"The global financial crisis which hit exporters in PRC hard further exposed the danger of relying too heavily on exports for growth. A 4-trillion-yuan ($586 billion) stimulus package and unprecedented lending growth have enabled China's economic growth to accelerate from 6.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, the slowest in almost a decade, to 7.9 percent in the second quarter and 8.9 percent in the third.

Yet, while having managed to put itself back on track of fast growth, the economy finds itself increasingly dependent on investment for growth. An investment boom may be what was needed to effectively cushion the economy against the global turmoil. But in the long run, more investment growth is definitely not the answer to the country's underlying structural problems. Fortunately, policymakers have now reached a consensus on the necessity to seek more sustainable economic growth powered by consumer-led demand."

"Frequent storms and cyclones are forcing fishing communities in Bangladesh to either flee their villages or change profession. Dwindling incomes from fishing are increasing their debt burden. Many fishermen are either abandoning the village to find work elsewhere or are changing their profession.

The jaladash, or the serfs of the sea as they are known, are today finding themselves in a bleak situation. The sea is warming up and it has been warming up by .05 degrees Celsius every decade. This is leading to frequent occurrences of storms and cyclones. The fishermen community has become totally vulnerable to climate change."

"Papua New Guinea is about to see a boom in big natural gas production. InterOil this week announced a world record gas flow rate in PNG, and ExxonMobil is set to lead a big LNG project there. Although PNG has an established oil industry, its natural gas resources are more substantial and the coming LNG boom could double its GDP.

Although Exxon and the other companies involved have not yet made the final investment decision on the project, that will come some time this month, and, given that Exxon has just agreed to sell Sinopec 2 million tons a year for 20 years from the project, approval looks rather likely."

"Tata Chemicals has unveiled a unique and innovative water purifier. The product requires no energy or running water to operate. The replaceable filter-based purifier, which is portable and based on low-cost natural ingredients, delivers safe drinking water at a new market benchmark of Rs 30 (65 US cents) a month for a family of five.

The aim is to reach three million units annually in five years. The product will be launched in Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal by the end of the year and the plan is to go national over 5-6 months. Water-borne disease is the single greatest threat to global health. The product will be able to tackle six such bacterial diseases."

"Plans for massive hikes in electricity and central heating prices have outraged consumers in the Kyrgyz Republic, who say they will be hard pressed to pay. The government, which is struggling to cope with the effects of the world economic crisis, says it is forced to cut subsidies and pass on the real cost of energy.

Analysts counter that it would be better to address the systemic inefficiencies that make electricity so costly to produce. The increases will take place in two phases, the first in January and the second in six month's time after that. Electricity will end up costing nearly three times the current rate, while hot water prices will increase by 400 percent."

"PRC will take steps next year to boost rural demand while trying to curb overcapacity in numerous industrial sectors, the government said. Beijing promised to bolster rural demand by raising agricultural subsidies, increasing the minimum purchase prices for grain crops, investing more in infrastructure and improving public services to outlying areas.

The nation's leaders also vowed to maintain ultra-loose monetary and 'proactive' fiscal policies, while improving the quality of economic growth through 'structural adjustment' that will involve restrictions on industries deemed to be suffering from overcapacity. But the government warned it would maintain a balance between 'fast and stable' economic growth and dealing with predicted inflation next year."

"Land reform is not only an issue of land distribution but also of economic, industrial and rural development in Nepal. The profile of land issues is growing rapidly on the international stage but the focus of many aid agendas remains rooted in policy reform rather than genuine land reform. Nepal can learn from other countries' land reform models and experiences, using them to create a Nepali model and not simply replicating them.

Every village development committee and district development committee needs to discuss its own village or district land reform framework and prepare its own model, rather than adhering to rigid, central or international prescriptions. There is a misconception that land reform is just for the landless and poor people; this view does not consider the wider implications for economic growth and nation building."

"The global economy has shown signs of shaking off the prolonged downturn and taking a turn for the better following a series of stimulus packages unveiled by various governments over the past year. Some emerging economies, especially China and India, have enjoyed comparatively rapid economic growth. However, the robust price rebound in the capital and real estate markets and bulk commodities around the world, especially in emerging markets, has caused widespread concerns over new property bubbles.

In the current crisis, countries face a dilemma while formulating macroeconomic policies: Whether they should continue embracing an expansive fiscal policy or tighten it. If the current easy monetary policies were continued, inflation fears could trigger new economic risks. However, an abrupt end to the relaxed policies and resorting to tightening economic tools would risk undermining their fragile economic recovery."

"The government has agreed to set up an export processing zone (EPZ) exclusively for the shipbuilding industry which, according to many, has the potential to be a major export-oriented sector. Export processing zones in the country contributed a lot to increasing exports, particularly of garments and light engineering products.

Bangladesh has great potential to become a competitive shipbuilder in the world as local shipbuilders have already started to boost their reputations. Shipbuilders need to put in efforts in developing a strong backward linkage industry for the shipbuilding sector. Many foreign countries rich in shipbuilding knowledge are already in touch with Bangladesh shipbuilders showing interest in buying ships from here and looking for joint ventures."

"The Indian government should consider providing mobile phones at a subsidy to women from the bottom of the social pyramid since they help to improve their status and welfare, says a recent report. Mobile phones significantly decrease both men and women's tolerance of domestic violence.

The report further states that mobile phones help increase women's autonomy in mobility and economic independence, but does not have any significant effect on child preferences and other measures of autonomy. With 500 million subscribers, mobiles are advancing into the furthest corners of rural India."

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