Irrigation using groundwater has expanded rapidly in South Asia since the inception of the Green Revolution in the 1970s. Groundwater currently represents the largest source of irrigation in the Indus-Ganges Basin (IGB), which feeds over one billion people and provides direct livelihoods for hundreds of millions of farmers. Although abundant in absolute terms, groundwater is overexploited in th...

A low-carbon energy transition on the basis of renewable energy sources (RES) is of crucial importance to solve the interlinked global challenges of climate change and energy security. However, large-scale deployment of RES requires substantial investments, including the participation of private capital. Scientific evidence shows that the economic feasibility of a RES project hinges on the avai...

BACKGROUND Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is of increasing importance with about one in four people estimated to be diagnosed with COPD during their lifetime. None of the existing medications for COPD has been shown to have much effect on the long-term decline in lung function and there have been few recent pharmacotherapeutic advances. Identifying preventive interventions that ca...

BACKGROUND Bioethanol produced from the lignocellulosic fractions of sugar cane (bagasse and leaves), i.e. second generation (2G) bioethanol, has a promising market potential as an automotive fuel; however, the process is still under investigation on pilot/demonstration scale. From a process perspective, improvements in plant design can lower the production cost, providing better profitability ...

Although the implementation of targeted energy subsidies plan has been considered by policymakers since the First 5-year Economic, Social and Cultural Development Plan in Iran, it is only partially implemented in 2010. This issue has great importance for industry sector that has benefited from subsidized energy prices. This research attempts to investigate the possible impact of implementing Su...

executive summary Electricity has become an indispensable prerequisite for enhancing economic activity and improving human quality of life. Agricultural and industrial production processes are made more efficient through the use of electricity. Households need electricity for many purposes , including cooking, lighting, refrigeration, study and home-based economic activity. Essential facilities...

This study examines the financial impacts of electricity subsidy on tubewell owners and water buyers, and proposes alternative subsidy policy options that could balance the efficiency and equity. The results suggest that the subsidy plays a key role in stabilising production by providing financial incentives to tubewell owners to stabilise extraction cost under the declining watertables. The re...

In order to recycle and dispose of all people's expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to opti...