Browsing by Author "Hazarika, Natasha"

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Capital inflow and financial status of the Indian economy
(Taylor & Francis, 2024) Hazarika, Natasha
Foreign capital tends to be erratic in nature as it flows more during favourable times, in contrast to the times of crises, when they tend to flow less. This situation can be explained well with the example of the inflow of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in recent years in India. As compared to the ODA and FDI, capital inflows in terms of remittances were relatively stable, for example, remittance inflows in developing countries hiked during 1998–2001 but during the same period, a decline in FDI was noticed during the East Asian crisis. Along with FDI and ODA, remittances also play a very important role in the development of finance but their mechanism is quite different from the other two. Against this background, this chapter tries to study the effects of remittances on the financial status of the Indian economy using appropriate time series econometric techniques involving the ARDL model. The study obtains a significant long-run relationship between remittance and financial development. The long-run estimation of the ARDL model suggests that the inflows of remittances have a positive and significant impact on the financial development of the country
Collective deliberation or just the state (in)action: how do we change the hydrodiplomacy landscape in South Asia?
(IWA, 2023) Hazarika, Natasha
Hydrodiplomacy in South Asia is in a nascent stage, primarily focusing on data exchange and limited state-to-state interactions, leaving aside an array of organic approaches to understand the facets of water diplomacy and governance. This perspective piece is based on a series of webinars to identify ways to bridge these gaps in hydrodiplomacy in South Asia, highlighting the merit of multi-track diplomacy for embracing the plurality of interests and decision-making. The piece concludes that it is pertinent to build capacities for improving science-media communication, acknowledging and strategizing power asymmetry, and implementing international water law to guide water diplomacy.
Dilemmas of R&D investment risks and sustainability in the clean-tech economy: Evidence from Nasdaq clean edge index components
(Taylor & Francis, 2022-01) Hazarika, Natasha
Clean energy companies often require more costly investment in technology innovation than traditional energy companies, which poses higher technological risks. Therefore, many inconclusive debates have arisen concerning whether the R&D investment can generate sustained returns for such companies. This paper adopts progressive modeling steps to address the problem by using a modified Cobb-Douglas production function, System Generalized Method of Moments (SYS-GMM) approach, and fixed-effect panel threshold model. The role of R&D investment; the non-linear relationship between revenue, innovation, efficiency, and risk; as well as the corresponding threshold effects in clean and traditional energy companies are analyzed. 840 firm-year observations of clean energy companies from the NASDAQ Clean Edge Index are collected and screened, and compared with 280 firm-year observations of listed traditional energy companies in the U.S. Moreover, four types of clean energy companies, comprising green energy, wind power, water, and smart grid companies, are calculated and summarized separately. The results show that, for clean energy companies, long-term R&D intensity is beneficial to returns, shortening the cash conversion cycle (CCC) value, and reducing the financial leverage can produce a positive effect on return on assets (ROA), while different types of clean energy companies are advised with tailor-made portfolio strategies. For traditional energy companies, controlling the financial leverage while properly increasing CCC can help improve their ROAs. In this context, policy recommendations are provided for stakeholders to optimize their investment strategies in various clean and traditional energy enterprises according to the time-lag effect and threshold effect.
Evolving theories of eco-innovation: a systematic review
(Elsevier, 2019-07) Hazarika, Natasha
Eco-innovation has become an essential entity for greening the economy. Technological innovations, institutional reforms, and change in social practices are some of the means of eco-innovation. As a result, there is a wide discourse on the many dimensions of eco-innovation since the dawn of the millennium. However, the concept of eco-innovation lacks theoretical consistency; hence, it has remained narrow and disintegrated. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic review of the articles focusing on the significance of theories in relation to the process of eco-innovation, in order to investigate the evolving theories of eco-innovation, highlight the existing research gaps, and to identify directions for potential theoretical development that would be valuable for a deeper system change. The findings show resource-based view, institutional theory, stakeholders theory, and evolutionary theory to be the most commonly used theories, along with identification of material-based enterprises as the primary sectors of implementation exhibiting a strong technological bias. The findings indicate that eco-innovations are primarily perceived from a narrow set of neo-liberal notions that although is effective for incremental improvements, lack credibility for defining the differentiated approach associated with radical eco-innovations. Accordingly, selective pressure by means of policy making process, design dynamic, and societal demand are identified as gray areas requiring greater theoretical attention. An analytical framework built on technological, institutional, organizational and social eco-innovation is represented for exploring the research areas of system change, economic sustainability, product network sustainability, and socio-technical landscape, that facilitates sustainability transition.
