Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank Essay Example for Free

Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank Essay The New York Times article â€Å"Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank† by Ethan Bonner covers the reemergence of the Palestinian-covered West Bank, specifically in the city of Nablus, after a series of bloody uprisings and encounters between extremists and Israeli forces. The Palestinian authority has been longing for control over their territories, and it has experienced its first sense of security and economic stability since the second Palestinian uprising broke out in 2000. It seems that the economy has stabilized so far as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a seven percent growth rate for the year 2009. A few infrastructure projects have also started as rebuilding and revitalization of the West Bank area continued. A movie theater has opened and a seven-story furnishing store has started operation recently which proves that the West Banks economic and security status has been stabilizing. Just two weeks ago, Israeli checkpoints have started to shut down and troops are gradually being pulled out from the area which are a part of the Israels promise to aid the Palestinian authority. However, doubts have been raised against this promise as Israel has not permitted Paltel, the Palestinian cellphone company, to construct network towers (Bronner, 2009). By far, peace and order has been evident within the West Bank. The two camps—Israel and Palestine—have been working together in order to stabilize the economy of the area which is seen as a vital aspect for the areas growth. Security has also been a matter most attended to by both camps since it also helps ensure a steady economic growth. If both the economy and the security will be stabilized in the area, there will be enough reason to believe that the Palestinians will be capable enough to handle the problems within their areas. Since Israeli troops are gradually being pulled out, it goes to show that trust is slowly being reestablished between the Israeli government and the Palestinian authority, which is a good sign for both sides future relations. So far, the Palestinian communities—specifically Nablus, West Bank—has experienced a steady growth and a revitalized sense of security. As known in previous years, the conflict between Israeli forces and extremists has greatly hindered economic and political growth within Palestinian territories, especially in the West Bank area. The traumas of conflict may have not been permanently erased, but there is still hope for the Palestinian communities in the future as the West Bank experiences stability within its local economy. Furthermore, the Palestinian authority has been present in order to address the local concerns of the area, attending mostly to the areas security. It may take years before the economy has completely stabilized and the security has been fully established, but as of now, the area has shown great signs of improvement as compared to previous years. People have felt more secure, buildings are being established and reestablished, and stores are being opened and reopened. Communities are starting to experiencing growth again. References Bronner, E. (2009, July 16). Security and Economic Revival Raise Hopes in the West Bank. The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2009, from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/07/17/world/middleeast/17westbank. html? ref=world.

What Problems Do Mega Cities Cause Environmental Sciences Essay

What Problems Do Mega Cities Cause Environmental Sciences Essay With the open markets and the liberasation of the economy in 1991 India went on a fast track economic boom with an 8-9% GDP growth per year. Urban areas have experienced an unprecedented rate of growth over the last 30 years. India is considered to be one of the most attractive countries for industry in the world as the vast population and the low living standards ensure the cheap manpower (when a normal salary in Europe or America is 40 dollars per day the 80% of the population in India lives with less than 2 dollars among them the 34.7% with less than 1 dollar per day) and thus the viability for the industries. As a result the mitigation phenomenon to big cities from rural areas has started the last decades and cannot be controlled. Unfortunately as it is going to be explained below the infrastructure lacks and so does not usually ensure a friendly and sustainable place for the immigrant-dwellers. Creation of mega-cities During the last 50 years Indians population has more than doubled (today 1.2 billion), but the urban population has grown nearly five times (H.Taubenbock,2008). Right now more than 50% of the whole earths population live in urban areas (Clark, 2003). The graph below shows the population growth of Mumbai Graph 1. Ref (M.Barke, 1998) More than 20 huge cities (with over than 10 million inhabitants) around the world were identified; three of the cities, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkatta, were on the Indian subcontinent. Mumbai with 3.1% and Delhi with 4.1%, the highest, population growth rates in the world. Cities and their growth should be examined carefully as they cover only 2% of the earths surface and consume 75% of all resources as well as producing 75% of all waste (Girardet, 1999; UNFPA, 2007). Â  Picture 1 table 1 (Ref. H.Taubenbock, 2009. