Participatory Mapping for Strengthening Environmental Governance on Socio-Ecological Impacts of Infrastructure in the Amazon: Lessons to Improve Tools and Strategies

The Amazon region has been viewed as a source of economic growth based on extractive industry and large-scale infrastructure development endeavors, such as roads, dams, oil and gas pipelines and mining. International and national policies advocating for the development of the Amazon often conflict with the environmental sector tasked with conserving its unique ecosystems and peoples through a sustainable development agenda. New practices of environmental governance can help mitigate adverse socio-economic and ecological effects. For example, forming a “community of practice and learning” (CoP-L) is an approach for improving governance via collaboration and knowledge exchange. The Governance and Infrastructure in the Amazon (GIA) project, in which this study is embedded, has proposed that fostering a CoP-L on tools and strategies to improve infrastructure governance can serve as a mechanism to promote learning and action on factors related to governance effectiveness. A particular tool used by the GIA project for generating and sharing knowledge has been participatory mapping (Pmap). This study analyzes Pmap exercises conducted through workshops in four different Amazonian regions. The goal of Pmap was to capture different perspectives from stakeholders based on their experiences and interests to visualize and reflect on (1) areas of value, (2) areas of concern and (3) recommended actions related to reducing impacts of infrastructure development and improvement of governance processes. We used a mixed-methods approach to explore textual analysis, regional multi-iteration discussion with stakeholders, participatory mapping and integration with ancillary geospatial datasets. We believe that by sharing local-knowledge-driven data and strengthening multi-actor dialogue and collaboration, this novel approach can improve day to day practices of CoP-L members and, therefore, the transparency of infrastructure planning and good governance.

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Classroom collaborations

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/ijshe-11-2018-0220 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (8) ◽

pp. 1376-1392 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrew Reeves

Keyword(s):

Practical Knowledge ◽

Knowledge Exchange ◽

Small Scale ◽

Learning Approaches ◽

Content Type ◽

Face To Face ◽

The Public ◽

Community Stakeholders ◽

Development Agenda ◽

Novel Approach

Purpose This study aims to explore co-learning classes, a novel approach to leveraging universities’ capacity to contribute to the local sustainable development agenda whilst enhancing students’ learning. These participatory classes were piloted within a UK university masters’ module focussed on action for sustainability. The classes sought to combine knowledge exchange, reflection and social network development by bringing together students and community stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach The classes were run as a series of five free events, each focussed on sustainability issues relevant for local practitioners. These were either regular timetabled sessions opened up to the public or additional on-campus public events. Attendance was either face-to-face or online. Evaluation was based upon participation data, written feedback and module leader’s post-event reflections. Findings The classes successfully secured participation from diverse community members, including local government staff, voluntary sector workers and interested individuals. Both students and community stakeholders valued the participatory format, linkages of theoretical and practical knowledge and diversity of attendees. Research limitations/implications Findings are based upon a small-scale pilot study. Further research using a wider range of contexts is required to enhance understanding of the co-learning approach. Practical implications This paper highlights some key practical issues to consider if employing co-learning approaches in other contexts, including using inclusive language, aligning with students’ motivations and choosing appropriate focal event topics. Originality/value Opening up participatory university classes for the public to attend as co-learners is a rarely used approach and has little coverage in academic literature. This small-scale study therefore has value by highlighting some of the potential impacts, strengths and limitations of this approach.

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Assessing the ecological impacts of transportation infrastructure development: A reconnaissance study of the Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0246248 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

pp. e0246248

Author(s):

Tobias Ochieng Nyumba ◽

Catherine Chebet Sang ◽

Daniel Ochieng Olago ◽

Robert Marchant ◽

Lucy Waruingi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Qualitative Content Analysis ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Transportation Infrastructure ◽

