Magnitude of industrialization in Jordan

In spite of Jordan's insignificant natural resources and geopolitical problems, industrial development is being emphasized in Jordan since 1972. Industries are now the second largest sector of economy. Industries contributed 10% of the GDP in 1972, 19.5% in 1989 and 17.4% in 1993. This is remarkable as the national investment in industries is declining. The investments for industrial development was 30% of the total national investment in five year development plans (1976–1980), 23% in the next plan (1981–1985), and 13% in the following plan (1986–1990).The number of; industries has increased from 2500 in 1959 to 4684 in 1974, to 8533 in 1984, and 18600 in 1992. The employment or labor force also increased from 10,000 in 1959 to 70,000 in 1988, and to 110,000 in 1992. It represents about 16.4% of the total labor force in Jordan, the index number of industrial production also increased from (100) in 1979 which was the same base year, to (151) in 1983 to (205) in 1987 and to (215) in 1993. The study was based on three hypotheses: (i) the magnitude varies from one industry to another at the national (Jordan) and local (governorate levels), (ii) temporal change in the magnitude of industries has taken place during the period 1979–1992, (iii) the temporal change in the magnitude of industries was positive in some industries and negative in others.     

Regional policy in Malaysia

The Malaysian economy, which in the colonial era was largely dependent on the primary sector, has been transformed towards a more balanced sectoral composition of output and employment accompanied by a substantial rise in per capita incomes since independence. Although the quality of life of the people has been improved in all regions, the impact of regional development policies has not been sufficient to improve the relative position of the less-developed regions and to counterbalance a growing spatial concentration of modern sector activities and population. To achieve this target the dispersal of manufacturing industries and modern services has to be enforced.     

Service sector employment in Merseyside

This paper reports the results of an analysis of service sector employment trends in Merseyside. The main data source was the Census of Employment covering the period 1971–1975; comparisons are made between Merseyside and national trends. The paper contains analyses of changes in industrial and male and female employment, tertiary and quaternary sector services, growth and declining industries, public and private sector employment, office employment and the components of employment change. Particular attention is paid to differences between the Inner City and Outer Areas of Merseyside. Employment decline was widespread in the service sector, as was also the case in manufacturing. Employment decline is likely to continue because of a number of adverse factors affecting the local economy. The paper concludes by describing a number of initiatives the public sector could take in association with private sector interests to promote the further development of service industries which are already established in Merseyside.     

Engineering Geology of Limestone in Malaysia

This paper provides an overview of the engineering geology of limestone. Limestone is of rather wide occurrence in Malaysia. It is interesting in view of the unique landforms and karstic features that are encountered in limestone terrains, e.g. steep, subvertical limestone cliffs rising abruptly and majestically above the ground surface and highly variable and pinnacled subterranean limestone bedrock. The karstic features and associated engineering geological problems of both the limestone hills and the bedrock are discussed in the paper. Rockfalls, sinkholes, cavities, etc. are some of the common engineering geological problems associated with limestone terrains. Some local case studies are provided as illustrations. Finally the rock mechanical properties of limestone is discussed at the end of the paper.     

Feminism and the new multi-scaling in employment policy

In the last decades, employment policy design and implementation partly shifted from the national to local and regional scales in most European countries. In addition, the European Union appeared as an important new actor in this policy field in the late 1990s. We argue that the new geographical multi-scaling of employment policy can be used strategically by feminists to promote different aspects of gender equality simultaneously: Feminist claims related to gender equity, i.e., demands to secure equal participation of women and men in the labour market, should be advocated at the national scale. Claims related to the recognition of gender difference, i.e., demands related to typical female and male employment needs and their social recognition should be promoted at the local scale. The regional scale is the most appropriate one to advance gender plurality, i.e., non-traditional employment of women and men. In the empirical part of the paper we discuss how the ideal leverage of claims at different spatial scales and inter-linkage between scales could operate. We will show that the link to EU policy strengthens feminist claims in the highly gender-differentiated societies and political settings of Austria and Germany. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

