Community Development Planning Research Articles

Development Planning in Rural Communities in Bolivia: A Study in the Department of Oruro

This research aims to determine the most important elements that contribute to the development planning processes in the rural communities of the department of Oruro, Bolivia; It is based on the proposition that democracy in Latin America is in a situation characterized by advances in political rights and deficiencies in the civil and social rights of citizens, rural communities are where the most acute indicators of political, social, cultural and economic exclusion occur. Therefore, the effective membership of rural communities emerges as a peremptory task for the consolidation of their development based on community development planning. It assumes a quantitative qualitative approach, and is of a correlational descriptive type, which seeks the association and relationship of the variables that intervene and influence the community planning processes. A survey is applied to 384 people who live in communities in rural areas, among them the actors in the development of the localities are considered, such as community leaders and heads of households. For the statistical analysis, descriptive statistics and a multiple regression model are incorporated. The research establishes that community participation, ancestral knowledge, along with natural resources are the most important elements that contribute to the planning of the development of rural communities. Received: 16 February 2024 / Accepted: 8 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

Innovations in Sustainabilty Business Models – Toward Development for Peace in Conflict-affected Zones in the Philippines

The proposed business model (also termed herein as the Business Sustainability Framework) presents strategies for agribusiness and approaches to restoring the forests and watersheds that were initiated in the Province of Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. It is believed that the framework deserves merit for replication in other conflict-affected zones. This study aimed to conceptualize and document a holistic and collaborative approach taken to develop a model for an inclusive and sustainable business practice that can ensure food security and support livelihoods of the Indigenous People (First Nations) of Bukidnon, many of whom are smallholder farmers, while augmenting environmental resilience. The methodology applied for developing the model in Bukidnon utilized various strategies namely, social preparation, community organizing, participatory community development planning, as well as study tours and cross learning programs for farmers from the Bangsamoro to model sites in Bukidnon. The results of these strategies demonstrated that the key components of the framework, namely securing availability of food (i.e., adequate and nutritious food on the table), livelihood opportunities (i.e., through the production of cash crops for sale to generate sustainable disposable income), and reforestation of degraded forests and watersheds (i.e., maintaining the integrity of the ecosystem and adequacy of water supply) can be pursued effectively through a more participatory collaboration between corporations and communities. This paper emphasizes that the creation of food security and livelihood opportunities, alongside inclusive community development and the promotion of ethics and values formation, is urgent given the pressing need for the newly-established government in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (or BARMM) to deliver the much needed dividends of peace through inclusive and equitable partnerships between companies and communities. Based on the promising outcomes and results in Bukidnon, it is believed that the replication of the framework in the conflict-affected Bangsamoro region can lead to sustainable agribusiness economic models and help bring equity and social justice, and enhance environmental sustainability. The study recommends that the authorities give special consideration to the promotion of the proposed model in the Bangsamoro.

OPTIMASI PEMBANGUNAN DESA: Kajian Kemampuan Manajemen Kepala Desa di Malalanda Buton Utara

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the village chief's managerial skills in carrying out village development (a study in Malalanda village, Kulisusu District, North Buton Regency). A qualitative descriptive research methodology including observation, interview, and documentation was applied in this study. The findings of this research suggest that the Malalanda village head utilizes four (four) management roles to govern village development. Planning is the first. Holding village development meetings (musrembang) with the community is the first step in the development process in Malalanda village. Next, arrange. The village chief put together a special team to rebuild the community's development plans based on the outcomes of the development planning meeting with them. Finally, The Malalanda village chief led the locals or village authorities in putting development initiatives like intercommunal cooperation and community service into action. And finally, oversight. The village chief of Malalanda often makes direct visits to the sites of activities in order to monitor and oversee the performance of local authorities as they execute the development.

Impact of Community and Social Development Project on Livelihood of Beneficiaries in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria

Between the years 2010 and 2013, the Nigerian Government established a transforming structure called the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP). This research explores the influences of that project on livelihoods of beneficiaries located in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area (LGA) of Kebbi State, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling techniques was used for the study. In the first stage, Four (4) of the twenty-four (24) communities in Danko/Wasagu were purposely selected because they fully implemented their Community Development Plan (CDP). In the second stage, Two hundred beneficiaries (50 for each of the four communities) were randomly selected as a random sample for the study based on their membership of community development association and their primary occupation is farming. Descriptive statistics and Paired Sample t-test were tools used to look for perceived influences between project delivery and post project availability of livelihood resources. The study provided livelihood information and perceptions from beneficiaries of the CSDP through data collected before and after the project. The results inferred significant improvement in access to resources particularly in health and transport amongst all communities. Improved access to water however, was only significant in two communities. The study recommend that following the closure of the CSDP, that continued development and maintenance of infrastructures provided by the project was transferred to Danko/Wasagu local government authority.

