Total quality management A Path to Sustainable Growth and Improvement

Total quality management A Path to Sustainable Growth and Improvement Executive Summary Starting and maintaining any business venture is a process that requires determination motivation and general know-how in regards to how to operate a business and ensure that it remains profitable despite the various challenges and risks that may be available in the business environment one wants to venture in. As such, there are several considerations that should be carried out to ensure that all details regarding the business are addressed and well planned for.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Total quality management: A Path to Sustainable Growth and Improvement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The considerations include but are not limited to: the identification of the business opportunity, development of the product or service, evaluations of the suppliers, clients and business environment and market analysis among others. A recurrent and most important concept that must be considered i s the quality of the output produced by all processes within the business. Total quality ensures that the business survives the harshness of business environments, all the while guaranteeing profits from the venture. This report shall set out to explore Total Quality Management (TQM) as being among the core concepts used by business entities to safeguard their reputation, ensure effective and efficient delivery of quality products and services and manage businesses towards success. To this end, the principles of TQM shall be discussed and its relevance to human resource, client satisfaction and supplier management analyzed. By using relevant and credible sources, this report shall present a comprehensive and informative discussion on how TQM plays an integral role in facilitating business growth, promoting efficient human resource management, guaranteeing customer satisfaction and enhance strategic management in various aspects of the business. In short, this paper shall elaborate t he importance of TQM in today’s organizational management. Introduction Throughout their existence, organizations and businesses are considerably under a lot of pressured to raise their levels of performance and productivity. This is especially so in the modern-day business environment which is characterized by aggression and excessive competition. This constantly forces businesses to exhibit innovativeness and enhanced performance so as to remain relevant and profitable in the ever increasingly competitive arena. To achieve the organizational goal of increased productivity, the input of both the individual and groups in the organization remains invaluable. However, for these inputs to make a significant impact there must be a strong leadership and management to steer the individual and group effort in the right direction. This being the case, the development of leadership and management strategies is of great importance to any business entity. Exemplary leadership and manage ment alone cannot guarantee that a business will be successful in the long-run. Due consideration has to be given to quality management as well. It is from realization that Total Quality Management (TQM) was invented. TQM is an all-inclusive improvement concept that has in the last few decades, been adopted by many organizations in their journey towards increased market share, profitability and sustainable growth.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Considering the importance of this concept, business analysts and scholars have over the years developed various TQM principles and models to assist business leaders make the most out of their ventures. However, many businesses have failed to sustain TQM in their processes long enough to realize its full benefits. This paper shall therefore provide an informative discussion on TQM, its history, principles and appli cability in understanding business processes, interactions and growth. TQM: A Brief History Bagad defines TQM as a broad and continuous approach that businesses implement to ensure quality and performance improvement that guarantees customer satisfaction (4). According to the author, this guarantee is achieved by â€Å"integrating all quality-related functions and processes throughout the company (Bagad 12).† As regarding to its prominence, Bagad asserts that after the Second World War, the need to inspect the quality of goods and services availed to consumers became a common practice which led to the development of the Statistical Quality Control (SQC) theory which was formulated by Dr. Edwards Deming (Bagad 18). According to the theorist, the quality of products could only be ascertained by sampling random products produced from each batch. As such, this theory was based on the assumption that any manmade or technical error experienced in the production process would ultima tely lead to defects or other quality related issues to the end products. As such, the theorist believed that by eliminating the errors in the production process, the end product would certainly be of high quality. Testing the quality of manufactured goods was further necessitated by the fact that the Japanese manufacturing industry produced a lot of poor quality goods after the Second World War. As such, in the fifties, quality control became a major concern for most nations. Subsequently, in the 1970’s, the concept of total quality evolved. This was attributed to the fact that business organizations had acknowledged the value of quality control. As such, it was not only logical, but a strategic move to implement measures that included all employees in quality control processes. This notion was more efficient and covered a wide range of business activities towards the delivery of quality goods. TQM: Understanding the Concept As has been elaborated above, TQM is a management tool that facilitates leaders and managers to direct their organization into a successful future. It is a wide concept that requires commitment from both the management and organizational employees if it is to be successful.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Total quality management: A Path to Sustainable Growth and Improvement specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As such, it not only aims at managing and assuring that quality is maintained in all goods or services produced, but extends to the management of the people and processes used. This approach ensures that each internal and external production stage promotes full consumer satisfaction (Mukherjee 23). Notably, whenever leaders integrate TQM concepts in their businesses, their organizations do the right things correctly with little to no complications. Maguad asserts that TQM, like any other management strategy utilizes the people-process- system cycle (181 ). This is because TQM focuses on consumer-supplier quality relations. However, the efficiency of this relationship is influenced by the level of commitment to quality, communication (as regarding to how the quality message is transmitted) and culture. Culture in this context influences the relationship in the sense that organizations have deep rooted cultures. As such, if an organization is willing to change its culture such that it promotes improvement in quality, then the organization will have a good consumer-supplier interface. However, if the organization is reluctant to cultural change, the interface will not work as it is expected to in terms of providing total customer satisfaction. This paragraph can best be elaborated by this diagram below. A diagram elaborating the TQM interface in an organizational setting This diagram shows how different internal and external factors are interlinked to ensure that the quality of the product meets or exceeds the expectations of the con sumer. It should be noted that in each interface is made up of various processes. As such, they all affect each other and failure in one interface leads to the organizations inability to deliver quality goods and services. According to the Department of Trade and industry (DTI) website, quality in TQM refers to the ability of a product or service to fully satisfy a consumers needs or fully meet them as expected (2).Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As such, the author(s) reiterates that quality is measured in term of a product’s or service’s performance, appearance, availability, delivery, reliability, maintainability, cost effectiveness and price (DTI 2).† The author further suggests that an organization should always ensure that its products and services meet these requirements. The only way this can be ascertained is by conducting a market research (DTI 3). Empirical Research The rationale for the study and its methodology Prior to discussing the core tenets of TQM, we need to discuss the empirical survey that was aimed at examining customer’s perceptions of quality. This question is of great importance for modern companies since they need to understand which dimensions of quality are of the greatest value to clients. This information can help them to better develop products as well as services. The main objective of this survey was to determine what aspects affect the customer satisfaction and wh at factors affect their purchasing decisions. It should be noted that scholars distinguish different aspects of product quality, in particular, performance, functionality, reliability, serviceable life (Sower, 7). As far as service quality is concerned, researchers speak about such dimensions as reliability, responsiveness, and assurance (Kandampully, Mok Sparks, 54). In many cases, it is rather difficult to determine which of these dimensions of the greatest importance for customers. The survey that has been conducted relies on quantitative relied on quantitative research methods, namely on the structured interview. The respondents were asked a series of multiple-choice questions that prompted them to assess different aspects of product and service quality in terms of their importance[1]. The participants for the study were randomly selected and the sample was divided into two equal groups; male subjects and female subjects. The total sample size was 30; the participants were recr uited in near shops and supermarkets. Each of them was informed about the purposes of this survey. The participants were not required to name themselves or identify their income level and age. This information could made the findings more accurate, in this case, the respondents would have been more reluctant to take part in this survey. In total, this survey lasted for three days. Analysis of findings The responses of the participants indicate that customer perceptions and interpretations of quality are not universal. The most important quality dimensions of a product are performance and reliability, 17 respondents out of 30 identified make their purchasing decisions on the basis of these characteristics. Such attributes as serviceable life and design were of lesser priority to the priority. Yet, it should be mentioned that for female respondents design was of higher priority than for male subjects. Seven out 15 female subjects judged a product by its design. The second issue to be discussed is the quality dimensions of service companies. Judging from the responses of the participants, a large number of customers pay attention to reliability (10 respondents) and time-efficacy (12 respondents). However, one should not assume that politeness and responsiveness do not affect the clients’ decisions. Approximately 27 percent of customers (8 respondents) evaluate a service company according to the politeness of its workers. Additionally, the results of this survey suggest the manufacturing as well as service companies should involve customers into product development or assessment of performance. 83 percent of respondents (25 participants) agreed with this statement. It has to be admitted that this study has several important limitations. Perceptions of quality can be dependent on the income level of a respondent. For instance, customers, who are very sensitive about the price, may pay more attention to serviceable life of product. In contrast, customers, who are not price-sensitive, can attach more value to performance and design. During the survey, we could not ask the subjects about their income level since many of them might have refused to participate in the study. Hence, we do not know to what extent this variable affect people’s expectations and perceptions of quality. Those customers, whom we interviewed, attached more value to the quality of a product rather than its price (20 respondents out of thirty). The second limitation of the research is that the questions of this survey are not applicable to all kinds of products; they are more suitable for manufactured items. They may not be suitable for grocery goods or clothing. Thus, the researchers would have to ask different questions, if they want to focus on these particular goods. Implications and conclusions This survey can have several implications for business administrators and practitioners of total quality management. First of all, it shows that customers wish to b e more involved in the development of products and services. By acting in such a way, they will be able to strengthen their position in competitive environments. Most importantly, they will manage to enhance customer loyalty. This argument is quite consistent wit the core principles of TQM, since this approach focuses on customer satisfaction as the major objective of any company. Secondly, this research has shown which quality dimensions of products and services are of the highest priority for modern customers. By using customer surveys, the management can understand the expectations of their target audience and their needs. Principles of TQM A principle can be defined as the main belief of the founding concept that makes an action or reasoning valid. Like any other management strategy, Maguad reiterates that the most integral components of TQM are leadership and commitment (185). Leadership in this context refers to a process through which one person uses the help and support of o thers towards achieving a particular goal or task. As Maguad suggests, leaders are the people who are taxed with the role of marshalling the human resource in the organization for its growth and expansion (193). They do this by planning, organizing, leading and controlling the organizations activities and resources. Commitment is the level of loyalty, determination and motivation exhibited by members of an organization as they carryout their tasks. As mentioned earlier, various interfaces often work together to ensure that an organization produces quality products and services. Leadership is very important because a leader’s ability to delegate, make decisions, resolve conflicts and motivate employees determines whether an organization