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems) Location of Indias large urban agglomerations and population growth in the 9 largest Indian cities in million of inhabitants. Lack of infrastructure-Problems In the new mega cities with the uncontrolled urbanization a huge percent of the population is accommodated in slums without houses, hospitals, hostels, roads, no kind of city planning and finally but most importantly no sanitation, drainage system and water treatment. Below there is a photo which shows the phenomenon of the slums in the huge cities in India. Picture 2 (Ref. http://www.google.gr/images?um=1HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18hl=elHYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18tbs=isch:1HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18q=slums+in+indiaHYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18sa=NHYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Ns tart=306ndsp=18start=306HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18HYPERLINK http://www.google.gr/images?um=1hl=eltbs=isch:1q=slums+in+indiasa=Nstart=306ndsp=18ndsp=18) The picture above shows the largest slum in Asia at the heart of Indias financial capital Mumbai where millions of poor in India live in such conditions. The rapid and extensive sprawl of the urban population cannot provide the urban planners with the information needed in order to provide plans with the appropriate amenities such as water, sanitation and electricity. Main arising problems include: (Ref. R.K.MUTATKAR,1995) a) Housing: As the urban population has been increased from 20% in 1971 to 38% in 1991 and is still rapidly increased urban land becomes very precious and insufficient to cover all the needs. As a result 30% of the population lives in slums and 45% live in single room tenements. Around 20% of houses are made from mud and thatch and one third of the population has no access to a lavatory. b) Water supply: Common water posts are provided as the water in cities is inequitable. In Ahmadabad for example, 25% of the population consume 90% of the water whilst the rest of the population 75% have to consume 10% of water. Approximately the 34% of the poor urban dwellers do not have a piped water supply. c) Sanitation: Despite the improvement in providing sanitation facilities, most of the towns depend on open surface drains for the waste water disposal which in terms is vulnerable to communicable diseases from flies, bacteria e.t.c. Also where underground sewerage system exist there is a danger of seepage in the corroded pipes which may cause great health hazards like hepatitis and diarrhoea epidemics. d) Pollution: Air and water are mainly polluted from transport and industries. In Calcutta for example there are 11,516 factories and 525,000 cars. Also as the 70% of the population is using coal as cooking fuel, it is subsequently one of the most polluted cities in the world. Unfortunately rivers are heavily polluted by industrial wastes. e) Health care delivery: Despite the provision of municipal dispensaries, public hospitals and private clinics and the modern imported technologies the medical system does not operate normally. As the 80% of medical practitioners cater the needs of only 20% of the urban population. The public hospitals and its stuff shows a very apathetic attitude to the patients in the public hospitals which enforce them to prefer the private clinics. f) Transportation problems: The unplanned design of slums does not usually satisfy the efficient transportation of the workers. Due to the huge population concentration, the big distances to the work places and the undeveloped unfriendly to the environment transportation modes it is estimated that the transport sector is responsible for 70% of the national CO2 emissions. g) Morbidity and related problems: In these over-populated areas (regions), communicable diseases like leprocy and venereal are in high levels. The poverty leads the men to alcoholism and few women to prostitution. Crime rates have been increased tremendously as well as death in the cities due to accidents and lack of transport and road safety education. i) Climate change/fast growing cities: Except the lack of infrastructure and the living problems which that causes to slum dwellers mega cities contribute seriously to the climate change. Are charectirized from high levels of energy consumption, burning of fossil fuels and concentrated activities in disproportionate land. Unfortunately the overpopulation of these sites and their rapid expansion to the suburban areas makes the problem even worse and impossible to be solved apace. In conclusion urbanization problems have arisen from rural poverty and unemployment which motivated the citizens to migrate to big industrial cities. There is not however the appropriate infrastructure to accomodate the new comers or proper planning of transport, water, drainage and health care delivery system. Mellenium Development goals for India (Ref.Economy, Investment Finance Reports.2006) The Millennium Declaration adopted 8 development goals for India are briefly presented below. The majority of them are relevant to urbanizations arising problems. 1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: India must reduce by 2015 the proportion of people below poverty line from nearly 37.5 percent in 1990 to about 18.75 percent. National Rural Employment Act will help to reduce the poverty ratio even further. 2) Achieve universal primary education: India should increase the primary school enrolment rate to 100 percent and wipe out the drop-outs by 2015 against 41.96 percent in 1991-92. 