RESEARCH ON READINESS FOR BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS FROM UZBEKISTAN FOR COOPERATION WITH LOCAL AUTHORITIES DURING THE FORMATION OF LOCAL ECONOMIC POLICY

Changes are taking place in Uzbekistan, which are characteristic of countries in transition from a centralized to a market economy. The country is entering a new era of development, which has an impact on the overall economic picture. After the presidential elections in 2016, a policy of reform and openness began to be implemented in Uzbekistan, which has a great impact on the political situation in the entire Central Asian region. According to many observers, the scale of political changes is unprecedented in the development of Central Asian countries since their independence. Unlike Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, reforms in Uzbekistan were not carried out under external pressure, but were voluntary and spontaneous with strong internal motivation. Due to the fact that the country realized that the centralized development model was unable to respond effectively to numerous internal and external challenges, it began to accelerate internal reforms, making successive changes to adapt to new realities. The positions of Uzbekistan in the international rating rankings are improving.Despite the successes achieved, the country’s highly centralized governance model does not allow local communities to be effectively involved in the planning and implementation of local policies for economic development. They are not active enough in identifying their infrastructure needs, in preparing community development plans, in implementing projects to modernize or build drinking water, gas and electricity systems, roads, schools and other basic infrastructure and public services. Underestimating the role of local communities in influencing the economic development of their regions is a restraining factor for economic development. Conversely, realizing the role of business organizations in shaping regional policy for local economic development is a great potential that has not yet been fully exploited.To prove this thesis, the authors conducted a survey of the attitude of business organizations in Uzbekistan to cooperation with local authorities. The results show that business representatives do not particularly rely on local authorities to stimulate the economic development of their cities and regions and, for this reason, do not show a particular desire to cooperate with them. This is a challenge, the overcoming of which can give the country a new impetus in terms of the economic development of the regions and settlements.

Climate change vulnerability and poverty nexus: evidence from coastal communities in central Vietnam

The vulnerability assessment of small-scale households on the central coast of Vietnam has been inadequate despite the apparent impacts of climate change. This knowledge gap presents challenges for identifying at-risk individuals and communities and could impede effective public policy and resource allocation for adaptation efforts. To address this issue, this study employed the Livelihood Vulnerability Index referencing IPCC definitions (LVI-IPCC) framework to examine livelihood vulnerability and its determinants among 455 small-scale households in the coastal areas of Phu Vang district, Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. The LVI-IPCC calculation utilized a database of 11 major and 33 sub-indicators collected through a household survey conducted in 2021. The findings revealed that these households exhibit moderate vulnerability to natural disasters and climate shocks, as reflected by their high sensitivity index scores. Additionally, the study identified a persistent cycle of poverty and livelihood vulnerability among coastal communities, wherein poverty and reliance on nature-based income serve as the root cause of the exposure and a gateway to this loop. This study strongly advocates for a pro-poor approach that places poverty alleviation at the forefront of community development planning and climate change agendas. Under this approach, developing value chain models in agriculture and aquaculture and diversifying livelihoods through activities such as community-based tourism is highly recommended.

Black citizen participation in urban development policies and creative placemaking practices in Wilmington, Delaware

ABSTRACT A century of urban development policies in the United States demonstrates the importance of inclusive citizen participation mechanisms to ensure equitable outcomes for marginalized communities. In this paper, I examined Black citizen participation in Wilmington, Delaware’s urban redevelopment policies from the 1950s to the present. Using Critical Race Theory, this study used document analysis to compare state legislation, city ordinances, and community development plans and illuminated three stages of Black citizen participation mechanisms in Wilmington’s urban redevelopment history: Stage 1 (1951–1981) nonparticipation, Stage 2 (1994–1996) conditional participation, Stage 3 (2012–2022) tokenism and partnership. Black citizens’ exclusion in the earliest stage of urban redevelopment set the trajectory for future political exclusion. The findings illustrate how the dominance of White-corporate interests limits Black citizen participation. The paper includes recommendations for racially inclusive and equitable creative placemaking practices in future stages of urban development. This research contributes to understanding how the historical marginalization of Black communities in urban development policies and practices continues to shape Black citizen participation today.

