Sustainable energy development in rural Asia

In considering the prospects for sustainable energy, most studies have focused on developments in the urban and industrial areas. However, in Asia where the bulk of the population continues to live in rural areas, it is essential to monitor the changes occurring in the countryside. Therefore, this paper examines the developments taking place in rural energy in Asia in general and focuses specifically on the situation in China. It is observed that a total reorganization of the energy picture is occurring in rural China with regard to both conventional and non-conventional energy, as a result of the huge market for power and fuel created by rapid economic growth. This has led to new distribution networks for electricity (with the Chinese Government following the example of the US Rural Electrification Administration), fossil fuels and renewable energy systems. The growing affluence of the population coupled with rapid industrialization is producing far-reaching changes in the transportation structure as well as in the household energy structure. The situation in China is seen to be comparable to that in other East and Southeast Asian countries, particularly those which combine a rapidly growing industrial sector with a large rural population engaged in agriculture, such as the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia.     

Quality of rainwater harvesting for rural communities of Delta State,Nigeria

This paper assess the level of potability of rainwater samples harvested from catchments roofs in 6 rural communities of Delta State, Nigeria to achieve this goal a stratified sampling technique was adopted in the establishment of 90 sterilized cans into the 3 senatorial districts of Delta; on the basis of one can for thatch, aluminium, asbestos and corrugated iron sheets, and open surfaces. Six rural communities each were chosen from the three senatorial districts, making a total of 18 rural communities that were chosen for the study. The harvested rainwater samples were analysed with the most appropriate equipment and analytical techniques as recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO) and federal ministry of environment in Nigeria. Kruskal—wallis H’test statistical techniques was employed to ascertain whether differences exist amongst the rainwater samples collected from thatch, aluminium, asbestos and corrugated iron roofing sheets, and open surfaces. The result revealed that most of physiochemical and biological characteristics of rainwater samples were generally below the WHO threshold, as such the rainwater characteristics showed satisfactory concentration in these rural communities. Thus, the rainwater from these rural communities should be harvested, stored for human consumption and for other uses by the inhabitants. But treatment is needed in terms of their pH, TSS, Fe and colour. Similarly, significant differences exist amongst the rainwater samples collected from the 5 roofing types, most especially low quality of rainwater were observed in thatch and asbestos roofing sheets. Thus, rainwater from these sources should be purified before consumption.     

Women's role in rural water supply and development: Trends and expectations in Nigeria

Summary There has been a paucity of reliable data on the contribution of Nigerian women in rural development, particularly with respect to water projects. From a detailed survey of many rural settings, and an evaluation of the availability of sources of water and the existing methods of purification, it was discovered that rural women, especially those of younger years, were heavily involved in water collection. The time and energy involved in water fetching and purification could sometimes be so high that other economic and domestic activities were adversely affected. The participation of Nigerian women in water development and quality improvement is hindered by problems, such as their standard of education, low level of awareness of the benefits of a good water source, lack of funds and organisational constraints. In general, this study has recognised an urgent need for more imaginative, better funded and better co-ordinated water development projects for the enhancement of the quality of life, especially for women in rural settings.     

Sustainable mobility in rural China

Rural areas in China suffer from various problems. The stagnating economic development and a lack of (sufficient) job opportunities and basic services, etc., lead to disadvantages for great parts of China's population. In this context, the transport sector plays a crucial role for the development of rural settlements. Although the degree of undersupply varies between villages, the situation of Chinese villages is often worsened by an insufficient developed transport sector. Regarding mobility in rural China, major constraints and therefore challenges are the difficult access to the transport infrastructure, bad road conditions and the lack of public transport systems. Improvements within the transport sector can be regarded as crucial for the economic and social development of (rural) China and should be carried out in a sustainable and holistic manner using participatory approaches. The aim should be the development of mobility strategies considering the specific needs within the field of transport, which shall have a decisive and positive impact on related sectors. This paper is based on experiences made during the 3 years lasting Sino-European research project SUCCESS (Sustainable Users Concept for China Engaging Scientific Scenario) that analyses the present and the potential future role of transport systems in selected rural areas of China. Referring to the case studies of three villages in rural China, some mobility-related projects that present a favourable impact not only on the transport sector but also on the social system and the economy shall be highlighted. Finally, based on the analysis, instruments and measures for the development of a pathway to a sustainable mobility in rural China will be outlined.     

Land use and solid waste generation in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Solid waste collection services in Ilorin, Nigeria are shown to be unsatisfactory. The poor service is related to rapid population growth, insufficient data and inconsistent government policies. Surveys have been conducted to assess the quantities and types of solid waste and to show how these, in part, vary according to the nature of the land use and the properties being served. Suggestions for an improved service are offered.     

Notions of environment and environmental management in Akwa Ibom State, Southeastern Nigeria

In the study of environmental degradation, there has not been sufficient attention paid to the perceptions of the local inhabitants. The importance of traditional beliefs and practices has often been overlooked. This paper looks at traditional and Christian beliefs in Akwa Ibom State in South Eastern Nigeria. Interviews, observations and focus group discussions were used to collect the data. The data analysis shows that knowledge and attitudes are somewhat linked to tradition but also influenced by Christian ideas concerning genesis. There are a number of recommendations made.     