3) Promote gender equality and empower women: The female participation at all levels should be promoted to reach a female male proportion of equal level by 2015. 4) Reduce child mortality: The target is to reduce under five mortality rate (U5MR) from 125 deaths per thousand live births in 1988-92 to 42 in 2015 5) Improve maternal health: India should reduce maternal mortality (MMR) from 437 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1991 to 109 by 2015. 6) Combat HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases: As the prevalence rate has increased from 0.74 per thousand pregnant women in 2002 to 0.86 in 2003, this increasing trend needs to be reversed to achieve MDG 6. 7) Ensure environmental sustainability: The proportion of population without sustainable access to drinkable water and sanitation is to be halved by 2015 and India is on track to achieve this target. Also this step involves the protection of forests and presrvation of natural resources. 8) Develop a global partnership for development: Basically meant for the Developed Countries to provide development assistance to developing countries. These goals are intended to confront poverty, illiteracy, hunger, lack of education, gender inequality, infant and maternal mortality, disease and environmental degradation. Solutions social-environmental-economical point of view (Ref. Manoj Roy,(2009)) A number of solutions and measures should be introduced in order to contribute in the elimination or at least decrease of the pre-mentioned problems. Activities and measures will involve land use planning, climate change and city sustainability towards an overall urban sustainability which in terms will lead to a better life type now and maintenance of it for next generations. 1) Economic activities will invole: a) Decentralisation by generating new jobs, work places in suburban areas or support to those existing in the rural areas in order to motivate the dwellers to stay, that will lead to a more balanced employment distribution. b) Establishment of export zones for promoting their production and linkages between the formal and informal sectors as well as linkages between the rural and urban economy. c) Support to micro-enterprises and especially those developed by women. Non governmental organizations could also provide micro-credit. 2) Social and institutional activities will involve: a)Measures to encourage the public participation in the planning process, strengthening the participation of municipal authorities and the adoption of a strategic planning approach. b) Land use plans and effects of land use alterations, research and development in the construction methods and building materials, mechanisms for private contractors to promote low cost housing scheme and development of secondary towns with the prospect to accomodate slum dwellers. c) Enhance community participation in slum improvement project components, urban infrastructure improvement projects, measures to reduce the total population and health service programmes. 3) Environmental activities will involve: Respect and proper implementation of the environmental laws, reduction of travel time, preservation of rural areas with high agricultural and ecological importance especially when these are located in or near to urban areas. Mitigation of flood, recycling, waste water disposal and sanitation and generally measures to reduce the pollution from industry and vehicles. As climate change is of high importance nowadays few economic, social and environmental measures which could reduce the phenomenon are presented. Economic measures related to climate change would be the enhancement of financial (the one which allows productive activities to get going)and social (shared values and mutual understanding) capital by reducing the travel time and distance, congestion, emmisions, industrial pollution and the promotion of sustainable technology (environmental measures as well). Synergy between the urban and rural climate change resonses is needed as well as reduction of vulnerability of poor and women. Social/institutional measures target on public awareness, education for appropriate environmental behaviour, reduction of carbon sinks, enhancement of responsive capacity of the local authorities e.t.c. Resilience of the built environment plans and energy efficiency with protection and measures against the vulnerability of the poor. Engineering role and contribution The problems presented above should be confronted and are big challenges for the humanity as whole. In this approach which will have as targets the above pre-mentioned goals which will lead to the improvement of human lives with respect to the environment, the role of engineers is really vital. For the city planning and development series of data, plans and knowledge are needed like scientific background, geo-information technology, planning support systems, urban morphology etc. All of the above in order to be efficiently used will be analysed and used from civil engineers. Especially civil engineers which are involved with the majority of projects such as sustainable city planning, development of existing infrastructure (strengthening of existing constructions, maintenance e.t.c), transportation issues (design of roads), waste water treatment and sanitation mechanisms e.t.c will be responsible for the sustainable development and future progress of these regions.

