Academic literature on the topic 'International news agencies'

This article focuses on news photos’ glocal production mechanisms as they are produced in Israel by the three largest international news agencies (Thomson Reuters, AP, and AFP). Designed to make locally manufactured news photos internationally appealing, these mechanisms are required by the agencies if they are to survive in a complex business environment. Yet this environment also mobilizes forces which define the international news organization – not as a unified industrial unit, but as an arena in which different forms of social power constantly struggle. Combining in-depth interviews and interpretive methods while focusing on significant examples in the agencies’ processes of production and organizational structures, the article explores (a) the glocal mechanisms that are activated in the production processes of news photos from Israel by international news agencies, (b) the forces that affect their execution, and (c) how these powers reflect on the international news organization.

Abstract The relationship between Japan and South Korea has been particularly tumultuous in recent years. One of the major sources of unrest is the unresolved Dokdo (a.k.a. Takeshima) issue. This study examines the framing of the issue by four international news agencies. It explores whether international news agencies from different countries would frame the issue differently. Results suggest that the news agencies frame the issue differently depending on the agencies’ country of origin.

While earlier news agency studies have often concentrated on Reuters in the United Kingdom (now in Canada) and on the Associated Press in the United States as the leading international news agencies, there is less up-to-date research in English on international agencies outside the Anglo-American sphere. This article intends to help bridge that research gap and to analyse the recent development of Agence France-Presse in France, EFE in Spain and Deutsche Presse-Agentur in Germany. The article uses a case study approach, employing in-depth interviews with agency representatives. The results of the analysis show that all three agencies fulfil the criteria for an international agency. However, to do so, they all not only need a large domestic market, together with linguistic and cultural markets outside their home countries, but also state support, in case of Agence France-Presse and EFE. The findings emphasize the relevance of diversification and innovation in response to the changing structure and demands of national and international markets.

This article attempts to study the flow of political news in tweets of four international news agencies: AP, AFP, Reuters and Xinhua, for 7 years from 2010 to 2016. Theoretically, the study takes its roots from the World System Theory of Immanuel Wallerstein. We used the content analysis method and examined the coverage of political news about 15 world countries (five core countries, five semi-periphery and five periphery countries) in 6746 tweets of international news agencies. We also analyzed the portrayal, retweet rate, favorite rate, and shared portrayal of world system countries. We found that there are significant differences in coverage of political news about the world countries in tweets of international news agencies. Moreover, Traditional hierarchies and structures of political news flow still exist on Twitter. Core countries are covered as well as shared more and positively as compare to the semiperiphery or periphery countries.

Pakistan and India are two important South Asian neighboring countries equipped with nuclear capabilities. Unfortunately, the checkered bilateral foreign relations history is hostile and both countries have been fought four conventional wars since 1947. Mass media plays a significant role in shaping international relations and it is considered important to study the image of nations and states to assess international standing of a nation. In present study, we explored and compare the image of Pakistan and India in the representation of tweets of international news agencies. Methodologically, we used content analysis and network analysis techniques to find out the country-issue networks in news tweets. We have designated tweets of four major news agencies;Reuters, Agence France Press, Associated Press and Xinhua related to Pakistan and India for the duration of 7 years (from 2010-2016). We found that India and Pakistan are being covered negatively in news tweets of these news agencies. However, Pakistan’s image seems more negative through lens of international news agencies as compare to India in terms of peace and conflict issues coverage. Both countries should take steps and formulate vibrant policy towards creation and dissemination of their positive image on digital media.

AbstractWhat makes death-related news events internationally appealing? How is the visual coverage of grief tailored for the needs of the international market? And how are the mechanisms for such coverage operated in the field by international news agencies’ photographers? In this article, I conduct an interpretive analysis of the funeral of an Israeli officer as it was covered by an Israeli Reuters photographer and an analysis of the “picture of the event” selected for distribution by the photographer. It demonstrates how international news institutions tailor the visual coverage of a local funeral to the complex demands of the international market.

News flow controversies have continued to dominate discussions on international communication. A lot of factors account for the lopsided flow of global information. One of such factors bothers on the role news agencies (otherwise called wire services) play in global information dissemination. The influence of news agencies on global news circulation can never be over emphasized. This simply implies that wire services, being suppliers of news choose what to supply, why to supply and how to supply. And often times the answers of these 5Ws and H of news agencies dissemination of global news tilt towards or favours the owners, the financiers, the location or areas of domicile-the West. News agencies have continued to improve in their quest to saturate the entire globe with up-to-the- minute information. To achieve this, a myriad of techniques and technologies have been employed. This article examines the influence of news agencies on global news flow in the 21st century. It highlights how the location of the largest wire services brings about imbalance in the flow of global mass communication.