Factors that drive and sustain eco-innovation in the construction industry: the case of Hong Kong
(Elsevier, 2019-11) Hazarika, Natasha
While determination of driving forces for eco-innovation has been evaluated largely in the literature, questions about its implementation in the construction industry and the factors that can predict its future likelihood of adoption remain unanswered. The current study aims to determine the factors that influence adoption of eco-innovative practices in the construction industry in context of Hong Kong. The study develops a conceptual framework based on institutional theory, strategic choice theory and resource-based view and tests this framework by using data collected from 140 construction-based firms in Hong Kong, providing a response rate of 43%. Hierarchical regression analysis and linear regression analysis are used for testing the various relationships. The results revealed that regulatory instruments, managerial consent and organizational measures play an important role in influencing the firms to be eco-innovative. However, in case of determining future likelihood of adoption, although regulatory instruments and managerial consent do influence, firms that are already equipped with eco-innovative practices are most likely to adopt in future as well. Therefore, the study demonstrates a strong mediating role of eco-innovative practices on likelihood of adoption. Eco-innovation is also positively related to financial profitability. These findings support the Porter hypothesis and demonstrates path dependency for innovation breeds innovation. Considering that the findings are derived from a particular sector, it provides meaningful insights for the practitioners involved in real-time implementation.
Infrastructure imaginaries, past, present, and future: living with the urban flood in Guwahati, India
(Taylor & Francis, 2025-01) Hazarika, Natasha
Understandings of what urban flood infrastructure is and how it ought to operate have changed over time and differed within cities. This article considers changing narratives and practices of flood mitigation in Guwahati, India, showing the limits of modern infrastructure. Instead, we find heterogeneous technologies, actors, and relations working to guide unpredictable waters through the “proper” drains through patching, adjusting, and shifting mobile technologies. Drawing on recent conceptualizations of a “modest imaginary,” we suggest that these practices might be shaped by, and help us understand, an alternative imaginary of how the world works and, therefore, what infrastructure can(not) do.
Media reporting on conflicts and cooperation: what does it mean for the Brahmaputra basin?
(Taylor & Francis, 2023-02) Hazarika, Natasha
This article analyses the media reporting on conflicts and cooperation in the Brahmaputra River basin. We used 2437 newspaper articles published between 2010 and 2020 from the four riparians (China, India, Bhutan and Bangladesh) to explain the science–media interlinkages and what print media reports on conflicts and cooperation. We have found that most articles focus on conflicts, especially relating to hydropower development, data and information asymmetry, and disaster governance. There is limited media reporting on the avenues of cooperation such as informal water diplomacy, collaborative research opportunities, and the community and the culture that brings the riparians together
New records of epiphytic lichens from three districts of Assam, India
(Indian Forester, 2014-10) Hazarika, Natasha
Distribution of epiphytic lichens from three districts of Assam viz. Baksa, Kamrup and Sonitpur have been enumerated for the first time from eleven locations. A total of 67 species belonging to 12 families and 24 genera have been recorded. Of the total species, crustose, foliose and leprose lichens represented 60%, 39% and 1% respectively. The family Physciaceae emerged to be the most dominant, with a total of 20 species followed by Graphidaceae with 16 species. Patkijuli location revealed to have the highest lichen diversity followed by Nameri National Park. A total of 41 lichen taxa are new records for Assam.