African Diaspora Essay -- essays papers

African Diaspora The study of cultures in the African Diaspora is relatively young. Slavery and the trans-Atlantic slave trade brought numerous Africans, under forced and brutal conditions, to the New World. Of particular interest to many recent historians and Africanists is the extent to which Africans were able to transfer, retain, modify or transform their cultures under the conditions of their new environments. Three main schools of thought have emerged in scholarly discussion and research on this topic. Some argue that there are no significant connections between Africans and African American communities in the Americas. Others argue that Africans retained significant aspects of their cultures. Similar to this argument, some have argued that Africans, responding to their new environments, retained and transformed African cultures into new African-American ethnic units. Detailed research done on slave communities in Surinam, South Carolina and Louisiana allow us to look deeper into the stated arguments. Having recently addressed the same issues using Colonial South Carolina as a case study, I will focus largely on some of the arguments and conclusions drawn from this study. The evidence from South Carolina, Louisiana and Surinam supports the second and third arguments much more than the first. The third argument, that of cultural transformation, is the argument I find to be most valid. John Thornton's analysis of this issue is extremely helpful. He addresses the "no connections" arguments in chapters 6, 7 and 8. He outlines the claims made by scholars Franklin Frazier, Stanley Elkins, Sidney Mintz and Richard Price. Frazier and Mintz believe that the extreme trauma and disruption experienced by Africans during the process of enslavement and the middle passage minimized the possibility that they maintained aspects of their cultures in the new world. They argue that this process "had the effect of traumatizing and marginalizing them, so that they would became cultural receptacles rather than donors" (152). Mintz and Price have argued the slave trade had the effect of "permanently breaking numerous social bonds that had tied Africans together..." (153). Another element of the "no connections" argument claims that Africans did not receive enough associational time with each othe... ... capacity. The use of poison as a form of rebellion is visible in both the examples from Colonial South Carolina and Jamaica. Cases of death by poison in Colonial South Carolina leading up to the Stono Rebellion led to its inclusion in the Negro Act of 1740. The Act made poisoning a felony punishable by death. In conclusion, both significant African retentions and transformations took place in the early European settlement of the Americas. More recently, there has been a tendency to overemphasize or even romanticize the "Africanisms." While acknowledging "Africanisms" did make their way into the Americas, I find the evidence from accounts of early slave cultures and the Anthropological background provided by Thornton on cultural transformation and change persuasive in suggesting the formation of Afro- American rather than "Afro-centric" communities. This approach to the slavery and the slave era is relatively young and will have to be developed. A conclusion that is clear after studying works of Peter Wood, Gwendolyn Hall and Richard Price, is that the early arguments suggesting no connection of African heritage to the Americas are entirely invalid.

Essay --

As of September 2012, the number of states and school districts requiring online courses for high school graduation has increased, as states seek to teach students how to manage in an increasingly digital world. In April 2006, Michigan became the first state to require online learning as a requirement for high school graduation. Since that time Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Virginia have legislated requirements. Georgia, New Mexico, and West Virginia recommend students experience an online learning course before graduating from high school; however, it is not required. Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Utah allow students to choose online courses from multiple accredited online providers. Some local school boards in districts across the country have promoted similar graduation requirements, including Marietta City Schools in Georgia, Memphis City Schools and Putnam County Schools in Tennessee, and the Kenosha and Cedarburg School Districts in Wisconsin. Education leaders in these states and districts believe that requiring online courses as a requirement for graduation is a necessary step toward becoming college and/or career ready, because when a student graduates from high school, whether choosing a two-year or four-year college, or entering the workforce, there is the likelihood of taking an online course. According to the Education Commission of the States, most virtual offerings are at the high school level. Students taking individual online courses are much more common than are students attending fully-virtual secondary institutions. According to Market Data Retrieval, 15% of American high schools provide online courses; some states, districts and universities host virtual high schools. In O... ...chools and parish-based Catechism courses. Catholic Online Education Providers Edified Online partners with Catholic schools worldwide to provide online education resources and course offerings that exceed national standards and expectations. Edified has more than 80 online courses available for grades 6-12, including College Board certified AP courses. Edified Online is endorsed by the NCEA. Catholic Schools K12 Virtual is an online school comprised of resources, academic, elective and religion classes for Catholic school students. Working with a number of experts in the field of online education, Catholic Schools K12 Virtual has developed a two tiered model for online education; the virtual class and the digital classroom, blending traditional education and online learning. Costs for an online course, depending on its length, range from $300 to $700 per course.

