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This study aims to investigate if there is any causal relationship between human rights and economic growth. The causality is tested in both directions, from human rights to economic growth and from economic growth to human rights, using a panel data Granger Causality test. The variable used to represent human rights is a human rights score and the variable used to represent economic growth is annual growth of real GDP per capita. Both of these variables are retrieved from Our World in Data. There is a total number of 81 countries included in this study with yearly observations from 1962 until 2017 on both variables. To achieve a greater depth the 81 countries were categorized into three different categories: low-income, middle-income and high-income countries. Previous studies and theories indicate that it is possible to expect a two-way causal relationship between economic growth and human rights. However, the results in this study indicate that there is no statistically significant causal relationship in any direction for any of the income categories.

Renewable energy and economic growth are among the central issues in the two-prongeddisciplines of economics and sustainability. This study explores the impact of renewable energygeneration on economic growth. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Energy Growth Nexus,the research employs a neo-classical production function in several panel data econometricmodels. Sixty nations across the globe are categorized into high-income countries and lowincome countries equally by the World Bank´s income-classifications calculated using theWorld Bank Atlas method. Renewable energy and non-renewable energy generation along withcomponents of production functions such as labor force and investments are examined for theperiod 2000-2021 to identify their impact on GDP. All the variables explored in the study arenormalized by population to account for population differences across countries. Our findingsrobustly support the growth hypothesis, that renewable energy acts as a catalyst to economicdevelopment. The empirical results indicate that there is an association between the renewableenergy and GDP per capita regardless of the nation´s income levels. Robustness checks withdata from a decade preceding the initial analysis are also conducted to ensure the initial findingsare consistent and not an anomaly. The empirical findings from the study offers insights togovernments, energy planners, policymakers, international agencies, and associated bodies toconsider decisions regarding renewable energy transitions. Investments into renewable energyinfrastructure not only enhances the sustainability levels of planet earth but conjointlystimulates economic growth across the globe.

Die vier in der vorliegenden Dissertation enthaltenen Studien beschäftigen sich vorwiegend mit dem dynamischen Verhalten makroökonomischer Zeitreihen. Diese Dynamiken werden sowohl im Kontext eines einfachen DSGE Modells, als auch aus der Sichtweise reiner Zeitreihenmodelle untersucht. / The four studies of this thesis are concerned predominantly with the dynamics of macroeconomic time series, both in the context of a simple DSGE model, as well as from a pure time series modeling perspective.

