scholarly journals Safe from what? Understanding environmental non-migration in Chilean Patagonia through ontological security and risk perceptions

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Wiegel ◽  
Jeroen Warner ◽  
Ingrid Boas ◽  
Machiel Lamers

AbstractWhy do communities prefer to stay in place despite potentially dangerous changes in their environment, even when governmental support for outmigration or resettlement is provided? That is the key question this paper seeks to answer. Voluntary immobility is a burgeoning research topic in environmental change-related migration studies, although the role of local sense-making of perceived risks and migration pressures has received only little attention. In order to examine decisions for non-migration, we argue that we need to consider people’s ontological security, or subjective sense of existential safety, which shapes risk perceptions. We apply this to the case of Villa Santa Lucía in Chilean Patagonia, where the local population has rejected relocation policies after the village was severely damaged by a mudslide in December 2017. We show how this rejection is not based on the lack of abilities to move, but on a fundamentally different risk assessment grounded in locally specific social representations of nature and human-nature relations. This alternative understanding of environmental risks allows the local population to uphold their sense of ontological security while remaining in Villa Santa Lucía, and renders relocation to avoid exposure to natural hazards futile or even inconsistent with local identities. We conclude that local sense-making of environmental risks is an important component of a more fine-grained understanding of environmental non-migration decisions.

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 6537
Author(s):  
Barbara Uliasz-Misiak ◽  
Jacek Misiak ◽  
Joanna Lewandowska-Śmierzchalska ◽  
Rafał Matuła

In coal seams, depending on the composition of coal macerals, rank of coal, burial history, and migration of thermogenic and/or biogenic gas. In one ton of coal 1 to 25 m3 of methane can be accumulated. Accumulation of this gas is included in unconventional deposits. Exploitation of methane from coal seams is carried out with wells from mining excavations (during mining operations), wells drilled to abandoned coal mines, and wells from the surface to unexploited coal seams. Due to the low permeability of the coal matrix, hydraulic fracturing is also commonly used. Operations related to exploration (drilling works) and exploitation of methane from coal seams were analyzed. The preliminary analysis of the environmental threats associated with the exploration and exploitation of coalbed methane has made it possible to identify types of risks that affect the environment in various ways. The environmental risks were estimated as the product of the probability weightings of adverse events occurring and weightings of consequences. Drilling operations and coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation leads to environmental risks, for which the risk category falls within the controlled and accepted range.


Author(s):  
О. Mudrak ◽  
G. Mudrak ◽  
V. Serebryakov ◽  
A. Shcherbliuk ◽  
V. Klochaniuk

Based on comprehensive environmental monitoring, geobotanical, zoogeographical, landscape-ecological, hydro-ecological, forest-typological, agroecological principles and approaches and own field research it is proposed to create a national nature park (NNP) «Central Podillya» within Vinnytsia region. A promising NNP is planned to be created on the territory of Vinnytsia and Khmilnytsky administrative districts of Vinnytsia region as a habitat and migration routes of bison (Bison bonasus) and preservation of unique biotic and landscape diversity. The projected area of NPP «Central Podillya» is 53 820 hectares. The need to create a park due to the presence of natural (forest, wetland, peat-swamp, floodplain, meadow, forest-steppe, meadow-steppe, steppe, weed-field) complexes with associations of plant groups, where more than 40 species of plants and lives more than 50 species of animals listed in the RBU, as well as the presence of a significant number of objects that have historical, cultural, recreational, health (medical) value. The general ecological and geographical characteristics of the park from the standpoint of physical-geographical and geobotanical zoning are given. There are 34 objects of the nature reserve fund (NRF), which will be a part of the perspective park. Functional zoning of the territory of the projected NNP «Central Podillya» was carried out taking into account representative and rare ecosystems, where its 4 zones (protected, regulated recreation, stationary recreation, economic) were allocated. The structural elements of the ecological network of the perspective park are singled out. The necessity of protection, preservation and reproduction of biotic and landscape diversity and historical and cultural heritage of the studied territory through the greening of economic activity, education and culture of the local population is substantiated. It was found that the creation of NPP «Central Podillya» through the Presidential Decree and the optimization of protected areas, which account for 2.27% of the total area of Vinnytsia region, the implementation of regional ecological and Emerald networks is an extremely important, important and absolutely necessary for effective adjustment of the strategy of balanced development of territorial communities. Creation of NPP «Central Podillya» will increase the percentage of protected areas to 4.5% of the total area of Vinnytsia region. According to this indicator Vinnytsia region is in one of the last places in Ukraine. According to the Institute of World Resources (Washington), for the effective functioning of the territory, the area of its reserves should be at least 10–12%. Preparation of scientific substantiation and project of creation of NPP «Central Podillya» within Vinnytsia region is a pilot project that requires official detailing, delimitation, land management, coordination with land users on which the park will be located, creation of park directorate, introduction of technologies aimed at preservation and restoration of biogeocenotic cover, reproduction of broken types of connections, preservation of settlements, optimization of land use, balanced development of territorial communities that will be a part of the NNP.


