scholarly journals Urban Growth, Fuel Service Station Disasters and Policy Compliance in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-47
Author(s):  
Ebenezer Owusu-Sekyere ◽  
Hamdiyah Alhassan ◽  
Enock Jengre
Keyword(s):  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
African City ◽  
Policy Compliance ◽  
Citizenship Rights ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Urban Disaster ◽  
Development Trajectory

Disasters associated with Fuel service stations (FSS) in Ghana have been debated  severally and attracted policy attention, yet their mitigation strategies seem too far  off and unimaginably  unrealistic. Knowing that such disasters can limit enjoyment  of citizenship rights, Ghana has developed safety standards geared towards  mitigating their effects. Framed around the compliance theory and drawing on  data from 150 residential owners located within 15.4m buffer zone and five state  institutions, this article examined the extent of compliance with safety policies  guiding FSS in Kumasi, Ghana. The results showed that compliance with safety  policies was sinking into its bare existential levels as none of the facilities selected  for the study passed all the 11 safety standards. The facilities also negatively affected  residents who never considered their place of abode as perilous and that they  live in zones of vulnerabilities. This situation it is argued, fundamentally affects development trajectory of the contemporary African city. It obviously obscures the realities of interrelated processes shaping urban disaster management. Even  though the spring-up of FSS have catapulted economic growth, inherently they are  also hazard-ridden. We suggest that in the broad scheme of urban planning, FSS  safety policies must not be discussed in the margins.

scholarly journals Nest characteristics and populations of Tapanuli Orangutans in the conflict areas, Batangtoru Landscape, North Sumatra, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanda Kuswanda ◽  
R. HAMDANI HARAHAP ◽  
HADI S. ALIKODRA ◽  
ROBERT SIBARANI
Keyword(s):  
Tree Height ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Line Transect ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Durio Zibethinus ◽  
Canopy Area ◽  
Cash Compensation ◽  
Production Forests

Abstract. Kuswanda W, Harahap RH, Alikodra JS, Sibarani R. 2020. Nest characteristics and populations of Tapanuli orangutans in Batangtoru Landscape, South Tapanuli District, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 3398-3406. Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) has been threatened to extinction due to conflicts with humans. Information on the orangutan characteristics in conflict areas at the Batangtoru Landscape is needed. Our research aimed to analyze the characteristics of nests, nest trees, and estimation of orangutan populations in conservation forests and buffer zones to develop conflict mitigation strategies in the Batangtoru Landscape, South Tapanuli District. A line transect method was used to count orangutan nests on 49 transects, starting from June 2019 to January 2020. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, frequency tables, Spearman correlation (rho), and the equation by (van Schaick et al. 1995). Tapanuli orangutans make nests at the height of 14.01 meters (90% CI = 13.37-14.67 meters), and most use the main stem as nest support. Tree nests of 35 species (17 families) were identified, with the highest frequency in (Durio zibethinus Murray), especially in the buffer zone. Correlation between nest tree diameter, tree height, and canopy area was significant (p <0.01, n = 83). The estimated orangutan populations in conflict areas were 155 individuals (95% CI = 121-187), and the highest was found in Dolok Sibualbuali Nature Reserve buffer zones. Mitigation strategy of human-orangutan conflict that needs to be realized is the non-cash compensation guaranteeing the community does not disturb orangutans on their land. The compensation forms can be the provision of seedlings and fertilizer for plants, agricultural machinery, knowledge to land management, and orangutan ecotourism development. Nest and feed trees enrichment can be carried out in production forests bordering with conservation area.

“Money Is Your Government”: Refugees, Mobility, and Unstable Documents in Kenya’s Operation Usalama Watch

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophia Balakian
Keyword(s):  
Political System ◽  
The State ◽  
Somali Refugees ◽  
Citizenship Rights ◽  
Knowing That

Abstract:During a 2014 security operation in Kenya known as Operation Usalama Watch, Somali refugees spoke of money as their only valid ID, knowing that only cash, in contrast to identity documents, would be accepted by police and military. The article argues that such extortion should not be interpreted uncategorically as an example of refugees’ exclusion from state-derived citizenship rights. Rather, by paying bribes to resist forced removal from Nairobi, Somali refugees constructed a global diasporan identity tied to free flows of capital. By using money as a substitute for identity documents, refugees appealed to a notion of rights untethered to the state. At the same time, by speaking of money as their government, they articulated a critique against a political system that excluded them.

