Household Questionnaire Survey Research Articles

Prospects and Barriers of Commercial Tomato Farming in Hilly Areas of Eastern Nepal

Commercialization of agriculture has become indispensible for the supply of food and nutrients to people and income generation. Thus, this study deals with the feasibility of commercial tomato farming including the analytical study of problems related to this agricultural system in the study area. This study applied household questionnaire survey, key informant survey, focus group discussions and field observation to collect relevant primary information. Secondary data were collected from previous research journals, dissertations and official records. This study covers the entire area of Ward No. 9 of Dhankuta Municipality. The study based on around, 30 percent (280hhs) farm households of the study area. This study reveals that the commercial tomato farming in the hilly areas of eastern Nepal seems to be full of both challenges and opportunities. The commercial success of this agricultural system seems to have made this system widespread in the eastern hills of Nepal. Apart from this, it also helps to develop the habit of choosing appropriate agricultural technology among the local farmers. Thus, this farming system seems to be a more popular business at present context in this area. Moreover, this study also confirms that the commercial tomato farming is not only a profitable business but also a risky and challenging. The farmers are facing various socio-economic challenges while doing this cultivation. Therefore, this study proves that any human activity is not free from barriers or challenges, so such challenges must be faced in an intelligent way. This conclusion also conveys the message that the success achieved by facing such barriers is sustainable and fruitful.

Coastal communities’ livelihoods conditioned by resource use dynamics and changing environments in Lindi Region, South-Eastern Tanzania

Coastal and marine resources are significant drivers of coastal livelihoods, population growth along the coast, and boosting farm and off-farm job generation. However, the use of coastal resources has been extremely variable, resulting in ups and downs in the productivity of coastal communities. This cross-sectional study investigated the root causes of these coastal resource dynamics and how they affect household livelihood. The household questionnaire survey was used as the main instrument, aided by focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations in data collection. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected households, four focus groups (one for each ward), and eight key informant interviews. Household shocks (both climate and non-climate), livelihood diversification, government policy changes, and aging all influence household decisions on which livelihood alternative to pursuing. Coastal and marine resource extraction, on the other hand, increases or decreases in magnitude as households strive to sustain income levels, driven by prices set by demand and supply in the phases of environmental change. Changes in fiscal gains cause the linear relationship between yield and natural resource utilization. Nonetheless, the low productivity of coastal and marine ecosystems and terrestrial ecosystems, as a result of environmental change, has prompted the deployment of modern resource extraction methods to adapt to the changing environment. Nonetheless, despite the paradox, the natural gas discovery gives coastal towns a new hope for survival. Apart from investments, policies must address the lack of access to current technologies, the compensation range, and support for community livelihoods.

Status, determinants and challenges of tree planting in Dodoma district, Tanzania

Climate change, human population growth, the energy crisis, and food insecurity negatively drive livelihoods in developing countries. The trend seems to be severe in arid and semi-arid areas where some livelihood strategies are naturally constrained. Tree planting is one of the mitigation and adaptation approaches applied to climate variability and change for sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. The current study assessed the status, determinants, and challenges of tree planting in Nkuhungu, Msalato, and Hombolo villages in the Dodoma district, Tanzania. A household questionnaire survey (HQS) was used to collect data from 213 household respondents. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to supplement data from HQS. Results indicate that tree planting is practiced at household and institutional levels during the wet season and was promoted after the government shifted from Dar es Salaam to Dodoma. Approximately 5111 planted trees were recorded in the study villages, with an average of 24 ± 5 trees planted per household. Fruit and shade trees are widely planted in residential areas, and privately owned nurseries and the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) are the major sources of seedlings. Level of education (+), type of employment (-), seedling price (-), water availability (+), and the importance of the tree (+) were found to influence the number of trees planted by household respondents. The main challenges of tree planting are inadequate land size, water scarcity, high pricing of seedlings, lack of improved seeds, and insufficient extension services. Knowledge on tree planting determinants would be instrumental in strengthening the current governmental strategies for greening Dodoma. The study suggests increasing water sources such as boreholes and digging wells/ponds for watering trees; improvement of extension services; and provisioning of affordable improved and adaptive seeds to semi-arid areas.

