Publikasjoner
Promises, promises: The unbuilt petroleum environment in Murmansk
The Arctic as a booming oil and gas province has been a predominant geopolitical representation of the region. However, the shale gas revolution in the United States and the drop in oil prices since late 2014 has reduced the viability of many high-cost Arctic oil and gas prospects. Little scholarly attention has been paid to the consequences of pursued but unrealized natural resource-based projects. This article brings literature from geography and science and technology studies into conversation to map out a preliminary research agenda for understanding how these “shelved futures” are still likely to matter in Arctic communities and policymaking. This conceptual argument is bolstered with a short exploratory case study of Murmansk, Russia. The qualitative-interview based case study illustrates two ways in which the Shtokman gas project retained regional significance, even three years after the project was suspended. Specifically, these are 1) a comparatively negative assessment of the broader socio-economic prospects of the region, and 2) expanded and possibly changed understandings on the part of the different stakeholders (business, government, civil society/the public) about their own and others’ potential roles. The semi-structured interviews with stakeholders primarily focused on recollections of petroleum companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, as these efforts were a concrete harbinger of the much-trumpeted oil and gas future.
Analysis of Informal Obstacles to Cross-Border Economic Activity in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Case Study — Bringing the Economic Corridor in from the Cold?
Economic Sanctions, Import Substitution and Path-Dependence in Russia’s Fishing Industry
Flinkest i klassen? Har Norge et politisk handlingsrom under EØS-avtalen?
Når EØS-avtalen diskuteres er det lett å få inntrykk av at Norge med den har gitt opp muligheten til å forme egen politikk, og at den eneste måten å rette opp i dette på er å si den opp (eller bli medlem av EU, selv om dette argumentet er fraværende i dag). Denne virkelighetsoppfatningen utfordes her av professor Ole Gunnar Austvik, som viser til at det innenfor EØS-avtalen finnes et visst nasjonalt handlingsrom som Norge kan benytte seg av dersom viljen er tilstede. Det krever kunnskap og interesse – som all annen politikkutvikling.
A perspective on domestic work based on interviews in Lima,Peru
This policy brief aims to spark reflection on the conditions of domestic workers, and the importance of independent institutions like trade unions for protecting their rights. Drawing on conversations with domestic workers in Lima, Peru, it shows how particularly those who live with their employees are often subjected to maltreatment. Trade unions perform essential services by informing domestic workers of their labour rights, empowering them to demand these from their employers, and providing legal aid. Parallels are drawn to the au pair programme in Norway. Despite a comprehensive legal framework, au pairs may face similar problems associated with living in the home of the employer, with the additional insecurity of working and living in an unfamiliar country. It is vital that independent organizations for the protection of the rights of au pairs in Norway can continue their work, to limit abusive labour conditions.
Policy options for sustainability and resilience in potato value chains in Bihar: a system dynamics approach
Potatoes are an important crop for food security in Bihar, providing significant income generating activities for participating farmers and an additional source of diet diversification for consumers. Recent reforms to the Agriculture Production Market Committee (APMC) Act and improvements in state-wide governance have provided further incentives for investment in the potato sector, particularly in cold storage facilities that can mitigate seasonal price fluctuations and improve the availability of potatoes. At the same time, climate change could have severe ramifications on the potato sector in Bihar, with some forecasts redicting a decline in yields of over 20 percent in the coming decades. In this paper, we look at the quantitative impacts over time of different investment, trade, and policy scenarios in the potato value chain, particularly those that can mitigate climate change effects, using a system dynamics model of the potato value chain that builds on previous qualitative studies (e.g. Minten et al. 2011). Preliminary results highlight that reducing storage costs, either through subsidies or increased competition, could reduce the price variability inherent with climatic shocks. On the other hand, encouraging conventional types of cold storage could have additional feedback effects that exacerbate climatic shocks, suggesting a need to consider “climate-smart” investments.
Choppy waters: the ‘return’ of Fiji to pacific affairs after the 2014 vote