Rural household vulnerability to climate risk in Uganda

Regional Environmental Change - Vulnerability assessment is fundamental for informing adaptation to climate change policy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the vulnerability of rural...     

农地流转与农户生计策略联合决策研究

基于中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)2014年农村住户数据,采用多元probit模型实证检验了农户土地流转决策、农户种植经济作物决策和非农劳动力转移决策之间的相互影响。研究发现:①农户土地流转与劳动力非农转移和经济作物种植生计决策相互关联。总体而言,土地转入与种植经济作物决策正相关,与非农劳动力转移决策负相关。土地转出与非农劳动力转移决策正相关,与种植经济作物决策负相关。②土地流转与农户非农劳动力转移和经济作物种植等生计策略的关系与农地流转规模相关,小规模和中等规模的土地转入与非农劳动力转移之间未有显著关系,与经济作物种植决策具有显著正向关系,但大规模的土地转入与农户经济作物种植决策和非农就业决策显著负相关。③土地流转是否影响农户生计多样化决策还取决于地区机械化程度。机械化程度较高的平原地区土地转入决策与农户非农劳动力转移和经济作物种植决策未有显著关系,而机械化程度较低的高山、丘陵、高原等地区土地转入决策与农户种植经济作物和非农就业决策分别存在正相关和负相关关系,表明随着机械化对农业劳动力替代程度的增强,土地流转对农户劳动力配置的影响效应减弱。政策建议是:①统筹推进农村土地、劳动力市场发展,推动农户土地流转参与,促进转出户生计向非农专业化转移,促进转入户农地适度规模经营;②完善农机社会化服务市场,提高农机和农技融合使用深度和广度,提高农机对农业劳动力的替代弹性,增强转入户农业劳动力农地规模经营的能力,增加农业生产比较收益。     

Assessment of indoor air quality and housing,household and health characteristics in densely populated urban slums

Environment, Development and Sustainability - This study provides the first quantitative assessment of seasonal variation in indoor PM2.5 in the high-air pollution risk and densely populated slums...     

Distribution of benefits based on household participation roles in decentralized conservation within Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project,Nepal

Kanchenjunga Conservation Area is located in the remote and sparsely populated mountainous region of Eastern Nepal. It has been locally managed as a decentralized Integrated Conservation and Development Project since 2006, the first of its kind in Asia. Major international donor agencies sponsor programs to empower and strengthen the capacity of local communities to manage their natural resources, while concurrently improving livelihood opportunities. We surveyed 205 randomly selected households throughout the project area to assess the factors that influence household participation roles in management and management groups, and to evaluate how benefits from program involvement were distributed among the community. Overall, the distribution of benefits was unequal: households with higher level participation roles had increased access to financial credit and capacity development trainings. Social variables such as age, level of education among head of households, the highest level education among household adults, and household size predicted participation. The region is economically homogeneous; therefore, economic factors such as remittances, off-farm income and the quantity of landholdings or livestock did not predict household participation roles. Our results demonstrate the importance of targeting and empowering disadvantaged households in decentralized conservation programs, including educating members about the relationship between participation and equitable distribution of benefits.     

Soil salinity,household wealth and food insecurity in tropical deltas: evidence from south-west coast of Bangladesh

As a creeping process, salinisation represents a significant long-term environmental risk in coastal and deltaic environments. Excess soil salinity may exacerbate existing risks of food insecurity in densely populated tropical deltas, which is likely to have a negative effect on human and ecological sustainability of these regions and beyond. This study focuses on the coastal regions of the Ganges–Brahmaputra delta in Bangladesh, and uses data from the 2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey and the Soil Resource Development Institute to investigate the effect of soil salinity and wealth on household food security. The outcome variables are two widely used measures of food security: calorie availability and household expenditure on food items. The main explanatory variables tested include indicators of soil salinity and household-level socio-economic characteristics. The results of logistic regression show that in unadjusted models, soil salinisation has a significant negative effect on household food security. However, this impact becomes statistically insignificant when households’ wealth is taken into account. The results further suggest that education and remittance flows, but not gender or working status of the household head, are significant predictors of food insecurity in the study area. The findings indicate the need to focus scholarly and policy attention on reducing wealth inequalities in tropical deltas in the context of the global sustainable deltas initiative and the proposed Sustainable Development Goals.     

