Is better to be a kayayei than to be unemployed: reflecting on the role of head portering in ghana’s informal economy

The implementation of neoliberal economic reforms with its resultant effects on rural agricultural economies has facilitated the migration of young girls from northern to southern Ghana to seek for alternative livelihoods in the urban informal economy as head porters (Kayayei). Using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews with 45 Kayayei in Makola and Agbogbloshie Markets, Accra, this study examines how migration as a livelihood strategy contributes to an improvement in the living conditions of young girls and their families. The paper also looks more closely into the pathways through which the livelihoods of these young female migrants may contribute to local economic development. The study highlights that Kayayei contribute to local economic development through market exchange and revenue generation, also there is significant perceived positive impact of head portering on standard of living of these young girls through improved access to income, health care and asset accumulation while their families benefit from remittances. The study concludes by advocating for the need to provide access to credit and skills training in enhancing the livelihood of Kayayei.     

‘All my hopes and dreams are shattered’: Urbanization and migrancy in an imploding African economy - the case of Zimbabwe

During the 1990s, urban livelihoods in Zimbabwe began to suffer a series of economic stresses, which accelerated in 1997 and then accelerated again, with the inception of fast-track land reform, from 2000. This has reduced urban living standards significantly and devastated real urban income levels. After a discussion of the economic and political parameters of this period, this paper links these to empirical changes in the urban livelihoods and perceptions of urban living standards of recent in-migrants to Harare. This draws on a longitudinal database of four surveys of recent migrants to the city conducted in 1985, 1988, 1994 and 2001. Among a range of qualitative issues explored in these surveys has been the question of migrants’ future plans in relation to their intended length of stay in town. It is shown that migrants have been feeling increasingly negative or unsure about their urban experience since structural adjustment began in the early 1990s, and that these perceptions had greatly strengthened by 2001. By the last survey only a small minority felt they would remain permanently in town and most of the migrants from rural areas felt that their living standards in Harare were either worse than rural living standards, or no better. While Zimbabwe’s current political and economic crisis is exceptional, serious urban poverty is a feature across sub-Saharan African countries and it is argued that this has had a depressing effect on net rural-urban migration rates.     

Nyimang women in urban settlements

Rural-urban migration is a widespread process in Sudan. Male migration from the Nuba mountains to Khartoum already started during the colonial time. Up to the present, the percentage of women under the migrants has rapidly increased. The women follow their husbands or move together with their families to the capital. Their living conditions in Khartoum differ from those in rural areas. The migrant women have less opportunities to work outside the house or to move to other housing areas, so that they only have contacts with members of their ethnic group living in the same neighbourhood. Besides the social problems, the women are confronted with economic difficulties. Their aim, to save money for remigration, is nearly impossible to attain.     

半干旱地区水资源承载能力研究——以松嫩平原西南部霍林河流域为例

水资源的合理开发利用与否是影响社会经济发展的瓶颈。以霍林河流域为研究对象,对该流域特征及其生态环境问题进行了分析,构建了水资源承载力研究的指标体系,该体系包括水资源形成的自然条件、开发利用及社会经济因素3个方面9项指标。应用因子分析法对流域内各县市水资源承载能力进行定量评价,结果表明,霍林河流域从上游到下游,水资源承载能力主要受水资源形成条件和开发利用强度的影响,水资源承载能力评价是水资源可持续利用的关键。     

Economic growth and the standard of living of Poland's population: a regional approach

This article presents an analysis of the relationship that occurs between the level of economic growth and the standard of living of Poland's population, using a regional approach. As an indicator of the degree of economic development national income is adopted. The social aspect of regional development is characterized by means of an analysis of the structure of the standard of living expressed in terms of two principal components, representative of a set of 34 empirical indicators. Interest is centred on the spatial interdependence between the value of net output in a regional pattern and the structure of the standard of living expressed in terms of the first principal component. This first component includes the main elements which affect the quality of people's lives, but it refers primarily to highly urbanized regions. In the light of the obtained results it can be stated that the influence of economic growth on the standard of living exhibits clear regional variations, with the relation assuming different forms depending on the structure of the standard of living. It seems that, although economic growth is closely connected with the quality of life, its impact is modified by regional conditions and resources, i.e. by the way a combination of socio-economic development factors is fitted into the situation of particular regions.     

