Mainstreaming local health through herbal gardens in India: a tool to enhance women active agency and primary health care?

In the last few years, an increasing attention has been given to home herbal gardens, especially due to a revived interest in food security and sustainable development. The uses of home herbal gardens and their role in the livelihoods of rural poor uses have been analyzed in the literature. Despite this, few studies focus on the role of home gardens for primary health care and their relevance for the household and women’s health. In addition, any analysis has been carried out on the socioeconomic values of home herbal gardens in respect of the medicinal plants. This article wants to bridge this gap by analyzing the role of herbal gardens in the local livelihoods in rural India (Tamil Nadu state). The article also highlights their impact in terms of health for the local communities, with a special focus on poor rural women. Final conclusions on the relevance of home herbal gardens for primary health care and socioeconomic development of lower castes in India are drawn.     

Using critical systems thinking to foster an integrated approach to sustainability: a proposal for development practitioners

Throughout the development sector, there is increasing recognition of links between the environment and aspects of development such as poverty alleviation, health, income generation, and agriculture. While furnished with a diverse range of perspectives and approaches, development practice is in need of ways to better conceptualize the interactions between the social, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability so that opportunities for simultaneous improvement in human and ecological well-being can be identified more readily. Critical systems thinking is proposed as a way for development practitioners to conceptualize and act toward the integration of these economic, social, and environmental dimensions and, in so doing, support communities to nurture both human and ecosystem well-being. Four desirable attributes of a critical systems thinking approach to development are identified based on development literature, critical systems literature, and the author’s research into sustainability in semi-rural communities in Vietnam. The four attributes are ‘a systems thinking approach;’ ‘an ethical base to action and choices;’ ‘critical reflection permeates processes;’ and ‘appreciation of diverse views and application of diverse approaches.’ These attributes are described and then offered as the basis for further discussion of the ways in which simultaneous improvement of human well-being and ecosystem health can become an integral part of development practice.     

Women NGOs and rural women empowerment activities in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

The study attempted to document beneficiaries’ perceptions on the contributions of Women NGOs (WNGOs) to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The specific objectives of the study included: an assessment of WNGOs contributions to improvements’ in beneficiaries’ socio-economic activities and constraints affecting beneficiaries’ participation in WNGOs activities. An attempt was also made to determine the existence of a significant relationship between the pre and post-participation income of WNGOs beneficiaries. A sample size of 240 respondents from 48 Local Women Groups (LWGs), which are affiliated to three active WNGOs in four states of the Niger Delta were utilized for the study. Findings revealed that WNGOs cater for a broad spectrum of rural women. WNGOs were revealed to affect beneficiaries’ socio-economic statuses through increased income generation, health awareness and acquisition of food processing skills. Constraints affecting beneficiaries’ participation in WNGOs activities include: inadequate credit facilities, and poor utilization of credit advances, resulting in poor loan repayment levels. A direct relationship was also revealed to exist between increased beneficiary exposures to WNGOs credit facilities and increased beneficiary income. It is believed that WNGOs are capable of more effective inputs into human and community development activities. Recommendations are proffered in this respect. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.     

Non-timber forest products farming and empowerment of rural women in Ghana

United Nations estimates indicate that up to 70% of the world’s poor are female, and women in developing countries constitute the majority of the labour force, playing a key role in managing community resources and helping to improve food security and protect the environment. Increased attention in recent years has been focused on the potential role of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in improving the incomes and health of women in developing countries. NTFPs farming and marketing are very critical for the economic empowerment of rural poor, particularly women. Despite this potential, the contribution of NTFPs farming to the empowerment of women remains largely undervalued and understudied. This paper examines the potential contribution of NTFPs farming in poverty reduction and livelihood improvement of women in Ghana using the Sefwi Wiawso District (SWD) and Bibiani-Bekwai District (BBD) in the Western Region of Ghana as a case study. The paper explores the contribution of NTFPs farming to the total annual income, acquisition of assets, health, and food security of women through participatory research methods. ANOVA and Pearson Correlation (p < 0.05) show that a significant association exists between total annual income of women, acquisition of assets, health, food security, and the income earned from NTFPs in the SWD and BBD. The study revealed that NTFPs can contribute significantly to the economic empowerment of women. The paper asserts that commercialisation of NTFPs will have a greater impact on women’s livelihoods and therefore any opportunity for increasing their involvement is very essential for the empowerment and sustainable development of rural communities in Ghana.     

