scholarly journals Values and Preferences for Domestic Water Use: A Study from the Transboundary River Basin of Mékrou (West Africa)

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1232
Author(s):  
Vasileios Markantonis ◽  
Celine Dondeynaz ◽  
Dionysis Latinopoulos ◽  
Kostas Bithas ◽  
Ioannis Trichakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Western World ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Water Provision

Water is indispensable for human life and sufficient domestic use is considered as a regularity in the western world. The conditions are substantially different in African countries where poverty and lack of life-supporting services prevail. The provision of domestic water is an essential problem, which requires action. The lack of sufficient funding for the development of infrastructure supports claims for citizen participation in related costs. However, can citizens pay and to what extend for sufficient water provision? The present study investigates a household’s willingness to pay for domestic water in the transboundary Mékrou River Basin in West Africa (Burkina Faso, Benin and Niger) and explores the payment for domestic water provision to poverty. The paper uses the results of a household survey that was undertaken in the Mekrou basin including a representative sample from all three countries. Based on this survey the paper presents basic socio-economic characteristics of the local population as well as qualitative water provision and management attributes. In the core of the econometric analysis the paper presents the results of the survey’s Contingent Valuation (CV) scenario estimating the households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for a domestic water provision. The households of the Mekrou basin are willing to pay 2.81 euro per month in average for a domestic water provision network but this is strongly related with the wealth of households. This finding although it may support the “user pays principle”, it also raises serious questions over the provision of water to poor households.

scholarly journals Dual Value System and its assessment scheme for understanding and valuing ecosystem services

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haile Yang ◽  
Jiakuan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Pearl River ◽  
Pearl River Basin ◽  
Value System ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Zhujiang River ◽  
Water Provision

AbstractValuing ecosystem services (ES) is helpful for effective ES management. However, there are many limitations in traditional ES valuation approaches, including theoretical challenges and practical difficulties. To overcome these limitations, we proposed a dual value system (DVS). And then, we presented a case study of valuing the water provision in Zhujiang River Basin (Pearl River Basin) based on DVS. DVS follows the axioms that (1) human life would end if we lose any of vital ES which is indispensable to human being’s survival (such as oxygen, freshwater) and (2) ES cannot provide any value to people without human activities. Correspondingly, DVS includes two types of value: the output support value (OSV) of a vital ES refers to the total value produced by human being’s economic and social activities (TVPH) supported by the ES consumption; the optional capacity value (OCV) of a vital ES refers to the optional capacity of supporting TVPH provided by total ES volume. The OCV provided by a vital ES is calculated by using the product of multiplying the OSV (TVPH) by the freedom of choosing the consumption from the total volume of this ES, valued in non-monetary units. Based on DVS, the OSV and OCV of water provision in Zhujiang River Basin were analyzed in river basin scale and sub-basin scale, and the values variation of water provision from 2006 to 2015 was analyzed in sub-basin scale. And then, based on this case study, we discussed the new insights into ES provided by DVS. Results proved that DVS and its assessment scheme overcame the limitations on current ES valuation approaches and provided an innovative quantitative framework to understand and value ES which will help to make good decisions in ES management.

The Coin of the African Realm

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Herbst
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
West Africa ◽  
West African ◽  
Regional Economies ◽  
African Countries ◽  
New Strategies

This chapter examines the politics of the currency in West Africa from the beginning of the twentieth century. A public series of debates over the nature of the currency occurred in West Africa during both the colonial and independence periods. Since 1983, West African countries have been pioneers in Africa in developing new strategies to combat overvaluation of the currency and reduce the control of government over the currency supply. The chapter charts the evolution of West African currencies as boundaries and explores their relationship to state consolidation. It shows that leaders in African capitals managed to make the units they ruled increasingly distinct from the international and regional economies, but the greater salience of the currency did not end up promoting state consolidation. Rather, winning the ability to determine the value of the currency led to a series of disastrous decisions that severely weakened the states themselves.

scholarly journals Linking Conservation, Community Knowledge, and Adaptation to Extreme Climatic Events: A Case Study in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6478
Author(s):  
Amemarlita Matos ◽  
Laura Barraza ◽  
Isabel Ruiz-Mallén
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Extreme Climatic Events ◽  
Water Provision

This study is based on ethnographic research that analyzes how traditional knowledge and local beliefs on biodiversity conservation relates to the local ability to adapt and be resilient to climatic changes in two communities around Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique: Nhanfisse in the buffer zone and Muanandimae in the core area. A total of 78 semi-structured interviews with heads of households were conducted. We found that both communities carried out practices and held beliefs associated with conservation, such as protecting trees and animal species considered sacred or perceived as beneficial for human life in terms of water provision and agricultural production. In addition to traditional ceremonies that respond to extreme climatic events such as drought and flood, other adaptation strategies used by the communities include moving to neighboring areas in search of better living conditions and using forest products in times of scarcity. We discuss that the management of the park should be agreed on, in a shared way, between local communities and conservation agents to ensure that these areas continue to perform the ecological, subsistence, and spiritual functions required. Our research results contribute to a better understanding of local adaptation dynamics towards extreme climatic events and improvement of management strategies.