will be successful in its endeavors. On the other hand, commitment affects the performance and motivation levels exhibited by employees. If employees are committed, an organization is more likely to experience growth and increased profits becau se at the end of the day, an organization cannot function without the people factor. Considering these two core elements, it would be a worthwhile endeavor to shed some light on the basic principles of TQM. As may have been deduced throughout this research, TQM aims at promoting three main objectives: customer satisfaction, supplier satisfaction and continuous improvement of an organization’s processes. Customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction often refers to the ability of a product or service to fully satisfy the needs of the intended consumer. This should be the primary concern of any organization willing to survive the aggressive nature of today’s business environment. This is mainly because satisfied clients mean more sales, increased market share and unwavering consumer loyalty. These elements ensure that an organization makes profits which can be used to research for cheaper and better ways of production, expanding an organization’s market base and exp and the business. With these undertones, the question that is left wanting is; how does TQM ensure consumer satisfaction? Gilmore addresses this question by reiterating that TQM is an effective strategy that can be used to minimize variations in the production process thereby increasing the organization’s chance of producing quality products and services that meet (if not exceed) the needs and expectations of the consumers (207). The author further states that, in every organization there are various departments and offices that cater for different needs of the consumers. These factions make up quality chains which depend on each other to produce the final product or service. These quality chains stand at a risk of being broken due to human or technical errors. Such failures often sip through and multiply down the production process and may lead to failure of the organization to meet the requirements of the clients. As such, Kanji et al state that, TQM presents organizations with an opportunity to train their employees on different factors they should consider when handling tasks in the consumer-supplier interface (52). This in turn ensures that each employee has the necessary skills needed to achieve quality. Similarly, Gilmore argues that TQM focuses on identifying the potential areas that may cause problems and solve them before a product or service is made available to the market (208). Considering the definition of quality provided herein, we could argue that quality is consumer driven. This means that an organization must identify the needs of the clients and formulate the best means of meeting them satisfactorily. Gilmore states that a perfectly produced product or service is of no benefit to the organization if it fails to meet the needs of the client (207). As such, the author contends that TQM tools enable organizations to identify such needs by outlining market research methodologies and production processes that enhance accuracy and efficien cy in various consumer-supplier interfaces. In addition, Gilmore asserts that consumer preference and needs vary from one consumer to the other and from season to another (209). As such, the author contends that it is often difficult to determine what consumers need and expect from a product or service. However, the author states that TQM presents organizations with various tools and strategies which can be implemented to ensure that the products or services produced are always tuned to the needs and expectations of the target market. Some of the measures of TQM that can be used to address these changes include but are not limited to focus groups that concentrate on the needs of specified consumers, market surveys which gather information on current trends, competition and prices, and customer interviews which provide firsthand information on what consumers need and expect from a product or service. Such information enables organizations to implement processes that address these nee ds and expectations thereby guaranteeing consumer satisfaction (Gilmore 209). Supplier satisfaction A supplier is the person or organization that has consented to sell you various resources needed to produce your product. This principle of TQM requires organizations to form good relationships with their suppliers. Yong and Wilkinson states that TQM places great emphasis on an organization’s ability to satisfy its suppliers (250). The authors further contend that it is imperative that organizations provide their suppliers with clear and concise details on what they are supposed to supply and when they are supposed to supply. In addition, the authors suggest that the organization should make an effort to pay the suppliers in a fair and timely manner. In so doing, the supplier delivers quality goods and services which are then used by the organization to produce quality goods or services to its external consumers (Yong and Wilkinson 256). Failure to do so invariably leads to del ays in supply delivery, delivery of poor quality resources or even inconsistencies in deliveries. Such issues affect the quality of the products produced in terms of performance, availability, durability and reliability. These factors may cause consumers great dissatisfaction (Yong and Wilkinson 257). In addition, Maguad states that TQM also encourages organizational leaders and managers to motivate and boost the performance of their employees (internal suppliers) if quality is to be maintained (184). The author recommends that this can only be achieved if the people in charge provide the workers with clear and concise instructions, adequate working tools and equipments and favorable working conditions (Maguad 187). According to the TQM principle on supplier satisfaction, these factors combined with a fair reward and remuneration packages promotes commitment and motivation among the workforce, which leads to the efficient and timely execution of tasks within the organization (179). Additionally, such measures increase the productivity levels exhibited by employees, all the while enabling management to identify good employees as well as the issues that affect the performance of various employees. In summary, this principle of TQM indicates that, when an organization satisfies its suppliers (internal and external), the quality of the end product is more likely to satisfy the needs of the consumers as well as those of the organization. Continuous Improvement of the Organization’s Processes This is the third and equally important principle of TQM. According to Rahman, this principle is founded on the assumption that organizations must always improve their processes, strategies and methodologies if they are to keep up with the dynamic nature of the business environment (203). Rahman supports this assertion by contending that competition, technology and consumer preferences are improving and growing faster each day (201). As such, it is always wise for an org anization to improve its methods if it aims at staying ahead of the game. Similarly, this principle encourages managers and employees to work smart rather than doing hard work. According to Rahman some organizational leaders are under constant pressure to increase the organization’s productivity (206). As a result, such leaders try to improve the organization’s performance levels by coercing and forcing employees to work harder. According to the author, this only results to mishaps and poor performance because the workers are in most cases de-motivated and stressed (Rahman 208). These factors may cause them to loose focus and do shoddy jobs so as to finish the tasks on time. This in turn lowers the overall quality of the goods or services produced. Kanji et al state that this principle of TQM enables leaders to effectively find the source of the problem and device viable means of solving or avoiding them without necessarily pressuring the employees (50). In addition, t his principle also recommends leaders to encourage and allow constructive criticism and suggestions from employees. Considering that the employees are often at the forefront in production processes, they are best suited to provide information on how an organization can improve an organizational process. For example, Barad and Dror state that employees can offer valuable suggestions on whether a process is efficient or not. In addition, workers can suggest on whether a process should be improved or eliminated, and how such changes can best be implemented to avoid further complications (6630). Some of the process improvement strategies proposed by this principle include but are not limited to just-in time-production which reduces overproduction and production costs and variable reduction tools. These are examples of TQM strategies and tools that can be implemented to improve processes all the while reducing the amount of resources that is wasted. Similarly, Lynch and Keating II assert that the continuous improvement principle requires organizations to always find improve their productivity and growth by finding better means of carrying out business activities through learning, effective decision making processes and problem solving (353). TQM recommends the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle (PDSA) as being among the most effective models to implement if continuous improvement of organizational processes is to be achieved. Below is a diagram elaborating the cycle. A diagram illustrating the PDSA cycle This cycle promotes quality in the sense that the management plans for what needs to be improved and makes decisions on how best such improvements can be implemented. The second step requires the implementation of the improvements that have been recommended. This simply means that the organization does what it has planed to do. Thirdly, after implementing/doing what was planned, the management and other concerned parties monitor how the improvements impact business processes. In this stage, information can be collected regarding the problems, effectiveness and further improvements (recommendations and suggestions) that need to be addressed. The information collected from the third stage is used to improve the strategy or process such that it remains without any flaws. Jjjhjhjh states that this model has proven to be of great importance in effective decision-making processes, problem solving and risk management in many organizations. TQM as a Strategy for Human Resource management Human resource management refers to the strategies and policies that an organization implements so as to plan, control, organize and lead its workforce towards attaining the set organizational goals and objectives (Lammermeyr 175). In most cases, organizational failure is attributed to poor human resource management. As such, having efficient HRM strategies is not only logical, but a prerequisite for successful and efficient execution of tasks by employees. TQM consists of a ra nge of tools that can be implemented by an organization’s human resource department to ensure that it plays a greater strategic role in an organization. Some of the tools include but are not limited to the following. Cause-and-effect diagrams According to Wallace and Stahl, if management is to effectively identify and rectify various problems that affect the quality of the products or services produced, all employees must have the necessary skills needed to handle such problems (37). The authors acknowledge that production of quality goods or services is an organizational concept. This means that each individual within the organization has a role to play in enhancing quality productions. As such, the authors state that the cause-and-effect diagram enables human resource managers to identify the problem, its causes and effects (Wallace and Stahl 37). After collecting this information, the managers can develop training programs which equip employees with the skills needed to ta ckle or avoid these potential problems in a timely and efficient manner. As such, these charts enable the human resource department to design policies that ensures that the workforce performs as expected and meets the client’s needs effectively. Flowcharts Flowcharts are schematic diagrams which indicate all the steps that should be followed in order to execute a process or operation efficiently (Wallace and Stahl 37). Wallace and Stahl state that flowcharts are a form of a visual tool that can be easily used and understood (38). By making these charts available at all operation sites, the human resource ensures that workers know what to do and how to address a problem if it arises. This is mainly due to the fact that flowcharts enable workers to develop clear mental images of how various tasks are supposed to be carried out. The provision of these charts enables human resource managers to promote quality productions because the flowcharts act as a point of reference to emplo yees who do not know what to do in various situations. Checklists Checklists are documents which contain a list of all known issues and the frequency of their occurrence. Wallace and Stahl state that these lists look simple at first glance but are quite effective when it comes to gathering information about the quality or defect of certain processes (38). Checklists may be used by human resource managers to identify and prioritize various potential issues that may affect the quality levels exhibited by an organization. Through this list, the human resource manager can make necessary changes, and decisions relating to which issue is most threatening and delegate qualified people to find a solution before things get out of hand. Customer Satisfaction Aspect of TQM As has been revealed within this research, TQM focuses on the strategies that can be implemented by organizations to ensure that they meet or exceed the consumer’s expectations and needs. TQM equips organizations with various tools and strategies that can be implemented to ensure that it meets the needs of its clients. To begin with, Kanji and Wallace reiterate that TQM requires organizations to do extensive research on its client’s needs and expectations. This can be done by establishing focus groups that gather information about the needs and expectations of a specific group of consumers (Kanji and Wallace 980). In addition, Kanji and Wallace assert that, TQM also enables organizations to collect more relevant information through consumer interviews, research on market trends and behaviors; and acts as a guide to which products or services an organization should produce (983). Similarly, TQM principles provide organizational employees with guidelines on the questions they should ask themselves and the clients in regards to the quality level they expect from a given product. Some of the