1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Kopsen ◽  
G. McGann

The most completely known section of the Barrow- Dampier Sub-basin in the northern Carnarvon Basin of the Northwest Shelf comprises three depositional super- cycles spanning the Triassic to the Tertiary. Each cycle is made up of an initial transgressive section of mainly fine-grained clastics overlain by a thick, extensive, off- lapping sequence of coarse-grained deposits. The transgressive sedimentary package typically contains a coarse basal unit overlain by a thick, argillaceous unit, whereas the progradational package changes character in each cycle, representing increasingly open marine conditions as the depocentre and its palaeogeography evolved. Continental siliciciastics at the end of the Triassic Supercycle contrast with the marine-marginal marine siliciciastics at the end of the Jurassic-Neocomian Supercycle and the prograding Tertiary carbonate wedge of the youngest cycle. Each of these gross sequences has a distinctive seismic signature upon which are superimposed stratigraphic features reflecting basin evolution from a broad intra-continental depocentre to a mature, passive continental margin basin.In the area east of Barrow Island, potential hydrocarbon source rock quality and richness varies between each cycle but potential source beds frequently occur at similar levels within each supercycle. The Dingo Claystone within the Jurassic-Neocomian depositional package contains by far the thickest and most extensive potential sources in the area and is likely to be the source for most of the hydrocarbon liquids discovered to date in the northern Carnarvon Basin (with the probable exclusion of the majority of the Rankin Platform condensates).The occurrence of oils of mixed composition and considerable variability beneath the Muderong Shale regional seal in areas of low thermal maturity suggests that many of the hydrocarbon liquids have undergone considerable vertical migration and have also a complex genesis. Furthermore, saturate-rich liquid hydrocarbons overprinting an older biodegraded oil are recognised in a number of wells along the basin margin hingeline. The likely migration and entrapment model for the majority of hydrocarbons discovered to date in the area under review involves dynamic charging of reservoirs, mainly during the Tertiary. Two main pulses of generation and migration are recognised in the eastern portion of the sub -basin, and a third phase is probably occuring at present-day, west of Barrow Island.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 100911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rik De Vreese ◽  
Ann Van Herzele ◽  
Nicolas Dendoncker ◽  
Corentin M. Fontaine ◽  
Mark Leys

Sexual Health ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Remes ◽  
Amanda N. Whitten ◽  
Kelley-Anne Sabarre ◽  
Karen P. Phillips

Background Canadian young adults may be at risk of future infertility due to the high incidence of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in this population. Young adults’ perceptions of environmental risks, including contaminants, STIs and lifestyle habits on infertility, have not been examined. We have therefore designed a qualitative study to explore risk perceptions, awareness and knowledge of common environmental risk factors for infertility in a multiethnic sample of young adults. Methods: Semistructured interviews were carried out with 40 university undergraduate students (16 men and 24 women) in Ottawa, Canada, followed by qualitative analysis of interview transcripts to identify major themes. Results: The following broad themes described participants’ risk perceptions about infertility and (1) environmental contaminants: knowledge gaps, media reports and negative perception of chemicals; (2) STIs: superficial understanding of their role in infertility, general awareness, associations with sexual behaviours and knowledge gaps; and (3) lifestyle: protective benefits of healthy lifestyle, dose or exposure effects for smoking and alcohol, and knowledge gaps. Students demonstrated a superficial understanding of environmental risks, at times relying on media reports and anecdotal information to support their beliefs. Conclusions: This next generation of potential infertility patients exhibits a general understanding of environmental risks to infertility; however, young adults are overly optimistic that healthy lifestyle behaviours will safeguard future fertility. STIs represent the most significant modifiable risk factors for this age group; a message that can be supported by sexual and reproductive health education and promotion with greater emphasis on the long-term outcomes of STIs, including infertility.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S65-S66
Author(s):  
S.A. Stilo ◽  
C. Gayer-Anderson ◽  
S. Beards ◽  
F. Bourque ◽  
V. Mondelli ◽  
...  

Evidence indicates that migrant and ethnic minority groups have an elevated risk of psychosis in a number of countries. Social disadvantage is one of the hypotheses put forward to explain these findings. The aim of this study is to investigate main effects, association and synergism between social disadvantage and migration on odds of psychotic experiences. We collected information on social disadvantage and migration from 332 patients and from 301 controls recruited from the local population in South London. Two indicators of social disadvantage in childhood and six indicators of social disadvantage in adulthood were analyzed. We found evidence that the odds of reporting psychotic experience were higher in those who experienced social disadvantage in childhood (OR= 2.88, 95% CI 2.03-4.06), social disadvantage in adulthood (OR= 9.06, 95% CI 5.21–15.74) and migration (OR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.05–2.02). When both social disadvantage and migration were considered together, the association with psychosis was slightly higher for social disadvantage in childhood and migration (OR 3.46, 95% CI 2.12–5.62) and social disadvantage in adulthood and migration (OR 9.10, 95% CI 4.63-17.86). Migrant cases were not more likely than non-migrant cases to report social disadvantage (p = 0.71) and no evidence of an additive interaction between migration and social disadvantage was found (ICR 0.32 95% CI -4.04–4.69). Preliminary results support the hypothesis that the association between social disadvantage and psychosis is independent of migration status.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hassan Awad

This is a longitudinal study of the identity process through times of dramatic social change. Using a narrative psychological approach this research follows the life stories of five Egyptian bloggers as they write their stories on online blogs over the course of the three years following the 2011 revolution, at which time Egypt has witnessed major social and political changes. The aim is to understand the identity process of individuals as they develop and adapt through changing social contexts and how they create alternative social relations as they engage in prefigurative politics. The findings shed light on how ruptures trigger a process of reflexivity, adaptive learning, and sense-making that facilitates coping and the reconstruction of a positive identity after ruptures. It also suggests that the narration of the experience of rupture through storytelling creates a heightened sense of agency in individuals’ ability to create new meanings of their world in spite of the socio-cultural and political constraints. This study presents narratives as an informing methodological resource that connects identity process with social representations and emphasizes the value of storytelling as an integral part of the adaptation process.


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