Evaluation of the Entrepreneurial Ability of Small-Scale Farmers through the Rasch–Andrich Model

Entrepreneurial skills are fundamental to the success of agricultural production units. Since small-scale farmers have developed production skills but not market-oriented skills, it is necessary to assess their entrepreneurial skills to provide a reference for sustainable community development plans. The objective was to evaluate the entrepreneurial ability of small-scale farmers in San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca, using the Rasch–Andrich rating scale, a psychometric model that makes it possible to obtain measurements with a certain degree of precision. A survey was conducted among 45 small-scale farmers to collect the characteristics of their production unit, the characteristics of the small-scale farmers, and to determine their entrepreneurial skills (17 items). The data were processed using Winsteps software. Item 14 “I easily market what I produce” was eliminated because it did not contribute to the unidimensionality of the variable. The data fit the model and the Rasch–Andrich thresholds and, together with the category probability curves, demonstrated the good performance of the rating scale. The entrepreneurial ability ranged from −1.54 to 10.11 logits. Since most of producers (66.6%) were below average (1.09 logits), it is considered pertinent to support them to improve their ability.

The implementation of sufficiency economy in local development: A case study of administrative areas of Takuk Nuea Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Vibhavadi District, Surat Thani Province, Thailand

This research aims to (1) evaluate the implementation of sufficiency economy philosophy for local development in Tambon Takoek Nuea, Amphoe Wipawadee, Surat Thani province, (2) study the attitudes of the community towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development, and (3) examine the relationship between perception factors and participation factors with the attitudes of the community towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development. The research utilized a quantitative research method. The researchers used criteria for assessing the understanding, perception, and access to the sufficiency economy philosophy at the local administrative organization level as a framework for evaluation. An online questionnaire was used to collect data to study the community's attitudes in Tambon Takoek Nuea, with a sample size of 400 people. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software to calculate percentages, means, standard deviations, and to compare differences using t-tests and one-way ANOVA tests at a 95% confidence level. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the relationships between variables. The study found that (1) Tambon Takoek Nuea had an evaluation result of sufficiency economy understanding at the level of "understanding" (253 points) according to the Happiness Organization framework. (2) The community had attitudes towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development at an overall moderate level (mean of 3.22), and factors such as age, education level, and occupation showed significant differences in attitudes at a statistical significance level of 0.05. (3) Perception factors were correlated with the community's attitudes towards the role of Tambon Takoek Nuea in driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development in all three aspects, namely management, participatory community development planning, and community resources. This abstract summarizes the objectives, methodology, and key findings of the research, highlighting the importance of driving the sufficiency economy philosophy for local development in the context of Tambon Takoek Nuea's local administrative organization.

СОЦІАЛЬНО-ЕКОНОМІЧНА ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ РОЗВИТКУ ГРОМАД І РЕГІОНІВ: ПОБУДОВА СИСТЕМИ ПОКАЗНИКІВ В УМОВАХ ПОВОЄННОГО ВІДНОВЛЕННЯ

The article proposes a methodical approach to building a set of indicators to assess the socio-economic effectiveness of community and regional development in conditions of post-war reconstruction. It is noted that prior to the beginning of a full-scale aggression, normative and legal content in the regulation area of regional and territorial development contained only fragmented instructions on application of the principle of efficiency, which was observed before reaching high levels of planned development indicators. It is stated that the updated policy of state regional development in 2022 has standardized the approach to the determination of effectiveness as the main determinants and primary indicator of development success in peaceful conditions and during the post-war reconstruction.It is justified that during the transition period the official methodical basis for determining the essence and approaches to assessing the effectiveness of social and economic development of communities and regions is still being formed, as well as losing relevance of complex evaluation of development effectiveness due to lack of statistical information and violation of consistency and consistency of its indicators in the conditions of war, it is necessary to form an easy and reliable tool for such evaluation. The basic principles of its construction in the form of a set of indicators determine maximum conformity of the current normative-legal and methodical base, correct understanding of the essence of socio-economic efficiency, as an indicator of satisfaction of material, social, spiritual needs of people, as well as use of integral indicators of quality of life and social quality as basic for determination of socio-economic efficiency. The author developed a corresponding methodical approach and a related set of indicators for assessing socio-economic effectiveness of community and regional development, which includes separate evaluation components for communities and regions. It is well-grounded that its application will improve the quality of community and regional development planning and will be useful in monitoring the implementation of their development strategies and plans, overcoming the problems of information and analytical support during the period of military condition. The proposed methodical approach can also serve as a basis for the development of the official methodical base, which is envisaged by the policy of regions` renewal, regarding the evaluation of their development effectiveness.

