Geographical Perspective Research Articles

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in geographic science

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted geographers and specialists of other areas, driving them to generate knowledge aimed to explain and find solutions to the health crisis that emerged in March 2020. Within the field of geography, quantitative methods, and geotechnologies have been employed to collect measurable data which prove useful explanation and the logical relationship between variables, verifying hypotheses related to COVID-19 contagion and mortality cases. Health geography, as a disciplinary branch, has investigated the spatial-temporal distribution and dynamics of diseases, seeking to understand the processes explaining the spatial structure of them during a pandemic. In this context, a case of study, Mexico City, seeks to address questions from a health geography perspective, such as: What were the causes behind the high levels of pandemic contagion? Which environmental, social, and health factors in time and space relate and contribute to a greater impact of the pandemic? How do these factors interact with each other, and how have they influenced the increase or decrease in contagion and mortality cases? What are the short, medium, and long-term scenarios of COVID-19? To address these inquiries, spatial analysis methods and geotechnological techniques, approached holistically and have efficiently supported the identification of COVID-19 contagion risk zones and their specific characteristics. These insights prove invaluable information for spatial decision-making in comprehensive planning and territorial management.

GeoCapabilities Approach to Climate Change Education: Developing an Epistemic Model for Geographical Thinking

Multiple perspectives on geographical thinking are lacking in the teaching of climate change in school geography. This study establishes an epistemic model through a co-construction design to support geography teachers’ curriculum making with respect to climate change. We developed the preliminary model with four main geographical perspectives, including natural scientific, humanistic, social scientific, and posthuman perspectives, by drawing on studies in academic geography. Based on interviews with nine geography education researchers who have been involved in the GeoCapabilities project, we examined the educational potentials of multiple geographical perspectives in developing student’s capabilities to react to climate change.

Identification Method of High Incidence Areas of Bad Driving Behaviors Based on DBSCAN-Graham Combination

<p>This study utilizes data obtained from vehicle positioning, speed, and engine status through satellite positioning system monitoring terminals. The data is processed using spherical interpolation of latitude and longitude to handle missing values. The study establishes indicators for identifying bad driving behaviors, including speeding, rapid acceleration and deceleration, prolonged vehicle idling, and fatigue driving. The traditional DBSCAN algorithm is improved by incorporating both temporal and spatial search ranges into the algorithm, enabling cluster analysis of bad driving behaviors from both temporal and geographical perspectives. Finally, the Graham algorithm is utilized to calculate cluster boundaries, determining the specific locations and boundaries of high incidence areas of bad driving behaviors. This research aids regulatory authorities in more precisely supervising risk areas during transportation processes in terms of time and location.</p> <p> </p>

Road Infrastructure, Supply Chain Costs Reduction, and Road Safety in Economic Geography Perspective

Purpose: While it is expected that road transport infrastructure may enhance supply chain cost reduction, the mechanisms and conditions under which road transport infrastructure may enhance supply chain cost reduction are less understood. Theoretical framework: Drawing insights from the economic geography perspective, and survey data from 359 senior managers of manufacturing firms in Ghana, we found support for the argument that road transport infrastructure is important in the quest to improve supply chain cost reduction. Methods: The hypothesized model was tested with survey data from beverage manufacturing firms in Ghana. The survey method is usually appropriate for strategic management studies. Results and Conclusion: Our findings also suggest that road safety does not just support supply chain cost reduction but serves as a transformative mechanism to reap superior supply chain cost reduction in a resource-constrained environment. Our findings make a contemporary contribution to the economic geography theory as well as important managerial guidance for managers in the supply chain management space in resource-constrained regions like SSA. Research implications: The outcome of this study offers an important extension to the frontiers of innovative literature in supply chain management. Originality/value: It also provides practical insight to practitioners in the manufacturing setting by emphasizing the need to pay crucial attention to road safety as well as invest in road infrastructure development in the quest to reduce supply chain costs.