Environmental change,development and vectorborne disease: Malaysia’s experience with filariasis,scrub typhus and dengue

During Malaysia’s rapid economic development into becoming a middle income country in the past several decades, environmental changes resulted in altered land use patterns because of agricultural practices such as large scale rice, rubber and oil palm cultivation. The impact of environmental changes brought about by rice and rubber cultivation affected the breeding habitats of mosquito vectors which in turn affected the prevalence of two strains of lymphatic filariasis in different ways. With scrub typhus, the development of oil palm plantations affected the ecology of mite and rodent populations which resulted in very high incidence of the disease in affected populations. Malaysia’s relentless urbanization has resulted in increased incidence of dengue, as peridomestic mosquito vectors increasingly colonize urban habitats. This article discusses how ecological factors determine the way lymphatic filariasis, scrub typhus and dengue were spread in Malaysia. The nation’s experience with environmental changes due to rapid development provides lessons for other developing countries in control programs and public health policy.     

Rural settlement expansion and paddy soil loss across an ex-urbanizing watershed in eastern coastal China during market transition

Historically, paddy soils are the most valuable natural resources that produce about 90% of staple food in eastern coastal China. Dispersed patterns of rapid rural settlement expansion, or “exurban”, are recognized as key threats to the region’s food security through paddy soil loss. Analyzing the process of ex-urbanization and its impact has profound implications for the sustainable development of rural China. Based on official statistics and data derived from satellite images, dynamics of rural settlement expansion and paddy soil loss were outlined for Tiaoxi watershed during China’s market transition period (1994–2003). Particularly, rural settlements became more aggregated and total area expanded by 183% at an average rate of 12.3% per year for the whole watershed. Existing cores, open areas away from urban centers and areas near major transportation lines and river channels, observed the highest specialization in rural residential growth. Being closely associated with rural settlement in spatial distribution, open large paddy soil patches acted as another kind of center for rural settlement expansion within the landscape. Variations in rural settlement expansion were detected among different-tier counties, such as speed of rural settlement expansion, speed of build-ups growth per capita. These variations were closely related to social-economic development. The rapid rural settlement expansion led to a considerable loss of paddy soil, about 11% of the total amount for the whole watershed. Linear regression identified a significant relationship between paddy soil loss and rural settlement expansion. Given the social and ecological problems associated with paddy soil loss, we argue that innovative and effective planning policies as well as management programs that target at paddy soil protection should be developed and implemented in rural China. In particular, we suggest using watershed as an appropriate spatial unit for sustainable paddy soil management in this investigation.     

Energy futures and green chemistry: competing for carbon

Global energy demand is expected to increase from the current 400 ExaJ per year to as much as 700–1,000 ExaJ per year by the middle of this century. If fossil carbon resources continue to make up the bulk of the energy supply, not only will atmospheric carbon dioxide increase to levels not seen for the past 30–35 million years, but depleting fossil carbon resources will become increasingly less available for other purposes, particularly the production of chemicals on which society now depends. The chemical process industries are heavily dependent on the availability of low-price petroleum as a feedstock. Recent life-cycle analyses suggest that pursuing both strategies of renewable energy sources and renewable feedstocks (i.e. biomass) will be required to meet these competing demands. Reducing the global use of both energy and manufactured chemicals will be a challenge for sustainable development. Education of the next generation of chemists and chemical engineers will have to change significantly from its current emphasis on petrochemical-based manufacturing to include a much greater emphasis on renewable resources and bio-based processes.Brief accounts of this work were presented at the 7th International Symposium on Green Chemistry in China (Zhuhai, People’s Republic of China, May 2005) and at the Joint US–China Green Chemistry Workshop (Beijing, People’s Republic of China, May 2005; this workshop was supported by US National Science Foundation grant CHE-0522369).     