Factors Affecting Employment Stability of Labor Immigration: Implications for Sustainable Development

Effectively improving employment stability is the key to accelerating the sustainable development of Chinese-style labor migration. Based on a household questionnaire survey, combined with the characteristics of labor migrants, this study uses SEM to analyze the factors that affect the employment stability of labor migrants. The results show that the data fit the model well, and all the hypotheses proposed in this study are supported. The factors affecting the employment stability of labor migrants are threefold: relocation satisfaction is the premise, relocation adaptability is the key, and subjective human capital-dedicated status is the foundation. Observed variables that have a significant impact on latent variables are also explored. The main survey results show that labor migrants have high relocation satisfaction and relocation adaptability, and subjective human capital and employment status are relatively low. According to the research results, measures are put forward to further improve the employment stability of labor migrants.

SOIL EROSION ASSESSMENT WITH INVEST MODEL: CASE STUDY IN WEE-OYA WATERSHED IN SRI LANKA

Human-induced soil erosion is one of the most significant types of land degradation in the Wee Oya watershed in Sri Lanka. The high intensity of rainfall, steep slopes, and inappropriate land use practices are strongly associated with soil erosion in the area. The prime aim of the study was to estimate soil erosion in the watershed and its seven sub-watersheds using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST), Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model. Furthermore, a comprehensive household (HH) questionnaire survey (n=30) was conducted to ascertain key socio-economic information such as the farmer’s age, gender, education level, the extent of land for cultivation, and the degree of practicing soil and water conservation (SWC) measures. Then, the multiple regression analysis was applied to determine the significant socio-economic determinants of erosion in the watershed. The results of the assessment disclosed that the present average annual rate of human-induced soil erosion of the watershed is 167 t/ha/yr. Moreover, the most significant (p<0.05) socio-economic determinants of the soil erosion of the study area are the farmer’s age and family size. Furthermore, the study revealed that more than 50% of the farmers do have not a substantial perception of existing government policies’ implications concerning human-induced soil erosion. Finally, the outcome of the assessment has highlighted the necessity of human intervention for effective SWC measures in the study area.

Analyzing Water Poverty Components Using Geospatial Tools: Resource and Environmental Constraint in Kathmandu District

This current paper examines water poverty situation in Kathmandu district in terms of water resource and environment constraints. Integrated methodology was adopted for the study. Water source sample survey was carried out using GPS tool. Study area comprised total of 13 water sample sites. Household questionnaire survey was carried out for water poverty mapping and analysis. Resource component of water poverty comprised indicators, namely seasonal variation in water availability, water supply frequency and groundwater recharge potential. The environment constraint component comprised water quality rate of soil erosion and topographic wetness index. The result show that the average calculated value of water resource limitation component is 6.31 and out of 13 studied communities, 7 communities fall below average. It is found that environmental constraint is less associated with urban housing density. It is found that environmental constraint is less associated with urban housing density. The average calculated value of environmental component is 3.43 and out of 13 studied communities, 8 communities fall below average. Spatial variability in water poverty is prominent and highest water poverty is found in urban cores. Communities with lower water poverty are found in peri-urban location near the foothills. The average calculated value of water poverty is 9.74 and out of 13 studied communities, 9 communities fall below the average. The study concluded that water poverty index and resultant map is a very effective tool to visualize the distribution of water poverty at local spatial scale and to present the complex nature of water poverty.

