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Land use change has become a major issue since the turn of the twentieth century due to global warming, particularly the conversion of the natural forest area into agricultural land and bare land. Such changes in different land types are major threats to physiochemical soil features. However, the effects of soil physicochemical properties under different land use types were evaluated in the arid zones of Pakistan. The soil samples were taken from three depths 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm into three land use types (forest, cultivated, and grazing land). To estimate the physiochemical properties of soil, the samples were tested in the laboratory through analytical procedures of the atomic absorption spectrometer. The results revealed that the fertility of the soil was classified into four major groups very low, low, medium, and high fertile soil. The findings indicated that 66.95% sand and 23.91% soil elements were analyzed in the forest layer and 36.8% clay elements in the subsurface layer of cultivated land. The outcomes of the survey also showed that high (58.29%) and low (49.14%) amounts of total potassium were measured in cultivated and forest land areas of arid regions of Pakistan, respectively. In addition, about 53% of all land types were categorized into low organic matter division areas. The high amount of total nitrogen nutrients (0.12%) was found in the cultivated land and the lowest (0.003%) in the forest land. Comparatively, high potassium (K) 93.15 mg kg-1 was noted in the cultivated land. Moreover, Mn > Fe > Cu > Zn order of the nutrient amount was assessed over arid climate for all land use types over arid regions of Pakistan. Conclusively, this study will help predict the soil potential for sustainable agriculture and a green economy that boosts land use planning and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact and interrelation between positive psychological capital and occupational burnout among faculty associates of technical and professional training institutions. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 282 faculty members from 17 technical institutions were selected from the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Results were drawn using bivariate correlation and linear regression on the data that were collected through adopted questionnaire. Findings: Results of the study revealed that occupational burnout is significantly related to the performance of the faculty of technical institutes and that psychological capital moderates this relationship. Practical implications: Conclusions from this research suggested that the personality trait of a psychological capital is an essential determinant of job burnout and performance among faculty members; therefore, it must be considered as an essential part of the selection criteria and job-assessment process. This is important, since psychological capital reduces the detrimental impact of occupational burnout on performance outcomes. Further the faculty members with higher psychological capital should be retained to create positive work environment which can be an inspiration for others. Originality/value: The research provides important information about the impact of personality traits upon the performance of a faculty member who joins an educational institution coming from an industrial environment. Although having similar technological skills required for the position, still the effects of a new environment can cause performance issues, the research insisted that positive personality traits like psychological capital can help in gaining required confidence to perform in a changed environment.

Climate science has confirmed the alteration of the hydrological cycle attributed to global warming. This warming tendency affects the monsoon precipitation in Pakistan with an unprecedented intensity, causing severe flooding. Therefore, it is inevitable to observe the recent spring and summer monsoon changes in extreme precipitation throughout Pakistan. The present study examined 8 precipitation indices in the past 50-year period (1971–2020) (stretched to two data periods; 1971–1998 and 1999–2020) using Mann–Kendall and Sen's method to investigate the direction and magnitude of the observed trends. Spring and summer wet days significantly increased in the central eastern (Kakul, Kotli, Jhelum) and western (Cherat, Chitral, Peshawar) regions in the 1st data period but significantly decreased in areas including the southern region in the 2nd data period. We further observed the high-intensity precipitation days (R10, R20) in the same seasons. The intensity of summer R20 was much stronger throughout Pakistan in the 1st data period which reduced significantly during the 2nd data period in northern and southern regions. We extended the circle of investigation to very heavy and extreme precipitation (R30 and R50). The intensity of R30 and R50 in summer followed the same pattern as observed for R10 and R20. However, R30 and R50 in pre-monsoon significantly increased in the northern, east-western, and south-eastern regions during the 2nd data period. Summer monsoon and westerly humid regions experienced a decreasing tendency of very heavy and severe precipitation in the 1st data period. Our results concluded that the most significant changes in precipitation extremes occurred with higher intensity and recurring frequency for all indices in spring and summer monsoon during the 2nd data period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion and land degradation have intensified recently, resulting from large‐scale land‐use and land cover (LULC) change, deforestation and farm mechanization. This phenomenon motivates the rationale for the assessment of such land‐use changes and their impacts on soil and vegetation in the Kanshi River basin using various remote sensing techniques between 1987–2019. The image classification enabled the identification of dry and highland zones. It was observed that around 17% of natural vegetation cover disappeared and was converted into agricultural land. Significant increase in extensive agricultural practices, population growth, settlement, and