Multiple disadvantage of older migrants and native Dutch older adults in deprived neighbourhoods in Amsterdam,the Netherlands: a life course perspective

It is commonly suggested that older non-Western migrants have a higher risk of experiencing multiple forms of disadvantage than native older adults. However, few researchers have studied the life situation and urban conditions of older migrants in relation to each other and in comparison to native older adults with a similar socioeconomic status. This paper investigates whether different groups of older non-Western migrants (of Surinamese, Moroccan and Turkish origin) in deprived neighbourhoods in Amsterdam experience similar or different levels of multiple disadvantage compared to socioeconomically similar native Dutch older residents living in the same neighbourhoods, and explores how multiple disadvantage can be explained in relation to life and residential histories and neighbourhood changes. Analysis of 85 in-depth interviews indicates that all categories of low-income older adults experienced certain levels of disadvantage, although they evaluated their circumstances using different frames of reference. Regarding health, both native-born and migrant older people experienced chronic illness. However, the results of this study suggest that those in the latter group (especially Moroccans and Turks) experienced health problems and related functional limitations at a younger age. Native Dutch older adults were somewhat better off with respect to the availability of household resources, but compared to older non-Western migrants were more likely to experience the negative effects of neighbourhood deprivation. In summary, this study refines common assertions that older migrants are more disadvantaged than native older adults. Differences in experiences of advantage and disadvantage have their origin in differences in life and residential histories and neighbourhood change.     

Gender, immigration policies and accreditation: valuing the skills of professional women migrants

Human capital is the most important form of wealth for a modern nation and countries with the most intellectual resources are achieving the highest rates of economic growth. In the drive for human capital, many industrialised countries are giving priority to policies aimed at attracting highly skilled immigrants. The number of skilled immigrants who settle permanently in these countries is not rising but there is a significant level of temporary movement of highly skilled labour from developing countries, particularly in information technology (IT), medicine, nursing and teaching. Women now account for an increased proportion of highly skilled migrants but there are still few analyses of their economic participation. Immigration selection and occupational entry policies are crucial for an understanding of the gendered experiences of migration for skilled migrants. This article draws together material from empirical work and reports/other literature on the situation facing professional women compared to men, both permanent and temporary, in the selection processes for migration and the post-arrival processes of accreditation and recognition.     

湖南省饮用天然矿泉水资源潜力评价与开发利用区划

湖南省饮用天然矿泉水资源丰富、水质优良.本文从区域地质条件、水文地质条件以及矿泉水资源现状几个方面来选取评价因子,利用层次分析法构建评价指标体系,运用综合指数评价模型对湖南省饮用天然矿泉水资源潜力进行评价,最后根据评价结果划分了石门-慈利、张家界-永顺、绥宁等11个矿泉水资源高潜力区,石门-花垣等14个矿泉水资源较高潜力区,以及中等潜力区和低潜力区.此外基于资源潜力评价结果,结合市场潜力和开发利用经济技术条件两个方面,最后将全省区划为张家界-永顺矿泉水分布区、益阳-韶山-湘潭等4个矿泉水优先开发保护区,石门-慈利、隆回、绥宁等12个矿泉水重点开发保护区,以及远景开发保护区和限制开发保护区.     

安徽省浅层地热能条件

通过对安徽省浅层地热能地质背景、气候特征、社会及经济技术因素等开发利用条件及开发利用现状进行论述,提出了合理开发利用及保护浅层地热能资源的意见和建议。     

黄土高原北部风沙区土地沙漠化问题及防治对策

本文所研究的黄土高原北部风沙区生态环境脆弱,加上长期以来人类不合理地利用资源,土地沙漠化问题日益严重。沙漠化土地已经以不同的等级类型不连续地散布在整个黄土高原的北部边缘,并有进一步由北向南推进的趋势。其中地表沙性物质基础和干旱多风的动力条件是其发生发展的基本条件,起决定作用;人为因素是外在条件,加速沙漠化的发展。黄土高原北部土地沙漠化的危害,在本区域的表现十分突出。不仅对当地经济的发展和人民生活有严重影响,更为严重的是该地区土地沙漠化的现状、形成及扩展,会使黄河流域土地沙漠化进一步向南推进,对整个黄土高原甚至我国整个北方地区的自然环境都有直接影响。黄土高原北部边缘土地沙漠化问题,不仅是当地经济振兴的严重障碍,而且威胁着整个黄土高原地区资源的开发与利用。因此,如何及时采取有效措施遏制其土地沙漠化势头就成为了一个迫在眉睫,并急需解决的问题。本文在搜集大量原始资料的基础上,对该区土地沙漠化的现状进行了总结,探讨了形成机理,并进一步分析了沙漠化的危害,最后提出了相应的防治对策。     