questions incorporated within the TQM philosophy as regarding to customer satisfaction aim at finding out: who the customers are, their specific needs and specifications and methods of collecting this data (Lammermeyr 177). In addition, employees are able to evaluate whether they can meet such requirements and how they can measure their ability to satisfy those needs. On the same note, organizations are able to figure out whether or not, as well as their ability to monitor and continually meet the changing needs of their clients. In summary, TQM enables organizations to research, plan, implement, monitor and improve their processes such that they constantly and continually guarantee consumer satisfaction. TQM and sustained Organizational Growth Notably, TQM does not only focus on the quality of the products or services produced by an organization, but also, on the factors that affect the processes and people factor that work in a given organization. By using TQM tools and strategies such as the PDSA cycle, research methodologies, checklists and flowcharts among others, organizations are able to identify and meet the needs of their clients, pinpoint potential operational problems and defects that may affect the quality of the products or services produced and develop strategies to counter, mitigate or avoid them. In so doing, organizations implementing such strategies and tools enjoy a large market share, reduced cost of production, increased profits and a reliable consumer base. These are some of the core factors that ensure that an organization enjoys a sustainable growth regardless of the harsh situations presented by today’s business environments. In addition, TQM educates leaders and managers on the importance of various elements (consumers, suppliers, employee empowerment and organizational visions and cultures) that should be considered during the production of goods and services. By considering these elements, organizations are better placed to handle or avoid potential problems that may hinder the organizations from experiencing sustainable grow th. Similarly, TQM emphasizes on leadership, commitment, culture and communication as the key concepts that should be considered by organizations willing to succeed in their endeavors. If these concepts are efficiently implemented, they provide a recipe for organizational growth, competitive advantage, development and survival amidst changing business environment. Conclusion Managing the quality levels exhibited by an organization in terms of products, services and processes is seldom an easy undertaking and in many situations, businesses have failed in this regard due to lack of know-how by the business owners. As such, it is always important to ensure that the philosophy of TQM is implemented before an organization initiates a project, process or operation before pouring all its investments into it. On this note, this study has provided a detailed and informative guideline as to how business entities can apply TQM concepts in all their activities. Notably, most businesses aim at i ncreasing their profitability by either sales or profit maximization. These strategies may be effective in the short run but may fail to guarantee the organization its survival in trivial times. However, focusing all efforts towards meeting or exceeding the needs and expectations of the consumers ensures that the organization is on the first row in terms of sustainable growth, marketing and management strategies and supply of quality products and services. This research paper set out to explore the renowned philosophy of TQM. To this end, the evolutionary history and an overview of the same has been offered. In addition, the basic principles of TQM have been highlighted and discussed. Similarly, ways in which TQM addresses customer satisfaction, sustainable organizational growth and enhances human resource management as a tool for strategic management have also been addressed. As has been revealed herein, TQM has proven to be a cornerstone on which businesses can improve their perfo rmance and quality levels exhibited by their products and services. As such, business and organizational leaders should strive to ensure that their businesses utilize this viable concept. Bagad, Victor. Total Quality Management. USA: Technical Publications, 2008. Print. Barad, M., and Simon Dror. â€Å"Strategy maps as improvement paths of enterprises.† International Journal of Production Research 46.23 (2008): 6627 – 6647. Gilmore, Harold. â€Å"Product and Service Quality-The South Pacific Way, Fiji Islands: A Case Study.† Quality Engineering 11.2 (1998): 207 – 212. Print. DTI. Total Quality Management (TQM): From Quality to Excellence, 2009. Web. Kandampully Jay, Mok Konnie and Sparks Beverley. Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. London: Routledge, 2001. Print Kanji, Gopal, et al. â€Å"Performance Measurement and Business Excellence: The Reinforcing Link for the Public Sector.† Total Quality Management Business Ex cellence 18.1 (2007): 49 – 56. Print. Kanji, Gopal, and William Wallace. â€Å"Business excellence through customer satisfaction.† Total Quality Management Business Excellence 11.7 (2000): 979 – 998. Print. Lammermeyr, Horst. â€Å"Human relationships: the key to total quality management.† Total Quality Management Business Excellence 2.2 (1991): 175 – 180. Print. Lynch, Richard, and Lawrence R. Keating II. â€Å"Problem Solving Workshop Based on Total Quality Management (TQM) Principles.† The Serials Librarian 25.4 (1995): 353 – 356. Print. Maguad, Ben. â€Å"The modern quality movement: Origins, development and trends.† Total Quality Management Business Excellence 17.2 (2006): 179 – 203. Print. Mukherjee, Peter. Total Quality Management. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., 2006. Print. Rahman, Shams-Ur. â€Å"Total quality management practices and business outcome: Evidence from small and medium enterprises in Wester n Australia.† Total Quality Management Business Excellence 12.2 (2001): 201 – 210. Sower V. E. Essentials of Quality with Cases and Experiential Exercises. NY: John Wiley and Sons. 2010. Print Wallace, Thomas, and Robert A. Stahl. Sales forecasting: a new approach : why and how to emphasize teamwork, not formulas, forecast less, not more, focus on process improvement, not forecast accuracy. USA: T. F. Wallace CO, 2002. Print. Yong, Josephine, and Adrian Wilkinson. â€Å"Rethinking total quality management.† Total Quality Management Business Excellence 12.2 (2001): 247 – 258. Print.

Asias Economic Potential and Most about China

Asian countries look forward for a more favourable economic future. It is seen that the output can expand at a rate of 2 per cent every year if individual crisis is not met. With the discoveries of new resource frontiers and further development of advanced technology in source of energy and method processing, Asia cannot improve unless output grows (Atighechian et al., 2016). Under the conscious and skilful leadership, economic can change through a purposeful domestic action. Potential growth is determined by the supply of the economy. It particularly depends upon the changes in the structure of the economy like industrial employment, working-age population, share of net exports, export growth, share of foreign investment, GDP and human capital accumulation (Gillam & Siriwardena, 2013). Political landscape in Asia is evolving constantly throughout centuries. The dynamics within the regions of Asia like Japan, China, India, Singapore, etc. has ranged from vibrant multi party democrats to repressive regimes. The potential explode is contrary effecting the proliferation of cooperative multilateral mechanism to introduce peace (Atighechian et al., 2016). Many historical influences and contemporary issues have transformed Asia’s critical importance for long term U.S interests. NBR works assesses to render the in-depth analysis for policymakers and other business communities. Since Asia is affected by colonialism and imperialism, the governors retain close links with the states (Gillam & Siriwardena, 2013). As seen, China and India, Russia and Japan or North Korea and South Korea are moving towards peace treaty and greater co-operation and communication within the region of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Economic progress is highly essential to sustain political vigour including the national independence (Pestle, Crowley & Weirauch, 2014). China has experienced moderate growth in 2015, at 6.5%and is now gradually projected to a medium average of 6.2 in the coming 2016-20. There is this growing recognition of opportunity cost relating to intensive economic integration (Atighechian et al., 2016). Since the global economic outlook is volatile, it faces downside risks aroused from rising oil prices, protectionism, re-alignments, and etc. Also the underutilized capacity in engineering and construction industries is met. An intensive cooperation to match this capacity could put the region on a high growth trajectory and help Asia re-emerge as a centre of gravity in the world economic category The glittering cities and bustling ports bear record of calling Asia the ‘Asian Miracle’. Despite of gains many Asian countries fall victim to economic stagnation, social unrest and confront to crucial challenges that creates an unsustainable path to prosperity. Such challenges are persistent poverty, widening corruption and growing ethnic and religious conflicts (Gillam & Siriwardena, 2013). China has reported to change in the existing law to a two child policy to help address aging issues. This law was passed as a standing committee for couples now allowing having two children. Again Bangladesh women face region’s social progress; remuneration and treatment of gender for social justice according to gender equality and labour market launched at ADB’s headquarter Manila, Philippines. Asia has clearly identified a better way to understand technology adoption trend mostly in key Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets. As a result it influenced the assessing and profiling ownership for key consumer technologies, also identifying the technological adoption barriers. It also quantified the consumer purchase adding to buying behaviour and establishing priorities from a technology point of scale (Atighechian et al., 2016). Singapore is looking forward to build a smart nation using the block chain technology thereby replacing the central registries. This will lead the way in making a trusted, tamper proof depository publishing to a common platform, regulators or other interested parties and find real time trade. Asia developing economics face serious environmental problems that threaten its future growth, food security and regional stability. Endangered species problem, air pollution, coral reefs destruction, deforestation, water security, and increased urbanization has posed like an act of pulling people out of poverty and at an expense of local environment (Gillam & Siriwardena, 2013). This is acute for Southeast Asian nations because of their economic mostly the tourism sector that depends on their natural resources.   With fast, relevant and trusted legal advice on Asia’s corporate counsel, the change of foreign investment laws and its effect has turned its attention to Asia legal markets. Asia has explored few issues over successful efforts. Few are: lack of transparency and accountability, access to justice and human rights. Japan and Turkey have seized the potential growth seeking international capital and cross-border investments within (Atighechian et al., 2016). As complex transaction with offshore connection, Asia is sees the growing demand for offshore legal services in the region. Anyway the Chinese businesses have embraced the neutrality, flexibility and structured in accessing the international capital and in financing and trading transactions. This report is all about the analyse efforts of generative sectors that articulate domestic economic development with the creation of new systems of international economic and political relations. In conclusion the trade blocks association provide analysis to potential economic and social benefits through various pathways towards free trade areas thus identifying the challenges and realising the goals. Atighechian, G., Maleki, M. R., Aryankhesal, A., & Jahangari, K. (2016). Are Macro and Micro Environment Affecting Management of Fresh Water Resources? A Case from Iran with Pestle Analysis.  Materia Socio-Medica, 28(4), 307. Gillam, S., & Siriwardena, A. N. (2013). Leadership and management for quality.  Quality in primary care,  21(4), 253-259. Oey, E., & Nitihardjo, E. C. (2016). Selecting Regional Postponement Centre Using Pestle-Ahp-Topsis Methodology: A Case Study in a Pharmaceutical Company.  Global Business Review, 0972150916656696. Pestle, W. J., Crowley, B. E., & Weirauch, M. T. (2014). Quantifying inter-laboratory variability in stable isotope analysis of ancient skeletal remains.PloS one,  9(7), e102844. Visconti, R. M. (2016). Healthcare Public-Private Partnerships in Italy: Assessing Risk Sharing and Governance Issues with Pestle and Swot Analysis. Zalengera, C., Blanchard, R. E., Eames, P. C., Juma, A. M., Chitawo, M. L., & Gondwe, K. T. (2014). Overview of the Malawi energy situation and A Pestle analysis for sustainable development of renewable energy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews,  38, 335-347.

Scope statement of the Provision Healthcare Technologies Essay

Scope statement of the Provision Healthcare Technologies - Essay Example In this project, the authors are going to upgrade a new system for the better functionality of system and enhancement to the governmental standards. New government regulations have just been issued regarding patient safety. PROVISION must modify the wand software to incorporate this new functionality within six months or face steep fines. PROVISION has decided to move up its next wand release to meet the government deadlines. It has also decided to incorporate some new functionality and make some software fixes as part of this release. The scope of the PROVISION project is to modify the required software to incorporate this new functionality within six months will be defined. In this section, the authors will outline the main objectives that they have to achieve throughout the project lifecycle. This project will involve the following stockholders: Sales & Marketing department Product Distribution department Product manufacturing department Product Development Department PROVISION Healthcare Technologies manufactures Ltd. Governmental health care department Project manager General public Through this project implementation, the authors will be able to have more ways of doing the work regarding public health. Hereafter the modification of the old system they would have a government-established standard of public health care. This will also provide them a competitive edge in this market.  

