Population Displacement Research Articles

Transit-induced Gentrification in Bangkok, Thailand: A Review

As many of the developing megacities, Bangkok has also implemented a TOD system to tackle the increase of traffic congestion and the availability of transportation issues. However, the TOD projects in Bangkok are not supported by an appropriate provision in affordable housing. In recent years, as the improved accessibility and transit proximity are often capitalized into housing and land prices, it resulted in the low-income population displacement, a condition that refers to the term transit-induced gentrification. This paper uses Bangkok, Thailand, as a case study to review the impact of TOD especially in the displacement of populations. The review concludes that the gentrification in Bangkok is initiated by the increase of the value and rent price of the property due to the presence of the transit station. The case in Bangkok is one of the precedents that have a combination of characteristics from the early period and the latest period definition of gentrification. It has the characteristics that the case is concentrated in the city center and the subject is working class and wealthy residents, which from the early definition. While it still represents the characteristics of the latest definition, such as indirect and direct displacement that appear at the same time.

Patterns of population displacement during mega-fires in California detected using Facebook Disaster Maps

The Facebook Disaster Maps (FBDM) work presented here is the first time this platform has been used to provide analysis-ready population change products derived from crowdsourced data targeting disaster relief practices. We evaluate the representativeness of FBDM data using the Mann-Kendall test and emerging hot and cold spots in an anomaly analysis to reveal the trend, magnitude, and agglommeration of population displacement during the Mendocino Complex and Woolsey fires in California, USA. Our results show that the distribution of FBDM pre-crisis users fits well with the total population from different sources. Due to usage habits, the elder population is underrepresented in FBDM data. During the two mega-fires in California, FBDM data effectively captured the temporal change of population arising from the placing and lifting of evacuation orders. Coupled with monotonic trends, the fall and rise of cold and hot spots of population revealed the areas with the greatest population drop and potential places to house the displaced residents. A comparison between the Mendocino Complex and Woolsey fires indicates that a densely populated region can be evacuated faster than a scarcely populated one, possibly due to better access to transportation. In sparsely populated fire-prone areas, resources should be prioritized to move people to shelters as the displaced residents do not have many alternative options, while their counterparts in densely populated areas can utilize their social connections to seek temporary stay at nearby locations during an evacuation. Integrated with an assessment on underrepresented communities, FBDM data and the derivatives can provide much needed information of near real-time population displacement for crisis response and disaster relief. As applications and data generation mature, FBDM will harness crowdsourced data and aid first responder decision-making.

Humanitarian WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) technologies: exploring recovery after recurring disasters in Assam, India

PurposeThis paper develops a theoretical understanding of learning during recovery from recurring disasters when humanitarian organizations deploy WASH technologies using examples from 2012–2013 floods in Assam, Northeastern India.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods study was conducted in Assam, where Oxfam had responded after 2012 floods and erosion. Two surveys (n1 = 313; and n2 = 279) in 2013, along with 38 semi-structured interviews, 18 household interviews and 23 focus group discussions (FGDs) were undertaken. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data were interpreted thematically.FindingsOne of the product-level innovations included raised platforms with WASH facilities as a preparedness measure for future floods, enabled by a co-learning approach. Social learning within community members provided contextual inputs, while Oxfam learnt through its institutionalized learning mechanisms, namely real-time evaluations, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) surveys and strong monitoring mechanisms. Despite these measures, the precarity of such geographies remains a major concern in increasing vulnerability, and hence this study advocates for an approach towards innovation that equally emphasizes and advances learning within community groups as well as organizations so that lessons can be captured and revisited in future programmes and promote wider application.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is exploratory, and longitudinal in nature, although the data and findings are fairly representative of the target population, they do not imply causality and attribution. Since the study relies on a case study, there are limitations of how the findings could be generalized in other similar contexts.Practical implicationsThis paper offers a new theoretical lens emphasizing context-specific understanding of short-term but rapid onset and cyclical emergencies resulting in local population displacement. It provides a bottom-up perspective on innovations and technologies deployed by external aid agencies as a commentary on recovery of community resilience from recurring disasters.Social implicationsThis paper reframes agency approaches in how they perceive community resilience and enable flood-affected and displaced communities to recover using innovations in WASH technologies.Originality/valueThis paper expands on the key lessons to be gleamed from the many interventions in humanitarian WASH technologies from learning perspective and benefits from reflections as a practitioner in the field.