Modelling livelihoods and household resilience to droughts using Bayesian networks

Over the last four decades, the Indian government has been investing heavily in watershed development (WSD) programmes that are intended to improve the livelihoods of rural agrarian communities and maintain or improve natural resource condition. Given the massive investment in WSD in India, and the recent shift from micro-scale programmes (<500 ha) to meso-scale (~5000 ha) clusters, robust methodological frameworks are needed to measure and analyse impacts of interventions across landscapes as well as between and within communities. In this paper, the sustainable livelihoods framework is implemented using Bayesian networks (BNs) to develop models of drought resilience and household livelihoods. Analysis of the natural capital component model provides little evidence that watershed development has influenced household resilience to drought and indicators of natural capital, beyond an increased area of irrigation due to greater access to groundwater. BNs have proved a valuable tool for implementing the sustainable livelihoods framework in a retrospective evaluation of implemented WSD programmes. Many of the challenges of evaluating watershed interventions using BNs are the same as for other analytical approaches. These are reliance on retrospective studies, identification and measurement of relevant indicators and isolating intervention impacts from contemporaneous events. The establishment of core biophysical and socio-economic indicators measured through longitudinal household surveys and monitoring programmes will be critical to the success of BNs as an evaluation tool for meso-scale WSD.     

Distribution of health costs of pesticide use by household economy

We observed skewed distribution across household of benefits of pesticide use in vegetable farming in Nepal. However, economic burden or harm of pesticide use and exposure by household economy is poorly studied. It is hypothesized that exaggerated and incompetent pesticide use is likely to affect human health that may lead to decline in human productivity, and economic loss––that may further marginalize farmers. Thus, a study was conducted in the Ansi khola watershed of Kavrepalanchowk District of central Nepal. The primary aim of the study was to value risks of pesticide use and to estimate health costs of exposure by household category. We grouped household into “large-scale” who owns more than 1 ha of agricultural land, “small-scale” having <0.5 ha and “medium-scale” in between >0.5 and <1 ha. Data were collected through (1) an initial household survey conducted from May to June 2008, (2) monthly visit surveys accomplished from June to November 2008 and (3) a final household survey conducted during November to December 2009. The cost of pesticide use and exposure was highest for medium-scale household; however, the economic burden in relation to incomes was the highest for small-scale household. On the basis of area under vegetables, small-scale household incurred 23 % higher economic burdens compared to the large-scale household. Overall, the cost of pesticide use and exposure amounted 15 % of agricultural income and/or 5 % of gross household income. For small-scale households, the cost was equivalent to 18 % of agricultural income and 6 % of gross income. Small-scale households are not only deprived from benefits of agriculture intensification, but also incurred highest burden of pesticide use.     

Screening of household products for the emission of volatile organic compounds

10 household products, eight waxes or polishes, and two detergents have been screened by a headspace technique for the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Using Tenax sampling and analysis by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) more than 80 single compounds or groups of isomers have been identified, and semiquantitative data on the initial emission rates (emission rate immediately after application) have been obtained. Products fall into two groups: those containing water as a main (80 to 90%) constituent and those without water. The initial emission rate of the first group ranged from 0.2 to 2 μg cm⁻²min⁻¹, whereas the second group had higher emission rates of up to 430 μg cm⁻²min⁻¹. Products of the second group emit essentially hydrocarbons (alkanes, alkenes, and terpenes), whereas most products of the first group emit oxygenated compounds including terpene alcohols and their acetates, aliphatic alcohols and esters, and alkoxy-alcohols.     

A preliminary survey of household and personal carbon dioxide emissions in Ireland

A model specifically designed for Ireland was used to measure CO(2)e emissions (CO(2), CH(4) and N(2)O) from Irish households for the first time. A total of 103 Irish households with occupancy rates varying between 1 and 6 (mean 2.9) were surveyed. The average annual household emission was found to be 16.55 t CO(2)e y(-1), which is equivalent to an average personal emission of 5.70 t CO(2)e Ca(-1) y(-1) comprising 42.2% related to home energy use, 35.1% to transport, 20.6% to air travel and other fuel intensive leisure activities, and just 2.1% associated with household waste disposal. Air travel accounts for an average personal emission of 1.152 t CO(2)e Ca(-1) y(-1), although this is highest in single and two person households at 1.693 and 2.227 t CO(2)e Ca(-1) y(-1) respectively. Household energy consumption becomes more efficient when occupancy rate increases. The most energy efficient homes in the survey were terraced with a natural gas heating systems. The least efficient were detached house with oil fuelled heating system.     

