World Bank indicators of good governance
This week's World Bank Weekly Update announced the publication of 'Governance Matters, 2006: Worldwide Governance Indicators'. Using a wide range of data sources, the Bank says that ' governance can be measured, that poor governance is not an exclusive challenge of the developing world, and that reforming countries can make significant improvements in governance and in curbing corruption in relatively short periods of even less than a decade.' Very positive news.
This is the current entry page for data on governance and anti-corruption, but please be aware that links change constantly on the World Bank site. It may be more helpful to use this generic link http://www.govindicators.org .
I downloaded two relevant pdf files to take a closer look. These were a booklet entitled 'A decade of measuring the quality of governance,' and 'Governance Matters 5:Appendices.'
The yardstick by which governance has been assessed and measured is derived from data collected by various world bodies including Amnesty International, the Bertelsmann Foundation, Business Environment Risk Intelligence, Colombia University, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House, Gallup International, Global Insight, Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal, Institute for Management and Development, International Research and Exchanges Board, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Political Risk Services, Reporters without Borders, the US State Department, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
The global maps of government effectiveness and rule of law shows that Oman comes out well falling within the 50th to 75th percentile, or rather, at the lower end of the scale of good governance, on a par with UAE and Jordan and significantly better than Yemen and the Russian Federation. Over the last ten years, the data show that corruption has actually increased in Egypt.
The appendices describe in detail the parameters that each of the institutions named above used to derive a measure, and I'd suggest looking at those to judge how the final figures were achieved. For example, the World Economic Forum used the following guidelines:
For measuring corruption:
Public trust in financial honesty of politicians
Diversion of public funds due to corruption is common
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: import/export permits
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: public utilities
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to tax payments
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: awarding of public contracts
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: getting favorable judicial decisions
Extent to which firms' illegal payments to influence government policies impose costs on other firms
For voice and accountability:
Newspapers can publish stories of their choosing without fear of censorship or retaliation
When deciding upon policies and contracts, Government officials favor well-connected firms
Effectiveness of national Parliament/Congress as a law making and oversight institution
For political stability:
Country terrorist threat : Does the threat of terrorism in the country impose significant costs on firms?
And so on.
I thought it might be useful to reproduce the measures of governance for Oman compared with a country that ranks high for governance, Norway, and one that ranks low, Russia.
This is the current entry page for data on governance and anti-corruption, but please be aware that links change constantly on the World Bank site. It may be more helpful to use this generic link http://www.govindicators.org .
I downloaded two relevant pdf files to take a closer look. These were a booklet entitled 'A decade of measuring the quality of governance,' and 'Governance Matters 5:Appendices.'
The yardstick by which governance has been assessed and measured is derived from data collected by various world bodies including Amnesty International, the Bertelsmann Foundation, Business Environment Risk Intelligence, Colombia University, the Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House, Gallup International, Global Insight, Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal, Institute for Management and Development, International Research and Exchanges Board, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, Political Risk Services, Reporters without Borders, the US State Department, the World Bank and the World Economic Forum.
The global maps of government effectiveness and rule of law shows that Oman comes out well falling within the 50th to 75th percentile, or rather, at the lower end of the scale of good governance, on a par with UAE and Jordan and significantly better than Yemen and the Russian Federation. Over the last ten years, the data show that corruption has actually increased in Egypt.
The appendices describe in detail the parameters that each of the institutions named above used to derive a measure, and I'd suggest looking at those to judge how the final figures were achieved. For example, the World Economic Forum used the following guidelines:
For measuring corruption:
Public trust in financial honesty of politicians
Diversion of public funds due to corruption is common
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: import/export permits
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: public utilities
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to tax payments
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: awarding of public contracts
Frequent for firms to make extra payments connected to: getting favorable judicial decisions
Extent to which firms' illegal payments to influence government policies impose costs on other firms
For voice and accountability:
Newspapers can publish stories of their choosing without fear of censorship or retaliation
When deciding upon policies and contracts, Government officials favor well-connected firms
Effectiveness of national Parliament/Congress as a law making and oversight institution
For political stability:
Country terrorist threat : Does the threat of terrorism in the country impose significant costs on firms?
And so on.
I thought it might be useful to reproduce the measures of governance for Oman compared with a country that ranks high for governance, Norway, and one that ranks low, Russia.
New imagery on Google maps show Muscat and Sohar clearly
These days, if I want a good map to get driving directions, my first port of call is Google Maps.
I like the layout and the ease of being able to zoom scales in and out which enable me both to find the details of a location and to see the approach routes in a regional context. It's also, at least on broadband in UK, very fast.
If you use Google Maps, you will know that you can use it as a straightforward map, as a satellite base, and as a hybrid of the two, so that you can relate your road map to the surroundings.
This morning, I discovered that the imagery covering Muscat and Sohar has been updated. I worked out that the imagery must have been taken since 2000, since the roundabouts and roads approaching Ministry Street are revealed. I think it predates large development in Madinat al Sultan Qaboos. There is a wonderful wealth of detail. The largest scale that I was able to zoom in on was of the order of 1:2000.
For instance, I can see ten aircraft parked at Seeb International Airport, some of which are attended by fuel and baggage vans and the 'shadows' of other planes which are not in position.