盐城市地热资源特征及其开发利用建议

地热资源是集“热、矿、水”三位一体的清洁资源,开发利用地热资源,可以带动并提升旅游休闲业、现代农业和服务业的快速发展。盐城市地热资源开发利用程度较低,开发时间短,形式粗放、单一。对盐城市地热资源赋存条件、分布特征、地热水质特征、地热资源开发利用现状、旅游景区建设需求、旅游市场条件、环境条件和地区社会经济发展等不同层面进行了综合分析。结果表明: 盐城市地热资源具有旅游休闲度假、商务休闲度假、农业观光旅游和综合开发示范等功能价值; 滨海—阜宁一线、盐城市区、盐城丹顶鹤海滨湿地旅游区、马家荡景区—大纵湖旅游景区、东台和大丰市区以及中华麋鹿园—黄海森林公园一线可划定为地热资源重点开发区。此外,在分析研究区地热资源分布特点、开发利用程度及其交通条件、经济状况、旅游资源分布特征和发展水平等因素的基础上,提出盐城市范围内现代旅游业地热资源开发利用要形成以地热富集区和县、市区为中心并以重要风景旅游区为节点向周边辐射扩散的地热资源多元开发和综合利用的基本格局。     

河南省地热资源开发利用现状与问题研究

河南中低温地热能源资源分布广泛、储量大,分析评价了目前河南省地热资源开发利用现状和存在的问题。就低碳社会和经济条件下河南的地热能源资源勘查管理和技术方面提出了建议和具体工作研究思路。     

Surviving in the periphery of the town — the living conditions of sahelian drought refugees in Mopti (Republic of Mali)

This article intends to describe the social situation and living conditions of the drought refugees living in the periphery of Mopti. The complex phenomenon of ‘poverty’ and of social discrimination is explained by different indicators (kind of ‘informal economy’, kind of dwelling, composition of food, hygienic situation). In contemporary Africa hunger has become a problem of those people who have lost their original social and economic roots. This holds expecially true for the drought refugees. The transformation of nomads and peasants into proletarian and dependent outcasts will be demonstrated.     

Of silent maids,skilled gardeners and careful madams: gendered dynamics and strategies of migrant domestic workers in Accra,Ghana

Recent studies indicate that many migrants are engaged mainly in the informal sector in low-paid, short-term, and insecure occupations in cities. Using a qualitative research approach, this paper examines the gendered experiences, livelihood strategies and wellbeing of migrants engaged in domestic work in Accra, Ghana. Employing structure-agency theoretical perspectives, the paper also discusses how migrant domestic workers employ their own agency to counter exploitation. The findings show clear gendered patterns of employment in domestic work, with men having stronger agency to negotiate better conditions of work and remuneration. The paper argues that despite the heterogeneity and diversity of the work conditions and experiences of domestic workers in Accra, the importance of gender as a crucial factor mediating the experiences of both male and female domestic workers and their impacts on their wellbeing must be recognised in policies to address and regulate domestic work in Ghana.     

A comparative study of waste landfill disposal in different countries

This study draws attention to the fact that natural processes can mobilize thallium （Tl）, a highly toxic metal, which may enter the food chain with severe health impacts on the local human population. A rural area having independent Tl mineralization in southwestern Guizhou, China, was chosen for a pilot study. Tl contents of soils extracted by HNO3 in the study area range from 35-165 mg/kg in soils from the mining area, 14-78 mg/kg in alluvial deposits downstream, and 〈0.2-0.5 mg/kg in soils from the background area. Tl contents in ammonium acetate EDTA-extracted fraction are 0.013-1.3 mg/kg, less than 1% of concentration in HNO3-extracted fraction. The amounts of Tl in NH4Ac-extracted fraction were thought to be more exchangeable and bioavailable, i.e., immediately available to plants and/or available to plant roots over a period of years. Tl concentration in crops exhibits species-dependent preferences. The enrichment of Tl in edible crop species decreases in the following order： green cabbage〉chili〉Chinese cabbage〉rice〉com. The highest level of Tl in green cabbage is up to 500 mg/kg （DW）, surpassing the values of Tl in the soils （13-59 mg/kg）. The enrichment factor for TI in green cabbage is up to 1-10 when considering the HNO3-extracted Tl, but the factor highly rises to 30-1300 while considering the NH4Ac-extracted Tl. The average daily uptake of Tl by the local villagers through consumption of locally planted crops was estimated at about 1.9 mg per person, which is 50 times the daily ingestion from the Tl-free background area.     