Watershed degradation and water provision in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania

Freshwater provision is an ecosystem service usually offered by natural watersheds but threatened by anthropogenic degradation. Pollution reduced water supply and led to high socio-economic costs. This study examined water accessibility in three wards of Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania in terms of; household sources of water supply, availability, consumption, and spending. It involved primary data collected through household questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and observation, and secondary data from water supply authority and basin offices. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive techniques that involved computation of maximum and minimum values, means, and percentages; and qualitative data by content analysis technique. About 80% of study respondents were not connected to the public water supply networks, they depended on sources like boreholes, wells, rainwater, and streams. Water supply was insufficient and partly unaffordable during scarcity. The study findings were linked to the UNESCO IHP-IX framework to achieve water-related SDGs, to improve water provision efficiency.

Factors influencing economic benefit of rainwater harvesting: an empirical analysis

Abstract This study examines key factors influencing the economic benefit of rainwater harvesting on the household at the Mongla Upazila in the Bagerhat district of coastal Bangladesh. The household survey questionnaire was used to collect primary data from 1040 households. The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression analysis was applied to understand the relationship between economic benefit and factors that can affect economic benefit in the household. The empirical result shows that income (1.103**), storage capacity (0.574***), water price (32708.9***), age of rainwater harvesting (100.083***), and total cost (1.627***) positively impact economic benefit while the number of children (35.531**) has a negative relationship. The finding confirms the validity of statistical hypotheses. In addition, heterogeneity analysis was employed to test the model's strength and robustness check to validate the structural function and efficiency of the regression model. The finding concludes with policy recommendations, especially for rain-intensive countries that focus on (i) formulating and implementing rainwater harvesting policy; (ii) integrating rainwater harvesting as a tool for poverty reduction and achieving sustainable development goals; (iii) minimizing mismanagement of (rain) water that causes floods; (iv) initiating programmes and taking the necessary steps for providing financial and non-financial incentives for rainwater harvesting in commercial, and non-commercial buildings.

Perception and Understanding of Climate Change and Its Impact in Gandaki River Basin, Central Himalaya, Nepal

Climate change is a global issue. Its impacts are recognized at different scales ranging from global to regional to local. Climate change particularly changes in temperature and precipitation has been observed differently in different ecological regions in Nepal Himalaya. The study area comprises five villages of three ecological regions in the Gandaki River Basin (GRB) of Nepal. Based on the observed climate data of a 30-year period from 1990 to 2020, the changes in temperature and precipitation of each ecological region are analyzed using the Mann–Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope. The temperature trend was found to be increasing at the rate of 0.0254 °C per year (°C/a) between 1990 and 2020 in the Mountain region, by 0.0921 °C/a in the Hill region and 0.0042 °C/a in the Tarai region. The precipitation trend in the Mountain region is decreasing by −13.126 mm per year (mm/a), by −9.3998 mm/a in the Hill region and by −5.0247 mm/a in the Tarai region. Household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were carried out to assess the perception of climate change and its impact. The farmers of the three ecological regions have perceived increasing temperature trends, but perceived variability in precipitation trends. Both snowfall and rainfall have varied. Snowfall has drastically decreased. Drought has increased. Extreme disaster events and impacts from such climate-induced events are experienced by 67.9% of respondents. A major impact of climate change is reported on cultivated crops with damage caused by increased insect and rodent pests. The impact of climate change is varied by ecological region. The comparative study of observed data and household data shows the need for a micro-level study so that a real situation can be captured and would be very much useful for policy formulation to combat climate change at a local scale.

Climate Variability and Change Impact on Crop Production: Evidence from Ghana

This paper explores the impact of climate variability and/or change on two major crop yields (cassava and maize) and cash crop (cocoa) in two districts in different agroecological zones - Atwima Mponua (Semi-Deciduous Forest Zone) and Ejura-Sekyeredumase (Transition Zone) of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. A comparative-case mixed-methods research design was adopted for the study, involving household survey questionnaires, focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews with key informants to discuss farmers’ perceptions about changes in climate and impact on crop yields. Three hundred participants were involved in the study - 150 from each district. The study also used time series panel data approach to analyse the impact of climate variables (mean annual maximum and minimum temperatures; and total rainfall) on the three crops over the period 1992 - 2014.Farmers perceived changes in the weather patterns - mainly increasing temperature and erratic and low rainfall. Besides, farmers had observed invasion of weeds; and dryness of aquatic habitats (especially, during dry periods); and loss of major staples. The findings from the analysis of secondary data corroborate farmers’ perceptions about changes in climate and its negative impacts on cassava and maize yields for the past 20-30 years. However, qualitative feedback about impact of climate variables on cocoa yield conflicted with the findings of analysis of secondary data. The findings from this study can form a basis for policy makers to develop region specific adaptation policies to address climate change impacts on crops studied and extend it to other crops. Keywords: Climate variability and change; Vulnerability; Food crop; Cash crop. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-12-03 Publication date: December 31 st 2022

