Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the Inland Fisheries of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions of Africa

Inland fisheries of arid and semi-arid regions of Africa are seriously threatened by negative impacts of climate change. Literature and several models show increase in temperature of 1.1oC in some areas. Sea level rise is projected to increase to 0.8 m by the year 2100. Fish yields have increased almost linearly by around half a million metric tons per decade over the past 60 years, while clear cyclical variations in the residuals of about 20 years' periodicity above and below the trend line have been observed. Although fisher folks, their communities, and local institutions are already constantly adapting to various forms of change, flimsiness in the wider governance and macro-economic environment has weakened the overall adaptive capacity of these regions and fishers are vulnerable to projected climate change. For significant benefits of inland fisheries to be accomplished, planned adaptation at scales from the local to the regional is very necessary.

Quality Assurance of Higher Education From the Glonacal Agency Heuristic

In the era of globalization, higher education acts as a player in the game, presenting a vivid picture of how the system manifests the globalizing process of a nation. This chapter takes a critical look at quality assurance of higher education in a country, Vietnam, under the impacts of international organizations. Drawing on Marginson and Rhoades's glonacal agency heuristic, the chapter aims to argue that quality assurance has been prioritized as one of the core stepping stones for Vietnam to participate in international and regional educational space. It further explains while international organizations as global actors have set the foundation for quality assurance in Vietnam and introduced neoliberal ideas into the system including institutional autonomy, decentralization and social accountability, the national tradition of state-eccentric power, and the discrepancies among local institutions divert the quality assurance system away from such neoliberal ideas. The organizations that are the focus of the chapter include the World Bank, ASEAN, and ASEAN University Network.

PERAN INSTITUSI LOKAL DALAM PENINGKATAN EKONOMI NAGARI DIMASA PANDEMI

This research aims to explore the work of local institutions in overcoming the impact of the covid-19 outbreak and improving the economy of the community in Nagari Sungai Pinang. The concept of local institutions in this study is related to values, norms, and habits in society, both at the individual, community, and institutional levels. This study uses a qualitative approach, with data collection techniques being in-depth interviews, observation, and FGD. The data were analyzed with the principles of qualitative data analysis from Miles and Huberman. The results of the study were that local institutions related to values and norms worked when the corona outbreak came. The value of helping and working together seems to encourage people to solve their own problems. Meanwhile, the value related to institutions is the role of the Nagari Traditional Kerapanan, Bundo Kanduang, and Parik Paga Nagari institutions in overcoming the COVID-19 outbreak. These local institutions are active in improving the economy of the Sungai Pinang community in agriculture, fishing, and the tourism sector. The role played by these local institutions is to encourage community members to work together to help each other, and to apply the value of land use in the agriculture, tourism, and fishing sector

Functioning of Local Government in Bangladesh: Legal and Practical Spheres

Local government is a fundamental part of Government and undeniable part of development in all spheres of a country. While most of the constructions in the worlds pronounce various provisions of having local government, it’s got more significance in recent time. Moreover, without overall participation of the population of a country, development of all sectors can’t be achieved. Participation of grassroots people are encouraged and ensured by local institutions. It also provides the opportunities to the population oriented of making policies and implementing decision better for them which is ultimately a step forwarding sustainable development. Since the time of independence from Pakistan in 1971, Bangladesh has local government system in the constitution of the country. Various amendments regarding local government have been brought basically when regimes changed. Thus, till to date, the constitutional provisions have been far dream from the reality. In the very root level the local government established maintaining the constitutional provisions can extend the practice of democracy. Thus, following constitutional scheme and to enhance good governance at all levels of the society, it’s ripe time for the concerned authority to be more conscious to establish local government.

Pathways to Improving Nutrition among Upland Farmers through Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Interventions: A Case from Northern Laos

While there is an increased awareness of the role of nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) interventions on nutrition, the studies that investigate holistic pathways from interventions to nutrition outcomes are inadequate. We aimed to understand these pathways to improved nutrition from the Enhancing Nutrition of Upland Farming Families (ENUFF) Project implemented in northern Laos. We applied an embedded case study design by recruiting 101 participants representing implementers, school and private sector representatives, and beneficiaries, of which 34 participated in interviews and 68 participated in 11 FGDs. This was supplemented by a desk review of project documents. We analyzed the data using a directed content analysis across five pathways using a published framework on impact pathways from NSA interventions to nutrition outcomes. The project contributed to nutrition mainly through three core pathways-food production, nutrition and WASH-related knowledge, and agricultural income, supported by strengthening local institutions within the project’s scope. While it is evident that the project contributed to empowering women by saving their time and increasing income, further study is needed to investigate the translation of these aspects to nutrition-related practices. We also suggest the need to sustain the capacity of local institutions and their engagement beyond the project cycle. To enhance the effectiveness of NSA interventions on nutrition, there is a need to design and implement intervention package with multiple pathways and tailored strategies based on nutrition outcomes, the envisaged pathways, geographical context, and factors affecting these.

