Least Developed Countries

Least Developed Countries (LDCs or Fourth World countries) are countries which according to the United Nations exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development, with the lowest Human Development Index ratings of all countries in the world. A country is classified as a Least Developed Country if it meets three criteria based on:
• low-income (three-year average GNI per capita of less than US $750, which must exceed $900 to leave the list)
• human resource weakness (based on indicators of nutrition, health, education and adult literacy) and
• economic vulnerability (based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, and handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters)
Countries may "graduate" out of the LDC classification when indicators exceed these criteria. The United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States coordinates UN support and provides advocacy services for Least Developed Countries.
The classification currently applies to around 49 countries (as of June 14, 2007).
In 2007, the United Nations graduated Cape Verde from the category of Least Developed Countries. This is only the second time it has happened to a country.[1] The first country to graduate from LDC status was Botswana in 1994. Samoa may become the third country to graduate in this manner , with a decision on this issue scheduled for 2008.
Major features of least developed countries are:
Least developed countries generally suffer conditions of extreme poverty, ongoing and widespread conflict (including civil war or ethnic clashes), extensive political corruption, and lack political and social stability. The form of government in such countries is often authoritarian in nature, and may comprise a dictatorship, warlordism, or a kleptocracy. AIDS is a major issue in a lot of these countries. The majority of LDCs are in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Note, however, that the above characteristics generally do not apply to LDCs located in Oceania. Kiribati, Samoa, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are politically stable democracies, and lack any form of civil or ethnic strife. Nor are they strongly affected by AIDS. Although they have small economies, often dependent on monocultures, the population generally does not suffer from extreme poverty, thanks to an enduring subsistence sector in the economy. The Solomon Islands is the only Oceanian LDC currently affected by political instability and ethnic tension. In 2006, the United Nations recommended that Samoa be upgraded from LDC status to that of Developing Country. The Samoan government disagreed, and asked for a review of the recommendation. Samoa retains LDC status, pending a decision scheduled for 2008.
During the last United Nations review in 2003, the UN defined LDCs as countries meeting three criteria, one of which was a three-year average estimate of gross national income (GNI) per capita of less than US $750. Countries with populations over 75 million are excluded.

With respect to Water Pollution, Causes and Effects of Pathogenic Organisms

Causes:
These pathogenic organisms are naturally present in water sources. Also these get contaminated in water due human activities such as disposal of kitchen waste, human and animal excrete near or in the water sources.

Effects:
The majority of waterborne diseases arise as a result of the contamination of water used for drinking with human or animal faeces. The pathogens contained in the faeces of a diseased human or animal are distributed within the water body and may be ingested by others, either directly by drinking or by consuming crops irrigated or washed with the same water. In addition to sewage, pathogens that infect humans have been identified in livestock, fowl, wildlife pets and even fish in contaminated water. This highlights the range of mobility that exists for enteric pathogens and explains the level of concern over faecal pollution.

With respect to Water Pollution, Cause, Effects and Remedial Measures of Calcium

Causes:
Calcium is naturally present in water. It may dissolve from rocks such as limestone, marble, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, fluorite and apatite. Calcium is present in various construction materials, such as cement, brick lime and concrete. It is present in batteries, and is applied in plaster as calcium sulphate. Elementary calcium reacts with water. Calcium compounds are more or less water soluble.
Effects:
Calcium is largely responsible for water hardness, and may negatively influence toxicity of other compounds. Water hardness influences aquatic organisms concerning metal toxicity. When one takes up large amounts of calcium this may negatively influence human health. Metallic calcium corrodes the skin when it comes in contact with skin, eyes and mucous membranes.
Remedial Measures:
Removing calcium ions from water is carried out by water softeners. These are ion exchangers that usually contain Na+ ions, which are released and substituted by Ca2+ ions. Calcium compounds may be applied for wastewater treatment. Drinking water pH and hardness may be altered by means of calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide.