PECULIARITIES OF MANIFESTATION OF THE SKIN FORM OF LEISHMANIASIS OF MAXILLOFACIAL LOCALIZATION

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease in humans. Simple intracellular parasites cause the disease. Risk factors: socio-economic conditions, poverty. The disease is associated with malnutrition, with population displacement, with poor housing conditions, with a weak immune system, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of waste disposal. Up to 1 million new infections and up to 65,000 deaths from this disease occur annually. About 95% of cases of skin form disease occur in the countries of the American continent. Leishmaniasis occurs in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
 The carriers of this disease are female mosquitoes. In the mosquito, parasites are in flagellate form. The natural reservoirs of Leishmania can be around 70 species of animals and humans. Infection occurs through mosquito saliva. After a bite, the parasite invades human mononuclear phagocytes. There may be infection of a person in contact with ulcers and other types of damage. Veterinarians have noted a dramatically increasing number of cases of disease in domestic animals.
 The following forms are clinically distinguished: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, diffuse cutaneous and visceral forms of leishmaniasis. After the disease develops, a stable immunity to this particular type of leishmaniasis develops.
 Cutaneous leishmaniasis is the most common form. Ulcers form in open areas of the body. Typical places of localization: face, ears, knees, elbows. Some nodules may have a warty surface or resemble xanthomas, keloids. After healing of these ulcers, scars remain for life.
 The nasopharynx, oral cavity, or nasal mucosa can be affected without destroying the nasal septum. For cutaneous leishmaniasis, the formation of an infectious granuloma is also characteristic.
 Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis can be local or systemic, depending on the damage and pathogen. Local treatment is suitable for minor and uncomplicated lesions. Local treatment options: heat therapy, cryotherapy. Systemic therapy is used in patients with multiple extensive rashes.
 Patient K. turned to the maxillofacial department. The patient came home to Ukraine for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment. The patient works in Poland at a construction site. According to the patient, several courses of treatment. The treatment had no result. The pharmacotherapy of our Polish colleagues is not known to us. Clinically: superficial skin lesions on the face. On the face are three ulcers of different sizes. Two ulcers on the cheeks and one on the nose. Palpation of the edges of the ulcers is very painful.
 Diagnostic search for the etiology of this process. Consultation of a rheumatologist ̶ the goal of eliminating Wegener's disease, rheumatological diseases. Hematologist consultation ̶ exclude hematology. Infectionist consultation ̶ rule out parasitic diseases. Laboratory examination: biochemical blood test, immunogram, rheumatic tests. CT scan of the abdomen.
 Consultation of a parasitologist. The diagnosis was not in doubt.The patient refused examination and treatment in the infectious diseases hospital. The further fate of this patient is not known to us. We want to draw the attention of doctors to the need for a thorough history taking. An epidemiological history is crucial in such cases.
 Treatment of leishmaniasis is long and toxic. No method of treatment gives 100% of the result. The choice of treatment method will depend on the type of pathogen and the geographical location of the infection.This disease can be brought by tourists, students from relevant countries of the world to Ukraine.

Ecological responses to land use change in the face of European colonization of Haytí island

Caribbean island ecosystems underwent significant landscape transformations in the centuries after Columbus landed in the archipelago in AD1492, but there is no agreement as to the degree and extent of pre-Columbian human impacts and the long-term trends of ecosystem disturbance and recovery. Here, we present an integrative analysis of three palaeoenvironmental records in the northern Caribbean island of Haytí (currently Dominican Republic and Haiti), to assess regional landscape transformation and human impacts in pre- and post-Columbian times. We examine biotic and abiotic indicators of landscape and ecosystem change along the Columbus’ Route, the first European extractive transport route built in the Americas. Our data show that indigenous populations transformed the landscape between 1000 and 450 cal yr BP through slash-and-burn agricultural practices. Depopulation and forced population displacement through relocation of indigenous people into Spanish mining areas triggered the recovery and expansion of forests in the valley, coastal plain and mountains. In contrast, mangroves near the first permanent European colonial outpost in the Americas (La Isabela) underwent no significant impacts related to climatic, indigenous, and early colonial pressures. All ecosystems studied have suffered degradation through deforestation during the last 200 years leading to the present fragmented landscapes. In islands with long histories of human settlement such as Haytí, reconstructing temporal and spatial aspects of human transformations and impacts on the environment is crucial to improving our understanding of the drivers and mechanisms of ecosystem degradation and recovery.