Assessment 2 Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Assessment 2 - Case Study Example The indication is known as offer. An offer is an explicit or implied conduct by the offeror which indicates his willingness to commence a legal relationship with the offeree (Smith V Hughes). An offer must be accepted by the offeree. Acceptance creates a consensus ad idem which is the meeting of two minds and a binding contract is formed. The acceptance of an offer must be communicated by the offeree to the offeror. Communication of an acceptance is in different forms. However, acceptance through post comes with distinct rules. In Adams V Lindsell (1818), it was established that once an acceptance is posted by the offeree, there is a binding contract. In this case, Watertankz appears to be a business that deals with items Harry was interested in. After the contact between Harry and Watertankz, Watertankz made an explicit offer by telling Harry that they had the tanks he wanted and showed him how to make the purchase. This is a valid offer and Harry had the right to follow it up with an acceptance or not. Making such an offer in itself is an intention to create a legal relationship. According the the elements of contract law, Harry accepted the contract and this created a binding contract which effectively prevents Watertankz from revoking the contract without penalties. This is because according to the postal rule, an acceptance is made hence a binding contract is formed the moment an offeree posts his acceptance to the offeror. This therefore means that Harry gained legal rights the moment he mailed his acceptance to Watertankz. The offer made by Watertankz was accepted by Harry. This means that it is not legal for Watertankz to revoke the contract or opt out without incurring damages. The fact that prices are rising is not material in this sense. This is because Watertankz made the offer as an informed party and in this case, the concept of caveat emptor which requires them to be

The True Meaning of Terrorism Essay examples -- Terrorism Terrorist De

The True Meaning of Terrorism Think of the word terrorism. What is the first thing that comes to mind? One might think of kidnapping, assassination, bombing, or even genocide and guerrilla warfare. Because it is such a broad and complex issue, an all-encompassing definition is hard to formulate. The United States Department of Defence defines terrorism as†¦ The calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious or ideological. Terrorism, then, is a type of political crime that makes use of murder and destruction or the threat of such violence in order to promote change. It is a specific kind of calculated violence with a selected target. Targets can include individuals, groups, communities, or governments. In most cases, excessive violence is used against innocent people which creates a fear that the terrorist can use for coercive purposes. This "fear" is usually directed at someone other than the victim. "In other words, terrorism is a psychological act conducted for its impact on an audience."(1) Since terrorists need publicity to inspire fear, they often seek more unusual events that capture and hold public attention. Terrorism can be broken down into five main categories; Revolutionary, Political, Nationalistic, Nonpolitical, and State-Sponsored. "Revolutionary terrorists use violence as a tool to invoke fear in those in power and their supporters."(2) The goal for these terrorists is to implicate a government that would be more compliant to their needs. By using methods such as kidnapping, assassination, and bombing, revolutionary terrorists hope to provoke in... ...rrorism of genocide. Although the definition of terrorism is hard to pinpoint, I have outlined a general working definition for the purposes of the essay. As outlined, the forms of terrorism are extreme and varied. It is hoped that one day other forms of mediation and political resources will be more widely used and accepted in problem-solving so that acts of terrorism can be prevented and avoided. Bibliography Dabrowski, Mariusz, A Comprehensive Introduction To The Phenomenon Of Terrorism http://saber.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/terror/intro.html 1997. Distinctions and Varieties of Terrorism http://saber.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/terror/variety.html Siegel, Lany & McCormick, Chris. Criminology in Canada Toronto: Nelson 1999. The Basics of Terrorism, http://www.terrorism.com/terrorism/bpart6.html, Copyright Terrorism Research Center, Inc. 1997

Developing Ecotourism

Developing Ecotourism: The Prospect of Bakkhali Group Project prepared under Rajiv Gandhi Chair Preface This project has been prepared under the aegis of Rajiv Gandhi Chair in Eco -systems & Sustainable Development under the supervision of Professor Sarmila Banerjee by the Masters level students in Economics with specialization in Resource & Environmental Economics of the University of Calcutta. Prof. Banerjee has initiated us to the issues related to economy-environment interface and convinced us about the importance of the notion of ecotourism to help the entire process keep going.We are extremely grateful to Professor Banerjee for her active interest and caring support all throughout. In this backdrop we tried to collate information on different aspects of Ecotourism from our field trip to Bakkhali, a small part of the Sundarban mangrove forest ecosystem of West Bengal. We enjoyed our venture in this newly travelled terrain of environmental economics and learnt to search for infor mation from the internet, write brief descriptions of the issues, prepare presentation slides and fina lly to give an integrated shape to the entire project.Finally, it has been the collective contribution of all the students of this course of the batch 2010-2012. Semester IV Resource and Environmental Economics M. Sc. (Economics) University of Calcutta June 8, 2012 ii Table of Contents No. Contents Preface Table of Contents Ecotourism 1. 1 Different forms of Tourism in India 1. 2 Future prospects of Tourism 1. 3 Impacts of tourism 1. 4 Promoting ecotourism in India 1. 5 The principles adopted by those involved in Ecotourism 1. 6 Why ecotourism? Page No. ii iii – iv 1-8 2. Ecosystem Approach 2. 1 Ecosystem and its Importance . 2 Ecosystem Approach 2. 3 Implementation of Ecosystem Approach 9 – 11 3. Valuing Biodiversity 3. 1 Why value Ecosystem? 3. 2 Motivation for an economic evaluation of ecosystem services 3. 3 Biodiversity 3. 4 Valuation of Biodiversity 3. 5 Biodive rsity Mapping 12 – 15 4. People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) 4. 1 Objective of PBR formation 4. 2 Usefulness of PBR 4. 3 Information recorded in PBR 4. 4 Major ways of collecting data for PBR 4. 5 Interconnectedness in an Ecosystem 16 – 18 5. Sundarban – A Special Ecosystem 5. 1 Sundarban Eco – region: Introduction 5. 2Sundarban Freshwater Swamp Forests 5. 3 Sundarban Mangroves 5. 4 Sand – Dunes: Ecological Set – up 5. 5 Biodiversity of Sundarban 5. 6 Livelihood in Sundarban 5. 7 Utilization of Mangrove Resources Comprised 5. 8 Recent Developments & their Impacts 5. 9 Man-Animal Conflict 5. 10 Threats to Sundarban & Climatic Vulnerability 19 – 33 1. iii 6. Ecotourism in Bakkhali: A Fringe Part of Sundarban 6. 1 Bakkhali 6. 2 Accessibility 6. 3 Uniqueness 6. 4 Frasergunj, Henry Island & Jwambudwip 6. 5 Floral Diversity at Bakkhali & Henry Isand 6. 6 Faunal Diversity at Bakkhali & Henry Island . 7 Avian Diversity at Bakkhali & H enry Island 6. 8 Livelihood on Biodiversity 6. 9 Market Sharing 6. 10 Other Observations 6. 11 Threats from Tourism 6. 12 Our Suggestions iv 34 – 45 I. ECOTOURISM diversification to become one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world. Tourism has become a thriving global indu stry with the power to shape developing countries in both positive and negative ways. Consequently, it is the fourth largest industry in the global economy and in India it contributes to a large proportion of the National Income – 6. 3% to the national GDP and 8. 78% of the total employment; thus generating huge employment opportunities (Wikipedia). 1. 1 Different forms of Tourism in India The Indian government, in order to boost tourism of various kinds in India, has set up the Ministry of Tourism and Culture. T his ministry recently launched a campaign called ‘I bl I !’ ff y f I .T trend is moving toward niche segments of tourism (as shown in figure 1 below). Figure 1: D ifferent Forms of Tourism in India 1. 2 Future prospects of TourismAccording to the latest Tourism Satellite Accounting (TSA) research, released by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and its strategic partner Oxford Economics in March 2009: 1 ? The demand for travel and tourism in India is expected to grow by 8. 2 per cent between 2010 and 2019 and will place India at the third position in the world. ? India's travel and tourism sector is expected to be the second largest employer in the world. Considering the ever growing importance of this industry it is necessary we look for ways that will be sustainable in the long run. wikipedia) 1. 3 Impacts of tourism Positive Impacts 1. Generating Income and Employment: Tourism in India has emerged as an instrument of income and employment generation, poverty alleviation and sustainable human development. 2. Source of Foreign Exchange Earnings: Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange earnings in India. This has favourable impact on the balance of payment of the country. 3. Preservation of National Heritage and Environment: Tourism helps preserve several places which are of historical importance by declaring them as heritage sites.For instance, the Taj Mahal, the Qutab Minar, Ajanta and Ellora temples, etc, would have been decayed and dest royed had it not been for the efforts taken by Tourism Department to preserve them. Likewise, tourism also helps in conserving the natural habitats of many endangered species. 4. Developing Infrastructure: Tourism tends to encourage the development of mult ipleuse infrastructure that benefits the host community, including various means of transports, health care facilities, and sports centers, in addition to the hotels and high -end restaurants that cater to foreign visitors.The development of infrastructur e has in turn induced the development of other directly productive activities. 2 5. Promoting Peace and Stability: Honey and Gilpin (2009) suggests that the tou rism industry can also help promote peace and stability in developing country like India by providing jobs, generating income, diversifying the economy, protecting the environment, and promoting cross-cultural awareness. 6. Contributions to Government Revenues The Indian government through the tourism department also collect money in more far reaching and indirect ways that are not linked to specific parks or conservation areas.User fees, income taxes, taxes on sales or rental of recreation equipment, and license fees for activities such as rafting and fishing can provide governments with the funds ne eded to manage natural resources. Negative Impacts 1. Undesirable Social and Cultural Change: Tourism sometimes led to the destruction of the social fabric of a community. The more tourists come into a place, the more the perceived risk of that place losing its identity. 2. Increase Tension and Hostility: Tourism can increase tension, hostility, and suspicion between the tourists and t he local communities when there is no respect and f l y flf . T yf lead to violence and other crimes committed against the tourists. 3. Creating a Sense of Antipathy: Tourism brought little benefit to the local community. Moreover, large hotel chain restaurants often import food to satisfy foreign visitors and rarely emp loy local staff for senior management positions, preventing local farmers and workers from reaping the benefit of their presence. This has often created a sense of antipathy towards the tourists and the government. 4.Adverse Effects on Environment and Eco logy: One of the most important adverse effects of tourism on the environment is increased pressure on the carrying capacity of the ecosystem in each tourist locality. Increased transport and construction activities led to large scale deforestation and destabilisation of natural landforms, while increased 3 tourist flow led to increase in solid waste dumping as well as depletion of water and fuel resources. Flow of tourists to ecologically sensitive areas resulted in destruction of rare and endangered species due to trampling, killing, disturbance of breeding habitats.Noise pollution from vehicles and public address systems, water pollution, vehicular emissions, untreated sewage, etc. also have direct effects on bio -diversity, ambient environment and general profile of tourist spots. 