The Freedom of Information Essay -- Technology Computers Essays

The Freedom of Information There are different kinds of freedoms: freedom of expression, of opinion, of speech, of information, to copy, to own and to read, and freedom from interference and observation. This research is an ethical analysis of the freedom of information in the new Internet era and how the new technology should be implemented globally as a universal human right. Not so many years ago, I still remember in High School my research with books, magazines, and newspapers as the only resources to get information. When I did my undergraduate thesis in Direct Reduced Iron, I could get information thanks to my brother in law directly from the company that owns the technology. It is not possible to get all the information that you want from the Internet, because some are confidential documents or data with personal information, but there are people that find ways to access information illegally that is not open to the general public. These people called Hackers are not acting morally, because they are not respecting the people’s rights of privacy. This case is not included in the freedom of information mentioned in this research, but the issue itself is affecting in some way the freedom of information. Global Information Infrastructure Something that brought my attention to this subject was the speech of the Vice President Al Gore in 1994 at the International Telecommunications Union Conference about his determination for the creation of a network of networks to all members of our societies and his ethical analysis in Global Information Infrastructure (GII). The plan was based on five principles: Encourage private investment Promote competition Create a flexible regulatory framework Provide open access to the network Ensure universal service Now in 2003 we can see the tremend us benefits of GII in all the countries where it has been implemented. When I started to do this research I didn’t realize all the advances in communications this commitment made. Most of these advances were in the telecommunications industry with private investments and free competition in an industry that was in the past a monopoly. Each country has their own laws in telecommunications, and it is a universal right from an ethical point of view that each individual around the world has to have some kind of access to get information. Let’s say a li... ...f the person is literate or illiterate. Endnotes [1] Deborah G. Johnson and Helen Nissenbaum, Computers, Ethics & Social Values (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1995), 621. [2] John Weckert and Douglas Adeney, Computer and Information Ethics (Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 1997), 32. [3] Johnson and Nissenbaum, 622. [4] â€Å"Motivating a Human Rights Perspective on Access to Cyberspace: The Human Right to Communicate†. CPSR Newsletter Vol. 18, Number 3.6 June2003 http://www.cpsr.org/publications/newsletter/issues/2000/Summer2000/mciver.html [5] Richard A. Spinello, Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997), 249. Bibliography Hester, D. Micah, and Paul J. Ford. Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001. Johnson, Deborah G. Computer Ethics. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1985. Johnson, Deborah G. and Helen Nissenbaum. Computers, Ethics & Social Values. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1995. Spinello, Richard A. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997. Weckert, John and Douglas Adeney. Computer and Information Ethics. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 1997.

Egypt’s Position on the Arab Israeli Conflict Essay

one. The Kingdom was from this time ruled as one by several dynasties. . This state which was formed in On 18 June 1953, the Egyptian Republic was declared. (Breasted & Piccione, 2001). The 18th Dynasty however is the one that marked the kingdom as an international in the period circa 1550 and 1070 BC. Egypt’s strategic geographic position which gave it control over the Suez Canal attracted the French and the British who sat in its cabinet and controlled the Suez and to a great extend the entire country during the late years of the 16th century (Breasted & Piccione, 2001). The British later colonized Egypt after the first world wear. It was the treatment the brutish gave the Egyptians that caused a revolution which ended up with Egypt being declared an independent state in 1922. Because of the remaining presence of the British and the monarchy form of ruling, more revolutions took place and ousted the resulting to the declaration of Egypt as a republic in June 1953. Egypt’s ideologies are mostly based on the Islamic religion as all its leaders since it became a republic have been Arab Muslims (Al-Azmeh, 1993). Egypt ideologies are based ion internationalism where it tries to have the best diplomatic relationships with all countries internationally. Egypt unlike other Arab countries deals well with the western countries and has a good relationship with Israeli, a country the rest of the Arab countries detest. The country also believes in nationalism and socialism where resources are distributed and intended to be owned by the people and not just few individuals in the country (Al-Azmeh, 1993). The country has tried to establish democracy in its politics allowing the citizens to choose their own leaders. This has not been very successful as there still are reports of leader rigging elections. In the world’s politics, Egypt takes a moderate position, tries to be fair to both the western and the Arab nations. Egypt mainly aims at building its international image. Egypt’s foreign policies have always been moderate. The country has a great influence on political matters in both Africa where