I am deeply grateful to Prof. Dr. Bernhard Bruemmer, for giving the opportunity to carry out doctoral research under his supervision, and his guidance and support as I worked on it. I thank Prof. Dr. Helmut Herwartz for his support in the same. I also thank Prof. Dr. Stephan von Cramon-Taubadel for being a part of my thesis committee and supporting my Ph.D. My sincere gratitude to Ms Priscilla Wainaina for allowing me to use her data, collected in Kenya, for the purpose of analysis in the first

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... paper (Chapter 2). I thank Mr. Shalander Kumar and Mr. Eliaskhan Patan from ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India for helping me to gain a sound understanding of the data related to Bangladesh. Ms Barbara Strauss and Ms Doerte Dede have facilitated my administrative tasks and ensured a smooth completion of my PhD program at the RTG. Likewise, Ms Nina Enke has helped me at the Chair. I thank them profusely. I also thank the staff at DARE-IT as they were readily available when I needed them many times. My fellow colleagues at the Chair have been the best people I have dealt with as they have encouraged me and helped me in every possible way during the course of the program. I cherish their warmth and optimism. I also acknowledge the technical help which I received from my RTG colleagues, Peter Kramlinger and Paola Barajas. My friends in Goettingen have made my experience here, the most memorable and enjoyable. I thank them for their warmth. v My father, mother and brother are the reason why I have come a long way in my studies. Their love and support have constantly nurtured all my academic pursuits. I will be eternally grateful to them. I have learnt immensely in terms of gaining academic knowledge as well as imbibed noble values during the course of my stay at University of Goettingen. This dissertation is a manifestation of my immemorial want to learn boundarylessly, from academic study, and from people. I dedicate it to the pursuit of knowledge and excellence. vi CONTENTS 0.1 Joint summary .