Bows and arrows and complex symbolic displays 48,000 years ago in the South Asian tropics.

Archaeologists contend that it was our aptitude for symbolic, technological, and social behaviors that was central to Homo sapiens rapidly expanding across the majority of Earth's continents during the Late Pleistocene. This expansion included movement into extreme environments and appears to have resulted in the displacement of numerous archaic human populations across the Old World. Tropical rainforests are thought to have been particularly challenging and, until recently, impenetrable by early H. sapiens. Here, we describe evidence for bow-and-arrow hunting toolkits alongside a complex symbolic repertoire from 48,000 years before present at the Sri Lankan site of Fa-Hien Lena-the earliest bow-and-arrow technology outside of Africa. As one of the oldest H. sapiens rainforest sites outside of Africa, this exceptional assemblage provides the first detailed insights into how our species met the extreme adaptive challenges that were encountered in Asia during global expansion.

Displacement from land as a limit to the realisation of the right to development in Ethiopia

Land remains a valuable asset to the Ethiopian rural population that constitutes approximately 85 per cent of the total population. Land and development are inextricably intertwined in developingagricultural economies such as Ethiopia and the majority of other African countries. Any meaningful social, economic and cultural development or self-determination of the people depends on how land is protected, guarded and defended by those who wield government powers. The state assumes, under human rights law, an obligation to respect land and other property rights and to prevent violations of the people’s rights by third parties and against property dispossession during internal conflicts. While the past few months have seen rapid and complex new developments–literally transforming the landscape of Ethiopian politics – these developments also bring certain dangers. Prominent among these are the large-scale internal conflicts and major population displacements that have caused appalling suffering to hundreds of thousands of Amhara and Oromo people and other ethnic groups. It is over three-and-a-half decades since the right to development gained universal recognition as an inalienable human right. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted in 1993 firmly underlines the universal recognition of the right to development. The right to development has also gained domestic recognition in many African countries, including Ethiopia, where it is explicitly enshrined in the Federal Constitution as one of the fundamental rights. Using available literature, this article examines the implications of displacement from land and investigates its impacts on the non-realisation of the right to development by inquiring how displacement and the human right to development are being pursued in Ethiopia. Considering the continued displacement from their lands and the implications for the right to self-determination of the various ethnic groups over their property, the article advances the argument that, without a strict adherence to land rights, the 2063 and 2030 agendas for sustainable development would fail to achieve their purpose in making living standards better for the vast majority of the people of Ethiopia.

Climate change, vulnerability, social conflicts and human displacement in the Andes: The case of Huaytapallana glacier

La región andina, en particular el Perú, ha sido clasificada como la tercera región más vulnerable al cambio climático en el mundo (Trigoso 2008); además, a pesar del crecimiento económico de los últimos quince años, más de un tercio de la población vive en la pobreza, lo que aumenta su vulnerabilidad a los diversos efectos del cambio climático, como el retroceso de los glaciares, la pérdida de diversidad biológica, la salud, la producción agrícola y la escasez de agua. En la actualidad, el 65 por ciento de los conflictos sociales están relacionados con cuestiones ambientales, según diversos estudios. En las últimas seis décadas, Perú, como país tropical, ha experimentado cambios significativos en los niveles de precipitaciones y temperaturas, lo que ha provocado un mayor retroceso de los glaciares e inundaciones (Foresight Report 2011). El aumento de los riesgos y peligros ambientales, si bien es de carácter mundial, tendrá más repercusiones locales, en particular en el desierto costero y en las comunidades campesinas andinas (Blaikie y Cannon 2003). En las zonas costeras y áridas, el 80 por ciento del agua dulce proviene de los glaciares, lagos y ríos andinos. Durante los últimos diez años en la costa, la agricultura de regadío ha aumentado, ya que la mayor parte de esta producción se destina a la exportación. Esta producción incluye frutas, flores, espárragos, etc., que requieren más agua que la producción ganadera. Últimamente, se ha informado sobre la escasez de agua y los consiguientes conflictos sociales entre los grandes, medianos y pequeños productores.

