scholarly journals Low carbon urban development in Serbia: Challenges and opportunities on the local level

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-53
Author(s):  
Milica Bajic-Brkovic ◽  
Visnja Sretovic ◽  
Matija Brkovic
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The Past ◽  
Current Trends ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Legal Constraints

Development of low carbon urban environment stands among the highest priorities countries, cities and regions are faced with. Despite all the efforts, initiatives and concrete actions taken on the international, regional and national level, many countries experience very low or almost insignificant change on a local level. The situation in Serbia resembles these widely recognized dynamics. While on one hand, the responsible ministries and governmental bodies in Serbia have made a visible progress in meeting the challenge of developing low carbon environment over the past decade, it is a fact that actions on a local level aimed at redirecting the current trends and introducing a more responsible development into their cities and towns are very rare and rather sporadically taken. This paper focuses on a local level, and is concerned with the specific challenges and opportunities recognized there. The medium and small towns in Serbia are of primary interest, since their potential for change is least developed and recognized. The paper explores the challenges they deal with, namely, the perceptive, institutional, and legal constraints and goes on to investigate how these constraints could be overcome, or reduced. On the other hand, there are some opportunities that local communities have on hand. The paper takes to the light their strengths, and presents how they could be integrated into the development processes, and employed in order to further empower local communities in making their towns and places more carbon sensitive.

Territorial Changes to Municipalities and Inter-Municipal Cooperation: A Comparative Overview and Orientations for Slovenia

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 731-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iztok Rakar ◽  
Bojan Tičar ◽  
Maja Klun
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Democratic Legitimacy ◽  
Local Democracy ◽  
The Past ◽  
The People ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Public Decision

Local self-government has faced a number of challenges over the past decade. The financial crisis has revealed new dimensions of the eternal question of financing self-governing local communities, while distrust and a lack of interest in participation in local democracy among the people have led to considerations of different approaches to public decision-making concerning local issues. A comparative overview shows that the question of the “perfect size” of municipalities is currently very relevant and aimed at finding dimensions that would enable the municipality to ensure both local-level democracy and identity and economic efficiency in the delivery of public services. The most popular tool for achieving this goal is the merger of municipalities, although other approaches also exist, including various forms of inter-municipal cooperation. Some forms of inter-municipal cooperation have already taken firm hold in Slovenia, although the question of the potential impacts of alternative forms of inter-municipal cooperation on the democratic legitimacy of decision-making processes and the potential of these processes for the developmental breakthrough of Slovenian municipalities has yet to receive adequate attention.

scholarly journals Evaluating Challenges and Opportunities in the Development and Management of Physical Activity in Albania to Increase the Involvement of the Population in It

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Rovena Elmazi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Data Collection Tool ◽  
Regional Institutions ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Development And Management ◽  
Number Of Males

The study aims to assess the challenges, opportunities for development and management of physical activity in Albania compared to other countries in the region. The data collection tool included interviews, and the questionnaire used in all gyms in Albania. The result speaks of a huge gap with regard to the development of sports and the inclusion of populations in physical activities. According to the findings of the study, the number of population frequented by gyms in Albania. It is also worrying the very low number of female participants in the gym compared to the total number of women in the national level and the large difference in the number of males participating in physical activity and mainly in gymnasiums with the number of women that correctly reflected that in Albania it needs the revival and strengthening of gender mechanisms at national and local level. The result also revealed a lack of trained human resources, lack of policies and sound development strategies to increase population participation in physical activities. To this end, the National Sports and Regional Institutions, the Albanian Sports Federation and other relevant sports authorities should take all necessary measures to develop and expand the inclusion of populations into physical activities as a necessary means to increase the quality of life.

Collaboration between housing, health and social care

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 69-77
Author(s):  
Tim Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Housing Association ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Housing Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
East Midlands ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities

Purpose Comment on the contribution that housing can make to delivering better health and wellbeing outcomes. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is threefold: summarise recent evidence that makes the case for housing in helping to address health and social care issues; comment on the challenges and opportunities of partnership working; and describe examples of interesting and innovative local joint provision. Design/methodology/approach Draws on the author’s briefing papers on housing, health and social care for housing quality network, which is a national housing consultancy organisation as well as the author’s role as Chairperson of East Midlands Housing Care and Support, which is a regional housing association. Findings Collaboration between housing, health and social care is making slow progress at the national level in England. This is despite an ever-increasing evidence base highlighting that good housing can help to address issues, such as delayed discharges. Nevertheless, there are an increasing number of interesting examples of successful local initiatives on housing, health and adult social care. The way forward is to facilitate joint working at a local level. Originality/value Focusses on the success of examples of local joint working between housing, health and social care to achieve better outcomes for vulnerable people.

scholarly journals Exploring Community Engagement in Climate Change Planning: The Case in Samoa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Annie Saofaiga Toailoa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Adaptation Planning ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Research Findings