This thesis investigates the process of producing localised news reports by English newspapers in the Middle East instead of them using the actual news articles that they obtain from the international news agencies. The production of English news in the Middle East is a subject that has hardly been studied so far and this study is an attempt to shed light into how English news is produced and received in this part of the world. Since most news articles about international events reach the Middle East through the various international news agencies, news editors in the English newspapers in the region are faced with the task of fending off the ideologies that contradict with the local interest. In doing so, they end up injecting the reports with their own ideologies that might represent the local ideologies, and this process of producing the new news report is what is referred to in this thesis as the localisation process. The thesis aims to find out how and why this process is undertaken. News reports on a number of topics from both the international news agencies and an English newspaper in the Middle East are analysed using a multidisciplinary analytical framework that is based mainly on aspects of Critical Discourse Analysis and pragmatics. The analysis of the news reports shows a number of strategies employed by the English newspaper to walk around the ideologies of the international news agencies and produce its own versions of news reports. Combining ethnography with the analytical framework in order to interview news producers and readers from the Middle East reveals various reasons for English newspapers producing their localised versions.
Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Languages and Linguistics
Arts, Education and Law
Full Text

This thesis explores of how American and British television mediated the crisis that started with the 4 April 2017 alleged chemical attack in Syria and culminated with the subsequent attack on Syria by the United States 7 April 2017. It builds upon a rich literature and focuses on the politics of pity in the mediated representation of distant suffering as set out by Luc Boltanski. The thesis utilizes a methodological approach which merges Lilie Chouliaraki’s ‘analytics of mediation’ with Roxanne Lynn Doty’s view of discourse analysis. The results find that CNNW mediated the distant suffering based on ostensibly a priori knowledge, whereas BBC News was more inclined to guide the spectators along a line of investigative reasoning.

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This thesis focuses on the history of the news agencies‟ audiovisual divisions that act on an international scale (Reuters Television and Associated Press Television News), delimitating their operational characteristics within the informational flow, particularly the television news channels. It demonstrates, through the examination of case studies by Reuters TV and APTN, how the global news ecosystem functions, geared towards the broadcasting stations. This thesis carefully examines how this ecosystem behaves faced with the impact of the development of new media deriving from the web. It shows how the development of network digital technology led to editorial and logistical changes in the productive routine within the agencies, seen in this study as globalization‟s important social actors. Upon charting the agencies‟ commercial and structural dynamics, the hypothesis upheld here is that the vast majority of the news transmitted by these companies is determined by the political and economic interests of their biggest clients, which leads us to ratify, even today, 30 years after UNESCO‟s McBride Report was published, that there is still a great asymmetry in the international news in which countries, regions and subject matters are neglected and excluded. By looking upon the content of both agencies‟ output, the author concludes that western-led news agencies now appear to report an expressive number of stories dedicated to Asia. This thesis also claims that the bulk of their content is fed with news related to The United States and Western Europe. It shows that during dramatic and catastrophic media events, Reuters TV and APTN reassure their symbolic role by selling the idea of their news: unbiased, with accountability, diversity of themes and social actors. In these same events, news agencies also reinforce their role by organizing and packing the news. They also feed the global news system with constancy, speed and security.
Esta tese resgata a história das agências de notícias que atuam em escala internacional (Reuters Television e Associated Press Television News), delimitando suas características operacionais dentro do fluxo informacional do telejornalismo mundial. Por meio dos estudos de caso da Reuters TV e da APTN, a tese mostra o funcionamento do ecossistema noticioso global, voltado para as emissoras de televisão, explorando o entendimento de como ele se comporta a partir da irrupção das novas mídias advindas com a internet. Aponta como o desenvolvimento das tecnologias digitais em rede provocou mudanças editoriais e logísticas na rotina produtiva das agências, vistas neste trabalho como importantes atores sociais da globalização. Ao mapear a dinâmica comercial e estrutural das agências, é sustentada a hipótese de que as reportagens transmitidas por essas empresas são, em sua maioria, determinadas pelos interesses políticos e econômicos de seus maiores clientes. Isso nos leva a ratificar que, ainda hoje, após 30 anos da publicação do Relatório McBride, da UNESCO, há uma assimetria no noticiário internacional, no qual alguns países, regiões e assuntos são negligenciados e excluídos. A tese revela, entre outros pontos, que as agências agora difundem um número expressivo de vídeos relacionados à Ásia e que a maior parte de suas reportagens tem imbricações com os Estados Unidos e/ou a Europa. Durante a cobertura midiática de eventos de grande impacto, as agências renovam seu capital simbólico vendendo a ideia de isenção, credibilidade e multiplicidade de vozes. Reforçam também papéis específicos: a organização do noticiário, a viabilização das imagens e a alimentação contínua, segura e veloz do fluxo informativo.

A highly debated topic of the last few decades has centred on the idea of communication as a means for poverty reduction. With two-thirds of the world's population living in poverty, there is a dire need to understand why global poverty and inequality continue to increase, and what role communication can, and is playing in the fight against poverty. This study therefore seeks to understand how three aid and development agencies in New Zealand, New Zealand Aid (NZAID), Oxfam New Zealand (NZ), and Christian World Service (CWS), construct poverty in the context of international development. Additionally it seeks to establish how these three organisations view relationships between communication and poverty. Eleven semi-structured, in-depth interviews with key informants were conducted, transcribed, and analysed in order to extract information surrounding the issues of poverty and international development. From this analysis, it is evident that these three organisations recognise official and unofficial definitions of poverty. It is also apparent that these definitions of poverty affect the ways in which these organisations view the causes of poverty, as well as their outlook on international development. Furthermore, three topics emerged when examining relationships between communication and poverty: communication with local people and local organisations, communication about local people and local organisations, and dealing with communication issues through accountability, transparency, and legitimacy. Implications on communication and development theory as well as theory on the discursive constructions of poverty are addressed. Finally, this study addresses practical implications for aid and development agency practice, and offers recommendations for further study in the area development communication.

