Households In City Research Articles

Economic Valuation of Local Environmental Amenities: A Case Study of Bahir Dar City, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

This study estimates the economic value of local environmental amenities in Bahir Dar city which is one of the tourist attraction sites in Ethiopia. The study employed choice experiment valuation method by identifying four environmental amenities attributes (Lake Tana, urban park, palm tree and street cleanliness). The study used probability multi-stage random sampling technique. The analysis was based on primary data surveyed from households in Bahir Dar city. The study presented nine choices set for each respondent; each choice set has three alternatives including the status quo option. The study employed a mixed logit model. The result showed that all improved attribute levels have positive signs and statistically significant. As expected and consistent with economic theory the monetary cost has negative signs and significant. The mixed logit model showed that there is preference heterogeneity in some attribute levels. Based on the finding, the study recommends that the city administration and the concerned body expected to implement the hypothetical policy scenario so as to improve environmental amenity.

Testing the Role of Waste Management and Environmental Quality on Health Indicators Using Structural Equation Modeling in Pakistan.

Improper management of municipal waste has become a growing concern globally due to its impact on the environment, health, and overall living conditions of households in cities. Waste production has increased because households do not adopt waste management practices that ensure sustainability. Previous studies on household waste management often considered socio-economic aspects and overlooked the environmental and behavioral factors influencing the disposal practices and health status. This study adopted four constructs, defensive attitude, environmental knowledge, environmental quality, and waste disposal, by employing a structural equation modeling approach to explore research objectives. Data from 849 households of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan was collected by using a multi-stage sampling technique. The structural model results showed that the two constructs, environmental knowledge and defensive behavior, positively affect household health status. The most significant health-related considerations are waste disposal and environmental quality, both of which negatively impact health status and do not support our hypothesis. The results provide valuable perspectives to enable households to engage actively in waste management activities. The findings indicate that understanding the intentions of household health status drivers can assist policymakers and agencies in promoting an efficient and successful community programmes related to sustainable solid waste management by allowing them to foster how the desired behavior can be achieved.

A Study of Housing Location Characteristics for One-Person Households in Local Small and Medium-Sized Cities -Focusing on Gyeongsangnam-do-

본 연구는 경상남도 중소도시 규모별 1인 가구의 주거지 특성을 제시하는 것을 목적으로 한다. 경남의 도시 규모별 1인 가구의 거주지를 선택 할 때 고려하는 가장 중요한 요소를 도출하기 위해 전문가, 1인 가구 주민에게 설문을 진행하고, AHP 분석과 다중회귀분석이 실시되었다. 첫째, 물리적 분야에서 중요요인은 인근 근린생활시설로 나타났고, 이는 도시지역에서 가장 중요요인으로 도출되었다. 군 지역에서는 상업시설의 접근성, 대중교통/교통 접근성 등이 주거입지 선택 특성으로 도출되었다. 둘째, 사회 분야에서 중요요인은 주거 인근 범죄 발생률로 나타났고, 이는 도시지역에서는 가장 중요요인으로 나타났다. 군 지역에서는 사생활 보호가 영향을 미치는 요인으로 도출되었다. 셋째, 환경분야에서 중요요인은 일조권, 일반 쓰레기 처리로 나타났고, 도시지역에서는 공동으로 도출된 요인과 추가로 인근 공원 상태가 주거입지 선택 특성으로 나타났다. 마지막으로, 경제 분야에서 중요요인은 주택비용의 적정성으로 나타났고, 도시지역에서는 주거 부담금, 유지관리 비용, 부동산 투자 가치로 나타났다. 군 지역에서는 유지관리 비용이 주거입지 선택 특성으로 도출되었다. 물리적·사회적·환경적·경제적으로 지방 중소도시의 1인 가구의 생활양식과 주거지 특성이 도시와 군 지역에서 현저하게 다르다는 점이 도출되었다.

