How community forest management performs when REDD+ payments fail

The Reduced Emissions in Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) initiative uses payments for ecosystem services as incentives for developing countries to manage and protect their forests. REDD+ initiatives also prioritize social (and environmental) co-benefits aimed at improving the livelihoods of communities that are dependent on forests. Despite the incorporation of co-benefits into REDD+ goals, carbon sequestration remains the primary metric for which countries can receive payments from REDD+, but after more than ten years of REDD+, many site-specific programs have failed to complete the carbon verification process. Here, we examine whether the REDD+ social co-benefits alone are sufficient to have slowed deforestation in the absence of carbon payments on Pemba, Tanzania. Using satellite imagery (Landsat archive), we quantified forest cover change for the period before (2001-2010) and after (2010-2018) the launch in 2010-11 of Pemba island’s REDD+ Readiness project. We then compared rates of forest cover change between shehia (administrative units) that were part of REDD+ Readiness intervention and those that were not, adjusting for confounding variables and the non-random selection of REDD+ shehia with a statistical matching procedure. Despite considerable variation in forest outcomes among shehia, the associated co-benefits with the Pemba REDD+ project had no discernible effect on forest cover change. Likewise, we did not detect an effect of socioecological covariates on forest cover change across all shehia, though island-wide human population growth since 2012 may have played a role. These findings are unsurprising given the failure to secure carbon payments on Pemba and indicate that co-benefits alone are insufficient to reduce deforestation. We conclude that better oversight of all-involved parties is needed to ensure that REDD+ interventions satisfactorily conclude the process of securing a mechanism for carbon payments, if slowing deforestation is to be achieved.

Origins and consequences of long ties in social networks

Social networks play a predominant role in determining how information spreads between individuals. Previous works suggest that long ties, which connect people who do not share any mutual contact, provide access to valuable information on economic opportunities. However, no population-scale study has determined how long ties relate to economic outcomes and how such ties are formed. Using a novel dataset from Facebook, we reconstruct the network of interactions between users and we uncover a strong relationship between the share of long ties and economic outcomes at the local level in the United States and in Mexico. Administrative units with a higher proportion of long ties have higher incomes, higher economic mobility, lower unemployment rates and higher wealth, even after adjusting for potential confounders of these outcomes. In contrast to the weak tie theory, we find that having stronger long ties is associated with better economic outcomes. Furthermore, we discover that users with a higher proportion of long ties are more likely to have migrated between US states, to have transferred to a different high school, and to have attended college outside of their home state. Taken together, these results suggest that long ties contribute to economic prosperity and highlight the role played by disruptive life events in the formation of these ties.

Polarization of Living Standards among Administrative Units Engaged in Cross-Border Cooperation—The Example of Polish Municipalities of Euroregion Baltic

The present work examines the standard of living among the Polish municipalities of the Euroregion Baltic—an institution engaged in cross-border cooperation which is striving to improve the standard of living in border areas. The time span of the study extended to the first full year after Poland’s EU accession (2004), and to the 15th anniversary of the accession and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Euroregion Baltic (2019 in both cases). All 38 Polish municipalities (NUTS 5) of the Euroregion were covered by the study. Using a synthetic index of standard of living based on Hellwig’s development pattern method, the municipalities were grouped into four classes according to their index value. Hierarchical methods were used to identify which municipalities had the most similar standards of living. The highest standard of living was recorded for the small, tourism-oriented town of Jastarnia and for strong urban centers (Gdańsk, Gdynia, Olsztyn, and Elbląg). Rural municipalities, especially those situated near the Polish-Russian border (Kaliningrad Oblast), had lower standards of living. The results show a progressing polarization in the standard of living, manifested by a widening gap between first-class municipalities and the other classes. This stratification was attributed to multiple factors, including the endogenous potential of the communities.

