Renuka Mahadevan

The authors expertly reveal a model-based analysis of economic development and environmental issues with policy prescriptions for enhancing sustainable development. Within the last four decades, there has been a rapid deterioration in the quality of our environmental and natural resources, raising grave concerns about the sustainability of unbridled economic growth. In light of these concerns, the authors analyze a range of economic and environmental issues, and propose policy recommendations that would enhance sustainable economic growth. The book covers a variety of issues related to economic development, trade, energy and climate change, and focuses on countries in the Asia-Pacific region including Australia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Managing Macroeconomic Policies For Sustainable Growth uniquely discusses aspects of the CGE modeling approach that will prove informative for academic researchers and postgraduate students in the areas of economic development and environmental policy. This original book will also appeal to policy analysts and policy makers in public and private institutions.

This book brings empirical analysis to bear on the policy debate on the economic and environmental impacts of agricultural trade liberalisation on a small developing country, represented by the island of Fiji. It is timely because many African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are faced with challenges in the years ahead as a result of globalisation and liberalisation of world trade. Some ACP countries, including Fiji, have already signed an interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union to replace the Cotonou Agreement. Other future changes in the trading regime are likely to come from the eventual conclusion of the Doha Round. What is lacking in the current debate is solid empirical analysis to investigate the impacts of these policy changes. What little analysis has been carried out lumps developing countries into regional aggregates. Thus, it may be argued that these studies do not take account of the individual countries' circumstances. The book focuses on the sugar industry to discuss the broad topic of agricultural reform. Quantitative and qualitative methods are used to support the analysis and discussion in the areas of structural reform in the sugar and other industries as well as the effects of trade liberalisation strategies. The empirical investigation is carried out using appropriate econometric techniques and a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The material is presented in such a way that the non-technical reader will also benefit from the discussion, which has policy making as its focus. It should appeal to a wide readership including policymakers, policy analysts, researchers in industry and the public sector, as well as postgraduate students in various fields such as agriculture and natural resources, international trade, and economic modelling.

Productivity growth has long been recognised by both economists and non-economists as being necessary for all economies aspiring to raise their standard of living. Thus, Renuka Mahadevan aims to highlight the conceptual differences, advantages and disadvantages of the various total factor productivity (TFP) measures and suggests processes and strategies for choosing the best technique to draw up policies for sustainable growth. Empirical results from six case studies are presented, and the analysis of the selected Asia Pacific economies is not only informative but also allows for variety in issues concerning productivity analysis. Consequently, policy measures based on each of the economies' experiences are carefully measured out in relation to various aspects such as trade liberalisation, industrial policy and other microeconomic and macroeconomic policies. The nature of the applied work in the book is refreshing and will therefore appeal to policymakers. It is also a valuable reference material for economists and researchers in industry and government, as well as graduate students who are interested in the Asia Pacific region and in particular, in productivity growth analysis.