scholarly journals Urban Water Disinfection and Mortality Decline in Lower-Income Countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 490-520
Author(s):  
Sonia R. Bhalotra ◽  
Alberto Diaz-Cayeros ◽  
Grant Miller ◽  
Alfonso Miranda ◽  
Atheendar S. Venkataramani
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Diarrheal Disease ◽  
Water Disinfection ◽  
Mortality Decline ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Municipal Water ◽  
Disease Mortality ◽  
Water Chlorination ◽  
Lower Income Countries

Historically, improvements in municipal water quality led to substantial mortality decline in today’s wealthy countries. However, water disinfection has not consistently produced large benefits in lower-income countries. We study this issue by analyzing a large-scale municipal water disinfection program in Mexico that increased water chlorination coverage in urban areas from 58 percent to over 90 percent within 18 months. We estimate that the program reduced childhood diarrheal disease mortality rates by 45 to 67 percent. However, inadequate sanitation infrastructure and age (degradation) of water pipes may have attenuated these benefits substantially. (JEL I12, I18, L95, O13, O18, Q25, Q53)

scholarly journals Application of a bottom-up approach to reduce healthcare disparity between the urban and rural areas

2021 ◽  
pp. e568
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Malicka ◽  
Namrita George
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Appropriate Care ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Culturally Appropriate Care ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Lower Income Countries

Disparity in access to healthcare between the rural and urban regions occurs world-wide, both in higher and lower income countries. In order to offset poor health outcomes, a number of approaches to structuring healthcare services can be used. Several factors have been identified to play a role; nevertheless, they contribute to the healthcare gap to various - depending on whether a higher or lower income country undergoes evaluation. Traditionally, healthcare systems worldwide adopt a top-down approach, which is initiated by large institutions providing resources required for large scale projects along with the centralisation of efforts. Therefore, although it does lead to change, the results can be short-lived. The authors discuss the bottom-up approach used in ASHWINI organisation in Gudalur, India which allowed for the development of accessible and sustainable healthcare system managed by the community. Other projects, based in part on the principles of a bottom-up approach, have been applied in other countries to reduce healthcare disparities. A bottom-up approach, designed to deliver geographically-accessible, locally managed, culturally appropriate care, can provide sustainable results, and since it is universal in nature, it can be applied in other setting with similar structures.

Deterioration in the Water Quality of Groundwater in Some Municipal Water Extraction Plants in Finland

1979 ◽  
Vol 10 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 171-190
Author(s):  
Pertti Lahermo ◽  
Jouko Parviainen
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Extraction ◽  
Groundwater Extraction ◽  
Dissolved Solids ◽  
Municipal Water ◽  
The 1960S

In this study the changes in the quality of groundwater are described on the basis of material collected at some groundwater extraction plants situated mainly in urban areas. The causes of the marked increase in the content of dissolved solids are evaluated from the 1960s onwards.

Engineering in the time of cholera: overcoming institutional and political challenges to rebuild Zimbabwe's water and sanitation infrastructure in the aftermath of the 2008 cholera epidemic

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarissa Brocklehurst ◽  
Murtaza Malik ◽  
Kiwe Sebunya ◽  
Peter Salama
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Humanitarian Aid ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Rapid Improvement ◽  
Cholera Epidemic ◽  
Rapid Action ◽  
Water And Sanitation Infrastructure ◽  
Urban Rehabilitation

A devastating cholera epidemic swept Zimbabwe in 2008, causing over 90,000 cases, and leaving more than 4,000 dead. The epidemic raged predominantly in urban areas, and the cause could be traced to the slow deterioration of Zimbabwe's water and sewerage utilities during the economic and political crisis that had gripped the country since the late 1990s. Rapid improvement was needed if the country was to avoid another cholera outbreak. In this context, donors, development agencies and government departments joined forces to work in a unique partnership, and to implement a programme of swift improvements that went beyond emergency humanitarian aid but did not require the time or massive investment associated with full-scale urban rehabilitation. The interventions ranged from supply of water treatment chemicals and sewer rods to advocacy and policy advice. The authors analyse the factors that made the programme effective and the challenges that partners faced. The case of Zimbabwe offers valuable lessons for other countries transitioning from emergency to development, and particularly those that need to take rapid action to upgrade failing urban systems. It illustrates that there is a ‘middle path’ between short-term humanitarian aid delivered in urban areas and large-scale urban rehabilitation, which can provide timely and highly effective results.

scholarly journals Modeling Spatiotemporal Population Changes by Integrating DMSP-OLS and NPP-VIIRS Nighttime Light Data in Chongqing, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 284
Author(s):  
Dan Lu ◽  
Yahui Wang ◽  
Qingyuan Yang ◽  
Kangchuan Su ◽  
Haozhe Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Relative Error ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Spatial Optimization ◽  
Distribution Data ◽  
Mountainous Areas ◽  
Mean Relative Error ◽  
Nighttime Light

The sustained growth of non-farm wages has led to large-scale migration of rural population to cities in China, especially in mountainous areas. It is of great significance to study the spatial and temporal pattern of population migration mentioned above for guiding population spatial optimization and the effective supply of public services in the mountainous areas. Here, we determined the spatiotemporal evolution of population in the Chongqing municipality of China from 2000–2018 by employing multi-period spatial distribution data, including nighttime light (NTL) data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS). There was a power function relationship between the two datasets at the pixel scale, with a mean relative error of NTL integration of 8.19%, 4.78% less than achieved by a previous study at the provincial scale. The spatial simulations of population distribution achieved a mean relative error of 26.98%, improved the simulation accuracy for mountainous population by nearly 20% and confirmed the feasibility of this method in Chongqing. During the study period, the spatial distribution of Chongqing’s population has increased in the west and decreased in the east, while also increased in low-altitude areas and decreased in medium-high altitude areas. Population agglomeration was common in all of districts and counties and the population density of central urban areas and its surrounding areas significantly increased, while that of non-urban areas such as northeast Chongqing significantly decreased.

