scholarly journals What Is the Evidence Base Linking Gender with Access to Forests and Use of Forest Resources for Food Security in Low- and Middle-Income Countries? A Systematic Evidence Map

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1096
Author(s):  
Ngolia Kimanzu ◽  
Björn Schulte-Herbrüggen ◽  
Jessica Clendenning ◽  
Linley Chiwona-Karltun ◽  
Kyla Krogseng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
International Development ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Evidence Map ◽  
Total Consumption ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Forest Use

In nearly all parts of the world, an important part of people’s livelihood is derived from natural resources. Gender is considered one of the most important determinants of access and control over forests. It is thought that women and men within households and communities have different opportunities and different roles and responsibilities in relation to forest use. It is probable that when women have equal access to forests, better food security outcomes can be achieved for individuals and households that are dependent on forests for their livelihoods. A systematic evidence map of the evidence base linking gender with access to forests and use of forest resources for food security was undertaken. Ten bibliographic databases and 22 websites of international development and conservation organisations were searched using keywords suggested by stakeholders. Other articles were found by emailing authors and organisations to send potentially relevant publications. 19,500 articles were retrieved from bibliographic databases and 1281 from other sources. After iterative screening, 77 studies were included: 41 focussed on Africa, 22 on Asia, 12 on Latin America, 2 were global. Most indicators of food security measure access to food, measured by total consumption, expenditure, or income. Studies showed strong gender specialisation: commercial access and utilisation of forests and forest products dominated by men, whereas access for subsistence and household consumption is almost exclusively the task of women. Despite the large number of studies reviewed, limitations of the evidence base, including methodological heterogeneity, a dominance of case studies as the study design, and unequal geographical representation in study locations, make it difficult to generalise about the overall importance of gender and its effect on access to and use of forests for food security in developing countries. The critical gaps in the evidence base include geographical representation in primary research and a greater breadth of study designs to assess gender implications of access to forest resources globally.

scholarly journals Role of Forest Resources to Local Livelihoods: The Case of East Mau Forest Ecosystem, Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Langat ◽  
E. K. Maranga ◽  
A. A. Aboud ◽  
J. K. Cheboiwo
Keyword(s):  
Construction Material ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Forest Degradation ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Fuel Wood ◽  
Local Livelihoods ◽  
Forest Income ◽  
Forest Use

Forests in Kenya are threatened by unsustainable uses and conversion to alternative land uses. In spite of the consequences of forest degradation and biodiversity loss and reliance of communities on forests livelihoods, there is little empirical data on the role of forest resources in livelihoods of the local communities. Socioeconomic, demographic, and forest use data were obtained by interviewing 367 households. Forest product market survey was undertaken to determine prices of various forest products for valuation of forest use. Forest income was significant to households contributing 33% of total household income. Fuel wood contributed 50%, food (27%), construction material (18%), and fodder, and thatching material 5% to household forest income. Absolute forest income and relative forest income (%) were not significantly different across study locations and between ethnic groups. However, absolute forest income and relative forest income (%) were significantly different among wealth classes. Poor households were more dependent on forests resources. However, in absolute terms, the rich households derived higher forest income. These results provide valuable information on the role of forest resources to livelihoods and could be applied in developing forest conservation policies for enhanced ecosystem services and livelihoods.

scholarly journals International palliative care research in the context of global development: a systematic mapping review

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Clark ◽  
Clare Gardiner ◽  
Amy Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
International Development ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Observational Research ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Global Level ◽  
Care Research ◽  
Mapping Review

ContextAn increasing amount of health policy is formulated at global level. At this global level, palliative care has attracted support primarily from normative institutions (WHO), not funding agencies. To attract greater global attention from policymakers, it has been argued that an international approach to research is required. However, the extent to which an international approach is being undertaken is unknown.ObjectivesTo systematically identify and thematically synthesise all international palliative care research, defined as research involving two or more countries, or focused on the global level.MethodsFive bibliographic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, ASSIA, Web of Knowledge, Psychinfo) were searched for journal articles relevant to international and global palliative care and end-of-life care. Data were extracted using a piloted extraction form and findings were synthesised.Results184 studies were included, published across 75 different academic journals. Research emanates from and focuses on all world regions and there is increasing focus on the global level. Thematically, there is a high focus on Evaluation (n=53) and views of Stakeholders (n=38). The review revealed a predominantly observational research approach and few interventional studies were identified.ConclusionsInternational palliative care research is a relatively new, but growing field. However, many gaps in the evidence base remain and palliative care research continues to take place outside broader discourses of international development. The relative absence of interventional research demonstrating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of palliative care risks limiting the tools with which advocates can engage with international policymakers on this topic.

scholarly journals Using mobile technologies to support the training of community health workers in low-income and middle-income countries: mapping the evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. e001421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall Winters ◽  
Laurenz Langer ◽  
Promise Nduku ◽  
James Robson ◽  
James O'Donovan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Evidence Map ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries

IntroductionThis paper maps the evidence published between 2000 and 2018 on the use of mobile technologies to train community health workers (CHWs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) across nine areas of global healthcare, including the neglected areas of disability and mental health.MethodsWe used an evidence mapping methodology, based on systematic review guidelines, to systematically and transparently assess the available evidence-base. We searched eight scientific databases and 54 grey literature sources, developed explicit inclusion criteria, and coded all included studies at full text for key variables. The included evidence-base was visualised and made accessible through heat mapping and the development of an online interactive evidence interface.ResultsThe systematic search for evidence identified a total of 2530 citations of which 88 met the full inclusion criteria. Results illustrate overall gaps and clusters of evidence. While the evidence map shows a positive shift away from information dissemination towards approaches that use more interactive learner-centred pedagogies, including supervision and peer learning, this was not seen across all areas of global health. Areas of neglect remain; no studies of trauma, disability, nutrition or mental health that use information dissemination, peer learning or supervision for training CHWs in LMICs were found.ConclusionThe evidence map shows significant gaps in the use of mobile technologies for training, particularly in the currently neglected areas of global health. Significant work will be needed to improve the evidence-base, including assessing the quality of mobile-based training programmes.

Forest products and household economy: a case study from Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. HEGDE ◽  
T. ENTERS
Keyword(s):  
Forest Conservation ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Cash Income ◽  
Household Economy ◽  
Wildlife Sanctuary ◽  
Income Groups ◽  
Forest Use ◽  
Traditional Communities

Traditional communities living at forest margins use forest resources in various ways. Understanding the resource-use patterns of such communities provides a basis for seeking the participation of such communities in forest conservation. The present study undertaken in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and the adjoining Sigur Plateau in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, addressed the importance of forests in the household economy of indigenous communities. Its main objective was to quantify the forest dependence of local people, and assess to what extent restrictive biodiversity conservation strategies would affect their livelihoods. These questions help in understanding the stake of the people in forest conservation strategies. Economic activities of the households were investigated in eight selected villages, four of which (proximal villages) had access to reserve forest areas where collection of forest products was allowed and were also located close to markets that provided opportunities to sell forest products. The remaining four villages (distal villages) were close to the Wildlife Sanctuary where the collection of forest products was not allowed and there was no access to organized markets. A total of 132 households were surveyed. The households both in proximal and distal villages were classified into three distinct income groups namely ‘low’, ‘medium’ and ‘high’, based on their gross annual income. Use of forest resources in Mudumalai was found to be influenced by multiple factors. In terms of livelihood of the traditional communities, livestock rearing and collection of non-wood forest products (NWFPs) were very important, the latter both for cash income and subsistence use. Peripheral communities used the forest resources in a varied fashion, with NWFPs contributing differently to different income groups. Where there was no restriction on forest use, higher income groups used the resources more heavily than lower income groups, and hence would suffer most from any restriction on forest use. People's reliance on forests evidently declined with increased level both of education and of opportunities in non-forestry vocations. Forests were still very important to the household economy of the local people both in terms of food security and cash income.

scholarly journals The use of non-wood forest products and forest tourism in Belarus

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-87
Author(s):  
Aleh Marozau ◽  
Nikolaj Kowbasa
Keyword(s):  
Economic Activity ◽  
Anthropogenic Impact ◽  
Foreign Capital ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Productive Capacity ◽  
Foreign Markets ◽  
Marketing Activities ◽  
Forest Use

Abstract The aim of the research was to review the legal and regulatory framework that controls the use of non-wood forest products and tourism in forests in Belarus and to analyze current information on harvesting of non-wood forest products such as berries, mushrooms, birch sap, honey, medicinal plants, and minor forest resources as well as to study the state of ecotourism in the territory of the forest fund. We demonstrated that the legal base needs to be improved. In particular, the taxes should be redistributed from economic entities involved in collateral forest use to the Ministry of Forestry that manages the forests. Despite the increased anthropogenic impact on understory layers and the adverse global climatic changes of recent decades, the productive capacity of non-wood forest resources in Belarus remains significant. Nevertheless, the resources are not exploited appropriately, although the demand for products in the domestic and foreign markets is consistently high. In this regard, it is necessary to create suitable conditions for stakeholders, including those possessing foreign capital, to participate in economic activity, whilst preserving the coordinating and controlling functions of the Ministry of Forestry as it is the main forest fund holder in the country. Efforts are also being made to develop infrastructure for ecotourism in forests. However, the level of marketing activities aimed at promoting and providing consumers with available tourist products and services does not meet modern requirements.

scholarly journals Impacts of Urban Agriculture on the Determinants of Health: Scoping Review Protocol (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Paul Audate ◽  
Melissa A Fernandez ◽  
Geneviève Cloutier ◽  
Alexandre Lebel
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Determinants Of Health ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Wide Range