Amenity migration to the global south: Implications for community development

Despite a growing trend of migration to countries in the global South fueled by their natural amenities (i.e., natural amenity migration), research on this topic has predominantly been conducted in the global North. This is problematic given the notable socioeconomic, attitudinal, and behavioral differences between amenity migrants (often urbanites from developed countries) and local people (often rural residents of developing countries). Grounded in community field theory, this study begins to fill this gap in the literature by increasing our understanding of the ways in which local residents and amenity migrants interact in the amenity-rich community of Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica. We found that linguistic, cultural, and spatial barriers (real and perceived) created a social climate in which the interaction between local residents and amenity migrants was primarily based on mundane interactions and did not lead to social integration. This proved to be a hindrance to the creation of the community field, which led to a lack of joint planning and participation in activities and projects that sought to improve the overall living conditions in the community. Explanations of these findings and the implications of such a divide are offered.     

四川盆地紫色土丘陵区水土流失及防治对策

四川盆地丘陵区是该省水土流失最严重的地区。也是该地区生态环境恶化、自然灾害频繁、农村经济落后、人民生活贫穷的重要原因。文章根据四川盆地丘陵区水土流失面积大、强度高的特征及其致害因素，探讨了水土流失原因。水土流失破坏生态环境及耕地资源，淤积江河湖库，加剧水旱洪涝灾害，造成土壤肥力下降，土壤蓄水抗旱能力降低。由此提出了一些相应的防治措施——加强生态环境建设，整治坡面水系，搞好农田基本建设，强化人口／管理等，从而使水土流失得到控制，生态环境得到改善。加强对紫色砂页岩丘陵区的治理，合理开发利用土地，提高土地利用率和生产率，不仅利于四川盆地丘陵区的经济发展，而且对改善长江上游乃至整个长江流域的生态环境也具有重大的现实意义。     

我国基岩地下水开发利用和研究现状

基岩地下水是我国分布最为普遍的地下水类型之一,其开发利用水平较高.近多年来,在基岩地下水的形成条件,密集规律、开发利用研究方面有了重大的进展,形成了基岩地下水科学理论,在国民经济建设中得到了广泛地应用.本文论述了目前国内基岩地下水的开发利用研究现状和控制基岩裂隙水的主要因素,及基岩地下水理论发展方向展望.     

The adversity of Brazilian drought

Drought-stricken NE Brazil is studied in the context of four regional units: the semiarid lowlands of the interior sertão, which have the maximum precipitation fluctuations; the well-watered Cariri valley, which experiences harvest shortages during abnormally dry years; the coastal fringe, which suffers during years of widespread drought; and the highlands of Baturite, where dry spells are noticed only through an influx of migrants from low-lying and drought-stricken areas.Adjustment to drought is, in general, low; it depends on the degree of drought awareness, which is also quite low. Affluent individuals are more inclined to make adjustments to droughts, although the likelihood of their being affected is less than among poor individuals. Middleclass individuals are more inclined to react to threats of an impending drought than to act under actual drought conditions. If age is taken into consideration, middle-aged individuals show greater awareness of drought conditions and a higher propensity to making adjustments than aged or youthful populations. Women are less inclined to make adjustments than men, and married people less than singles. Large families, probably compelled by the constraints, are especially prone to undertake changes in living conditions when a drought strikes.In general, the choices provided by economic feasibility, the possibilities of mitigating drought effects through technological know-how, and the social input of marriage and family size are very important parameters in shaping the character of the adjustments to drought.     

Haute cuisine versus healthy nutrition: cultural gradients in Europe and the geography of baby food

The article deals with the problem, how the geography of baby food in Europe may be explained by cultural patterns, differences in healthcare systems and standards of living. A survey, conducted in 12 European countries, revealed differences and similarities in gastronomic preferences and healthcare attitudes. National food markets and dietary targets reflect the pressure of internationalization on cultural traditions. Special attention is paid to the adaptation strategies of multinationals, operating in different cultural environments. The requirements to the qualities of baby food (the emphasis on being healthy or rather tasty, the choice of producers, etc.) reflect the whole variety of lifestyles in European countries, their economic opportunities, stability of cultural traditions, innovative potential.