火电燃料消费过程对资源环境的影响评估

我国以化石能源为主要燃料的火电生产导致了严重的资源枯竭和环境污染问题,定量评估火电燃料消费对资源环境的影响是区域可持续发展研究的重要内容。在估算火电燃料燃烧及运输、生产过程中排放的主要大气污染物的基础上,利用成分法计算相应的生态足迹,定量评估火电燃料消费过程对资源环境的影响。结果表明：我国1 kW〖DK〗·h火电的燃料消费过程中排放的CO2、CH4、NOx、SO2、烟尘分别为107 kg、993×10-3 kg、646×10-3 kg、260×10-3 kg、202×10-2 kg;全国火电燃料消费占用的生态足迹由2000年的50 67444万hm2,增加到2007年的123 84208万hm2,年均增长1362％;CO2和NOx的生态足迹平均比重高达836％,是影响资源环境的主要因子,SO2、烟尘与CH4三者合计仅164%,对资源环境的冲击相对较小     

Design concept for an ecological relaxing textile product using solar energy

We can enhance our quality of life and reduce environmental impacts by making improvements in textile product design. By thinking about the environment when we design, choose and use technology, we can play an important part in building a better world for the future. If we are going to live in a sustainable way, the technology that we use has to be sustainable.

This paper provides an insight into how the design of textile products could provide for a more sustainable future. It describes a design concept for an ecological relaxing textile that uses photovoltaic cells to collect and store solar energy and to power an electronic relaxing system. This design may help improve our quality of life now and in the future.

The raw materials and processes, the electronic devices and the dimensions of solar energy for this application are analysed from an environmental perspective. The solar relaxing textile can facilitate our daily life by providing increased comfort and well being, and also acts as an indirect message to use renewable energy within textile support, in order to preserve our ecology.     

农户对生物质能源产业参与意愿实证分析——以湖北省为例

生物质能源一直是人类赖以生存的重要能源,它是仅次于煤炭、石油和天然气而居于世界能源消费总量第四位的能源,在整个能源系统中占有重要地位。生物质能源产业的发展不仅仅需要产品生产企业、政府相关机构的参与,微观个体农户同样扮演着至关重要的角色。农户对生物质能源产业的态度和行为,会对政府和生产者的行为选择产生深刻影响。以湖北农户对生物质能源产业的参与意愿的调查为例,运用因子分析法,对农户对生物质能源产业参与意愿和参与行为的影响因素进行分析。分析结果表明：预期收益、年均纯收入、环保意识、文化程度、配套设备生产情况、产品技术成熟度、相关政策支持、商品能源使用率、当地生物质资源量9个因素会影响农户参与意愿。提出了相应的建议：一是提高农户对生物质能源的预期收益和农户收入水平;二是从根本上提高农户综合素质,增强环境保护意识;三是完善生物质能源产业技术、政策支撑体系,合理开发利用生物质资源     

Urban hinterlands—the case of an Israeli town ecological footprint

Modern urban life is characterized by the consumption of materials and energy, which are imported from all over the world and discharge waste that in many cases has a negative impact on ecosystems far from the cities in which they consumed. Indeed, cities cannot survive without worldwide hinterlands for resources and emissions sequestration. The ecological footprint (EF) concept provides valuable insights into the human appropriation of resources relative to earth’s carrying capacity, and therefore it enables us to compare human demands with nature’s supply and provides an indicator of human ecological sustainability. An attempt was made to calculate the EF of Ra’anana, Israel as a case study, to compare the EF-value with the expected for ecological sustainability and to emphasize the dependence on overseas ecosystems. Ra’anana, a town of 67,300 inhabitants in the year 2002, is considered a ‘dormitory town’ with a high quality of life. The EF was calculated using mainly the component method. The calculated EF for Ra’anana is 4.0 ha/resident which means that the required hinterland, located all over the world, is nearly 180 times the size of the town. The town’s EF is twice the value expected for sustainability on a global scale. We draw several scenarios in order to reduce the EF. On a national basis as well as with the town case study, electric energy, food and waste can be reduced and in turn would have a dramatic impact on the EF.