Formation Process and Spatial Representation of Tourist Destination Personality from the Perspective of Cultural Heritage: Application in Traditional Villages in Ancient Huizhou, China

Tourism destinations are cultural heritage and spatial landscape systems of organic coexistence between humans and the Earth, and are formed through the long historical evolution of a specific geographical environment. With the development of large-scale cultural and tourism projects and the construction of scenic areas, many tourist destinations face conflicts between people and the environment and the crisis of discontinuity in the landscape and the cultural context. The concept of tourist destination personality provides a perspective for studying the interaction between humans and the environment in tourist destinations. However, existing research has not delved into the mechanisms of temporal–spatial interaction and spatial representation of regional cultural heritage in regional systems. Therefore, from the perspectives of geography and urban–rural planning, this study selects traditional villages in ancient Huizhou as the research object and employs relevant theories from cultural ecology to construct a paradigm for analyzing the formation path of tourist destination personality based on a cultural core from a regional systemic perspective. Building on this, this study develops a coupling analysis framework for the “accumulation anchoring” of heritage landscape representation in traditional villages in ancient Huizhou based on a cognitive understanding of tourist destination heritage landscape and a ‘time–space’ interactive model. The research reveals that the formation of personality in traditional villages in ancient Huizhou centers around cultural cores such as production methods, social organizations, construction mechanisms, and social beliefs. It is driven by basic forces such as resource endowment vitality, a social structure driving force, and a historical choice regulatory force, with the logic of forming dominant functions and obtaining expected benefits such as the core. The spatial representation of traditional village heritage in ancient Huizhou exhibits a synergistic evolution mechanism between ‘culture and landscape’. The research process and conclusions provide a basic framework and methodological system for the study of tourist destination personality and heritage revitalization, expanding the understanding of the process of human–environment interaction and spatial patterns in tourist destinations.

Spatial and temporal distribution of palaeoclimatic records in the Maya Area

Palaeoclimatic research has been performed in the Maya Area (MA), using mainly lake sediment cores and speleothems. Most of the studies have been performed in the lowlands, leaving the highlands unexplored. Lake sediments records contain a diversity of proxies (e.g. Mineralogy, isotopes, pollen, charcoal, diatoms, chemicals, magnetic susceptibility, among others) and temporal resolution, making them frequently not easy to compare and leaving numerous gaps of information. Practically all stalagmites are focused on using δ18O as a proxy of effective rainfall during the Maya periods, having only some explored the role of palaeostorms and hurricanes as well as the paleoclimatology of the pre-Maya and modern periods. In this review paper, the location and temporal frame of palaeoenvironmental records of the MA and their proxies are presented, showing the zones and periods that possess environmental information and assessing their resolution. The comparison shows that more high-resolution records with a multi-proxy approach covering most of the Holocene are needed to understand the climate change in different zones of the MA. Finally, the geographic distribution of the diverse recorded hydroclimate responses based on the records is presented for three critical moments in the Maya History that have been associated with dry periods in the Great Maya Droughts hypothesis. This geographic perspective shows that dry events were not presented in all the MA during these moments although they were vastly recorded in both high- and lowlands. The geographic perspective also shows a negligible drought effect in the central lowlands for the Maya Hiatus period, where this cultural phenomenon was identified first. But signals of droughts are presented in other zones of the MA for this period. The distribution of the drought signal also shows that sites that thrived during the Maya Collapse period were in the regions that suffered the strongest droughts, whilst many sites that were abandoned were in regions rich in hydric resources. Explanations are reviewed for these contradictions. Finally, the works towards the development of mathematical models of the environmental variables are briefly reviewed, pointing out the lack of a proper computational model that has been fed by the palaeoclimatic data developed by the records in the MA.