Microbiological and physicochemical quality of honey in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The aim of the study was to investigate the microbiological and physico-chemical quality of honey samples, sampled for the event “Honey Days in FB&H 2020”, which tested a total of 33 samples of different honey types from different geographical areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between physico-chemical properties and microbiological properties of the tested honey to assess quality. The submitted samples originated from both administrative units of B&H, namely from the continental, sub-Mediterranean and Mediterranean part, covering more than 60% of the country’s territory. Of the total number of analysed samples (n=33), nine samples (29.7%) did not meet the requirements of physico-chemical and microbiological parameters of the test. The requirements of one or more quality parameters according to the national Ordinance on methods for the control of honey and other bee products in B&H (Anonymous, 2009) were not met by five samples (16.5%). Four samples (13.2%) did not meet the microbiological quality, as they exceeded the permitted number of yeasts and moulds. In five samples (16.5%), the presence of microorganisms was recorded within the tolerance limits, while Enterobacteriaceae and sulphite-reducing clostridia were not isolated and were below the detection limit in all samples. Honey samples in which the results were found to be unsatisfactory for physico-chemical parameters and microbiological parameters cannot be correlated.

Development Importance of The Regional Development Program (Comparative Study Between Babylon and Maysan Provinces For 2019)

In this research, the relationship between the regional development program and achieving spatial development goals (a comparative study between Babylon and Maysan provinces for 2019) will be discussed, as well as the factors that lead to a kind of moderation in the development of the provinces, and whether these factors help to distribute the spatial budget between administrative units, based on the application of development fundamentals and in accordance with planning standards in order to achieve the development goals of the regional program. Distributed (100) forms divided into (n=50 samples of executives and administrators from Babylon province, n=50 samples of executives and administrators from Maysan province) who are employees working in different administrative units in both provinces. Applied the statistical package program for social sciences( statistical package for social science(SPSS) v.2 Through it, the link tool was used Correlation In applying this questionnaire, it was found that there is a correlation between the dimensions of the predictive variable program of the development of the regions and they are (institutional dimension, economic dimension, urban social dimension, environmental dimension), and also that there is a correlation between the dimensions of the predictive variable program of regional development and (spatial dimension) of the variable achieving the objectives of spatial development for the province of Babylon and Maysan. Based on the above, we have found that the improvement in the dimensions of the predictive variable program of the development of the provinces leads to the achievement of the objectives of spatial development and in accordance with the planning standards of the province of Babylon and Maysan, either weakness in the axes or dimensions of the predictive variable leads to weakness or failure to achieve development goals in the provinces of Babylon and Maysan.

Neighbor connections and contemporary groups in a closed society, in the city of Hajdudoroz

Hajdúdorog is a local closed society, so the religious separation, the Hajdú military past and the agricultural nature of the settlement provide a specific approach to ethnographic researches. In my doctoral research, which includes this article, family and neighborhood relations are analyzed in this settlement. The temporal focus of the research is the 1940s which is the earliest decade that can be researched with informants through interviews. This article pays attention to the neighborhood of Hajdúdorog and contemporary groups, so locality is a key concept. The research question concerns the content of the relationships. How did the relationships in the environment of the neighborhood and contemporary groups, manifest themselves in Hajdúdorog in the 1940s? How did the above features affect this? The research was carried out within the framework of the ethnographic discipline. The article first presents the well-known works of the Hungarian ethnographic literature on the topic and then analyzes the empirical data. I applied the ethnographic method used in social disciplines to obtain empirical data. During the field work, I did in-depth interviews in Hajdúdorog with locals, all older than 75 years. I reached the inteview subjects using the snowball method and the interviews took place in the interviewees’ homes. The article examines the neighboring and contemporary groups separately. Based on the results it can be stated, that in Hajdúdorog the neighborly relations were daily. The tenths, the former special administrative units of the city, were still strong influencing factors in the development of relations in both groups, even during the researched period. The content of the neighborly relations was reflected in smaller household transactions, rental of tools, participation in pigslaughters (disznóvágás), assistance in fieldworks, special folk pastimes (tanyázás) which resulted in more intense relationships than with family relatives. The result of a closed society is that there was a closer relationship between those who lived within one part of the settlement than between relatives who lived in different parts of the settlement. In line with the above, the article seeks to contribute to the researches connected to locality. The subject of the article fits into the sociological neighborhood research category, such as Tönnies and Redfield's research and also fits into the neighborhood research of the Hungarian ethnography, which was also a base for this research. This work hopes to ultimately expand the row of Hajdúdorog’s literature. For further view, the article can encourage research that deals with a more detailed comparison of the role of the neighborhood and the role of neighbors and relatives in Hajdúdorog during the period that was examined in this article.

