Big Data Spatio-Temporal Correlation Analysis and LRIM Model Based Targeted Poverty Alleviation through Education

There are many factors affecting poverty, among which education is an important one. Firstly, from the perspective of digital statistics, this research quantitatively analyzes the correlation between average education years (AEY) and Gross Domestic Product per capita (GDP/C), and finds that there is a significant positive correlation between AEY and GDP/C in provinces of China. Furthermore, from the perspective of spatial distribution and geostatistics, this research analyzes the correlation between AEY and the distribution of poor counties, revealing the inherent connection between education and poverty. Based on the data processing of nighttime light remote sensing images, this research adopts the machine learning method of random forest to extract the distribution status of spatio-temporal sequences for poor counties. Through the analysis, it is found that poor counties are characterized by centralized distribution and spatial autocorrelation spatially, and the number of poor counties decreases year by year in temporal evolution. On this basis, we analyze the correlation between education levels and the distribution of poor counties. It is found that, on the spatial scale, AEY in poor counties is relatively low, while AEY in non-poor counties is relatively high, showing a significant negative correlation between the two. On the temporal scale, the number of poor counties gradually decreased from 2000 to 2010, and at the same time, the education levels of poor counties also gradually improved. Finally, from the perspective of improving education levels to promote poverty elimination, we analyze the main factors affecting education using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and other methods and obtain a regression model. This research proposes the Linear and Residual Integration Model (LRIM) to more accurately predict AEY in each province in 2020 based on historical data, and identifies the regions with low AEY as key regions for targeted poverty alleviation through education (TPAE) in the future. This research provides a decision-making basis to achieve TPAE means, helping to achieve the victory of the national education poverty elimination battle.

Implications for Public Policy

The failure of higher private consumption to increase happiness significantly due to environmental disruption, relative competition, adaptation, our materialistic bias, etc. are relevant for public policy, especially in making higher public spending in the right areas like environmental protection, research, poverty elimination, etc. more welfare-improving than a ‘big society, small government’. Some soft paternalistic measures such as nudging people to save adequately for old age may also be needed in the widespread presence of imperfect rationality and foresight.

Achievements, experiences and challenges of the battle against poverty in China’s ethnic minority areas: focusing on the “three areas and three prefectures”

The incidence of poverty in three of China’s provinces (Qinghai, Guizhou and Yunnan) and five of its autonomous regions (Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Tibet, Ningxia, and Xinjiang) is greater than the national average. As severely impoverished areas in China and top priorities in the country’s battle against poverty, ethnic minority areas, especially the most impoverished “three areas” (the Tibet Autonomous Region, prefectures and counties with large Tibetan populations in the provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan, and the Hotan, Aksu, Kashgar prefectures and Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture in southern Xinjiang) and the “three prefectures” (the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, and the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province) showed a significant reduction in poverty and achieved decisive progress in poverty elimination from 2018 to 2019. This laid a solid foundation for the building of a moderately prosperous society in an all respects by 2020. By reviewing and explaining methods and measures of targeted poverty alleviation used in ethnic minority areas of China, this paper summarizes the most successful experiences of these areas, particularly the “Three Areas and Three Prefectures”, in the process of alleviating poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. These successful experiences consist of four aspects: roles of national systems, promotion of key poverty alleviation efforts, improved mechanisms and systems for targeted poverty alleviation, and specific innovative methods and measures. While examining the difficulties of eliminating poverty and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in China’s ethnic minority areas, especially in the “Three Areas and Three Prefectures”, this article also discusses practical challenges and problems yet to be solved, such as follow-up adjustments of poverty alleviation policies, cultivation of self-development capacity and weak educational foundations. Ultimately, this paper offers relevant solutions and suggestions in relation to macro policies, government officials and impoverished groups.

Building a Sustainable University Campus in Turkey: The Case of Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University

As defined by Brundtland (1987), sustainable development is that which seeks to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This requires however, a holistic approach to defining appropriate philosophies and more ethical yet creative solutions vis-a-vis climate change, poverty elimination, countering inequality, preserving earth and striving for prosperity. Educational institutions, and especially those of higher learning, have a major role to play in this domain. This paper sheds light on the share of responsibility taken at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (IZU) towards sustainable development goals and world’s complex challenges, and most importantly, its best practices in the management of UI GreenMetric indicators. This study explores some of IZU's current approaches and strategies adopted in the context of Turkish Waqf based higher learning institutions, and particularly, the ways and means according to which IZU continues to manage core domains of sustainable development and green initiatives whether related to setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation or education, in addition to its various contributions to make to education and training, research and application, disseminating of ethics of green, and strengthening of its broad yet inclusive community engagement and global partnership support and development. This research shows that IZU's investment in sustainability interestingly represents one of its foundational core ethical values disseminated, and that its broad-spectrum practices, strategies, policies and systems of operation and management are underpinned in its very cultural and historical fabric of planetary preservation and stewardship