Population dynamics,rural livelihoods and environmental degradation: some experiences from Tanzania

Population growth and environmental degradation are closely linked. Increasing population has in many rural areas of Tanzania contributed to changes in land use/cover patterns, land fragmentation and livelihood insecurity. Increasing demand for food, energy and other environmental services has contributed to expansion of agriculture, including marginal areas, and deforestation often leading to environmental degradation. Increased reliance on natural resources for rural livelihoods, subsistence nature of the agricultural sector and limited economic opportunities in rural areas are among the factors leading to rural–rural and rural–urban migrations searching for better livelihood opportunities. The high urban demand for food and biomass energy from rural areas has also contributed to rural deforestation and overall environmental degradation. This paper addresses the linkages between population and environmental degradation in Tanzania. It argues that effective implementation of development and resources management policies can lead to environmental sustainability even with growing populations. It provides evidence from successful land management interventions such as HADO, HASHI and SECAP, which support the argument that with effective implementation of resource management initiatives even larger populations can be supported by the available resources. Such successful interventions ought to be emulated elsewhere with similar environmental problems.     

中国液态生物质燃料产业发展的间接社会收益分析

液态生物质燃料在发展过程中具有外部性,体现出的间接社会收益应得到中国政府的重视,也是该产业扩大发展的重要依据。提出液态生物质燃料产业发展的间接社会收益概念,分析该产业在原料搜集和种植、产品消费等过程中产生的额外经济价值,以度量对改善生态环境的直接作用。在分析生物质燃料原料分布和理清原料搜集的细节后,利用直接市场法测算了未来20年中国发展液态生物质燃料的间接社会收益,发现：到2015年,来自该产业的间接社会收益将达1 000亿元以上,到2030年将突破1万亿元。巨大的社会经济价值从另一个侧面折射出液态生物质燃料产业发展的必要性     

The livelihood potential of non-wood forest products: The case of Mbooni Division in Makueni District, Kenya

Forestry is a productive sector with significant effects on meeting national socio-economic and environmental functions as well as the improvement of rural livelihoods. Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) in particular have been widely advocated by conservation and development organisations as potential alternative livelihood strategies, particularly among vulnerable forest dependant households. Like in most tropical countries, NWFPs are relevant in the sustainable development of Kenya that is particularly endowed with important forest resources. Kenya hosts about 17 million ha of forested land (about 3.51% of the total Sub-Saharan Africa forest cover by 2000), of which about 16,865,000 ha is under natural forest (EarthTrends: Forests, grasslands and drylands, 2003). Outside the gazetted forests, there are other large tracks of forests in trust lands, including national parks and reserves, hill forest reserves and privately owned lands covering about 0.5 million ha (Kenya’s forest resource assessment in the EC-FAO Partnership Programme Report, 2000; The Kenya Forests Act, 2005). Woodlands, bushlands and wooded grasslands, mainly found in the arid and semi-arid lands cover 37.6 million ha, while forest plantations (started in 1946) cover about 170,000 ha of land (The Kenya forestry master plan, 1994–2020, 1994). In most NWFPs endowed regions of the country however, this socio-economic and environmental potential is still unrealized. We illustrate the latter by a case study of NWFPs use and management in four villages in Mbooni Division of Makueni District, Kenya. The division was chosen because of its relatively high NWFPs availability, particularly from South Mbooni forest that is located at a distance less than 5 km for an estimated 80% of the interviewed households. Data used for the analysis was collected through a fieldwork survey carried out on women (35+ years) in August, 2005. One hundred and sixty (160) NWFPs are harvested (from plant and animal species) and used mainly for food, income generation (supplemental) and medicinal purposes. A number of challenges limit women’s enjoyment of the full benefits from NWFPs exploitation, the overriding problem being their inadequacy (in quantity and/or quality). In this paper we discuss these commonly utilized and managed NWFPs plant species in Mbooni and their potential contribution to improved livelihoods and sustainable development in Mbooni, Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in general.     