Chinese Government ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

Ecosystem Degradation ◽

Ecosystem Impacts ◽

Development Agenda ◽

Wide Range

Transportation infrastructure, such as railways, roads and power lines, contribute to national and regional economic, social and cultural growth and integration. Kenya, with support from the Chinese government, is currently constructing a standard gauge railway (SGR) to support the country’s Vision 2030 development agenda. Although the actual land area affected by the SGR covers only a small proportion along the SGR corridor, a significant proportion of the area supports a wide range of ecologically fragile and important ecosystems in the country, with potential wider impacts. This study used a qualitative content analysis approach to gain an understanding and perceptions of stakeholders on the potential ecological impacts of the interactions between the SGR and the traversed ecological systems in Kenya. Three dominant themes emerged: 1) ecosystem degradation; 2) ecosystem fragmentation; and 3) ecosystem destruction. Ecosystem degradation was the most commonly cited impact at while ecosystem destruction was of the least concern and largely restricted to the physical SGR construction whereas the degradation and fragmentation have a much wider footprint. The construction and operation of the SGR degraded, fragmented and destroyed key ecosystems in the country including water towers, protected areas, community conservancies and wildlife dispersal areas. Therefore, we recommend that project proponents develop sustainable and ecologically sensitive measures to mitigate the key ecosystem impacts.

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The role of governance in countering corruption: an African case study

Water Policy ◽

10.2166/wp.2007.131 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 9 (S2) ◽

pp. 69-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. Earle

Keyword(s):

Multinational Corporations ◽

Large Scale ◽

Good Governance ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Public Official ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

The Government ◽

The Impact

The Trialogue model of governance includes relationships between three main actor clusters—government, science and society—within which the quality of the relationships between the three actor-clusters “determines the extent to which government can generate the incentives needed to develop society by allowing science to inform the decision-making process”. Corruption, in the form of the bribery of a public official, diminishes the quality of the relationship between the society cluster, usually in the form of private-sector business interests, and government. The drop in quality in this relationship has a negative impact on the quality of the government—science interface, due to increased project costs, in turn dropping the quality of the science—society interface, due to a drop in quality or increase in the price of services. Far from being purely a morally detestable action, corruption has a direct impact on the level of development of both a society and a country, undermining efforts to promote growth, equity and access to services. The asymmetries in power between some of the large corporations and developing countries has led to a situation where corruption is taken as the norm and it is assumed that there is very little that can be done about it. The case study of how Lesotho confronted corruption on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, leading to the prosecution of the Chief Executive of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority as well as three multinational corporations, provides an example of what can be done by a developing country to promote good governance through tackling corruption. This paper investigates the impact of corruption, specifically on large-scale water infrastructure development projects, and what measures can be taken to combat it.

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Cooperative Environmental Governance: At the Coalface of Sustainable Infrastructure Development in South Africa

Southern African Public Law ◽

10.25159/2522-6800/3647 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 441-468

Author(s):

Anél Du Plessis ◽

Reece Alberts

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Large Scale ◽

Environmental Governance ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Specific Reference ◽

Infrastructure Development ◽

Sustainable Infrastructure ◽

Legal Duty

In this article, large-scale infrastructure development is situated within the sustainability paradigm with an emphasis on questions about environmental impact. W hile the focus is on South Africa, the article contributes to the broader body of law and governance scholarship that deals with the complexity inherent in the search for infrastructure development that meets the demands of sustainability. The authors attend specifically to the role of cooperative environmental governance (CEG). They set out to explain the existence of and difficulty surrounding the legal duty of the South African government to pursue sustainability via its development-related decision-making processes. The prominence of the notion of cooperative government in South Africa’s democratic government system is highlighted whereafter the authors evaluate the role of CEG in government decisions that they regard to be in need of an inclusive and holistic approach to sustainability. The difficulty inherent in marrying CEG with the pursuit of sustainability in large-scale project developments is explained with specific reference to the controversial Medupi and Kusile power station projects. In conclusion, the authors briefly outline the provisions of the 2014 Infrastructure Development Act and ask if and how the Act can cater for CEG through a limited environmental impact but can still adhere to the requirements that government decisions pass the tests of the Constitution and framework environmental legislation.