Contribution of Dry Forests and Forest Products to Climate Change Adaptation in Tigray Region, Ethiopia

Despite their ecological importance, dry forests’ contribution to climate change adaptation is often neglected. Hence, this study was initiated to assess the socioeconomic contribution of dry forests to climate change adaptation in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. A mixed quantitative and qualitative research design was used to examine the role of dry forests in climate change adaptation. Household questionnaire survey, key informants, and a focus group discussion were used to collect data. The results indicated that 94% of all households visited a dry forest at least once a month to access the forest and forest products. While the dry forest income level varied significantly (p < 0.05), the overall dry forest income level contributed to 16.8% of the total household income. Dry forest income enabled the reduction of the area between the line of equality and the Lorenz curve by 21% in dry evergreen Afromontane Forest users, by 3.02% in Combretum–Terminalia woodland users, and by 3% in Acacia–Commiphora woodland users. Gender, occupation, wealth status, and distance from the forest to their homes are all factors that significantly affected Combretum–Terminalia woodland users’ income level. Among Acacia–Commiphora woodland users, the respondents’ age influenced the dry forest income level, whereas, among dry evergreen Afromontane Forest users, the family size of the household influenced the dry forest income level. The findings of this study could help policy makers understand the crucial role of dry forest income in the livelihood of the community and in climate change adaptation. Policymakers could reduce the pressure on dry forests by introducing policies that recognize the role of dry forest income in reducing poverty and income inequality and by establishing farmer cooperation in commercializing the non-timber forest products which support the long-term coping and adaptation strategy. Further research is needed to understand the increasing role of dry forest products in climate change adaptation over time and its contribution to the national economy at large.

ASSESSING URBAN POOR RESILIENCE TO NATURAL DISASTERS USING ANALYTIC HIERARCHY PROCESS-BASED MODEL: A CASE STUDY ON KHULNA CITY

This article intends to measure the urban poor’s resilience to natural disasters using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) based model. It also explores factors affecting differentiated levels of household resilience. It is found that urban poor communities in Khulna city frequently experience urban flooding and waterlogging, caused by heavy rainfall, as a primary hazard and therefore this article emphasizes on differentiated nature of urban poor’s resilience to natural hazards and the factors that shape differentiated nature of resilience. Quantitative research approach has been adopted and AHP-based indexing has been used to measure the level of resilience of the urban poor and contributing factors to their resilience level. The household questionnaire survey has been used as the data collection method and the total sample size of this research is 384 and all the primary data is collected from the six slums in Khulna city which have been selected using different vulnerability criteria like geographical location, size of the slums, and mean sea-level height of the slum. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) model is used to determine the weight of indicators and dimensions which have been used to calculate resilience. Additionally, the principal component analysis (PCA) is also used to identify the determinant factors. The results revealed that 40.88% and 48.96% of people are low and moderately resilient respectively. The percentage of high resilient people in the low-income settlements in Khulna city is very low as only 10.16% of the households are found as highly resilient in the urban poor settlements. It identifies several factors that have the highest effect on differential level resilience, including access to formal safety nets and social assistance, income and livelihood strategy, illness, debt etc. Highlighting the factors that influence differentiated levels of resilience local government or policymakers can take different policy recommendations to improve the resilience of the urban poor that including strengthening the social security system for the urban poor, creating livelihood opportunities, public health services, etc.