Impact and Assessment of Climate Change on Agricultural Production in India: A Geographical Perspective

Climate change is an imminent global challenge that poses significant threats to our planet’s ecosystems, human societies, and overall well-being. Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns (UN) 2023 has shown all too clearly that climate change is here, and human activities have been the main driver of climate change. At the core of climate change is Global Warming which has triggered the melting of glaciers, sea level rise, weather fluctuation, erratic rainfall, and an increase in temperature patterns over the next century is predicted. The main objectives of this research paper is to examine the various causes of climate change in India and what is the impact of climate change on agricultural production in different parts of the country. The entire study is based on secondary sources of data. The result of the study shows that agricultural sector, which is already having difficulties as a result of the growing need for food, is being negatively impacted by climate change. In India, agriculture is very important because it is the foundation of the country's economy and provides a living for most of the population. 17.4% of India's GDP, or its gross domestic product, is derived from agriculture (Economic Survey, 2015–16). Drought, heat waves, storms, flooding, delayed monsoons, and variations in seasonal temperatures are some of the elements that negatively affect agricultural operations, such as planting, tending, and harvesting crops like Zaid, Rabi, and Kharif. These factors affect India's agricultural productivity as well as livestock farming. The study also reveals that Climate change has resulted in altered cropping patterns and decreased output of crops such as sugarcane, ground nuts, and paddy in states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Orissa, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Some Indian states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, and Kerala, have demonstrated climate variability by experiencing drought-like conditions in certain areas and flood-prone areas in others. Also, it results in the failure of crops, which drives farmers in some states to take their own lives due to crippling debt. On top of that, there is a risk to food security, a change in the quality of nutrition, a modification in pest and disease, but—above all—it is making life harder for the people having poor socio-economic status.

Ethnocartography of Medieval Yugra

The uncertainty of the location of the chronicle Yugra is attributable by several circumstances, including its localization both to the west and to the east of the Urals, with the division in written sources of the people(s) called Yugra / Ugra into steppe nomads (Ugrians, Ungry, Magyars, Hungarians), who went west to the Carpathians, and taiga dwellers (Yugra), who remained «in the midnight countries». For ethnographers and historians, this topic is relevant not only from the perspective of the historical geography of the 11th – 17th centuries, but also as a key to understanding many plots of Russian history related to the colonization and development of the resources of the Urals and Siberia. Is it possible today to add something to this old discussion? The author believes that visual sources (maps) can open new perspectives and place new accents, since cartography has particular reliability and credibility as a direct projection of reality. On early maps and in accompanying descriptions, Yugra is located mainly in the Urals, although, apparently, the Yugrichs also lived east of the Urals. Moscow, while moved northward and eastward in the 14th century, especially after the baptism of Permians by Stefan, provided the Yugra spreading beyond the Urals. While in the 11th – 16th centuries Yugra was in the orbit of influence (or part of the domain) of Novgorod the Great, then from the end of the 15th century, it became the possession of the Moscow Grand Prince, who in 1488 supplemented his title with the name «Yugorsky». Since that time, Yugra has been increasingly mentioned beyond the Urals, and after the defeat of Novgorod from Moscow, the very name «Yugra» becomes a thing of the past and is replaced by new, Moscow names –«Vogul» and «Ostyak».

Enhancing modular construction supply chain: Drivers, opportunities, constraints, concerns, strategies, and measures

Modular construction (MC) plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable development. However, the promotion of MC in many jurisdictions has been encumbered by its prevailing undeveloped supply chain. This study aims to systematically explore the drivers, opportunities, constraints, concerns, strategies, and measures with regard to enhancing the MC supply chain, using the empirical case of modular integrated construction in Hong Kong and the supply chain in the Greater Bay Area of China. The research was conducted through the combination of a literature review, a questionnaire survey with 244 effective responses, and 46 expert interviews. A systematic framework with foremost drivers, opportunities, constraints, concerns, strategies, and measures is proposed for guiding MC supply chain enhancement from technical, political and regulatory, socio-economic, and geographical perspectives. The findings contribute to better understanding the complexity and dynamics of the MC supply chain and guide stakeholders to work collaboratively for supply chain enhancement.

Shipping network vulnerability assessment integrated with geographical locations

In maritime transport, ports undertake the routes and markets of surrounding ports after they fail during emergencies. The transfer and replacement of routes are subject to port-hinterland relationships, spatial agglomeration, and geopolitical environments, which are realistic expressions of port location from the perspectives of economy, geography, and geopolitics. However, the irreplaceability of ports influenced by geographic location has been ignored in previous evaluations of network vulnerability, which has exaggerated the network vulnerability. To address the aforementioned problems, an irreplaceability model based on the port’s geographical location was constructed. This model systematically simulates the changing trend of shipping network vulnerability and reveals the damage effect of the shipping network under the influence of emergencies to bring the vulnerability assessment results of shipping networks closer to reality.