Sustainable agriculture and eradication of rural poverty in Pakistan

Poverty is rampant in the rural areas of Pakistan, where people are in a state of deprivation with regard to incomes, clothing, housing, healthcare, education, sanitary facilities and human rights. Agriculture generates nearly 20.9 percent of the country's GDP and provides employment for 43.4 percent of its workforce. Most importantly, 65.9 percent of the population living in rural areas is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Rising population, shrinking agricultural land, increasing demand for water resources, widespread land degradation and inadequate infrastructure appear to be major concerns of the agriculture sector in Pakistan. An attempt has been made to examine the population growth–agriculture growth–poverty alleviation linkage. It is argued that agriculture will continue to be one of the most important sectors of Pakistan's economy for years to come. To alleviate poverty, it is suggested that Pakistan enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector through the provision of a series of inputs including provision of easy credit to the small farmer, availability of quality fertilizers and pesticides, tractor and harvester services, improvement in the effectiveness of the vast irrigation system and, finally, farmer education. It is concluded that the high rate of population growth needs to be curbed for increased agricultural productivity to have any significant effect on poverty in rural areas of Pakistan.     

Sustainable development in the Mediterranean region

Considering its specific economic, social, environmental and political features, the status and evolution of the Mediterranean have always been of great interest to its countries and concerned partners. From the protection of the sea against pollution, the interest was progressively expanded to land based development and its impacts on environment, to coastal management and finally to sustainable development with the establishment of the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD). Cumulated knowledge, coupled with political support and commitment to a common vision, has prepared the ground for the preparation of a regional strategy for sustainable development. Its preparatory process, coordinated by the MCSD Secretariat, has been very interactive, involving various stakeholders. The strategy, adopted in 2005, has raised awareness and induced the preparation of national sustainable development strategies.     

Iron and Zinc status in soils, water and staple food cultivars in Itakpe, Kogi State of Nigeria

The levels of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) were quantitatively determined in soil and water samples as well as in staple food cultivars in Itakpe, Nigeria's major iron mining town. The survey was conducted to establish a baseline pollution index for Fe and Zn in the Itakpe environment and to evaluate the role of foods as an exogenous source of these metals among the inhabitants. Exceedingly high levels of both metals characterized the staple food cultivars in the town.     

Natural resource abundance in Nigeria: From dependence to development

There are several strategies open to an economy in its attempt to attain sustainable economic development depending on its historical background and resource endowment. One of such is the resource-led strategy. Nigeria is superabundantly rich in crude oil and has reaped billions of petrodollars. However, the country seems to be facing the problem of successfully translating this huge oil wealth into sustainable development. This paper employs the vector error-correction methodology in examining the long-run impact of the huge oil wealth accruing to Nigeria on its economic development. Indicators such as per capita GDP (PGDP), household consumption, infrastructural development (electricity), and agricultural and manufacturing output growth rates are examined. The results suggest a significant positive long-run impact of per capita oil revenue on per capita household consumption and electricity generation, while a negative relationship is established for GDP, agriculture and manufacturing. Even for those variables with negative relationship at current period, there exist positive relationships at subsequent lags. Thus, oil revenue, if properly managed and invested, could be effectively used to induce oil-led development in Nigeria provided the current inhibitions of corruption, lack of transparency, accountability and fairness in its use and distribution are removed.     

Determination of heavy metals in toads exposed to oil polluted environment (Ekpan) Delta State,Nigeria

The concentrations of heavy metals (mg/g) Pb, Ni, Cu, Cr, Fe, Co, Cd, and Hg in the tissues of young and adult toads exposed to petroleum-polluted environment were determined in order to assess the impact of petroleum-processing activities in Ekpan. The data showed that the levels of these Metals ranged between 0.15–1.18 and 0.10–0.48 in young and adult toads respectively. The heavy metals concentrations reported for the young toads have an abundance trend in the order of Pb > Fe > Ni > Cr > Cu > Co > Cd > Hg, while those of the adult toads are in the order of Pb > Fe > Cr > Ni > Cu > Cd > Hg > Co. The control analysis was carried out in a non-oil polluted area (Obiaruku) and the values served as base line values for the study.     

Sustainable development in East Africa: impact evaluation of regional agricultural development projects in Burundi,Kenya, Rwanda,Tanzania, and Uganda

