The spatial knowledge politics of crisis mapping for community development

Crisis mapping, the combination of software-as-a-service mapping and reporting aimed at large numbers of individuals, is proposed for chronic problems as well as acute issues; it is universalized for global south disasters as well as global north community development. It supposedly affords a new spatial knowledge politics (SKP) that unfolds in local communities. We tested the role of spatial knowledge politics in crisis mapping for community development by co-developing, with local organizations, four applications based on the prominent mapping-telecommunications crisis platform, Crowdmap by Ushahidi. We assessed crisis mapping’s effectiveness in North American community based activities in Francophone and Anglophone Canada. We found persistent technical challenges, consistent with the literature, although crisis mapping allowed increased opportunities for the developer to insert their knowledge. Analysis of the contributions illustrated the use of crisis mapping to report on place-based features that enabled contributors to connect, but also limited the ability to express location and place in 160 characters. It revealed tensions in conceptualization of local spatial knowledge politics as witness versus political influence. Crisis mapping could simultaneously aid and disrupt traditional place-based politics of community based organizations. Our critique serves as a test of crisis mapping’s universality for other fields and its promise of a new SKP.     

Chosen aspects of sustainable development on the Polish, Czech and German borderland

The shift to market forces in Poland, East Germany and Czech Republic has fundamentally reconfigured its economic geography. In particular, spatial inequalities between neighboring Polish, Czech and German border regions have re-emerged forcefully in response to new values, expectations and preferences. In this paper the example of coal mines illustrates the potency of spatial planning. The abundance of coal mines in the Polish, Czech and German borderland at or near abandonment and their proximity to ecological corridors make them candidates for renewed uses in industry or conservation. Attention will also be given to the main environmental problems caused by wrongly conducted spatial policy on this borderland. Transforming a landscape requires continuation of guidance and financial assistance of the European Union.     

The debt crisis and the crisis of global regulation

This paper reviews a series of proposals for dealing with the debt crisis. It also considers the economic philosophies which underpin contrasting proposals. Three main schools of thought are reviewed. Section 2 considers the views of the system-stability theorists (including Beenstock and Cline). System-stability theorists assume that Third World debts will be made good once the adoption of sound money policies provides for real and sustained growth in the world economy. They further assume that the debt crisis results from a temporary crisis of liquidity which must be dealt with on a country-specific basis. Section 3 examines the work of the system-instability theorists (including Brandt, and Griffith-Jones and Sunkel). Such theorists see in the debt crisis a serious threat to world economic stability which results from a crisis of global solvency. They urge concerted and collective action in debtor and surplus nations to avoid a worsening crisis. They also highlight a damaging link between debt and underdevelopment. Section 4 reviews the work of selected Marxian political economists. It considers the view that the debt crisis is one manifestation of a deeper crisis in the process of capital accumulation and regulation.     

Some aspects of the spatial characteristics of drought in northern Nigeria

A long-period instrumental data set (1916–1987) of monthly growing season (April–October) rainfall totals for 34 stations in northern Nigeria is used to quantify drought following the method of H. N. Bhalme and D. A. Mooley. It is established that there are remarkable seasonal changes in the patterns of wetness and dryness over the region with no consistent recurrent spatial patterns in the moisture anomalies. In general, large-scale droughts only rarely cover the region as a whole, and there are distinct spatial differences dominating the wet and dry years. The length and severity of drought varies from sub-area to sub-area with very low interannual persistence. Although discrete areas do catch the brunt of drought on a year-by-year basis, drought occurrence in the region is largely sporadic in its spatial distribution. The rather noisy spatial characteristics of drought in northern Nigeria suggests that the seasonal shift in the Intertropical Discontinuity (ITD) is not likely the most important causal mechanism of drought in the region.     

Merger behavior for the United States: Some spatial aspects

This paper examines the effect of distance on acquisition patterns for every fifth year for the period 1955–1980. The fifteen most active merger states are shown to have a relatively constant set of interstate merger relationships once the economic cycle is removed. Finally, the effect of mergers on external control levels for the United States is provided.     