Microbial content of household dust associated with exhaled NO in asthmatic children

Exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is increasingly used as a non-invasive measure of airway inflammation. Despite this, little information exists regarding the potential effects of indoor microbial components on eNO. We determined the influence of microbial contaminants in house dust and other indoor environmental characteristics on eNO levels in seven-year-olds with and without a physician-diagnosis of asthma. The study included 158 children recruited from a birth cohort study, and 32 were physician-diagnosed as asthmatic. The relationship between eNO levels and exposures to home dust streptomycetes, endotoxin, and molds was investigated. Streptomycetes and endotoxin were analyzed both as loads and concentrations in separate models. Dog, cat, and dust mite allergens also were evaluated. In the multivariate exposure models, high streptomycetes loads and concentrations were significantly associated with a decrease in eNO levels in asthmatic (p < 0.001) but not in healthy children. The presence of dog allergen, however, was associated with increased levels of eNO (p = 0.001). Dust endotoxin was not significant. The relationship between eNO and indoor exposure to common outdoor molds was u-shaped. In non-asthmatic children, none of the exposure variables was significantly associated with eNO levels. To our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating a significant association between microbial components in the indoor environment and eNO levels in asthmatic children. This study demonstrates the importance of simultaneously assessing multiple home exposures of asthmatic children to better understand opposing effects. Common components of the indoor Streptomyces community may beneficially influence airway inflammation.     

The role of household demographic factors in shaping transportation spending in Turkey

Environment, Development and Sustainability - Factors at the family scale, for which dynamic decisions and proper investments need to be made at the national level in curbing greenhouse gas...     

政府干预农地流转:农户收入及资源配置效率

本文基于江苏省苏北地区灌云县和金湖县的农户调研,采用内生性处理回归模型考察政府干预下土地流转对不同类型农户收入的影响,并从农户土地和劳动力资源配置效率的角度解释农户收入变化的根源。研究结果表明,政府干预下土地流转对不同类型农户收入的影响效应有很大差异,农户土地转入后收入增加了161.2%,转出户收入并未显著增加;从农户资源配置角度考察,发现农户转入土地后农业生产效率显著提高,转出土地后农业生产率降低;农户土地转出后非农工作时间和工作报酬并未显著增加,表明转出户并未提高非农劳动力资源配置效率。同时,本文比较政府主导和农户自发两种类型农地流转对农户收入和资源配置效率的影响差异。结果发现,相对于自发土地流转的农户,政府主导下农户转入更大面积土地,并显著提高了单位面积土地生产效率和家庭收入水平;而政府干预土地转出不利于农户土地和劳动力资源配置效率及收入水平的提高。基于以上分析,本文认为政府干预降低了土地流转交易费用,有利于转入户扩大土地面积,实现规模经济效益,进而增加转入户收入;然而,政府干预下转出户资源配置面临较大约束,配置效率和收入都未能实现最大化。因此,政府在完善农地流转服务政策的同时,应当尊重农户土地流转意愿,使得农户土地流转符合家庭资源配置收入最大化目标。同时,要通过非农就业培训、发展非农经济,吸纳更多劳动力转移到非农业领域,进一步促进农村土地流转和规模经营,优化农村土地和劳动力资源配置效率,持续增加农民收入。     

Respiratory effects of household exposures to tobacco smoke and gas cooking on nonsmokers

The records of 708 nonsmoking white adult residents of Washington County, MD, who had participated in two of respiratory symptoms were analyzed to evaluate the effects of exposure at home to two potential sources of indoor air pollution: cigarette smoking by other household members, and use of gas as a cooking fuel. After adjustment for the effects of age, sex, socioeconomic level, occupational exposure to dust, and years of residence in household, the presence of one or more smokers in the household was only suggestively associated with a higher frequency of chronic phlegm and impaired ventilatory function defined as FEV₁ < 80% predicted. The use for cooking was associated with a significantly increased frequency of chronic cough and a significantly greater percentage with impaired ventilatory function as measured both by FEV₁ < 80% predicted and by FEV₁/FVC < 70%.     