Developing Companionship with the Left-Behinds

The subject of regional inequality has been garnering the attention of scholars over the past decade and has generated debates on territories forgotten by mainstream economic activities. Left-behind places are a global phenomenon yet with various situated conditions in different development contexts that required customized, place-based solutions. This paper discusses a possible approach to work with the left-behinds: using the university as an institutional resource to engage people and places in regional regeneration. Using the [anonymised] project as an example, we describe the learning journey of developing the ground solutions and companionship between a research university and left-behind communities in the rural badlands region. Adopting a hybrid of an asset-based approach to community development and collaborative planning for regional development, this case demonstrates a potential level-up strategy for sustainable development for the lagging region.

Investigating the Impact of Perceived Micro-Level Neighborhood Characteristics on Housing Prices in Shanghai

It is widely accepted that houses in better-designed neighborhoods are found to enjoy a price premium. Prior studies have mainly examined the impact of macro-level neighborhood attributes (e.g., park accessibility using land use data) on housing prices. More recently, research has investigated the micro-level features using street view imagery (SVI) data, though scholars limited the scope to objective indicators such as the green view index and sky view index. The role of subjectively measured street qualities is less discussed due to the lack of large-scale perception data. To provide better explanations of whether and how the micro-level neighborhood environment affects housing prices, this article introduces a framework to collect designers’ perceptions on five subjective urban design perceptions from pairwise SVI rankings in Shanghai with an online visual survey and further predicted through machine learning (ML) algorithms. We also extracted ten important objective features from the scenes. The predictive power of micro-level neighborhood street perceptions (subjective perceptions and objective features) on housing prices was investigated using the hedonic price model (HPM) through ordinary least squares (OLS) and spatial regression, which considers spatial dependence. The findings prove the significance of the value of perceived qualities of the neighborhoods. It reveals that both objective perceived features and subjective perceptions significantly contribute to housing prices; while the objective features show more collective strengths, individual subjective perceptions have more explanatory power, and we argue that these two measures can complement each other. This study provides an important reference for decision makers when selecting street quality indicators to inform city planning, urban design, and community and housing development plans.

MODERN OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES IN UKRAINE

The problems of the development of territorial communities in the conditions of constant changes and the occurrence of unpredictable crises are studied. The dependence of the development of the entire country on the ability and interest of communities to engage in the local development of their territory is revealed. The importance of the need to adapt the development strategy of territorial communities to modern changes is emphasized. The need to constantly search for additional opportunities for the implementation of appropriate actions regarding the transformation of territorial communities in the direction of their improvement was emphasized. The importance of confronting negative influences that constantly arise at the local level is noted, and certain steps to overcome them (during and after the end of hostilities) are also proposed. An important role is assigned to effective strategic planning, which will take into account modern changes by the various characteristics of territorial communities. The essence of strategic planning and obstacles to its implementation are characterized. Some areas of activity of the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories are outlined. The interrelationship of the local development planning process is presented and the tools of direct and indirect support for the development of territorial communities are provided. The importance of creating appropriate conditions for the organization of cooperation between territorial communities and its stimulation is emphasized. A list of important factors of change that will have a significant impact on local development and the development of new approaches to community development planning is given, and it is proposed to add to it public management factors of change, which include modern capabilities of the management system and an increase in the level of participation, cooperation and the growing importance of civil society in territorial development processes. Keywords: strategy, planning, territorial communities, changes, cooperation.

Development Strategy for Downstream Utilization of Sago Potential in Sungai Tohor Village

Utilization of regional potential is currently not running optimally, the pattern of development and utilization of regional potential is still focused on fulfilling raw materials that have low selling value, for this reason the role of all parties, local government, community members is needed to be able to participate actively with the academic community to make changes local potential development system. The purpose of this service is to find out the Development of Downstream Potential Utilization of Sago in Tebing Tinggi Timur District, Sungai Tohor Village, Kab. Meranti Islands. As well as identifying and developing innovations in utilizing existing potential, and knowing how the development is carried out. This service method uses a qualitative approach, with qualitative data collection techniques through interviews, observation, literature studies and focus group discussions (FGD). The result of this community service activity is the drafting of a community empowerment and development plan concept in exploiting potential opportunities and challenges both arising from within and from outside their environment.