马来西亚金属矿产资源概况

马来西亚拥有丰富的矿产资源,其找矿勘查与矿业开发投资历史悠久,矿业环境较为成熟。随着二十一世纪海上丝绸之路倡议的提出,该国的地理位置和基础设施优势不断凸显。本文对马来西亚的优势矿产资源地质特征和成矿规律进行了总结,介绍了马来西亚的成矿环境、典型矿床特征和成矿作用,并对找矿潜力进行了讨论,旨在加强对该国的矿产资源现状的认识,为我国“一带一路”倡议的推广提供参考。     

马来西亚斯里加亚铁矿床地质特征及成因探讨

本文阐明了马来西亚斯里加亚铁矿床的大地构造位置、区域地质、矿区地质,并结合原生矿体和氧化矿体的特征对该矿床的成因进行了分析,氧化矿主要为原生矿风化残积及部分坡积成因,原生矿体产于隐伏的燕山期花岗闪长岩外接触带,其围岩具典型的矽卡岩矿物组合,该矿床为矽卡岩型铁矿床。     

Resource-based industrialization and country size: Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago

There are scale advantages in resource-based industrialization (RBI). Trinidad and Tobago's small size meant that its RBI projects resulted in: relatively low revenue retention, heavy dependence on export markets, skilled personnel shortages and severe ‘Dutch disease’ effects. However Venezuela squandered its size advantage because its RBI strategy was over-ambitious. Instead of taking advantage of its ample scope for risk-reducing diversification, Venezuela concentrated largely on metals processing in a single location. Although it captured more backward linkage than Trinidad and Tobago it did so at high cost as a result of inefficient project execution. Worse, Venezuela's metals projects greatly exceeded its sizeable domestic demand, overtaxed its human resources and exacerbated existing distortions in the economy. Since poorly implemented RBI projects can overwhelm even a large developing economy, RBI is risky and should therefore only be pursued as part of a flexible, broadly-based diversification drive.     

新型工业化与资源环境战略

1新型工业化的内涵 新型工业化首先是实现工业化的一个过程,这是最基本的。实现工业化是中国现代化进程中艰巨的历史性任务。     

Group velocity dispersion analysis in northern Peninsular Malaysia

The crustal structure beneath three seismic stations over Malaysia has been investigated with the application of the group velocity dispersion analysis of the northern Sumatra earthquake data which occurred on 06 April 2010. Eighteen crustal layer models are constructed to assess the structure. Group velocity dispersions have been computed for the recorded earthquake data using a graphical method and modified Haskell matrix method for the models. Both dispersions have been presented for the interpretation of crustal layers. Findings have shown four major crustal layers having thicknesses of 2.5–4.0, 2.0–5.5, 5.0–8.0, and 8.5–9.0 km, while in Terengganu, it has shown three layers. Density, shear, and compressional wave velocities used in models have suggested that the crustal structure of the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia is crystalline. Major crustal minerals are of quartz, plagioclase, and mica. Most layers seem to have upward directions toward Perak from Kedah and Terengganu.     

Rainfall-induced landslides in Hulu Kelang area, Malaysia

Hulu Kelang is known as one of the most landslide-prone areas in Malaysia. The area has been constantly hit by landslide hazards since 1990s. This paper provides an insight into the mechanism of rainfall-induced landslide in the Hulu Kelang area. Rainfall patterns prior to the occurrences of five selected case studies were first analyzed. The results showed that daily rainfall information is insufficient for predicting landslides in the area. Rainfalls of longer durations, i.e., 3–30 days prior to the landslides should be incorporated into the prediction model. Numerical simulations on a selected case study demonstrated that both matric suction and factor of safety decreased steadily over time until they reached the lowest values on the day of landslide occurrence. Redistribution of infiltrated rainwater in the soil mass could be a reason for the slow response of failure mechanism to rainfall. Based on 21 rainfall-induced landslides that had occurred in the area, three rainfall thresholds were developed as attempts to predict the occurrence of rainfall-induced landslide. The rainfall intensity–duration threshold developed based on the local rainfall conditions provided a reasonably good prediction to the landslide occurrence. The cumulative 3- versus 30-day antecedent precipitation index threshold chart was capable of giving the most reliable prediction with the limiting threshold line for major landslide yielded a reliability of 97.6 %.     

