scholarly journals Assessing the Temporal Variation in the Perceived Eects of Invasive Plant Species on Rural Livelihoods: A Case of Mikania micrantha Invasion in Nepal

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh Kumar Rai ◽  
Roshani Rai
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Landscape Conservation ◽  
Mikania Micrantha ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
Household Heads

Aim This study aims to assess effects of invasion of Mikania micrantha on the livelihoods of rural communities and evaluates how perceived effects vary with the presence duration of invasive plants in a particular landscape. Location The study was conducted in the buffer zone communities of two protected areas in Nepal—Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and Chitwan National Park. Materials and Methods Questionnaire interviews were performed among a total of 473 households from the target communities. The questionnaire mainly focused on a five-year gap evaluation of the current situation. The households were stratified into three strata based on their proximity to the forest and a systematic random sampling was used to select the households. Household heads of either gender were interviewed based on their availability during the visit. Key findings The results show that time decay effects exist in the interface between invasive plants and rural livelihoods, as people gradually start to consider that these plants have self-grown in their landscape. However, the number of affected households increases with duration of the stay of invasive plants in the landscape. Conservation implications The study shows that the perceived effects of invasive plants on rural households vary over time, and hence the response of rural households to the invasion. On the contrary, the perceived ecological effects of invasive plants remain the same. The results indicate the complication in managing the invaded area particularly in rural areas, which has forced the local people to use invasive plants such as Mikania in their daily lives in the absence of any strategy to control its spread. However, it can be concluded that Mikania cannot win the support of local communities in the invaded areas. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/cs.v1i1.8579   Conservation Science 2013 1(1), 13-18

Ecological Governance and the Sustainability of Rural Household Water Conservation Systems in the Savannah Region of Ghana

2022 ◽  
pp. 1-46
Author(s):  
Prosper Bazaanah
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Gender Inclusion ◽  
Ecological Governance ◽  
And Gender

This chapter examined the link between ecological governance and water conservation as sustainable pathways for enhancing rural livelihoods in the Savannah Region. Designs adopted were post-positivist and cross-sectional. Probability sampling techniques were used to sample 450 household and official respondents. Questionnaires were administered, while descriptive statistics and chi-square test were utilised to analyse the data. Findings showed significant relationship between conservation initiatives, finance, rehabilitation/maintenance, and gender inclusion and domestic water conservation. Therefore, with commitment to maintenance, funding, and gender inclusion in water decisions, there is the likely for water to be locally sustainable in rural communities of the region. Democratic, decentralised, and participatory approaches to ecological governance and empowerment of the local communities are recommended as essential preconditions for achieving ecologically self-governing communities and sustaining domestic water systems in the rural areas of the region.

scholarly journals Digital Transformations in Agri-Food Systems: Innovation Drivers and New Threats to Sustainable Rural Development

2021 ◽  
Vol 100 ◽  
pp. 03002
Author(s):  
Olena Borodina ◽  
Oksana Rykovska ◽  
Oksana Mykhailenko ◽  
Oleksii Fraier
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Sustainable Rural Development ◽  
Development Goals

The paper proves that sweeping digital transformations are a global trend in agri-food development. Significantly improved economic efficiency, rational use of natural resources, operational exchange of relevant information, new markets, and economic opportunities under modern climate change are possible owing to digital transformations. It is grounded that the elimination of world hunger based on the provided internal food security and secured rural communities should be the primary goal of the digital innovations in agri-food systems within Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper states that along with the significant benefits of digital technologies, the great destructive impact on the overall societal development is possible due to the corporate monopolization of digital processes. Thus, there is the risk of the development of food systems, which are characterized by decreasing in the food supply, loss of biodiversity and rural livelihoods. Proposals to mitigate the threats of digitalization, strengthen internal food security and enhance the development of rural communities through information and communication technologies (ICT) are substantiated. The specific of the agri-food digitalization in Ukraine is outlined, which is determined by the duality of the organizational structure of agriculture (corporate and individual sector) with a tendency to the concentration of land, power, and financial resources in favor of corporations expanding opportunities for digitalization. Appropriate safety measures to mitigate the negative impact on the development of small producers, rural areas, and Ukrainian society are identified.