Gatekeepers of island communities: exploring the pillars of sustainable development

Sustainable development (SD) is generally recognised as having three dimensions, ecological, economic and social. Yet, its implementation is burdened with resistance and conflict rooted in the short-term ‘business as usual’ development model, opposed to the long-term sustainable benefit of local communities. Hence, the development of strategies to implement SD projects may require further differentiation of these dimensions in relation to the contextual situation in which the project resides. In two studies of SD projects on the Croatian islands, we identify five interlocking spheres of importance, Spiritual, Political, Economic, Educational and Health, in addition to Ecological. Each of these spheres is accessible through gate-keepers, individuals or a group of people who have the authority over the sector and as such, significantly influence public opinion. We suggest that in this particular island context the sustainability of these projects may lie with those gate-keepers. Hence, initiating and maintaining SD projects in these contexts requires a structured and targeted lobbying of these gate-keepers.     

Effect of bioethanol and thermal barrier coating on the performance of dual fuel engine operating on Honge oil methyl ester (HOME) and producer gas induction

Alternative fuels have numerous advantages compared to fossil fuels as they are renewable, biodegradable; provide energy security and foreign exchange saving besides addressing environmental concerns and socio-economic issues as well. Renewable fuels can be used predominantly as fuel for both transportation and power generation applications. Improved engine performance with reduced engine exhaust emissions is a major research objective in engine development. Today, the use of biomass derived producer gas is more relevant for addressing rural power generation and is a promising technique for controlling both nitric oxide (NO_x) and soot emission levels. In view of this, exhaustive experiments on the use of Honge oil methyl ester (HOME)–Producer gas in a dual fuel engine have been carried out with an intension of improving its fuel efficiency. This paper mainly presents results on a single cylinder four stroke direct injection diesel engine operated in dual fuel mode using HOME–Producer gas combination with and without bio-ethanol addition and thermal barrier coating (TBC). Further, the results were compared with diesel–producer gas mode of operation. Experimental investigation on dual fuel operation using HOME+5% bioethanol (BE5)–Producer gas operation with TBC showed 12.35% increased brake thermal efficiency with decreased hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions and increased NO_x emission levels compared to HOME–Producer gas mode of operation.     

Long-term dynamics of terrestrial carbon stocks in Austria: a comprehensive assessment of the time period from 1830 to 2000

This article presents a comprehensive data set on Austria’s terrestrial carbon stocks from the beginnings of industrialization in the year 1830 to the present. It is based on extensive historical and recent land use and forestry data derived from primary sources (cadastral surveys) for the early nineteenth century, official statistics available for later parts of the nineteenth century as well as the twentieth century, and forest inventory data covering the second half of the twentieth century. Total carbon stocks—i.e. aboveground and belowground standing crop and soil organic carbon—are calculated for the entire period and compared to those of potential vegetation. Results suggest that carbon stocks were roughly constant from 1830 to 1880 and have grown considerably from 1880 to 2000, implying that Austria’s vegetation has acted as a carbon sink since the late nineteenth century. Carbon stocks increased by 20% from approximately 1.0 GtC in 1830 and 1880 to approximately 1.2 GtC in the year 2000, a value still much lower than the amount of carbon terrestrial ecosystems are expected to contain in the absence of land use: According to calculations presented in this article, potential vegetation would contain some 2.0 GtC or 162% of the present terrestrial carbon stock, suggesting that the recent carbon sink results from a recovery of biota from intensive use in the past. These findings are in line with the forest transition hypothesis which claims that forest areas are growing in industrialized countries. Growth in forest area and rising carbon stocks per unit area of forests both contribute to the carbon sink. We discuss the hypothesis that the carbon sink is mainly caused by the shift from area-dependent energy sources (biomass) in agrarian societies to the largely area-independent energy system of industrial societies based above all on fossil fuels.     