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Blue justice: A survey for eliciting perceptions of environmental justice among coastal planners’ and small-scale fishers in Northern-Norway

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0251467 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (5) ◽

pp. e0251467

Author(s):

Sigrid Engen ◽

Vera Helene Hausner ◽

Georgina G. Gurney ◽

Else Grete Broderstad ◽

Rose Keller ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coastal Zone ◽

Large Scale ◽

Good Governance ◽

Small Scale ◽

Sampling Protocol ◽

Northern Norway ◽

Small Scale Fisheries ◽

Development Agenda ◽

Blue Economy ◽

Survey Protocol

Ocean-based economic development arising from an increasing interest in the ‘blue economy’ is placing ecosystems and small-scale fisheries under pressure. The dominant policy response for dealing with multiple uses is the allocation of coastal space through coastal zone planning (CZP). Recent studies have shown that the rush to develop the blue economy and regulate coastal activity can result in social injustices and the exclusion of less powerful and unrecognized groups (e.g., small-scale fishers, women, Indigenous peoples and youth). To achieve a primary goal of the 2030 sustainable development agenda to “leave no one behind”, it is important to understand the implications of coastal planning and development for these groups. Here, we present a social survey protocol for examining perceptions of justice related to small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the context of the blue economy in coastal areas. Specifically, we designed the survey instrument and sampling protocol to assess whether decisions about the use of the coastal zone over the last five years have i) followed principles of good governance, ii) recognized fishers’ knowledge, culture and rights and iii) been attentive to impacts of changed coastal zone use on fisheries. The survey will engage coastal planners (N = app. 120) and fishers (N = app. 4300) in all the coastal municipalities (N = 81) in Northern-Norway. The sampling protocol is designed to ensure representation of different sectors of society, including those defined by gender, age, ethnicity and occupation (e.g., small-scale fishers, large-scale fishers, coastal planners).

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Financial and Economic Support of Innovation Processes in the Russian Fuel and Energy Complex

Economics taxes & law ◽

10.26794/1999-849x-2019-12-3-77-85 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 77-85

Author(s):

L. D. Kapranova ◽

T. V. Pogodina

Keyword(s):

Oil Recovery ◽

Large Scale ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

New Technologies ◽

Innovative Development ◽

Oil Reserves ◽

Energy Complex ◽

Innovation Activities ◽

Substantial Investment ◽

The Government

The subject of the research is the current state of the fuel and energy complex (FEC) that ensures generation of a significant part of the budget and the innovative development of the economy.The purpose of the research was to establish priority directions for the development of the FEC sectors based on a comprehensive analysis of their innovative and investment activities. The dynamics of investment in the fuel and energy sector are considered. It is noted that large-scale modernization of the fuel and energy complex requires substantial investment and support from the government. The results of the government programs of corporate innovative development are analyzed. The results of the research identified innovative development priorities in the power, oil, gas and coal sectors of the fuel and energy complex. The most promising areas of innovative development in the oil and gas sector are the technologies of enhanced oil recovery; the development of hard-to-recover oil reserves; the production of liquefied natural gas and its transportation. In the power sector, the prospective areas are activities aimed at improving the performance reliability of the national energy systems and the introduction of digital technologies. Based on the research findings, it is concluded that the innovation activities in the fuel and energy complex primarily include the development of new technologies, modernization of the FEC technical base; adoption of state-of-the-art methods of coal mining and oil recovery; creating favorable economic conditions for industrial extraction of hard-to-recover reserves; transition to carbon-free fuel sources and energy carriers that can reduce energy consumption and cost as well as reducing the negative FEC impact on the environment.