scholarly journals New agricultural frontiers in post-conflict Sierra Leone? Exploring institutional challenges for wetland management in the Eastern Province

2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Maconachie
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Wetland Management ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Eastern Province ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
The Government ◽  
Institutional Challenges

ABSTRACTSierra Leone has recently emerged from a long period of political instability and civil war, and is ranked among the world's poorest countries. Thousands of displaced people are in the process of returning to their villages to rebuild their mainly farming-based livelihoods, and many are growing food crops for the first time in a decade. With pressure on food production increasing in rural areas, the inland valley swamps have been identified by the government as a vital resource for sustaining rural livelihoods and achieving food security through the production of rice and other commodities. However, previous government policies directed at enhanced wetland production have largely failed to achieve their goals, and have been criticised for neglecting the institutional challenges of development. Drawing on recent fieldwork carried out in two rural communities in the Eastern Province, this paper considers how institutional arrangements function in Sierra Leone's swamp wetlands, and explores how stresses associated with a post-conflict environment are shaping land-use decisions and mediating access to resources in new ways. The findings of the enquiry have implications for Sierra Leone's recently adopted commitment to decentralisation, a move that has, in theory, seen the state strengthen its position at the local level, and will allegedly create new spaces for increased interaction between state agencies, traditional leaders and communities. Two institutional challenges are examined – access to land and access to labour – that must be addressed if decentralised reforms to resource management are to be effective for wetland rice production. The analysis concludes by considering one recent initiative at the forefront of efforts to decentralise the Ministry of Agriculture, the ‘Agricultural Business Unit’ (ABU) initiative, to elucidate some of the challenges faced in post-conflict wetland rehabilitation.

Forest Income and Rural Livelihoods in West Bengal, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 232102222110243
Author(s):  
Biswajit Ray ◽  
Promita Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Rural Poverty ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Forest Income ◽  
Poverty And Inequality

To what extent forests contribute to rural livelihoods in developing countries? To find a plausible answer for this, this article explores whether inclusion of forest income to rural households’ total income accounts reduces poverty and income inequality, and also enables rural households to cope with shocks. To this end, we conducted household surveys in eight forest-dependent villages in the Indian state of West Bengal between August 2016 and August 2017. Using data from 407 sample households, we measured forest income of a household as the aggregate monetary value of resources extracted solely from forest ecosystem and compared this with other economic activities of the households. We calculated poverty indices and Gini coefficient with and without forest income, and we employed regression and Gini decomposition techniques to assess the safety net role and relative contribution of forest income to reducing rural poverty and inequality when compared to other sources of income. We found that the addition of forest income to household accounts significantly reduces measured poverty and inequality. Besides, the sample households, especially the poor, extract more from forests to cope with severe covariate shocks due to greater income certainty and thus adopt forest-dominated coping strategy in time of shocks and crises. The implication is that forest income needs to sustainably flow to the poor along with the development of better safety nets in forested rural areas in order to improve the forest-based rural livelihoods in developing countries like India. JEL Codes: Q23, Q56, Q57

scholarly journals The Future of Rurality: Place Attachment among Young Inhabitants of Two Rural Communities of Mediterranean Central Chile

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 546
Author(s):  
Paulina Rodríguez-Díaz ◽  
Rocío Almuna ◽  
Carla Marchant ◽  
Sally Heinz ◽  
Roxana Lebuy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Young People ◽  
Rural Community ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Place Attachment ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Rural Youth ◽  
Central Chile ◽  
Agricultural Communities ◽  
Connectedness To Nature