Respiratory health and eruptions of the Nyiragongo and Nyamulagira volcanoes in the Democratic Republic of Congo: a time-series analysis

BackgroundNyamulagira and Nyiragongo are active volcanoes situated close to Goma (North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo). These volcanoes are among the most prolific sources of volcanic SO2 pollution on earth.ObjectiveWe investigated the possible spatiotemporal relationships between volcanic degassing represented by eruptive emissions of SO2 that occurred between 2000 and 2010, and the incidence of acute respiratory symptoms (ARS) in populations living in areas up to more than 100 km from the volcanoes.MethodologyThe total flux of SO2 emitted during eruptions since 2000 and the average spatial distribution of the volcanic plume (2004–2008) were based on publicly available remote sensing data. The monthly numbers of adults and children reporting acute respiratory symptoms were extracted from health data collected routinely by selected local health centres and hospitals between 2000 and 2010. The monthly numbers of persons with ARS recorded during or after eruptions were compared with those recorded before eruptions, using negative binomial regression models allowing the calculation of incidence rate ratios (IRR) and their 95% confidence intervals. We first compared years with and without eruptions and then considered shorter time-windows (months).ResultsIn the investigated area, ARS were the second most frequent cause of medical visits (12.2%, n = 3.2 million cases), after malaria (32.3%, n = 8.4 million cases). SO2 emissions gradually increased 30 to 50 times in 2010 compared to 2002. Taking 1999 as a reference, the IRR for ARS increased three-fold between 2000 [0.9 (0.8, 1.1)] and 2009 [2.8 (2.2, 3.7)]. Although the incidence of ARS appeared to increase after some eruptions, especially in areas close (< 26 km) to the volcanoes, we did not find a consistent temporal association between the yearly incidence of ARS and volcanic eruptions when considering the entire observation period. When we analysed shorter time-windows (6 months in the year preceding an eruption), we observed increased ARS incidences in eruptive months, except in 2010. IRRs were increased for centres situated close to volcanoes (< 26 km) in 2001 and 2002.ConclusionARS incident cases increased over the years in populations living around the Nyamulagira and Nyiragongo volcanoes, but we found no consistent evidence for an association between the yearly incidence of ARS and volcanic eruptions or the intensity of SO2 emissions, possibly because of interference with man-made events, including massive population displacements caused by insecurity in the area. Nevertheless, some evidence was found for increased incidence of ARS following eruptions, especially in areas close to volcanoes. Assessing personal, ground level exposure to SO2 and particulates with adequate controlling for confounding, such as viral and other infections, could clarify the contribution, if any, of volcanic emissions of SO2 to the high burden of respiratory diseases in this region.

An outbreak of cutaneous leishmaniasis among internally displaced persons from the Nineveh governorate reported by Duhok Preventive Health Department from 2015 to 2017

Background and objective: Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Iraq, mainly in central and southern regions. The disease is, however, lower or rare in Kurdistan region of Iraq; which is situated to the north of the country. After the summer of 2014, there was a massive displacement of population to Kurdistan, mainly from the central region. The aim of this work was to investigate the outbreak reported by Duhok preventive health department among internally displaced persons from Ninewa to Duhok governorate between 2015-2017. Methods: A cross sectional study design was conducted on the records of internally displaced persons from Nineveh governorate who were diagnosed clinically as cutaneous leishmaniasis by Duhok health authority. Information regarding age, gender, occupation, places of current residency, expected vector exposure, displacement date and status, number of lesions, and date of onset. Results: A total of 451cases were reported during the study period. The mean age was 22.7±17.1 years, and about 69% of cases were in the age group of 5-44 years. The mean number and SD of lesions was 3.6 (±4.2), with a range of 1-35lesions. Three quarter of patients were off camps during diagnosis. Cases were mainly encountered in autumn. All, except 17, have suspected vector exposure outside Duhok governorate. No significant variation was noted regarding gender, age, occupation, urban/rural residency, and displacement status. Conclusion: A significant outbreak has occurred in Duhok, an area not known to be endemic with the disease. Close surveillance and strict preventive measures are highly recommended.

