scholarly journals Socioeconomic impacts of sand harvesting along the Sanaga River in Nkol’Ossananga locality (Yaoundé-Cameroon): a vision toward a mechanized operation for sustainable exploitation

2021 ◽  
Vol Unlabeled volume ◽  
Author(s):  
William Happi Tientcheu ◽  
Clautaire Ekengoue ◽  
Rodrigue Lele ◽  
Duluora Oluchukwu ◽  
Benoit Messanga ◽  
...  

This paper presents the impacts of Nkol’Ossananga sand harvesting on social live and local economy based on field investigations and data analysis. Laboratory analysis of sand samples from the site has shown that the cleanliness of the Nkol’Ossananga sand nears 100%. This means that Nkol’Ossananga sand is pure and clean, most appropriate for house constructions and building engineering. The activity produces incomes to all actors of the chain value and government. Incomes generated are used by artisans to build their houses, buy some electronic devices, and take care of their families or to capitalize in their business investigation. In spite of the positive impacts presumed, Nkol’Ossananga sand harvesting also stands as the origin of many negative impacts including cultural brewing, delinquency, precocious abandon of studies and abandon of agriculture. The exploitation is done with rudimentary tools and poor technics thereby exposing artisans to several risks and illnesses. For sustainable exploitation, a mechanized operation has to be implemented. This kind of exploitation is the one that will improve the working conditions, increase production and incomes of workers as similar as that of government, and also reduces negative environmental impacts. Key words: Nkol’Ossananga sand, rudimentary tools and poor technics, incomes, negative impacts, sustainable exploitation, mechanized operation. Cet article présente les impacts sociaux et économiques de l’exploitation artisanale du sable de Nkol’Ossananga sur la base d’enquêtes de terrain et d’analyses de données. L’analyse en laboratoire des échantillons de sable collectés sur le site a montré que la propreté du sable de Nkol’Ossananga avoisine 100%. Ce qui signifie que le sable de Nkol’Ossananga est approprié pour le BTP et le génie civil. L'activité génère des revenus importants à tous les acteurs de la chaîne de production et le gouvernement. Les revenus générés sont utilisés par les artisans pour se faire construire leur maison d’habitation, acheter des appareils électroniques, prendre soin de leur famille ou alors sont capitalisés dans le commerce. Malgré les impacts positifs susmentionnés, l’exploitation artisanale du sable de Nkol’Ossananga est également source du brassage culturel, de la délinquance juvénile et de l’abandon précoce des études. Pour une exploitation durable, l’exploitation semi-mécanisée est envisageable. Ce type d'exploitation est celui qui pourra améliorer les conditions de travail des artisans, augmenter leur production et leurs revenus au même titre que ceux du gouvernement, et réduira par ricochet les impacts négatifs.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick L. Barnard ◽  
Jenifer E. Dugan ◽  
Henry M. Page ◽  
Nathan J. Wood ◽  
Juliette A. Finzi Hart ◽  
...  

AbstractAs the climate evolves over the next century, the interaction of accelerating sea level rise (SLR) and storms, combined with confining development and infrastructure, will place greater stresses on physical, ecological, and human systems along the ocean-land margin. Many of these valued coastal systems could reach “tipping points,” at which hazard exposure substantially increases and threatens the present-day form, function, and viability of communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Determining the timing and nature of these tipping points is essential for effective climate adaptation planning. Here we present a multidisciplinary case study from Santa Barbara, California (USA), to identify potential climate change-related tipping points for various coastal systems. This study integrates numerical and statistical models of the climate, ocean water levels, beach and cliff evolution, and two soft sediment ecosystems, sandy beaches and tidal wetlands. We find that tipping points for beaches and wetlands could be reached with just 0.25 m or less of SLR (~ 2050), with > 50% subsequent habitat loss that would degrade overall biodiversity and ecosystem function. In contrast, the largest projected changes in socioeconomic exposure to flooding for five communities in this region are not anticipated until SLR exceeds 0.75 m for daily flooding and 1.5 m for storm-driven flooding (~ 2100 or later). These changes are less acute relative to community totals and do not qualify as tipping points given the adaptive capacity of communities. Nonetheless, the natural and human built systems are interconnected such that the loss of natural system function could negatively impact the quality of life of residents and disrupt the local economy, resulting in indirect socioeconomic impacts long before built infrastructure is directly impacted by flooding.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahid Irshad Younas ◽  
Mahvesh Khan ◽  
Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al-Faryan

