Hasil untuk "Human settlements. Communities"

Fahu Chen, G. Dong, D. Zhang et al.

Sydney Clements

Summary This is a reflection on a small Connecticut-based nonprofit organization’s attempt to scale its community-based work to a regional level through a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Food Systems Partnership grant. Organized around five lessons learned, it addressed the challenges faced when building a regional network across diverse communities and geographies.

Jarosław Stulczewski

Wisdom Richard Mgomezulu, Paul Thangata, Daniel Njiwa

The impact of trade liberalization on Malawi’s economy has been a hotly debated topic. To shed light on the subject, a study was conducted using the PEP-1–1 CGE model and the latest Malawi’s Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) from 2019. The results were eye-opening, revealing the potential effects of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on various sectors of the economy. The removal of trade tariffs is predicted to have a significant impact on prices, with a decrease of 26.31% in the agricultural sector alone, services (−7.88%), public administration (−9.92%), and manufacturing and industry (−11.23%) imposing hopes of improving food affordability and food security. However, it is expected to have adverse impacts on wage rates in the agricultural sector (−18.78%), manufacturing and construction (−19.01%), services (−2.79%) and public administration (−15.81%). Additionally, while exports are expected to increase, the country’s balance of payments may suffer as imports are likely to outweigh foreign earnings. This could also lead to a decrease in government revenue from taxes. To mitigate these effects, the study suggests implementing export restructuring strategies, particularly in industries like manufacturing and construction, and promoting diversification of local production to boost competitiveness and improve wage rates. With these measures in place, the government will not only offset potential losses but also tap into new sources of taxable income.

Frankie Rafferty, Tania Schusler, Mariana Valencia Mestre

Food insecurity among college and university students has increased in the past decade. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique public health challenges, including increased food insecu­rity. In a cross-sectional survey of students at a pri­vate university in the midwestern U.S. (N=253) we examined how student food security status changed during the pandemic and what relation­ships exist between changes in food security and various aspects of student identities. Twenty-nine percent of responding students indicated that they became less food secure during the pandemic, and the overall reported food insecurity rate increased by 130.77%. Change in respondent food security status during the pandemic was associated with household income (p=0.000), loss or family loss of employment because of the pandemic (p=0.000), receiving financial aid (p=0.006), individual or fam­ily infection with COVID-19 (p=0.020), perceived health during the pandemic (p=0.000), eating 4.5 cups of fruits and/or vegetables each day (p=0.040), race and ethnicity (p=0.042), first-generation in higher education (p=0.017), sexual orientation (p=0.027), and spring 2020 GPA (p=0.003). The results contribute to a growing body of evidence that higher education institutions, as well as state and federal governments, should increase their efforts to support students to achieve food security. In doing so, it is critical to consider the disparities in food security associated with diverse and intersecting social identities, including socio-economic class, race and ethnicity, being first in one’s family to attend college, and sexual orien­tation. Our results further suggest the need for interventions that not only address immediate symptoms of food insecurity but also structural discrimination that makes it more difficult for members of marginalized groups to become food secure.

Syarifah Farradinna, Elfis Elfis, Rafil Arizona et al.

The Wong Cilik Animal Husbandry Group is still struggling with traditional waste treatment, which pollutes the air and soil. The goal of indoctrination is to educate and encourage livestock farmer groups to be proactive in controlling, overcoming, and making decisions regarding cow manure waste. Furthermore, this activity aims to strengthen the Wong Cilik Farm Community Group's capacity to use cow manure through teaching and encouragement. Several experts from the fields of machinery, agriculture, and psychology participated in this activity. Participants were given a pre-test and a post-test before and after socialization. The results of the pre-test and post-test indicated that the activity’s objectives of increasing the community’s knowledge about livestock waste management were met. The community is finally aware that livestock manure can be used to convert the residual biogas waste into manure. Through this socialization, the community learns that cow manure waste can be turned into products with high value.

Gustavo Ortiz, Eladio Quintana, Eduardo Ortigoza et al.