Gender Perspectives of Responses to Climate Variability and Change among Farm Households in Southeast Nigeria.

It has been argued that gender affects climate change response especially among farming communities yet literature is scant on gender perspectives of response. In recognition of this, the study examined responses with the associated challenges and opportunities across gender in the South East (SE) Nigeria. A mixed research approach including a participatory research approach (PRA), field observation and household questionnaire survey was used to collect data. The survey sample included 300 (150 men and women each) farm household heads from six villages in the region. Data were analyzed and presented using principal component analysis (PCA), non-parametric and descriptive statistics. The study found that men and women-headed households differed in their use of strategies like migration from affected areas and livelihood diversification (p < 0.05). Women have more challenges of insufficient improved farming knowledge than men. The challenges for men were majorly insufficient technologies like mechanization. Components of these challenges include technology, environmental-related challenges among others. Response opportunities for men and women include digital/mobile telecommunications and learning by doing respectively. Compared to men, women had less participation in opportunities for the development of human capital through training (p < 0.05). The study recommends that more opportunities should be provided for the training of farmers especially women on climate change response.

Food Consumption Characteristics and Influencing Factors in a Grassland Transect of Inner Mongolia Based on the Emergy Method.

Food consumption is the vital connection between human beings and natural resources. Our research explores the characteristics and drivers of food consumption patterns within Mongolian grasslands with a vulnerable ecology and environment. Food consumption data were obtained via a household questionnaire survey, and the emergy method was applied to analyze the food consumption characteristics in different grassland areas. This led to the following results: (1) The total per capita food consumption in different banners showed greater consumption and higher percentage of animal-based food in regions farther north. (2) From south to north, the main meat consumption in different banners varied, the predominant meat type consumed in Taibus was pork, that in Zhenglan was mutton, and that in West Ujimqin was beef. The farther north, the more fruits and vegetables were consumed. (3) The characteristics of food consumption in different areas were influenced by a series of factors, including social, economic, and ecological ones. Local food supply and disposable income were the main factors that had important effects on food consumption structure, as these two factors provided accessibility to foods for consumption.

Analyzing forest residents' perception and knowledge of forest ecosystem services to guide forest management and biodiversity conservation

Forest ecosystem services (FES) are perceived and valued differently by different occupational groups. It is necessary to understand the various viewpoints and determinants, which have significant implications for forest management and biodiversity conservation. This suggests a need for diverse site-specific socio-cultural valuations of ecosystem services (ES) worldwide to enhance our understanding of the complexity of human-nature interactions in different social-ecological systems. In an investigation of a study area of local communities around the Hara Biosphere Reserve in the Persian Gulf, we analyze how various people and groups value FES, the determinants of various perceptions, and the implications of people's perceptions of FES for forest management and biodiversity conservation. Using the exploratory sequential mixed method, data were collected through a household questionnaire survey of 155 randomly selected people and through interviews with key informants and authorities. A decision tree was used to classify major occupational groups, and a path analysis was used to identify direct and indirect relationships among factors affecting FES perceptions. On average, the residents of the park identified 71% of the total FES that were supplied, with the cultural services as the most widely identified, followed by provisioning, supporting and regulating services. Different occupational groups perceived FES divergently. This was associated with their economic dependence on FES, age, education, proximity to the reserve, and their attendance at environmental workshops. Considering general forest management, the study provides three suggestions. Firstly, socio-cultural valuations of FES are needed to identify and compare how different occupations value ecosystems and how their services contribute to the welfare of the residents. Secondly, education initiatives should elaborate how hidden/omitted functions of the ecosystem are associated with people's well-being, thus providing them with strong motivation to support conservation programs. Thirdly, making cultural services more accessible and profitable to the public links nature conservation with social and economic well-being, and reduces overharvesting of provisioning services.

