Discussion Papers
The Discussion Papers are a type of in-house LEAD research that initiate debate on a range of issues related to environmental and sustainable development. The discussion leads to suggestions, recommendations for providing solutions or for initiating public policy dialogue/debate for sustainable development.
The areas covered in the Discussion Papers may lie within or outside the scope of the organization’s undertaken projects. These papers have a wider scope and carry information spotlighting problems in some areas. They are of particular concern while policy formulation is in progress. LEAD Pakistan has a number of such papers to its credit. The published Discussion Papers are showcased and projected for the utilization of policy developers, stakeholders, partners in development, implementers, academia, research scholars, students etc.
* Please note that all these publications are priced publications. If you have any further queries about these, please feel free to contact us at com@lead.org.pk
Discussion
Paper - 24
AGF report on climate change finance - A flawed prescription?
by Malik Amin Aslam Khan, November 2010
The, eagerly awaited, report of the High Level Advisory Group on Finance was recently released. This short paper endeavors to critically analyze the findings of the said report which was anticipated to decipher the U$ 100 billion long term climate finance commitments made at Copenhagen (COP15). The strong concerns of the developing countries with this arbitrarily constituted “pledge and review” regime seem to be well founded – as is now also evidenced through this AGF report. Although a well structured attempt has been made to address the gaping issues associated with the global “climate finance deficit”, the report is built upon questionable foundations shaped through contested guesstimates and suffers from serious methodological weaknesses. Overall it enhances the risk of further confusing, rather than clearing, an already muddled debate on climate finance as well as...
Discussion
Paper - 23
Unsafe Abortion – A Silent Pandemic
by Zofeen Ebrahim, October 2010
When 26-year old Shaheen, mother of two, was dropped off at Sindh government's Qatar General Hospital by her brother, one fine day in April, the doctor on duty, thought she had sepsis (severe infection which may occur during post pregnancy).
“She was running very high fever, around 104 degrees, her hemoglobin had dropped and she was irritable which happens when oxygen is not going into the brain,” explained Dr. Anila Amjad , medical officer at Qatar General's gynecological ward.
“Looking at her condition, I knew that it was another case of incomplete abortion with some product still left inside her, causing the infection and thus her condition,” said Dr. Amjad.
She was also told that the woman
had already had D&C (dilation
and curettage) performed thrice
on her. D&C is carried out under
heavy sedation or general
anesthesia, and has a higher
risk of complications (bleeding,
infection and perforation) than
other...
Discussion
Paper - 22
Calculating Risks: LEAD’s ecological footprint
by Rafia Rauf, January 2010
As the natural resource capital
becomes scarcer by the day,
sustainability will depend on
resource accounts such as the
ecological footprint as much as
the Gross Domestic Product and
other financial accounts.
The case study on measuring LEAD
Pakistan's ecological footprint
is an attempt to sensitize the
organizations in Pakistan to the
environmental and climatic
consequences of their business
operations, and to encourage
them toward adopting sustainable
office policies and practices.
The study documents the process
adopted by LEAD Pakistan for the
development of Ecological
Footprint Calculator and the
measures undertaken in the light
of its findings for reducing
organization's ecological
impact.
This study is expected to help
build a strong community of
interest around the tremendous
challenge of ecological scarcity
facing Pakistan...
Discussion
Paper - 21
Driver of Economic Growth
by Dr. Iffat Idris, October 2007
Pakistan’s economy was one of the main issues in the 2008 national elections, with claims both of substantial progress and that the country's economic performance has been poor. Certainly there has been sustained strong growth over the past few years, due to the wide-ranging program of economic reform introduced by the previous Government1 as well as to changes in the international environment after 9/11 that positively impacted Pakistan's economy. But while macroeconomic indicators have improved this has not necessarily translated into a better quality of life for ordinary people: there is a widening rich-poor gap and Pakistan faces serious challenges in achieving the MDGs by 2015...
Discussion Paper - 16
Non-Profit Sector Performance 2003-05
by Nadeem Ahmad, June 2007
The presence of local and
international Non-Profit
Organizations (NPOs) has
significantly increased in
Pakistan, during the last
decade. These NPOs aim to
address socio-political and
economic issues, including
health, education, governance,
environment and poverty
eradication etc. The quality and
effectiveness of their work is
seldom evaluated and accounted
for, due to lack of set
standards and criterion to
appraise performance of NPOs.
Furthermore, there is a dearth
of extensive, reliable data in
the public domain, about
functioning of NPOs.
Realizing the dire need of
research and analysis to measure
performance of NPOs in Pakistan,
Leadership for Environment and
Development, Pakistan (LEAD)
carried out an internal review
of the Pakistan Centre for
Philanthropy's (PCP) directory
of certified NPOs, titled
Gateway to Giving. This
directory presents basic data of
84 PCP certified NPOs, including
their registration status, staff
size, program areas, activities
and...
(Last updated: November 26, 2010)