Some spatial aspects of environmental impact statements in Israel

While many studies have analyzed EIS procedures, only a few have analyzed EISs as part of the development process. When viewed from this perspective, EISs are shown to have a skewing effect on territorial development; they address mainly infrastructure projects, and consequently delay them, but hardly touch any of the residential projects which the infrastructure is designed to serve. This discrepancy can have deleterious consequences due to residential encroachment on various infrastructure facilities, as well as due to the growing shortfall of transport and environmental infrastructure. When EISs are analyzed in terms of project area, areas where impacts and benefits are felt, and administrative control zones, it becomes apparent that the impacts and benefits analyzed may be affected by the spatial scope of administrative control and project areas. A case in point is the ‘Kalanit’ landfill in Israel. Here the benefit and impact areas analyzed in the EIS were affected by the jurisdiction of the committee that requested the EIS and to which it was submitted. This discrepancy between benefit, impact and administrative control areas is also at the source of the emerging interest in cross-boundary EIA.     

The population of the Polish countryside: Demography and living conditions

Despite substantial rural-urban migration, 38.1 percent of the population of Poland still live in the countryside and the total numbers are only 0.9mln fewer than in 1946. At present the rural population is increasing and the rate of natural increase (though falling) is higher than in the towns though the productive age group is smaller. However, these human resources are not being properly used and the results can be seen in terms of economic inefficiency, low living standards and a high level of state support. Loss of jobs in factories and state farms results in welfare payments by the state and considerable 'hidden unemployment' on small family farms where profitability is constrained by inefficient use of labour. Poverty among the rural population is evident through a collapse of house building and considerable domestic overcrowding. However, conditions vary considerably across the country and this must be reflected in the economic and social policies drawn up for the new administrative regions introduced in 1999. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Temporal and spatial aspects of peatland initiation following deglaciation in North America

A set of simple ecological models accounts well for the cumulative initiation of peatlands throughout North America in relation to glacial retreat. The most parsimonious form incorporates, first, a delay term to account for the lag during which newly deglaciated land became suitable for peatland initiation and, second, an intrinsic rate of initiation related to the probability of migration and establishment of plant propagules from elsewhere. The goodness of fit of the models, based on 1680 basal-peat dates throughout the continent, allows projection of past trends into the future. Factors contributing to the lag of about 4000 years between deglaciation and peatland initiation are suggested and data on colonization of deglaciated land by beavers (known to initiate peatlands) are presented. The rate of peatland initiation peaked between 7000 and 8000 years ago, but remains appreciable today. A marked depression of peatland initiation (8360–8040 BP) interrupted the peak rate. The time of the interruption matches the 8200 BP cold–dry event recorded in Greenland ice cores, and suggests that this event caused a substantial, continent-wide depression of an important ecosystem function, i.e., carbon sequestration from the atmosphere by peat deposition. Spontaneous initiation of new peatlands is projected to continue for millennia to come.     

The impact of the Asian crisis on diaspora Chinese tycoons

The paper argues that business culture is a core aspect of diaspora Chinese identity, and that transnational business success is a major source of resistance to national assimilation. The paper focuses on the threat posed by the Asian crisis, and on its impact on the transnational business activities of Chinese tycoons. It examines evidence about the impact of the crisis on the wealthiest tycoon families of the Chinese diaspora, using the Forbes Magazine annual ranking of the world's billionaires. The analysis demonstrates considerable absolute and relative loss of wealth by Chinese tycoons but also points to survivors and newcomers, and it explores the strategies of these and the extent of their geographic and sectoral restructuring.     

The pending ‘water crisis’

An apparent abundance of water on earth would indicate that the quantity of water available for human use is meeting the needs of society. However, recent investigations conclude that there are many areas where the demands are growing beyond water availability and problems arise from intensive withdrawals, mismanagement, or simply low availability. Water resources planners in the next century are very likely to encounter a new and different kind of scarcity; a scarcity that cannot be solved by engineering measures but calls for finding an intricate balance between the interests of a number of actors involved. Water demand is no longer a vital necessity but is one of the claims to be subjected to (political) decision making. Managing the demand of water in the framework of the objectives of a national socio-economic development plan is a challenge in the water planning process. Many technical, legislative and institutional tools are available to support this process. Such planning requires strong mechanisms and political involvement at the national level and a strong social support at the local level.     

