Indigenous Households Research Articles

Analysis of the factors influencing local employment in the mining sector in the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional state of Ethiopia

This article aims to analyze the factors that determine local employment in the mining sector and identify ways to improve the annual income of employed households in the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State (BGR) of Ethiopia. The research design used for this study was cross-sectional. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of 162 households affected by mining operations, using systematic random sampling. Additionally, four focus group discussions (FGD) and eight key informant interviews (KII) were conducted to gather qualitative data. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Heckman two-stage model, while the qualitative data was analyzed using narrative analysis. The descriptive results indicate that most of the jobs created by the mining industries were temporary, and the small-scale mining sector employed more workers than the large-scale sector. Furthermore, migrant laborers benefited more from employment opportunities than indigenous households. The first result of the Heckman two-stage model reveals that the educational level of the household head, the size of the farmland, and membership in a farmer's organization have significant negative effects on local employment. On the other hand, the sex of the household head, the size of the nearest mining project, access to information, access to transport, and access to credit have significant positive effects on local employment. The second-stage results of the Heckman two-stage model show that the age of the household head, the dependency ratio, and membership in farmers' organizations have statistically significant negative effects on the annual income of employed households. Conversely, non-farm activities have statistically significant positive effects on the annual income of employed households. The findings of this study have implications for identifying the determinants and factors that need to be addressed to promote local employment. We suggest that both the Ethiopian and BGR regional governments should work towards increasing local employment opportunities for indigenous communities in the mining sector.

Household Food Insecurity among Indigenous Communities in Sarawak, Malaysia: Predictors and Coping Strategies.

Food insecurity prevails in people at all phases of their life course and causes remarkable health, social, and financial repercussions. In Sarawak state, Malaysia, information regarding household food insecurity is limited. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of household food insecurity, together with its predictors and coping strategies among the Sarawak indigenous communities. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 953 Indigenous households (women) located in six districts throughout Sarawak using multistage sampling. Interviewer-administrated questionnaires were used. Simple and multiple logistic regressions were employed to draw inferences. The prevalence of food insecurity was 42.2%. Large household size (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] =1.57 [1.04-2.45]), hardcore poor (AOR = 12.26 [5.07-29.65]), and absolute poor families (AOR = 3.01 [1.76-5.15]), recipient of financial assistance (AOR = 1.94 [1.27, 2.96]), no savings (AOR = 1.63 [1.08-2.46]), increased resource loss (AOR = 1.004 [1.001-1.008]), and employment of coping strategies (AOR = 3.78 [2.50-5.72]) were significantly related to a higher risk of household food insecurity. High level of perceived social support (AOR = 0.73 [0.58-0.93]), optimism (AOR = 0.91 [0.86-0.96]), and general perceived self-efficacy (AOR = 0.88 [0.85-0.91]) among respondents were protective against household food insecurity. Nearly half of the Indigenous households faced food insecurity in the current study. The findings suggest that incessant effort by pertinent stakeholders is warranted via diverse strategies to enhance the socioeconomic status and nutrition intervention programs that incorporate components of perceived social support, optimism, and perceived general self-efficacy to mitigate the level of food insecurity among the Sarawak Indigenous communities.

Double Burden of Malnutrition and Its Associated Factors in Urbanized Indigenous Peoples (Orang Asli) of Peninsular Malaysia

ABSTRACT Double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is a global public health concern. This study determined the prevalence of DBM and its associated factors among 451 indigenous households in an urbanized state of Malaysia. Mothers and children were measured for weight and height/length. Mothers were interviewed for socio-demographics and diets of mothers and children. Prevalence of DBM (overweight/obese mother and underweight/stunted child) was 28.8%. Food insecurity, maternal height (<150 cm) and energy intake (>recommendation), child’s age (≥24 months) and energy intake (<recommendation) were significantly associated with DBM. Prevention of DBM in indigenous population should consider strategies that aim to eradicate both poverty and malnutrition.