Myco-Phycobiont Interactions within the "Ramalina farinacea Group": A Geographical Survey over Europe and Macaronesia.

Ramalina farinacea is a widely distributed epiphytic lichen from the Macaronesian archipelagos to Mediterranean and Boreal Europe. Previous studies have indicated a specific association between R. farinacea and Trebouxia microalgae species. Here, we examined the symbiotic interactions in this lichen and its closest allies (the so-called "R. farinacea group") across ten biogeographic subregions, spanning diverse macroclimates, analyzing the climatic niche of the primary phycobionts, and discussing the specificity of these associations across the studied area. The most common phycobionts in the "R. farinacea group" were T. jamesii and T. lynnae, which showed a preference for continentality and insularity, respectively. The Canarian endemic R. alisiosae associated exclusively with T. lynnae, while the other Ramalina mycobionts interacted with both microalgae. The two phycobionts exhibited extensive niche overlap in an area encompassing Mediterranean, temperate Europe, and Macaronesian localities. However, T. jamesii occurred in more diverse climate types, whereas T. lynnae preferred warmer and more humid climates, often close to the sea, which could be related to its tolerance to salinity. With the geographical perspective gained in this study, it was possible to show how the association with different phycobionts may shape the ecological adaptation of lichen symbioses.

Children Don't Like Eating What They're Supposed to Eat… A Study of Public Catering for Children in Hungary from a Historical Perspective

AbstractChildhood nutrition is an important element of lifestyle research, since the regularity and nutritional content of our meals as children, and the way in which they are eaten, determine our physical and mental health throughout our lives. Prior to 2018, there was no basic interdisciplinary research on this topic in Hungary, thus to fill the gap, an interdisciplinary research group was established in 2018 at the Institute of Ethnography, which carried out nationwide research. The present study is based on fieldwork undertaken by the author in two schools — the János Lenkey Primary School in Eger (formerly Primary School No. 1) and the Tamás Bolyki Primary School in Ózd — as well as a large amount of information gleaned from questionnaires and interviews. My research was also extended in terms of a historical and geographical perspective: I studied archival sources and expanded the field of my investigations by including Salgótarján, a research location familiar from my earlier research, which provided a vantage point alongside Ózd and Eger, as a third city typical of Northern Hungary. Public catering for children has undergone significant changes in the last six to seven years, although prior to this it had appeared relatively uniform, in line with the ingredients available at the time. The obligation to provide public catering and the general obligation to work, which began in the Rákosi era and culminated in the Kádár era, significantly changed family eating habits. Traditional elements typical of a particular locality disappeared as the globalization efforts of socialism were accomplished. The ever-decreasing amount of time devoted to preparing, cooking, and consuming food moved society in the direction of canteens, fast-food restaurants, and later, after the regime change, global fast-food chains. Education on proper nutrition is not currently part of academic teacher training, thus for want of a better alternative, teachers organize children's school meals based on their own experience and socialization or following the school's regulations (where they exist), without having a unified concept. The number of meals eaten at home has been reduced to light breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, with families mostly sitting down together at the table for dinner, when they often consume ready meals. Lack of contact with foodstuffs and with the person preparing the food has a negative impact on children's psychological development. Relying on extensive basic research and participant observation, and through the joint efforts of specialists from several fields of the social sciences, a significant improvement could be achieved in both public catering and education on healthy nutrition.

The Influence of Geographical Environment on Public Social Trust: What Role Do Tourism Activities Play?

