Drivers of Long-Term Land-Use Pressure in the Merguellil Wadi, Tunisia, Using DPSIR Approach and Remote Sensing

Increasing land use pressure is a primary force for degradation of agricultural areas. The drivers for these pressures are initiated by a series of interconnected processes. This study presents a novel methodology to analyze drivers of changing land use pressure and the effects on society and landscape. The focus was on characterizing these drivers and relate them to land use statistics obtained from geospatial data from the important semiarid Merguellil Wadi between 1976 and 2016. Cause-and-effect relationships between different drivers of land use change were analyzed using the DPSIR approach. Results show that during the 40-year period cultivated land increased and wetland areas decreased substantially. Drivers for change were pressure from economic development, cultivation practices, and hydro-agricultural techniques. This leads to stress on water and soil resulting in soil erosion, poverty increase, and rural exodus. We show that hydro-agricultural techniques adapted to the semiarid climate, allocation of land property rights, resource allocation, and improved marketing of agricultural products can help rural residents to diversify their economy, and thus better preserve the fragile semiarid landscape. Results of this study can be used to ensure sustainable management of water and soil resources in areas with similar climate and socio-economic conditions.

Desfragmentación edáfica, social y cerámica. Proyecto artístico centrado en el diseño de platos a partir de restos cerámicos encontrados en el agro de Casabermeja, Antequera y Orce

The main objective of this study is the creation of an artistic ceramic project that reflects the current situation of the rural world as a consequence of industrial agriculture. Current agricultural and livestock production systems have negative environmental consequences, such as erosion and pollution, and cultural consequences, such as rural exodus or the extinction of indigenous germplasm. Through the study of the rural world in the municipalities of Casabermeja, Antequera and Orce, it has been possible to verify the detriment of these lands and their culture and, at the same time, the remains of ceramic plates found in these lands reflect this reality. The methodology used is theoretical-practical: through scientific references, the destruction of pre-industrial agricultural practices is exposed against industrial agriculture; experimentation with agricultural production techniques, both traditional and modern, show their compatibility; and, finally, artistic research, which recovers ceramic remains from the past to design three plates. The artistic work is proposed as an information and awareness means of a world problem, showing the compatibility between production and biodiversity, Nature as a source of culture, and human society as a dependent part of Nature. Este estudio tiene como objetivo fundamental la creación de un proyecto artístico de cerámica que refleje la situación actual del mundo rural como consecuencia de la agricultura industrial. Los actuales sistemas de producción agrícola y ganadera tienen consecuencias negativas medioambientales como la erosión y la contaminación, y culturales como el éxodo rural o la extinción de germoplasma autóctono. A través del estudio del mundo rural en los municipios de Casabermeja, Antequera y Orce, se ha podido comprobar el detrimento de estas tierras y su cultura y, al mismo tiempo, en los restos de platos cerámicos hallados en estos terrenos se encuentra el reflejo de esta realidad. La metodología usada es teórico-práctica: mediante referentes científicos se expone la destrucción de las prácticas agropecuarias preindustriales frente a la agricultura industrial; la experimentación con técnicas de producción agrícola, tanto tradicionales como modernas, evidencian su compatibilidad; y, finalmente, la investigación artística, que recupera restos cerámicos del pasado para diseñar tres platos. La obra artística se propone como medio divulgativo y de concienciación de un problema mundial, evidenciando la compatibilidad entre producción y biodiversidad, la Naturaleza como fuente de cultura, y la sociedad humana como parte dependiente de la Naturaleza.

Rural teachers and social movements under formation: political struggles for rural schools in northweestern Rio de Janeiro state

Closing rural schools is a scene that has become usual in many Brazilian states, a fact that forces rural communities to quit life in the country as the place for both living and existence reproduction. Rural schools in Northwestern Rio de Janeiro State take the same path of other Brazilian realities; in other words, they are the victims of activity canceling, which is an injustice supported by economic arguments. However, the implementation of the course named Interdisciplinary Major Degree in Rural Education, also known as LEdoC, at Fluminense Federal University (UFF), in Santo Antônio de Pádua City, RJ, opened room for a whole series of popular movements to cope with the rural exodus reality. Accordingly, the aim of the present study is to describe the path opened between 2015 and 2019 by UFF’s LEdoC and Santo Antônio de Pádua’s community for the Alternation Pedagogy in order to defend rural schools, based on the research-action methodology. The main results have highlighted the importance of the research-action methodology to reinforce the local demands and the process of reporting the alienation of rural populations from their right to education. Moreover, they have pointed towards the fact that popular social movements reinforce rural teachers’ formation by repairing public policies to question oppression situations in and outside education institutions.

Continuity of rural family properties by generation transfer

Discussions concerning rural family succession have occurred more frequently due to different factors such as rural exodus, an aging rural population and loss of existing knowledge in a farm when there is none. We propose to analyze publications on succession in rural properties, highlighting its relationship with rural development. For this, the proposal of Fink (2010) was used as a framework for the systematic review of peer-reviewed journals. One can identify that succession in rural space is a complex action that occurs in different ways, and is influenced by individual issues. Moreover, in many cases, the current manager finds it difficult to understand the need to reduce and subsequently stop his/her work activities so that the successor can continue the management of the property. Moreover, succession planning is necessary in order to achieve a greater success in this process. Succession contributes to the continuity of traditional activities in the rural space, that is, food production.

