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1. Definition
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Name
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EXPENDITURE
ON RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
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Brief
definition
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Total
domestic expenditure on scientific research and experimental
development expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP).
|
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Unit of measure
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%
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2.
Position within the logical framework DPSIR
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Type
of Indicator
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Response
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3.
Target and political pertinence
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Objective
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This
ratio provides an indication of the financial resources
devoted to R&D in terms of their share of the
GDP.
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Importance
with respect to desertification
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Scientists
are improving their understanding on land degradation
and on the other interlinked issues such as climate
change, growth in resource consumption rates, demographic
trends, and environmental degradation. Changes in
these and other areas need to be taken into account
in order to assess more accurately the extent of land
degradation and to understand the processes of desertification
and drought better, with the aim to develop long term
strategies to mitigate and combat desertification.
Scientific knowledge should be applied to assess current
conditions and future prospects in relation to sustainable
development. This indicator is required to assess
the level and distribution of R&D expenditure
in relation to GDP, at a given point of time, as well
as its trends. Adequate R&D funding that is commensurate
with economic growth and national income is necessary
for ensuring sustainable development.
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International
Conventions and agreements
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The
UNCCD encourages integrated and coordinated information
gathering, analysis and exchange to increase the knowledge
and understanding of the causes and effects of drought
and desertification. Of note is the importance placed
by the convention on the sharing of local and traditional
knowledge. This issue is included in Agenda 21, Chapter
35: Science for Sustainable Development.
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Secondary
objectives of the indicator
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Evaluation
of the investments to improve sustainable development.
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4.
Methodological description and basic definitions
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Definitions
and basic concepts
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The
Recommendation concerning the International Standardization
of Statistics on Science and Technology defines total
domestic expenditure on R&D activities as all
expenditure made for this purpose in the course of
a reference year in institutions and installations
established in the national territory, as well as
installations physically situated abroad; land or
experimental facilities rented or owned abroad, and
ships, vehicles, aircraft and satellites used by national
institutions.
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Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value
|
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Methods
of measurement
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The
indicator is calculated by dividing total domestic
expenditure on R&D by GDP and expressed as a percentage,
that is
Total domestic expenditure on R&D x 100
---------------------------------------
GDP
Both
data on R&D expenditure and GDP can be expressed
in current values and in the national currency.
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Limits
of the indicator
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The
indicator does not show the proportion of expenditure
on research that contributes to sustainable development,
so it does not reveal the effective expenditure devoted
to land degradation. Data on R&D expenditure are
usually obtained through special surveys. To date,
most developed and a few developing countries are
able to regularly collect and provide internationally
comparable and simultaneous data. Moreover the indicator
does not reflect the quality of scientific research.
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Linkages
with other indicators
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5.
Evaluation of data needs and availability
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Data
required to calculate the indicator
|
Total
domestic expenditure on R&D; GDP.
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|
Data
sources
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To
derive this indicator at the international level,
the GDP data needed can be obtained from the World
Bank whilst those relating to R&D expenditure
can be obtained through UNESCO's international surveys
on scientific research and experimental development.
At the national level, data on R&D expenditure
are collected normally through special R&D surveys
conducted by the ministry/department/council of science
and technology and/or the central statistical office
and/or specialized institutions, whereas those on
GDP can be obtained from either the ministry of finance
or the central statistical office.
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Availability
of data from national and international sources
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World
Bank, UNESCO, national statistical office.
Data
on R&D expenditure for 1990, or later years, are
available for 46 countries only. At the national level,
the availability of these data depends on the existence
and frequency of surveys.
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6.
Institutions that have participated in developing the indicator
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Main
institutions responsible
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University
of Basilicata, Italy
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Other
contributing organizations
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Universities
of Lisbon, Murcia, Athens
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7.
Additional information
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Bibliography
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UNESCO.
Recommendation concerning the International Standardization
of Statistics on Science and Technology. Adopted by
the General Conference of UNESCO in 1978.
UNESCO.
Manual for Statistics on Scientific and Technological
Activities. 1984.
UNESCO.
Guide to the Collection of Statistics on Science and
Technology. 1984.
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Other
references
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UNESCO
Division of Statistics
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Contacts
Name and address
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University
of Basilicata
Prof Giovanni Quaranta
email: quaranta@unibas.it
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|