Perceptions matter: household adaptive capacity and capability in two Australian coastal communities

Regional Environmental Change - This paper presents empirical data on household perceptions of capability to adapt to climate hazards and associated capacity needs. Households play an important...     

Spatio-temporal modelling of electric vehicle charging demand and impacts on peak household electrical load

This paper presents a composite methodology for obtaining spatial and temporal projections of charging demand and peak-shaving potential from plug-in electric vehicles (EVs), and the associated spatio-temporal impacts on peak household electrical load. The methodology comprises a suite of models of future EV uptake, travel by households, household electricity demand and recharge/discharge of EVs at their home locations. The analysis is disaggregated to hourly time-steps over a full year, and spatially to mesh blocks comprising around 250 houses per block. The modelling suite is applied to an analysis of peak household load impacts across the state of Victoria, Australia, under nine different combinations of EV uptake and charging/discharging behaviour. The projected increase in peak household electrical loads under expected penetration rates and charging demands is less than 10 % on most high-demand days, but can be up to 15 % on a handful of days and geographic locations. Peak-load impacts under off-peak charging are mostly less than 5 %. With judicious EV discharging strategies, there is potential to shave peak loads on the highest demand days by up to 5 %.     

Rainfall variability and household coping strategies in northern Tanzania: a motivation for district-level strategies

Climate variability is an important stress factor for rural livelihoods in most developing countries where households have been adapting to environmental shocks for decades. Climate change results in increased variability and poses new challenges for rural livelihoods, as well as for policymakers in adjusting policies to changing conditions. This paper examines the potential relationships between rainfall data and household self-reported harvest shocks and local (spatial) variability of harvest shocks and coping strategies based on a survey of 2,700 rural households in the Kagera region of northern Tanzania. The results show that rainfall patterns in the region are very location-specific and that the distribution of household reported harvest shocks differs significantly between districts and correspond to the observed variability in local climate patterns. Coping strategies are focused on spreading risks and include reduced consumption, casual employment, new crops, external support and the selling of assets. There are no large differences in applied coping strategies across the region, but district-level data demonstrate how local strategies differ between localities within the districts. The results emphasize that in order to target rural policies and make them efficient, it is important to take into account the local conditions that rural households face when experiencing climate-related shocks. Finally, shocks reported by households appear to correspond well with observed variability in rainfall patterns.     

China’s Grain for Green policy and farm dynamics: simulating household land-use responses

Analyzing the interaction between environmental policies and farmers’ responses to them is an important dimension to understand regional agro-ecosystem sustainability. We examine land-use outcomes of perhaps the largest government-planned rural reforestation program in the history of humankind, China’s “Grain for Green” (GFG) policy from 1999 to 2006. Specifically, we simulate household responses to the GFG policy in Western China’s Shaanxi Province, a region experiencing acute climate and land change-related environmental degradation. We develop a “farmer group decision-making model” to simulate the probability of land-use change. Elevation, slope, and farm household characteristics emerge as key factors influencing farmers’ land-use decisions and subsequent land-use patterns. Land reversion and abandonment in the study area have been significantly affected by the GFG program. Policy recommendations suggest potential avenues to enhance the effectiveness of the GFG program and to improve the efficient use of under-used farmland. Results may help inform the Chinese government as it crafts policy guiding a coupled rural migration and reforestation program of unprecedented scale.     

Influence of social capital on farmer household income gap: total effect and structural effect

Based on the survey data of typical villages in Shaanxi Province, China, the effect of social capital on the income gap of farmers’ households was analyzed using the Shapley value of the total amount of social capital and the social capital structure. The results show the following: first, social capital can expand the household income gap, and the effect of this index on the household income gap is 7.54%. Second, the indexes of the social capital dimension can expand the household income gap, and the structural effects of the household income gap on social networks, social trust, and social participation are 3.17%, 3.64%, and 0.65%, respectively. Third, no dimension of the path is the same as the effect on the household income gap.