Indonesia's Selective Policy Against Illegal Immigrants In The Framework Of Asean Cooperation

The chaos that has occurred in several countries has resulted in population displacement aimed at finding new safe and conducive places to live. For example, this chaos is like war, bloody conflict, genocide, and so on. So that many people from conflict countries migrate to other countries to achieve a better standard of living. However, sometimes they do the migration without following the procedure or they are called illegal immigrants. Indonesia is one of the developing countries and transit countries where the geographical condition of Indonesia which is in the form of an archipelago makes access to and out of the country more freely and open. With this, the potential for transnational (transnational) crime increases. The potential of the Indonesian state in the occurrence of transnational crimes is an interesting matter to discuss. In this paper, the authors use normative legal research methods with qualitative data collection juxtaposed with descriptive analysis techniques so that the existing problems regarding transnational crimes can be presented comprehensively and informatively. So to deal with this problem, countries in ASEAN are demanded to be able to play an active role in taking preventive steps to prevent and minimize transnational crime in ASEAN countries and Indonesia.

C\u2019est vraiment compliqu\xe9: a case study on the delivery of maternal and child health and nutrition interventions in the conflict-affected regions of Mali

BackgroundMali is currently in the midst of ongoing conflicts which involve jihadist groups, rebels, and the state. This conflict has primarily centered in the North of the country. Humanitarian actors delivering services in these geographies must navigate the complex environment created by conflict. This study aimed to understand how humanitarian actors make decisions around health service delivery within this context.MethodsThe current case-study utilized a mixed methods approach and focused on Mopti, Mali’s fifth administrative region and fourth largest in population. Latent content analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts guided by our research objectives and new concepts as they emerged. Indicators of coverage of health interventions in the area of maternal and child health and nutrition were compiled using Mali’s National Evaluation Platform and are presented for the conflict and non-conflict regions. Development assistance estimates for Mali by year were obtained from the Developmental Assistance for Health Database compiled by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Administrative data was compiled from the annual reports of Mali’s Système Local d’Information Sanitaire (SLIS), Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS).ResultsOur data suggests that the reaction of the funding mechanisms to the conflict in Mali was a major barrier to timely delivery of health services to populations in need and the nature of the conflict is likely a key modifier of such reaction patterns. Concerns have been raised about the disconnect between the very high administrative capacity of large NGOs that control the work, and the consequent burden it puts on local NGOs. Population displacement and inaccurate estimates of needs made it difficult for organizations to plan program services. Moreover, actors delivering services to populations in need had to navigate an unpredictable context and numerous security threats.ConclusionsOur study highlights the need for a more flexible funding and management mechanism that can better respond to concerns and issues arising at a local level. As the conflict in Mali continues to worsen, there is an urgent need to improve service delivery to conflict-affected populations.

Incidência de COVID-19 (Sars-Cov-2) e fluxos de deslocamentos para serviços de saúde na Região AMAUC: Geotecnologias aplicadas aos estudos demográficos

As transformações científicas e tecnológicas que configuram o momento atual da sociedade fazem com que o aperfeiçoamento de métodos que visam alcançar a excelência em termos de conhecimento e tratamento de dados espaciais estejam sempre na ordem do dia. Com este entendimento, a proposta foi elaborar mapas temáticos aplicados ao monitoramento da difusão do COVID-19 (Sars-Cov-2) na região da Associação dos Municípios do Alto Uruguai Catarinense (AMAUC). Assim, descreve-se os procedimentos geotecnológicos aplicados na geração de produto cartográfico, que relaciona a incidência dos casos confirmados de Covid-19 (Sars-cov2) para grupos de 1.000 habitantes e os deslocamentos da população residente para o acesso aos serviços de saúde. O produto cartográfico final se mostra importante para análises, comunicação visual e interpretação de fenômenos espaciais que importam ao planejamento e gestão territorial.

