This book provides a research-based analysis of public sector reforms in Pakistan. It offers a broad overview of reforms at different levels of government - including federal, provincial and local - and examines decentralization and devolution reforms in various policy sectors. It also reflects on market-oriented reforms and the steps taken to involve the private sector to build a better-governed public sector, and explores new trends in the public sector in the areas of digitalisation and disaster management. Bringing together young researchers, academics, and practitioners, the book sets a new milestone in the movement towards context-specific reform studies in both academia and the professional practice of public administration, particularly in South Asia.

Salinity is one of the acute problems causing enormous yield loss in many regions of the world. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in arid and semiarid regions. Halophytes can remove salt from various types of problematic soils due to their unique morphological, physiological and anatomical adaptations to these environments. Halophytes are also used for the treatment of certain diseases but scientific documentation in terms of current phytotherapic applications is deficient in this unique group of plants. Different ethnic groups around the world use medicinal halophytes according to their own beliefs and ancestor’s experiences. However, their knowledge about the use of salt tolerant medicinal plants is usually confined to their own community. There is thus a knowledge gap on halophytes which should be bridged and preserved. This book provides a comprehensive account on the distribution of halophytes, their ethnobotanical and medicinal aspects, economic importance, and chemical constituents along with scientific description. The book therefore serves as a valuable resource for professionals and researchers working in the fields of plant stress biology and ethnobotanical aspects.

Due to their high nutritive value and the presence of secondary metabolites, wetland plants can be consumed by humans as food and utilized as medicinal drugs. Significant numbers of ethno-botanic resources have been reported to extract useful compounds, which can be used as pharmaceuticals. Wetland plants are also very valuable as an energy source, as fuel for fish smoking and for domestic energy. These plants can be harvested as wild stock, or cultivated in flooded paddies for aquaculture, food and for livestock fodder. All parts of plants can be utilized for foodstuff, compost, mulch, medicine, and for construction. Wetland Plants: A Source of Nutrition and Ethnomedicine aims to promote public understanding of this remarkable resource, exploring not only their role in the ecosystem but also their nutritional and medicinal purposes. Based on original research, the text focuses on species identification (with original pictures of wetland plants including morphological features), nutritive value and ethno-medicinal uses. This book serves as an important and basic reference material for further research into the basic biological as well as the applied medicinal aspects of traditional medicinal wetland plants.

Biodiesel a fuel substitute produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, or algae is one of the most important renewable natural resources for agrarian countries. The justification for developing biodiesel as an alternate fuel is manifold, and rising crude oil prices and the vulnerability of energy security have made biodiesel necessary and inevitable. The Practical Handbook on Biodiesel Production and Properties has assembled and analyzed the recent trends of biodiesel research, production, and implementation. It includes practical guidance on the identification of plant resources and their distribution, botanical description, palynology, oil extraction, production process, and biodiesel yield. The production and usage of biodiesel will strengthen the agricultural sector, provide energy to remote areas without access to conventional energy, contribute towards economic development, and increase industrial activity. Drawing on both scientific and participatory processes, this book enables the successful utilization and commercialization of biofuel technology.

The Himalayan region is among the largest mountains systems of the world with uncounted unique medicinal plants resources. The lesser Himalayas ranges are the extension of Greater Himalayas. They have unique ecology, vegetation and diversity of medicinal flora due to tremendous variation in the altitude, climate and associated wildlife.

The utilization of medicinal plants in medicine suffers from the fact that although plants are used to treat diseases, scientific evidence is lacking in many cases. Different societies of the world use the plants according to their own beliefs and knowledge and previous experiences. Their knowledge about the use of the plants is usually not known to the other world or science. This book provides a brief introduction of Lesser Himalayas, ethnobotanical aspects, marketing and anthropogenic pressure on medicinal flora. It comprises one hundred medicinal plant species including Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms (Monocots and Dicots) along with their scientific description and traditional uses.

Medicinal flora plays an important role in health care systems across the world. Out of the half million flowering plants, around 50.000 species are valued for their therapeutic properties. During the last few decades, 20% of the world's population used plants and/or their derived products as a source of medicine. WHO stated that 80% population around the globe, specifically the rural communities, depend on medicinal plants for their basic healthcare needs. To this end, plant-based phytochemicals are known to have hepato-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant actions. This book is a guide to ~280 plant species of medicinal flora that demonstrates global relevance. Our goal is to share local knowledge about phytomedicines to a worldwide audience. It is an illustrated reference that documents and preserves the existing knowledge on these plant taxa, with a social and cultural (ethnobotanical) emphasis. This book also provides comprehensive and useful information about traditional uses of medicinal plants by the local communities for the treatment of various prevalent diseases. It contains comprehensive descriptions of each species including family, synonyms, English name, distribution, altitude, habitat, morphological description, life form, part used, mode of utilization, diseases category, recipes, other medicinal uses, phytochemical activity and toxicity.

