Natural Resources In Area Research Articles

A Comparative Study of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) Change Detection: A Case Study of Tehsil Babuzai, Swat (Pakistan)

Tehsil Babuzai, District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has experienced a fast population increase, substantially influencing land use and land cover (LULC), raising ecological and environmental issues. This study examines changes in LULC between 2001 and 2020 using US Geological Survey (USGS) satellite images. The paper analyses six primary land cover classes: farmland, built-up area, woodland, water bodies, rangeland, and barren Land using maximum likelihood supervised classification. The findings show a significant rise in rangeland (from 49.1% to 53.7%), built-up areas (from 8.5% to 13.7%), and barren Land (from 5.1% to 11.1%). On the other hand, there is a noticeable decline in the number of water bodies (from 2.1% to 1.6%), agriculture (from 21.2% to 12.2%), and forest cover (from 13.7% to 7.5%). These alterations underscore the detrimental consequences of urban growth on the area's natural resources, demanding prompt and deliberate planning to protect the ecosystem and guarantee sustainable development. This research is crucial for understanding land use changes' dynamics and impacts, providing valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners. It highlights the need for sustainable land management practices to mitigate adverse environmental effects and promote balanced regional development.

LEGAL REGULATION OF SUBSOIL USE IN THE FIELD NON-FERROUS METALS IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

The article is devoted to the issues of comparative legal research of the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (RK) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on subsoil use in the field of non-ferrous metals. The subsoil of the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Kazakhstan contains a large number of different minerals, including non-ferrous metals. Mineral resources are the property of the state and the people. Non-ferrous metals are used in various industries in the production of parts, al-loys, structural materials and finished products. It is necessary to bear in mind the depletion and non-renewable nature of minerals and therefore adopt a more rational attitude towards the Earth’s resources. Therefore, it is very important to study the practices, legislation and strategies of other countries in the field of underground resource management. Studying the issues of improving the legislation of Kazakh-stan for the rational management of natural resources and the development of new industries of finished products from non-ferrous metals is very relevant.This work examines the main provisions of the legislation of the RK and PRC on the right of owner-ship of subsoil, regimes of subsoil use rights, principles of legislation on subsoil use, the goals of state management of subsoil and their connection with the development of the national economies of the two countries. Based on the study of public management issues in the field of mineral resources exploitation, the author puts forward some suggestions that will help to improve the legislation and management in the field of underground resources utilization, strengthen the protection of national interests, and introduce public management issues in the field of mineral resources exploitation. Take a more rational approach that takes into account the priorities of the country’s economic needs. Kazakhstan should not only focus on mineral extraction and export, but also develop a long-term strategy. Legal regulation should include additional obligations for users of underground resources in the areas of industrial production develop-ment, environmental protection, natural resources and land restoration

Examining the Social and Economic Impact of Climate Change on Rural Communities and the Role of Global Governance in Addressing These Challenges

This study examines the impacts of climate change on rural communities, specifically in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and natural resources. The study highlights the challenges faced by these communities in terms of social welfare, economic growth, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. Global governance is also mentioned as an important factor in addressing climate change challenges. The study finds that rural populations heavily depend on these sectors, making them vulnerable to extreme weather events such as increasing temperatures, storms, floods, and droughts. This vulnerability leads to various social and economic challenges, including crop failures, harm to livestock, and infrastructure damage.

Militant or Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) During/After The Resolution of The Bakassi Conflict

The Bakassi peninsula conflict and its resolution had absorbed most of Cameroon and Nigeria's socio-political and economic oxygen and the international community in the 80s, 90s, and the first decade of the 21st century. Following military clashes between Cameroon and Nigeria over the peninsula, the conflict was finally resolved through the International Court of Justice (ICJ) verdict in 2002 and the Green Tree Agreement (GTA) 2006. The main thrust of this paper is to examine some militant or Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) that operated during and after the resolution of the Bakassi conflict. This paper also aims to examine the reasons why these NSAGs emerged briefly. This paper applied the qualitative research method and, from it, historical consolidation, content analyses and case studies. The study's results revealed seven prominent NSAGs that emerged during/after the resolution of the Bakassi conflict. The ICJ verdict of 2002 and the GTA of 2006 were one of prominent reasons why these NSAGs emerged. The study also found that the desire to control the area's natural resources, fight against Cameroon gendarme brutality, and the poor resettlement of the Bakassi returnees also served as springboards for the emergence of these NSAGs. Through its recommendations, this paper will help the Cameroon government redefine its policies toward ensuring and maintaining lasting peace in the Bakassi peninsula- understanding the reason for the emergence of the NSAGs, its trends, and how best to handle them.

