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Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14078/2

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Browsing Department of Anthropology, Economics and Political Science by Author "Alam, Rafat"

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    Energy transition in Bangladesh: its implication on employment and skills in the power and energy sector
    (2024) Alam, Rafat
    The global energy landscape is undergoing a pivotal transformation, driven by the dual imperatives of sustainable development and climate change mitigation. This transition from traditional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, particularly in the context of developing nations such as Bangladesh. With its dense population and burgeoning energy needs, Bangladesh stands at a critical juncture in its energy development trajectory. This paper explores the implications of Bangladesh’s energy transition on employment and skill requirements within the power and energy sector. Through a comprehensive analysis, the study aims to project the net employment impact by 2030, taking into account the evolving energy mix and the potential for job creation versus job displacement. The study further delves into the skill shifts necessitated by this transition, identifying key areas where workforce development efforts should be concentrated. Based on the findings, a set of policy recommendations were proposed to optimize employment outcomes in the renewable energy sector, thus facilitating a more inclusive and sustainable energy transition for Bangladesh.
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    Identifying the alternative narrative of LNG dominated energy-mix for the power sector
    (2023) Alam, Rafat
    This study addresses the critical issue of Bangladesh's pursuit of sustained and secure energy amidst its transition from a Least Developed Country (LDC) after 2026 and become a middle-income nation by 2050. The country has committed to different national and international platforms towards a substantial shift to renewable energy, aiming for 40% of its energy mix to be renewable by 2041, yet it is increasingly relying on expensive LNG-based power generation. The associated costs and impacts of this reliance on LNG, including economic, environmental, and social aspects, are examined. The economic burden, evident in significant government expenditures, poses risks to foreign reserves and macroeconomic indicators, potentially destabilising the nation’s fiscal balance. Moreover, the environmental implications of LNG, including greenhouse gas emissions and various air pollutants, are discussed, along with potential adverse effects on local ecosystems and communities. The findings underscore the urgency of transitioning to cleaner and more sustainable energy sources to mitigate climate change and avoid potential long-term economic risks associated with fossil fuel infrastructure investments. The study emphasises the immediate expansion of RE as an alternative to ensure a sustainable and resilient energy future, increased domestic gas exploration, and increased efficiency in power generation, transmission, and distribution.
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    Productivity attributable to offshoring in selected countries
    (2019) Decuir-Herrera, D. Victoria; Colonescu, Constantin; Alam, Rafat
    The term offshoring refers to the process when firms decide to manufacture products abroad to reduce costs and to produce more efficiently. In the field of economics, offshoring is not a new topic, however, the rapid increase in offshoring induced by the incentive of creating a more efficient production, technological changes, and competition to reduce costs has been globally overlooked. Nonetheless, the rate of change in productivity is different among countries due to their uniqueness and resources, as well as between the different sectors of the economy. Although there are many published studies about inward Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), there are not many available studies that focus on the relationship between outward FDI and productivity, additionally, much less in sectors of the economy other than manufacturing and services. For this reason, in an effort to explain the phenomenon of the latter, a multiple linear regression was created to determine the outward FDI of the sectors of the economy that significantly influence productivity. To measure productivity attributable to offshoring, the model used data on outward FDI per sector of the economy and compared to each country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per hour worked. It was found that, in general, there is a distinctively higher productivity in the manufacturing and services sector than other sectors of the economy. This paper presents an alternative way to measure the productivity of offshoring.