the brick industry have increased soil erosion and changed the landscape of the Kanshi region during 1987–2019. Further, we classify gully erosion, rill erosion, sprinkle erosion, and sheet erosion have all been found at rates of 43%, 27%, 9%, and 21%, respectively. Similarly, soil classes in 2019 were doubled, with Sambrial association (1%), Rajar complex (36%), Dhulian association (15%), Gullied (15%), Missa complex, Rough mountainous (2%) and Rough broken (17%), compared to four classes in 1987: Gullied, Missa complex, rough broken land, and Torrent bed land. Whereas in 1987, four types of soils were observed. The recorded soil series had a limited water holding capacity and were well drained. Soil erosion is a natural and inevitable phenomenon; however, its intensity can be reduced by appropriate water resource management in this basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalayan (HKH) ranges and their massive cryosphere extend over the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) and are prone to incapacitated water supply due to the proclivity of globally increased temperature. Due to excessive carbon emissions, frequent incursions including extreme climatic events, are likely to happen sooner than expected on a regional scale due to recent climate change. The present study examined the variability of climatic extremes (18 indices) during 1971 to2018 over the UIB. The Mann-Kendall (MK) test and Sen's methods were applied for statistical analysis as the former deals with the magnitude of trends while the direction of observed trends was identified by the latter in climatological time-series data. The frequency and intensity of summer days (SU25 > 25 °C/year) at 13 out of 27 stations significantly increased, particularly in lower regions. The same warming proclivity was dominant in tropical nights (TR20 > 20 °C/year) at 20 stations including Astore, Bunji, Gilgit, Gupis, Murree and Skardu. Similarly, significant increases were observed in extremes of annual precipitation in western and high northern areas; however, significantly, the highest drops in R25 and R5day were exhibited in Chitral at the rates of 13 and 29 days, respectively. These findings tend to support the accelerated summer warming and a rather stable winter warming while stable winter warming showed that overall the UIB seems to be more sensitive towards warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the spatiotemporal variability in hydrometeorological time-series to evaluate the current and future scenarios of water resources availability from upper Indus basin (UIB). Mann–Kendall and Sen's slope estimator tests were used to analyze the variability in the temperature, precipitation, and streamflow time-series data at 27 meteorological stations and 34 hydrological stations for the period of 1963 to 2014. The time-series data of entire study period were divided into two equal subseries of 26 years each (1963–1988 and 1989–2014) to assess the overlapping aspect of climate change acceleration over UIB. The results showed a warming pattern at low altitude stations, while a cooling tendency was detected at high-altitude stations. An increase in streamflow was detected during winter and spring seasons at all hydrological stations, whereas the streamflow in summer and autumn seasons exhibited decreasing trends. The annual precipitation showed a significant decreasing trend at ten stations, while a significant increasing trend was observed at Kohat station during second subseries of the study period. The most significant winter drying trends were observed at Gupis, Chitral, Garidopatta, and Naran stations of magnitude of 47%, 13%, 25%, and 18%, respectively, during the second subseries. The annual runoff exhibited significant deceasing trends over Jhelum subbasin at Azad Pattan, Chinari, Domel Kohala, Muzaffarabad, and Palote, while within Indus basin at Chahan, Gurriala, Khairabad, Karora, and Kalam in the second time-series. It is believed that the results of this study will be helpful for the decision-makers to develop strategies for planning and development of future water resources projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff generated from the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) mainly originates in the massifs of the Hindukush–Karakoram–Himalaya (HKH) region of Pakistan. Water supply in early spring depends upon the snow accumulation in the winter and the subsequent temperature. Seasonal temperature variations corroborate the contemporary dynamics of snow and glaciers. Recently, there has been increasing evidence of accelerated warming in high mountain areas, termed as elevation-dependent warming (EDW). We have identified trends, analyzed inconsistencies, and calculated changes in the maximum, minimum, mean and diurnal temperature range (Tmax, Tmin, Tmean, and DTR) at 20 weather stations during four-time series: 1961–2013 (first), 1971–2013 (second), 1981–2013 (third), and 1991–2013 (fourth). We employed the Mann–Kendall test to determine the existence of a trend and Sen's method for the estimation of prevailing trends, whereas homogeneity analysis was applied before trend identification using three different tests. This study revealed that the largest and smallest magnitudes of trends appeared in the winter and summer, respectively, particularly during the fourth data series. Tmax revealed robust warming at ten stations, most remarkably at Gupis, Khunjrab, and Naltar at rates of 0.29, 0.36, and 0.43 °C/decade, respectively, during the fourth series. We observed that Tmin exhibits a mixed pattern of warming and cooling during the second and third series, but cooling becomes stronger during the fourth series, exhibiting significant trends at twelve stations. Khunjrab and Naltar showed steady warming during the fourth series (spring), at rates of 0.26 and 0.13 °C/decade in terms of Tmean. The observed decreases in DTR appeared stronger in the fourth series during the summer. These findings tend to partially support the notion of EDW but validate the dominance of cooling spatially and temporally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper Indus basin (UIB) holds one of the most