Behaviorally segmented audiences for managing sunscreen chemical pollution risk in protected coastal natural resource areas.

This audience segmentation of visitors at coastal parks in Hawaii and North Carolina addresses an emergent natural resource management concern and risk to aquatic ecosystems: sunscreen chemical pollution. Four audiences were identified that correspond to different behavioral profiles: sunscreen protection tourists, multimodal sun protection tourists, in-state frequent park visitors, and frequent beachgoers who skip sunscreen. The second-largest audience, sunscreen protection tourists, represents 29% of visitors at Cape Lookout National Seashore and 25% at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. This group ranks of most concern for chemical pollution because they use sunscreen, but not typically mineral formulations or other methods such as protective clothing, and they have lower levels of sunscreen chemical issue awareness. The identification of similar audience segments across regions with differing cultural characteristics and sunscreen regulation status suggests the robustness of the model and its indicator variables, with implications for both environmental protection and public health. Further, coastal visitors' interest in enacting pro-environmental sun protection behaviors during their next park or beach visit indicates the potential for natural resource managers to holistically address risks in both domains through targeted interventions with audiences of most concern.

Relationship Analysis of Local Community Participation in Sustainable Ecotourism Development in Protected Areas, Iran

Nature conservation efforts cannot succeed without stakeholder participation. The inherent complexity of nature-based ecotourism has made the development of sustainable ecotourism operations a challenge, so it is essential to increase community stakeholder participation. Hence, this study investigates local community participation in Lar National Park (LNP) and the Jajrud Protected Area with the Sustainable Use of Natural Resource Areas (JPA) in Iran and evaluates how this influences the sustainability of ecotourism. This study found that in LNP, sustainable ecotourism development involving local communities is increasing because of the high level of attachment and interest to this part of pristine nature. In the JPA, the relationship between local community participation and ecotourism sustainability is significant too. As a result, natural habitats have been degraded and sustainability has decreased. To conserve these critically endangered natural areas, managers and decision-makers must increase community participation and education to encourage local communities to engage more in developing sustainable ecotourism.

Albizia Forest Management System In The Madiun Distric

communities in using natural resource areas. This study aims to determine the advantages of the agroforestry system, which is a mixture of albizia and mountain rice. The agroforestry system gave the best growth of albizia after three years. The mean Annual Increment diameter and height of 3-year-old albizia plants in agroforestry systems were 14.02 cm and 7.19 m, respectively. The agroforestry system is also believed to reduce the number of forest damage because local people who originally stole forest wood have begun to be diverted to more productive planting activities with an intensification pattern. The involvement of local communities in business activities based on natural resource management in various forms is part of the concept of corporate social responsibility. The agroforestry system is superior to the intensive monoculture pattern because it can absorb more labor and increase the income of local communities, creating cooperation and togetherness between companies. Furthermore, an agroforestry system can reduce the number of forest and land fires because local communities, as arsonists, will help protect their land and crops.

Impact Analysis of Strategic Policy of Natural Resources and Environment in the Indonesian Long-term Development Plan of 2005-2025

The policy implementation under the Indonesian Long-term Development Plan (RPJPN) for the 2005-2025 period is currently in the final stage. It is thus necessary to evaluate the development and impacts of the strategic policy implementation in the area of Natural Resources and the Environment (NR&E). This paper attempted to evaluate the area of NR&E within the RPJPN of 2005-2025. It focused on identifying people's perceptions about the impacts of the strategic policy implementation in NR&E. The data were collected through a survey targeting all regions of Indonesia and analysed using the importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method. The results of the analysis showed that strategic policy implementation in NR&E was rated as having a fairly good impact. It was indicated by an average aggregate impact indicator score of 3.61 on a Likert scale of 1-5. With regard to the impacts on the aspects of development, the strategic policies of NR&E had a relatively high impact on economic growth, food security, and energy security. However, the impacts on job creation and reduction of poverty were relatively lower. There is an indication that strategic policies in NR&E tend to be biased as they favour capital owners.