Recommendations for the COVID-19 Response at the National Level Based on Lessons Learned from the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

.The tenth outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), was declared 8 days after the end of the ninth EVD outbreak, in the Equateur Province on August 1, 2018. With a total of 3,461 confirmed and probable cases, the North Kivu outbreak was the second largest outbreak after that in West Africa in 2014–2016, and the largest observed in the DRC. This outbreak was difficult to control because of multiple challenges, including armed conflict, population displacement, movement of contacts, community mistrust, and high population density. It took more than 21 months to control the outbreak, with critical innovations and systems put into place. We describe systems that were put into place during the EVD response in the DRC that can be leveraged for the response to the current COVID-19 global pandemic.

M132. URBANICITY AND PSYCHOSIS IN A CHINESE UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

BackgroundUrban birth and upbringing are consistently associated with schizophrenia and other psychoses but the key urban exposures remain unknown. China has previously found prevalence of psychosis higher in rural areas but has shown the largest displacement of population from rural into urban areas of any country in the world over the past 40 years. Studies of psychotic experiences (PE) show inconsistency but this may be due to confounding of PEs by depressive symptoms. This suggests the need to differentiate between PEs on a population continuum with non-affective psychosis and those secondary to common mental disorders when studying urbanicity. Our aims were to investigate effects of exposure to urban birth and upbringing on psychosis in a large Chinese undergraduate sample.MethodsCross-sectional surveys conducted annually during first year of university, 2014–2018, n=39,446. Self-reported categorical measures of psychosis included psychoticism, paranoid ideation, and schizotypal symptoms using SCL-90-R, and lifetime clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia; depressive symptoms using PHQ 9; putative etiological risk factors of family history and childhood maltreatment; urbanicity measured according to birth place in a major city (level 5 of a 5-level rural-urban scale), length of residence in urban location, and length of residence during three critical 5 year periods, birth - 15 years. We studied effects on our 4 psychosis phenotypes of (i) urban birth, (ii) urban living, (iii) critical times of exposure to urban environment, (iv) putative etiological risk factors, before and after adjusting for depression. We investigated associations between etiological risk factors and urban exposures.ResultsWe identified 2,143 (5.4%) participants above a determined cut-off for psychoticism, 2,081 (5.3%) for paranoia, 760 (1.9%)with schizotypal symptoms, and 53 (0.1%) with schizophrenia. Effects of urban exposure on our psychosis phenotypes were only revealed following adjustments for depression in our models: Urban birth was associated with Paranoia (1.46, 1.24–1.70), schizotypal symptoms (1.90,1.48-2.42), and schizophrenia (2.30, 1.14–4.63), but not psychoticism. All four phenotypes were associated with 10–15 years of exposure to urban living, but not shorter periods. Only schizophrenia was associated with critical timings of total exposures of 1–3 years and 4–5 years during the first 5 years of life to an urban environment. There were no associations or negative associations between putative etiological factors and urban exposures.DiscussionWe confirmed that urban birth and living were associated with PEs and schizophrenia in this large sample of Chinese university students, but these findings only emerged after adjusting for depression. Depression is more prevalent in rural Chinese samples and previous studies may have been confounded by effects of PEs secondary to depression. There was a gradient of association between paranoia, schizotypal symptoms and schizophrenia, the latter showing strongest effects in association with urban exposures of birth and length of time in an urban environment. Only schizophrenia showed effects of critical timing of exposure to urban environment during infancy. Finally, we could not identify what exposures in the urban environment contributed to psychosis in our sample - although we could identify the etiological factors that did not. Among Sichuan students, there was no indication that urban effects were due to increased risk from demographic factors of male sex, lower family income, increased genetic risk, or child maltreatment, although these factors showed some effects on psychosis across the entire sample which included previous rural residents.

