The first case study I chose to focus on was retrieved from Colby College’s database. Based out of British Columbia, this case study aimed to answer the question, “Are individual vessel quotas effective as policy tools?” in regards to fisheries. This issue stemmed from competition among the U.S. fleets and Canadian fleets with halibut fishing. An IVQ system (Individual Vessel Quota) was developed with an aim to switch from the frozen halibut industry to fresh and to allow for income to be more dispersed among the crew. This case study goes in line with the concept of the World Development Theory discussed in this module. Even though this Canadian fishing industry had been developed for years there was still room for growth and development to improve sustainability. In other words, there is a continuum of development. The implementation of the IVQ system saved the halibut population, while increasing revenues for the fishermen and has shown to be an effective tool for overfishing. http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/ivqs-can.html

The second case study I found focused on the world food supply, something I am rather interested in. From the New Internationalist webpage, this case study explains how the high cost of food and food shortages are not only problems in developed countries, but also in developing countries. However, from the module it is clear that all countries are in some way developing and we should instead compare by using the terms high income and low income. There are many factors that contribute to the increasing costs of food, such as global population growth. To help alleviate this problem, numerous suggestions have been made by the G20 countries and World Bank, including restricting biofuel production and reducing the food price volatility through information sharing. The latter would encourage nations to work together to eliminate panic buying and export bans through the Agricultural Market Information System. http://newint.org/books/reference/world-development/case-studies/world-food-supply-shortage-problems-hunger/

When connecting these two case studies to my hometown of Bellwood, PA it is somewhat difficult since fishing is not a staple career in the area. In the first case study fishing was a way of life for that area and developed into a source of revenue. In my area the railroad once played a similar role as it brought jobs and communities to the area.  In regards to the second case study, I could see where food shortage could be an issue for some as there is only one grocery store in town and a few restaurants. For an abundance of grocery stores, one would have to travel about ten-fifteen minutes. It is clear that even in areas where there is food available it is still common to pay high prices, which many people cannot afford. Now if we were to examine my community about 100 years ago, I am sure things would be very different. There may not have been any market at all and people most likely would have relied on agriculture.

One case study that really interests me from the given websites comes from the small island of Sri Lanka. The Indian Ocean Nation is planning to capture all the heavy rainfall in the upcoming weeks, and use it during irrigation “dry periods” which seem to be happening more and more often on the island. The organization also plans to use the water for electricity, in a system similar to that of a dam. The goal is to adapt to the climate change that has already occurred, and prepare for even more in the future. This relates to our class because this organization is developing in a way, which will benefit the human society, while also helping the ecosystem to have live plants all year round. This is a very first sign of the effects of global climate change. The article can be found at:

http://www.irinnews.org/news/2015/12/07.

Another case study I found to be intriguing takes place in Uganda. The country has been trying to improve for a while now, but it finally seemed like things were working out. However, recently a project that would have helped pave roads all throughout the country has been cancelled due to sexual assault claims. The people of the villages in which the construction is happening have filed multiple reports of sexual abuse and mistreatment by the employees. This relates to the class by being an example of a developmental downside. The people of this country would have been much happier if the road development never happened, and they aren’t getting much benefit from it anytime soon. Development can lead to very positive things, but also some very negative things. This article can be found at:

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/jan/12/world-bank-cancels-uganda-road-sexual-assault-claims.

These cases are somewhat related to an issue with development from my hometown, in Bucks County, PA. We had a new restaurant planned to open, which everyone was very excited for, as there weren’t many other options at the time this took place. Once the construction started however, roads were closed for weeks and people began to become very frustrated with the whole process. The way this can relate to both cases is because it was meant to improve the lives of everyone in the area (such as in the first case) but it actually became a huge negative for everyone that lived in the area (not nearly as severe as in the second case, but the same concept.) This just shows how in every development, there are downsides that need to be taken into consideration, but sometimes these negatives can leave long-lasting impacts.