Purpose The purpose of the study is to explore the misconception that in developed countries, macroeconomic performance lead to sustainable firms or improves stakeholder well-being. The results may be the opposite or even worse. Design/methodology/approach This study examined this misconception using balanced panel data from 1,122 firms from different sectors of the US economy and data on macroeconomic performance from the World Bank. Findings The results of the one-step generalised method of moments indicate that most macroeconomic performance indicators had significant and negative impacts on firm sustainability and stakeholder well-being. Practical implications From a societal perspective, the results illustrate that the fruits of macroeconomic performance of the US economy do not reach stakeholders through firms’ sustainability. Thus, linking the economy’s macroeconomic performance with firm sustainability is vital for sustainably uplifting society and for stakeholder well-being. Originality/value From a policy perspective, this study reveals that the greater focus on macroeconomic performance in the USA over the past decades has resulted in lower firm sustainability because of the malfunctioning of social, economic, environmental and governance factors. This has negatively influenced stakeholder well-being in the country.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kuenga Namgay ◽  
Joanne E. Millar ◽  
Rosemary S. Black

Seasonal cattle movements have been an important part of the living cultural heritage in Bhutan for centuries. Herders migrate south every winter to graze their cattle on subtropical pastures and to work in orange orchards. They return north to their villages in spring to grow summer crops. However, the practice of transhumant agropastoralism is under increasing pressure on account of changes in land-use policies, climate change and a declining labour force as youth seek alternative livelihoods. This research investigated the impact of changes in land-use policy, with emphasis on the Land Act 2007, on current and future livelihoods of transhumant herders in Bhutan. During in-depth interviews with 24 transhumant herders and nine livestock advisors, and seven focus-group discussions with 64 participants including herders, downstream residents and development agency personnel, perspectives on this issue were gathered. Findings revealed a lack of herder awareness of changes in land-use policies and minimal consultation of herders during policy development. Confusion and uncertainty about the proposed redistribution of grazing rights and restrictions on herd movements have resulted in confusion and resentment and have created conflicts between upstream and downstream communities. Herders with no current alternatives are concerned about their future livelihoods, whereas others are leaving it to their children to decide their future. It is concluded that the motive behind nationalisation of rangeland is noble and timely, but there are flaws in the redistribution plan. Transhumant agropastoralism is already in decline and there is no need to push towards its end through legislation. Transhumant practices could be left to evolve towards what may be their natural end. Sudden stoppage of inter-district transhumance without offering meaningful alternatives to herders could result in negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. In future, policy development needs to increasingly embrace science and be based on evidence. A genuine participatory process with citizen engagement could avoid the unintended negative impacts likely to be faced by transhumant herders with marginal land holdings, who depend on this production system for their livelihoods.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Concepcion Foronda-Robles

Abstract The wine sector is a sector that lives and breathes its history and identity; and where developmental alternatives are sought in order to be able to compete in the market. Vineyard areas are sold as rural paradises, where leisure, gastronomy, the landscape, and open-air activities all provide quality tourist experiences. The case of the Sherry Wine Region (Spain) illustrates local restructuring processes, changes in local-global planning, and the socioeconomic impacts of the globalization of food. The symbiosis between the specific, the global, and the historical discourses gives rise to reflections on this region’s territorial redefinition; and highlights its architectural heritage, its landscape, and the gastronomic experiences on offer. Diversification is regenerating the local economy, and wine, and wine tourism, are both the focus of a new territorial policy strategy designed to face the challenges of globalization, and common bonds for partnerships between the public and the private sectors.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 (9) ◽  
pp. 3-12
Author(s):  
Anatolii MAZARAKI ◽  
◽  
Liudmyla KHARSUN ◽  

Transformational processes in modern supply chains are experiencing a significant impact of global environmental problems and are focused on increasing the level of efficiency of the supply chains’ operation and ensuring the competitiveness of goods passing through them towards the end consumer. On the one hand, the parameters of all parts of the logistics chains must be in line with the international environmental requirements; on the other hand, compliance with the principles of environmental friendliness serves as a prerequisite for meeting the needs of modern consumers with a high level of environmental awareness. Logistics operations are a source of negative impacts on the natural environment. First of all, this concerns greenhouse gas emissions during transportation, waste products and packaging materials, noise and dust pollution, landscape changes and the use of natural resources. Therefore, environmental challenges stipulate the cooperation of all participants in supply chains, aimed at creating and implementing the effective environmental strategies and logistics concepts. The need for ecologization of Ukraine’s transport and logistics system is dictated by the need to achieve a high level of its competitiveness as an element of the global supply chain network. And although the domestic logistics system by a number of indicators is characterized by a low level of environmental friendliness, there is a consoling positive tendency to realize the need for an environmental orientation of its development both among the state authorities, and the logistics operators themselves.