5. Depletion of natural resources: Tourism development can put pressure on natural resources when it increases consumption in areas where resources are already scarce. 6. Destruction and Alteration of Ecosystem: Attractive landscape sites, such as sandy beaches in Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu; lakes, riversides, and mountain tops and slopes, are often transitional zones, characterized by species-rich ecosystems.The threats to and pressures on these ecosystems are often severe because such places are very attractive to both tourists and developers. Examples may be cited from Krushedei Island near Rameswar am. Moreover, habitat can be degraded by tourism leisure activities. For example, wildlife viewing can bring about stress for the animals and alter their natural behaviour when tourists come too close. Safaris and wildlife watching activities have a degrading effect on habitat as they often are accompanied by the noise and commotion created by tourists. Figure 2 shows the same impacts classified under many other categories.Thus, the value of the very environmental and socio cultural assets that attract travellers can erode over time. This is particularly the case where tourism development is unregulated, blinkered by volume growth, and focused only on short -term economic benefits. This is â€Å"unsustainable† and â€Å"irresponsible† and completely unacceptable in the 21st century. Tourism in India should be developed in such a way that it accommodates and entertains visitors in a way that is minimally intrusive or destructive to the environment and sustains & support s the native cultures in the locations it is operating in.Moreover, since tourism is a multi-dimensional activity, and basically a service industry, 4 Figure 2: Classification of Impacts of Tourism it would be necessary that all wings of the Central and State governments, private sector and voluntary organisations become active partners in the endeavour to attain sustainable growth in tourism if India is to become a world player in the tourism industry. Also, Eco tourism needs to be promoted so that tourism in India helps in preserving and sustaining the diversity of the India's natural and cultural environments. It can simply be summarized as shown in picture 1. 1. 1Promoting ecotourism in India Fundamentally, eco-tourism means making as little environmental impact as possible and helping to sustain the indigenous populace, thereby encouraging the preservation of wildlife and habitats when visiting a place. This is the respons ible form of tourism and tourism development, which enc ourages going back to natural products in every aspect of life. It is also the key to sustainable ecological development. The International Eco tourism Society defines eco-tourism as â€Å"responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. † ( wikipedia) Pictue 1: Eco-tourism – simply described The key players in the ecotourism business are governments at levels, the local authorities, the developers and the operators, the visitors, and the local community. Each one of them has to be sensitive to the environment and local traditions and follow a set of guidelines for the successful development of ecotourism. 1. 2 Principles adopted in Ecotourism The principles that are adopted by those who are involved in Eco -tourism can be listed as shown below: ? To minimize the negative impacts on environment. ? To build environmental and cultural awareness and respect ?To provide positive experienc es for both visitors a nd hosts ? To provide direct financial benefits for conservation ? To provide financial benefits a nd empowerment for local people ? To raise sensitivity to host countries' political, en vironmental, and social climate ? To support international human rights (www. ecotourism. org/what-is-ecotourism) 6 and labour agreements Scientific and research institutions and non-government organisations can also play some roles in promoting ecotourism: (i) Create awareness, among all concerned, about the importance of sound eco -practices in tourism development; ii) Motivate the local communit ies to increase their involvement in sustainable tourism activities; (iii) Organise training programs to prepare the local people to take up various vocations related to ecotourism (www. ecotourism. org/what-is-ecotourism) All these principles are summed up in figure 3, where their linkage is also shown with the arrow-heads. 6. Emphasizes the need for planning and sustainable growth of the tourism industr y 1. Avoid negative impacts on natural & cultural environment 2. Educates the traveller on the importance of conservation PRINCIPLES OF ECOTOURISM 5.Stressing the use of locallyowned facilities and services. 3. Directs revenues to the conservation of natural areas and the management of protected areas 4. Brings economic benefits to local communities Figure 3: Principles of Eco -tourism 1. 3 Why ecotourism? Most wilderness areas across India are fragile ecosystems that provide a whole host of ecosystem ser vices to local residents and people living downstream; and continue to remain important tourist attractions. However, unplanned tourism in such landscapes can destroy the very environment that attracts such tourism in the first place.Hence, there is a need to move towards a model of tourism that is compatible with these fragile landscapes. Such tourism is low impact, educational, and conserves the environment while directly benefiting the economic development of local communities. It has the 7 scope to link to a wider constituency and build conservation support while raising awareness about the worth and fragility of such ecosystems in the public at large. It also promotes the non-consumptive use of wilderness areas, for the benefit of local communities living around, and dependent on these fragile landscapes.Thus, tourism can be developed along with the conservation of the ecosystem. 8 II. ECOSYSTEM APPROACH 2. 1 Ecosystem and its importance Ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plants, animals & micro-organism communities & the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. And it is this interconnectedness that forms the striking feature of such a system. Healthy ecosystems are essential for human well-being, as they provide inva luable functions and services including sustaining living resources. The health of ecosystems is therefore not only essential to the environment, but also important to the existence and l y. T b f â€Å"E y A †. 2. 2 Ecosystem Approach Ecosystem approach is basically a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes not only conservation but also sustainable use in an equitable way. It is based on the application o f appropriate scientific methodologies focused on levels of biological organization, which encompass the essential structure, processes, functions and interactions among organisms and their environment. It recognizes that humans, with their cultural diver sity, are an integral component of many ecosystems.However, till date, it has not been possible to identify any particular form of this approach. Ecosystem approach is based on some principles which consider the economy to be anthropocentric. And since ecosystem is a rich resource for human society, the integrated management of the biotic and abiotic components must ensure sustained use so as to secure it for future generations. These principles state that the objectives of management of land, water and living resources are a matter of societal choice and management should be decentralized to the lowest appropriate level.This approach should be undertaken at the appropriate spatial and temporal scale because time and spatial dimensions are equally important. This approach should also consider all forms of relevant information including scientific, traditional and local knowledge, innovative 9 practices and most importantly, it should be open to changes. Finally, this should involve all relevant sectors of so ciety and scientific discipline s. 2. 3 Implementation of Ecosystem Approach The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) identifies three steps for the implementation of ecosystem approach.These steps are in accordance with the above mentioned principles (Figure 4). Let us describe these steps in more detail. Figure 4: Major Steps for Implementation of Ecosystem Approach (Adapted from R. Costanza et al. â€Å"The value of the Worl d’s ecosystem Services and Natural Capital†, Nature vol. 387(1997) Step A It deals with the most difficult issues of defining an ecosystem area; identifying th e stakeholders and developing a relation between the two. It is best to work simultaneously on defining the ecosystem area and determining the stakeholders who will support the selection and management of that area.Whether we start with area or with stake holders, 10 it will take substantial time and effort to achieve a workable fit. Howover, this step qualifies as the most important step because a proper management of the ecosystem by the stakeholders and a mutually beneficial relationship between the two can not only bring desirable results but also ensure harmonious coexistence. On the other hand, an improper management might lead to exploitation due to overuse and significant endangering of the ecosystem, disrupting its sustainability for future generations . Step BThis stage involves characterizing the struc ture and function of the ecosystem, and setting in place mechanisms to manage and monitor it. The most productive way involves scientists and local inhabitants working together , as the traditional and scientific knowledge are likely to be complementary, though different. Step C Step C essentially deals with reducing market induced distortions on ecosystem. Valuation in case of environmental good has always been a problem since these are non marketed goods. Hence market distortion should be corrected at an early stage.Here we may apply the concept of derived market to arrive at a proper valuation using correct market instruments-Mekong river basin case study showed overvaluation of dam and irrigation schemes. This should be corrected using best possible knowledge. The interlink age between the components should be properly identified while making the cost benefit analysis. Care should be taken to avoid over extraction of resources. Proper incentive should be created among the people for wise use of biodiversity. One may bring political will in necessary issues. 11 III. VALUING BIODIVERSITY 3. 1 Why to value Ecosystem?The services of ecological systems and the natural capital stocks that produce them l f f E ’ l f -support system. They contribute to human welfare, both directly and indirectly, and therefore represent part of the total economic value of the planet. For the entire biosphere, ,the current economic value of 17 ecosystem services for 16 biomes, based on published studies and a few original calculations, is estimated to be in the range of US$16–54 trillion per year, with an average of US$33 trillion per year. Because of the nature of uncertainties, this must be considered as a minimum estimate.Global gross national product total is around US$18 trillion per year. For example, the average forest benefit in the Med region amounts to about 1% of GDP. Indirect use value such as water-shed protection, contributes about 35% of total estimated value. ( Source: Adapted from R. Costanza et al. â€Å"T l f W l’ y S N lC l† N l. 387(1997)p. 256 table 2) 3. 2 Motivation for an economic evaluation of ecosystem services ? Ecosystems provide a wide array of goods and services of value to people. ? Provision of ecosystems services often is not factored into import ant decisions that affect ecosystems.Distortions in decision –making damage the provision of ecosystems services making human society and the environment poorer. (Valuing Ecosystem services—advantages & disadvantages of existing methodologies and application to PES by Daniel Perrot Maitre (Seminar on environment services and financing for the protection and sustainable use of ecosystem Geneva,10-11 October 2005;IUCN ) 3. 