Stranding cases of endangered Ganges river dolphins in the Ghaghara–Sharada irrigation canals, Ganges river basin, India: conservation implications

Mammalia ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shakti Prajapati
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Uttar Pradesh ◽  
Ganges River ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Irrigation Canals ◽  
Indus River ◽  
River Dolphin ◽  
Conservation Implications ◽  
Media Reports

AbstractPopulations of endangered Ganges and Indus river dolphins have been under severe threat from diversion of river water by dams, barrages, and canal networks across the Indus and Ganges–Brahmaputra river basins. River dolphins prefer deep water and might enter irrigation canals in the dry-season, getting stranded there. Stranding can cause mortality and local population declines, and poses an emerging challenge to river dolphin conservation efforts. In Pakistan’s Indus river basin, stranding rates of Indus dolphins in irrigation canals are high, and well-coordinated rescue-release operations are undertaken. Despite commendable river dolphin rescue efforts in some parts of India, stranding cases are not always reported. From open-access media reports (2007–08 to 2017–18), I found 26 stranding cases of Ganges river dolphins from the Ghaghara–Sharada canal network across seven districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. Of these, 62% reports were from 2015 to 2016. Most cases occurred in secondary and tertiary canal branches. Interviews with fishers, farmers, and government officials revealed low awareness of stranding cases. Stranded dolphins might have no chance of returning to their source habitat, unless rescued. From my results, I discuss how current barrage-canal operations could influence dolphin stranding risk, and their implications for flow management in the Ghaghara–Sharada river basin.

scholarly journals COVID-19 in West Africa: regional resource mobilisation and allocation in the first year of the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. e004762
Author(s):  
Césaire Ahanhanzo ◽  
Ermel Ameswue Kpogbe Johnson ◽  
Ejemai Amaize Eboreime ◽  
Sombié Issiaka ◽  
Ben Idrissa Traoré ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
First Year ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
African Health ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Resource Mobilisation

The world continues to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas many countries are currently experiencing the second wave of the outbreak; Africa, despite being the last continent to be affected by the virus, has not experienced as much devastation as other continents. For example, West Africa, with a population of 367 million people, had confirmed 412 178 cases of COVID-19 with 5363 deaths as of 14 March 2021; compared with the USA which had recorded almost 30 million cases and 530 000 deaths, despite having a slightly smaller population (328 million). Several postulations have been made in an attempt to explain this phenomenon. One hypothesis is that African countries have leveraged on experiences from past epidemics to build resilience and response strategies which may be contributing to protecting the continent’s health systems from being overwhelmed. This practice paper from the West African Health Organization presents experience and data from the field on how countries in the region mobilised support to address the pandemic in the first year, leveraging on systems, infrastructure, capacities developed and experiences from the 2014 Ebola virus disease outbreak.

scholarly journals An overview of the nutrition transition in West Africa: implications for non-communicable diseases

2014 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 466-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
William K. Bosu
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Nutrition Transition ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Cape Verde ◽  
Fruit And Vegetables ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Dual Burden

The nutrition landscape in West Africa has been dominated by the programmes to address undernutrition. However, with increasing urbanisation, technological developments and associated change in dietary patterns and physical activity, childhood and adult overweight, and obesity are becoming more prevalent. There is an evidence of increasing intake of dietary energy, fat, sugars and protein. There is low consumption of fruit and vegetables universally in West Africa. Overall, the foods consumed are predominantly traditional with the component major food groups within recommended levels. Most of the West African countries are at the early stages of nutrition transition but countries such as Cape Verde, Ghana and Senegal are at the latter stages. In the major cities of the region, children consume energy-dense foods such as candies, ice cream and sweetened beverages up to seven times as frequently as fruit and vegetables. Adult obesity rates have increased by 115 % in 15 years since 2004. In Ghana, the prevalence of overweight/obesity in women has increased from 12·8 % in 1993 to 29·9 % in 2008. In Accra, overweight/obesity in women has increased from 62·2 % in 2003 to 64·9 % in 2009. The age-standardised proportion of adults who engage in adequate levels of physical activity ranges from 46·8 % in Mali to 94·7 % in Benin. The lingering stunting in children and the rising overweight in adults have resulted to a dual burden of malnutrition affecting 16·2 % of mother–child pairs in Cotonou. The prevalence of hypertension has been increased and ranges from 17·6 % in Burkina Faso to 38·7 % in Cape Verde. The prevalence is higher in the cities: 40·2 % in Ougadougou, 46·0 % in St Louis and 54·6 % in Accra. The prevalence of diabetes ranges from 2·5 to 7·9 % but could be as high as 17·9 % in Dakar, Senegal. The consequences of nutrition transition are not only being felt by the persons in the high socioeconomic class, but also in cities such as Accra and Ouagadougou, where at least 19 % of adults from the poorest households are overweight and 19–28 % have hypertension. Concerted national action involving governments, partners, private sector and civil society is needed to re-orient health systems and build capacity to address the dual burden of malnutrition, to regulate the food and beverage industry and to encourage healthy eating throughout the life course.