it is situated and the Middle East because of its diplomatic expertise, significantly large population, military strength and its geographical position which is very strategic (Embassy of Egypt, 2009). I n the recent decades, Egypt’s foreign policies have aimed at enhancing the country’s relations both regionally and internationally by supporting structural reforms, liberalization in social economy and global economy integration which are perceived to be the best measures to employ in achieving full economic development. Egypt’s was in support of the Declaration of Principles treaty as they interpreted it to be supportive of their ideologies ion what would bring a lasting peace to the Middle East. The fact that the declaration transferred power over west bank and Gaza was in accordance with Egypt’s belief that the withdrawal of Israel from Palestinian Territories was the key to a lasting peace (Brown, 2004). Egypt thus responded by doing what was expected of it during the agreement as they believed that the declaration would bring a lasting peace if both sides kept to their side of the bargain. The Declaration of Principles required Egypt to help the two nations in cooperating so as to achieve the peace that was longed for in the Middle East. Egypt also supported the declaration as it included maintenance of security though by only Israel. Egypt has always believed that security was vital for peace hence supported by helping provide police officers and passports to the Palestinian citizens as was required by the agreement. Countries such as Iran, Israeli Settlers and Syria did not participate in the agreement as they did not believe that the peace would last. Others thought that the agreement was a threat to them and did not want it to succeed. Most of these nations also are Islamic and view Jews to be a threat to their religion hence were hesitated in supporting the peace talks. Most groups believe that DOP process stopped in 2000 which could be true as the events that are currently happening violate the agreements made. Egypt’s foreign policies are also committed to ensuring that a lasting peace which is comprehensive can come to the Middle East. It does so by being involved actively in the efforts that that can achieve the peace. Egypt for example was the first Arab nation to sign a peace treaty with Israel, a move which caused Israel to be expelled from the Arab League (Embassy of Egypt, 2009). The treaty required Israel to completely withdraw and retreat from Sinai in 1979 in exchange for peaceful normal diplomatic relations according to which Israeli honoured and withdrew. The two countries have since then had good diplomatic relations that are peaceful (Embassy of Egypt, 2009) Egypt believes that peace can only come to the Middle East if the efforts being made are comprehensive at making Israeli withdraw from the Palestinian territories it has been occupying that prevent the creation of an independent Palestine. Egypt also believes that Israel has to recognize and respect Palestine’s political rights in the controversial Jerusalem. Egypt has therefore been at the forefront in constantly assisting the partners negotiating in the peace process towards applying the Israeli withdrawal for peace to be achieved (Embassy of Egypt, 2009). Egypt also believes that it is possible for stable peace to be achieved between Israel and Palestine if mechanisms can be adopted that would ensure that security is maintained by both parties so that one party can not take advantage of its economic and military superiority to attack the other party. Egypt proposes the region to be freed from weapons of mass destruction in order to enhance security and reduce attacks on each other (Embassy of Egypt, 2009). Egypt further explains that a framework that would ensure regional cooperation needs to be established as it would enhance peace stability and benefit the individuals in the region. As discussed above, Egypt believes that there is possibility for potential future peace agreement which may be solely between Israel and the Palestinian because the disruption of peace in the entire Middle East is attributed to the conflict between the two nations. The conflict between Israel and other Arab nation is also a result of the conflict between it and Palestine. Solving the conflict between Israel and Palestine thus is the answer to bringing peace in the Middle East. Egypt advocates for peace between the two nations and want it be such that security is maintained in the two nations and that they are both disarmed of any weapons of mass destruction. Egypt believes that it is lack of security and presence of the weapons that encourages the two nations to attack each other. Egypt also advocates for the establishment of a framework as discussed earlier that would enhance cooperation between the two nations towards promoting peace stability that will be beneficial to the people I n the region (Brown, 2004). If a peace conference was held today, Egypt would still support a peace deal between the two nations. Egypt supports a two state solution just like the United States does (Asharq Alawshat, 2009). This is because Egypt believes in bringing a comprehensive and lasting peace to the Middle East. Following the most recent attacks on the Gaza strip by Israel which left hundreds of Palestinians dead, and the persistent occupation of Israel in areas that are rightfully Palestinians, Egypt would want a peace deal to be reached in which Israel must retreat and withdraw from occupying these areas so that Palestine can become an independent state as it was before the Israel occupation of its territories (Asharq Alawshat, 2009). Egypt will not accept either Israel or Palestine to own weapons of mass destruction as this would easily trigger another conflict in the event