Seminar by Distinguished Academician Prof. Rathinasamy Maria Saleth

The Department of Economics is inviting Distinguished Visiting Professor, Prof. Rathinasamy Maria Saleth for two esteemed seminars on novel topics of social relevance. Prof. Saleth will talk on “Climate Change, Water, and Adaptation” on November 29, 2023, and “Social Science Research: Theories, Models, and Empirical Analysis” on November 30, 2023.

Join the sessions and gain insights from the seasoned academician!

About the Speaker

Prof. Rathinasamy Maria Saleth is currently a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Department of Economics, Easwari School of Liberal Arts, SRM University-AP. He is regularly affiliated as an Honorary Professor at the Madras School of Economics, Chennai.

Prof. Saleth received his MA from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai (1979), MPhil from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (1981), and PhD from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA (1989). He works in the areas of water resource management, institutional change, development policy, and impact assessment and has published three books, six edited volumes, and over 100 research papers in journals and edited volumes related to these areas.

Prof. Saleth has also won awards for some of his papers, books, and works from professional organisations such as the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics, the American Water Resources Association, the International Water Association, and the University of South Australia. He has also been a consultant to the World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Asian Development Bank, UN Economic and Social Council for the Asia and the Pacific, and UN Environment Programme.

Talk 1: Climate Change, Water, and Adaptation

Abstract: This presentation covers the nature and magnitude of the impacts of climate change on water resources and possible coping and adaptation options both from global and national perspectives. The presentation starts with a discussion on the leading causes of climate change, especially the cumulative effects of global warming caused by greenhouse gases and related environmental consequences from human-induced economic activities and ecological disturbances. It, then, shows how the impacts of climate change are manifested both at the global and national scale in terms of the spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation and water availability and the resultant implications for water, agriculture, and economy. Although climate change is caused essentially by non-hydrological factors, the water sector continues to be the main medium through which most of its impacts are transmitted to the agricultural sector in particular and other economic sectors in general. As such, it is but natural for the adaptation/coping strategies also to be designed at the point of the impacted sectors, though, admittedly, general mitigation strategies go far beyond these sectors. The presentation, finally, concludes by delineating feasible adaptation strategies for the water sector, which include not just demand management options but also supply management avenues, especially those involving institutional changes and infrastructural developments.

Talk 2: Social Science Research: Theories, Models, and Empirical Analysis

Abstract: This presentation covers the theoretical, methodological, and empirical aspects of social science research, especially from the perspective of young research scholars. It starts with a discussion on the nature, rationale, features, and types of building blocks of social science theories. After an analytical description of three broad types of models, i.e., simple, interactive, and path-based models, the presentation provides concrete illustrations, particularly for the interactive and path-based models using a few empirical case studies. These illustrative case studies will show how to conceptualize, operationalize, and empirically evaluate the research problems in different contexts. The presentation, finally, concludes with the discussion on some of the additional methodological, practical, and data-related aspects of importance in social science research.