scholarly journals Assessing floods and droughts in the Mékrou River basin (West Africa): a combined household survey and climatic trends analysis approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 1279-1296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasileios Markantonis ◽  
Fabio Farinosi ◽  
Celine Dondeynaz ◽  
Iban Ameztoy ◽  
Marco Pastori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
West Africa ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Climatic Trends ◽  
Trends Analysis ◽  
Floods And Droughts

Abstract. The assessment of natural hazards such as floods and droughts is a complex issue that demands integrated approaches and high-quality data. Especially in African developing countries, where information is limited, the assessment of floods and droughts, though an overarching issue that influences economic and social development, is even more challenging. This paper presents an integrated approach to assessing crucial aspects of floods and droughts in the transboundary Mékrou River basin (a portion of the Niger River basin in West Africa), combining climatic trends analysis and the findings of a household survey. The multivariable trend analysis estimates, at the biophysical level, the climate variability and the occurrence of floods and droughts. These results are coupled with an analysis of household survey data that reveals the behaviour and opinions of local residents regarding the observed climate variability and occurrence of flood and drought events, household mitigation measures, and the impacts of floods and droughts. Based on survey data analysis, the paper provides a per-household cost estimation of floods and droughts that occurred over a 2-year period (2014–2015). Furthermore, two econometric models are set up to identify the factors that influence the costs of floods and droughts to impacted households.

Challenging Popularized Narratives of Immigrant Youth From West Africa: Examining Social Processes of Navigating Identities and Engaging Civically

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaughn W. M. Watson ◽  
Michelle G. Knight-Manuel
Keyword(s):  
West Africa ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Immigrant Youth ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
West African ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Media Narratives

Given polarizing popular-media narratives of immigrant youth from West African countries, we construct an interdisciplinary framework engaging a Sankofan approach to analyze education research literature on social processes of navigating identities and engaging civically across immigrant youth’s heritage practices and Indigenous knowledges. In examining social processes, we disrupt three areas of inequalities affecting educational experiences of immigrant youth: (a) homogenizing notions of a monolithic West Africa and immigrant youth’s West African countries, (b) deficit understandings of identities and the heterogeneity of Black immigrant youth from West African countries living in the United States, and (c) singular views of youth’s civic engagement. We provide implications for researchers, policymakers, and educators to better meet youth’s teaching and learning needs.

scholarly journals An Evaluative Study of Criminalistics: A Case of South African Counterfeiting and Knock-Off Menace

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-60
Author(s):  
Godfrey Thenga
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Capital Flight ◽  
Tax Revenue ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Counterfeit Goods ◽  
Evaluative Study ◽  
The World

Counterfeit goods are a health hazard to human life, environment and business. More so as the goods destroy the viability of legitimate businesses across the world. Counterfeit goods are characterized as a threat to the financial viability of legitimate businesses and has a dire impact on the tax revenue of countries, necessitating its effective and efficient policing for the financial wellbeing of countries. If not well managed, counterfeit goods could lead to unemployment, disinvestment and capital flight in countries. The available evidence reveals that even though counterfeit goods has dire consequences for the economic wellbeing of countries, its penalties in most African countries are less severe in comparison to penalties for other crimes. The sight of counterfeit goods in many places, such as on busy street corners and transportation terminals in the Southern parts of Africa, attests to its prevalence in the continent. Especially in South Africa as the country has become a transit point for contrabands. Post 1994, South Africa opened its borders to the world of branded and protected goods and this enabled rogue people to trade in counterfeit goods. Effective policing is hindered by the use of sophisticated skills and expertise that leads to counterfeit goods resembling genuine goods. Moreover, in South Africa, the problem persists despite the promulgation of the Counterfeit Goods Act 37 of 1997, thus questioning the effectiveness of the policing strategies in use to quell the problem.

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