Does commercialization lead to more intensive management strategies? Decision-making for the utilization of non-timber forest products in a Nahua area of the Sierra Negra, Mexico

BackgroundThe commercialization of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) provides income for rural indigenous households. The integration of NTFPs into formal markets tends to intensify management practices to ensure production and monetary benefits. However, more research is needed to understand the motivations for managing of commercialized species. We examine the influence of social, ecological, and economic factors on traditional management and how they drive the adoption of more or less intensive practices for subsistence and commercially traded NTFPs.MethodsThe study was conducted in the Nahua community of Ixtacxochitla, in the Sierra Negra of central Mexico, where we conducted free lists and semi-structured interviews in 32% of the 88 households to assess socio-ecological variables related to management practices. In addition, we interviewed local traders to assess commercial variables used in a cost–benefit model to calculate the net annual income of commercialized species. Non-metric multidimensional scaling was used to analyze relationships between socio-ecological variables and management practices. We also explored the relationship between management and commercial factors using principal component analysis.ResultsWe recorded 64 plant and mushroom species of NTFPs used for medicinal, ornamental, ceremonial, and edible purposes, 36 of which are commercialized in the municipal market of Coyomeapan. The commercialized species generated an average annual net income of MXN 67,526 (USD 3924) per family, with five species contributing the most. Species both used for both subsistence and commercialization were managed through incipient in situ gathering, tolerance in ex situ anthropogenic areas, and intensive protection and propagation efforts in ex situ environments. Even the five species with the highest commercial returns were managed across this gradient of practices. Key factors influencing the adoption of more intensive species management practices were feasibility of management, type of species use, ecological abundance, frequency of consumption, and cultural importance.ConclusionsThe intensification of NTFPs management is not solely driven by the commercial value of the products or the level of income generated. Instead, the interaction between socio-ecological and economic factors determines the extent of management practices. The main constraint to the implementation of intensive practices has been the inability to manage species outside their natural habitats, despite their cultural significance and frequent consumption. Understanding the factors involved in the harvesting of NTFPs can serve as the basis for future research aimed at analyzing the conditions for successful and sustainable NTFPs commercialization.

To live with floods or not: Intersectionality of drivers of urban households' adaptation and relocation intentions

AbstractThe intent of households to relocate amidst floods in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, using combined socio‐demographic and physical factors is analyzed within 1206 households. The National Master Sampling Frame of Ghana's Population and Housing Census is utilized for the sampling. The Probit estimation technique is employed to understand the intersectionality of social, economic, demographic, and physical considerations influencing households' decision‐making regarding relocation amidst flood risks. The findings show households' reluctance to relocate contrary to relocation considered mostly as preferred adaptation. The likelihood of relocating exhibited a non‐linear pattern, decreasing only when a population was younger until age 55 before reversing. Indigenous households preferred not to relocate. In communities where place attachment and revenue sources significantly impacted relocation decisions, households with secondary education, past flood experiences, and non‐indigenous status influenced higher perception of flood risk. Therefore, relocation as an effective global adaptation strategy to floods is not widespread. Thus, empowering households to accept a certain level of flood risk potentially avoids maladaptation and involves a combination of hard infrastructure measures and regulatory approaches in places of residence that do not compromise livelihoods. However, if relocation becomes necessary, a right‐based approach must be favored over an absolute risk‐based approach.

The Impact of Malaysia’s Feeding Program on Orang Asli Families

This study examines the impact of feeding programmes on indigenous households in Malaysia, focusing on nutritional, economic and educational outcomes. Historically dependent on traditional agriculture and gathering, indigenous people in Malaysia face significant socio-economic challenges exacerbated by modernisation and urbanisation. School and community feeding programmes have been implemented by the government in partnership with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) with the aim of addressing these challenges by improving access to nutritious food. This study assessed the effectiveness of these programmes through a narrative review and quantitative analysis of survey data from 96 Orang Asli. The results showed significant improvements in health and nutritional status In addition economic benefits were noted, with the feeding programmes reducing household food expenditures and indirectly increasing work efficiency and economic stability. However, the impact on emotional and mental health, while positive, was less pronounced and requires further investigation. This study highlights the importance of continued support and strengthening of the feeding programme and suggests integrated policy measures for the socio-economic development of the Orang Asli community.