Thesis (M.A. (Journalism and Media Studies))--Rhodes University, 2005.
"Thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Journalism and Media Studies)" -T.p.

The study used quantitative content analysis to compare the international news content about Africa and the rest of the world in selected daily and weekly newspapers in Malawi and explored the extent to which economic factors, as represented by the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), influence news flows about Africa into Malawi. The results showed dominance of the categories of war/international conflict and politics. International news agencies were the principal sources of news items for all the four papers. Though there were differences among the newspapers in the amount of space allocated to various categories such differences were minor. The study established that GDP is not a determinant of the amount of coverage a country receives.
Communication Science
M.A. (International Communication)

"This study deals with how the Kurdish websites deal with issues related to the city of Halabja, as (media coverage) or (news treatment) occupies a wide area of media studies, and helps to understand the nature of media interaction by different media outlets with different events.. The tragedy of Halabja, which is the chemical attack by the Iraqi regime in the spring of 1988, received (relative) media coverage from various local and international media outlets, The media interest during the event in 1988 was modest and did not represent the scale of the tragedy that befell this city, and that was because the Arab and international countries were supporting the former Iraqi regime, as well as the absence of international satellite channels and websites at that time, but despite that, a group of journalists, as well as Iranian media and diplomatic agencies, were able to convey the echo of this crime to world public opinion. This study is an attempt to examine how is the media coverage by three Kurdish websites relating to various issues related to the city of Halabja, through three main investigations the study reached a set of results. The international media at that time did not respond to this crime in the required manner and did not cover the event in a way that reflects the extent of the crime. And that the Kurdish websites publish topics and news related to the (Halabja) issues through the journalistic form of the news in the first place, and that the political issue of the issues related to Halabja occupies the first place of the Kurdish websites’ concerns. In the first place, and the three websites published most of their topics related to Halabja accompanied by a picture."

In the last two decades, we have seen the rise of companies providing digital services. Big Tech firms have become all-pervasive, playing critical roles in our social interactions, in the way we access information, and in the way we consume. These firms not only strive to be dominant players in one market, but with their giant monopoly power and domination of online ecosystems, they want to become the market itself. They are gaining not just economic, but also political power. This can be illustrated by Donald Trump’s campaigns, in which he attempted to influence the sovereign will, as the sovereign power is vested in the people. The Trump campaigns' use of Facebook's advertising tools contributed to Trump's win at the 2016 presidential election. After criticism of that election, Facebook stated that it would implement a series of measures to prevent future abuse. For example, no political ads will be accepted in the week before an election. Another example of how Big Tech firms can effect the sovereign is by national legislator. For example, Australia had a dispute with digital platforms such as Facebook and Google. That was because Australia began to develop a News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Code. To persuade the Australian legislature to abandon the idea of this code, Facebook prevented Australian press publishers, news media and users from sharing/viewing Australian as well as international news content, including blocking information from government agencies. Such action demonstrated how large digital platforms can affect the flow of information to encourage the state and its legislature to change their position. Because of such pressure, Australia eventually made adjustments to the code in order to find a compromise with the digital platform. Also, when we are referring to political power, it should include lobbying and the European Union legislator. Tech giants are lobbying their interests to influence the European Union’s digital policy, which has the most direct effect on member states, given that the member states are bound by European Union law.

Central Asia is often seen as Russia’s near-abroad. Nonetheless, recent years have shown a more active China in quest for resources, stability, and an attempt to build a Eurasian land axis, to allow a faster connection between East and West within China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Interestingly, both China (BRI) and Russia’s (Eurasian Economic Union) regionalist projects were launched in Kazakhstan, which shows the centrality of this country in the region. We will focus on the geopolitical impacts for Kazakhstan stemming from the overlapping synergies between both the BRI and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). We aim to understand whether this juxtaposition of regional initiatives could be beneficial or cause harm to Kazakhstan’s regional interests. In so doing, we aim at filling in a gap in literature, which has failed to provide a comprehensive assessment of the benefits versus handicaps caused by the overlapping generated by the EAEU and the BRI. Drawing on a qualitative methodology which encompasses primary sources (official speeches and news agencies) and secondary sources (the most respected authors on the field), we argue that Kazakhstan stance vis-à-vis the BRI and the EAEU has been proposedly ambiguous in order to maximize its interests. This being said, the conceptual lens that best serves our purposes is social constructivism. According to it, international relations are best explained by a moderate approach in which states cooperate instead of relying either on a search for survival (as realism defends) or on a utopia of liberal kindness (according to liberalism).

Water agencies use energy to pump, treat, and distribute potable water. Wastewater treatment plants use energy to collect, treat, and discharge wastewater. The energy intensity of water—the energy embedded in a unit of water delivered—varies considerably depending on the water source, the location and size of the agency’s service area, and the treatment technology employed. The frequency at which agencies collect energy use data also varies, as does the degree to which those data are available. Available estimates of the energy intensity of water also vary greatly. There is a growing recognition within the water and energy communities that new water supplies will likely be increasingly energy intensive and that water conservation efforts will thus result in energy savings. As a result, there is increasing interest in understanding baseline energy use, projected energy use, and opportunities for reducing energy consumption by water and wastewater agencies. The collection of additional, more consistent and more granular data is essential to gaining this understanding.”