The emerging water crisis in Bulgaria

Climatic records for the last 15 years indicate that Bulgaria is experiencing a period of exceptionally low precipitation. During 1993, significant water supply problems emerged, approaching crisis proportions in Sofia, the nation's capital, by the end of 1994. The record-setting drought of 1993 can be explained from a synoptic climatic perspective. Whether consequences of the continuing drought could have been foreseen is arguable. That these consequences were fully realized only in 1994 may be understood through examination of Bulgarian water use since the end of the socialist era in 1989. If Bulgaria had experienced the same levels of industrial activity and irrigation as occurred in 1989, the current situation would have been national catastrophe, a situation that could quickly emerge in coming years should climatic patterns persist.     

The paleo- and petromagnetic record in the Polish and Ukrainian loess-paleosol sequences

718 samples from five loess-paleosol sections located in the Black Sea region, the western Ukraine and Poland (Lublin Upland) were the subject of a paleomagnetic and petromagnetic study. Strong magnetic enhancement is observed in the cambisols, chernozems and iluvial horizons of the forest (podzolic) and leached brown type (brownerde) soils. Distinct magnetic depletion or dilution occurs in the gley soils and the leached horizons of podsols and brown type soils. Magnetic enhancement in the section from Black Sea region was not simply dependent on paleotemperature. Soils from the interstadial periods could be magnetically enhanced to the same degree as soils which were formed during interglacials. In the Polish and Ukrainian loess-palesol sequences, paleorainfall could be a significant factor controlling the susceptibility signal in addition to paleotemperature. The degree of warming of paleoclimate can be expressed by the amount of secondary maghemite that was formed in the studied paleosols.All sections were deposited after the Brunhes/Matuyama paleomagnetic reversal. No remarkable paleomagnetic event was encountered. However, very distinct directional changes associated most probably with the secular variations were observed in the Polish and western Ukrainian sections. These changes can serve as a stratigraphic correlation tool for comparison with petromagnetic data.     

3D structural model of the Polish Basin

A 3D structural modelling of the Permian–Mesozoic Polish Basin was performed in order to understand its structural and sedimentary evolution, which led to basin maturation (Permian–Cretaceous) and its tectonic inversion (Late Cretaceous–Paleogene). The model is built on the present-day structure of the basin and comprises 13 horizons within the Permian to Quaternary rocks. The analysis is based on 3D depth views and thickness maps. The results image the basin-scale symmetry, the perennial localization of the NW–SE-oriented basin axis, the salt movements due to tectonics and/or burial, and the transverse segmentation of the Polish Basin. From these observations, we deduce that salt structures are correlated to the main faults and tectonic events. From the model analysis, we interpret the stress conditions, the timing, and the geometry of the tectonic inversion of the Polish Basin into a NW–SE-oriented central horst (Mid-Polish Swell) bordered by two lateral troughs. Emphasis is placed on the Zechstein salt, considering its movements during the Mesozoic sedimentation and its decoupling effect during the tectonic inversion. Moreover, we point to the structural control of the Paleozoic basement and the crustal architecture (Teisseyre–Tornquist Zone) on the geometry of the Polish Basin and the Mid-Polish Swell.     

Settlement and sustainability in the Polish Sudetes

The paper summarises the history of human settlement in the Sudetes from the Bronze Age. A more intensive stage was reached in the Middle Ages when settlers from the west established new villages deep in the mountain valleys. By the beginning of the 20th century the Sudetes were already overpopulated but after a near-complete ethnic replacement from a German to a Polish population in 1945–8, population continued to grow until the 1980s. However, the economic system was hardly sustainable by this time. There were many polluting industries in the region and massive transboundary pollution from adjacent areas of Czechoslovakia and Germany had a devastating effect on the forests. Moreover, subsidised state agriculture placed heavy pressure on vulnerable mountain grazings. Since 1989 there has been a process of deindustrialisation in the Sudetes and surrounding areas and, with the disappearance of the state farms and the reduction in subsidies, agriculture is now better adjusted to the natural potential and is complemented by a promising start with agrotourism. The population of the region is growing relatively slowly (0.8% per annum 1956–1999), with the rural areas now in decline. A sustainable future for the region is now a possibility, but while there is a consensus for continued environmental reconstruction, supported by alternative economies, this will have to be carefully managed in the years ahead when EU accession may bring heavier development pressures than those evident at the moment. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Tectonics of the western part of the Polish Outer Carpathians