This research gathers historical information about the supply and demand of wheelchairs in Paraguay and its projection. Indeed, the main objective of the work, is to determine the market trends of wheelchairs for people with disabilities in Paraguay, with data collected from 2018 to 2021. To reach the proposed objective, a literature review was conducted, consulting primary and secondary sources of information, then an in-depth quantitative and qualitative documentary research was conducted, based on information from public and private organizations related to the purchase, sale and use of wheelchairs in Paraguay. This research allows to have in a single document, the current status and future trends of the industry. The particular contribution of this study is to provide information from various sources on the commercialization and use of wheelchairs in Paraguay, in such a way that it serves as a source of consultation for different interest groups, such as companies, public institutions, non-governmental organizations that provide services and end users, who in many cases cannot access useful and detailed information.

Fadhli Ranuharja, Wiwik Indrayeni, Agariadne Diwnggo Samala et al.

Sangir Regency which is located in South Solok Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia is potential for culinary tourism because the data obtained by the number of local entrepreneurs in the Sangir Nagari Sungai Kunyit area reveal that several communities of local entrepreneurs engaged in home-based culinary businesses. The lack of use of technology to grow the selling value of regional products is an obstacle for local business communities to develop their businesses. Local entrepreneurs lose competitiveness if they want to market their products more broadly. The demographic location of Nagari Sungai Kunyit, which is quite far from the city of Padang Aro, also makes the inclusion of marketing trend technology not well utilized by the community. The method used in this service activity is the following: the first step was preparation, including observation and licensing administration; the second step was training in a 2-day successive workshop; the third step was 1-day evaluation; and the last step was product marketing assistance through the UNP Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality. The existence of skills development training activities has succeeded in increasing the resources of the local Nagari Sungai Kunyit business community in the field of making logos, which have become reinforcements, providing added value to the products produced. Furthermore, it helps small entrepreneurs to make products more attractive because they have the characteristics of their respective logos. Increasing human resources in the field of branding design is expected to spur an increase in the people's economies in South Solok Regency. It is proven that this activity has increased local business sales turnover and entrepreneurs are more confident in marketing their products outside the region.

Carla Manoela Oliveira de Araujo, Luzia Wilma Santana da Silva

Trata-se de um recorte de dissertação de mestrado, cujo objetivo é verificar nas relações étnico-raciais vulnerabilidades que se relacionam com a saúde mental de mulheres negras. De natureza qualitativa, aprovado pelo CEP/UESB, realizado no período entre dezembro/2021-abril/2022, no Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Estudos e Extensão em Cuidados à Saúde da Família em Convibilidade com Doenças Crônicas (NIEFAM), com dez mulheres adulto-idosas. Foram utilizados um questionário, entrevista semiestruturada e diário de campo. Os dados foram analisados segundo o modelo interativo sugerido por Miles e Huberman. Os resultados evidenciaram que diante da autodeclaração de etnia/raça predominou o fenômeno de ‘pardalização’, como fator influente a alterar a percepção das participantes sobre como compreendem o racismo. Identificou-se que nenhuma das mulheres teve acesso à saúde mental em Unidades Básicas de Saúde, com exceção àquelas cadastradas no NIEFAM. A saúde mental se evidencia como um cuidado que deve ser tratado transversalmente a partir da porta de entrada do Sistema Único de Saúde, como política pública às dimensões de saúde da mulher. O estudo corrobora a reflexão sobre a temática e a necessidade de ampliar os saberes sobre a interseccionalidade entre ciências sociais, humanas e da saúde.

M. Melchiorri, A. Florczyk, S. Freire et al.

In the last few decades the magnitude and impacts of planetary urban transformations have become increasingly evident to scientists and policymakers. The ability to understand these processes remained limited in terms of territorial scope and comparative capacity for a long time: data availability and harmonization were among the main constraints. Contemporary technological assets, such as remote sensing and machine learning, allow for analyzing global changes in the settlement process with unprecedented detail. The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) project set out to produce detailed datasets to analyze and monitor the spatial footprint of human settlements and their population, which are key indicators for the global policy commitments of the 2030 Development Agenda. In the GHSL, Earth Observation plays a key role in the detection of built-up areas from the Landsat imagery upon which population distribution is modelled. The combination of remote sensing imagery and population modelling allows for generating globally consistent and detailed information about the spatial distribution of built-up areas and population. The GHSL data facilitate a multi-temporal analysis of human settlements with global coverage. The results presented in this article focus on the patterns of development of built-up areas, population and settlements. The article reports about the present status of global urbanization (2015) and its evolution since 1990 by applying to the GHSL the Degree of Urbanisation definition of the European Commission Directorate General for Regional and Urban Policy (DG-Regio) and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT). The analysis portrays urbanization dynamics at a regional level and per country income classes to show disparities and inequalities. This study analyzes how the 6.1 billion urban dwellers are distributed worldwide. Results show the degree of global urbanization (which reached 85% in 2015), the more than 100 countries in which urbanization has increased between 1990 and 2015, and the tens of countries in which urbanization is today above the global average and where urbanization grows the fastest. The paper sheds light on the key role of urban areas for development, on the patterns of urban development across the regions of the world and on the role of a new generation of data to advance urbanization theory and reporting.