Blast waves resulting from both industrial explosions and terrorist attacks cause devastating effects to exposed humans and structures. Blast related injuries are frequently reported in the international news and are of great interest to agencies involved in military and civilian protection. Mathematical models of explosion blast interaction with structures and humans can provide valuable input in the design of protective structures and practices, in injury diagnostics and forensics. Accurate simulation of blast wave interaction with a human body and the human body biodynamic response to the blast loading is very challenging and to the best of our knowledge has not been reported yet. A high-fidelity computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model is required to capture the reflections, diffractions, areas of stagnation, and other effects when the shock and blast waves respond to an object placed in the field. In this effort we simulated a representative free field blast event with a standing human exposed to the threat using the Second Order Hydrodynamic Automatic Mesh Refinement Code (SHAMRC). During the CFD analysis the pressure time history around the human body is calculated, along with the fragment loads. Subsequently these blast loads are applied to a fully articulated human body using the multi-physics code CoBi. In CoBi we developed a novel computational model for the articulated human body dynamics by utilizing the anatomical geometry of human body. The articulated human body dynamics are computed by an implicit multi-body solver which ensures the unconditional stability and guarantees the quadratic rate of convergence. The developed solver enforces the kinematic constraints well while imposing no limitation on the time step size. The main advantage of the model is the anatomical surface representation of a human body which can accurately account for both the surface loading and the surface interaction. The inertial properties are calculated using a finite element method. We also developed an efficient interface to apply the blast wave loading on the human body surface. The numerical results show that the developed model is capable of reasonably predicting the human body dynamics and can be used to study the primary injury mechanism. We also demonstrate that the human body response is affected by many factors such as human inertia properties, contact damping and the coefficient of friction between the human body and the environment. By comparing the computational results with the real scenario, we can calibrate these input parameters to improve the accuracy of articulated human body model.

This article demonstrates examples of realized projects in the field of environmental graphic design developed by Irina Koryagina in collaboration with leading international design agencies, architects, and institutions.These projects, built in various locations across the United States, are open to public, and reveal how graphic design can enrich and open new opportunities for the design of public spaces, exhibitions, and signage.

Abstract The development of international standards for composite piping systems that are used in the Marine and Offshore Oil & Gas Industries is a recognized customer need. These industries are global in nature. It is not uncommon to see project specifications written in London and Houston, fabrication of the vessel hull in a Korean yard, topsides construction in Indonesia and project location off the coast of West Africa. Operator supplied specifications could come from The Netherlands, France, Norway as well as numerous other countries. In addition, certifying agencies such as ABS, Lloyds or DNV could be involved that must follow international maritime rules and regulations. A concerted effort has been made within the past five years to address these issues. Operators worldwide have come together with composite pipe manufacturers, engineering firms and certifying agencies to develop international standards that address these issues. Anyone considering the use of composite piping in the Marine and/or Offshore Oil & Gas Industries should consider the ASTM and ISO Standards that are in the final stages of development. ASTMF-1173 Rewrite is a purchasing document that is being balloted at the present time. It was developed by ASTM F25.13.03 workgroup. ISO WD 15840 is the international version of ASTM F-1173 Rewrite. It has been circulated to the international community for comments. It was developed by ISO/TC8/SC3/WG4. ISO WD 14692 is a rewrite of original United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) document that was adopted in March 1994. It has been circulated to the international community for comments and is in it’s final stage of development. It was developed by ISO/TC 67/SC 6/WG 5. This document is an engineering specification and recommended practice document. When finalized and passed by the various committees ISO 15840 and ISO 14692 should be used in conjunction with each other. They are compatible documents based on performance criteria. It is the opinion of many who have been in the composite pipe business for over 20 years that these are the most important documents ever developed by our industry. They are grossly overdue. However, while standards are a recognized customer need, standards that are not fully understood by operators, piping engineers and installation teams can be dangerous and misinterpreted. Knowledge of the unique properties of composite materials must be a perquisite to those using these standards. Standards that are not fully understood in the hands of the uneducated is a formula for disaster.

The aerospace industry is beginning to grapple with the reality of certifying electric aircraft (EA), signaling the maturing of the field. Many players are ramping up their activities to respond to imminent technical, safety, and regulatory requirements. While there are gaps in EA knowledge as well as the processes for certifying them, some leading standards development organizations (SDOs) such as SAE International, ASTM International, and RTCA—ably supported by representatives from regulatory agencies—are stepping in to address many of these issues. Of special importance are the new rule changes in the normal category (14 CFR Part 23, Amendment 64) that shift from a prescriptive philosophy to “performance-based rules.” Regarding system knowledge, there has been a trend in the use electrical energy to power systems that have long employed mechanical hydraulics. In the new EA paradigm, these components will be employed at criticality levels not previously witnessed in conventional aircraft, calling for a specific set of certification demands. Unsettled Issues Regarding the Certification of Electric Aircraft tackles the certification challenges faced by EA manufacturers in both the small (normal) and large (transport) categories, addressing technical, business, and process issues.