substantial river systems in the world, contributing roughly half of the available surface water in Pakistan. This water provides necessary support for agriculture, domestic consumption, and hydropower generation; all critical for a stable economy in Pakistan. This study has identified trends, analyzed variability, and assessed changes in both annual and seasonal precipitation during four time series, identified herein as: (first) 1961-2013, (second) 1971-2013, (third) 1981-2013, and (fourth) 1991-2013, over the UIB. This study investigated spatial characteristics of the precipitation time series over 15 weather stations and provides strong evidence of annual precipitation by determining significant trends at 6 stations (Astore, Chilas, Dir, Drosh, Gupis, and Kakul) out of the 15 studied stations, revealing a significant negative trend during the fourth time series. Our study also showed significantly increased precipitation at Bunji, Chitral, and Skardu, whereas such trends at the rest of the stations appear insignificant. Moreover, our study found that seasonal precipitation decreased at some locations (at a high level of significance), as well as periods of scarce precipitation during all four seasons. The observed decreases in precipitation appear stronger and more significant in autumn; having 10 stations exhibiting decreasing precipitation during the fourth time series, with respect to time and space. Furthermore, the observed decreases in precipitation appear robust and more significant for regions at high elevation (>1300 m). This analysis concludes that decreasing precipitation dominated the UIB, both temporally and spatially including in the higher areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses quality practices in Pakistani Petrochemical sector to understand TQM practices and their implementation in Pakistan. It helps to understand the role of leadership, vision & plan statement, employee participation and education & training as important constructs of TQM. It shows how these constructs help to speed up the TQM implementation in petrochemical sector like other constructs of TQM and finally company moves towards quality approach. The responses of executives, managerial staff and workers were received using questionnaire and online surveys which are sent through Google Drive. Data of 106 respondents was taken in this study and analyzed by SPSS18. Study shows that Total Quality Management culture is less understood by employees, thus less adopted and implemented in Pakistan. Petrochemical companies fail to adopt the TQM philosophy and processes, hence reducing productivity and profits. This research paper is very helpful for executives for TQM implementation in petrochemical sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economy of Pakistan relies on the agricultural sector which mainly depends on the irrigation water generating from the upper Indus river basin. Mangla watershed is a trans-boundary basin which shares borders of India and Pakistan, it comprises five major sub-basins, i.e., Jhelum, Poonch, Kanshi, Neelum and Kunhar. The runoff production of this basin is largely controlled by snowmelt in combination with the winter precipitation in the upper part of the basin and summer monsoon. The present study focusses on the application of a statistical downscaling method to generate future climatic scenarios of climatic trends (temperature and precipitation) in Mangla watershed. Statistical Downscaling Model (SDSM) was applied to downscale the Hadley Centre Coupled Model, version 3, Global Climate Model (HadCM3-GCM) predictions of the A2 and B2 emission scenarios. The surface water analyst tool (SWAT) hydrological model was used for the future projected streamflows based on developing climate change scenarios by SDSM. The results revealed an increasing trend of annual maximum temperature (A2) at the rates of 0.4, 0.7 and 1.2 °C for the periods of 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, respectively. However, a consistent decreasing trend of temperature was observed at the high-altitude region. Similarly, the annual minimum temperature exhibited an increasing pattern at the rates of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.9 °C for the periods of 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, respectively. Furthermore, similar increases were observed for annual precipitation at the rates of 6%, 10%, and 19% during 2020, 2050 and 2080, respectively, for the whole watershed. Significant increasing precipitation trends in the future (2080) were observed in Kunhar, Neelum, Poonch and Kanshi sub-basins at the rates of 16%, 11%, 13% and 59%, respectively. Consequently, increased annual streamflow in the future at the rate of 15% was observed attributing to an increased temperature for snow melting in Mangla watershed. The similar increasing streamflow trend is consistent with the seasonal trends in terms of winter (16%), spring (19%) and summer (20%); however, autumn exhibited decreasing trend for all periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article documents the development of a questionnaire designed to measure the cultural and academic experiences (CAEQ) of East Asian research students enrolled at Australian universities. The CAEQ comprises three subscales: sense of belonging, learning strategies and perception of progress. The scale was designed based on literature studies and ideas from previous scales. The target groups were doctoral students from Bangladesh, China, India, and Pakistan enrolled at Australian universities. Initially, 295 students responded to an online survey and 211 research students completed it. A factor analysis was conducted to explore the components of each scale. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that there are 2–4 significantly correlated components of each subscale. The developed scales in this study can be used by universities to monitor the academic progress and research progress of their international students from the East Asian region, along with ensuring that these students have improved cultural and academic experiences in the Australian higher education sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]