Local community perception on the State Governance of mangroves in Western Indian coast of Kinondoni and Bagamoyo, Tanzania

Sustainable conservation of mangrove forests has been constrained by marginalising some key stakeholders in resource governance in Tanzania. The present study assessed the perceptions of local communities towards the state management of mangroves on the western Indian coast of Kinondoni and Bagamoyo. The mixed method design was used to collect data from 306 respondents from Kaole, Mlingotin, Pwani-Kunduchi, and Mtongani villages via household questionnaire surveys, interviews with key informants, focus group discussions, and documentary reviews. The overall mean score on a 5-point scale for respondents in both study sites was 3, indicating neutral perception. The perception of respondents towards state management of mangroves for ecological benefits was relatively higher (M = 3.92, SD = 0.18) than for socioeconomic context (M = 3.02, SD = 1.03), t (128) = 4.7, p < 0.01, d = 0.51) in Kinondoni. The same results were revealed in Bagamoyo as higher perception for ecological gain (M = 3.43, SD = 0.67) than for economic benefits (M = 2.63, SD = 0.86), t (133) = 5.3, p < 0.01, d = 0.63. Multiple regression models revealed that local community perceptions of state management of mangrove forests in both study areas can be explained by education level (β = 0.168, p = 0.012), knowledge of reserve rules (β = 0.187, p = 0.013), household distance from reserve boundary (β = 0.798, p = 0.003), and occupation (β = −0.162, p = 0.001). The study revealed that respondents were satisfied with the state’s management of mangroves for ecological gain, but they were not supportive of management when economic issues were discussed. The study recommends the state management of mangroves to become inclusive and recognize the neighboring communities’ entitlements; an adequate contribution of revenue from mangrove protection to local livelihood; and the provision of environmental education to communities on the potential of ecosystem services to increase their social acceptability.

Factors Associated with Family Consent to Organ Donation in Qatar: Results from a Household Survey

Background: Family consent and organ donors rates are colinear to each other. The low consent rate can be influenced by socioeconomic and behavioral factors in the population. This study aimed to assess the influence of sociodemographic and behavioral factors on family consent for organ donation in the household population.Subjects dan Method: This is a secondary data analysis of the cross-sectional research design of 1044 household participants conducted in Qatar on organ donation between October and November 2016. A two-stage systematic random sampling was applied to collect data. The dependent variable was family consent. The independent variables were demographic and behavioral factors such as knowledge, attitude, intention, and beliefs about organ donation. Data were collected using household survey Questionnaire and analyzed using Student t-tests (unpaired), chi-square tests, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. C-statistics were applied to see discriminate accuracy of the developed regression model for family consent.Results: Knowledge (aOR= 1.63; 95%CI= 0.55 to 4.80; p= 0.380), behavioral belief (aOR= 1.11; 95%CI= 0.77 to 1.61; p= 0.580), heard organ donation (aOR= 1.12; 95%CI= 0.71 to 1.76; p= 0.630), registered for organ donation (aOR= 1.11; 95%CI= 0.50 to 2.46; p= 0.800), donated any organ/ blood/tissue (aOR= 1.63; 95%CI= 0.55 to 4.80; p= 0.380) can increased with family consent for organ donation registration. But, it’s not significantly statistic. Attitude (aOR= 1.73; 95%CI= 1.28 to 2.34; p= 0.001), control belief (aOR= 0.74; 95%CI= 0.55 to 0.99; p= 0.050), and Intention (aOR= 7.50; 95%CI= 4.04 to 13.92; p= 0.001) can increased with family consent for organ donation registration and the results were statistically significant.Conclusion: Attitude, control belief, and intention can increase family consent for organ donation registration. Keywords: Family consent, intention, attitude, knowledge, organ donation. Correspondence:Rajvir Singh. Cardiology Research Center, Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Doha, Qatar, Post Box: 3050; email: rajvir.aiims@gmail.com. Mobile: 97455897044.