The western part of the Polish Outer Carpathians is built up from the thrust, imbricated Upper Jurassic-Neogene flysch deposits. The following Outer Carpathian nappes have been distinguished: Magura Nappe, Fore-Magura group of nappes, Silesian, Subsilesian and Skole nappes. Interpretation of seismic and magnetotelluric survey from the region South of Wadowice, allows observation of relationship between basement and flysch nappes in the Outer Carpathians. It also allows identification of dislocation cutting both flysch nappes and their basement. All the Outer Carpathian nappes are thrust over the southern part of the North European Platform. The platform basement is composed of older Precambrian metamorphic rocks belonging to the Bruno-Vistulicum terrane. Sedimentary cover consists of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Neogene sequences. The characteristic features of this boundary are horsts and troughs of general direction NW-SE, turning W-E. Faults cutting only the consolidated basement and the Paleozoic cover were formed during the Hercynian Orogeny in the Carboniferous and the Early Permian. Most of the older normal faults were covered by allochtonous flysch nappes forming thus the blind faults. During the last stage of the geodynamic development the Carpathians thrust sheets moved towards their present position. Displacement of the Carpathians northwards is related to development of dextral strike-slip faults of N—S direction. The orientation of this strike-slip fault zones zone more or less coincides with the surface position of the major faults perpendicular to the strike of the Outer Carpathian thrustsheets. The huge fault cuts formations from the Paleozoic basement through the flysch allochton between the boreholes in Sucha Beskidzka area. The displacement of nappes of the Carpathian overthrust and diapiric extrusion of plastic formations of the lower flysch units occurred along this fault.     

The spatial formation of the South African City

The south African social formation is characterised by a distinctively large social distance. This paper traces the evolution of the social formation, identifies some of its parameter and demonstrates its on the urbanisation process and the urban structure. Within this framework, a Segregation City and an Apartheid City are recognised, representing two sequential but interrelated phases of urban development separated by the acceptance of a formal Apartheid ideology and development strategy from 1948 onwards.     

The subsistence crisis and migration in the Sahelian Zone of the Sudan —

Burush is a small village in the N Sahelian Zone of the Sudan, whose population are basically sedentary agriculturists. The recurring drought conditions of the last two decades have significantly influenced the local resource base, so that the subsistence of the majority of the households was highly challenged. Nevertheless, the people are still surviving and resisting. The explanation of this resistence can be sought in the endogenous coping mechanisms adopted by the people. One of these mechanisms is migration, especially the seasonal labour migration of the heads and grown-up members of households, which used, even in good years, to be highly integrated in the strategies of survival of the majority of households. However under the recurring crop failures and the growing competition in the seasonal labour opportunities, this seasonal migration is changing gradually into stays of longer duration in the traditional destinations of seasonal labour. On the other hand, the male members of households are actively involved in migration of long duration, especially into the urban centres. Yet, the constributions of these migrant members to the subsistence of their households are limited, because of the rising costs of living in uurban centres as compared with the incomes. The rehabilitation of Burush lies obviously in the development of long-term strategies which aim at strengthening the endogenous resilience mechanisms.     

The onset of the Messinian salinity crisis in the deep Eastern Mediterranean basin

Astronomical tuning of the Messinian pre‐salt succession in the Levant Basin allows for the first time the reconstruction of a detailed chronology of the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) events in deep setting and their correlation with marginal records that supports the CIESM ( 2008 ) 3‐stage model. Our main conclusions are (1) MSC events were synchronous across marginal and deep basins, (2) MSC onset in deep basins occurred at 5.97 Ma, (3) only foraminifera‐barren, evaporite‐free shales accumulated in deep settings between 5.97 and 5.60 Ma, (4) deep evaporites (anhydrite and halite) deposition started later, at 5.60 Ma and (5) new and published ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data indicate that during all stages, evaporites precipitated from the same water body in all the Mediterranean sub‐basins. The wide synchrony of events and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr homogeneity implies inter‐sub‐basin connection during the whole MSC and is not compatible with large sea‐level fall and desiccation of the Mediterranean.