Towards a sustainable energy future—exploring current barriers and potential solutions in Thailand

Renewable energy is considered an indispensable basis of sustainable energy systems as electricity generation from renewable sources results in low emissions of greenhouse gases compared to fossil fuel based electricity and contributes to sustainable development. However, effective strategies and conducive institutional settings are needed for advancement of such clean electricity systems. Although Thailand, as a nation, has a huge potential for renewable energy utilization, its total amount of electricity generation from renewables is relatively small and could be enlarged substantially. Lack of policy mechanisms, institutional development and financing exist as major barriers for Thailand in this regard. Investigation of the nation’s current energy strategy implementation shows that relevant energy and development policies are at different stages of implementation and institutional settings are continuously evolving. This paper argues that further significant efforts could be made towards advancement of renewable electricity and thus achievement of energy sustainability in Thailand. Resource planning, effective policy and institutions, focussed planning for energy sustainability and implementation of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol could facilitate further advancement of renewables for the nation.     

Urbanization and sustainability: challenges and strategies for sustainable urban development in Bangladesh

Like other developing countries, urbanization in Bangladesh is a growing phenomenon, which is steady in nature but fretfully affects urban sustainability in the wake of lacking in good governance. Despite urban authorities are concerned about this issue, they often fail to address the problems due to the fact of uncontrollable and unpredictable rural to urban migration, and negligence of urban poor’s sustainable living and access to basic services. Virtually the rural poverty problem has been transposed to urban areas, particularly in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Inadequacy of infrastructural services, basic amenities and environmental goods; environmental degradation; traffic jam and accidents; violence and socioeconomic insecurity are the major challenges which are created through rapid urbanization. This paper provides a general understanding of urbanization in Bangladesh and tries to embrace related sustainability issues and challenges hindrance to sustainable urban development in Dhaka city. In addition, it presents a brief case study of water supply in Dhaka city which introduces an issue of ‘system hijack’. The paper concludes providing some strategies that might be helpful to the policy makers in formulating development policies for sustainable urban services.     

基于结构方程模型的农户清洁能源应用行为决策研究

推进农户应用清洁能源对于促进农村生态建设至关重要。本文将农户清洁能源应用行为视为是一个"外部情境因素-内部心理因素-农户清洁能源应用行为"的过程,基于环境行为理论和技术接受模型,构建出农户清洁能源应用行为影响因素概念模型。利用江西省农户的调查数据,运用结构方程模型从农户购买行为和使用行为两个维度,研究农户清洁能源应用行为的影响因素,以及这些因素的作用机理。研究表明,情境因素(经济激励政策、自愿活动、宣传教育、清洁能源产品属性)以农户感知为中介,进而正向影响农户清洁能源使用行为,从众心理、行为便利性直接正向影响农户清洁能源使用行为;生态价值观和感知因素在经济激励政策与农户清洁能源购买行为之间起到部分中介效应,行为便利对农户清洁能源购买行为有直接正向影响;相对于经济激励政策,农户自愿活动对提升农户生态价值观会更有效;在影响农户感知的四个情景因素(经济激励政策、自愿活动、宣传教育、清洁能源产品属性)中,自愿活动对农户感知的正向影响程度最大;对农户清洁能源购买行为正向影响程度最大的是经济激励政策,对农户清洁能源使用行为正向影响程度最大的是行为便利性。基于上述结论,提出以下政策建议:政府要扩大清洁能源产品补贴的范围,加大农户购买清洁能源产品的补贴力度,降低农户购买清洁能源产品的成本;加强清洁能源知识、环境保护的宣传教育,提升农村居民的环境责任感,增强农村居民的生态环境价值观;完善农村清洁能源应用服务体系,提升农户应用清洁能源的易用性感知;充分发挥清洁能源示范村的辐射效应,增强农户应用清洁能源有用性感知;引导基层村干部、党员或环保意识强的农户率先应用清洁能源,在从众心理作用下,促使更多的农户应用清洁能源。