Spatial effects in the socioeconomic valuation of peri-urban ecosystems restoration

In many cities, urban pressure is deteriorating peri-urban ecosystems, despite their high capacity to provide ecosystem services. Against this pressure, restoration projects are being developed to improve the environmental conditions of peri-urban ecosystems. The aim of this work is to determine the economic value and degree of acceptability of a restoration project, the Murcia-Río project, analysing spatial effects. This dimension is incorporated when estimating the willingness to pay (WTP) for the project and when dealing with protest behaviour (PB). A survey was carried out to 401 households in Murcia city (SE-Spain) using the contingent valuation method to obtain a monetary value for the project. We identify that distance to both the project area and substitute areas explain WTP and PB. Based on these findings, we recommend that, to maximize the benefits of such actions, interventions should be targeted to areas with high accessibility and low number of substitutes.

Factors determining household-level food insecurity during COVID-19 epidemic: a case of Wuhan, China.

BackgroundIn coping with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, cities adopted social isolation and lockdown measures; however, little is known about the impacts of these restrictions on household food security.ObjectiveThis study provides a timely assessment of household food insecurity (HFI) in the Chinese city of Wuhan during the COVID-19 epidemic period and also investigates its determinant factors.DesignWe collected valid data on food insecurity from 653 households in Wuhan via an online questionnaire in March 2020. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale Score (HFIASS) was used to measure HFI, and a multiple linear regression model was used to determine the HFIASS.ResultsThe mean HFIASS in Wuhan was 9.42 (standard deviation: 5.82), with more than 50% of the households had an HFIASS < 9. Compared with normal conditions, lockdown measures had a huge negative impact on household food security. The results revealed that socio-demographic characteristics remained the underlying determinants of HFIASS during the epidemic. Households in Wuhan with local Hukou (city household registration) and self-owned property had a lower risk of food insecurity.Discussion and conclusionAfter the restriction of conventional food access channels, intermediary food purchase methods such as group purchasing, shopping with the help of neighborhood committees, property management agents, and volunteers became the most important or the only channel for residents to access food. There were similarities in the use of these intermediary channels. Based on the probability that the epidemic will continue and the probability of similar public health-related outbreaks in the future, the study calls for a more resilient and responsive sustainable food supply system by harnessing the capacity of communities, e-commerce and rapid logistics.

Determinants affecting tax compliance: A case of business households in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This paper aims to identify key factors influencing the tax compliance of business households in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The researchers surveyed 215 owners of business households in Ho Chi Minh City from June 2020 to July 2020. Analysis of the model includes the 4 phases following: (i) Applying the expert methodology; (ii) Cronbach’s test for reliability of the scale and exploratory factors analysis (EFA); (iii) Pearson correlation coefficient analysis; (iv) Regression analysis and hypothesis test of a model. The results of this study revealed that factors affecting tax compliance of business households in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in descending order of importance: Tax Rate, Tax Knowledge, Tax Penalty, Personal Norm, and Perceived Fairness (of the system). Moreover, the tax rate had a negative relationship with tax compliance and the others had a positive one with tax compliance. Finally, the research also proposes some implications to enhance tax compliance of business households and directions for further research.

Exploring household natural gas consumption patterns and their influencing factors: An integrated clustering and econometric method

Understanding household natural gas consumption patterns and their influencing factors can help implement specific energy consumption policies and improve energy efficiency. Based on a dataset of natural gas consumption bills for 3995 households in Hefei city, China, this study identifies different household gas consumption patterns using intelligent cluster analysis, taking into account the increasing block tariffs (IBTs) and temperature factors. Subsequently, the survey data of 348 households are matched with the billing and weather data to explore the key drivers of natural gas consumption patterns in different households. The results show that (1) household gas consumption patterns can be divided into four types: a single-point spike, double-point flat-peak, micro-peak, and linear. Among them, single-point spike type consumers and double-point flat-peak type consumers belong to the second and third levels of consumers with high gas consumption, and consumers using wall-hung boilers account for a high proportion of households. (2) For the whole sample, both the IBT policy and the temperature have a significant negative impact on household gas consumption. In terms of different types of consumers, micro-peak and linear consumers are more sensitive to the IBT policy, whereas temperature has the greatest impact on the gas consumption of single-point peak consumers.