Performance Analysis of CSR Implementation of PT. Golden Great Borneo Year 2021 in Lahat District

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an obligation that must be carried out by companies that manage natural resources. The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia number 1824 K/30/MEM/2018 requires every company to prepare a master plan for Community Development and Empowerment during the production and post-mining operations. PT. Golden Great Borneo is committed to implementing CSR according to these guidelines, with the aim of establishing good relations with the community around the mining area. This study aims to analyze the performance of the company's CSR implementation in 2021. Where that year was the first year the company carried out CSR with the guidance of the PPM master plan. This research was conducted using a transcript of interviews with the ring 1 community and the company. The analysis was conducted to see the performance of CSR implementation and its effect on the company's operations. The results of the analysis show that the company's CSR implementation performance will be good if it is supported by the competence of the company's CSR implementing team. Because this team will collect input suggestions, arrange activities, budget, activities, and carry out activities with beneficiaries. The CSR program run by the company referring to the Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Indonesia number 1824 K/30/MEM/2018 is running effectively with the percentage of budget realization reaching 121.45%. This good CSR performance has an indirect positive influence on the company's operational performance, especially at the level of the company's coal sales.

The generation of community social capital in the Poble Sec community plan (Barcelona)

ABSTRACT The perspective of social capital has gained prominence in the last 25 years in research and intervention in the social and educational fields.There is an open debate on the application of this concept in community action processes. The objective of this article is to identify and analyze the basic factors that influence the generation of social capital within the Community Development Plan of Poble Sec de Barcelona.A qualitative research process was designed in two phases: one to review the existing academic literature on the factors that generate community social capital, and a second focused on the case analysis of a Community Development Plan.Results such as the wealth of community associations, the feeling of belonging and the ability to mobilize neighbors to get involved in collective actions of a social nature, show that Community Development Plans can provide an adequate context for the generation of social capital.

Social learning, innovative adaptation and community resilience to disasters: the case of flash floods in Bangladesh

PurposeExisting literature on how social learning stemming from flood experience influences management and adaptation to flood-risks, and resilience-building is scant. In this context, the purpose of this study is to map the processes and examine the application of social learning in formulating coping measures and adaptation strategies in Bangladesh's wetland communities.Design/methodology/approachTo bridge this research gap, conceptually, we formulated the Social Learning from Disasters (SLD) Framework to explain the process of social learning from flood experience and the mechanism of its influence on community resilience. Applying a qualitative research approach, the empirical investigation was carried out in the Fenarbak Union of Sunamganj District, Bangladesh. Using a participatory approach and qualitative techniques, the required primary data were procured.FindingsThe results of the study yielded three key findings: (1) social learning and memory have often enabled wetland communities to adopt diverse coping and adaptive measures in response to flash floods; (2) social learning-based actions have resulted in reduced flood-risk and enhanced community resilience to flash floods, especially when these actions were supported by both local and external innovations and (3) the aforementioned social learning stemmed primarily from first-hand experience of flash floods, which was shared via various collective learning platforms.Research limitations/implicationsThe study followed a participatory methodology and the data were procured from two communities in the union level unit of Bangladesh. Therefore, generalization to apply to the larger context should be made with caution. Also, the study represents a cross-sectional study, and thus understanding of the long-term trend is not possible.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study have direct and profound implications for local community-level disaster-risk planning. As there are serious deficiencies in documenting and preserving social learning for community resilience and development planning, this study offers a conceptual framework, along with empirical evidence, for transforming these lessons learned into practical actions for change.Social implicationsThe findings of the study highlight the importance of social learning as a collective effort and provide empirical evidence of innovative adaptations to change. These results are critical to formulating societal strategies for disaster-risk management as well as to enhance community resilience.Originality/valueLimited efforts have hitherto been made to determine (1) how the actual process of social learning from disaster shocks takes place, and (2) how innovative adaptation strategies lead vulnerable communities to take up social learning-based actions. Our research attempts to fill these knowledge gaps by providing an evidence-based account of community resilience-building responses to flash flood disasters.