Urban Poverty and Vulnerability: Literature and Perspective

The Government of India has been taking various steps towards identification of the poor (and vulnerable through the Socio Economic Caste Census) and measurement of poverty with the help of various Expert Groups right from the Task Force that was set up in 1962 to the Task Force on Poverty Elimination of the NITI Aayog. There have been many researchers as well who have been suggesting the ways in which the poor and vulnerable can be identified and poverty can be measured besides the suggestions given by the Expert Groups. However, it may be considered as a ‘national shame’ if we are unable to identify the needy even after 75 years of independence. Through the review of around 100 books, research papers and articles, an attempt has been to understand the strengths and shortcomings of suggested ways to identify the poor and vulnerable and suggest a comprehensive methodology to identify the needy. Unless we are able to identify the poor and vulnerable sections of society correctly, planning and implementing poverty alleviation programmes for “ending poverty in all its forms everywhere”1 would be a futile exercise!

Response of Poverty Pockets to the Right-based Demand-driven MGNREGA Programme

Forerunning programmes of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which were designed as poverty elimination programmes, took notice of geographical pockets of poverty and incorporated formula-based fund allocation mechanisms to poorer states and regions. The MGNREGA programme, in contrast, used a right-based ‘self-selection’ approach— relying on the initiative of households’ demand-driven strengths—to allocate need-based resources to states and regions within states. This article examines how well the demand-driven, right-based programme with self-selection allocated resources to states and regions according to their respective needs, and to what extent the benefits reached the poverty pockets and catered to the poorest, weakest and neediest households. We find that adequate resources did not reach the poorest states and regions, substantial numbers of poor households remained outside the programme or were deemed underserved, and there was a pronounced programme capture by elite states. The article explores causes and consequences of capacity limitations and low absorption pulls among states, and points to policy implications and ways forward.

A Preservice Teacher’s Reflections on Education for Sustainable Development in Multiple-Deprived Science Classrooms

In the wake of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 on sustainability, this study problematizes how conditions in multiple-deprived science classrooms are intricately connected to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This narrative inquiry design research consisting of one participant, describes how the conditions of multiple-deprivation in science classrooms are influenced by, and in turn influence the achievement of, some of the SDGs. The narratives were contained in the reflections documented by a Bachelor of Education (BEd) preservice physical sciences teacher of his third- and fourth-year teaching practice experiences whilst conducting observations and teaching in multiple-deprived classrooms. The study was undergirded by education for sustainable development (ESD) and the SDGs as conceptual frameworks. The data collected were analysed through narrative data analysis techniques, revealing forms of deprivation in the science classroom which were driven by the SDGs related to poverty elimination, quality education, reduction of inequalities and social injustice, promotion of sustainable communities, and establishment of partnerships for goal attainment. The study findings show how the teaching and learning in multiple-deprived classrooms may pose as a challenge to the attainment of the SDGs, pointing out to some implications for practice.

Rice and Climaate Change:Implication for Food Security in Nigeria:A Review

Climate change is already seen to be impacting on every aspect of life on earth especially in the agricultural sectors of developing nations. In Nigeria, and indeed the world over, seasons are shifting, temperatures are rising, landscapes are changing and sea levels are rising. Extreme event like drought and flood are becoming more frequent and pronounced. FAO in2009 further highlighted that Agriculture is expected to pay a significant cost of the damage caused by climate change. Nigeria as one of the African countries is highly vulnerable to the influence of climate change (IPCC, 2007), as this is already being experienced, in form of extreme events such as flooding, droughts in some Northern States, heat/cold waves, changes in weather patterns which have posed serious challenges to the sustainability of rice production.This will have implication for rice farming especially in Nigeria, where rain-fed agriculture is predominant, the onset and cessation of the rains ascertain the cultural practices of farmers, such as land preparation, crop variety selection and planting to harvesting (Odekunle, 2004; Umar, 2010). The implication of this will be interference with food security as rice is an essential food crop in Nigeria that is consumed by a large number of the population.The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2018, has warned that hunger in Africa is being made worse by the impacts of climate change as itthreatens the capacity of vulnerable countries to guarantee food security, poverty elimination and actualize sustainable development. The increasing rate of food insecurity in the world leading to different form of malnutrition is worrisome and more needs to be done in the areas of agriculture in order to ensure food security and improve on nutrition if a world without hunger is to be achieved by 2030.