The Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of the World Bank has undertaken impact evaluations of the Bank's support to irrigation in Andhra Pradesh, India (under AP Irrigation II and III), and of the U.K. Department for International Development supported Rural Livelihoods Project (RLP). This is one of a series of IEG impact evaluations (see appendix H). IEG's program of impact evaluation is in part carried out under a Department for International Development-IEG partnership agreement; hence the focus on RLP. However, survey villages are also covered by the Bank supported DPIP project, so that the findings are also relevant to this project.

Wetlands are among the world’s most productive environments with countless species of plants and animals, as well as humans, dependent upon them for survival. Moreover, they provide many societal benefits including water quality improvement, flood storage, shoreline erosion control, and opportunities for recreation, education, and research. The conservation of inland wetlands is thus critical, and it is vital that they are protected in situ. The Handbook of Research on Monitoring and Evaluating the Ecological Health of Wetlands highlights the challenges of wetland conservation and current scenarios of existing wetlands and their effective management. The book also promotes the inventory, assessment, and monitoring of wetlands through a discussion of practical approaches, methodologies, and techniques. The strategies covered in this book can be applied in situ, depending on the wetland in which they will be applied. It covers the most cost-effective techniques in conservation of wetland technologies and the most cutting-edge research on monitoring of wetland health and its applications. Covering topics such as forest soil, greenhouse gasses, and ecological rejuvenation, it is an ideal resource for conservators, environmentalists, executives, policymakers, government officials, professionals, researchers, academicians, and students working in ecological management and wetland conservation fields.

In academia, the quality of research is intricately linked to the methods and tools used in the research process. Linguistics, a field at the forefront of deciphering the intricacies of language, faces a critical challenge in ensuring the robustness and reliability of its research. Without proper attention to the design and validation of research tools, the foundations of linguistic knowledge are at risk of becoming shaky, undermining the very essence of scientific inquiry. Design and Validation of Research Tools and Methodologies is a beacon of hope in the field of linguistic scholarship, enabling a comprehensive solution to the critical issue of research tool design and validation. It presents an extensive exploration of current and groundbreaking methodologies in linguistics, equipping researchers with the knowledge and tools they need to conduct rigorous and dependable research. This book is devoted to the needs of scholars, academics, and practitioners, which brings together diverse perspectives, case studies, and innovative methods. It opens a vibrant dialogue in the linguistic community and paves the way for future advancements in the field.

This Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of technology assessment (TA) practices, theories, methods and cultures across the globe. Highlighting the significant influence of rapidly changing technology on human life and development, it examines diverse perspectives on how TA can be developed to better meet the challenges of the future. This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.

This book is a compilation of recent global measures to conserve bio-resources and manage biotic and abiotic stresses. It highlights emerging issues related to agriculture, abiotic and biotic stress factors, ethnic knowledge, climate change and global warming, as well as natural resources and their sustainable management. It also focuses on the consolidated efforts of scientists and academics engaged in addressing a number of issues related to resource management and combating stresses in order to protect the Earth. Crop production and productivity have been significantly improved, however, there have been no corresponding practical advances in sustainable agriculture.This book offers a wide range of affordable approaches to managing bio-resources with a focus on sustainability. Lastly, it describes research highlights and future areas of research.

This book offers an assessment of the performance, impact, and welfare implications of the world’s largest employment guarantee programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Launched by the Indian government, the programme covers entire rural area of the country. The book presents various micro-level analyses of the programme and its heterogeneous impacts at different scales, almost a decade after its implementation. While there are some doubts over the future of the scheme as well as its magnitude, nature and content, the central government appears committed to it, as a ‘convergence scheme’ of various other welfare and rural development programmes being implemented at both national and state level. The book discusses the outcomes of the programme and offers critical insights into the lessons learnt, not only in the context of India, but also for similar schemes in countries in South and South-East Asia as well as in Africa, and Latin America. Adopting inter-disciplinary perspectives in analysing these issues, this unique book uses a judicious mix of methods---integrating quantitative and qualitative tools---and will be an invaluable resource for analysts, NGOs, policymakers and academics alike.

This book provides diverse information and critical know-how to implement appropriate methodology and cost-efficient monitoring and evaluation systems better suited to assess the impacts of soil conservation and wastershed multi-sectoral development activities. It draws on a worldwide experience of specialists and a large array of ground-truthing projects and programmes. This book will meet its objective if it contributes to convince financing institutions and project managers that integrated watershed management activities have the potential to generate highly desirable impacts for the society at large, which have to be accurately measured by adequate M&E systems.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.