Interannual variability of monsoons in Malaysia and its relationship with ENSO

Interannual variations of the monsoons have been studied utilising homogeneous rainfall records of 41 years (1951–1991) from Malaysia and upper air data of stations in Asia, Australia and Western Pacific. Sources of upper air data are U.S. Department of Commerce and Kuala Lumpur Northern Winter Monsoon Activity Centre. Extreme wet and dry years have been identified and the influence of ENSO on Malaysian annual rainfall has been discussed. Influence of ENSO on the performance of northern summer and winter monsoons has also been studied from Malaysian rainfall data. Further, regional circulation patterns associated with El Nino and La Nina years have also been identified. No linear trend has been found in the annual rainfall of 16 stations in Malaysia. Most El Nino years are associated with below median and La Nina years with above median rainfall at most stations in Malaysia. ENSO has greater influence over East Malaysia than peninsular Malaysia. Interannual variability of rainfall with reference to ENSO conditions has been discussed in details. Also, circulation features have been identified to foresee El Nino/La Nina events.     

Groundwater and surface-water utilisation using a bank infiltration technique in Malaysia

Bank infiltration (BI) is one of the solutions to providing raw water for public supply in tropical countries. This study in Malaysia explores the use of BI to supplement a polluted surface-water resource with groundwater. Three major factors were investigated: (1) contribution of surface water through BI to the resulting abstraction, (2) input of local groundwater, and (3) water-quality characteristics of the resulting water supply. A geophysical method was employed to define the subsurface geology and hydrogeology, and isotope techniques were performed to identify the source of groundwater recharge and the interaction between surface water and groundwater. The physicochemical and microbiological parameters of the local surface-water bodies and groundwater were analyzed before and during water abstraction. Extracted water revealed a 5–98 % decrease in turbidity, as well as reductions in HCO₃ ^?, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2?, NO₃ ^?, Ca²⁺, Al³⁺ and As concentrations compared with those of Langat River water. In addition, amounts of E. coli, total coliform and Giardia were significantly reduced (99.9 %). However, water samples from test wells during pumping showed high concentrations of Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺. Pumping test results indicate that the two wells used in the study were able to sustain yields.     

Gendered divisions in the new economy: Risks and opportunities

The concept 'new economy' is widely used to characterise the outcomes of contemporary restructuring processes – but in contrasting ways: by globalisation and the increasing use of communication and information technologies as well as by deregulation, polarisation, feminisation of employment and new, more flexible patterns and hours of work. These tendencies are interlinked and partly account for growing social and gender divisions. They pose problems for social sustainability but also develop differently in different economic and social formations. This paper develops a theoretical understanding of widening social divisions and their gendered form, indicates how these tendencies have developed to different degrees within the European Union and illustrates how the divisions are experienced by people in a local labour market in the neo liberal UK, where social and gender divisions are particularly wide. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Groundwater development in the CCOP countries: challenges and opportunities

CCOP stands for Coordinating Committee for Geoscience Programmes in East and Southeast Asia—an intergovernmental organization comprising of eleven Member Countries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. CCOP’s mission is to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of applied geoscience programmes in the region to contribute to economic development and an improved quality of life within the region. As an intergovernmental geoscience organization, CCOP organizes its activities in seven programmes, including the groundwater programme, which promotes capacity building, technology transfer, exchange of information and institutional linkages for sustainable groundwater resource development in CCOP Member Countries. The overview of the status of groundwater development within the CCOP Member Countries will be elaborated highlighting quantity and quality challenges for its sustainable development. Some examples of challenges are the large numbers of people in these regions that still have no access to an improved water source; decline in the availability of freshwater, particularly in large river basins due to global warming; saltwater intrusion; arsenic pollution of groundwater, etc. Finally, the emphasis of the importance of capacity building in sound groundwater management will be shown as the contribution of CCOP to its members. The recommendation to capture the opportunities for groundwater development in CCOP Member Countries will be presented and discussed.