Coping strategies with floods in Bangladesh: an empirical study

In the time of the flooding, rural people in Bangladesh suffer from the lingering effects of labor market disruption and income deficiency. This study shows a model based analysis on the research question, ??what coping strategies are followed by the flooded households in Bangladesh and how???. Data are collected through a three stage stratified random sampling technique on 595 flooded and rural households??. Survey is carried out aftermath of the flood in the year 2005, from four different districts in Bangladesh. A major proportion of households are found to borrow money or resources from informal sources, such as nearby shops or the pharmacy, friends or relatives, or local money lenders, to buy food items and other essentials. A censored tobit model analysis shows that households initiate coping with borrowing money after the realization of floods, and gradually lead to cope with savings and selling assets as the duration of flood increases.     

Farming as a livelihood source for the urban poor of Nakuru, Kenya

Farming among urban dwellers in Sub-Saharan Africa is a common phenomenon. The present study, carried out in a medium-sized town in Kenya, not only confirmed this but also showed that farming by urban dwellers in the rural areas was even more important for these households’ livelihoods than farming in town. However, those who could benefit most from farming, i.e. the urban poor, appeared to be underrepresented among urban farming households and those urban poor who did farm, either in urban or in rural areas, performed worse than the farming non-poor. The importance of farming as a livelihood source is illustrated by the fact that in years with very little or no harvest due to drought, many of the poor farming households faced food shortages.     

Multi-topographical landscape: comparative vulnerability of climate-induced disaster-prone rural area of Pakistan

Pakistan, being an agro-based economy, is considered most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The country is susceptible to many natural catastrophes and climate-induced events due to intra-geographical and intra-topographical disparities. This paper is an attempt to measure the relative vulnerability of diverse topographies in rural areas of Pakistan using vulnerability and capacity index tool. The results are based on the findings of primary survey data (350 households from 17 rural communities). Accordingly, and as expected, the key relative differences are attributed to topographical conditions besides the basic quandary of rural areas of Pakistan. The topographical attributes are largely linked to the nature of hazards and relative impacts. While the other aspects of vulnerability in all topographies stem out of inappropriate infrastructure, low education, and institutional factors. The absence of multi-sectoral and productive economic opportunities also poses an adverse impact on the resilience of households in rural areas. The women and households headed by females are found relatively more vulnerable than male-headed households.

     

Identifying urban–rural differences in social vulnerability to natural hazards: a case study of China

Identifying and analyzing the urban–rural differences of social vulnerability to natural hazards is imperative to ensure that urbanization develops in a way that lessens the impacts of disasters and generate building resilient livelihoods in China. Using data from the 2000 and 2010 population censuses, this study conducted an assessment of the social vulnerability index (SVI) by applying the projection pursuit cluster model. The temporal and spatial changes of social vulnerability in urban and rural areas were then examined during China’s rapid urbanization period. An index of urban–rural differences in social vulnerability (SVI_D) was derived, and the global and local Moran’s I of the SVI_D were calculated to assess the spatial variation and association between the urban and rural SVI. In order to fully determine the impacts of urbanization in relation to social vulnerability, a spatial autoregressive model and Bivariate Moran’s I between urbanization and SVI were both calculated. The urban and rural SVI both displayed a steadily decreasing trend from 2000 to 2010, although the urban SVI was always larger than the rural SVI in the same year. In 17.5% of the prefectures, the rural SVI was larger than the urban SVI in 2000, but was smaller than the urban SVI in 2010. About 12.6% of the urban areas in the prefectures became less vulnerable than rural areas over the study period, while in more than 51.73% of the prefectures the urban–rural SVI gap decreased over the same period. The SVI_D values in all prefectures had a significantly positive spatial autocorrelation and spatial clusters were apparent. Over time, social vulnerability to natural hazards at the prefecture-level displayed a gathering–scattering pattern across China. Though a regional variation of social vulnerability developed during China’s rapid urbanization, the overall trend was for a steady reduction in social vulnerability in both urban and rural areas.

     

How do urban vulnerable groups cope with price increases of staple food? The displaced people of Mopti/Mali

As a consequence of the last two droughts in the Sahel, in 1991 still 3,850 displaced people were living in Mopti under precarious conditions. These people represent one of the most vulnerable groups within the urban food system of Mopti being directly dependent on market mechanisms and directly affected by food price increases. But they do not form a homogeneous group, some persons or households are more affected than others.The degree of being affected by food price fluctuations is to a large extent dependent on ethnicity, gender, the number of dependants to be supported by economically active household members and the degree of integration into social networks. The state-run Food-Security-Programme as well as programmes of international development cooperation are playing a very marginal role in mitigating food insecurity in the urban context. This is mainly an effect of shortfalls in the targeting process.     