The growing scope, frequency, and complexity of forced displacement, both inside and outside of countries, has pushed donors and other development groups to rethink their approaches to humanitarian crises, particularly on refugee response. Financial inclusion is widely regarded as a particularly critical tool that development organisations can employ to mitigate the catastrophic impact of humanitarian crises on refugees. Financial inclusion would provide a wide range of financial products – such as savings, remittances, loans, and insurance – to both refugees and citizens of host countries, which are critical for disadvantaged populations seeking to mitigate shocks, acquire assets, and support local economic development. Changes in how humanitarian aid is distributed are opening the path for greater financial inclusion. Donors and humanitarian organisations are shifting away from emergency cash transfers and toward digital payments via electronic cards. This opens new opportunities to connect refugees and displaced people to a bigger pool of financial services. This rapid literature review summarises the available evidence on toolkits that assist the response by humanitarian and development agencies to financial inclusion of refugees. In addition to the documents defined explicitly as “toolkits”, it also includes reports and online articles which contain useful guidance, since there were few “toolkits” available. Generally, there is lack of resources that directly address the query, i.e., “financial inclusion” in a “refugee response” context. Although there is a growing literature and evidence on the financial inclusion theme, much of it does not directly relate to refugees. Furthermore, most guidance notes and toolkits prepared for refugee response by humanitarian/development agencies do not directly and explicitly deal with financial inclusion, but rather focus on operational and programming issues of wider relief responses. The review is presented as an annotated bibliography format and includes toolkits, guidance notes, technical reports, and online articles by humanitarian and international development agencies.

While there are multiple discussions regarding what HSS is, the most popular and cited definition is that of the World Health Organization (WHO). It says: “HSS is the process of identifying and implementing the changes in policy and practice in a country’s health system, so that the country can respond better to its health and health system challenges. Additionally, it is also an array of initiatives and strategies that improves one or more of the functions of the health system and that leads to better health through improvements in access, coverage, quality, or efficiency” (WHO, 2019, p. 11). Scope of this rapid review: The aim of this rapid review is to provide a rapid synthesis of the different frameworks and approaches that have been designed and proposed for HSS. The synthesis includes frameworks conceptualised by international development and health agencies as well as those proposed by individual researchers and smaller organisations. While there are multiple frameworks, many of these frameworks build upon the WHO (2007) HSS framework and adapt this as per their needs and perspectives. Furthermore, considering the shake-up of health systems due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this review also includes frameworks which have reconceptualised HSS in response to the pandemic’s impact on health systems. Key findings: The rapid review found that a multitude of HSS frameworks exist in the public health literature. Some of these frameworks are modified from the WHO (2007) building blocks frameworks or use this framework as a basic conceptual foundation to propose new frameworks. Furthermore, there is some conflation of health systems frameworks and HSS frameworks in the literature. This review, however, has focused specifically on HSS frameworks. Evidence base: The frameworks and approaches were extracted from agency documents, journal articles and grey literature.

Stormwater management is an ongoing challenge in the United States and the world at-large. As state and municipal agencies grapple with conflicting interests like encouraging land development, complying with permits to control stormwater discharges, “urban stream syndrome” effects, and charges to steward natural resources for the long-term, some agencies may turn to constructed wetlands (CWs) as aesthetically pleasing and functional natural analogs for attenuating pollution delivered by stormwater runoff to rivers and streams. Constructed wetlands retain pollutants via common physical, physicochemical, and biological principles such as settling, adsorption, or plant and algae uptake. The efficacy of constructed wetlands for pollutant attenuation varies depending on many factors such as flow rate, pollutant loading, maintenance practices, and design features. In 2018, the culmination of efforts by Clackamas Water Environment Services and others led to the opening of the Carli Creek Water Quality Project, a 15-acre constructed wetland adjacent to Carli Creek, a small, 3500-ft tributary of the Clackamas River in Clackamas County, OR. The combined creek and constructed wetland drain an industrialized, 438-acre, impervious catchment. The wetland consists of a linear series of a detention pond and three bioretention treatment cells, contributing a combined 1.8 acres of treatment area (a 1:243 ratio with the catchment) and 3.3 acre-feet of total runoff storage. In this study, raw pollutant concentrations in runoff were evaluated against International Stormwater BMP database benchmarks and Oregon Water Quality Criteria. Concentration and mass-based reductions were calculated for 10 specific pollutants and compared to daily precipitation totals from a nearby precipitation station. Mass-based reductions were generally higher for all pollutants, largely due to runoff volume reduction on the treatment terrace. Concentration-based reductions were highly variable, and suggested export of certain pollutants (e.g., ammonia), even when reporting on a mass-basis. Mass load reductions on the terrace for total dissolved solids, nitrate+nitrite, dissolved lead, and dissolved copper were 43.3 ± 10%, 41.9 ± 10%, 36.6 ± 13%, and 43.2 ± 16%, respectively. E. coli saw log-reductions ranging from -1.3 — 3.0 on the terrace, and -1.0 — 1.8 in the creek. Oregon Water Quality Criteria were consistently met at the two in-stream sites on Carli Creek for E. coli with one exception, and for dissolved cadmium, lead, zinc, and copper (with one exception for copper). However, dissolved total solids at the downstream Carli Creek site was above the Willamette River guidance value 100 mg/L roughly 71% of the time. The precipitation record during the study was useful for explaining certain pollutant reductions, as several mechanisms are driven by physical processes, however it was not definitive. The historic rain/snow/ice event in mid-February 2021 appeared to impact mass-based reductions for all metals. Qualitatively, precipitation seemed to have the largest effect on nutrient dynamics, specifically ammonia-nitrogen. Determining exact mechanisms of pollutant removals was outside the scope of this study. An improved flow record, more targeted storm sampling, or more comprehensive nutrient profiles could aid in answering important questions on dominant mechanisms of this new constructed wetland. This study is useful in establishing a framework and baseline for understanding this one-of-a-kind regional stormwater treatment project and pursuing further questions in the future.