Social trust is derived from the interaction of environmental and social factors, which has important significance for the sustainable development of society and social governance. In particular, in the post-pandemic era, tourist activity will receive special attention in terms of its role in the development of the public's social trust. On the basis of the sample of big data, this research takes China as an example to study the influences of different geographical and environmental elements on individuals' social trust as well as the common role played by the tourist activity. The research showed that the geographical environment and tourism activities have interacting effects on public social trust. This influencing mechanism is specifically manifested as the rice-growing ratio and tourist reception level can have interacting effects on the social trust of the residents in a tourist destination; pathogen stress and tourist supply level can exert interacting effects on the social trust of the residents in an area from which tourists originate; and economic development and tourist reception level can have interacting effects on the social trust of the residents in a tourist destination. By doing so, this research provides theoretical support and practical suggestions for the recovery of the public's social trust from the perspective of tourism geography in the post-pandemic era.

Spatiotemporal changes of climatic disasters and population displacements in Africa

ABSTRACT Frequent global climatic disasters are posing a growing threat, especially in populous Africa. Understanding the intrinsic interactions between climatic disaster and the resulting affected population in Africa can provide a representative sample of developing countries for global governance of climate change. This study explored the spatiotemporal dynamics in climatic disasters and disaster-related displacements in Africa from a geographical perspective. The results showed that climatic disasters in Africa occurred with seasonality consistent with African climate characterized by distinct dry and rainy seasons, manifested as flood, storm, and heat wave events occurring in the rainy season, wildfire and cold wave events taking place in the dry season, and prolonged droughts spanning both dry and rainy seasons. Meanwhile, the spatial pattern and variation trend of climatic disasters and displacements varied greatly by the five African sub-regions. East Africa experienced the highest number of disasters and displacements, while Southern Africa bore the least. Flood and drought triggered a third of total displacements in the most populated West Africa. The least frequent disasters dominated by flood only affected less than 10.9% of the total in Central Africa. 6.8% of the total displacements were primarily induced by coastal flood in North Africa.

Disparities in School Performance in Romania. A Geostatistical Analysis of Baccalaureate Results between 2015-2022

This study analyses the evolution of the main indicators of students’ high school performance at the high school graduation exams (Romanian Baccalaureate) from a geographical perspective. Both participation and pass rates fluctuate depending on the type of high school, gender and place of residence. Behind these quantifiable characteristics there are significant disparities in (in)equality of educational opportunities influenced by the questionable efficiency of the education system in providing quality education to every student, regardless of their parents’ financial background. Although the upper cycle of secondary school (11-12th grades) is not legally compulsory, successful graduation is essential for the economic, social and cultural insertion of the future adults in a functioning society. The lack of performance of some high schools and vulnerable groups of students, who face problems of accessibility, motivation, opportunity, and financial support, as well as the worrying numbers of exam absentees, must be brought baccalaureate to the permanent agenda of the policy makers, not exclusively during the exam period. The complexity of the official data from 2015-2022 has allowed the geostatistical analysis of school performance, highlighting the deep discrepancies within the system, specifically between urban and rural students, the administrative and economic hierarchy of the locality and the prestige of the high school attended. The insights of this analysis can be used to identify optimal solutions to enhance the research about educational disparities.

Assessing regional food security: A spatial analysis of food carrying capacity in Baki Subdistrict, Sukoharjo Regency – Indonesia

In Indonesia, addressing food security is challenged by a rapidly growing population, leading to increased consumption and diminished agricultural land availability due to ongoing land conversion. This study focuses on assessing the food carrying capacity in the Baki Sub-District as a critical component of regional food security. From a geographical perspective, the research employs spatial analysis to evaluate the food carrying capacity in the Baki Sub-District. Data collection involved the utilization of mathematical formulas, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the food carrying capacity. Spatial analysis was facilitated through a Geographic Information System (GIS). The findings reveal that a significant portion of the Baki Sub-District maintains a high food carrying capacity, particularly in the southern regions. However, areas proximate to Surakarta City, impacted by regional development, experience a reduction in food carrying capacity due to the conversion of agricultural land to residential use. This study contributes valuable insights into the spatial dynamics of food carrying capacity in the Baki Sub-District, providing essential information for regional food security planning.