The Role of non-timber forest products as safety-nets: A review of evidence with a focus on South Africa

Poor, rural communities are vulnerable to adversity. To secure their livelihoods, people adopt multiple livelihood strategies, including using non-timber forest products (NTFPs). NTFPs have been identified as important to rural livelihoods, as an alternative land-use option as well as in fulfilling an important safety-net function although empirical evidence on the latter’s strength is limited. Whilst NTFPs may contribute towards alleviating poverty, this safety-net function needs more critical and quantitative investigation. This includes the establishment of an applicable definition so this function can be communicated to policy makers and taken into account in national poverty alleviation strategies and, in attempts to promote resource-conserving behaviour by highlighting the value of natural resources (including NTFPs) compared to alternative land-use options. Poverty in rural households is complex and households are vulnerable to a range of shocks. During adversity households can turn to a range of possible safety-nets. What determines the use of NTFPs as a safety-net, how this safety-net function manifests and the strength of this function is poorly understood and there is need for further investigation.     

Socio-spatial segregation and urban form: Belém at the end of the 1990s

In the second half of the 1990s, socio-spatial segregation increased in Brazilian cities, accentuating inequity among social groups. Using a combination of space syntax techniques and statistical analysis, this paper explores locational differences in central and peripheral portions of Belém. The analysis shows how socio-spatial segregation was made more pronounced by relationships between urban form, infrastructure provision and locational values. Social groups' opportunities in the city are suggested to be limited by features of its urban form, associated with infrastructure provision, especially for groups unable to take advantage of intra-urban accessibility. The paper also discusses the findings of the study in relation to the Brazilian urban context at the end of the 1990s.     

县域统筹城乡发展综合评价研究——以陕西省华阴市为例

县域是统筹城乡发展最为关键和迫切的地域单元。统筹城乡发展,须以区域经济社会发展进入一定阶段为前提,涉及城乡经济、社会、文化、基础设施等多个方面,构建统筹城乡发展评价体系具有明显的复杂性。在回顾总结已有测评研究和对统筹城乡发展进行再认识的基础上,构建了3个一级指标、18个二级指标组成的评价指标体系,据此对陕西省华阴市统筹城乡发展水平进行综合评判,提出了统筹城乡发展的对策建议。     

Regional changes in food poverty in India

Using average nutritive values of food actually consumed by individuals, this paper identifies regional concentration of hunger (food poverty) and its changes over time in rural India. There is clearly a heavy concentration of hunger in the coastal states of India, with few exceptions, which has persisted over time. Hunger has declined in about half the states of India but has increased in the remaining half. Unfortunately, it seems to have increased in the states that are relatively prosperous and are surplus producers of food. Hence, increased production of food, though important, does not necessarily reduce hunger. A redeeming conclusion of the study is that there has been a general improvement in the quality of food intake, particularly in the states where food poverty has declined.     

To process or not to process? Factors enabling and constraining shea butter production and income in Burkina Faso

Processing of environmental products by rural households in developing countries is often considered a way to lift poor natural resource-dependent households out of poverty by increasing the returns to labour of their harvesting activities. Still, the bulk of environmental products in developing countries is commercialised unprocessed. This paper examines the factors enabling and constraining the processing of shea nuts into shea butter in Burkina Faso. Our analysis is based on socio-economic survey data collected from 536 households in the Zoundwéogo and Cascades provinces of Burkina Faso, as well as qualitative interview data collected from 74 shea butter producers in the province of Sissili. The factors affecting the selection of shea butter production as a livelihood activity as well as the economic success of this activity are analysed using a Heckman selection model. Moreover, we study the effect of locality of residence, defined as place of residence along the rural–urban continuum, on shea butter processing and income. We demonstrate that, among members of a shea butter producer Union, women living in urban areas produce significantly larger quantities of shea butter for sale to the Union and earn superior revenues from these sales than their rural counterparts. We relate these urban–rural discrepancies to the physical and socio-economic conditions that characterise life in different localities and propose policy recommendations based on our findings.     