Tackling post-COVID-19 pandemic food crises through the adoption of improved maize seeds and technologies by smallholder farmers: The case of Ejura Sekyeredumase in Ghana

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to accelerate food production efforts to achieve the UN SDG two, i. e., zero hunger target by 2030, is gaining momentum across the global food security discourse. One way to accelerate food production is to adopt improved seeds and technologies that may close existing yield gaps and support food security efforts in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper uses mixed methods, including key informant interviews, structured household questionnaire surveys and focus group discussions, to examine the factors influencing the adoption of improved seeds and complementing technologies in Ghana. In particular, we draw insight from theories of failed market-induced behavior, innovation diffusion and induced-innovation theories to explore farmers' perceptions and adoption of different specific improved maize varieties and technologies for agricultural productivity. Our findings suggest that the level of awareness of improved seeds, particularly hybrid seeds and technologies, and the adoption rate of these technologies are low among Ghana's rural farmers. The findings reveal that socio-demographic and economic factors such as gender, age, cost of seeds, the promise of more yields, market access, social networks' influence, seed availability and accessibility are essential determinants of adopting improved planting technologies among smallholder farmers. This paper argues that location and context-specific-targeted extension services delivery to enhance the widespread adoption of improved seeds and technologies across scales can build farmers' capacity to increase agricultural productivity.

The Use of Chemical Fertilizer Technology in Eastern Hills of Nepal: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP)

The use of new technologies issue in agricultural sector is the global concern of the current days. This paper attempts to assess about the knowledge, attitude and practice of farmers related to the use of chemical fertilizers in their agricultural works in the case of eastern hills of Nepal. The study applied household questionnaire survey, key informant survey, focus group discussion and field observation to collect relevant information. The study conducted in 30 percent (180hss) in total (601hhs) of three altitude belts such as upper, middle and lower, ranging from 300 to 2,250 masl along the Koshi-highway. It has a wide range of climates, ranging from sub-tropical to alpine with monsoon precipitation in the summer three and half months. Secondary data were gathered from previous research journals, dissertations and official records. &#x0D; This paper has showed that chemical fertilizer technology is well known technology for the protection and promotion of fruits, crops and vegetable in the study area. Around 79 percent (142hhs) farmers have used this as an useful and profitable technique. Despite various problems, the practice of this technology is gradually increasing in this area and the maximum practice is concentrated with vegetable farming. Although it was introduced through the inspiration of local research centers at first time, the role of neighbours, friends/ relatives and television programs seems to be significant respectively in its development and expansion in the study area. This technology is the choice of the farmers and also they have positive attitude towards it but the amount of adoption is declined through the negative impact of unscientific practice in the actual field.

Mapping the spatial dimension of food insecurity using GIS-based indicators: A case of Western Kenya

Food insecurity elimination is a major focus of the Sustainable Development Goals and addresses one of the most pressing needs in developing countries. With the increasing incidence of food insecurity, poverty, and inequalities, there is a need for realignment of agriculture that aims to empower especially the rural poor smallholders by increasing productivity to improving food security conditions. Repositioning the agricultural sector should avoid general statements about production improvement, instead, it should tailor to location-specific recommendations that fully acknowledge the local spatial diversity of the natural resource base that largely determines production potentials under current low input agriculture. This paper aims to deconstruct the complex and multidimensional aspect of food insecurity and provides policymakers with an approach for mapping the spatial dimension of food insecurity. Using a set of GIS-based indicators, and a small-area approach, we combine Principal Component Analysis and GIS spatial analysis to construct one composite index and four individual indices based on the four dimensions of food security (access, availability, stability, and utilization) to map the spatial dimension of food insecurity in Vihiga County, Kenya. Data were collected by the use of a geocoded household survey questionnaire. The results reveal the existence of a clear and profound spatial disparity of food insecurity. Mapping food insecurity using individual dimension indices provides a more detailed picture of food insecurity as compared to the single composite index. Spatially disaggregated data, a small area approach, and GIS-based indicators prove valuable for mapping local-level causative factors of household food insecurity. Effective policy approaches to combat food insecurity inequalities should integrate spatially targeted interventions for each dimension of food insecurity.