3 Biodiversity Variation in the living part of ecology is called â€Å"biological diversity† or â€Å"biodiversity†. This term is most commonly used to replace the more clearly defined and long established terms , species diversity and species richness.Biologists most often define 12 biodiversity as the â€Å"totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a region†. An advantage of this definition is that it seems to describe most circumstances and presents a unified view of the traditional three levels at which biological variety has been identified . (www. portal. gsi. gov. in/) There are three forms of biodiversity: Ecosystem diversity: It refers to the diversity of a place at the level of ecosystems ; the variety of species and ecological processes that occur in different physical settings.Species diversity: It is the effective number of different species that are represented in a collection of individuals (a dataset). Genetic diversity: It refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species (www. portal. gsi. gov. in/) Biodiversity is indeed a major contributor to the economy through the provision of many ecosystem goods and services. It is in trinsic to the values of beauty and tranquillity. Many Australians place a high value on native plants and animals, which contribute to a sense of cultural identity, spiritual enrichment and recreation.In fact, biodiversity is central to the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. There is also a link between biodiversity and livelihood. This is because a person's livelihood refers to â€Å"means of securing the necessities of life†. Th is extends to include social and cultural means, i. e. â€Å"the command an individual, family, or other social group has over an income and/or bundles of resources that can be used or exchanged to satisfy its needs. † For instance a fisherman's livelihood depends on the availability and accessibility of the diversity of fish.Therefore valuation of biodiversity is very important in our daily life. (www. portal. gsi. gov. in/) 3. 4 Valuation of Biodiversity The Value of Biodiversity (Figure 5) Includes both Use Values and Non-Use Values:? Use values include direct use (both consumptive and non-consumptive), indirect use, and option values 13 Direct-use Values: Hunting, direct -consumption (e. g. collection of berries, mushrooms, b l ll â€Å" ) ll â€Å" †; b y tourism †. – Indirect-use Values: Ecosystem services such as pollination, habitat for other species, sustaining food chains, and other uses are indirect -use values. Non-use values include bequest values and existence values (http://www. biospherenursery. com/pages/whatisabioscape. html ) Value of Biodiversity Present use value-market based Future use value-option value Direct use value -conscious Existenceexistence value Non use value -ignorant? Figure 5: Fragmented Value of Biodiversity 3. 5 Biodiversity Mapping Biodiversity mapping denotes the link between biodiversity and human diversity. It is recognizes the role- played by human diversity in biodiversity conservation.Cultural biodiversity also exists in towns as people use traditional medicines, eat traditional food, wear traditional cloth and can also have an intricate knowledge on culture and biodiversity. Categories of Biodiversity Mapping Bioscape: The term Bioscape f â€Å"l ff b lz l †; including human habitat (http://www. biospherenursery. com/pages/whatisabioscape. html). Landscape: Landscape ecology is described as a science that examines the appearance and patterns of land as a result of the interactions with its ecosystems. The relatively new 14 iscipline of landscape ecology provides insight into both landscape diversity and species diversity and suggests a theoretical and practical basis for conservation planning . Timescape: Timescape is the change in pattern over time. It documents landscape pattern, occurrence and exploitation of biological diversity and the dependence of community on the natural resources. IV. PEOPLE’S BIODIVERSITY REGISTER (PBR) P l’ B yR (PBR) is a documented register containing compr ehensive information on the availability and knowledge of the local biological resource, their use and traditional folklore associated with them.It is one of the significant steps for conservation of biodiversity through sustainable management using indigenous knowledge. 4. 1 Objectives of PBR formation ? To claim justified benefit sharing by the local people for any commercial use of their BD resources. ? To explore enterprises based on their BD resources ? To develop exhaustive data base to help effective intervention for development & conservation Along with this information, the Register will also contain extensive annotations on the landscape of the area, present land use pattern, and some over timescape. 4. 2 Usefulness of PBR Preparation of Biodiversity Register is an attempt to realize the bio diversity at Local Self Government level, States and the whole Country. ? This will also provide information on the current utilization patterns of biodiversity, its economic benefits to the local communities. 4. 3 Information recorded in PBR 15 The information contained in PBR is not only confined to a list of species available in an area but a comprehensive report on the species, their habit, biological produce, their associated market price, harvesting & transport of the produce, regulation on harvesting, technology, l’ y f ocal level management, landscape related data, over a time span and so on. These information are being documented under landscape, lifescape, peoplescape, and t imescape. Thus, f l’ biodiversity register includes: ? knowledge of local biological resources, their traditional knowledge associated with them, ? data about the local aid & practitioner uses of biological resources, ? details about biological resources & knowledge. 4. 4 Major ways of Collecting Data for PBR ? Interviews of individual ? Group interviews ? Few observation by volunteers and technical support group ? Existing official document 4. Interconnectedness in an Ecosystem 5. PAYMENTECOSYSTEM SERVICES 4. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 1. BIODIVERSITY ECOSYSTEM 3. LIVELIHOOD DEPENDENCE 2. ECO-TOURISM Figure 6: Interconnectedness in a Ecosystem 16 Humans are now most concerned with the exploitation and preservation of the biotic constituents for commercial harvest and recreation. To achieve these goals, we must be aware of the interconnectedness of the ecosystem which exhibits not only the characteristics of its components, but also characteristics of its own which arise from combinations and interactions of the components (as shown in figure 6).The interconnected mesh can be more clearly explained as: b iodiversity is the living part of ecosystem – with biodiversit y eco-tourism can be developed – eco (tourism) is a major source of livelihood – ecosystem also provides various kinds of services correspond to livelihood and biodiversity – thus payment for ecosystem services – this in turn can help in preserving the biodi versity. 17 V. SUNDARBAN – A Special Ecosystem Map 1: Sundarban Eco-region 5. 1 Sundarban Eco-region: IntroductionThe Sundarban Delta Complex (map 1), having geo-genetic link to the tectonic Bengal Basin, geographically extends over the eastern India (40%) and Bangladesh (60%). It is characterized by prolific growth of rich and diversified mangrove vegetation and forms an integral down drift coastal part of the Bengal Delta Complex that overlies huge thickness of Tertiary marine sediments of the actively subsiding Bengal Basin. It is a cluster of 102 miracle islands, form the largest mangrove delta complex on the globe in 18 he estuarine phase of the Ganges and Brahmaputra Rivers, and constitute a unique Biosphere Reserve in the coastal Bay of Bengal. The deltaic complex was declared a reserved forest in 1875-76, under the Forest Act, 1865. A Forest Division was created in 1879 with headquarters in Khulna. The Reserve Forest has been nominated for recognition as a Ramsar Site (A Wetland of International Importance). (www. portal. gsi. gov. in/) â€Å"Sundarban† literally means â€Å"beautiful jungle or forest† in Bengali language. The name Sundarbans may also have been derived from the Sundari trees (dominant species) that are omnipresent in this region.This is a region of transition of fresh Ganga water and saline water of Bay of Bengal. Sundarban ecoregion features two characters — forest ecosystem and sand dunes. The forest ecosystem can again be divided into two clusters: freshwater swamp forests and mangroves. 5. 2 Sundarban freshwater swamp forests The Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests lay between the upland lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests and the brackish-water Sundarban mangroves bordering the Bay of Bengal. These are tropical a nd subtropical moist broad-leafed brackish swamp forests.The fertile soils of the delta have been subject to intensive human use for centuries, and the eco-region has been mostly conv erted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves of forest remaining. This eco-region is nearly extinct due to large-scale deforestation and settlement by human. 5. 3 Sundarban Mangroves Mangrove forest (picture 2) is a woody community that can be periodically submerged in sea water of the inter-tidal zone of tropical regions . They are the second highest source of primary production next to rainforests. They produce high detritus and release nutrients which are a food source of variety of organism.Mangroves provide homes to variety of marine and terrestrial organisms. They act as nurseries and feeding grounds for many fish, shrimp and crustaceans and non-resident fish enter the mangroves to feed at high . M l y 19 f fb ’ . They not only provide a wealth of b yb l f l’ food web. As with most ecosystems, an intricate relationship exists between mankind and mangrove. Many indigenous costal residents rely on mangroves to sustain their traditional cutlass. They have been sustainably used for food production, medicines, fuel wood, and fishery and construction materials.They are important inter tidal estuarine wetlands along the coast line of tropical and sub-tropical region; are exposed to autersopogenic contamination fro m tidal water, river water and land based sources and Sundarban mangrove ecosystem being no exception. Picture 2: Trees of Sundarban Mangrove Special Feature of Mangrove Ecosystem 1. Adaptations to low oxygen : Red mangroves, which can survive in the most inundated areas, prop themselves above the water level with stilt roots and can then absorb air through pores in their bark (lenticels).Black mangroves live on higher ground and make many pneumatophores (specialised root -like structures which stick up out of the soil like straws for breathing) which are also covered in lenticels. These â€Å"breathing tubes† typically reach heights up to thirty centimeters, and in some species, over three meters. There are four types of pne umatophore — stilt or prop type, snorkel or peg type, knee type, and ribbon or plank type. Knee and ribbon types may be combined with buttress roots at the base of the tree. The roots also contain wide aerenchyma to facilitate transport within the plant. 2.Limiting water loss: Because of the limit ed fresh water available in salty intertidal soils, mangroves limit the amount of water they lose through their leaves. They 20 can restrict the opening of their stomata (pores on the leaf surfaces, which exchange carbon dioxide gas and water vapour during photosynthesis). They also vary the orientation of their leaves to avoid the harsh midday sun and so reduce evaporation from the leaves. Anthony Calfo, a noted aquarium author, observed anecdotally a red mangrove in captivity only grows if its leaves are mis ted with fresh water several times a week, simulating the frequent tropical rainstorms. . Nutrient uptake: The biggest problem that mangroves face is nutrient uptake. Because the soil is perpetually waterlogged, there is little free oxygen. Anaerobic bacteria liberate nitrogen gas, soluble iron, inorganic phosphates, sulfides, and methane, which makes the soil much less nutritious. Pnuematophores (aerial roots) allow mangroves to absorb gases directly from the atmosphere, and other nutrients such as iron, fro m the inhospitable soil. Mangroves store gases directly inside the roots, processing them even when the roots are submerged during high tide. Evolution of MangrovesFrom low tidal mudflat via high tidal mudflat with mangroves to shrimp pond, sandy silt content is lightly increasing. The content of macro elements and minerals is almost unchanged after depth as results of fairly stable, sedimentary source chronologically. Geochemical sedimentary evo lution is visually reflected in the regularly changing in geochemical indices, the content of nutrients and heavy metals. Mangroves often take shape in high tidal mudflat of estuaries, in where, sedimentary environment with fine grain is favourable for mangrove seeds to be stored, spring up and photosynthesiz e.In return, the formation and development of mangrove forests, as a sedimentary trap, make the sedimentary environment more favourable for depositing of fine grain sediments rich in clay minerals. Sedimentary deposition rate in mangrove forest tends to be higher than in Thus, these processes are natural companion of the environmental transform from low tidal mudflat without mangroves (permanently being under water) into high tidal mudflat covered with mangroves (alternatively being under water). The evolution is depicted in the figure 7 below. 