Investigating Online and Physical Retailing with the Perspective of Traditional Economic Geography in the COVID-19 Era

It is crucial to understand the needs of consumers, producers, and intermediaries (retailers) in the context of the rapid growth of companies and organizations. The use of a supply chain management system can greatly enhance the efficiency of order transmission and receipt. However, it is unfortunate that management systems, particularly supply chain management, have not fully capitalized on the opportunities offered by today's technology-driven and intelligent world. This presents an interesting challenge for management systems focusing on sustainable development goals, especially during times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak and global spread of the coronavirus has exposed the vulnerability of the global supply chain. From the initial stages of sourcing raw materials to the production and distribution of goods, every step is susceptible to disruption. In light of this, companies must proactively anticipate potential issues and implement measures to restore and improve their supply chains. To raise awareness about this critical issue, it is important to identify the challenges faced by companies and businesses. This will enable us to develop strategies for improvement and recovery, both in online and physical retail, from the perspective of traditional economic geography. Supply chain recovery is of utmost importance and goes beyond crisis management, as it involves overcoming numerous challenges during the recovery phase. The severity and adverse effects of the pandemic may vary, making it crucial for businesses to carefully navigate the long-term and destructive impacts on their supply chains. Subsequently, the recovery of the supply chain in the post-pandemic era requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses both online and physical retail, taking into account traditional economic geography. Therefore, in the midst of an epidemic, identifying potential challenges in the supply chain and understanding their impact on post-disaster recovery strategies play a vital role. This understanding will inform the development of appropriate strategies to address these challenges, both in online and physical retail, from a traditional geographic perspective.

An international comparison of the scope and instruments of local spatial planning

This article analyses (based on multidimensional criteria) land-use plans at a local level (using selected cities as examples) and their relationships to crucial planning issues identified at both national and local levels. The planning approaches of cities from the following countries were compared: Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Ghana, Iran, Mexico, Mongolia, Portugal and Poland. These countries are diverse in terms of their legal, political, cultural and geographical perspectives. Across these diverse countries, comparisons were made of local spatial plans (as enacted in specific cities), with regard to their legal features. From this, directions for a possible universal debate of local-level spatial plans as currently emerging is proposed. Based on the comparison undertaken, it is possible that the spatial plans studied designate zones of land use and detailed principles (including parameters) of development for cities. In some countries, attempts have also been made for the plans to solve spatial problems more broadly, for example by linking strategic planning objectives with the spatial development sphere. This article was published open access under a CC BY licence: https://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/

Comparative Analysis of Kyrgyzstan and Türkiye’s Secondary Geography Curriculums

The study was made as a qualitative document analysis. The geography curriculums implemented in secondary education in Türkiye since 2018 and in Kyrgyzstan since 2020 were compared by applying document analysis and content analysis. The curriculums were subjected to a comparative analysis in terms of achievements, content, learning and teaching approaches and assessment-evaluation features. Due to the difference in the educational levels of both countries, there are some difficulties in comparing only at the high school level. According to the findings, it was observed that the subjects included in the curriculum were more limited in Kyrgyzstan. In this context, it was more appropriate to make comparisons on the basis of human systems, global environment: regions and countries, and environment and society units in the Turkish geography curriculum. It is noteworthy that the geography curriculum in Kyrgyzstan has an approach that addresses geographical, geocological, social-humanitarian aspects in teaching the outcomes. When evaluated in this respect, it can be said that there is a great overlap in terms of the geographical perspective intended to be gained by students. It is noteworthy that the similarities in the updated constructivist teaching philosophy are also intense in terms of objectives and some guidance, educational situations and assessment-evaluation. In the Kyrgyzstan geography curriculum, there are a lot of details about educational situations and assessment-evaluation. The most important difficulty experienced in the comparison was the difference in the educational levels at which geography courses were taught in the two countries.

Geographical Global Rural Cultures and Cultures in Particular Geographical Realities: Some Particular Ideas for a Global Debate

Scientific contributions to global culture are scarce from a rural geographic perspective. The vision of global rural culture is framed between global as a product of particular cultures or as particular cultures contributed to geographically global rural. Furthermore, the emergence of new politics of rural cultures associated with re- and territorialization processes and small tactics in place is analyzed. Finally, the bases are established for the joint and integrated study of the concept and approaches to global rural and global culture in different geographical scenarios in the global South and North.