Ugyen Penjor, C. Astaras, S. Cushman et al.

In the face of a growing human footprint, understanding interactions among threatened large carnivores is fundamental to effectively mitigating anthropogenic threats and managing species. Using data from a large-scale camera trap survey, we investigated the effects of environmental and anthropogenic variables on the interspecific interaction of a carnivore guild comprising of tiger, leopard and dhole in Bhutan. We demonstrate the complex effects of human settlement density on large carnivore interactions. Specifically, we demonstrate that leopard–dhole co-occupancy probability was higher in areas with higher human settlement density. The opposite was true for tiger–leopard co-occupancy probability, but it was positively affected by large prey (gaur) abundance. These findings suggest that multi-carnivore communities across land-use gradients are spatially structured and mediated also by human presence and/or the availability of natural prey. Our findings show that space-use patterns are driven by a combination of the behavioural mechanism of each species and its interactions with competing species. The duality of the effect of settlement density on species interactions suggests that the benefits of exploiting anthropogenic environments are a trade-off between ecological opportunity (food subsidies or easy prey) and the risk of escalating conflict with humans.

Nicole S. Upfold, G. Luke, C. Knox

Enteric viruses are a diverse group of human pathogens which are primarily transmitted by the faecal–oral route and are a major cause of non-bacterial diarrhoeal disease in both developed and developing countries. Because they are shed in high numbers by infected individuals and can persist for a long time in the environment, they pose a serious threat to human health globally. Enteric viruses end up in the environment mainly through discharge or leakage of raw or inadequately treated sewage into water sources such as springs, rivers, dams, or marine estuaries. Human exposure then follows when contaminated water is used for drinking, cooking, or recreation and, importantly, when filter-feeding bivalve shellfish are consumed. The human health hazard posed by enteric viruses is particularly serious in Africa where rapid urbanisation in a relatively short period of time has led to the expansion of informal settlements with poor sanitation and failing or non-existent wastewater treatment infrastructure, and where rural communities with limited or no access to municipal water are dependent on nearby open water sources for their subsistence. The role of sewage-contaminated water and bivalve shellfish as vehicles for transmission of enteric viruses is well documented but, to our knowledge, has not been comprehensively reviewed in the African context. Here we provide an overview of enteric viruses and then review the growing body of research where these viruses have been detected in association with sewage-contaminated water or food in several African countries. These studies highlight the need for more research into the prevalence, molecular epidemiology and circulation of these viruses in Africa, as well as for development and application of innovative wastewater treatment approaches to reduce environmental pollution and its impact on human health on the continent.

Franziska Laue, O. Adegun, A. Ley

Climate projections indicate that persistent high temperatures and related heat stress will become a common experience in the future, across Africa. It is, therefore, important to understand challenges that might result from increasing extreme heat conditions, and how humans within urban centres can adapt. In this article, we provide a review that considers the experience of poor urban residents with extreme temperatures and adaptation strategies in relation to low-income, informal urban contexts in Africa. Our analysis is carried out across four focus countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt. Only cursory insights exist in the context of informal settlements. We found that heat stress remains an overlooked topic in comparison to other climate change adaptation needs. Evidence shows that adaptation strategies varied and differed in framing, scale, and applied methods across the contexts. Adaptation strategies dominantly examine a broad variety of alternative building measures and, to a lesser degree, greening/nature-based strategies. It is important to highlight heat stress as a cross-cutting, focal topic in urban research in relation to informal settlements and generally broaden the spectrum. It is worthwhile to pay special attention to strategic actions and research designs that foresee win–win and co-beneficial options for local urban communities.