Review: Planet Palm: How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything—and Endangered the World, by Jocelyn C. Zuckerman

In Planet Palm: How Palm Oil Ended Up in Everything—and Endangered the World, Jocelyn Zuckerman chronicles how palm oil, a traditional West African crop, was co-opted by Europeans and now hides under hundreds of names in nearly half of packaged grocery store products. Zuckerman takes the reader through the past 150 years of the palm oil industry—from its colonial origins to how it continues to exploit workers, consumers, and the environment today. Zuckerman is a journalist at heart and does not shy away from exposing the abusive, capital-driven decisions made by political leaders, nor is she afraid to admit her personal fears during the dangerous journey she embarked on to collect material for this book.Zuckerman begins with the dark history of how European imperialism spread the palm oil plant (Elaeis guineensis) from Africa to South America and Southeast Asia. She then explains the catastrophic environmental and ethical consequences of palm oil production. Palm oil plantation expansion requires peat fires and chemical treatment, and destroying mature tropical forests, which makes palm oil’s use as a biofuel no less carbon intensive as fossil fuels. Finally, she concludes with an investigation of the contemporary political atmosphere of the international palm oil market. Parts one and two spark readers to rise up against the palm oil industry, but part three reins in that mindset by reinforcing that corporate greed and political manipulation make palm oil a complex problem that lacks a clear solution. The final section reads as a dark comedy about international public relations feuds, regulatory battles, and decades of misinformation reaching global consumers. Zuckerman discusses the ethics of greenwashing, environmental colonialism, and international boycotts that could cause a disastrous economic collapse for entire countries that have no immediate replacement for their primary export.Planet Palm balances a macro view of a complex problem with an immersive look into the lives of individuals living in areas of palm oil production. Throughout the book, we hear the voices of those involved in the industry, including the experience of palm oil plantation workers in South America who are exploited by narcotics laundering schemes, contrasted by renegade spies in Indonesia who risk everything to expose and dismantle illegal plantations. Zuckerman’s storytelling abilities can make far-away readers feel personally affected and moved to remain engaged with the narrative.Zuckerman has published several magazine articles on the topic of palm oil over the past few years, and now goes deeper than ever into the hidden price of cheap commodities. Planet Palm uses humanities to discuss an inherently transdisciplinary topic, with notable sections dedicated to areas of nutrition, policy, and natural resources. The historical background provides context to the contemporary cultural shift toward a demand for sustainability, and the motivations behind those who push back against change.This text will certainly open the eyes of anyone interested and willing to dive headfirst into the complexities of the global food system, and will widen the knowledge of those already aware. Each section of this three-part book is dense enough that it could fill a book of its own, yet Zuckerman manages to weave together a gritty, real-life narrative. This book can be used as an educational text to prompt discussions on the importance of collaboration across disciplines for policy that can tackle wicked problems. From an economic perspective, palm oil markets are growing at unsustainable rates.The book sticks to accessible language and could be an exciting way for someone outside academia to better grasp the injustices created and perpetuated by capitalism. At a time when individual responsibility often seems the best way to address the effects of climate change, Planet Palm is an example of just how deeply climate issues are embedded in the global economy, and how collaborative efforts are required to address the need for systemic change. Consumer attempts to avoid palm products, if even possible, are simply not enough. It’s necessary to think beyond neoliberal tendencies and acknowledge that strides toward sustainability will require major changes at the global level.Zuckerman may raise questions for which she has no answers, but she provides enough information to awaken readers to the dramatic structural changes needed to save the world from the palm oil industry. Palm oil is an issue that speaks most directly to those involved in conservation, nutrition, and labor rights, but this book drives home the point that anyone with dish soap at their kitchen sink can be affected. Zuckerman describes a systemic problem that requires a systemic solution—one that is neither easy nor straightforward to accomplish. Nevertheless, this book provides a ray of hope that shines from the growing number of people working to combat the industry, while spreading awareness of what Zuckerman deems the “Palm Oil Crisis.”

Evaluating Ecotourism Sustainability Indicators for Protected Areas in Tehran, Iran