Global migration has been increasing since the 1990s. People are forced to leave their homes in search of safety, a better livelihood, or for more economic opportunities. Environmental drivers of migration, such as land degradation, water pollution, or changing climate, are acting as stronger phenomena with time. As millions of people are exposed to multiple water crises, daily needs related to water quality, lack of provisioning, excess or shortage of water become vital for survival as well for livelihood support. In turn, the crisis can transform into conflict and act as a trigger for migration, both voluntary and forced, depending on the conditions. Current interventions related to migration, including funding to manage migration remain focused on response mechanisms, whereas an understanding of drivers or so-called ‘push factors’ of migration is limited. Accurate and well-documented evidence, as well as quantitative information on these phenomena, are either missing or under-reflected in the literature and policy discourse. The report aims to start unpacking relationships between water and migration. The data used in this Report are collected from available public sources and reviewed in the context of water and climate. A three-dimensional (3D) framework is outlined for water-related migration assessment. The framework may be useful to aggerate water-related causes and consequences of migration and interpret them in various socioecological, socioeconomic, and sociopolitical settings. A case study approach is adopted to illustrate the various applications of the framework to dynamics of migration in various geographic and hydrological scenarios. The case studies reflect on well-known examples of environmental and water degradation, but with a focus on displacement /migration and socioeconomic challenges that apply. The relevance of proxy measures such as the Global Conflict Risk Index, which helps quantify water and migration interconnections, is discussed in relation to geographic, political, environmental, and economic parameters. The narratives presented in the Report also point to the existing governance mechanisms on migration, stating that they are fragmented. The report examines global agreements, institutions, and policies on migration to provide an aggerated outlook as to how international and inter-agency cooperation agreements and policies either reflected or are missing on water and climate crises as direct or indirect triggers to migration. Concerning this, the new directives related to migration governance, i.e., the New York Declaration and the Global Compact for Migration, are discussed. The Report recommends an enhanced focus on migration as an adaptation strategy to maximize the interconnectedness with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It calls for the migration discourse to look beyond from a preventative and problematic approach to a perspective emphasizing migration as a contributor towards achieving sustainable development, particularly SDGs 5, 6, 13, and 16 that aim strengthening capacities related to water, gender, climate, and institutions. Overall, the synthesis offers a global overview of water and migration for researchers and professionals engaged in migration-related work. For international agencies and government organizations and policymakers dealing with the assessment of and response to migration, the report aims to support the work on migration assessment and the implementation of the SDGs. The Report may serve as a public good towards understanding the drivers, impacts, and challenges of migration, for designing long-term solutions and for advancing migration management capabilities through improved knowledge and a pitch for consensus-building.