K. Baral, H. P. Sharma, R. Kunwar et al.

Human wildlife conflict (HWC) impacts the livelihood of many rural communities worldwide. This study investigated the impact of HWC on people living near community forests (CF) in Nepal. Using databases provided by the Division of Forest Offices and data obtained from surveys between October 2019–March 2020, we quantified the financial loss of HWC to the local people. Between 2015 and 2019, 3315, or 27%, of the livestock owned by the survey respondents were killed by wild predators in the Kaski and Tanahun Districts. Chicken (Gallus spp.) was the most common prey taken (80%), followed by sheep (Ovis spp.) and goats (Capra spp.) (15%), cows (Bos spp.) (2%), pigs (Sus spp.) (2%), and buffalo (Bubalus spp.) (1%). Leopards (Panthera pardus) were the primary predators, followed by golden jackals (Canis aureus), jungle cats (Felis chaus), yellow-throated martens (Martes flavigula), and Himalayan black bears (Ursus thibetanus). The financial loss of livestock during this period was USD $115,656.00, equivalent to USD $142.61 per household. Crops were also damaged and eaten by wildlife, and 2165 crop-raiding events were recorded between 2015 and 2019. Rice (Oryza sativa), followed by maize (Zea mays), millet (Panicum miliaceum), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) were the main crops lost. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were the most common crop raiders, causing 74% of the damage, followed by Indian field mice (Mus booduga) (12%). From 2015 to 2019, crop losses equated to USD $83,424.00. Forest regeneration on abandoned agricultural land expanded wildlife habitats, enabling wild animals to come within reach of human settlements, which increased the likelihood of HWC events. Although the success of the community forest restoration program resulted in increased forest-cover, marginally increasing biodiversity, the reduced distance between human settlements and wildlife habitat, compounded by a lack of natural prey, may have unwittingly exacerbated HWC in this region. We recommend surveying predator and prey populations in the forest habitat, and implementing a habitat management program to improve prey populations within the community forests. Meantime, we propose establishing a financial relief and insurance program for crop and livestock losses at the local community level to alleviate any financial difficulties to the local communities caused by HWC.

Dipanjan Naha, S. Sathyakumar, S. K. Dash et al.

It is of utmost importance to research on the spatial patterns of human-wildlife conflicts to understand the underlying mechanism of such interactions, i.e. major land use changes and prominent ecological drivers. In the north eastern part of India there has been a disparity between nature, economic development and fragmentation of wildlife habitats leading to intense conflicts between humans and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in recent times. Both the elephant and human population have increased in the past few decades with large tracts of forests converted to commercial tea plantations, army camps and human settlements. We analyzed data maintained by the wildlife department on human deaths and injuries caused by elephant attacks between 2006–2016 to understand spatial and temporal patterns of human-elephant conflict, frequency and distribution. The average annual number of human deaths and injuries to elephant attacks between 2006 to 2016 was estimated to be 212 (SE 103) with the highest number of such incidents recorded in 2010–2011. Based on a grid based design of 5 km2 and 25 km2 resolution, the main spatial predictors of human-elephant conflicts identified through Maxent presence only models are annual mean precipitation, altitude, distance from protected area, area under forests, tea plantations and agriculture. Major land use changes were assessed for this region from 2008 to 2018 using satellite imageries in Arc GIS and a predicted imagery of 2028 was prepared using Idrisi Selva. Based on the 2018 imagery it was found that forest area had increased by 446 km2 within 10 years (2008–2018) and the annual rate of change was 12%. Area under agriculture had reduced by 128 km2 with an annual (-) rate of change of 2.5%. Area under tea plantation declined by 307 km2 with an annual (-) rate of change of 12% whereas area under human settlements increased by 61 km2 with an annual (-) rate of change of 44%. Hotspots of human-elephant conflicts were identified in an east west direction primarily around protected areas, tea plantations and along major riverine corridors. During informal interactions with farmers, tea estate labors it was revealed that local community members chased and harassed elephants from agriculture fields, human settlements under the influence of alcohol and thus were primary victims of fatal interactions. Our analytical approach can be replicated for other species in sites with similar issues of human-wildlife conflicts. The hotspot maps of conflict risk will help in developing appropriate mitigation strategies such as setting up early warning systems, restoration of wildlife corridors especially along dry river beds, using deterrents and barriers for vulnerable. Awareness about alcohol related incidents and basic biology of elephants should be organized regularly involving non-governmental organizations targeting the marginalized farmers and tea estate workers.