Examining the Driving Factors of the Direct Carbon Emissions of Households in the Ebinur Lake Basin Using the Extended STIRPAT Model

In order to achieve the carbon emission reduction targets in Xinjiang, it has become a necessary condition to study the carbon emission of households in small and medium-sized cities in Xinjiang. This paper studies the direct carbon emissions of households (DCEH) in the Ebinur Lake Basin, and based on the extended STIRPAT model, using the 1987–2017 annual time series data of the Ebinur Lake Basin in Xinjiang to analyze the driving factors. The results indicate that DCEH in the Ebinur Lake Basin during the 31 years from 1987 to 2017 has generally increased and the energy structure of DCEH has undergone tremendous changes. The proportion of coal continues to decline, while the proportion of natural gas, gasoline and diesel is growing rapidly. The main positive driving factors affecting its carbon emissions are urbanization, vehicle ownership and GDP per capita, while the secondary driving factor is residents’ year-end savings. Population, carbon intensity and energy consumption structure have negative effects on carbon emissions, of which energy consumption structure is the main factor. In addition, there is an environmental Kuznets curve between DCEH and economic development, but it has not yet reached the inflection point.

Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting for Sustainable Development of Households in City of Kigali: Case of Niboye Sector in Kicukiro-District

Fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce everywhere around the world especially in developing countries including Rwanda due to population growth. Rooftop rainwater harvesting as the most traditional and sustainable method, could be easily used for potable if well collected and managed. This paper was to analyze how households of the Niboye Sector harvest the rainwater, use it and the challenges they face in this practice. The findings from a survey conducted in the area revealed that RWH is effectively practised by using multiple techniques varying from simple techniques such as jars and pots to more complex techniques like plastic tanks as well as underground cisterns depending on households’ financial capacities. Given that this study focused on plastic tanks, it was found that 71 out 108 respondents possess plastic tanks of different sizes (from 1000 litres to more than 10,000 litres) and 71% of respondents use rainwater as sole source of drinking water during rainy season. As expressed by 93% the challenges faced are based on lack of financial means and 82% of respondents emphasized insufficient people’s knowledge with regard to RWH and its use while 81% put emphasis on lack of clear policy, etc. Hence, the study recommended local authorities and different civil society organisations operating in the area, support local community initiative in terms of finance and sensitisation for enhancing their knowledge and skills for the sustainable rainwater management.

Study on Mediating Effects Under Actions of Households’ Online Shopping Influence Factors and Cash-free Payment

Household’s online consumption behaviors are affected by multi-dimensional factors. In this work, upon the financial survey data of Chinese family in 2017, households’online shopping influence factors are analyzed in the empirical form, and the mediating effects of cash-free payment on households’decision for online shopping is measured. According to the results therefrom, non-cash payment has certain mediating effect in the process that households’characteristic factors affect the online shopping. Households in cities and involving in higher consumption level for life and clothes have a higher willingness for online shopping. Payment by credit has a positive effect on households’decision for online consumption. Enlarging the noncash payment scale and promote the network infrastructure in villages and towns; reducing the use cost of network in villages and towns, deeply tap the consumption potentials in urban areas; promoting the payment by credit can enlarge the scale of network consumption groups and improve their expenditure willingness.

Dual Water Choices: The Assessment of the Influential Factors on Water Sources Choices Using Unsupervised Machine Learning Market Basket Analysis

An unsupervised machine learning model of association rule known as market basket analysis is proposed in this study to analyze the influence of various socio-economic factors on the choice of the water source. Data of 51 socio-economic factors collected from 295 individuals living in 65 households in Ambo city in the Oromia region of Ethiopians were used for this purpose. The results revealed (i) 64% of the family preferred multiple water sources (i.e., public tap and river water), (ii) the water was collected females in 92% of the households, and (iii) majority of people preferred bathing and laundering in the river (support = 32% and confidence = 87%). Direct utilization of river water is not a preferable choice for the user since it may lead to severe health issues and cause water pollution from bathing and laundering. Education and monthly income have a significant impact on the choices of water sources. Local management authorities can improve sanitation and public health management using the results obtained in the study. The paper only gives a glimpse of the important factors that should be considered for improving the way of life for the underdeveloped areas of the world using advanced machine learning techniques.

