Water Scarcity - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 514 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/09/12 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Water scarcity already affects every continent. Around 1. 2 billion people, or almost one-fifth of the worlds population, live in areas of physical scarcity, and 500 million people are approaching this situation. Another 1. 6 billion people, or almost one quarter of the worlds population, face economic water shortage (where countries lack the necessary infrastructure to take water from rivers and aquifers). Water scarcity is among the main problems to be faced by many societies and the World in the XXIst century. Water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and, although there is no global water scarcity as such, an increasing number of regions are chronically short of water. Water scarcity is both a natural and a human-made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for six billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed. Click on map to enlarge Sources: Vital Water Graphics. UNEP Human Development Report 2006. UNDP, 2006 Coping with water scarcity. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Water Scarcity" essay for you Create order Challenge of the twenty-first century. UN-Water, FAO. 2007 Water Scarcity and the MDGs The way water scarcity issues are addressed impacts upon the successful achievement of most of the Millennium Development Goals. Water stress versus water scarcity Hydrologists typically assess scarcity by looking at the population-water equation. An area is experiencing water stress when annual water supplies drop below 1 700 m3 per person. When annual water supplies drop below 1 000 m3 per person, the population faces water scarcity, and below 500 cubic metres absolute scarcity. Water scarcity is defined as the point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water under prevailing institutional arrangements to the extent that the demand by all sectors, including the environment, cannot be satisfied fully. Water scarcity is a relative concept and can occur at any level of supply or demand. Scarcity may be a social construct (a product of affluence, expectations and customary behaviour) or the consequence of altered supply patterns stemming from climate change for example. Sources: Vital Water Graphics. UNEP Coping with water scarcity. Challenge of the twenty-first century. UN-Water, FAO. 2007 Did you know? Around 700 million people in 43 countries suffer today from water scarcity. By 2025, 1. 8 billion people will be living in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the worlds population could be living under water stressed conditions. With the existing climate change scenario, almost half the worlds population will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030, including between 75 million and 250 million people in Africa. In addition, water scarcity in some arid and semi-arid places will displace between 24 million and 700 million people. Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest number of water-stressed countries of any region. UN initiatives that are helping to raise the issue World Water Day 2007: Coping with water scarcity World Water Day 2007 was dedicated to the theme Coping with water scarcity. It highlighted the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources, both at international and local levels.

Martin Luther King Reflection - 854 Words

As a little boy, I always admire the late 1980’s show â€Å"The Cosbys†. I felt that my family were perfect like the Huxtible’s family from the show. I was young and naà ¯ve, I did not know the difference between fiction and reality. As I begin to grow older, my reality became much different form that show. The writings, speeches and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr dramatically impacted my life as I was able to relate and to apply them to my life growing up. In 1963, Dr. King’s wrote a letter to the Clergymen; he stated â€Å"We are victims of broken promises†. (Birmingham) Dr. King expounded by talking about the things that were promised and were never executed as planned. It was as if he would know my story; it seemed to apply to†¦show more content†¦Dr. King, Jr.’s quote â€Å"Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection† (Birmingham). King explained that just being somewhat accepted is just as if not more confusing than just not being accepted and rejected from white society. I was taught that you have to love unconditionally no matter what. I felt like my parent loved me but I was not completely accepted, because of my sexuality, so it made it a lot more difficult to build self-acceptance. There were plenty of actions that were directly shown as lukewarm acceptance because I was their child; it caused some confusion because I felt like society would completely judge me because I was different. Dr.King, Jr. also said, â€Å"I have a dream that one day my four children would not be judge by the color their skin but by the content of their character† (Dream). It sounded good but not being fully accepted and judged allow many self-insecurities to build within because I would keep in the back of my mind that someone was judging me because I was different and not accepting me based on the person I am. â€Å"I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream† (Martin). King was so optimistic about his dream, and knew that today may be hard and tomorrow may be worst. He knew no matter what he will fight hard and stand on his beliefs. Kings talks about brotherhood, standing as one andShow MoreRelatedReflection About Martin Luther King1874 Words   |  8 PagesLeadership throughout history has taken on many faces and many forms yet, whether the leader was considered good or evil, the skills and styles required of a leader have not changed. Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner state that â€Å"The work of leaders is change. To them the status quo is unacceptable. Leaders search for opportunities by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and improve. They seize the initiative to make things happen. And knowing they have noRead MoreLetter From Birmingham Jail By Dr. Martin Luther King1510 Words   |  7 PagesBirmingham Jail was a letter written by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from a solitary confinement cell in Birmingham, Alabama. Some portions of the letter were written and gradually smuggled out by King s lawyer on scraps of paper including, by some r eports, rough jailhouse toilet paper. Violent racist terror against African Americans was so horrible in Birmingham in the summer of 1963 that the city was being referred to by some locals as â€Å"Bombingham†. King had been arrested while participating in aRead MoreThe Election Of Barack Obama As President Of The United1250 Words   |  5 Pagesbid to be present. Fae Robinson from State College, Pennsylvania, who attended the famous 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech, cast it on the night of Obama’s victory. The days that Dr. King spoke about seemed to come to reality. Just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, American clergyman and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is disastrously shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motilin Memphis, TennesseeRead MoreKing s Letter From Birmingham Jail1267 Words   |  6 Pagessetting someone or something apart from other people or things. