scholarly journals Local responses to a forest park in western Uganda: alternate narratives on fortress conservation

Oryx ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Hartter ◽  
Abraham Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Large Majority ◽  
External Control ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Forest Park ◽  
Local Responses ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Forest Parks ◽  
Western Uganda

AbstractMost research on attitudes to parks in sub-Saharan Africa has been in savannah regions and areas of low population density. Expulsion, exclusion and the imposition of external control are dominant themes, resulting in negative responses to parks, particularly those that represent hard-edged so-called fortress conservation. Our research in the densely populated area around a mid altitude forest park in western Uganda found an alternate narrative in which, despite its hard-edged fortress features, most people view Kibale National Park favourably. Based on a geographically random sample in two agricultural areas neighbouring the Park, our results indicate that most households felt they benefit from the Park and only a small proportion cited negative impacts. Rather than direct economic returns, the benefits most commonly noted by respondents can be characterized as ecosystem services. Most individual respondents and a large majority of the local political leaders said that the Park should continue to exist. Crop raiding by animals from the Park is a problem in some locations but resource restrictions and expulsion were not widely cited by our respondents. The fact that the large majority of residents migrated to the area after the Park was established may be an important explanatory factor for these responses, and this is also likely to be the case for many other mid altitude tropical forest parks, the demographic and land-use histories of which differ from those around many savannah parks.

Social, Political, and Environmental Impacts in Sub-Saharan Africa

2018 ◽  
pp. 183-219
Author(s):  
Rhys Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Working Conditions ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Social ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Ssa Countries

Some of the most controversial aspects of China’s economic presence in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) relate to the social, political, and environmental impacts. Many of the claims that are made are based on anecdotal evidence, and there is a need for more systematic research on these aspects. In terms of social impacts, the chapter discusses employment, wages, working conditions, and labour rights. Political issues addressed include claims that China’s involvement supports authoritarian regimes, encourages corruption, and leads to conflict and political instability. These claims are not generally supported, and SSA countries have benefitted from the increased policy space that Chinese involvement gives them. The environmental effects of both increased exports to China and the activities of Chinese firms in SSA are analyzed. Contrasting case studies illustrate the negative impacts of China on forestry, and the positive effects of Chinese support for wind and solar power.

Land and poverty: the role of soil fertility and vegetation quality in poverty reduction

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-333
Author(s):  
Martin Philipp Heger ◽  
Gregor Zens ◽  
Mook Bangalore
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Variable Approach ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Impacts

AbstractThe debate on the land–poverty nexus is inconclusive, with past research unable to identify the causal dynamics. We use a unique global panel dataset that links survey and census derived poverty data with measures of land ecosystems at the subnational level. Rainfall is used to overcome the endogeneity in the land–poverty relationship in an instrumental variable approach. This is the first global study using quasi-experimental methods to uncover the degree to which land improvements matter for poverty reduction. We draw three main conclusions. First, land improvements are important for poverty reduction in rural areas and particularly so for Sub-Saharan Africa. Second, land improvements are pro-poor: poorer areas see larger poverty alleviation effects due to improvements in land. Finally, irrigation plays a major role in breaking the link between bad weather and negative impacts on the poor through reduced vegetation growth and soil fertility.

scholarly journals Potential returns to yam research investment in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Djana Babatima Mignouna ◽  
Adebayo Akinboye Akinola ◽  
Tahirou Abdoulaye ◽  
Arega D Alene ◽  
Victor Manyong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Severe Problem ◽  
Adoption Of Technology ◽  
Benefit Cost Ratio ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