Hunger-vulnerable groups within the metropolitan food system of Khartoum

Due to the current civil war and the economic and political deterioration in the Sudan, the majority of the Sudanese are suffering from food shortage. The dislocated southern Sudanese in Khartoum, however, belong to the group most affected. This paper tries to analyse the structure of hunger in the capital city of the Sudan. The formal and informal food supply systems are described. The reasons why the southern Sudanese are specially vulnerable to hunger and the indicators of this vulnerability are discussed.     

Space,social reproduction and food security in Cairo/Egypt

Urban life is a highly interconnected historically developed web of social relations. Taking the example of Cairo, Egypt, the construction of urban space over the last 150 years is discussed, and attention is further given to more recent urban planning objectives. The paper then takes up issues of space and social reproduction and traces them down to the microlevel of individual households in order to analyse how larger changes in the food system are shaping local food security.This article is a result of an interdisciplinary research project on the Metropolitan Food System of Cairo, Egypt, untertaken by the Institute of Cultural Geography, Freiburg University, Germany, which is funded by the German Research Society (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG). Petra Kuppinger is also grateful for the support offered through a Research Fellowship by the Anthropology Department at the American University in Cairo.     

Reaching the limits: a geographic approach for understanding food insecurity and household hunger mitigation strategies in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, USA

Research on hunger and food security in the Global South and the Global North has often emphasized different factors and scales of analyses. Unlike newer monitoring systems in the Global South, which evolved substantially following critiques by Amartya Sen, US food security research has rarely combined the two dimensions of food availability and food access. Furthermore, this research has paid scant attention to household coping strategies. This study responds to this lacuna in US hunger research by developing a spatial model for predicting risk to food insecurity based on proxy measures for access (three demographic variables) and availability (grocery store density). The study then employs qualitative methodologies (surveys and semi-structured interviews) to understand household coping strategies in two ethnically distinct areas in Minneapolis-Saint Paul at risk to food insecurity. One neighborhood is dominated by Southeast Asian and East African immigrants and the other by African-Americans. This approach should allow for better targeting of food aid and programs that help alleviate food insecurity.     

Floods in megacity environments: vulnerability and coping strategies of slum dwellers in Dhaka/Bangladesh

In many megacities of the global south, the combination of rapid population growth and high pressure on space for housing, results in urban growth taking place in areas particularly prone to natural hazards. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is no exception to this rule. Many marginal settlements or slums are located on low-lying land at high risk of flooding. This paper analyzes the vulnerability of slum dwellers in Dhaka and highlights the major factors behind their sensitivity to floods and their ability to adapt to the related changes. The empirical findings presented are based on a questionnaire survey covering 625 households in five slum areas of Dhaka. Our data suggests that social capital plays an important role with regard to the ability of slum dwellers to find ways to live with the floods. Regardless of how strongly people are affected, mutual help and support are dominant features in times of crises. While poorly educated and resourced slum dwellers are highly vulnerable to external shocks, they still show a surprising capacity to cope with natural calamities.     

Determinants of utilisation of health services by women in rural and urban areas in Ghana

The paper examines the factors that influence the utilisation of health services by women in the rural and urban areas in Ghana. The systematic sampling procedure was used to draw the sample from women aged 18 and above with diverse backgrounds from Ahafo-Ano South district, representing the rural districts and Kumasi metropolis, representing the urban districts. The research instruments used for data collection were the questionnaire and formal interviews. Multiple regression was the main tool for analysis. The research reveals that the key factors that impact significantly on the utilisation of health services by women in the Ahafo-Ano South district are, distance, income and family size (number of children) while for Kumasi metropolis they are education, distance and marital status. Whereas it is clear that distance is a common problem facing women in both rural and urban areas in Ghana in the utilisation of health services, marital status and number of children have emerged as contrasting factors influencing utilisation of health services by women in rural and urban Ghana. Recommendations to improve utilisation include the location of maternal and child health services within easy reach in the rural areas, intensification of family planning education in the rural areas, the empowerment of women through access to formal education and vocational training for income generation activities and the full implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). A model of utilisation of health services by women in the rural and urban areas has emerged.     