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his acts against segregation during the civil rights movement. In this Letter from Birmingham Jail, King discusses the inequalities and prejudice forced upon African Americans. This great injustice leads to protest which ar lead by King and his followers. These protest are described to be as â€Å"unwisely and untimely† but King has counter arguments which include the severe police brutality. Read MoreMartin Luther King And Malcolm X1424 Words   |  6 PagesSelected speeches symbolise the struggle that took place during the 1960s in order to transform this situation, in favor of an egalitarian society. They were promulgated by Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, leaders of this movement, that despite having the same aims, its methodology for achieving them was radically different. While King advocated nonviolence and peaceful means, the attitude of Malcolm X was much more radical, making a common trait of aggress ion. Both leaders used the speech as a way toRead MoreOne Man s Cry Out1530 Words   |  7 Pagesincluding Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., participated in a campaign against racial segregation and economic injustices in Birmingham, Alabama. On April 12, 1963, King and nearly 50 other protestors and civil rights leaders were arrested on a Good Friday for an ordinance violation. The movement was one of nonviolence: however, it was the intent to use confrontational tactics to give awareness of the Blacks’ opposition of the laws that they felt were unjust. It was the intent of King to provoke massRead MoreKing s Letter From Birmingham Jail1253 Words   |  6 Pagessetting someone or something apart from other people or things. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his acts against segregation during the civil rights movement. By this Letter from Birmingham Jail, King discusses the inequalities and prejudice forced upon African Americans. This great injustice leads to pro test, which are led by King and his followers. These protests are described to be as â€Å"unwisely and untimely† but King has counter arguments which include the severe police brutality.Read MoreMy First Interview On My Father Jimmy Lee Riley806 Words   |  4 Pagesby the Black community.July 1, 1964: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed, which forbid racial discrimination. .He explain how important they were and what changes they made to the african american community.Historians such as Rosa Parks,Martin Luther King,JFK,Lyndon Johnson,and Malcolm X were also brought up in the conversation. I continued on the ask about a time where he experience some form of discrimination.He first explained to me a time In 1975 where he was working as a contractor .TheRead MoreCivil Disobedience By Martin Luther King1077 Words   |  5 Pageschange in laws or government policies†. Martin Luther King sought to end the unjust law of segregation in a nonviolent campaign. He outlines the four basic steps: â€Å"collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action† behind the beauty of a nonviolent campaign. King also described the differences between just and unjust laws. King says that we have a â€Å"moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws†. While King was incarcerated in Birmingham he sentRead MoreGandhi s Influence On Indian Politics937 Words   |  4 Pagesrights. By the late 1950’s, most African Americans had reached a point of frustration and hopelessness. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr introduce d a new insight on how to win the war for civil rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr believed that the rejection of retaliation and revenge would lead to triumph because non-violent resistance was â€Å"the most potent weapon available to oppressed people† (King 60). That belief would historically lead civil disobedience and non-violence protest such as, the March on

Samsung Electronics Case Free Essays

he Samsung Electronics Company has become the largest conglomerate in South Korea over the past decade. Net sales of the Samsung Group totaled $135 billion in 2004 and has 337 overseas operations in 58 countries. Electronic, finance, and trade and services are the three core sectors within the Samsung Group. We will write a custom essay sample on Samsung Electronics Case or any similar topic only for you Order Now Semiconductor products are classified into two different categories of chips, which are memory and logic. The net value of Samsung experienced rapid growth from 2000 to 2004, growing from $ 5. 5 billion to $12. 6 billion. We will use Porter’s five forces to analyze the industry structure and performance which will help gauge Samsung’s growth against its competitors. Entry into the semiconductor industry can be very costly and difficult because of high barriers to entry. These barriers include, economies of scale, high entry costs, and the difficulty in obtaining industry knowledge. In addition, firms like Samsung have established a strong reputation for quality and reliable products which serve as powerful barriers to new firms hoping to enter the industry. The decreased chance of new entrants indicates a less competitive and more profitable industry. There are many buyers within the semiconductor industry, each controlling a relatively small share of the market. Samsung has a huge range of products they produce and can afford to do so at a low cost. Since the buyers control the industry and what is produced they have a significant amount of bargaining power. Furthermore, even though the amount of producers in the industry is fairly low, they offer many of the same products forcing them to compete on price. Samsung has a little above medium bargaining power with its suppliers. The semiconductor industry faces powerful suppliers but because defective memory is difficult and costly to identify, and could potentially destroy the entire value of Samsung’s product, it is very important for Samsung to establish a strong relationship with its suppliers. In doing so,   Samsung usually pays a 1% price premium to its suppliers to ensure quality giving suppliers increased profit and more