Economic Journal of Nepal

Natural Disaster and Households’ Access to Drinking Water: Evidence from Nepal’s Earthquake

2023-09-11T14:13:26+00:00

Natural disasters like landslides, droughts, floods, and earthquakes have consistently shown adverse effects on households’ access to safe and affordable drinking water. This study examines the impact of natural disaster on household access to drinking water taking a case of Nepal’s 2015 Earthquake. Drawing on data from four rounds of the Annual Household Survey (AHS) spanning from 2013/14 to 2016/17, the study employs a difference-in-difference research design to examine how households were impacted in accessing drinking water in the earthquake affected districts of Nepal. The results reveal that households in earthquake affected regions experience a decline in the use of piped drinking water by six-percentage-points compared to other sources of water notably wells, spring and rivers. Concurrently, there was a corresponding increase in the use of open water sources, particularly rivers and springs, for drinking among these households. These findings underscore that during disaster, sources like rivers and spring water can serve as essential alternatives for households, especially in the Hill and Mountain regions of Nepal, where other drinking water alternatives are less feasible. However, it is an important to note that these open water sources are often deemed unsafe for consumption and carry potential health risks. In light of these insights, this study emphasizes the necessity for disaster preparedness plans to prioritize establishing mechanisms that guarantee the safety of such open water sources for drinking during natural disaster and extreme events in the future.

Multidimensional Deprivation: A Reflection of Urban Concentration in Manipur, India

2023-09-12T13:32:08+00:00

Deprivation is a measure of relative disadvantage socially, economically, and politically that represent a clear picture of the ineffectiveness of various developmental policies leading to resource polarization in a particular sub-group of the population. It means the exclusion of a particular section of society or individuals from certain welfare enhancing facilities. In this paper, multidimensional deprivation in a North-Eastern state, Manipur and its change over time has been examined by using the most recent approach to find out its functional relation with relevant factors. The analysis is done by using different rounds of the two data sets namely, the National Sample Survey and the National Family Health Survey in India. Deprivation measures are decomposed both inter-regionally and across socio-economic groups. The findings of the study do not show any significant relation of deprivation with inequality and poverty. Unlike the traditional expectation of higher remote/rural concentration of deprived people, the poisson regression result points to a higher urban concentration of deprived people. Female-headed households are found to be more deprived. Regionally, the Imphal-West district overtook the Tamenglong District in 2015-16 and became the most deprived district in Manipur. Scheduled tribes (STs) are the most deprived social category in 2011-12 and other backward community (OBC) overtook them in 2015-16. The factors like district (spatial variation), sector, education of the head of household, and Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure have significant impact on deprivation level in Manipur.

Role of Remittances in Economic Growth: Evidence from Nepal

2023-09-12T13:36:51+00:00

This paper analyses the dynamic roles of remittance on the process of economic growth of Nepal using time-series annual data for 37 years from 1981-2017. The basic tools of data analysis are vector error correction model, long-run structural modeling, Granger causality test, generalized impulse response functions, persistence profile, and variance decomposition analysis. The paper shows that the remittance inflow and economic growth have bidirectional relationship in the long run, but there is no relationship in the short run. Remittance affects the dynamics of other variables like investment, financial development, and investment on human capital which indirectly affect the performance of the economy through these variables. Findings indicate that remittance could promote financial development in the short run. It also shows the possibility of negative shocks in remittance flow could have a permanent negative effect on educational attainment. It concludes that an environment for investment should be created for enhancing the role of remittance on economic growth. Policies promoting flow of remittance through formal channels and financial literacy should be effective tools for channelizing remittance for economic growth. The government should prioritize the educational sector to prevent dropout of the students from schools when the households are hit negatively due to remittance shocks.

Effects of Financial, Social, and Human Capital on Entrepreneurial Success: Evidence from Kathmandu Valley

2023-09-12T13:51:26+00:00

Nepal’s energy sector comprises both successful and subsistence entrepreneurs. In this connection, the enduring question arises of how successful entrepreneurs have something special in the context of the solar companies in Nepal. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of financial capital, social capital, and human capital on entrepreneurial success in this sector of Nepal. The study adopts a causal-comparative research design to determine the effect of initial investment, access to finance, network ties, trust, shared vision, education, and experience on entrepreneurial success. This study is based on primary data that were collected from a sample of 102 owners/managers of 45 solar companies using a structured questionnaire. The factors affecting entrepreneurial success were determined by estimating the econometric models and correlation analysis using IBM SPSS Statistics 20. The results show that access to finance, network ties, trust, education, and experience appeared to be the major factors affecting entrepreneurial success. Factors like initial investment and shared vision did not appear to be the important factors affecting entrepreneurial success. Policy implications and future avenues were also discussed.

Returns to Education of Management Graduates in Development Banks of Nepal

2023-09-12T13:55:10+00:00

The rate of return to education is considered as a measure of profitability. Getting confined to a particular course of study, it is well known that the number of student choosing management in masters is increasing every year in Nepal. This study attempts to estimate the private rate of return to MBA for individuals employed in development banks in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). A questionnaire survey was done to collect data from 164 MBA graduates working in development banks. Using the linear regression method, it is found that the rate of return to MBA for individuals employed at development banks in KMC is 23 percent. Further, male MBA graduates have been receiving 28 percent return to education and female MBA graduates have been receiving 22 percent. Hence, the findings suggest that undergraduates irrespective of their gender should pursue MBA for receiving higher return to investment in education.

Managerial Communication and Decision Making in Banking Sector of Kathmandu Valley

2023-09-12T14:00:38+00:00

This study aims to determine the influence of managerial communication in decision making of banking sector in Kathmandu Valley. Managerial communication has long been a hot issue in the business world since no company can survive without effective communication with its stakeholders. Similarly, decision making is considered as an essential management function since it is a normal task for every manager and the quality of decision influences the existence of organization. The study found that managerial communication could help a lot in decision making and that enhance organizational creativity in its practice and thereby increase in its level of performance. The managerial communication has a positive and significant influence on decision making of banking sector. This study concluded that managerial communication has been one of the important issues in decision making that could result higher performance and higher productivity of an organization.

Kate Raworth (2017). Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st – Century Economist

2023-09-12T14:02:38+00:00

No abstract available.