Outreach Practices of Public Employment Services Targeted at NEET Youth in Poland

This paper contributes to our understanding of whether, and if so, how public employment services in Poland are attempting to reach young NEETs, and whether they fail or succeed in their efforts. The study shows that most NEETs below 25 years of age in Poland, including rural NEETs, remain beyond the reach of the PES registers. The coverage rate is particularly low amongst those individuals who are outside the labor force. Effective outreach strategies may prevent them from moving into long-term inactivity. The study shows that the PES offices do not cooperate closely with local institutions: moreover, they use methods for approaching the hardest-to-reach individuals and residents of remote areas infrequently. The article discusses the obstacles to the effective functioning of the PES, the factors that contribute to the PES’ successes and failures, and the consequences for young NEETs of remaining outside of institutional support systems.

A pilot study of the effects of faculty status for medical librarians in the United States

Objectives: Within many institutions, there are debates over whether medical librarians should be classified as faculty or professional staff, a distinction that may have considerable effect on the perception of librarians within their local institutions. This study is a pilot exploration of how faculty status may affect the professional experiences of academic medical librarians within their local institutions. Methods: Surveys were sent to 209 medical librarians listed as having some instructional function at Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) accredited medical institutions in the United States. Survey responses were captured using Qualtrics survey tool and analyzed for frequencies and associations using SPSS version 27. Results: Sixty-four medical librarians at academic medical institutions completed the survey developed for this study. Of the respondents, 60.9% indicated that librarians at their institution have faculty status, while 71.9% believe that librarians at their institution should have faculty status. Ninety percent of librarians with faculty status reported that they are expected to generate scholarly materials, compared to 28% of those without faculty status. Conclusions: Many medical libraries offer faculty status to librarians. While many medical librarians are active in instruction, research, and other activities normally associated with faculty status, it is not clear if faculty status impacts how librarians are perceived by other health care workers within their institutions.

LOCAL BODIES’ EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND ACTIONS TO RAISE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE PREFECTURE OF LARISSA IN GREECE

<p>The present research aimed at documenting the educational actions and programs about climate change that have been implemented in the Prefecture of Larissa, Greece, and at investigating whether their design and implementation aligns with the principles of adult learning. It also sought to examine whether the participants of these programs have developed environmental awareness and whether they have adapted to the new conditions created by climate change. Following a qualitative methodological approach, this research conducted semi-structured interviews with local bodies’ executives and educators who plan and organize educational programs and events within the scope of climate change. According to the findings of this study, the climate change-related programs implemented in the Prefecture of Larissa were mostly organized by public institutions, had a short duration, and did not always include a practical or experiential part. Their primary purpose was to lead to a more comprehensive approach towards environmental issues and to contribute to the citizens’ and professionals’ adaptation to the changes that have occurred due to climate change. Even though the analysis of target population needs and the program evaluation are generally considered as basic steps in the process of designing adult education programs, this study revealed that local institutions departed from following the abovementioned established practices. In the cases examined, the structure of the content and the implementation of the program were determined by the organizing bodies’ knowledge and capacity. Furthermore, the educational events that offered experiential activities contributed to the participants’ better understanding of the climate change phenomenon, motivated them to become more actively engaged with this issue and led them to the occasional undertaking of initiatives that signified their possible development of environmental awareness. The process of informing, raising awareness and helping people adapt to the consequences of climate change requires time, effort, and persistence by the local institutions and by the state, who can achieve these goals by properly designing and implementing programs that meet the educational needs of the target population.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0921/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Rethinking Terraces and Dry-Stone Walls in the Alps for Sustainable Development: The Case of Mombarone/Alto Eporediese in Piedmont Region (Italy)

Nowadays, agricultural terraces and dry-stone walls have become protagonists of a territorial “rebirth” through a process of resemantization that recognizes them as a local resource. In relation to this focus, this article deals with a specific case study located in the Mombarone/Alto Eporediese area, in the northern part of the Piedmont Region (Italy), where terraced landscapes represent a unique environmental heritage, which has been partially abandoned. In this article, we illustrate the process carried out by local institutions in the Strategic Plan “Dalla Dora al Mombarone” and by the European Project Interreg Alcotra “Vi.A.- Route of Alpine Vineyards” which have involved many stakeholders of the local communities. In particular, starting from the results obtained by the engagement of social and territorial scientists in the projects mentioned above, we examined how terraces can support the reconstruction of a specific sense of place by the local community and the implementation of a sustainable development model through innovative solutions that go beyond the tradition in a frame of a green, soft and inclusive economy.