bargaining power in the industry. However, Samsung consumes a large volume of sales for its suppliers and can still earn a 5% discount because of this large volume and this discount can offset that 1% price premium. In conclusion, Samsung has a little above medium bargaining power over its supplier. Substitutes in the conductor industry are high for three reasons. First, products in the semiconductor industry are highly standardized. Secondly, other major companies in this industry have the ability to produce a large volume of similar products at average costs. Thirdly, there is the threat of new companies from China. However, these companies from China lack the technology to make high quality and low cost products. Therefore, at this point, Samsung does not need to worry about substitutes from Chinese firms. The semiconductor industry experiences fierce rivalry between the firms. Similar to substitutes, there are six main rivals within the industry. Also, even though the Chinese companies are young/inexperienced, they are becoming a potential rival. No company has the absolute leading market share or absolute technology to break other major companies within the industry. Even though Chinese companies are inexperienced, these companies are having little or no trouble raising money from local government and they are willing to sacrifice profit in order to fight for market share. Over time, Samsung has established a strong competitive position relative to other firms in the semiconductor industry. Samsung’s emphasis on fast and efficient work has let them complete projects faster than other firms, giving them a competitive edge. An example of this occurred in the mid 1980’s when Samsung was able to complete their first large manufacturing facility, a task that was predicted to take 18 months, in just 6 months by working around the clock. Samsung also has a strength in their location, with Samsung’s main RD facility and all its fab lines located at a single site they are able to save an estimated 12% on fab construction costs. This advantage of location also allows their engineers to work closely together to quickly solve design and process engineering problems together, furthering their speed and efficiency advantage over their competitors. Samsung has also done a great job of identifying and seizing opportunities before their competitors, and taking risks that other firms may be unwilling to take. An example of this occurred in 1992 when Samsung decided to invest $1 Billion in increasing the size of the wafers used to cut the DRM chips to eight inches. This investment paid off and gave Samsung a distinct cost advantage that allowed them to gain the number one market share in the DRAM industry for 13 years. Samsung also identified and seized he opportunity to gain high profits through product differentiation by customizing and catering to niche markets, offering over 1,200 different variations of DRAM products. In order to understand the internal Environment of the company. VRIO framework will be used to analyse the internal environment and   to help further understand the strategic position in the industry. Relatively low power of suppliers and large production factories allow Samsung to keep their cost low. Their lo w cost of production will enable them to enter into a price war with any company threatening to enter the market. They have the ability to lower their price to the point where it will become too costly for any other company to enter the market will deter additional entrants. Their low cost production ability also allows them to increase revenues and reinvest more money back into RD. Additionally, having all of their engineers on site allowed for quicker design times and cut 12% of construction fabrication costs. However, rarity is not really an issue within the industry. There are multiple companies all with similar technology. Once Samsung can keep the low cost production system and reinvest to their RD, they could achieve sustainable comp etitive advantage in the industry. Most customers are willing to pay a higher value for their products because they perceive Samsung to have better performance and superior design, quality, and service. The brand loyalty, brand reputation and quality(reliable product) are costly for the competitors to acquire or develop. The competitors also face a cost disadvantage in cost structures since Samsung has an outstanding low cost production system. Moreover, Samsung’s major competitors do not have the cutting edge technology to quickly overpass the quality of Samsung’s product. It would be difficult and costly for their competitors to imitate their technology. Samsung does a fairly good job exploiting their capabilities because of them building brand loyalty and a high quality product. With all of those advantages it becomes difficult for their competitors to capture Samsung’s market share. Finally, Samsung invested heavily in its employees more than any other competitor allowing them to focus on innovation and productivity (Include HR policies). Answer to question 1. Samsung employees a hybrid model of business level strategy which consists of cost leadership advantage and product differentiation. Samsung’s operating cost is $8. 90 per unit and it is well below the industry average $10. 3975 per unit. As of year 2003, samsung offers over 1200 different products. With a proper marketing strategy, Samsung built a high reputation and good brand image for its products allowing them to charge a premium price on most of its products. Answer to Question 2: Samsung has implemented their business strategy very well. They were able to become not only the industry cost leader but obtain a large degree of product differentiation. Above, we conducted a VRIO analysis of Samsung and identified their competitive advantages. However, the advantages are only temporary because they are not rare and any company can imitate them by spending a large amount of capital. Until this point though, all of the competitive advantages that Samsung has created have created positive economic profit. These profits can be realized in the large growth in the company from 2000 to 2004. Recommendations: Our recommendations are that Samsung continue to use their additional revenue from their low cost of production and higher margin to invest in RD. This will ensure that Samsung has the best product on the market and continue to lower their production costs. By doing this, they will continue to make it costlier for new firms to enter the market. Investing into RD is extremely costly/ high risk and could lead to failure if Samsung begins investing in the wrong type of products. However, if done properly, this investment can cement Samsung as the market leader and ensure high profitability for the future. How to cite Samsung Electronics Case, Essay examples