With respect to Water Pollution, Cause and Effects of Fluoride

Cause:
The primary sources of fluoride emissions are the industries that manufacture it or use it in production. Some of the industries that use it in production are aluminum industry, oil drilling and refining, the chemical and plastics industries, agricultural and pesticide chemical manufacturers, dye manufacturers, manufacturers of metal parts.
Other possible emitters of fluoride are metal cleaning operations, glass and enamel manufacturing and glazing, toothpaste, and fluoride enhanced water. It readily mixes with the water.
Effects:
Fluorides are everywhere throughout the environment, but at very low levels that are not believed to be harmful. Small amounts of sodium fluoride help prevent tooth decay, but high levels may harm your health. In children whose teeth are forming, excessive fluoride levels may cause dental fluorosis with visible changes in the teeth. In adults, high fluoride over a long time may lead to skeletal fluorosis with denser bones, joint pain, and limited joint movement. This is rare. High levels of fluorine or hydrogen fluoride gas can cause muscle spasms, harm the lungs and heart and cause death. At low levels they can irritate the eyes, skin and lungs.

With respect to Water Pollution, Cause, Effects and Remedial Measures of Arsenic

Cause:
Arsenic ends up in the environment through industrial production of copper, lead and zinc, and through insecticide applications on farmland. Additionally, it is an ingredient of wood preservatives. Arsenic can be found naturally in certain soils. When arsenic comes in contact with groundwater it may end up in water, as well.

Effects:
Arsenic is a metalloid, which basically means that it has the properties of both metal and non-metal. As a compound, arsenic may be toxic. That is why it is commonly applied in rat poison. A long-term uptake of large quantities of drinking water that contains arsenic may cause skin conditions and certain cancers, such as skin cancer and lung cancer.

Remedial Measures:
Arsenic can be removed from water in various ways. Examples of water purification techniques that may be applied are iron and aluminum coagulation, activated alumina adsorption, ion exchange and membrane filtration.

Technology brings changes in society including culture and tradition

Technology is the most contributing factor for the overall development of the whole world. It has always been concerned about modifications making things better. Technology has brought changes to our daily life style from art, music, clothing, eating habits to the way of celebrating festivals. People now use every kind of comfort they wish such as furniture, cloths, entertainment such as T.V, telephone; computer etc. Orthodox in traditional thinking has been replaced by wider outlooks. After the improvement in information technology and transport facility, people can feel and see the culture and traditions of another community far away from them and thus cultural and traditional activities of one place is easily transferred to other place. Also with the advent of newer technologies like more modern and sophisticated music instruments, the tradition ways of playing music and traditional instruments are all most becoming extinct. Similarly availability of modern world’s cooking appliances like microwave ovens, mixer grinders electric stoves are bringing about great changes in cooking styles and the type of food. Technology also played great role in changing women status in the society because women are now getting more job opportunities. It has also reduced superstitious beliefs and has relaxed the rigidity in caste and religion systems.

Transformation of Industrial Age to Information Age

Since the early the 18th century till this day, industrial age has ruled almost every parts of the modern world. It was during the World War II, people felt the need of transformation from industrial age to the information age. The year 1956/57 is marked as the beginning of the globalization of the information evolution. The society structure was changed into brain oriented. During that time America was paving path for a new society, where most of them were working with information rather than producing goods. During the same period Russian launched the Sputnik, which successfully introduced the era of global satellite communications. Hence these two years are taken as the key years of the programming of information age. A largest computer hardware manufacturer, Intel was formed by 1968. The economic growth was remarkable during the period 1948 to 1973. People’s interest in computer was increasing day by day from sixties of 20th century. The information age is still continuing. During this age the majority of service workers are actually engaged with the creation, processing and distribution of information as programmers, teachers, engineers, system analysts, accountants, lawyers, stock brokers, insurance people, scientists etc rather than with the production of goods as in industrial age. Today information system is involved in almost each and every tactical jobs be it in the field of communication, production or business.