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Green synthesis, characterization of silver sulfide nanoparticles and antibacterial activity evaluation

10.31221/osf.io/8byuc ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Chem Int

Keyword(s):

Antibacterial Activity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Research Work ◽

Silver Sulfide ◽

Morphological Properties ◽

Effective Diameter ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Green Route ◽

Silver Sulfide Nanoparticles

This research work presents a facile and green route for synthesis silver sulfide (Ag2SNPs) nanoparticles from silver nitrate (AgNO3) and sodium sulfide nonahydrate (Na2S.9H2O) in the presence of rosemary leaves aqueous extract at ambient temperature (27 oC). Structural and morphological properties of Ag2SNPs nanoparticles were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The surface Plasmon resonance for Ag2SNPs was obtained around 355 nm. Ag2SNPs was spherical in shape with an effective diameter size of 14 nm. Our novel approach represents a promising and effective method to large scale synthesis of eco-friendly antibacterial activity silver sulfide nanoparticles.

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ASSESSMENT OF OIL WELL PRODUCTIVITY IN LOW-PERMEABILITY RESERVOIRS IN THE FIELDS OF EASTERN SIBERIA

Oil and Gas Studies ◽

10.31660/0445-0108-2017-3-30-36 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 30-36

Author(s):

R. V. Urvantsev ◽

S. E. Cheban

Keyword(s):

Oil Recovery ◽

Large Scale ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Oil Extraction ◽

Low Permeability ◽

Oil Well ◽

Eastern Siberia ◽

Development Costs ◽

Traditional Fields ◽

Low Permeability Reservoirs

The 21st century witnessed the development of the oil extraction industry in Russia due to the intensifica- tion of its production at the existing traditional fields of Western Siberia, the Volga region and other oil-extracting regions, and due discovering new oil and gas provinces. At that time the path to the development of fields in Eastern Siberia was already paved. The large-scale discoveries of a number of fields made here in the 70s-80s of the 20th century are only being developed now. The process of development itself is rather slow in view of a number of reasons. Create a problem of high cost value of oil extraction in the region. One of the major tasks is obtaining the maximum oil recovery factor while reducing the development costs. The carbonate layer lying within the Katangsky suite is low-permeability, and its inventories are categorised as hard to recover. Now, the object is at a stage of trial development,which foregrounds researches on selecting the effective methods of oil extraction.

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Fractional ridge regression: a fast, interpretable reparameterization of ridge regression

GigaScience ◽

10.1093/gigascience/giaa133 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (12) ◽

Author(s):

Ariel Rokem ◽

Kendrick Kay

Keyword(s):

Ridge Regression ◽

Large Scale ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Regularization Technique ◽

Large Scale Data ◽

Novel Approach ◽

Manual Exploration ◽

L2 Norm ◽

Software Implementations ◽

Brain Imaging Data

Abstract Background Ridge regression is a regularization technique that penalizes the L2-norm of the coefficients in linear regression. One of the challenges of using ridge regression is the need to set a hyperparameter (α) that controls the amount of regularization. Cross-validation is typically used to select the best α from a set of candidates. However, efficient and appropriate selection of α can be challenging. This becomes prohibitive when large amounts of data are analyzed. Because the selected α depends on the scale of the data and correlations across predictors, it is also not straightforwardly interpretable. Results The present work addresses these challenges through a novel approach to ridge regression. We propose to reparameterize ridge regression in terms of the ratio γ between the L2-norms of the regularized and unregularized coefficients. We provide an algorithm that efficiently implements this approach, called fractional ridge regression, as well as open-source software implementations in Python and matlab (https://github.com/nrdg/fracridge). We show that the proposed method is fast and scalable for large-scale data problems. In brain imaging data, we demonstrate that this approach delivers results that are straightforward to interpret and compare across models and datasets. Conclusion Fractional ridge regression has several benefits: the solutions obtained for different γ are guaranteed to vary, guarding against wasted calculations; and automatically span the relevant range of regularization, avoiding the need for arduous manual exploration. These properties make fractional ridge regression particularly suitable for analysis of large complex datasets.

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Novel approach for large‐scale monitoring of submerged aquatic vegetation – a nationwide example from Sweden

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management ◽

10.1002/ieam.4493 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Silvia Huber ◽

Lars B. Hansen ◽

Lisbeth T. Nielsen ◽

Mikkel L. Rasmussen ◽

Jonas Sølvsteen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Aquatic Vegetation ◽

Novel Approach

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