21 Figure 7: Evolution of MangrovesThe transform of low tidal mudflat without mangroves into high tidal mudflat is characterized by a little increase in content of Fepyrite, Statal, Spyrite, Sreduction. The raising in amount of sulphurs can be understood as consequence of higher amount of mangrove root, which is the main sulphur source. Th e content of sulphurs increase after sedimentary depth in low tidal mudflat is more intensively than that in high tidal mudflat. This may also relate to increasing sulphur source in tidal mudflat. In addition, var iation coefficients of sulphurs content in mangrove forest sediment are higher than those in low tidal mudflat.Thus, the transform process through these two environments leads to stronger sulphurs differentiation. Under the right conditions like the formation of a mud -flat, growth of mangroves is initiated. Stabilization of mud-flats is a preliminary process in the establishment of mangroves. Pioneer plant species initiate this process. The roots of these plants help in binding the soil and also help the establishment of micro -organisms which further help in stabilizing the area. Stabilization starts from the land side and gradually shifts towards the sea.The pioneer plants are spec ies like Porterasia coarctata and some members of the Cyprus family. These are slowly rep laced by other mangrove plants and then these mangroves gradually spread towards the sea. Once mangroves grow, the submerged banks are fully stabilized. Then the plant s slowly reach a stage which is called the climax vegetation. A climax vegetation of mangroves is represented by the complete circle of life where there are different species of plants, animals (both terrestrial and aquatic) and micro -organisms forming an ecosystem called the tropical salt marsh or the mangrove ecosystem.In case the sediments are not 22 stabilized, submerged banks are washed out. Thousands of deltas are formed and washed out every year before they can be stabilized. In the Gangetic delta this situation is quite common. Zonation in mangrove 1. Proximal Zone (Front mangroves): This zone is towards water front, subject to regular tidal effect where intensity of soil accumulation and inundation is a continuous process. The mangrove species in this zone are specially adapted with stilt roots, prop roots f or stability and anchorage. Main species with these features are Rhizophora apiculata and Rhizophora mucronata.On rocky and coral reef substrata, Avicennia Spp, Sonneratia Caseolaris are also found. Both Avicennia and Sonneratia produce pneumatophores. 2. Middle Zones (Mid mangroves): Above the Rhizophora/ Avicennia line luxuriant group of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, B. Cylindrica, Lumnitzera racemosa, L. littoralis, Ceriops tagal and Aegiceras corniculatum occur. Ceriops and Bruguiera develop a strong hold fast in the form of knee roots or bent roots as a special adoption for supporting the erect bole. 3. Distal Zone (Back mangroves): Towards island area mangroves like Excoecaris agallocha, Heritiera littoralis and Xylocarnus spp occur.Both Heritiera and Xylocarpus produce buttresses. Generally the salinity is on lower side in this zone occurring towards hill sides where run off of fresh water is for a prolonged period. The duration of tidal submersion is low in this zone compared to fr ont mangroves. However, the zonation in mangroves is not so simple and varies from place to place. Every species has its own level of salinity tolerance. Estuaries on east coast show distinct zonation. The high salinity range on the east coast estuaries may be the principal reason for distinct zonation there.The range and force of tidal action also play a determinant role in creation and maintenance of zones as distribution of seeds or propagules is influenced by tidal action. Also, tides do influence the salinity in an estuary. Land Formation in mangrove ecosystem 23 During high tide silts take a way into the creeks. And when low tide starts the water recedes but the silts are deposited. This is the natural way of sedimenta tion. In this way the land is formed in mangrove ecosystem (figure 8 (a)). But the newly formed land is fragile in nature. Additionally the seeds of mangroves fall on this area and there they grow up.The roots of mangrove with its special characteristics hold up the soil. This prevents soil erosion and holds up the land. And the settlement grows around that. This is used for cultivation also. When embankment is built artificially to cultivate and to protect the land from being flooded the natural process o f land formation is hampered. Silt deposition does not take place. Also the mangroves which used to be there die down. The land becomes more fragile and during high tide or during flood the water table increases more than it would previously. The purpose of embankment fails here.It hampers the natural land formation and also destroys the mangrove ecosystem (figure 8 (b)). (a) (b) Figure 8: (a) Natural Land Formation and (b) Land Formation Due To Embankment in Mangrove Ecosystem 5. 4 Sand-Dunes: Ecological set-up At the most basic level dunes are simply piles of sand. Wind and waves transport sand onto the beach forming dunes. It results from stabilization of transported sediment, sea weed, debris by vegetation. It is also related to tida l fluctuation. Further accretion results in beach elevation. Migrating dunes helps to keep habitation being exposed to sea.Dune ridges are formed by surface wind w ith velocity more than 4. 5 m/s when sand sized 24 particles move by siltation. Travelling dunes bury areas in eroding coast. In stable coast dunes stabilize 90o to wind direction. Sand tends to be blown from the windward face and to accumulate on the leeward side. Dunes (picture 3) are found in Sundarban ecosystem which help protects mangroves. Tidal flow causes the formation of the mangrove and the formation of the sand dunes is caused by the wind flows. Thus tidal flow and wind flow works together in Sundarbans and creates the special features of this region, i. . , mangroves and sand dunes which lead to the formation of the beach. The beach here is rich in biodiversity and Sundarban is developing a very good kind of beach-centric ecotourism. Picture 3: Sand-dunes of Sundarban Eco-system 5. 5 Biodiversity of Sundarban A brief account of the floral and faunal diversity in Sundarban is shown in the picture 4 below. Some common mangrove species can be jotted down as: ? Hatal(Phoenix paludosa) ? Genwa (Excoecaria agallocha) ? Dhundul(Xylocarpus granatum) ? Kankra (Bruguirea gymnorrhiza) ? Champa(Bruguiera parviflora) ? Dhani ghas (Porteresia coarctata) Garjan (Rhizophora apiculata) ? Keora (Sonneratia apelata) ? Sundari tree (Heritiera fomes) ? Golpati( Nypa frutcans) (www. portal. gsi. gov. in/) 25 There are also many faunal species in this region: (www. portal. gsi. gov. in/) BENGALTIGER (Panthera tigris tigris): At present there are about 250-300 tigers in Sundarban. This is the nominate species of the eight sub-species of tigers found in the world. Tigers are the apex predat ors of this mangrove eco -system. They are right at the top of the food chain. The Sundarban t igers are extraordinary beasts.Perfectly at home both on land and water, it is known to cross more than one river at time to find food. The Sundarban tiger preys mainly on cheetal or spotted deer, wild boar, goats and livestock. It is a nocturnal and ambush predator. Picture 4: Sundarban Ecosystem Biodiversity JUNGLE CAT (Felis chaus): This is a stout bodied cat found in Sundarbans. It is a nocturnal animal which preys on small animals. This cat is often met with in Sundarbans. It is a good climber and an ambush predator. LEOPARD CAT (Felis bengalensis): This cat is an agile climber and a good swimmer. It preys on birds, bats, hares and fawns.FISHING CAT (Prionailurus viverrina): This is a powerfully built cat. It is a nocturnal predator and an expert swimmer. It is known to dive in water to catch fish hence the 26 name. It also preys on small and medium size animals such as wild pigs and cheetal fawns. WILD BOAR (Sus scrofa): This animal is often seen in Sundarbans. This is a heavily built animal. It is basically a herbivore but is also known to take small animals, insects and even carrion. This animal also a cts as a prey species for the tiger. CHEETAL OR SPOTTED DEER (Axis axis): This is the only deer found in Sundarban.It is also the most common deer in India. It is a herbivore. This animal is the major prey for the tigers. It is commonly seen near water holes. COMMON KRAIT (Bungarus caeruleus): This is the most venomous snake in India. This is strictly nocturnal snake. It feeds mainly on snakes. BLACK CAPPED KINGFISHER (Halcyon pileata): This is a common bird of the Sundarbans. Seen frequently on river banks. It feeds mainly on fish and crabs. GOLIATH HERON (Ardea goliath): This common bird of Sundarbans is huge in appearance. It is a solitary creature. It feeds mainly on fish and frogs.LESSER ADJUTANT STORK (Leptoptilos javanicus): Normally solitary. Feeds on fish, frogs and reptiles. BRAMHINY KITE (Haliastur indus): This is a raptor which is often found besides water bodies such as lakes, pools, ponds and rivers. It feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, small mammals and bats. In addition to this Sundarban has few species of sharks the most common being the INDIAN DOG SHARK (Scoliodon laticaudus): There are also dolphins to be found in Sundarbans the most common being the Gangetic dolphin (Platinista gangetica) to name a few. COMMON KRAIT (Bungarus caeruleus): This is the most venomous snake in India.This is strictly nocturnal snake. It feeds mainly on snakes. 27 BLACK CAPPED KINGFISHER (Halcyon pileata): This is a common bird of the Sundarbans. Seen frequently on river banks. It feeds mainly on fish and crabs. GOLIATH HERON (Ardea goliath): This common bird of Sundarbans is huge in appearance. It is a solitary creature. It feeds mainly on fish and frogs. LESSER ADJUTANT STORK (Leptoptilos javanicus): Normally solitary. Feeds on fish, frogs and reptiles. BRAMHINY KITE (Haliastur indus): This is a raptor which is often found besides water bodies such as lakes, pools, ponds and rivers.It feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, small mammals and bats. INDIAN DOG SHARK (Scoliodon laticaudus). There are also dolphins to be found in Sundarbans the most common being the Gangetic dolphin (Platinista gangetica) to name a few. 5. 6 Livelihood in Sundarban Agriculture is the main occupation of the local people. Rain-fed, mono-cro â€Å" † paddy is grown in t his area. Before the introduction of HYVs, they cultivated salt tolerant varieties of rice like Paknai, Barhal, Talmugur, Gopalbhog, Gulshi, Bolan etc. Occasional inundation of paddy fields by brackish water gave rise to a paddy-cum-fishery system.During agricultural lean period, locals get involved in fishing, honey collection. 49% of the households directly extracted forest resources for their livelihood, including 98 % of the landless forest fishers. Almost all remaining households depended partly on the forest resources. The forest fishers, traders and some of the labourers directly depended on forest resources, earning money from either selling or processing these resources. Most of the farmers and service holders depended on forest resources indirectly because they used forest resources for their households (for food, fuelwood, building materials etc).It was a clear trend that the higher the household income, the higher the dependency on forest resources. Main livelihood percent of households: Fishery-32, Farming-25, Labour-15, Trade-13, Service-5, Other-10. Some livelihood forms are shown in picture 5. 28 C Picture 5: Some Livelihood Forms in Sundarban 5. 7 Utilization of mangrove resources comprised †¢F :F †¢F l †¢ F y ll †¢B l y b .; from various trees; ; l :G l ( y l) b . There are some medicinal plants in the mangroves, but t hese are not utilized. Most of the households depended entirely on fu el wood for cooking.This demand causes rapid depletion of forest and consequently the ecosystem, as well as air pollution and health problems. Once upon a time logging was practiced in felling mode, but now in selective mode. When carried out in felling mode, t he result can be er osion of the exposed ground and impoverishment of the soil within the affected area. In se lective mode, as carried out at present, the removal of many valuable species can still damage the ecosystem, and in this mode, the space of the removed individual tr ees may be taken by other, less valuable, species. In either case, the forest resources become less valuable.Fish is the potential source of protein of the people of Bangladesh. Many people of the Sundarban households totally depend on fishing, usually by nets that are very effective but catch all fishes. Sometimes po isoning is applied, with severe environmental impacts. Tourists can enjoy the sight of fishing by trained otters. Shrimp cultivation is profitable business, and is totally dependent on natural fry. People collect fry from the river by nets of small mesh, with severe consequences to a multitude of other species. 