Los centros ecoturísticos en la Selva Lacandona como mecanismo de control territorial del Estado mexicano en la zona de conflicto zapatista1

ABSTRACT The agrarian conflict in Selva Lacandona, Mexico, is expressed by the displacement of population and dozens of deaths in recent years. However, the conflict remains hidden behind the increase of eco-ethnic tourism in the area. This article analyzes the counterinsurgent nature of ecotourism centers built around the Southern Border Highway, which grew widely after the Zapatista uprising of 1994. The analysis is based on fieldwork conducted in Selva Lacandona and the review of related bibliography. The results indicate that it is possible to verify intentioned actions led by the Mexican State, which have contributed to maintain divisions and conflicts among local communities. The funds provided for ecotourism have served both to maintain the agrarian conflict that allows control of the territory as well as palliatives to prevent insurgent initiatives of indigenous communities that may threaten the state’s economic objectives, but without evidence of a willingness to implement a sustainable policy of long-term local development.

Predicting population displacements after earthquakes

ABSTRACT An agent-based object-oriented model for household displacements is presented and used to analyze household decision-making after a hypothetical earthquake in the City of Vancouver, Canada. Temporary displacements and permanent relocation are accounted for. The model for households include considerations of socioeconomic demographics, social networks, and disaster preparedness. The analysis results indicate that nearly 70,000 persons are expected to be displaced by the earthquake. Of those, close to 19,000 will need public sheltering. In addition, nearly 40,000 persons are expected to relocate in the years following the earthquake. Among the displaced persons, occupants of multi-family pre-code and low-code buildings are over-represented. Among those needing public shelter or relocation, there is a disproportionately high number of renters and low-income households. The models in this paper can help the development of pre-disaster plans by suggesting optimal location of public shelters, and by identifying decisions that reduce the number of households relocating.

City profile: New Tehri

Large-scale development projects often lead to massive population displacement induced by the Dam. A number of planners, responsible organizations, resettlement experts and academic researchers have all put forward proposals for resettlement of such displaced population. Such an example of resettlement is the development of New Tehri Township for the people displaced by the Tehri Dam in India. New Tehri is an egalitarian city designed to achieve functionality, environmental sustainability, deep sensitivity of people, and their concerns. Planning for the new town entailed the integration of several diverse and sensitive issues like a high sense of responsiveness to people's needs; respect for the holding capacity and natural systems of the land; sustainability of the environment, and equal opportunities for all. In order to achieve the goal, five primary criteria, combined to form the basis for overall design and planning. The article examines the elements of urban form identified with reference to the primary criteria developed by the planners of the township and explains their assessment in the case study selected. The article attempts to highlight opportunities for researchers and planners in India and the world for analyzing, evaluating and criticizing hillside urban development and resettlement projects in terms of their sustainability.

The epidemiological characterization and geographic distribution of hepatitis D virus infection in Libya.

IntroductionNorth Africa is known to be endemic for hepatitis D virus. However, data one the prevalence of this virus in Libya are scanty. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection in Libya and analyze the demographic factors associated with the infection, and also to assess the variations across the regions and districts.MethodsA total of 1873 samples collected from all over the country were tested for antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen and the results were correlated with demographic and geographic variables.ResultsThe overall prevalence of hepatitis D virus infection was 1.7%. The prevalence rate was significantly high among those aged over 40 years (P < 0.001) and it was associated with intravenous drug use and coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus and/or hepatitis C virus infection (P < 0.001). The prevalence rates varied with geographic location and differed markedly within the regions the country. The highest rate reported was in the central region of Libya, followed by the western and eastern regions.ConclusionHepatitis D virus infection rate in Libya is considered to be low but is of some concern in some districts. This has been propagated by population displacement and African immigrants, indicating that a continuous epidemiological surveillance program should be implemented.

Nomadic Migration and Rural Violence in Nigeria

The relationship between Fulani herdsmen and farmers has in recent years become hot-tempered motivated by competitive control of land resources, particularly in central and north-east Nigeria. In Taraba State, the ongoing nomadic migration pattern from the Sahel in quest of pastures has led to violent confrontation between Fulani herdsmen and farming indigenous natives. Using a descriptive approach consisting of documented evidence, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions, the analysis revealed that conflicts between Fulani herdsmen and indigenous native farmers have culminated in population displacement and destruction of life and property in numerous rural enclaves in Taraba State. Despite the consequences of the conflicts, the Taraba State government was unable to act proactively because of the centralization of command over Nigerian security agencies. Accordingly, the study suggests decentralization of security agencies in Nigeria, especially the police, as the way forward for effective security governance in Nigeria.