scholarly journals Civil society and state in Mexico: on the issue of the new forms of interaction

2015 ◽  
pp. 7-17
Author(s):  
Iu. I. Vizgunova
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
The State ◽  
Structural Reforms ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Development Trajectory ◽  
Effective Path

The paper deals with the relations of the civil society and state in México in the XXI-st century. The author analyzes the participation of the middle class, scientists and intellectuals in the structural reforms of the state institutions and their insert of the effective path of the realization of economic and social problems in the context of the possible Mexican development trajectory.

scholarly journals Human–tiger Panthera tigris conflict and its perception in Bardia National Park, Nepal

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Babu R. Bhattarai ◽  
Klaus Fischer
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Panthera Tigris ◽  
Annual Loss ◽  
Monetary Compensation ◽  
Tiger Conservation ◽  
Human Wildlife Conflict

AbstractHuman–wildlife conflict is a significant problem that often results in retaliatory killing of predators. Such conflict is particularly pronounced between humans and tigers Panthera tigris because of fatal attacks by tigers on humans. We investigated the incidence and perception of human–tiger conflict in the buffer zone of Bardia National Park, Nepal, by interviewing 273 local householders and 27 key persons (e.g. representatives of local communities, Park officials). Further information was compiled from the Park's archives. The annual loss of livestock attributable to tigers was 0.26 animals per household, amounting to an annual loss of 2% of livestock. Livestock predation rates were particularly high in areas with low abundance of natural prey. During 1994–2007 12 people were killed and a further four injured in tiger attacks. Nevertheless, local people generally had a positive attitude towards tiger conservation and were willing to tolerate some loss of livestock but not human casualties. This positive attitude indicates the potential for implementation of appropriate conservation measures and we propose mitigation strategies such as education, monetary compensation and monitoring of tigers.

scholarly journals Further Evidence that Development and Buffer Zones Do Little To Reduce Mosquito Nuisance from Neighboring Habitat

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 204-207
Author(s):  
Brian J. Johnson ◽  
Russell Manby ◽  
Gregor J. Devine
Keyword(s):  
Open Space ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Mosquito Abundance ◽  
Coastal Landscapes ◽  
High Level ◽  
Source Sink

ABSTRACT Little is known regarding the comparative source–sink relationships between primary mosquito breeding sites (source) and neighboring (sink) environments in heterogeneous landscapes. An exploration of those relationships may provide unique insights into the utility of open-space buffer zone mitigation strategies currently being considered by urban planners to reduce contact between mosquitoes and humans. We investigated the source–sink relationships between a highly productive mosquito habitat and adjacent residential (developed) and rural (undeveloped) coastal environments. Our results suggest that source–sink relationships are unaffected by environment. This conclusion is supported by the high level of synchronicity in daily saltmarsh mosquito abundance observed among all surveyed environments (β = 0.67–0.79, P &lt; 0.001). This synchronicity occurred despite the uniqueness of each surveyed environment and the considerable distances of open water and land (2.2–2.6 km) between them. Trap catches, which we interpret as expected mosquito biting nuisance, were high in both residential and rural coastal landscapes (309.4 ± 52.84 and 405.3 ± 62.41 mosquitoes/day, respectively). These observations suggest that existing and planned open-space buffer zones will do little to reduce the biting burden caused by highly vagile saltmarsh mosquitoes. This strengthens the need for empirically informed planning guidelines that alert urban planners to the real risks of human residential encroachment on land that is close to highly vagile mosquito habitat.

scholarly journals The Centenary of the Communist Party of China, Major Developmental Achievements and the New Blue Print

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Sheriff G.I. ◽  
Aliyu A.P.
Keyword(s):  
Communist Party ◽  
The United States ◽  
People’S Republic Of China ◽  
People's Republic Of China ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Republic Of China ◽  
State Institutions ◽  
Library Research ◽  
United States Economy ◽  
Development Trajectory