Groundwater management zones and their groundwater water level thresholds in the Tongliao plain

The West Liao River (WLR) basin located in Inner Mongolia, is an important food production area in China. In recent years, the problem of groundwater over exploitation has become increasingly prominent in the basin due to the expansion of agriculture. This paper developed adaptive management initiatives of the local groundwater resources using Tongliao, located in the east part of the WLR basin, as a case study. Groundwater management zones were divided based on hydrogeology, precipitation, land use, the groundwater over exploitation areas, groundwater depth, and the administrative units (Banners/ Counties/ Districts). The Tongliao basin was divided into 21 management zones. Subsequently, assessment rules for determining groundwater level thresholds in each groundwater management zone were developed based on groundwater observation conditions and the current groundwater depth. Based on the assessment rules, in 2020 the management threshold of groundwater level for each zone were determined. The results provided a scientific basis for the ‘Water Availability Based Local Development Initiative’ in the Tongliao plain.

Institutional Digital Transformation and the Relationship between the Digital Economy and Sustainable Development

At a time when the rate of technological growth worldwide is accelerating in its various forms (internet, IoT, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital transformation, blockchain, and big data), our institutions and administrative units are experiencing a complex struggle; It is not able to leave its traditional frameworks for a long time, nor is it able to catch up with the advanced technology every day, but perhaps every hour or minute. This dialectic posed an explicit challenge to the state's institutions, and placed it in the eye of the event. The Digital Transformation project will move “institutions from the traditional stage of interaction between citizens and management to a more modern, transparent, and more in line with technological progress in our world today, in which technology is the key to more achievements at a lower cost (make more for less). The research includes four sections. In the first topic, the researcher explains the different concepts of digital transformation, which no matter how many, they have one content, and also reviews the rules of change required for the digital transformation process, as well as a statement of the positive effects and possibilities offered by this transformation to the national economy. In the second topic, the researcher shows the relationship between the digital economy and both development and sustainable development, and the goals of sustainable development 2030. In the third topic, the researcher deals with the future trends of digital transformation and the foundations of the relevant national strategy, and reviews the most important risks that this transformation poses to the security and sovereignty of countries. In the fourth topic, the researcher provides the conclusions and recommendations that the most important of them are: monitoring the necessary investments and funds in the general budget; In order to implement the digital economy strategy and its requirements, and in conclusion, the relevant sources were mentioned.

A First Year’s Impact of the Pandemic on the Czech Entrepreneurial Activity

Every crisis affects entrepreneurial activity; for some entrepreneurs, it is an opportunity for a new start; others are forced to shut down their businesses. This study aimed to analyze the effect of the global coronavirus (so-called COVID-19) pandemic on Czech entrepreneurial activity. The article exploits the administrative data covering business demographics of seventy-seven Local Administrative Units (LAU1) regions over the years 2008-2020. Data were obtained from the Czech Statistical Office. The study provides insights into the short term effects of the pandemic, i.e. one year after. The results from the panel regression models and placebo tests comparing forecasted values of new businesses registrations and closures with actual values obtained after the end of 2020 do not show that there would be a significant drop in the Czech entrepreneurial activity. On the opposite, the data indicate that the Czech entrepreneurial activity grew and even increased compared with 2019. However, the obtained results need to be interpreted with caution, as many factors influenced Czech businesses’ development. Specifically, we mention the past economic growth, the introduction of public entrepreneurship and SME policy instruments and financial back-ups of the business owners. There are several implications of the conducted research. For instance, there is a need to observe the long-term effects of the pandemic on business demography and its structure. We propose to study changes in bankruptcy rates in the most harmed sectors such as tourism, hospitality, culture or sport and compare them with sectors that could easier transfer their business activities online.

RESEARCH INTO THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND TERRITORIAL REFORM

The research aims to examine the theoretical aspects of administrative and territorial reform as well as to identify the attitudes of Latgale region residents to implementing the new administrative and territorial reform. The following research methods were employed: qualitative content analysis; analysis of legislative enactments and legal documents; a sociological research method – a survey was conducted to identify the opinions and assessments of Latgale residents about the new administrative and territorial reform; descriptive statistics and the graphical method. The research examined theoretical aspects regarding the division of territory into administrative units as well as the concept and definitions of a municipality as an administrative unit. The research analysed the results of the survey of Latgale region residents and identified the respondents’ assessments of implementing the new administrative and territorial reform.