Lack of good-quality planting materials has been identified as the most severe problem militating against increased agricultural productivity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and beyond. However, investment of research efforts and resources in addressing this menace will only be feasible and worthwhile if attendant economic gains are considerable. As a way of investigating the economic viability of yam investment, this research has been initiated to address problems confronting yam productivity in eight countries of SSA and beyond: Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Papua New Guinea, Jamaica, and Columbia. Research options developed were to be deployed and disseminated. Key technologies include the adaptive yam minisett technique (AYMT), varieties adapted to low soil fertility and drought, nematode-resistant cultivars (NRC), and crop management and postharvest practices (CMPP). This article aims at estimating the potential economic returns, the expected number of beneficiaries, and poverty reduction consequent to the adoption of technology options. Estimates show that the new land area that will be covered by the technologies in the eight countries will range between 770,000 ha and 1,000,000 ha with the highest quota accounted for by AYMT. The net present value will range between US$584 and US$1392 million and was highest for the NRC. The CMPP had the lowest benefit-cost ratio of 7.74. About 1,049,000 people would be moved out of poverty by these technologies by 2037 in the region. These technologies are less responsive to changes in cost than that in adoption rate. Therefore, the realization of the potential economic gains depends on the rate and extent of adoption of these technologies. Giving the knowledge-intensive nature of some of these interventions, capacity building of potential adopters will be critical to increasing the sustainability of the yam sector, thereby enhancing food security and reducing poverty.

Economics of Farm Input Subsidies in Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 501-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stein T. Holden
Keyword(s):  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Agricultural Policies ◽  
Exit Strategy ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Subsidy Program ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Subsidy Programs

Fertilizer and other input subsidies have been prominent components of agricultural policies in many Asian and African countries since the 1960s. Their economic and political rationale is scrutinized with emphasis on the second generation of targeted input subsidy programs that were scaled up in Sub-Saharan Africa after 2005. The extent to which they fulfill the goal of being market smart is assessed after inspecting the potential for such subsidies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The new fertilizer subsidy programs do not live up to the market-smart principles and suffer from severe design and implementation failures. While a clear exit strategy was one of the key principles, this has been neglected, with the result that most current programs are more sticky than smart. They have only partially achieved the intended impacts and have resulted in a number of unintended negative impacts. Subsidy program redesign should start from a pilot stage testing basic mechanisms.

scholarly journals Increasing potato equivalent yield increases returns to investment under potato-legume intercropping systems

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 623-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harun I Gitari ◽  
Shadrack O Nyawade ◽  
Solomon Kamau ◽  
Charles K. K Gachene ◽  
Nancy N Karanja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Cost Ratio ◽  
Pure Stand ◽  
Lablab Purpureus ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Benefit Cost Ratio ◽  
Returns To Investment ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Equivalent Yield

AbstractIn order to enhance sustainable intensification of potato-based cropping systems, especially in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there is a need to investigate the economic viability of investing in this lucrative venture. This study evaluated the economic returns under legume intercropping systems using value/cost ratio (VCR) and benefit/cost ratio (BCR) under treatments comprising of potato intercropped with dolichos (Lablab purpureus L.) (P-D), climbing bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (P-B) and garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) (P-G), and a potato pure stand control (P-S). Across the seasons, tuber yield was not significantly (p < 0.05) affected by intercropping with P-D, whereas under P-B and P-G, it decreased by 19% and 16%, respectively compared to P-S. P-G, P-B and P-D recorded 6, 7 and 12% higher potato equivalent yield (PEY) relative to P-S. P-D was the most profitable intercropping system with VCR of 35 and BCR of 5.1 as compared to values recorded in P-S of 31 and 5, respectively. Regression of VCR against PEY resulted in a stronger coefficient (0.98) compared to that of BCR against PEY (0.82) implying that VCR is a simple tool that could be adopted for economic returns to investment studies such as potato-legume inter-cropping systems.

Firms' Investment under Financial and Infrastructure Constraints: Evidence from In-House Generation in Sub-Saharan Africa

2012 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jevgenijs Steinbuks
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Power Supply ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
External Financing ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Public Power ◽  
The Public ◽  
Electric Generators ◽  
Sub Saharan

Abstract While it is well known that financing and infrastructure constraints negatively affect economic development, the correlations between these constraints have been underexplored in the economics literature. This paper focuses on the implications of financing and infrastructure constraints by studying firms’ investments in electric generators as a response to public power interruptions. A theoretical model demonstrates that financial constraints lower economic returns on owning electric generators, making firms less likely to install private generators if the public power supply becomes unreliable. The empirical results show that, controlling for other factors, firms with a lower cost of external financing are more likely to own private generators in areas where the public power supply is less reliable. Observed correlations among reliability of power supply, financial constraints, and investment in electric generators thus appear consistent with the hypothesis that underdeveloped financial markets and inadequate infrastructure can be a greater barrier for economic development than either of these constraints separately.