Ecotourism in protected areas facilitates responsible travel to natural places that conserve the environment, deliver economic benefits to local communities, and offer interpretation and education to visitors. Proper planning and sufficient monitoring of ecotourism sustainability indicators is needed to manage visitor activities in protected areas. Therefore, identifying the major impacts and mitigating them in the early stages of ecotourism development could contribute significantly to the achievement of sustainable development. There is a current gap between the situation in the field and academic contributions to this problem in protected areas of Iran. In the present study, we evaluated ecotourism sustainability levels in four different types of protected areas in Iran, including Lar National Park, Jajrud Protected Area with Sustainable Use of Natural Resource Areas, Tangeh Vashi National Natural Monument, and Kavdeh Wildlife Refuge. We developed a comprehensive list of ecotourism sustainability indicators, including 38 indicators in the environmental–physical dimension, 42 indicators in the demographic–social dimension, and 30 indicators in the economic–institutional dimension. Harnessing local community expertise, we adopted a Delphi approach to determine sustainability levels and factors impacting sustainability. Ecotourism in Lar National Park was most sustainable because of the high levels of restrictions protecting the area and the difficulty in access. Conversely, ecotourism sustainability was lowest at Tangeh Vashi National Natural Monument, which allowed for an uncontrolled influx of visitors. We discuss further factors that impact sustainability, such as population growth, expanding urbanization, an increase in physical and economic activities, and extended annual periods of ecotourism activities. Although the presented ecotourism sustainability indicators are specific to Iran, this study can also be seen to provide a template to plan for sustainable ecotourism in other countries. Altogether, our results suggest conducting a type-by-type analysis of the particular circumstances of various protected areas.

Interactive Cultural Communication Effect in VR Space of Intelligent Mobile Communication Network

Virtual reality technology can provide more display techniques to realize the interactive design of multiexhibition area of red humanities and natural resources. First of all, through the three-dimensional interactive display of cultural relics and scene reproduction of historical events, visitors can enjoy the unrestrained and immersive appreciation, make up for people’s lack of understanding of history, and let tourists personally feel the difficulties and hardships in the development of Chinese revolutionary history. Second, the digital method also provides for the pavilion and the scenic spot design personnel more creative method; dynamic scene reappearance interaction design based on virtual reality technology to promote education, protection of cultural relic collection and utilization, academic research, and the industrial development and multidimensional public welfare publicity results is blended in among them, through the panoramic, immersive, and interactive display technique, such as multilevel multiway spread red brigade culture. Virtual reality constantly imitates the real-life environment, and the application of perception sensing equipment has perception. This new technology requires us to continue to explore and research it. Virtual reality technology is a very cutting-edge subject and research field, which is very challenging. The communication form of culture has also been constantly evolving. Virtual reality technology (VR) has changed the way of traditional culture appreciation through the transmission of visual information, bringing people a new aesthetic enjoyment. Mainstream media is used to mobilize the red cultural heritage protection and scholars at home and abroad, to explore the application of virtual reality in the red culture tourist attraction planning, and to explore virtual reality applications in red open spot virtual roaming: exploration of virtual reality in the application of historical and cultural sites to red tourism management and exploration of virtual reality in the brand historical and cultural sites in the application of the travel marketing, to build an intelligent mobile communication network communication platform and broaden the new path of inheritance and protection. On the basis of studying the communication effect of traditional culture, this paper studies the possible communication effect of symphony orchestra under the new technology format under the framework of communication studies. It also analyzes and explores various factors such as the practical value, difficulty, civilized prestige, adaptability, and resistance to adversity of the culture in cultural communication and compares the methods of cultural communication. By developing a virtual instrument placed in the sphere of virtual reality space, the traditional symphony orchestra can be transformed into an interactive culture communication in virtual reality space. In this communication design, users can define their own instruments to play interactive culture communication, change the position of the instrument on the sphere interactively, and even change the sound effect of the symphony interactively by rotating or adjusting the size of the sphere, so as to achieve the best communication effect of the symphony.

Use of a micro-hydro power plant for the educational park area around the reservoir

The community service activities carried out have the following objectives: 1) cleaning and empowering natural resource areas in the form of abandoned rivers and lots of garbage; 2) provide design and application of micro hydropower plants; 3). Creating an educational area for the community in the form of an educational park based on micro-hydro technology around the river reservoir. The method implemented is a qualitative method with a descriptive analysis approach. It was held in Malang Regency, Tajinan District, Purwosekar Village. The output target of this service activity is in the form of product design and tool making with the installation of PLTMH for Educational Parks. Thus, it is hoped that later it can become a potential development of the reservoir area into a tourist vehicle to help spread the promotion of products made by rural communities and improve the people's economy. Microhydro Education Park can provide knowledge about water-based power plants in the community.

Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Diversity and Life Zone for Uncontacted Indigenous People: Deforestation Hotspots in the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve, Ecuadorian Amazon

Land use and land cover change (LULC) is an essential component for the monitoring environmental change and managing natural resources in areas of high natural and cultural biodiversity, such as the Amazon biome. This study was conducted in in the northern Amazon of Ecuador, specifically in the Diversity and Life Zone (DLZ) of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve (YBR). The general aim was to investigate the territorial dynamics of land use/land cover changes to support policies for environmental and sociocultural protection in the DLZ. Specific objectives included (i) mapping LULC spatial and temporal dynamics in the DLZ in the period from 1999 to 2018, (ii) identifying sensitive LULC hotspots within the DLZ, and (iii) defining the possible policy implications for sustainable land use in the DLZ. Multitemporal satellite imagery from the Landsat series was used to map changes in LULC, which were divided into three-time stages (1999–2009, 2009–2018, 1999–2018). We adopted open-access Landsat images downloaded from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The processes for assessing LULC in the DLZ included (1) data collection and analysis, (2) data processing for remote sensing, (3) thematic land cover, and (4) homogenization and vectorization of images. The results showed that in the period 1999–2018, most of the uses and land cover were transformed into pastures in the DLZ. Therefore, it is important to improve territorial planning, to avoid conflicts between indigenous populations, migrant settlers, and uncontacted indigenous populations that live in the DLZ, within the YBR.

The Harvest Operability Index (HOI): A Decision Support Tool for Mechanized Timber Harvesting in Mountainous Terrain

Forest operations have become increasingly reliant on mechanized harvesting equipment due to their increased production capacities in competitive markets. However, operating heavy machinery in mountainous terrain poses numerous operational and accessibility challenges from steep slopes, erosion risk, and poor road access. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have effectively been used in various studies to identify areas in mountainous landscapes that pose no or reduced constraints for harvesting equipment operation. This study introduces the Harvest Operability Index (HOI), which rates a landscape for wheel-based equipment suitability (i.e., operability) and assesses its application in 13,118 ha of the Jocassee Gorges Natural Resource Area, situated on the Southern Blue Ridge Escarpment in Northwestern South Carolina, USA. The HOI incorporated slope, distance from roads, cost distance from major highways, primary Streamside Management Zones (SMZ), stand age, and soil suitability ratings for harvesting equipment operation. Upon reclassification to a 5-tier suitability scale, the HOI revealed 60% (7824 ha) of the case study area was in a Slope Exclusion Zone, or land area inoperable for wheel-based equipment due to steep slopes. Values of Very Poor and Poor Operability occupied less than 1% (213 ha) of land area whereas Moderate Operability values were 9% of the land area (1257 ha). Values of Good Operability occupied 18% (2442 ha) of the study area and values of Very Good Operability occupied 10% (1381 ha). These results reflected the challenges of mechanized harvesting in the study area due to a preponderance of steep slopes and poorly suited soil. Our model delineated areas of high equipment operability in two locations in the study area, despite a lack of recent logging activity around them. Results of the HOI analysis offer an accessible way for forest managers to better prioritize logging operations in areas that are highly operable and therefore more likely to possess lower overall harvesting costs, for wheel-based harvesting systems. The HOI can also be used as an asset for other forest management priorities, such as identifying highly operable areas that can use timber harvesting for fuel reduction and ecological restoration in fire-dependent forests. This model can be applied to various other regions where mountainous terrain poses a limitation to wheel-based harvesting equipment operation- and where wheel-based equipment is essential to advance the pace and scale of harvesting for ecological restoration.

Editor's Note

On behalf of the Editorial Board, I am delighted to present Volume 1, Issue 2: September 2021 of the Journal of Education, Management and Development Studies (JEMDS). On this issue, we have featured high-quality articles focusing on different key areas, especially on the new normal brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. This issue marks how the journal has recently transitioned from Semi-Annual to Quarterly to cater to the growing demands of submission. Furthermore, the journal is now being abstracted and indexed in various academic databases. We have also registered with E-ISSN and Crossref. Articles published in the journal and its references are now included in the Crossref Database and provided by Digital Object Identifier (DOI) as a digital footprint to ensure that readers can reliably locate the articles. We could not attain these milestones without the support of the Editorial Board, invited Reviewers and the Authors as the key players in achieving the goal of the journal to publish original research papers, reviews, and case studies related to broad areas of disciplines, including Education, Environment and Natural Resources, Health Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Public Management, Business Management, Entrepreneurship, and Gender and Development. We will continuously strive to publish more volumes in the following years to contribute to the body of knowledge and support scholars and academicians' vehemence in excellence and discovery.