The Economic Imperative: Cities Need Migrants

2021 ◽  
pp. 001946622110132
Author(s):  
Astha Agarwalla ◽  
Errol D’Souza
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Market Failure ◽  
Jel Classification ◽  
Industry Concentration ◽  
Wage Curve ◽  
Economic Agents ◽  
Reverse Migration ◽  
Local Labour

The policy responses to Covid-19 have triggered large-scale reverse migration from cities to rural areas in developing countries, exposing the vulnerability of migrants living precarious lives in cities, giving rise to debates asserting to migration as undesirable and favouring policy options to discourage the process. However, the very basis of spatial concentration and formation of cities is presence of agglomeration economies, benefits accruing to economic agents operating in cities. Presence of these agglomeration benefits in local labour markets manifests themselves in the form of an upward sloping wage curve in urban areas. We estimate the upward sloping wage curve for various size classes of cities in Indian economy and establish the presence of positive returns to occupation and industry concentration at urban locations. Controlling for worker-specific characteristics influencing wages, we establish that higher the share of an industry or an occupation in local employment as compared to national economy, the desirability of firms to pay higher wages increases. For casual labourers, occupational concentration results in higher wages. However, impact of industry concentration varies across sectors. Results supporting presence of upward sloping urban wage curve, therefore, endorse policies to correct the market failure in cities and promote migration as a desirable process. JEL Classification Codes: J2, R2

scholarly journals Lighting System Modernization as a Source of Green Energy

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2771
Author(s):  
Leszek Kotulski ◽  
Artur Basiura ◽  
Igor Wojnicki ◽  
Sebastian Siuchta
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Lighting Retrofit

The use of formal methods and artificial intelligence has made it possible to automatically design outdoor lighting. Quick design for large cities, in a matter of hours instead of weeks, and analysis of various optimization criteria enables to save energy and tune profit stream from lighting retrofit. Since outdoor lighting is of a large scale, having luminaires on every street in urban areas, and since it needs to be retrofitted every 10 to 15 years, choosing proper parameters and light sources leads to significant energy savings. This paper presents the concept and calculations of Levelized Cost of Electricity for outdoor lighting retrofit. It is understood as cost of energy savings, it is in the range from 23.06 to 54.64 EUR/MWh, based on real-world cases. This makes street and road lighting modernization process the best green “energy source” if compared with the 2018 Fraunhofer Institute cost of electricity renewable energy technologies ranking. This indicates that investment in lighting retrofit is more economically and ecologically viable than investment in new renewable energy sources.

Who or what is a development manager?

1998 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68
Author(s):  
Ron Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Macro Level ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Development Management ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Is Development ◽  
Lower Income Countries ◽  
Development Manager

Although ill-defined, the term “development management” is broadly understood to refer to the management of economic and social development, and the reduction of poverty, at various levels from macro to micro, in lower income countries. “Development management” pre-supposes “development managers”, but this term is even less well defined. Popular perceptions suggest that the concept is less easily applied at the macro level, but more readily at the micro, and also more to someone who is development-minded than someone whose job is to manage or implement development policies and processes, although the two can overlap. This perception – and its implications for management training – is followed through to suggest a profile of a development manager as someone who is forward-thinking, people-oriented, resourceful, flexible in his or her approach to means of achieving objectives, and morally committed.

scholarly journals GNSS RUMS: GNSS Realistic Urban Multiagent Simulator for Collaborative Positioning Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 544
Author(s):  
Guohao Zhang ◽  
Bing Xu ◽  
Hoi-Fung Ng ◽  
Li-Ta Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Urban Area ◽  
Intelligent Transportation Systems ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Accurate Localization ◽  
Gnss Receivers ◽  
Multipath Signal ◽  
Scale Test ◽  
Error Behavior

Accurate localization of road agents (GNSS receivers) is the basis of intelligent transportation systems, which is still difficult to achieve for GNSS positioning in urban areas due to the signal interferences from buildings. Various collaborative positioning techniques were recently developed to improve the positioning performance by the aid from neighboring agents. However, it is still challenging to study their performances comprehensively. The GNSS measurement error behavior is complicated in urban areas and unable to be represented by naive models. On the other hand, real experiments requiring numbers of devices are difficult to conduct, especially for a large-scale test. Therefore, a GNSS realistic urban measurement simulator is developed to provide measurements for collaborative positioning studies. The proposed simulator employs a ray-tracing technique searching for all possible interferences in the urban area. Then, it categorizes them into direct, reflected, diffracted, and multipath signal to simulate the pseudorange, C/N0, and Doppler shift measurements correspondingly. The performance of the proposed simulator is validated through real experimental comparisons with different scenarios based on commercial-grade receivers. The proposed simulator is also applied with different positioning algorithms, which verifies it is sophisticated enough for the collaborative positioning studies in the urban area.

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