This paper examines the 100 years existence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since its formation in 1921 in the city of Shanghai. The significance of the CCP is also examined because it drives the policies of the Chinese People’s Republic of China. It dominates the economy and controls all the state institutions. The analysis of the development trajectory of the Chinese state in the last 100 years is examined along with its major developmental achievements. The paper examines related literature from library research using descriptive method. The political party and Marxist theories are the theoretical frameworks used in examining the development milestones. The finding shows that China has emerged as the second most dominant economy in the world and is gearing towards overtaking the United States’ economy in all areas. This paper concludes that the developmental achievements of the People’s Republic of China was made possible by the painstaking, diligent and careful central planning of adopting the Marxist, socialist and mixed economy approach to the development of China. Finally, the paper recommends that despite all these successes recorded by transforming China and developing its economy through the careful guidance of the party, there remains a lot of challenges that its leaders must address before its continued growth gets undermined.

scholarly journals Examining Post-Fire Perceptions of Selected Mitigation Strategies after the 2016 Horse River Wildland Fire in Alberta, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10155
Author(s):  
Quazi K. Hassan ◽  
Khan Rubayet Rahaman ◽  
M. Razu Ahmed ◽  
Sheikh M. Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Canadian History ◽  
The Social ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Risk Mitigation Strategies

Our aim was to study post-fire perceptions of selected mitigation strategies for wildland fire-induced risks proposed in a previous scientific study for the communities situated within the forested areas. Consequently, we considered engaging relevant professionals in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), Alberta who experienced the costliest wildland fire occurrences in Canadian history known as the 2016 Horse River Fire (HRF). To meet our goal, we formulated a questionnaire based on the scientific evidence presented in a previous study and conducted a structured survey. Our results revealed that 24 professionals participated in the survey during the June 2020–April 2021 period, providing a 32% response rate. We observed that a high percentage of the participants agreed (i.e., between 63% and 80%) with the proposed wildland fire-induced risk mitigation strategies, including the presence of no to little vegetation in the 30 m buffer zone from the wildland–urban interface (WUI), extending the 30 m buffer zone to 70 m from the WUI, constructing a 70 m width ring road around the communities, and parking lots of the social infrastructures in the fringe of the communities encountering to the forest. We also found other views, including the use of non-combustible and fire-resistant construction materials, and developing the 70 m buffer zone as a recreational space.

scholarly journals Planning for Exclusion: The Politics of Urban Disaster Governance

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-255
Author(s):  
Ricardo Fuentealba ◽  
Hebe Verrest ◽  
Joyeeta Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Buffer Zone ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Governance Arrangement ◽  
Urban Disaster ◽  
Political Dimensions

Many disaster risk reduction (DRR) initiatives, including land use planning, tend to ignore existing long-term inequalities in urban space. Furthermore, scholars working on urban disaster governance do not adequately consider how day-to-day DRR governing practices can (re)produce these. Hence, following a recent interest in the political dimensions of disaster governance, this article explores under what conditions the implementation of DRR land uses (re)produce spatial injustice on the ground. We develop a theoretical framework combining politics, disaster risk, and space, and apply it to a case study in Santiago, Chile. There, after a landslide disaster in the city’s foothills in 1993, a multi-level planning arrangement implemented a buffer zone along the bank of a ravine to protect this area from future disasters. This buffer zone, however, transformed a long-term established neighbourhood, splitting it into a formal and an informal area remaining to this day. Using qualitative data and spatial analysis, we describe the emergence, practices, and effects of this land use. While this spatial intervention has proactively protected the area, it has produced further urban exclusion and spatial deterioration, and reproduced disaster risks for the informal households within the buffer zone. We explain this as resulting from a governance arrangement that emerged from a depoliticised environment, enforcing rules unevenly, and lacking capacities and unclear responsibilities, all of which could render DRR initiatives to be both spatially unjust and ineffective. We conclude that sustainable and inclusive cities require paying more attention to the implementation practices of DRR initiatives and their relation to long-term inequities.

Combining Defaults and Transparency Information to Increase Policy Compliance

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 354-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yavor Paunov ◽  
Michaela Wänke ◽  
Tobias Vogel
Keyword(s):  
Independent Effect ◽  
Online Experiment ◽  
Policy Compliance ◽  
Empirical Question ◽  
Theoretical Predictions

Abstract. Combining the strengths of defaults and transparency information is a potentially powerful way to induce policy compliance. Despite negative theoretical predictions, a recent line of research revealed that default nudges may become more effective if people are informed why they should exhibit the targeted behavior. Yet, it is an open empirical question whether the increase in compliance came from setting a default and consequently disclosing it, or the provided information was sufficient to deliver the effect on its own. Results from an online experiment indicate that both defaulting and transparency information exert a statistically independent effect on compliance, with highest compliance rates observed in the combined condition. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

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