a peace agreement was reached. This is so as to stop the two nations from carrying on attacks and bombings on each other. Egypt would also not accept the deal if Israel did not withdraw from the Palestinian territories it currently is occupying. Egypt would offer diplomatic support as it always has in reaching a peace deal between the two nations (Brown, 2004). Egypt would be ready to act as a mediator between the two nations as they negotiate as it has good relations with both of them. Egypt believes that Israel should recognise Palestine’s rights regarding Jerusalem, during the peace conference, it would advocate for the recognition to be included in the terms of the final peace deal as Jerusalem is important to Palestine just as it is to Israel. Egypt wants a lasting peace in the Middle East and would do everything it can to help achieve it. Word count: 1500 References Al-Azmeh, A. (1993). Islams and Modernities. New York: Verso. Asharq Alawshat. (2009). Latest News. Retrieved 109th May 2009 from, < http://www. asharq-e. com/>. Breasted, J. & Piccione, A. P. (2001). Ancient Records of Egypt. Chicago, Illinois : University of Illinois Press. Brown. C. L. (2004). Diplomacy in the Middle East: The International Relations of Regional and Outside Powers. New york, NY : I. B. Tauris. Embassy of Egypt. (2009). Political System. Derived 19th May 2009 from

Chinese Water Scarcity

Abstract In my opinion, China is threatened by the fresh water scarcity problem right now. According to this, I will try to design a best way which is suitable for China to solve this issue by comparing and contrasting different countries’ methods. I have collected some background information from the internet and extracted the main idea into a form. After analyzing it, I have reached a conclusion that reducing the factories which are creating pollutant into the rivers or lakes by establishing a special legal system is the most suitable way for China. This is a convenient and long-lasting project. 1. IntroductionTable 1. 0 Solution to solve water scarcity | |Water supply |Water demand | |Increase water supply |^ |Same | |Decrease water demand |Same |v | |both |^ |v | The purpose of the research is to find the information about water scarcity and to improve the water scarcity problem in China. I choose to increase the water supply as my original solution, and I have develped a creative solution based on the original one.As a result, the thesis of my research is to reduce the polluted water which comes from the factories is a effective way to improve the fresh water scarcity. Aquatic ecosystems cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface. There are many kinds of animal life in the aquatic systems including microscopic zooplankton and all sizes of marine mammals. (eHow ND) 2. 0 Methodology China is now facing increasingly severe water scarcity problem, especially in the northern part of China. The character of China's water scarcity is the insufficiency of local water resources and the water quality which is decreasing because of the water pollution. Jiang 2009) Due to the increasing population and the developing of many big cities in China, Chinese government must take action as soon as possible to improve the situation although it is a long-term task. In my opinion, the easiest way to improve this problem in a relatively short time is to establish a cer tain policy system so that the factories which create a lot of pollution can be reduced. This method can also save a lot of time and money. All that Chinese government has to do is just check if the local government is following the rules.There are several data sources such as the internet, textbooks of science from last semester, and I will also collect some information and experience from other countries' methods so that I can compare them in different situation to find the most effective way. The data that I have collected has helped me a lot to analyze the problem. This includes other countries’ methods to solve the issue. Then I compare them all to try to figure out which way is the most suitable for the situation in China. To sum up, the information that I got from several ways is really useful for me. 3. Findings Table 2. Three main fresh water issues in China | |Description |Current plans | |Issue #1 |Wastewater pollution |Wastewater improvement project | |Issue #2 | Pollution of fresh water lakes |Ge help from Asian Development Bank | |Issue #3 |Uneven distribution of fresh water |South-to-north water diversion project | Here are three main fresh water issues in China. First is about the wastewater pollution in China.For example, Tianjin is the third largest industrial city in China. However, the whole city’s drainage system and its wastewater treatment are far behind its industrial development. In order to deal with the problem, Tianjin Municipal Government has introduced a waste water improvement project, the World Bank also provide some help for them. Also, Chao Lake is one of the five largest lakes in China which locates in Shanghai, is also damaged because of the rapid development of industry and urban areas. The Shanghai government is also try to get help from the Asian Development Bank. Min ND) Second issue is the uneven distribution of fresh water. South areas in China is facing the threaten of floods, however, there is not enoug h rainfall in north areas. The Chinese government has started a great project called south-to-north water diversion project since 2004. For more information about this project, see This project is still lasting until now. I believe that it will works very well to solve this problem. The third issue is about water pollution. Even in the places where the fresh water is rich, water pollution is also decreasing the fresh water supply.So the environmentalists