Life cycle impact assessment methods for estimating the impacts of dissipative flows of metals

The dissipation of metals leads to potential environmental impacts, usually evaluated for product systems with life cycle assessment. Dissipative flows of metals become inaccessible for future users, going against the common goal of a more circular economy. Therefore, they should be addressed in life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) in the area of protection “Natural Resources.” However, life cycle inventory databases provide limited information on dissipation as they only track emissions to the environment as elementary flows. Therefore, we propose two LCIA methods capturing the expected dissipation patterns of metals after extraction, based on dynamic material flow analysis data. The methods are applied to resource elementary flows in life cycle inventories. The lost potential service time method provides precautionary indications on the lost service due to dissipation over different time horizons. The average dissipation rate method distinguishes between the conservation potentials of different metals. Metals that are relatively well conserved, including major metals such as iron and aluminum, have low characterization factors (CFs). Those with poor process yields, including many companion and high-tech metals such as gallium and tellurium, have high CFs. A comparative study between the developed CFs, along with those of the Abiotic Depletion Potential and Environmental Dissipation Potential methods, show that dissipation trends do not consistently match those of the depletion and environmental dissipation potentials. The proposed methods may thus be complementary to other methods when assessing the impacts of resource use on the area of protection Natural Resources when pursuing an increased material circularity. This article met the requirements for a gold-silver JIE data openness badge at http://jie.click/badges.

Approaches and challenges of traditional institutions in conservation of biodiversity: Implications for sustainable management of natural resources in Nigeria

The study assessed indigenous practices and beliefs on the conservation of natural resources in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State. Purposeful and simple random sampling was applied to determine the study sample and thus a sample size of 118 was used for the study. The findings revealed that majority of the respondents were male (75.4%) while 24.6% were female. The indigenous and traditional beliefs in the protection of natural resources in the area is reflected in a variety of their practices which included sacred groves and sacred landscapes, construction of masquerades and other traditional artifacts, reflecting greatly the population of the forest resources. The most conserved fauna and flora species identified were; Smutsia gigantea, Elgaria coerulea, Ceyx erithaca, Milvus aegyptius, Centropus steerii and Ophiophagus hannah; Vitellaria paradoxa, Khaya grandifoliola and Abies balsamea. Major challenges identified were; lack of inclusion by governance institution with (98.7%), followed by adoption of other religious beliefs with (97.5%), poaching/illegal logging and population growth/urbanization (91.5%), perception of idolatry (88.9%), Bush fires (89.8%) while frequent use of herbs for traditional medicine (83.1%) had the least percentage. On the ways of improvement was awareness creation had the highest proportion (33.9%), followed by attitudinal change (30.5%), while resource allocation to traditional leaders and integration of traditional conservation in formal resource conservation had the least proportion of 17.8%. It was concluded that traditional practices and beliefs if well managed will enhanced proper conservation and management of natural resources. The study thus recommended that, institutions responsible for conservation of natural resources should be positioned for effective performance and service delivery. Government should have monitoring agents that will help in ensuring natural resource conservation.

Utilização da Lógica Fuzzy como suporte ao Zoneamento Ambiental: um estudo de caso em Paracatu – MG