I. Lazagabaster, Micka Ullman, Roi Porat et al.

Investigating historical anthropogenic impacts on faunal communities is key to understanding present patterns of biodiversity and holds important implications for conservation biology. While several studies have demonstrated the human role in the extinction of large herbivores, effective methods to study human interference on large carnivores in the past are limited by the small number of carnivoran remains in the paleozoological record. Here, we integrate a systematic paleozoological survey of biogenic cave assemblages with the archaeological and paleoenvironmental records of the Judean Desert, to reveal historical changes in the large carnivore community. Our results show a late Holocene (~ 3400 years ago) faunal reassembly characterized by the diminishment of the dominant large carnivoran, the Arabian leopard ( Panthera pardus sbsp. nimr ), and the spread of the Syrian striped hyena ( Hyaena hyaena sbsp. syriaca ). We suggest that increased hunting pressure in combination with regional aridification were responsible for the decrease in the number of leopards, while the introduction of domestic animals and settlement refuse brought new scavenging opportunities for hyenas. The recent extirpation of leopards from the region has been a final note to the Holocene human impact on the ecosystem.

J. Parker, Greg Simpson

Demand for resources and changing structures of human settlements arising from population growth are impacting via the twin crises of anthropogenic climate change and declining human health. Informed by documentary research, this article explores how Urban Resilience Theory (URT) and Human-Nature Connection Theory (HNCT) can inform urban development that leverages urban green infrastructure (UGI) to mitigate and meditate these two crises. The findings of this article are that UGI can be the foundation for action to reduce the severity and impact of those crises and progress inclusive and sustainable community planning and urban development. In summary, the URT promotes improvement in policy and planning frameworks, risk reduction techniques, adaptation strategies, disaster recovery mechanisms, environmentally sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel energy, the building of social capital, and integration of ecologically sustainable UGI. Further, the HNCT advocates pro-environmental behaviors to increase the amount and accessibility of quality remnant and restored UGI to realize the human health benefits provided by nature, while simultaneously enhancing the ecological diversity and health of indigenous ecosystems. The synthesis of this article postulates that realizing the combined potential of URT and HNCT is essential to deliver healthy urban settlements that accommodate projected urban population growth towards the end of the 21st-century.

A. Abia, Arghavan Alisoltani, Jitendra Keshri et al.

Ugyen Penjor, S. Wangdi, Tandin Tandin et al.

Abstract Human land-use and climate change drive biodiversity loss, precipitating the extinction crisis. The fragility of the Himalayas makes species in this landscape vulnerable to land-use and climate change. We aim to quantify the response of terrestrial mammal community to land-use and climate scenarios in the Bhutan Himalaya. Using large-scale camera-trap dataset, we examine the effects of anthropic land-use and climate variables on the terrestrial mammal assemblage using Bayesian multi-species occupancy model. Most of the terrestrial mammals in our sample displayed a strong negative relationship with anthropic land-use variables (agriculture, roads and settlement). Further, the occurrence of most species decreased with likely projections for climate variables, illustrating threats to conservation if the current trend in global warming continues. Notably, we found that biodiversity conservation in this landscape can be achieved by protecting extensive forest cover. Our findings emphasize the importance of reconciling land-use management and mammal conservation in the face of climate change and provide vital information which can be used to optimize future conservation and development plans.

Eugene Eremchenko, Vladimir Tikunov, Josef Strobl et al.

In the paper, the least resource base required to ensure isolated human habitat sustainability over a historically long period of time is discussed. Territory and energy are proposed as such basic resources. The analysis of isolated societies of Tasmania, the Chatham Islands, and North Sentinel Island concludes that habitat can exist long and sustainably in a local area of at least 30 square kilometres in a mode of inherent safety, without the use of artificial technologies. This conclusion demonstrates the possibility of sustainable development of human civilization as a sum of local communities in the context of the isolationism paradigm, an alternative to globalism’s currently dominant concept. The significance of identifying the least resource base of sustainable development of isolated communities in the context of the establishment of scientific bases and settlements in remote areas of the globe, on the Moon and other planets of the solar system, and developing strategies to combat pandemics such as COVID-19, is highlighted.