Rural livelihoods are under threat, not only from climate change and soil erosion but also because young people in rural areas are increasingly moving to urbanized areas, seeking employment and education opportunities. In the Valparaiso region of Chile, megadrought, soil degradation, and industrialization are driving young people to leave agricultural and livestock activities. In this study, our main objective was to identify the factors influencing young people living in two rural agricultural communities (Valle Hermoso and La Vega). We conducted 90 online surveys of young people aged 13–24 to evaluate their interest in living in the countryside (ILC). We assessed the effect of community satisfaction, connectedness to nature, and social valuation of rural livelihoods on the ILC. The results show that young people were more likely to stay living in the countryside when they felt satisfied and safe in their community, felt a connection with nature, and were surrounded by people who enjoyed the countryside. These results highlight the relevance of promoting place attachment and the feeling of belonging within the rural community. Chilean rural management and local policies need to focus on rural youth and highlight the opportunities that the countryside provides for them.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF RURAL HOUSEHOLDS FOOD INSECURITY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 182-194
Author(s):  
Ogechi Lynda EGWUE ◽  
Ikechi Kelechi AGBUGBA ◽  
Ridwan MUKAILA
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Household Size ◽  
Calorie Intake ◽  
Average Household Size ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Food Insecure Households

The problem of food insecurity remains a challenge in developing countries, especially in rural areas. Despite the rising level of food insecurity, COVID-19 set in and was said to pose a threat to food security globally if adequate measures are not quickly put in place. This study, therefore, described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents; examined the extent to which the rural households are food secure or otherwise during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the drivers of food security status among rural households in South-East Nigeria. Primary data were collected from 200 households with the use of structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, food security index and logistics regression. Results of the findings revealed that the majority of the household heads were male (92%), married (93.5%), educated (87.5%) and had an average age of 54 years. They had an average household size of 7 persons, an average farming experience of 22 years, an average monthly income of N14, 305.5 and majority (83%) do not belong to a cooperative society. Majority (69.5%) of the households were food insecure, while only (30.5%) were food secure. The food-secure households had an average household size of 5 persons, while the food insecure households had 9 persons in their households. The headcount ratio of food secure households was 0.30, while it was 0.70 for food-insecure households. This shows that at least two out of three persons were food insecure in the study area. The surplus/shortfall index indicates that the food secure households exceeded the calorie requirement by 12%, while the food insecure fell short of the recommended calorie intake by 39%. Square food insecure gap or square shortfall index which indicate the severity of food insecurity among the food insecure household was 0.0056. The average calorie available (adult equivalent per day) for food secure households was 2523.5kcal, while average calorie available (AE/day) for food-insecure households was 1389.05kcal. The identified positive drivers of food security were marital status, educational level, cooperative members and annual income of the household heads. While, age of household head, household size and COVID-19 negatively influenced food security status. The study recommends, among others, putting in place immediate policy measures to reduce the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on rural household’s food security through the provision of enough palliatives which should be monitored so that it gets to the targeted population. Effective household size management and enlightenment programs on modern family planning techniques should be encouraged in rural areas. Rural households should also be educated on the nutritional implication of the various food items such as egg, milk, soybean and fish, especially for children to increase their protein intake and boost their immune system against COVID-19.

scholarly journals Modeling optimal price policy of pharmaceutical companies for sales maximization based on Data Science technologies

2021 ◽  
pp. 35-41
Author(s):  
O. Chernyak ◽  
J. Sztrik ◽  
Y. Fareniuk
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Data Science ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
National Development ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Price Policy

Social capital has become an important aspect of most rural communities in developing nations. But, the dimensions of social capital vary across rural regions while little is known about the factors influencing it in rural areas. This study aimed to identify the prevalent social capital dimensions in rural areas and examine the factors determining rural people involved in those dimensions. A field survey which consists of structured and self-administered questionnaire was carried out with rural households. The information of the survey was obtained from 220 rural households in the study area between August and October, 2019. The descriptive analysis identified social networks (3.875), norms (societal values) (3.390), trust and solidarity (4.115), and cooperation and group action (4.139) as the prevailing social capital dimensions in the rural communities. The results further suggest that cooperation, trust and solidarity, and networks are respectively the dominating social capital dimensions in the rural areas. The results from probit model estimates show that the factors that are more likely to be associated with social capital in rural areas include education, access to credit and ownership of farm (cash crop). Since social capital is becoming a prerequisite for rural development, our findings lead to the suggestion that cooperation, build-up of networks should be facilitated for people in the rural areas. Furthermore, policy direction towards access to education, credit provision and development of primary occupation in the rural areas should also be enhanced. Economic policy makers and rural development agencies are invited to continuously work on the identified factors to promote the individual, community and national development on equitable basis.