Fazer uso das geotecnologias para mapear os níveis de fragilidade ambiental de um município é uma importante estratégia de planejamento ambiental a ser utilizada em processos de Zoneamento Ambiental (ZA), principalmente no que tange ao uso consciente dos recursos naturais da área. Portanto, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi realizar, por meio da implementação de geotecnologias, um estudo de fragilidade ambiental em um município ocupado, intensivamente, por atividades minerárias e pela agropecuária, para que seja utilizado como subsídio aos gestores municipais em seu ZA. Como estudo de caso, adotou-se o município de Paracatu – Minas Gerais. Levantou-se aspectos pedológicos, litológicos, hidrográficos, hipsométricos, de declividade e de uso e ocupação da terra, além da rede de drenagem, do limite municipal e da atividade de mineração. Por fim e por meio de Lógica Fuzzy com o uso de pesos definidos pelo método Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP), utilizou-se os mapas de declividade, uso e cobertura da terra, litologia, pedologia e rede de drenagem para elaboração de um mapa de fragilidade ambiental do município. Concluiu-se que o município possui características de susceptibilidade a impactos ambientais negativos, principalmente em sua malha urbana e na área de extração mineral a céu aberto, e que esses podem ser melhor avaliados a partir da utilização de geotecnologias direcionadas para o subsídio do planejamento urbano, sendo esse, de extrema importância para o município de Paracatu – MG, que atualmente está passando por mudanças em seu plano diretor e possui intenções de crescimento urbano.Palavras-chave: Geotecnologias. Zoneamento Ambiental. Planejamento ambiental. Use of Fuzzy Logic to support Environmental Zoning: a case study in Paracatu – MGA B S T R A C TThe use of geotechnologies to map the levels of environmental fragility in a municipality is an important environmental planning strategy, especially when it is intended to make a conscious use of the area's natural resources through its zoning. Therefore, the objective of this research was to carry out, through the implementation of geotechnologies, a study of environmental fragility in a municipality occupied, intensively, by mining activities and agriculture. As a case study, the municipality of Paracatu - Minas Gerais was adopted. Pedological, lithological, hydrographic, hypsometric, declivity and land use and occupation aspects were raised, in addition to the drainage network, the municipal boundary and mining activity. Finally, using Fuzzy Logic with the use of weights defined by the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) method, the maps of slope, land use and cover, lithology, pedology and drainage network were used to prepare a map of environmental fragility of the municipality. It was concluded that the municipality is susceptible to negative environmental impacts, mainly in its urban network and in the area of open-pit minning, and that these can be better evaluated through the use of geotechnologies aimming at subsidizing urban planning, which is extremely important for the municipality of Paracatu - MG, which is currently undergoing changes in its master plan and intends to expand.Keywords: Geotechnology. Environmental Zoning. Environmental Planning.

Sex Differences in Group Composition and Habitat Use of Iberian Free-Range Pigs.

The aim of the present work was to study group size, group composition and habitat use of Iberian pigs along the year when reared outdoor. This consists of a regimen in which animals are reared free range from 2 months of age until at least 14 months of age. In a first stage, animals are supplemented with concentrates, and in a second, called montanera, pigs eat just natural resources in areas with no more than two pigs per hectare. In these systems, males are castrated to avoid boar taint and females spayed to avoid the attraction and mounting by wild boars. The study was carried out in five different farms allocated in the south-west of Spain during 2 consecutive years, from March 2012 to February 2014, under the montanera regimen, and with a total of 995 animals observed (498 males and 497 females). The data were analyzed with SAS by means of general models and proc mixed. Mean group size along the year was of 17 ± 12.9 individuals, but this was significantly lower (P < 0.05) during the montanera (12 ± 0.8) and at midday (13 ± 0.8). Groups were bigger (P < 0.05) when they were more than 50 m from a tree (23 ± 1.8), or <10 m from the shelter (25 ± 1.5), the feeding area (31 ± 3.1) and the water-bath area (25 ± 1.5). Nine percent of the groups were solitary animals, being higher (P = 0.0286) during the montanera (11%) than the rest of the year (8%) and being formed in 68% by males. Males were less involved in mixed groups than were females (75% vs. 91%), especially in spring, where the largest (P < 0.0001) male groups were found. Female groups were less frequent and smaller (P < 0.0001) than were male and mixed groups. In conclusion, although males were castrated at a very young age, they showed a different behavior than females, forming in bachelor groups during the spring and being less involved in mixed groups and with more solitary animals. During the montanera, when animals were feeding on acorns and other natural resources, groups were smaller and closer to the trees, solitary males reaching a maximum percent.

Joint management of shared resources as an alternative approach for addressing maritime boundary disputes: the Kenya-Somalia maritime boundary dispute

ABSTRACT Socio-economic security has motivated African states to explore natural resources in areas of overlapping maritime claims. However, Africa’s maritime boundaries are characterized by unresolved disputes. Resolution of these disputes is time-consuming, expensive and can undermine the state’s ability to exploit natural resources. The Somalia and Kenya maritime dispute under litigation with the International Court of Justice demonstrates the continental commitment to peaceful resolution. Citing cases from across Africa, we discuss outright delimitation or Joint Management Zones (JMZs) as means to address disputes over shared resources, particularly transboundary fisheries, which have received little attention. Reframing the Kenya-Somalia maritime dispute resolution process as cooperation over fisheries management will have spill-over effects into greater diplomatic relations. Fish do not abide by maritime boundaries. As such, we posit that the peaceful resolution of maritime boundary disputes lies in Africa’s ability to consider settlements by way of JMZs to motivate sustainable use of natural resources.