Vatten är ett livsmedel som vi kommer i kontakt med dagligen. För att inte råka ut för sjuk-domar och infektioner renas dricksvattnet på vattenverken, främst för att reducera antalet patogener, d.v.s. sjukdomsframkallande mikroorganismer. Man brukar prata om tre grupper mikroorganismer i vattenrening; bakterier, virus och parasiter. Dessa grupper är vitt skilda i många avseenden och reduceras därför olika bra av olika reningssteg. Ju mer kunskap man kan få om reningsprocessen, desto bättre kan reningen optimeras. Därmed minimeras riskerna för konsumenterna att drabbas av infektioner. I det här arbetet används två modeller för att beskriva och utvärdera Borgs vattenverk som drivs av Norrköping Vatten AB. Modellen God desinfeksjonspraksis (GDP) är ett resultat av ett norskt projekt och baserar sig på formler och tabeller. Först avgörs råvattenkvaliteten genom att vattenverkets storlek och förekomst av mikroorganismer bedöms. Därefter görs diverse avdrag för förebyggande åtgärder, rening utöver desinfektion m.m. Slutligen bedöms desinfektionsgraden genom att det tillsatta klorets avklingning bestäms för beräkning av Ct-värdet; produkten av kontakttiden och koncentrationen. Genom att jämföra råvattenkvaliteten med avdragen och desinfektions-graden kan en bedömning göras om huruvida reningsprocessen är tillräcklig eller inte. I Mikrobiologisk riskanalys (MRA) bygger man upp en modell av sitt vattenverk i ett program och väljer patogenhalter för råvattnet. Efter det beräknar programmet renings-processens reduktion, riskerna för daglig respektive årlig sannolikhet för infektion samt DALYs, som gör att man kan jämföra risken för vattenburen smitta med exempelvis risken att förolyckas i trafiken. Det amerikanska naturvårdsverket och WHO har satt gränsen för den acceptabla årliga sannolikheten för infektion på grund av vattenrelaterad sjukdom till 1/10 000 invånare respektive 1 µDALYs. Fördelen med MRA är att när man väl byggt upp sitt vattenverk i programmet kan olika scenarion simuleras genom att patogenhalterna varieras. Tyvärr är det svårt att uppskatta patogenhalterna då de provtagningar som skulle behövas sällan är gjorda. Även litteraturvärden kan vara svårt att hitta, särskilt för virus som är så små att de är svåra att analysera. Resultatet av bägge modellerna visade på att Borgs vattenverks reduktionsförmåga är tillräcklig med avseende på bakterier, men inte för virus och parasiter. I MRA är det emellertid svårt att säga hur korrekt detta påstående är, då endast litteraturvärden kunnat användas för de två sistnämnda patogenerna. En del provtagningar har gjorts och då har inga parasiter kunnat påvisas i råvattnet, men för att inte underskatta riskerna användes litteratur-värdena ändå. GDP påvisade inga stora brister i reduceringen av virus och parasiter och i MRA låg resultatet i samma storleksordning som gränsen för DALYs. Eventuellt behöver alltså inga stora åtgärder vidtas för att minska de mikrobiologiska riskerna. De viktigaste stegen i reningsprocessen är långsamfiltrering, desinfektion med fritt klor och fällning och sedimentering med efterföljande filtrering. Infektionsrisken blir störst om fällningssteget slås ut. I samtliga simulerade scenarion låg infektionssannolikheten för bakterier fortfarande på en acceptabel nivå. Det värsta scenariot av de modellerade är om avloppsledningen från Skärblacka skulle börja läcka samtidigt som det regnar kraftigt. Det skulle leda till att förorening från betesmark spolas med ut i Motala Ström där råvattnet hämtas. Detta ger den högsta patogenhalten och därmed också den största infektionsrisken. / Water is one of the most basic things in life and is something we come in contact with on a daily basis. To prevent diseases and infections, the drinking water is purified, mainly in order to reduce the number of pathogens. The most important groups of microorganisms in water purification are bacteria, viruses, and parasites. These groups are very different in many respects and are therefore reduced most efficiently by different purification processes. If more knowledge is gained, the waterworks can optimize the purification process. This would lead to a minimization of the risk of getting infections caused by consuming the drinking water. In this paper two models are used to describe and evaluate Borg’s waterworks, run by Norrköping Vatten AB. Good Disinfection Practice (GDP) is the result of a Norwegian project and is based on formulas and tables. First, the raw water quality is determined by evaluating the presence of microorganisms and the number of people supplied. Then deductions are made due to security precautions and water treatment besides disinfection etc.  Finally the disinfection is determined by calculating the reduction of the added chlorine to gain the Ct-value, which is the product of the contact time and concentration. By comparison of the raw water, the deductions and the disinfection, the purification process can be evaluated as sufficient or not. In Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) the purification process is modelled and concentrations of pathogens in the raw water are chosen. The program then calculates the reduction of the pathogens by the purification process. The result is also presented as probability of daily or annual infection and DALYs, which makes it possible to compare the risks of waterborne diseases with for example, the risk of traffic accidents. The US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization have determined the limit for the acceptable annual probability of infection due to water-related disease to 1/10,000 and 1 µDALYs. The advantage of the QMRA is that once you have modelled your purification process a variety of scenarios can be simulated. Unfortunately, it is difficult to estimate the concentrations of pathogens in the raw water and the acquired analysis are rarely made. Even literature values can be difficult to find, especially for viruses due to the difficulties in analysing them because of their small size. Both the models’ results showed that Borg’s waterworks reduction capacity is sufficient for bacteria, but not viruses and parasites. It is however difficult to say how accurate this conclusion is. In QMRA only literature values have been used as a basis to determine the risk for viruses and parasites. In fact, no parasites have been found when samples have been run on the raw water. But since an overestimation of the risk is to be preferred, literature values were used anyway. GDP showed only small shortcomings in the reduction of viruses and parasites and the values obtained from QMRA were in the same order of magnitude as the limit of DALYs. Therefore only small measures might be needed to lower the microbiological risks. The most important steps in the purification process are slow sand filtration, disinfection with free chlorine and precipitation and sedimentation with subsequent filtering. Elimination of the precipitating step results in the greatest risk of infection. In all the scenarios simulated the likelihood of infections caused by bacteria is still acceptable.  The worst-case scenario would be a sewage water leak during heavy raining. The rain would cause excrement from cattle to be washed into and contaminate the raw water in addition to the sewage contamination. This provides the highest concentration of pathogens in the raw water and therefore also the greatest risk of infection.

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This thesis deals with the comparison of tax reforms during the financial and economic crisis in the old and new EU countries. My main objective is to compare the reforms implemented in individual states during the financial and economic crisis and its impact on the tax quota and tax mix. The first part deals with the causes and development of the financial and economic crisis. In the second chapter is a description of the optimal tax system and history of the tax reforms. The final chapter describes the various changes and reforms in EU countries, the development of their tax quota, tax mix, the government expenditure to GDP ratio, the government debt to GDP ratio and the impact of certain changes to the amount of taxation on labor.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / John A. Fox / Child mortality is defined as the death of children under five years old. Worldwide, child mortality was about 8.1 million in 2009, of which over fifty percent is related to diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria. Food and water borne pathogens are an important cause of deaths related to diarrhea and pneumonia. Illiterate or semi-literate populations are often slow to adopt food and water safety standards. Practices such as washing of food in sewage water, which would repulse most westerners might be considered normal in some parts of the world. Understanding some of the basic science underlying food safety standards is important for the farm worker in California, the villager in Africa and the child in Afghanistan. Ultimately, food safety practices in production can affect the consumer of agricultural products no matter where they are in the world, and inadequate food safety standards can affect the producer as a result of diminished consumer confidence in their product, or lack of access to export markets. In the instance of food contamination, young children and the elderly are typically most at risk. Perhaps the most sobering consequence of inadequate food safety standards is child mortality. This thesis uses a regression model to investigate determinants of the level of child mortality. We find that income distribution and levels of tertiary education, particularly for females, are significantly correlated with child mortality rates. Estimates suggest that a one percent increase in tertiary education in the female workforce is associated with a reduction of almost seven percent in the child mortality rate in countries where the rate of female tertiary education is below fifteen percent.