scholarly journals Factors influencing social capital in rural communities in Nigeria

2021 ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
N. A. Sofoluwe ◽  
L. O. Oyelami ◽  
O. Adisa
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
National Development ◽  
Probit Model ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Factors Influencing

Social capital has become an important aspect of most rural communities in developing nations. But, the dimensions of social capital vary across rural regions while little is known about the factors influencing it in rural areas. This study aimed to identify the prevalent social capital dimensions in rural areas and examine the factors determining rural people involved in those dimensions. A field survey which consists of structured and self-administered questionnaire was carried out with rural households. The information of the survey was obtained from 220 rural households in the study area between August and October, 2019. The descriptive analysis identified social networks (3.875), norms (societal values) (3.390), trust and solidarity (4.115), and cooperation and group action (4.139) as the prevailing social capital dimensions in the rural communities. The results further suggest that cooperation, trust and solidarity, and networks are respectively the dominating social capital dimensions in the rural areas. The results from probit model estimates show that the factors that are more likely to be associated with social capital in rural areas include education, access to credit and ownership of farm (cash crop). Since social capital is becoming a prerequisite for rural development, our findings lead to the suggestion that cooperation, build-up of networks should be facilitated for people in the rural areas. Furthermore, policy direction towards access to education, credit provision and development of primary occupation in the rural areas should also be enhanced. Economic policy makers and rural development agencies are invited to continuously work on the identified factors to promote the individual, community and national development on equitable basis.

scholarly journals Infrastructure and Households' Incomes in Pakistan: A Cross Province Comparative Analysis of Rural Areas

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-28
Author(s):  
Ishtiaq Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Bashir Khan ◽  
Fatima Farooq
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Households ◽  
Skewed Distribution ◽  
Generation Model ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Infrastructural Development ◽  
Multiplier Effect ◽  
Economic Survey

Lack of earning opportunities in rural areas of developing countries is the key constraint to rural development and infrastructure has the force to increase such activities. Hence, this study attempts to summarize status of rural infrastructural development along with exploring its role for enhancement of rural household's income in Pakistan.  On the basis of "Pakistan 2008 MOUZA Statistics", a cross-province comparative analysis points out devastated state of rural infrastructural development in Pakistan which is observed to be miserable on account of skewed distribution while favouring Punjab and depriving Balochistan. This study also exploits income generation model based on production function while including infrastructure as external factor with the hypothesis that it has multiplier effect on incomes. For this purpose Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) for the year 2005-06 is used for rural areas only, which is latest in the sense that information on rural communities is uniquely available in this dataset. On the basis of analysis using log-lin functional form it has been concluded in this study that even infrastructural development has a positive role for rural households' incomes but its role is secondary in comparison to other attributes i.e. household size, livestock holdings, head's gender, age and education.  It is further established that for rural households' income even infrastructure for energy provision is most important but infrastructural need for different regions is different.

Sustainable Rural Livelihoods

2020 ◽  
pp. 354-377
Author(s):  
Biljana Petrevska ◽  
Aleksandra Terzić
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Agricultural Activity ◽  
Sustainable Livelihood ◽  
Economic Issues ◽  
Tourism Activity ◽  
Social Empowerment ◽  
The Village ◽  
Sustainable Rural Livelihoods

The study examines the concept of resilient societies that are emerging recently by opening the question of social empowerment and willingness to cope with uncertainties. It presents a comprehensive review on the issue of real contribution of tourism based economies within rural communities. The study evaluates the basic preconditions for tourism related activities in sampled rural areas in North Macedonia and Southern and Eastern Serbia, being particularly vulnerable in terms of social and economic issues (aging, poverty, migration and depopulation). The concept of ‘sustainable rural livelihoods' is further enlightened, and many recommendations are noted. Generally, rural tourism should be focused on providing additional financial input, but also seek a way to attract tourists in periods with low agricultural activity. The vitality and prosperity of the village itself does not rely on tourism activity only, but rather on the natural resources and human capital, thus providing sustainable livelihood for the residents.

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