are trying to reduce the factories which produce a lot of wastewater into the freshwater lakes. This work would be a long-lasting project for the whole country. In my opinion, globalization has both positive and negative impacts for the water scarcity in China. First, Chinese government can get a lot of help from other countries after globalization. As I said, Tianjin and Shanghai have already got financial help from some global banks. We can also absorb other countries’ experiences and methods to improve the water scarcity i ssues. However, there are also several disadvantages.Some international companies would start their municipal companies in other countries. Such small companies are usually factories which would create a lot of pollution into the seas or lakes. This kind of factories harms the environment a lot. Also, globalization may have bad impacts on the developing countries such as China. This is because that we are not strong enough to prevent the risks from happening. 4. 0 Discussion America also has water scarcity problem. For example, the Lake Mead, which supplies water for about 22 million people, will be dry by 2021.Also, the water from Colorado River may soon be compelled to cease pumping water to other places because of its water scarcity. The main reason for this is the global warming is fastening the speed of water evaporation. The American environmentalists suggest that they can dig ponds or underwater receptacles. Fortunately, this low-tech method has already helped the farmers in China. (Snyder, ND) India is also a typical country which has very drastic water scarcity problem. This issue even has a negative impact on the whole country’s food security because the farmers do not have enough water to irrigate the farmland.India is a developing country; however, the water scarcity limits the development of agriculture. The geological environment of India includes desert, plain, and tundra, so the climate changes very fast, this situation only makes the problem worse. So the Indian government starts to use a kind of special irrigation method, drip irrigation, and it is trying to improve the water management system. (Chatterjee ND) According to the findings, I have got a conclusion that the methods to solve fresh water issues depend on different situations in different countries.So, because China is a developing country, the industry and agriculture needs to be improved, reducing the factories which are producing pollutant can not only improve the environme nt, but also provide more space for other companies to develop. As I have mentioned, Chinese government has already made a plan to solve those issues above. In my opinion, in spite of getting help from the big banks, the government can also hire some environmentalists who have a lot of experiences to design a new drainage system for the factories.This can prevent the wastewater from flowing to the lakes or seas from its origin. I think that this research is really helpful to solve the fresh water issue. I have compared and contrast several countries which are really typical for this problem. Then I find the best way that is very suitable for China. If this plan can be adopted, I believe that it will be really effective. As I have mentioned in the introduction part, my original solution to solve the water scarcity problem is to increase water supply. Then I develped a creative solution according to the resesarch I have down on the internet.So I think that to reduce the factories whic h produce a lot of wastewater is a effective way to increase water supply. However, there are also several factors that can influence the findings. For example, the situations are different in different parts of China. Also, the geological environment is different. These are the aspects that I think may interfere with the findings. 5. 0 Conclusions and Recommendations There are some advantages that I think for my solution. First, this solution is the conclusion I have got after compare and contrast several different countries.It is suitable for China’s situation. Second, this method is easy to do, it will not cost a lot of money or need a lot of people to do it. These are the reasons that I think Chinese government would adopt this solution. If the solution can be adopted, the government should make some special policies or laws to restrict the factories to prevent them from creating much pollution. Second, the government should let some people to go to all the industrial cit ies to check if the factories are following the rules.Then they should check the quality of water once a month so the environmentalists can know if the situation is improving. Reference Jiang,Y (2010), Water Scarcity – China, the encyclopedia of Earth , [online] Available at: http://www. eoearth. org/article/Water_scarcity_-_China [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Gast, C (ND), Definition of an aquatic ecosystem, [online] Available at: http://www. ehow. com/about_6307480_definition-aquatic-ecosystem. html [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Min, K (ND), Water Pollution in China, ScienceCentral. com, [online] Available at: http://darwin. bio. ci. edu/~sustain/suscoasts/krismin. html [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Chatterjee, S, (ND), The battle of water – India’s food insecurity compounded by water scarcity, [online] Available at: http://www. trust. org/alertnet/blogs/the-battle-for-water/indias-food-insecurity-compounded-by-water-scarcity [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Snyder, S, (ND), Wat er Scarcity – The U. S. connection, the Water Project, [online] Available at: http://thewaterproject. org/water_scarcity_in_us. asp [Accessed 10 March, 2013] Appendices Picture 3. 0 South-to-north water diversion project in China