5. 8 Recent Developments and their impacts 29Recent introduction of HYV seeds has led to increased dependence on chemical fertilizers, pesticides & external sources of seeds dominated by corporate sector. M f HYV’ b f f. Occurrence of recent cyclones made them realise the need for preservation & cultivation of indigenous species. Lack of alternate emplo yment opportunities, loss of land, population pressure & poverty increases the dependence on forest for timber & Non-Timber Forest Produces (NTFPs). Destructive capture method of tiger prawn culture has replaced the traditional aquaculture in paddy fields. Corporate sector is making money, Meendharas are being employed.Over 1000 juveniles of other fish species are destroyed to catch a single tiger prawn seedling (DISHA, 2006). W f l b b ’l l b en subjected to uncertainty. What they could obtain for their livelihood from the forest easily, is now restricted. This poses a difficulty for their subsistence. So they get involved in illegal cutting which adversely affect the ecosystem. 5. 9 Man-animal Conflict Local people in Sundarban are immensely dependent on the forest for their day to day activities and also for their living. Honey collectors, wood cutters, leaf collectors and fishermen are sometimes killed by tiger inside the forest.Sundarban tig er treats human as a normal prey in forest. Every village in fringes have large number of widows of tiger . T f y ‘B b b ’ (picture 6) ‘D k y’ irrespective of all religions. To reduce potential tiger attack, t hey experiment with Human Masks (picture 7) at the back of their head. 30 Picture 6: Bonbibi Picture 7: Human Masks 5. 10 Threats to Sundarban and climatic vulnerability ? Recurrent coastal flooding (picture 8) due to climate change (global warming) causes changes in sea level (rise in sea level). 26 Picture 8: Effects of Coastal Flooding Reduced flow of sweet water into Sundarban mangrove system. ? Extension of non-forestry land use into mangrove forest. ? The Barrier: a) Man-animal conflict: Straying of ti gers into villages. b) Human-human conflict: Villagers Vs. foresters. ? Population pressure and increased demand for small timber and fuel wood for local consumption. ? Poaching of tiger, spotted deer, wild boar, marine ? Uncontrolled collection of prawn seedlings. ? Uncontrolled fishing in the water of Reserve forests. 31 turtles, horse-shoe crab etc. ? Continuous trampling of river/creek banks by fishermen and prawn seed collectors. Chemical pollution through marine paints and hydrocarbons & also agricultural run-off containing chemical fertilizers & pesticides. ? Lack of employment opportunities in the forest fringe areas, locals moving to adjacent states for jobs, girl trafficking. ? Organizational and infrastructural deficiencies lead to corporate extortion in agriculture & aquaculture. ? Tourism can be viewed as one such threat to the ecosystem. Tourism has its negative impacts on the ecosystem which are pressure on carrying capacity of the ecosystem which may sometime leads t o deforestation & destruction of endangered species.Environmental pollution & depletion of natural resources are seen almost everywhere with more tourist visit. 32 VI. ECOTOURISM at BAKKHALI: A fringe part of Sundarban 6. 1 Bakkhali Bakkhali is a coastal area in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India (map 2). It is located on one of the many deltaic islands spread across southern Bengal. This small island juts out into the vast expanse of the Bay o f Bengal. It has a 7 k m long beach stretching from Bakkhali to Frasergunj, a twin beach with gently rolling waves. Casuarina trees line up the beach like guarding wall, which adds up to the beauty of the beach. wikipedia) 6. 2 Accessibility By road Map 2: Bakkhali, a small part of South-West West Bengal It is 125 km by road from Joka tram terminus. The road runs through Diamond Harbour and Kakdwip to Namkhana, where the car o r bus has to be transported across the Hatania-Doania creek in a special ferry. The ferry service is av ailable from 7AM -11PM except from 12 noon till 1:45PM (lunch hour). The fare for crossing a Car/Jeep is approx Rs 160 + Rs 30 toll (including loading/unloading). 33 By bus WBSTC has regular bus service from Esplande to Bakkhali(150 kms).One starts at 7AM in the morning from Esplande and reaches Bakkhali at around 11:30AM and leaves from Bakkhali after half an hour for Kolkata (Esplande). By train The nearest rail station is at Namkhana. There are regular trains from Sealdah via Lakshmikantapur and Kakdwip to Namkhana. The first train starts at around 4AM from Sealdah. Train fare is around Rs 22 and the journey takes around 3 hrs. From Namkhana station you will get a van rickshaw to reach the place from where you need to cross a narrow creek in a small boat. Van fare is Rs 5 per head or Rs 30 if you reserve a van and for crossing the creek you need to pay Rs 1.Then from the bus stand one can get buses for Bakkhali which take around 45mins to 1hr and their fare is Rs 13. The Bakkhali bus stand is very close to all the hotels and just a 5 min walk from the beach. This place is competing with other beach tourist spots – Digha, Mandarmani, Sankarpur. It is good for overnight stay. 6. 3 Uniqueness The slope of Bakkhali is towards the sea hence it is less prone to tidal waves. It is not difficult to observe various invertebrate species like crabs, sea animal, starfish etc. , which were observed along the shore line.While bigger crabs live in the dry sand further away from the sea, the smaller ones live in the muddy shores nearer to the sea. Various species l k ‘S of m ’ ‘H l’ ‘G l ’ ‘H j ’ ‘K k ’ K ’ ‘G ’ . found here. Due to its sandy habitat, Xerophytic vegetation is found here. Also because of its unique flora and fauna, Bakkhali attracts many migratory birds. Its mud banks provide the birds a perfect ground for foraging on the marine invertebrates. For all these natural b iodiversity, Bakkhali attracts lots of tourists. 34 The Forest Department maintains a mangrove trail which is also a source of attraction for tourists.This growth of lucrative tourism again attracts not only private Picture 9: Notable Features of Bakkhali Beach investment (hotel business) but also migrants (some people who work in hotels, sells fast food near the beach etc. ) from fringe areas. Such in surge often creates ecological imbalances. Most of the inhabitants in Bakkhali are migrants settled from Midnapore and Bangladesh (although quite a large no of people can be found as aborigine). Both spring & neap tides are observed in the region, though the duration of high tide is only a few hours in a day.Coastal landforms include: back dunal mudflats, back-swamps coast-parallel older stabilized dune ridges & younger mobile dunes. Low gradient supratidal and inter-tidal beaches with mud bank, tidal flats etc. & offshore bars develop locally in patches in the moist and depressed are as. The sand dunes serve an important function by acting as a barrier between the sea and the habitat near the sea thereby protecting them. These notable features of Bakkhali beach are shown in picture 9. 6. 4 Frasergunj, Henry Island and JwambudwipFish trawlers anchor in Frazergunj Fishing Harbour (picture 10) as co-operative fishing is carried out here under Benfish. Dominant species that are harvested in winter are prawn, promfret and marine bhetki. Marine bhetki is the most valuable species because of its consumption and medicinal values (liver oil and capsule coating are highly demanded by pharmaceutical industries). Entry fee is imposed to restrict entry in Henry Island (picture 11). Fresh water aquaculture (â€Å"b †) .T f we can get an overview of the mangrove canopy. Jambudwip is a deserted island where drying of fishes is practiced (sutki industry).This is mainly an export industry which leads to high export earnings. 35 Picture 10: Frasergunj Picture 11: Henry Isla nd 6. 5 Floral Diversity at Bakkhali & Henry Island (picture 12) Name Scientific Name Location Characteristics Use-Values Gewa Excoecaria agallocha Leaves become orange when rather mature. The timber is used for making wood-charcoal and fire-crackers. Kankra Bruguiera gymnorrhiza Rhizophora apiculata Blume Aegiceras corniculatum West Bengal Govt. Forest Range, Bakkhali. Do. Do. It has breathing roots. Do. It bears small white flowers. Do. Pneumatophores are prominent. Three types of Baen: a) Piyara Baen. b) Kalo Baen. ) Sada Baen. Garjan Kholshi. Baen. Avicennia alba Blume(kalo baen) Avicennia marina (Forsk. ) Vierh. (piyara baen) Chionlata. Goran. Do. Hargoja. Acanthus illicifolius Do. Hental. Phoenix paludosa Roxb. Casuarina sp Famous for good-quality nectar, yielding good quality honey. Source of animal fodder. In humans, it has medicinal use as an antidiabetic. Do. Eucalyptus. Ceriops tagal (Perr. ) Robinson(Motth goran) Eucalyptus obliqua Do. Jhau It has red flowers. It has lon g and thin thorns. Types of Goran:Motth Goran,Jelly Goran. Exotic species from Australia. It has a long, white trunk. Do. It is a shrub having small and sharp thorns.It has thin and long thorns, looks like a short palm. It has long slender leaves. Do. 36 Used in paper & textile industry, also has medicinal values. Provides a camouflaging background for tiger. The dry leaves are used as fuel for cooking. Golpata. Nypa fruticans (Thunb. ) Wurmb. Do. Looks like a short palm tree. Leaves are used as thatching material. Picture 12: Floral Diversity at Bakkhali & Henry Island 6. 6 Faunal Diversity at Bakkhali & Henry Island (picture 13) Name Scientific Name Category Location Characteristics Green Bee Eater Rufous Treepie. Whimbrel. Avifauna (Aves) Do. Green in colour with a long slender beak.White-throated Kingfisher. Spotted deer Estuarine crocodile. Hermit crab. Do. Sea Beach, Bakkhali. W. B. Forest Range, Bakkhali. Sea Beach, Bakkhali. W. B. Forest Range, Bakkhali. Do. Do. Do. Axis axi s Mammal. Reptile. Arthropod. Red Crab. Ocypode sp. Do. Sea Beach, Bakkhali. Do. Sand-bubbler crab. Fiddler crab. Dotilla sp. Do. Do. Uca spp. Do. Marine worm. Diopatra cuprea Annelid. Sea Beach, Bakkhali. Star fish. Jelly fish. Asterias sp. Metridium sp. Echinoderm. Cnidarian. Do. Do. 37 Long tail with black, brown & white colours. Curved beak, white & brown in colour. Colourful (blue,red) with red long beak,built for catching fishes.

Financial Plan for a Business Startup - 797 Words

Financials Any startup business will typically want to have a financial plan. This plan should include a pro forma income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. These statements will naturally be built on a set of assumptions. The assumptions are as follows: Revenue. There is a fleet of 4 vehicles and expected revenue is $200 per vehicle per day, seven days per week. Capacity will be at 50% initially, gradually increasing to 90% by the end of the first year. Auto Expenses. This includes fuel, washing, maintenance, registration, airport fees, insurance and other costs of goods sold. Limousine Company Pro Forma Income Statement Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2013 Revenue 12000 13000 14000 15000 16000 20000 18000 19000 19500 20000 21000 21600 209100 Auto Expenses 2662 2700 2800 2900 2950 3200 3000 3100 3150 3200 3250 3300 36212 Wages 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 9584 115008 Advertising 161 161 161 161 161 161 161 161 161 161 161 161 1932 Depreciation 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 2500 30000 Interest 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 3333 39996 Miscellaneous 395 395 395 395 395 395 395 395 395 395 395 395 4740 Income -6635 -5673 -4773 -3873 -2923 827 -973 -73 377 827 1777 2327 -18788 The company would turn a profit in its second year: Pro Forma Income Statement Jan 2014 Revenue 259200 Auto Expenses 39600 Wages 115008 Advertising 1932 Depreciation 30000 Interest 39996Show MoreRelatedFinancial Portion Of A Business Plan For A Startup Business1162 Words   |  5 Pagesmary purpose of this project is to create the financial portion of a business plan for a startup business. 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