Author(s):  
C. Philip Beaman

The modern world is noisy. Streets are cacophonies of traffic noise; homes and workplaces are replete with bleeping timers, announcements, and alarms. Everywhere there is the sound of human speech—from the casual chatter of strangers and the unwanted intrusion from electronic devices through to the conversations with friends and loved ones one may actually wish to hear. Unlike vision, it is not possible simply to “close our ears” and shut out the auditory world and nor, in many cases, is it desirable. On the one hand, soft background music or environmental sounds, such as birdsong or the noise of waves against the beach, is often comfortingly pleasurable or reassuring. On the other, alarms are usually auditory for a reason. Nevertheless, people somehow have to identify, from among the babble that surrounds them, the sounds and speech of interest and importance and to follow the thread of a chosen speaker in a crowded auditory environment. Additionally, irrelevant or unwanted chatter or other background noise should not hinder concentration on matters of greater interest or importance—students should ideally be able to study effectively despite noisy classrooms or university halls while still being open to the possibility of important interruptions from elsewhere. The scientific study of auditory attention has been driven by such practical problems: how people somehow manage to select the most interesting or most relevant speaker from the competing auditory demands made by the speech of others or isolate the music of the band from the chatter of the nightclub. In parallel, the causes of auditory distraction—and how to try to avoid it where necessary—have also been subject to scrutiny. A complete theory of auditory attention must account for the mechanisms by which selective attention is achieved, the causes of auditory distraction, and the reasons why individuals might differ in their ability in both cases.


Author(s):  
Ali A. Alraouf

Qatar, while developing its vision for the future, decided to adopt the knowledge economy as the new pillar for its economy and development. The chapter focuses on examining the impact of the one of the main and iconic national mega project in the capital Doha, the project named Education City (EC). The chapter scrutinizes EC's contribution to a more resilient future for Qatar. The chapter assesses the relative roles of such an influential project in preparing or hindering Qatar's moving towards the post-carbon paradigm. The project is examined using multilayered criteria, which include achieving urban diversity, relevance to knowledge-based urban development, supporting the diversification of the local economy, and accommodating multicultural society. The chapter concludes that education city is the most crucial urban projects in Qatar geared towards sustaining the knowledge economy as it creates ripples of change, knowledge dissemination, and a culture of innovation and creativity within the city.


2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-127
Author(s):  
Caroline Piquet

For over a century in Egypt, the Suez Canal Company reflected the role of the concession in European economic expansion overseas. Concession was a European business practice widespread in Egypt; it was an institution inherited from a system of privileges for Europeans since the Middle Ages. It promised a way for Egypt to adopt modern infrastructures and receive needed European help for digging the canal. The results of the Suez Company are indisputable: the desert of the Suez Isthmus became a lively economic region with active ports, growing cities, and an expanding labor force. And the region was linked to the rest of the country by a new road network. At the same time, however, the concession system denied Egypt full benefit of this infrastructure. The canal served the financial and strategic interests of the company, not the interests of the local economy. This outcome embodied all the contradictions of the concession system: on the one hand, concessions were a necessity for modern infrastructure development in Egypt; on the other, they were a hindrance to further national economic development.


2017 ◽  
Vol II (I) ◽  
pp. 241-252
Author(s):  
Syed Imran Haider ◽  
Burhan Ali Shah ◽  
Noor Jehan

The phenomenon of migration is not new and there are many reasons behind this emigration; achieving higher socio-economic status is one of them. In developing countries like Pakistan, poverty is one of the major root causes of emigration. There are some districts of Punjab from where the masses have the trend to migrate. This study addresses the impacts of international migration on families left behind in Dhamial, District Rawalpindi. In-depth interviews were conducted, however data was quantified around positive and negative socioeconomic impacts on families left behind. The evidence showed both positive and negative impacts of international migration. The flow of remittances influences the life of people in positive way and it assisted in improving the socio-economic status of the families. However, there are many other serious problems faced by the families left behind.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Amorisa Wiratri

The migration of Chinese labours to Southeast Asian countries has become a huge issue lately. This study examines whether all Chinese migrants bring negative impacts to other countries. This research argues that Chinese migrants have a compelling part in support of development in the border area, particularly economic development. This research was conducted in Mong Cai, a border city between Vietnam and China. Using qualitative approach as methodology, the data are collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and review of the literature. The result found that Chinese migrants bring advantages in Mong Cai city, including support city development and improve the local economy. 


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