1.1 Macroeconomic summary Economic recovery has consistently outperformed the technical staff’s expectations following a steep decline in activity in the second quarter of 2020. At the same time, total and core inflation rates have fallen and remain at low levels, suggesting that a significant element of the reactivation of Colombia’s economy has been related to recovery in potential GDP. This would support the technical staff’s diagnosis of weak aggregate demand and ample excess capacity. The most recently available data on 2020 growth suggests a contraction in economic activity of 6.8%, lower than estimates from January’s Monetary Policy Report (-7.2%). High-frequency indicators suggest that economic performance was significantly more dynamic than expected in January, despite mobility restrictions and quarantine measures. This has also come amid declines in total and core inflation, the latter of which was below January projections if controlling for certain relative price changes. This suggests that the unexpected strength of recent growth contains elements of demand, and that excess capacity, while significant, could be lower than previously estimated. Nevertheless, uncertainty over the measurement of excess capacity continues to be unusually high and marked both by variations in the way different economic sectors and spending components have been affected by the pandemic, and by uneven price behavior. The size of excess capacity, and in particular the evolution of the pandemic in forthcoming quarters, constitute substantial risks to the macroeconomic forecast presented in this report. Despite the unexpected strength of the recovery, the technical staff continues to project ample excess capacity that is expected to remain on the forecast horizon, alongside core inflation that will likely remain below the target. Domestic demand remains below 2019 levels amid unusually significant uncertainty over the size of excess capacity in the economy. High national unemployment (14.6% for February 2021) reflects a loose labor market, while observed total and core inflation continue to be below 2%. Inflationary pressures from the exchange rate are expected to continue to be low, with relatively little pass-through on inflation. This would be compatible with a negative output gap. Excess productive capacity and the expectation of core inflation below the 3% target on the forecast horizon provide a basis for an expansive monetary policy posture. The technical staff’s assessment of certain shocks and their expected effects on the economy, as well as the presence of several sources of uncertainty and related assumptions about their potential macroeconomic impacts, remain a feature of this report. The coronavirus pandemic, in particular, continues to affect the public health environment, and the reopening of Colombia’s economy remains incomplete. The technical staff’s assessment is that the COVID-19 shock has affected both aggregate demand and supply, but that the impact on demand has been deeper and more persistent. Given this persistence, the central forecast accounts for a gradual tightening of the output gap in the absence of new waves of contagion, and as vaccination campaigns progress. The central forecast continues to include an expected increase of total and core inflation rates in the second quarter of 2021, alongside the lapse of the temporary price relief measures put in place in 2020. Additional COVID-19 outbreaks (of uncertain duration and intensity) represent a significant risk factor that could affect these projections. Additionally, the forecast continues to include an upward trend in sovereign risk premiums, reflected by higher levels of public debt that in the wake of the pandemic are likely to persist on the forecast horizon, even in the context of a fiscal adjustment. At the same time, the projection accounts for the shortterm effects on private domestic demand from a fiscal adjustment along the lines of the one currently being proposed by the national government. This would be compatible with a gradual recovery of private domestic demand in 2022. The size and characteristics of the fiscal adjustment that is ultimately implemented, as well as the corresponding market response, represent another source of forecast uncertainty. Newly available information offers evidence of the potential for significant changes to the macroeconomic scenario, though without altering the general diagnosis described above. The most recent data on inflation, growth, fiscal policy, and international financial conditions suggests a more dynamic economy than previously expected. However, a third wave of the pandemic has delayed the re-opening of Colombia’s economy and brought with it a deceleration in economic activity. Detailed descriptions of these considerations and subsequent changes to the macroeconomic forecast are presented below. The expected annual decline in GDP (-0.3%) in the first quarter of 2021 appears to have been less pronounced than projected in January (-4.8%). Partial closures in January to address a second wave of COVID-19 appear to have had a less significant negative impact on the economy than previously estimated. This is reflected in figures related to mobility, energy demand, industry and retail sales, foreign trade, commercial transactions from selected banks, and the national statistics agency’s (DANE) economic tracking indicator (ISE). Output is now expected to have declined annually in the first quarter by 0.3%. Private consumption likely continued to recover, registering levels somewhat above those from the previous year, while public consumption likely increased significantly. While a recovery in investment in both housing and in other buildings and structures is expected, overall investment levels in this case likely continued to be low, and gross fixed capital formation is expected to continue to show significant annual declines. Imports likely recovered to again outpace exports, though both are expected to register significant annual declines. Economic activity that outpaced projections, an increase in oil prices and other export products, and an expected increase in public spending this year account for the upward revision to the 2021 growth forecast (from 4.6% with a range between 2% and 6% in January, to 6.0% with a range between 3% and 7% in April). As a result, the output gap is expected to be smaller and to tighten more rapidly than projected in the previous report, though it is still expected to remain in negative territory on the forecast horizon. Wide forecast intervals reflect the fact that the future evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic remains a significant source of uncertainty on these projections. The delay in the recovery of economic activity as a result of the resurgence of COVID-19 in the first quarter appears to have been less significant than projected in the January report. The central forecast scenario expects this improved performance to continue in 2021 alongside increased consumer and business confidence. Low real interest rates and an active credit supply would also support this dynamic, and the overall conditions would be expected to spur a recovery in consumption and investment. Increased growth in public spending and public works based on the national government’s spending plan (Plan Financiero del Gobierno) are other factors to consider. Additionally, an expected recovery in global demand and higher projected prices for oil and coffee would further contribute to improved external revenues and would favor investment, in particular in the oil sector. Given the above, the technical staff’s 2021 growth forecast has been revised upward from 4.6% in January (range from 2% to 6%) to 6.0% in April (range from 3% to 7%). These projections account for the potential for the third wave of COVID-19 to have a larger and more persistent effect on the economy than the previous wave, while also supposing that there will not be any additional significant waves of the pandemic and that mobility restrictions will be relaxed as a result. Economic growth in 2022 is expected to be 3%, with a range between 1% and 5%. This figure would be lower than projected in the January report (3.6% with a range between 2% and 6%), due to a higher base of comparison given the upward revision to expected GDP in 2021. This forecast also takes into account the likely effects on private demand of a fiscal adjustment of the size currently being proposed by the national government, and which would come into effect in 2022. Excess in productive capacity is now expected to be lower than estimated in January but continues to be significant and