A study on consumption pattern of meat products among the households in Srinagar city of Jammu &amp; Kashmir, India

A study on consumption pattern of meat products among the households in Srinagar city of Jammu &amp; Kashmir, India

Spremnost potrošača generacije Z da plate višu cenu za organsku hranu u Srbiji

Even though younger consumers have positive attitudes towards organic food, a very small number of them regularly purchase these products. One of the reasons for this could be the significantly higher price of organic food compared to the price of corresponding conventional products. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which generation Z consumers are willing to pay premium price for organic food, and to identify the socio-demographic factors which impact their willingness to pay. The study was carried out on a sample of 213 students in the Republic of Serbia, an emerging organic food market, via a structured questionnaire. The results indicate that more than 2/3 of the respondents who purchase organic food would pay a premium price of between 1% and 40%. Only 8% of the respondents are not willing to pay more for organic food products. The Chi-squared test for independence was used to analyze the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and their willingness to pay; it was determined that smaller households (1-3 members), as well as households in bigger cities, show a greater willingness to pay premium price for organic food. The information which was obtained during the study could be used to assist producers and organic product retailers to create an effective pricing strategy and marketing communications strategy.

Rethinking of the Solid Waste Management System of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Municipal solid waste management is an important component of urban services that is often handled by local governments. Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia faces rapid urbanization leading to overcrowding and the development of shantytowns and poor neighborhoods. The general aim of this study was to appraise the present dry waste service provision of Addis Ababa. This study used an integrative literature review method with critical analysis to investigate the current solid waste management status in Addis Ababa. The results of this study show that the delivery of the service does not keep pace with the city's solid waste generation and the city's municipal disposal of solid waste is found in actual, low status and spatial coverage. This humble status of city garbage management is also heightened by three critical factors, i.e. poor institutional structure, inadequate disposal site and transfer station, and poor households' solid waste handling practices. Besides, the city households dominantly created decomposable solid wastes (60%) through generation amount of 0.45 kg/person/day and the main source are residential wastes, which account for 76% of the total waste. The sudy concluded that, the main problem with the incompetence of this sector in the city was the lack of trained labor and inadequate service delivery. In order to improve the status, there should be awareness creation, improvement of the city government, and implementation of an incorporated method to the management of metropolitan solid waste that respects and involves all stakeholders in the metropolis.

Rethinking of the Solid Waste Management System of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Municipal solid waste management is an important component of urban services that is often handled by local governments. Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia faces rapid urbanization leading to overcrowding and the development of shantytowns and poor neighborhoods. The general aim of this study was to appraise the present dry waste service provision of Addis Ababa. This study used an integrative literature review method with critical analysis to investigate the current solid waste management status in Addis Ababa. The results of this study show that the delivery of the service does not keep pace with the city's solid waste generation and the city's municipal disposal of solid waste is found in actual, low status and spatial coverage. This humble status of city garbage management is also heightened by three critical factors, i.e. poor institutional structure, inadequate disposal site and transfer station, and poor households' solid waste handling practices. Besides, the city households dominantly created decomposable solid wastes (60%) through generation amount of 0.45 kg/person/day and the main source are residential wastes, which account for 76% of the total waste. The sudy concluded that, the main problem with the incompetence of this sector in the city was the lack of trained labor and inadequate service delivery. In order to improve the status, there should be awareness creation, improvement of the city government, and implementation of an incorporated method to the management of metropolitan solid waste that respects and involves all stakeholders in the metropolis.

Mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from households by urban woodland in Ibagué-Colombia

Abstract Trees are essential in the city to capture CO2, and, at the same time, to contribute to the mitigation of climate change. Carbon storage and fixation in aboveground biomass was estimated in the urban woodland of Ibagué with a census from 2013-2016, and a new measurement of 15% on individuals in the 2019-2020 period. The number of trees of the main species required to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases from households was estimated. Urban woodland captures about 3.81 Gg CO2/year, which represents only 2,3% of the city emissions. The mitigation of 169.2 Gg CO2/year of the city households would be achieved by having between 412,000 and 1.2 million trees of the most dominant species. Efforts based on green infrastructure to compensate urban emissions at municipal level must be coordinated with territory policies at large scales.

Status of Food Security in Kerman, Iran During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Aim: Food security at individual, family, national, regional and global levels can be achieved when all people at all times have physical and economic access to adequate and healthy food to meet their nutritional needs and priorities for a healthy and active life. This study aims to investigate the status of food security and its related socioeconomic factors in households during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-9) pandemic in Kerman, Iran. Methods &amp; Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 households selected randomly from five comprehensive health centers in five districts of Kerman city in Iran. A demographic/socioeconomic questionnaires and the Persian version of the 18-item USDA Household Food Security Survey (HFSS) were used for collecting data. Ethical Considerations: All ethical principles are considered in this article. The participants were informed about the purpose of the research and its implementation stages. They were also assured about the confidentiality of their information and were free to leave the study whenever they wished, and if desired, the research results would be available to them. Results: There was a significant relationship between the socioeconomic factors (household size, house size, and number of amenities) and the food security. There correlation between the household size and food security was positive (R= 0.142, P&lt;0.001), while the correlation of house size (R= -0.093, P&lt;0.005) and number of amenities (R= -0.73, P&lt;0.001) with food security was negative. Conclusion: By increasing the awareness of people and improving their economic situation, it is possible to improve the food security situation of households in Kerman city.

Barriers to urban agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

Trends in urbanization and urban food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have stimulated critical debates around the potential benefits of urban agriculture (UA) to urban livelihoods. Some scholars suggest that UA can contribute to the food quantity, food quality and income needs of urban households. However, much of the evidence cited comes from single case studies, with particular attention paid to large cities and high-income countries. There is a resulting gap in understanding regarding what role UA plays in the food security of households in smaller African cities and towns. These smaller urban areas are likely to house a large fraction of SSA’s urban population in future and are important sites for early intervention by policymakers. Our analysis is based on survey data collected from 2,687 low- and low-middle income households in 18 urban areas with populations of less than 200,000 across Zambia and Kenya. We perform statistical analyses to investigate the association between UA and household food security and assess which types of households are engaged in UA. We found that 33% of households in our sample are engaged in UA and there was limited statistical significance in terms of the relationship between UA and household food security. Our results reveal three key barriers to UA, namely settlement formality, property rights, and distance from food retailers. These barriers imply the need for urban planners and policymakers to revisit how decisions are made about issues such as residential development, land tenure, transport infrastructure, and the use of space in cities, as these affect the ability of households to produce, sell, and access food. Policy and planning mechanisms should further recognize the embeddedness of UA within African urban food systems, in which traditional markets, informal trading, and modern food retail also play an integral role.

African Caribbean Residents of Edinburgh in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

Scotland is gradually coming to terms with its involvement in slavery and colonialism as part of the British Empire. This article places the spotlight on the lives of African Caribbean people who were residents of Edinburgh during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. I discuss their varied experiences and contributions: from runaways and men fighting for their freedom in the Scottish courts to women working as servants in city households or marrying into Edinburgh high society. The nineteenth century saw activism among political radicals from abolitionists to anticolonialists; some of these figures studied and taught at Edinburgh University. Their stories reflect the Scottish capital’s many direct connections with the Caribbean region.

A Survey on Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Resilience due to the Prevalence of COVID-19 among Anar City Households in 2020: A Short Report

A Survey on Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Resilience due to the Prevalence of COVID-19 among Anar City Households in 2020: A Short Report