BACKGROUND Since the 1990s, urban agriculture (UA) has contributed to improving food security in low- and middle- income countries. Now, it is implemented as a multifunctional intervention that can influence various determinants of health (eg, food security, social relationships). Studies of interest stem from several research disciplines, use a wide range of methods, and show results that are sometimes inconsistent. Current studies have not summarized the overall effects of UA on health and its determinants. OBJECTIVE The objective of this protocol is to develop a research strategy for a scoping review that characterizes studies of beneficial and adverse impacts of UA on health and its determinants in a wide range of disciplines. METHODS Initially, with the help of a library specialist, a list of publications will be obtained through a systematic search of seven electronic bibliographic databases: PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE (Embase), CINAHL Plus with full text, Academic Search Premier (EBSCO host), CAB Abstract (Ovid), and Web of Science. Secondly, a three-step screening by two independent reviewers will lead to a list of relevant publications that meet eligibility and inclusion criteria. Finally, data on the bibliography, type of participants, type of study, results of study, and countries will be extracted from included articles and analyzed to be presented in a peer-reviewed article. RESULTS The findings are expected to identify research gaps that will inform needs for UA research in specific fields (eg, mental health), among certain population groups (eg, adults) or within different economic contexts (eg, low-, middle-, or high-income countries). Furthermore, the findings are expected to identify knowledge gaps and direct future research needs. CONCLUSIONS This is an original study that seeks to integrate beneficial and adverse effects of UA on health at different level of influence (individuals, households, and community) in order to facilitate a better understanding of UA impacts. This protocol is a first of its kind and is expected to lead to a characterization of UA impacts based on sociodemographic profiles of participants and income levels of the studied countries. This will be relevant for policy makers and UA practitioners.

Depression in the Developing World

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Minas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Development ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Health And Social Services ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
Culturally Informed ◽  
Global Understanding

This chapter provides an overview of what is known about prevalence, social determinants, treatment, and course and impact of depression in developing, or low- and middle-income, countries. The importance of culture in depression and in the construction and application of diagnostic classifications and in health and social services is highlighted, with a particular focus on the applicability of ‘Western’ diagnostic constructs and service systems in developing country settings. The role of international organizations, such as WHO, and international development programs, such as the SDGs, in improving our understanding of depression and in developing effective and culturally appropriate responses is briefly examined. There is both a need and increasing opportunities in developing countries for greater commitment to mental health of populations, increased investment in mental health and social services, and culturally informed research that will contribute to improved global understanding of mental disorders in general and depression in particular.

scholarly journals A Human Machine Hybrid Approach for Systematic Reviews and Maps in International Development and Social Impact Sectors

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1027
Author(s):  
Murat Sartas ◽  
Sarah Cummings ◽  
Alessandra Garbero ◽  
Akmal Akramkhanov
Keyword(s):  
International Development ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Societal Relevance ◽  
Lexical Databases ◽  
Very High

The international development and social impact evidence community is divided about the use of machine-centered approaches in carrying out systematic reviews and maps. While some researchers argue that machine-centered approaches such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, text mining, automated semantic analysis, and translation bots are superior to human-centered ones, others claim the opposite. We argue that a hybrid approach combining machine and human-centered elements can have higher effectiveness, efficiency, and societal relevance than either approach can achieve alone. We present how combining lexical databases with dictionaries from crowdsourced literature, using full texts instead of titles, abstracts, and keywords. Using metadata sets can significantly improve the current practices of systematic reviews and maps. Since the use of machine-centered approaches in forestry and forestry-related reviews and maps are rare, the gains in effectiveness, efficiency, and relevance can be very high for the evidence base in forestry. We also argue that the benefits from our hybrid approach will increase in time as digital literacy and better ontologies improve globally.

scholarly journals Scoping review assessing the evidence used to support the adoption of mobile health (mHealth) technologies for the education and training of community health workers (CHWs) in low-income and middle-income countries

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. e019827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niall Winters ◽  
Laurenz Langer ◽  
Anne Geniets
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
And Training ◽  
Formal Theories

ObjectivesUndertake a systematic scoping review to determine how a research evidence base, in the form of existing systematic reviews in the field of mobile health (mHealth), constitutes education and training for community health workers (CHWs) who use mobile technologies in everyday work. The review was informed by the following research questions: does educational theory inform the design of the education and training component of mHealth interventions? How is education and training with mobile technology by CHWs in low-income and middle-income countries categorised by existing systematic reviews? What is the basis for this categorisation?SettingThe review explored the literature from 2000 to 2017 to investigate how mHealth interventions have been positioned within the available evidence base in relation to their use of formal theories of learning.ResultsThe scoping review found 24 primary studies that were categorised by 16 systematic reviews as supporting CHWs’ education and training using mobile technologies. However, when formal theories of learning from educational research were used to recategorise these 24 primary studies, only four could be coded as such. This identifies a problem with how CHWs’ education and training using mobile technologies is understood and categorised within the existing evidence base. This is because there is no agreed on, theoretically informed understanding of what counts as learning.ConclusionThe claims made by mHealth researchers and practitioners regarding the learning benefits of mobile technology are not based on research results that are underpinned by formal theories of learning. mHealth suffers from a reductionist view of learning that underestimates the complexities of the relationship between pedagogy and technology. This has resulted in miscategorisations of what constitutes CHWs’ education and training within the existing evidence base. This can be overcome by informed collaboration between the health and education communities.

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