scholarly journals The value of climate-resilient seeds for smallholder adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 162 (3) ◽  
pp. 1213-1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oscar J. Cacho ◽  
Jonathan Moss ◽  
Philip K. Thornton ◽  
Mario Herrero ◽  
Ben Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Climate Shocks

Abstract Climate change is threatening food security in many tropical countries, where a large proportion of food is produced by vulnerable smallholder farmers. Interventions are available to offset many of the negative impacts of climate change on agriculture, and they can be tailored to local conditions often through relative modest investments. However, little quantitative information is available to guide investment or policy choices at a time when countries and development agencies are under pressure to implement policies that can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals while coping with climate change. Among smallholder adaptation options, developing seeds resilient to current and future climate shocks expected locally is one of the most important actions available now. In this paper, we used national and local data to estimate the costs of climate change to smallholder farmers in Malawi and Tanzania. We found that the benefits from adopting resilient seeds ranged between 984 million and 2.1 billion USD during 2020–2050. Our analysis demonstrates the benefits of establishing and maintaining a flexible national seed sector with participation by communities in the breeding, delivery, and adoption cycle.

The poverty alleviation potential of tourism employment as an off-farm activity on the local livelihoods surrounding Kibale National Park, western Uganda

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bright Adiyia ◽  
Dominique Vanneste ◽  
Anton Van Rompaey
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Livelihood Strategies ◽  
Kibale National Park ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Western Uganda

Over the past decade, several scholars have argued that livelihood diversification in terms of off-farm activities is key for rural households to escape from poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Although the continuous growth of tourism in many SSA countries has created an additional off-farm income activity, empirical evidence is lacking to substantiate the poverty alleviating impact of tourism employment as being consistent and universal at the household level. Using the case of Kibale National Park in western Uganda, the aims of this paper are (1) to analyze the actual income composition of different types of rural livelihood strategies by means of cluster analysis, and (2) to compare the financial impact of tourism employment with alternative off-farm income activities. Results show a large differentiation in income compositions of households around Kibale National Park. In general, households engaged in off-farm income activities have higher levels of overall household welfare. Tourism employment generates low incomes compared to alternative off-farm activities, but still enables households to strengthen livelihood strategies by investments in on-farm or alternative off-farm activities.

scholarly journals Assessing the Climate Resilience of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): A Metric-Based Approach

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1205
Author(s):  
Douglas Sono ◽  
Ye Wei ◽  
Ying Jin
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Central Africa ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation ◽  
Climate Resilience ◽  
Resilience Index ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Negative Impacts

The impacts of climate change have resulted in the emergence of resilience as the de factor framework for countries seeking to capture the differential and uneven ability to prepare, react, respond and cope with volatile and rapid changes of climate-related stresses. Despite being considered by many researchers the most vulnerable region to the negative effects of climate change, the climate resilience of Sub-Saharan Africa has not been extensively studied. Using countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) as a study area, this paper constructed a pragmatically based resilience metric called the composite national climate resilience index (CNCRI) that can be used as a tool for the policy word. The inherent variables used to construct the CNCRI were justified and used to measure the resilience of countries in SSA based on five different dimensions. The result indicates that the CNCRI score, 1.05 (least resilient) to 44.8 (most resilient), and the island countries of Mauritius, Seychelles, and Cape Verde are comparatively more resilient than the rest of the countries in the study area. Regionally, Southern Africa is more resilient compared to East, West, and Central Africa. The vulnerability and readiness metric suggested that Cape Verde is the only country in SSA to have low vulnerability and high readiness, while most countries have high vulnerability and low readiness, making them the least resilient countries needing urgent mitigation and adaptation actions. Lastly, finding from this study could provide the policy world with insight for improving the overall ability to prepare and respond to the negative impacts of climate in the study area.

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