The representation of the rural exodus in Spanish cinema (1900-2020): evolution, causes and territorial consequences

Rural depopulation has been a constant feature of contemporary Spanish history and has been amply studied from the perspective of geography. Recently, however, there has been considerable media attention given to the consequences of internal migration. Behind the alarming demographic statistics lies a nexus of processes which have been reflected in the cinema since its beginning. This paper explores these processes at work in the rural sending environment and receiving urban destination through an analysis of six representative Spanish films. The fictional representation through film of a complex reality provides insights into the internal and contextual keys to understanding the phenomenon of ‘empty Spain’ or ‘hollowed-out Spain’. The films illustrate the persistence of two conflicting ideas (the rural and urban), divergence about what constitutes development and the quality of life, and the processes leading to ‘demotanasia’.

Aging population and agricultural sustainability issues: case of turkey

Agriculture is a sector that is widely known to be impacted not only by the natural conditions of a country but also by other economic and political sectors. Turkish agriculture, in a context marked in recent years by a rural exodus of young people, marks the vagueness of the current state of the agricultural sector and its future. It is with this in mind that this research was carried out, based on a questionnaire survey of 312 producers in 5 provinces of Turkey, to assess the impact of the ageing of the rural population on the agricultural sector. The results of this study show that with age, producers invest less in agricultural activity, altogether abandoning productions requiring more labour. The possibility of taking over the family farm by descendants plays an important role in the degree of involvement of producers. Through these findings, this study makes it possible to address targeted agricultural policies according to age stages.

The selection of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife as an ecological consequence of rural exodus: empirical examples from Spain

The increasing urbanization of the landscape is a major component of global change worldwide. However, it is puzzling that wildlife is selecting anthropogenic habitats despite the availability of apparently high–quality semi–natural (i.e. less intensively modified) habitats. Definitive explanations for this process are still lacking. We have previously suggested that colonization of the urban habitat is initially triggered by ecological processes that take place outside urban areas as a consequence of past rural exodus. Here we present a diverse array of examples of selection of several types of anthropogenic habitat by wildlife in Spain (including transportation infrastructure, human–exclusion areas, urban areas under construction, cities, reservoirs, quarries and landfills) in support of this idea. Wildlife is moving out of its historical ecological refuges and losing fear of harmless urban humans. Mesopredators are rebounding by mesopredator release, due to ceased human persecution, and shrubs and trees are claiming former agricultural habitats. Together, these factors force many species to move to urbanized areas where they find open habitats, food associated with these habitats, and protection against predation. Hence, the classical balance of costs and benefits that takes place once inside urban areas, would actually be a second step of the process of colonization of urban areas. A better understanding of the initial triggers of urban colonization could help us increase the biological value of human–made habitats for wildlife in the future.

PESANTEURS SOCIOCULTURELLES ET LEURS IMPACTS SUR LES ACTIVITES DE DEVELOPPEMENT DANS LA REGION DE MARADI AU NIGER

The study is part of an agreement between the World Food Program (WFP) and the University Dan DickoDankoulodo of Maradi. Its objective is to analyze the socio-cultural factors related to the development activities undertaken by WFP. It was carried out in three WFP intervention areas, namely: GuidanYaro located in the rural commune of Baoudeta (local government of Tessaoua), Tambaraoua Amani located in the rural commune of Chadakori (local government of GuidanRoumdji), and the village of Maya da rojiya located in the urban commune of Mayahi (local government of Mayahi). The results indicated that the package of activities undertaken by WFP and its partners (rural development, education and nutrition) improved the living conditions of assisted house hold in all the villages. However, several gravities have been identified by this study. That is ignorance which has an impact on the education of children, illiteracy which limits the ability to obtain and understand information, the lack of regular attendance at health centers which causes illness to persist. Also, the lack of accountability of men in household expenses coupled with the rural exodus increase the vulnerability of women and children, followed by a lack of labor for development activities. On the other hand, it shows the overload of womens work limiting their participation in development activities and the spirit of the population to be always assisted which impacts the management of natural resources with a lack of personal initiative. On the other hand, it shows the overload of womens work limiting their participation in development activities and the spirit of the population to be always assisted which impacts the management of natural resources with a lack of personal initiative. In addition, the results highlight certain cultural ceremonies which seriously impact the level of education of children and the debt of parents. other forms of ceremony limit womens participation in development activities.

The Terraces of the Anti-Atlas: From Abandonment to the Risk of Degradation of a Landscape Heritage

The Anti-Atlas is subject to an intense rural exodus. The agricultural terraces built for several centuries have been abandoned. They are gradually deteriorating. The risks of runoff and erosion are becoming significant. The objective was to study the effect of the abandonment of terraces on the risks of runoff and erosion in the territory of two villages, Tizerkine and Timzemzit. After the characterization of the soil surface conditions, the extent of erosion and the risk of runoff were qualified according to the age of abandonment. Erosion was assessed by estimating the “soil surface factor” (PAP/CAR method) and infiltration by the double ring method. The abandonment of the terraces has led to a reduction in the plant cover of the soil surface and its opening and to enhancing its compaction. The risk of runoff is high. A year of abandonment reduced the infiltration from 301.8 mm/h (SD: 105.8 mm/h) to 129.6 mm/h (SD: 28.9 mm/h). Furthermore, 5 years of abandonment reduced it to 62.9 mm/h (SD: 14.9 mm/h). The walls of the terraces are gradually being destroyed with an increasing age of abandonment. More than half (57%) of the terraced slope surface has suffered moderate to high water erosion. More than 11% of the surfaces are severely degraded after 20 years of abandonment. The heritage made up of these managed slopes is being lost. Particular attention must be paid to these landscapes in order to better rehabilitate and develop them.