Then there's the seawater desalination and the power plant at Al Ghubrah, where the seawater intakes and brine outlets are highly visible, as well as the pipework and the powerhouse.
Seeing as I started out as a geologist with a research degree in remote sensing, I stepped back, so to speak, to view the magnificent arc of the Hajar Mountains extending behind the Batinah coast across northern Oman. Al Khoudh dam was very conspicuous, with the volume of silt impounded against it showing very brightly on the screen, although the imagery was older and degraded compared with that now showing for Muscat. Google obviously updates its imagery as and when it becomes available.
Finally, I thought I'd try to find Sohar. And there it is. The new port looks very impressive.
Still, some things have not changed. I was not able to obtain a map overlay for any of these scenes. Does the National Survey Authority's ban on exporting maps from the country still prevail?
I like the layout and the ease of being able to zoom scales in and out which enable me both to find the details of a location and to see the approach routes in a regional context. It's also, at least on broadband in UK, very fast.
If you use Google Maps, you will know that you can use it as a straightforward map, as a satellite base, and as a hybrid of the two, so that you can relate your road map to the surroundings.
This morning, I discovered that the imagery covering Muscat and Sohar has been updated. I worked out that the imagery must have been taken since 2000, since the roundabouts and roads approaching Ministry Street are revealed. I think it predates large development in Madinat al Sultan Qaboos. There is a wonderful wealth of detail. The largest scale that I was able to zoom in on was of the order of 1:2000.
For instance, I can see ten aircraft parked at Seeb International Airport, some of which are attended by fuel and baggage vans and the 'shadows' of other planes which are not in position.
Then there's the seawater desalination and the power plant at Al Ghubrah, where the seawater intakes and brine outlets are highly visible, as well as the pipework and the powerhouse.
Seeing as I started out as a geologist with a research degree in remote sensing, I stepped back, so to speak, to view the magnificent arc of the Hajar Mountains extending behind the Batinah coast across northern Oman. Al Khoudh dam was very conspicuous, with the volume of silt impounded against it showing very brightly on the screen, although the imagery was older and degraded compared with that now showing for Muscat. Google obviously updates its imagery as and when it becomes available.
Finally, I thought I'd try to find Sohar. And there it is. The new port looks very impressive.
Still, some things have not changed. I was not able to obtain a map overlay for any of these scenes. Does the National Survey Authority's ban on exporting maps from the country still prevail?
Flash floods and diplomatic links
The Ministry of Regional Municipalities, Environment and Water Resources (MRMEWR) in co-operation with the Teheran-based Regional Centre for Urban Water Management (RCUWM), and the Inter-Islamic Network on Water Resources Development and Management (INWRDM), Jordan, organised an international workshop in Muscat last week focussing on how to harness the water released during flash floods and on building the infrastructure to prevent the damage and loss of life that can be caused by such events. Oman Observer, 5th September 2006.
Dr Reza Ardakanian, Director of Iran’s RCUWM, said the number of deaths due to floods globally had been rising. He emphasised that increasing urbanisation and land development in flood prone areas had significantly raised the risk of flash floods in recent decades.
Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, Under-Secretary for Water Resources Affairs at MRMEWR, referred to “statistics which show that between 1991 and 2000 more than 655,000 people died in 2,557 natural disasters of which 90 per cent were water related. Virtually all of the victims, 97 per cent, were from developing countries.”
Flash floods in Oman are some of the most powerful in the world. The Sultanate has built a series of recharge dams in major wadis both north and south of the Hajar mountains as well as south of the Jabal Qara in Dhofar, in a bid both to dampen the impact of flood flows, and to still the water sufficiently so that it can percolate into groundwater rather than rush to the sea.
As I recall, the jury was still out on whether these dams are truly cost-effective, given the expense of construction compared with the value derived from the quantity of the water that they might impound, to agriculture and the economy downstream. Nevertheless, these barriers, provided that they are adequately maintained, can prevent a destructive rush of flood waters to urban areas below the dams.
Amongst the dignitaries attending the workshop was the Iranian Energy Minister and chairman of RCUWM, Parviz Fatah.
Dr Reza Ardakanian, Director of Iran’s RCUWM, said the number of deaths due to floods globally had been rising. He emphasised that increasing urbanisation and land development in flood prone areas had significantly raised the risk of flash floods in recent decades.
Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri, Under-Secretary for Water Resources Affairs at MRMEWR, referred to “statistics which show that between 1991 and 2000 more than 655,000 people died in 2,557 natural disasters of which 90 per cent were water related. Virtually all of the victims, 97 per cent, were from developing countries.”
Flash floods in Oman are some of the most powerful in the world. The Sultanate has built a series of recharge dams in major wadis both north and south of the Hajar mountains as well as south of the Jabal Qara in Dhofar, in a bid both to dampen the impact of flood flows, and to still the water sufficiently so that it can percolate into groundwater rather than rush to the sea.
As I recall, the jury was still out on whether these dams are truly cost-effective, given the expense of construction compared with the value derived from the quantity of the water that they might impound, to agriculture and the economy downstream. Nevertheless, these barriers, provided that they are adequately maintained, can prevent a destructive rush of flood waters to urban areas below the dams.
Amongst the dignitaries attending the workshop was the Iranian Energy Minister and chairman of RCUWM, Parviz Fatah.