The Himalayan region is among the largest mountains systems of the world with uncounted unique medicinal plants resources. The lesser Himalayas ranges are the extension of Greater Himalayas. They have unique ecology, vegetation and diversity of medicinal flora due to tremendous variation in the altitude, climate and associated wildlife. The utilization of medicinal plants in medicine suffers from the fact that although plants are used to treat diseases, scientific evidence is lacking in many cases. Different societies of the world use the plants according to their own beliefs and knowledge and previous experiences. Their knowledge about the use of the plants is usually not known to the other world or science. This book provides a brief introduction of Lesser Himalayas, ethnobotanical aspects, marketing and anthropogenic pressure on medicinal flora. It comprises one hundred medicinal plant species including Pteridophytes, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms (Monocots and Dicots) along with their scientific description and traditional uses.

Biodiesel-a fuel substitute produced from vegetable oils, animal fats, or algae-is one of the most important renewable natural resources for agrarian countries. The justification for developing biodiesel as an alternate fuel is manifold, and rising crude oil prices and the vulnerability of energy security have made biodiesel necessary and inevitable. The Practical Handbook on Biodiesel Production and Properties has assembled and analyzed the recent trends of biodiesel research, production, and implementation. It includes practical guidance on the identification of plant resources and their distribution, botanical description, palynology, oil extraction, production process, and biodiesel yield. The production and usage of biodiesel will strengthen the agricultural sector, provide energy to remote areas without access to conventional energy, contribute towards economic development, and increase industrial activity. Drawing on both scientific and participatory processes, this book enables the successful utilization and commercialization of biofuel technology.

This book provides a research-based analysis of public sector reforms in Pakistan. It offers a broad overview of reforms at different levels of government – including federal, provincial and local – and examines decentralization and devolution reforms in various policy sectors. It also reflects on market-oriented reforms and the steps taken to involve the private sector to build a better-governed public sector, and explores new trends in the public sector in the areas of digitalisation and disaster management. Bringing together young researchers, academics, and practitioners, the book sets a new milestone in the movement towards context-specific reform studies in both academia and the professional practice of public administration, particularly in South Asia.

Medicinal flora plays an important role in health care systems across the world. Out of the half million flowering plants, around 50.000 species are valued for their therapeutic properties. During the last few decades, 20% of the world's population used plants and/or their derived products as a source of medicine. WHO stated that 80% population around the globe, specifically the rural communities, depend on medicinal plants for their basic healthcare needs. To this end, plant-based phytochemicals are known to have hepato-protective, anti-carcinogenic, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant actions. This book is a guide to ~280 plant species of medicinal flora that demonstrates global relevance. Our goal is to share local knowledge about phytomedicines to a worldwide audience. It is an illustrated reference that documents and preserves the existing knowledge on these plant taxa, with a social and cultural (ethnobotanical) emphasis. This book also provides comprehensive and useful information about traditional uses of medicinal plants by the local communities for the treatment of various prevalent diseases. It contains comprehensive descriptions of each species including family, synonyms, English name, distribution, altitude, habitat, morphological description, life form, part used, mode of utilization, diseases category, recipes, other medicinal uses, phytochemical activity and toxicity.

Due to their high nutritive value and the presence of secondary metabolites, wetland plants can be consumed by humans as food and utilized as medicinal drugs. Significant numbers of ethno-botanic resources have been reported to extract useful compounds, which can be used as pharmaceuticals. Wetland plants are also very valuable as an energy source, as fuel for fish smoking and for domestic energy. These plants can be harvested as wild stock, or cultivated in flooded paddies for aquaculture, food and for livestock fodder. All parts of plants can be utilized for foodstuff, compost, mulch, medicine, and for construction. Wetland Plants: A Source of Nutrition and Ethnomedicine aims to promote public understanding of this remarkable resource, exploring not only their role in the ecosystem but also their nutritional and medicinal purposes. Based on original research, the text focuses on species identification (with original pictures of wetland plants including morphological features), nutritive value and ethno-medicinal uses. This book serves as an important and basic reference material for further research into the basic biological as well as the applied medicinal aspects of traditional medicinal wetland plants.