[Without Title]

The paper examines the factors that influence the utilisation of health services by women in the rural and urban areas in Ghana. The systematic sampling procedure was used to draw the sample from women aged 18 and above with diverse backgrounds from Ahafo-Ano South district, representing the rural districts and Kumasi metropolis, representing the urban districts. The research instruments used for data collection were the questionnaire and formal interviews. Multiple regression was the main tool for analysis. The research reveals that the key factors that impact significantly on the utilisation of health services by women in the Ahafo-Ano South district are, distance, income and family size (number of children) while for Kumasi metropolis they are education, distance and marital status. Whereas it is clear that distance is a common problem facing women in both rural and urban areas in Ghana in the utilisation of health services, marital status and number of children have emerged as contrasting factors influencing utilisation of health services by women in rural and urban Ghana. Recommendations to improve utilisation include the location of maternal and child health services within easy reach in the rural areas, intensification of family planning education in the rural areas, the empowerment of women through access to formal education and vocational training for income generation activities and the full implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). A model of utilisation of health services by women in the rural and urban areas has emerged.     

Ethnicity as a determinant of agriculture in an urban setting – Evidence from Tanzania

Ethnicity is an important factor in the configuration of societies as a whole as well as of the shaping of individual livelihoods. Agriculture remains one of the main livelihood strategies in Africa not only in rural areas, but also in an urban context. However, little is known about the role ethnicity plays in urban and periurban agriculture. The ability to formulate appropriate support policies and intervention strategies depends on the knowledge of the interactions between ethnicity and agriculture in an urban context. In this study, a household survey was conducted (n = 404) in urban and periurban Moshi, a town of about 200,000 inhabitants located at the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania. The guiding research question was: to what extent is belonging to a specific ethnic group a significant determinant of a household’s agricultural activities. The study shows that there are significant differences amongst the various ethnic groups in the overall involvement in agriculture, access to productive resources such as land, and the role of agricultural activities for the households subsistence and income generation. The Wachagga as the traditionally dominant group of the Kilimanjaro area had the most arable land at their disposal, were much more likely to own the land they cultivate, and showed higher levels of subsistence than any other ethnic group. Similar trends could be identified in the involvement in livestock production, marketing, and the degree of social embeddedness. We therefore argue that ethnicity remains a strong factor in agricultural production and marketing, despite the increasing social and ethnic levelling in the course of urbanisation and social transformation of African societies.     

莱芜市钢城区农村建设用地整治工作分析

农村土地整治挖潜是乡镇企业发展解决用地瓶颈的重要举措,是落实科学发展观的具体体现,对于统筹城乡经济社会发展,加速改善农村面貌,实现城乡经济、社会、环境协调发展具意义重要。通过分析莱芜市钢城区农村土地整治挖潜的现状与问题,就今后如何做好农村建设用地整理、复垦提出建议。     

Social justice and access to legal services: a geographical perspective

This paper discusses the theory, method and results of the Exeter Access to Justice in Rural Britain project which examined the question whether rural inhabitants are disadvantaged in terms of their access to legal services by comparison with people in urban areas. Analysis of the spatial distribution of solicitors in private practice in England and Wales revealed rural areas to be relatively well provided for. An interview survey of a random sample of solicitors in Devon and Cornwall showed some important differences between rural and urban solicitors, with the former being less specialized and more conservative in orientation. A parallel survey of managers of CABs, providing a limited legal service, also revealed some perceived differences between rural and urban bureaux and some spatial unevenness in distribution. Surveys of rural clients, supported by parallel studies elsewhere in Britain, suggest that remote rural communities harbour cases of considerable deprivation with respect to legal services.     

Using small spatial units to refine our perception of rural America

More than half of the US rural population lives inside metro or micropolitan areas and even at more disaggregated scales, such as the census tracts, most spatial units mix rural and urban population. At a national scale, only 30% of the country are inhabited by 100% urban or 100% rural population, implying that more than two third of the US territory are somewhere in between both situations. As the rural/urban dichotomy appears today to be blurred by the emergence of new phenomena like rurbanization or exurbanization, our perception of rural America may be somewhat twisted and the reality of rural areas underplayed. This paper focuses on using finer-grade spatial units such as the census blocks and block groups, in order to provide new elements about the extension, localization and characteristics of rural America as well as about its inner dynamics. To that end, we analyze and process geographical and social data at these two levels of information, and use population density as a main factor of analysis. This allows us not only to propose new measurement of the extent of rural space in the USA but also to propose a new vision of its spatial dynamics by studying how several social indicators such as income, median age or sex ratio reveal regional and micro-regional variations and situations in the rural part of the US.