R&D intensity and its curvilinear relationship with firm profitability: perspective from the alternative energy sector
(MDPI, 2021-04) Hazarika, Natasha
There is an inconclusive debate concerning the relationship between environmental research and development (R&D) and corporate financial performance (CFP). The debate becomes more complex because a win–win situation between environmental and financial goals is not as plausible in practice as it is in theory. Though arguments have been made that when time-lag is considered, the relationship can produce positive outcomes for both entities, ambiguities persist because linear models dominate this analysis. This study, therefore, empirically tested the existence of a curvilinear relationship between R&D intensity and CFP in the context of the alternative energy sector. Using a panel dataset of 24 companies and 232 unbalanced firm-year observations for 10 years, it was found that after passing the inflection points, investment in R&D reaps financial benefits that will eventually offset the cost of the initial investment. The curvilinear relationship of R&D intensity on return on sales and net profit margin is strongly supported.
Strategic assessment of groundwater resource exploitation using DPSIR framework in Guwahati city, India
(Elsevier, 2016-02) Hazarika, Natasha
Millions of people on the urban settlements in Asia rely on groundwater for fulfilling daily water needs. And while groundwater storage is vast, its replenishment is limited, and many aquifers are exhibiting signs of inadequately controlled pumping. However, efforts to understand the impacts of a society on the availability, equity, and sustainability of groundwater and its repercussions has received little attention till date. Therefore, using Guwahati city, India, as a case, the aim of this paper is to understand the socio-political factors and their intra and inter-relationships with groundwater which in turn influences the urban households' accessibility to water. Overall methodology used the DPSIR framework for which inputs were generated from questionnaire survey of 150 households and other official, literature records. It is revealed that high population density of 4445 persons/km2, rapid urbanization with haphazard construction, pertaining groundwater rights with land rights, and coverage of only 27% of the population by water supply services have acted as thrusts to exceed groundwater extraction over safe yield. This situation however has a feedback in the form of increasing number of households with reduced accessibility to water as many have stated about declined water levels, increasing issue of water affordability and subsequent emergence of water poor. The paper recommends use of water use fee rate and indirect groundwater pricing through energy tariffs for enhanced conservation of groundwater as opposed to present day method of its regulation.
Urbanization and carbon emissions: panel evidence from 68 low-income and lower-middle-income countries
(Taylor & Francis, 2023-03) Hazarika, Natasha
Although the developed world has almost completed the process of urbanization, developing countries are still rapidly urbanizing. Applying the extended stochastic regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model for the period 2000–2019, this article is an endeavor to explore the consequences of urbanization along with gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, trade openness, and mobile phone penetration on carbon dioxide emissions in 68 low-income and lower-middle-income countries across Asia, Africa, Middle East, and South America. Initially, the study used a panel unit root test to identify whether the variables are stationary or not. Subsequently, by using the co-integration test, a long-run association among the variables was seen. Finding a long-run relationship, the fully modified ordinary least squares method was applied to examine the impact of urbanization and other explanatory variables on carbon dioxide emissions. Results showed that urbanization followed by GDP per capita are the key promoters of CO2 emissions across all countries, whereas the direction and significance of inward FDI and trade openness varied across regions. Furthermore, it was observed that mobile phone penetration (as an indicator of information and communication technology [ICT]) has a significant and negative relationship with CO2 emissions, showing that ICT-based technologies might be the answer to decoupling economic growth from emissions growth.
What do epiphytic lichens of Guwahati city indicate?
(Indian academy of sciences (IAS), 2011-10) Hazarika, Natasha
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic association of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner, either a green alga or a Cyanobacteria, grow in diverse climatic conditions and on equally diverse substrata and are widely distributed in almost all the phytogeographical regions of the world. An ‘annotated checklist’ published by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) documents 2303 species belonging to 305 genera and 74 families in India1. Lichens are a major section of species that are sensitive to changes in atmospheric nutrient conditions2 and have been used as bioindicators of pollution over a long period of time, especially sulphur dioxide (SO2)3. Fruticose lichens are known to be the most sensitive to air pollution, followed by foliose and crustose forms. The vanishing of sensitive lichen species due to changes in microclimatic conditions and air pollution has been reported from Indian cities of Bangalore4 and Kolkata5. Due to the fast rate of disappearance of flora for a range of reasons like habitat loss, air pollution, changes in the microclimatic conditions and uncontrolled harvest, lichen biologists have initiated a discourse to creating ‘protected areas’ for conservation of lichens6. Systematic studies on lichens in India, however, are still sporadic. More so, there are instances of limited studies in the northeastern region of India, which is also a biological hotspot.