Investments in agricultural technologies, capacity building and policy harmonization are needed to support sustainable development across Africa. Regional development projects can facilitate the adoption of agricultural technologies and innovations across nation-state borders and generate benefits for shared prosperity. This paper uses panel data from 1,160 smallholder households including beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries from five countries in East Africa - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. From a pool of over 90 projects implemented over a span of 15 years, 23 regional projects are included in this study. The major economic benefits to smallholder participants are higher crop productivity and income, access to adaptable technologies, access to markets, higher livestock and milk production, gender equality, enhanced food security, resilience and capacity building for uptake and scaling up of future innovation platforms. For example, the adoption of low-cost tissue culture banana by the beneficiaries increased their incomes by 15% in Rwanda while the adoption of appropriate land and water management technologies increased the potato yields from 2.8 tons (USD 2,840/ha) to over 7.5 tons (USD 7,410/ha) in Kenya. The beneficiaries ensured value added to commodities like bananas (for export) and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (a nutrition-sensitive intervention for enhancing domestic intake of vitamin A) in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Additionally, milk production increased from 6 to 11 L per cow per day in Uganda and from 6 to 8 L per cow per day in Tanzania, with increases in sales generating USD 115 per cow per month above the non-beneficiaries. These results are supported by previous studies on technology adoption, investments in agriculture and well-being outcomes. Our findings with the higher farm income Difference-in-Differences (DiD) estimator for the female beneficiaries compared to male beneficiaries might have important implications for investing in regional development projects that will close the gender gap in agricultural productivity in Africa. Regional projects can also support post-conflict development efforts for food security and peace in fragile contexts such as in Burundi. Our findings might serve as an input to the African Union's Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, localization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to food security and agriculture in Africa and an input to monitoring, evaluation and learning.     

Solid waste management and a new environmental edict: a case study from Ilorin,Kwara State,Nigeria

Summary The Government of Nigeria is increasingly aware of problems emanating from poor environmental sanitation. This awareness has led to various edicts both at the national and state levels on environmental sanitation with particular reference to solid waste management. Such an edict was critically examined for the Kwara State of Nigeria. At a glance, the edict looks impressive and timely, but a closer study reveals many loopholes some of which are outlined. Most important of these, is a failure to consider adequately the full requirements of the population. Many of the facilities needed for effective implementation are also grossly inadequate. Suggestions are made to make the campaign for increased environmental sanitation in the nation more successful.This paper further elaborates a theme first partially developed by Dr Adedibu inThe Environmentalist, Vol. 5, pp. 123–127.     

Sediment redistribution in Ilorin,Nigeria

Summary Ilorin is a city in which there is a great deal of construction work currently taking place. Vast amounts of sand and gravel are transported from the suburbs into the city daily. Lack of planning has led to a misuse of the land, the consequence of which is sediment redistribution. Road surfaces and drains have become buried under sediment. There appears to be a fundamental conflict between the natural drainage network and the artificial drainage system.Over 90 percent of the people in Ilorin are aware of the problem, but they have not, as yet, urged any action, probably because the consequences of sediment redistribution and deposition are comparatively less disastrous than other natural hazards. However, water treatment costs are increasing and regular street maintenance is becoming impossible. There is a general deterioration of the city environment. The Ilorin sediment pollution has even resulted in traffic accidents, especially at T-junctions.This paper examines some of the sources and causes of the sediment and proposes possible solutions to the problem.Dr. R. O. Oyegun is a member of staff of the Department of Geography, in the Faculty of Business and Social Studies, at the University of Ilorin.     

Evaluating rural development in French Regional Nature Parks

Amenities and their management have become central to rural development. In France, Regional Nature Parks (RNPs) pursue sustainable development objectives by protecting and building on local resources. This paper presents an evaluation of the extent to which RNPs are associated with the development of their territories. To establish a control group, RNP municipalities located in two regions (Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes) are matched to other municipalities on the basis of amenity and spatial structure variables. Results do not show a negative impact of parks on the local economy. Moreover, the main positive effect of RNPs is on tourism accommodation and residential employment.     

Management strategies for rural water development

Non-sustainability of programmes and projects has become an overriding concern for the water supply and sanitation sector. Poor programme conceptualization, unimaginative planning, use of inappropriate technologies and rigid management approaches have contributed to high rates of programme failure. Five major water supply programmes undertaken during the UN Water Decade in the Western Sudan were analysed for their management approaches, appropriateness and sustainability. Results prompt the conclusion that sustainable projects need to adopt an adaptive and flexible management approach and to employ a conceptual framework which emphasizes community management, the empowerment of women, selection of appropriate low cost technologies, built in operation and maintenance strategies, cost recovery and institutional support to government.     

Sustainable development: Scientific and ethical assessments

The problem of assessing the sustainability of human development is discussed in theoretical and practical terms.In Part I, two theoretical tools for describing the challenge of assessing sustainable development are introduced and briefly discussed: (i) the use of an energetic model to describe the dynamic interaction between the human and the biophysical compartment; (ii) basic concepts derived from the hierarchy theory applied to the development of human society. Sustainable and ethical development of human society requires the consideration of three hierarchical levels: the biosphere, the societal and the individual level. Such a holistic assessment can be obtained by integrating scientific and ethical considerations.In Part II, data illustrating the current terms of the dilemma of human development are presented and discussed within the theoretical frame provided in Part I. It is argued that even if we had a better understanding of the consequeces of human activity on the biosphere, current modes of organization of human society and its economic activity do not readily enable adequate planning for the sustainable development of mankind. Ideologies that can bias the discussion and the assessment of sustainable and ethical development are discussed. No solution is at hand; therefore, when we consider human development today, we are facing a high level of uncertainty.