affected by high levels of uncertainty, as reflected in the wide forecast intervals. The possibility of new waves of the virus (of uncertain intensity and duration) represents a significant downward risk to projected GDP growth, and is signaled by the lower limits of the ranges provided in this report. Inflation (1.51%) and inflation excluding food and regulated items (0.94%) declined in March compared to December, continuing below the 3% target. The decline in inflation in this period was below projections, explained in large part by unanticipated increases in the costs of certain foods (3.92%) and regulated items (1.52%). An increase in international food and shipping prices, increased foreign demand for beef, and specific upward pressures on perishable food supplies appear to explain a lower-than-expected deceleration in the consumer price index (CPI) for foods. An unexpected increase in regulated items prices came amid unanticipated increases in international fuel prices, on some utilities rates, and for regulated education prices. The decline in annual inflation excluding food and regulated items between December and March was in line with projections from January, though this included downward pressure from a significant reduction in telecommunications rates due to the imminent entry of a new operator. When controlling for the effects of this relative price change, inflation excluding food and regulated items exceeds levels forecast in the previous report. Within this indicator of core inflation, the CPI for goods (1.05%) accelerated due to a reversion of the effects of the VAT-free day in November, which was largely accounted for in February, and possibly by the transmission of a recent depreciation of the peso on domestic prices for certain items (electric and household appliances). For their part, services prices decelerated and showed the lowest rate of annual growth (0.89%) among the large consumer baskets in the CPI. Within the services basket, the annual change in rental prices continued to decline, while those services that continue to experience the most significant restrictions on returning to normal operations (tourism, cinemas, nightlife, etc.) continued to register significant price declines. As previously mentioned, telephone rates also fell significantly due to increased competition in the market. Total inflation is expected to continue to be affected by ample excesses in productive capacity for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, though less so than projected in January. As a result, convergence to the inflation target is now expected to be somewhat faster than estimated in the previous report, assuming the absence of significant additional outbreaks of COVID-19. The technical staff’s year-end inflation projections for 2021 and 2022 have increased, suggesting figures around 3% due largely to variation in food and regulated items prices. The projection for inflation excluding food and regulated items also increased, but remains below 3%. Price relief measures on indirect taxes implemented in 2020 are expected to lapse in the second quarter of 2021, generating a one-off effect on prices and temporarily affecting inflation excluding food and regulated items. However, indexation to low levels of past inflation, weak demand, and ample excess productive capacity are expected to keep core inflation below the target, near 2.3% at the end of 2021 (previously 2.1%). The reversion in 2021 of the effects of some price relief measures on utility rates from 2020 should lead to an increase in the CPI for regulated items in the second half of this year. Annual price changes are now expected to be higher than estimated in the January report due to an increased expected path for fuel prices and unanticipated increases in regulated education prices. The projection for the CPI for foods has increased compared to the previous report, taking into account certain factors that were not anticipated in January (a less favorable agricultural cycle, increased pressure from international prices, and transport costs). Given the above, year-end annual inflation for 2021 and 2022 is now expected to be 3% and 2.8%, respectively, which would be above projections from January (2.3% and 2,7%). For its part, expected inflation based on analyst surveys suggests year-end inflation in 2021 and 2022 of 2.8% and 3.1%, respectively. There remains significant uncertainty surrounding the inflation forecasts included in this report due to several factors: 1) the evolution of the pandemic; 2) the difficulty in evaluating the size and persistence of excess productive capacity; 3) the timing and manner in which price relief measures will lapse; and 4) the future behavior of food prices. Projected 2021 growth in foreign demand (4.4% to 5.2%) and the supposed average oil price (USD 53 to USD 61 per Brent benchmark barrel) were both revised upward. An increase in long-term international interest rates has been reflected in a depreciation of the peso and could result in relatively tighter external financial conditions for emerging market economies, including Colombia. Average growth among Colombia’s trade partners was greater than expected in the fourth quarter of 2020. This, together with a sizable fiscal stimulus approved in the United States and the onset of a massive global vaccination campaign, largely explains the projected increase in foreign demand growth in 2021. The resilience of the goods market in the face of global crisis and an expected normalization in international trade are additional factors. These considerations and the expected continuation of a gradual reduction of mobility restrictions abroad suggest that Colombia’s trade partners could grow on average by 5.2% in 2021 and around 3.4% in 2022. The improved prospects for global economic growth have led to an increase in current and expected oil prices. Production interruptions due to a heavy winter, reduced inventories, and increased supply restrictions instituted by producing countries have also contributed to the increase. Meanwhile, market forecasts and recent Federal Reserve pronouncements suggest that the benchmark interest rate in the U.S. will remain stable for the next two years. Nevertheless, a significant increase in public spending in the country has fostered expectations for greater growth and inflation, as well as increased uncertainty over the moment in which a normalization of monetary policy might begin. This has been reflected in an increase in long-term interest rates. In this context, emerging market economies in the region, including Colombia, have registered increases in sovereign risk premiums and long-term domestic interest rates, and a depreciation of local currencies against the dollar. Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in several of these economies; limits on vaccine supply and the slow pace of immunization campaigns in some countries; a significant increase in public debt; and tensions between the United States and China, among other factors, all add to a high level of uncertainty surrounding interest rate spreads, external financing conditions, and the future performance of risk premiums. The impact that this environment could have on the exchange rate and on domestic financing conditions represent risks to the macroeconomic and monetary policy forecasts. Domestic financial conditions continue to favor recovery in economic activity. The transmission of reductions to the policy interest rate on credit rates has been significant. The banking portfolio continues to recover amid circumstances that have affected both the supply and demand for loans, and in which some credit risks have materialized. Preferential and ordinary commercial interest rates have fallen to a similar degree as the benchmark interest rate. As is generally the case, this transmission has come at a slower pace for consumer credit rates, and has been further delayed in the case of mortgage rates. Commercial credit levels stabilized above pre-pandemic levels in March, following an increase resulting from significant liquidity requirements for businesses in the second quarter of 2020. The consumer credit portfolio continued to recover and has now surpassed February 2020 levels, though overall growth in the portfolio remains low. At the same time, portfolio projections and default indicators have increased, and credit establishment earnings have come down. Despite this, credit disbursements continue to recover and solvency indicators remain well above regulatory minimums. 1.2 Monetary policy decision In its meetings in March and April the BDBR left the benchmark interest rate unchanged at 1.75%.