<p>Coastal communities within Pacific Island Countries (PIC) are vulnerable due to the rising and volatile nature of the sea as a result of climate change. Adaptation strategies and community-based approaches have increasingly been advocated for by environmental organisations, policy makers and researchers. Community-based approaches have, in turn, begun to promote the values of meaningful community engagement and integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into adaptation planning. This research explores the extent to which community engagement and TEK is utilised at both the national and local level adaptation planning in Samoa. An assessment of policies and plans assesses the national level context, whilst the community level context was explored through a study of the coastal village of Tafitoala.  A qualitative approach is employed in which semi-structured interviews were used to collect the perspectives of community members, government personnel, and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) staff to provide a range of viewpoints.  Using Samoa as my case study, the research findings demonstrated that community ideologies and values, and community governance structures determine the efficacy of adaptation programmes. Findings also emphasised that although there is a vast amount of TEK used within local communities, documentation and verification of TEK is required in order for it be integrated more effectively into adaptation planning. Whilst the need for meaningful community engagement had already been identified by government and NGO agencies as a priority for effective adaptation, with agencies currently implementing strategies to encourage its integration, more is required for strategies to be strongly embedded into the practices of local communities.</p>

Understanding government discourses on social media: Lessons from the use of YouTube at local level1

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Osiris S. González-Galván
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
The Past ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
The World ◽  
Digital Methods ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Local Governments around the world have taken advantage of social media during the past ten years to improve transparency and to provide public services. Challenges related to information management and citizen participation have emerged, namely at the local level where the diffusion of social media has been slower compared to initiatives launched at the national level. This paper analyzes how the use of social media can reflect a change in the discursive exchanges established between local governments in Canada and Mexico and citizens. To achieve this goal, the use of YouTube by the municipalities of Quebec and Morelia was examined by using digital methods and content analysis. The author proposes the emergence of new conditions between government and users, which are changing the discourse, identity, and communication purposes of the municipalities. However, the development of more dialogic communication processes supported by social media is still a promise, at least on YouTube.

Community forestry in Ontario

1994 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 725-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Harvey ◽  
Brian Hillier
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Community Forestry ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Forestry Project

Policy-makers and resource managers are attempting to define more-effective mechanisms for involving the local community in forest land management for many years. In the past five years, renewed attention has been given to the opportunity for empowering local communities with decision-making and program delivery responsibilities. The community forestry project in Ontario is one example of policy-makers, resource managers and local communities trying to bridge the gap between community development and resource management. With the assistance of four pilot projects, a research project and public discussion, a community forestry strategy is under development in Ontario. While it may take years to produce indisputable results through trials at the local level, three years of work have already enriched our understanding of the interface between human settlements and natural resources and of alternative means for successful stewardship. Key words: community forestry, community forest, Ontario

scholarly journals Exploring Community Engagement in Climate Change Planning: The Case in Samoa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Annie Saofaiga Toailoa
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Adaptation Planning ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Research Findings

<p>Coastal communities within Pacific Island Countries (PIC) are vulnerable due to the rising and volatile nature of the sea as a result of climate change. Adaptation strategies and community-based approaches have increasingly been advocated for by environmental organisations, policy makers and researchers. Community-based approaches have, in turn, begun to promote the values of meaningful community engagement and integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into adaptation planning. This research explores the extent to which community engagement and TEK is utilised at both the national and local level adaptation planning in Samoa. An assessment of policies and plans assesses the national level context, whilst the community level context was explored through a study of the coastal village of Tafitoala.  A qualitative approach is employed in which semi-structured interviews were used to collect the perspectives of community members, government personnel, and Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) staff to provide a range of viewpoints.  Using Samoa as my case study, the research findings demonstrated that community ideologies and values, and community governance structures determine the efficacy of adaptation programmes. Findings also emphasised that although there is a vast amount of TEK used within local communities, documentation and verification of TEK is required in order for it be integrated more effectively into adaptation planning. Whilst the need for meaningful community engagement had already been identified by government and NGO agencies as a priority for effective adaptation, with agencies currently implementing strategies to encourage its integration, more is required for strategies to be strongly embedded into the practices of local communities.</p>

Accelerated Transmission Development For Accelerated Power Development

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 8-10
Author(s):  
Sher Singh Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Load Shedding ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Commercial Sector ◽  
Power Development ◽  
Energy And Environment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Transmission Operator

Due to our lack of vision, planning and other mistakes, Nepal is in a very serious situation of load shedding. The nation is about 200 MW deficit of power supply. Hydropower development is an endeavor related with several sectors. It cannot be taken as only a commercial sector considering that businessmen will make all necessary things when there is a demand. In the past, the transmission sector has not been given due importance. Because of the complex nature of Transmission, there should only be one transmission operator in the country. Based on the periodic basin-wise generation plan of the nation, we should prepare an accelerated Development Plan. The Basin Plan should indicate how and where local level, regional level and national level hydro plants will be connected to the grid, and the sequence of developing the basin transmission network.Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment Issue No. 4, January, 2009 Page 8-10

Assembly campaign will raise Venezuela tensions

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Level ◽  
Socialist Party ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Intense Competition ◽  
Electoral Cycles ◽  
Opinion Polls

Significance The build-up to Venezuela's December 6 elections shows continuity with conflictive electoral cycles of the past 15 years. Inconclusive opinion polls caution against a bullish opposition extrapolating popular rejection of President Nicolas Maduro at the national level to the local level. The ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) may once again survive a tough campaign through opposition miscalculations. Impacts The brief campaign period will be marked by intense competition. Dirty tricks, wild claims and hyperbole will dominate media coverage, exacerbating a climate of conflict. While the PSUV machine will lurch into action, the opposition risks divisive internal splits.

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