conway, 1991 ) .

Redclift ( 1990 ) states that security is “ ownership of, or entree to, resources and income earning activities, including militias and assets to countervail hazards, easiness dazes and meet eventualities ” , and defines sustainable as being “ the care or sweetening of resource productiveness on a long-run footing ” . Harmonizing to Dietz ( 2000 ) , a sustainable support position can more easy unite the betterment of a assortment of options because it does non concentrate entirely on land. Peoples who have limited fiscal resources frequently have other assets or strengths that give them possibilities.

Persons and family members use different actions to take and better their support. They may bring forth and devour whatever they produce or exchange their merchandises for necessities. Those who could non bring forth to run into their ingestion may specialise in different accomplishments like the craftsmans to interchange for their necessities. The Sustainable Livelihoods Framework advocated by the “ Department For International Development ” ( DFID ) of the United Kingdom puts accent on people and their full engagement ( DFID, 1999 ) . In this model, support is a combination of resources and activities used in order to populate. The resource might dwell of human capital ( single accomplishments and abilities ) , natural capital ( land, H2O, dirt and wood ) , fiscal capital ( net incomes, nest eggs ) , physical capital ( equipment, substructures like roads, telecommunications, production topographic points, etc. ) and societal capital ( formal support groups or informal webs that facilitate in the activities ) . These correlative with the supports plus Pentagon in the Sustainable Livelihood model ( Mistake: Reference beginning non found )

The DFID ( 1999 ) defines human capital as the accomplishment, cognition, ability to labour, physical capableness and good wellness that enable people to take different support schemes and carry through their support aims. Human capital is a factor of the sum and quality of labour available ; depending on each family, single accomplishment degrees associated with the ability to utilize the labour of other family members. Human capital makes the model people focused, since it demonstrates that all the other four capitals require people to utilize any of the four types of assets. Qualified and suitably trained human capital well could add up to societal ( webs ) and fiscal ( flows of money, more nest eggs and more supply ) and natural ( land, natural stuffs ) capitals for productive activities.

2.3.3 Sustainable Supports Principles

FAO ( 2009 ) describes some guideline and rules for Sustainable Livelihoods which hold that poverty-focused development activity should be:

2.3.4 Supports and Development Agencies

During the last 10 twelvemonth the sustainable supports model has been used by many international givers ( Carney, 1998 ; Chambers and Conway, 1991 ) , peculiarly the UK ‘s Department for International Development ( DFID ) and OXFAM. It has late been used in relation to angling communities and aquatic resource entree every bit good as to literacy in angling communities ( Allison, E and Horemans, 2006 ; FAO, 2006 ) . The model particularly looks at people ‘s support schemes, analysing their assets, capablenesss and exposures. Since it conceptualizes assets as wide classs of fiscal, societal, natural, physical and human capital ( human capital includes accomplishments, instruction and preparation ) , it provides a more holistic position of state of affairss of poorness than classical income-based analyses. The supports framework involves an scrutiny of the constructions and processes that mediate entree to education proviso in relation to supports, which are frequently at the bosom of the grounds behind the poorness and inequality of marginalized populations ( Petersen, 2007 ) .

2.4 Definitions of Footings Used in the Survey

Some of the footings used in this research have contextual significance. The constructs and definitions of these are discussed below.

2.4.1 Family

Many definitions and descriptions of family from different societal scientists have been put frontward looking at it from different angles. Examples are:

“ Families are the basic unit of human societal organisation. To a big extent, they represent the sphere of mundane life for the huge bulk of the universe ‘s people ” ( Clay and Schwarzweller, 1991 ) .

“ Family and household provide the important linkage between the person and society as a whole, the point of linkage between the activities of persons ( bureau ) and the degrees of institutional and societal construction with which the person interacts ” ( Rudolph, 1992 ) .

“ A ‘household ‘ refers to the corporate individuality of a group of persons unified by normally held gifts and one or more of the followers: a common budget arising from greater or lesser grades of income pooling, common cookery quarters, and/or a common abode ” ( Bryceson, 1980 ) .