Sustainability likelihood of community and social development projects in Oyo and Ekiti States, Nigeria

This study investigated the gender and generational involvement of community members on the sustainability likelihood of the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in Oyo and Ekiti states, Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 130 respondents (16 youth, 42 adult male, 34 adult female and 38 elders). Focus group discussion was used to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Respondents indicated their involvement in project phases: needs assessment (2:54, 6:5, 5:1), funding (2:23), decision making (12:4, 9:2, 7:2, 2:30), formulation of Community Development Plan (5:8, 3:3, 35:1), training (3:2, 6:6) and implementation (5:2, 2:25, 3:6, 9:3). None of the projects were insured (11:5, 2:26, 19:4), maintenance committee was set in place (8:32, 2:41), projects were relevant (19:7, 6:12, 20:10) and environmental impact assessment was carried out (7:8, 2:46, 3:13, 1:34). The facilitators of CSDP should monitor the activities of community members and ensure that the community members comply with the activities required for the implementation of the projects as stated in the CSDP implementation manual.

Accessibility to Safe Drinking Water and Diarrheal Diseases: A Quasi-Experiment on a Case of Water Well Drilling in the Village of Kassouala, Municipality of Tchaourou, Benin, January 2018-July 2019

Background: In 2017, 900 million people in the world did not have sustainable access to safe drinking water (SDW). In addition, between 2016 and 2020, the global population with safely managed drinking water at home increased from 70 percent to 74 percent. Drinking water insecurity is the daily situation of people in developing countries. The lack of SDW supply is at the root of many diseases, including diarrheal diseases. Kassouala is a village in the municipality of Tchaourou without access to SDW, but having benefited from the drilling of a well in September 2018. The objective of this study was to study the effect of access to safe drinking water on the frequency of diarrheal diseases in Kassouala between January 2018 and July 2019. Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental study in Kassouala using the natural experiments of the village of Bérétou as a control group for estimating the effect of a causal nature. There were double temporal (January 2018-July 2019) and geographical (Kassouala-Bérétou) comparisons based on data collected from health care registers. A population-based comparability survey of the two villages was conducted among 170 households in each village (experimental village, control village). A two-stage cluster sampling procedure was used to select the survey participants. Data were collected from heads of household by semi-structured questionnaire. We used Pearson or Mantel-Haenszel chi-square tests, as appropriate, and the “difference-in-difference” method to assess the effect. Results: In Kassouala, the proportion of households with access to safe drinking water had increased to 78.88%, whereas it was nil in 2018 before the well drilling, and the frequency of diarrheal diseases decreased significantly from January 2018 before drilling to July 2019 after drilling (57.11% to 44.64%; p < 0.0001). In Bétérou, on the other hand, a control village, used as counterfactual village, a significant increase was noted (31.48% vs. 50%; p < 0.0001). The difference-in-difference was estimated at -30.99% with a degree of statistical significance estimated at p < 0.0001 accounting for the decrease in the frequency of diarrhea in Kassoula relates to SDW accessibility to the population due to the drilling of the well. Conclusion: Access to safe drinking water in Kassouala has a causal effect on the reduction of diarrheal diseases. However, for the supply of drinking water to be integrated into the community development plan of Tchaourou, it is necessary to support the scaling up of this intervention, which would be considered as a pilot, of a community participation program.

Participatory GIS-Based Approach for the Demarcation of Village Boundaries and Their Utility: A Case Study of the Eastern Boundary of Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka

This study examines spatial knowledge of the local community and the participatory resource mapping (PRM) approach to demarcate land boundaries in the eastern boundary of Wilpattu National Park, Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has four types of major administrative boundaries, namely, provinces, districts, divisional secretariat divisions (DSD), and Grama Niladari (GN) divisions. The smallest community segments are clustered inside each GN division. The lack of proper demarcation of these smallest community segments, called ‘villages’, has been identified as a significant issue when implementing community development plans and applications in government and non-government projects. Thus, the deliverables of community-based projects become less effective. The objective of this study was to explore means of demarcating land boundaries, to separately identify small community segments using participatory GIS (PGIS) techniques. The study was conducted covering 12 GN divisions adjoining the eastern border of Wilpattu National Park (WNP). The methods used included PGIS interviews and group discussions with PRM steps. Overall, around 100 selected community members, spread across 12 GN divisions, were chosen to participate in the study. Community society meetings were conducted in each village, and essential topographic information in the area was collected with the knowledge of local society members and GIS tools. Later, this was digitized and verified to improve the presentation and accuracy of the results. As a result, the study could identify villages in each GN division, while generating more precise digital maps. Through this study, it can be confirmed that PGIS has remarkable potential in land use planning applications. The study further shows the potential of the application of PGIS in community-based projects and their deliverables to the community, and in enhancing community education on spatial thinking and planning, while facilitating community empowerment and innovation.