A family is “ a co-residential unit, normally household based in some manner, which takes attention of resource direction and the primary demands of its members ” ( Rudie, 1995 ) .

The family is a common signifier of societal organisation and is portion of the societal and economic environment. It is seen as an agent in societal activities and support coevals. The family acts as a buffer for all the members against single exposure and is a key to the security of its members when external resources deteriorate, redistributing income and other resources ( Moser, 1996 ) . The family is an sphere of cooperation every bit good as struggle ( Sen, 1990 ) . In economic research, the family tends to be treated as a black box and a unit of ingestion instead than production. On the other manus in sociological research the family is seen as a societal unit with complex kineticss ( Mogey and Bachmann, 1986 ) . In gender research the family is besides seen as a context of gender inequality, particularly in intrahousehold resource distribution ( Agarwal, 1991 ; Sen, 1990 ) .

Families are non inactive entities but restructure over clip due to internal and external factors. Internal factors include: birth, decease, matrimony, matrimonial struggles such as separation, divorce or forsaking, and the demand for kid attention and attention for the aged. Pennartz and Niehof ( 1999 ) refer to this as the family life class. External factors include: lodging jobs, deficiency of income, instruction and wellness attention chances and security. Small atomic families can be merged into larger drawn-out 1s in times of crisis. Similarly, big extended families can interrupt down into smaller atomic families to avoid struggle, or when kids marry out and get down a family of their ain. Households besides restructure as a consequence of or in order to debar exposure ( Moser, 1996 ) .

Pakistan ‘s Federal Bureau of Statistics ( FBS ) defines the family as “ an person or a group of people who make common proviso for nutrient and other necessities of life ” ( GOP, 2007 ) . In this research FBS ‘s definition will be used because of its accent on joint resource direction for primary demands.

2.4.2 Family

Sometimes family is taken to be synonymous with household. This is besides a affair of position. In the developed universe the term “ household ” is widely used and normally refers to the atomic household, whereas in the underdeveloped universe “ family ” is used instead than household because of the equivocal significance of the term household ( Chant, 1997 ) . The construct of household and family are frequently treated as interchangeable, but they are non ( Jelin, 1991 ; Marsh and Arber, 1992 ) . Rudie ( 1995 ) sees household as a dimension of family, Whatmore ( 1997 ) sees family as one of the constituents of household, while the family to Niehof ( 1999 ) is the socio-economic unit that organizes support.

In this research the definition of Niehof ( 1999 ) will be used.

2.4.3 Kinship

Most families consist of kin ( affine, consanguinal, or both ) but unrelated family members may besides be included, sometimes as assumed family through acceptance or cultural pattern ( Brydon and Chant, 1993 ) . Furthermore, there may be boarders, retainers, farm workers and so on, who are considered members of the family. Sometimes families may non be seeable entities in footings of edifices or sets of suites within residential units, but can be identified merely in footings of specific maps such as cookery or the pooling of fundss

2.4.4 Headship

The family can be the focal point of analysis in different subjects. In socio-economic research, a family is seen as a individual unit under the headship of the family caput, presuming that all persons portion and follow the same penchants ( Quisumbing and Maluccio, 2003 ) . In the nose count and appraise a well-thought-of family member who controls the daily activities of the family is designated as the “ caput ” . All the members of the family are linked with the “ caput ” and he is the point of mention ( Bruce and Lloyed, 1997 ) . In Pakistani civilization the oldest male individual normally controls the family and is seen as the family caput.

In a male-headed family one or more big adult females are present, while in a female-headed family means no grownup work forces are present ( Bruce and Lloyed, 1997 ) . A female-headed family may be either “ de jure ” or “ de facto ” . In “ de jure ” female-headed families, a female individual is the chief staff of life victor and lawfully owns the family resources. These adult females are normally widowed, abandoned or divorced. This is non the instance in “ de facto ” female-headed families, which may or may non be every bit vulnerable as these families may be economically better-off than other families if their hubbies are migratory workers who send place remittals.