Pathways of multi-hazard post-disaster housing reconstruction among Ivatan Indigenous households

Most disaster-affected populations face the complex task of reconstructing their dwellings with minimal or no external support. However, not much is known about the self-initiated reconstruction pathways of households, especially among Indigenous groups needing to address the competing impacts of multiple hazards. We conducted a case study analysis based in Itbayat, Batanes in the Philippines to understand the housing reconstruction trajectories of the Ivatan Indigenous households after the 2019 earthquakes that redefined their typhoon-resilient construction practices. Using interviews and focus group discussions, factors affecting the reconstruction process were elicited. Then, using concept maps, we explored the linkages of these factors leading to the adoption of the emergent housing outputs. We found that the emergence of new housing typologies that displaced the vernacular architecture was influenced by the compounded urgency to reconstruct houses, perceptions of housing safety influenced by the seismic events, the nature of aid provided alongside households’ financial capacity, and the regulatory barriers affecting traditional resource extraction. To achieve structural housing safety, this study demonstrates the need for policies that enable and guide reconstruction in emergency contexts, as well as systems to channel aid to provide equitable opportunities to build back safer. Additionally, the role of local governance is shown to leverage the use of existing indigenous construction practices salient for rebuilding. This study builds upon the heightened imperatives in the disaster risk reduction practice and policy environments to focus on the multi-hazard realities affecting communities and the use of local and indigenous knowledge to reduce disaster impacts.

A305 ANONYMOUS LIVING LIVER DONATION IMPROVES ACCESS FOR MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED CHILDREN IN NEED OF LIVER TRANSPLANTATION

Abstract Background Since our first pediatric anonymous non-directed live donor liver transplant (A-LDLT) performed in April 2005, 62 children have undergone live donor liver transplant (LDLT) with an anonymous non-directed graft. Anon-LDLT organs being allocated as per our deceased donor liver transplant (DDLT) wait list. Aims To evaluate clinical outcomes, recipient characteristics and social determinants of health of pediatric recipients of A-LDLT in comparison to those who received a directed LDLT (Dir-LDLT) and DDLT. Methods Retrospective analysis of all recipients of LDLT performed between January 2005 and March 2023. Demographic and clinical data included age, sex, race, ethnicity, single-parent households, primary diagnosis, recipient blood type, time on waiting list, post-LT intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), time to extubation, and post-transplant comorbidities were assessed as covariates. A comparative analysis was conducted between children receiving A-LDLT, Dir-LDLT versus DDLT. Results A total of 422 (50% male, 57% white, 23% Asian, 7% Black, 5% indigenous) childrenunderwent LT during the study period. Biliary atresia (40%) and metabolic diseases (19%) were the commonest primary indications. A-LDLT was done in 62 children (15%) with no directed donor options. Dir-LDLT was in 174 children (41%). Of 186 DDLTs (44%), 25% were split grafts, 26% reduced, and 49% whole liver grafts. In A-LDLT recipients, the primary diseases were more frequently characterized by metabolic disorders (31%), while the incidence of acute liver failure was notably lower (0%). Recipients of Anon-LDLT were more often Indigenous recipients in comparison to Dir-LDLT or DDLT recipients (p=0.044). Anon-LDLT recipients were more frequently living in single parent households (18% vs 3% vs 10%, pampersand:003C0.001) and to require interpreter assistance (11% vs 3% vs 0.5%, pampersand:003C0.001) (Table), compared to children who received Dir-LDLT or DDLT. Median time on the wait list was longer for Anon-LDLT (92 days) compared to Dir-LDLT (62 days) and DDLT (72 days) recipients (p=0.004). Post-LT ICU LOS, time to extubation, other post-LT complications or patient prognosis were better in the A-LDLT and Dir-LDLT recipients than DDLT recipients. Conclusions This retrospective analysis of 422 children undergoing LT at a single institution confirms excellent patient and graft survival for A-LDLT recipients. Patients from Indigenous communities, single parent and households where English is a second language, are more frequently the beneficiaries of Anon-LDLT grafts. Anon-LDLT, as utilized in this single center analysis, benefits medically underserved pediatric patients who otherwise have limited access to the advantages of LT. Funding Agencies None

Identification of Neighborhood Hotspots via the Cumulative Hazard Index: Results From a Community-Partnered Low-Cost Sensor Deployment.

The Strathcona neighborhood in Vancouver is particularly vulnerable to environmental injustice due to its close proximity to the Port of Vancouver, and a high proportion of Indigenous and low-income households. Furthermore, local sources of air pollutants (e.g., roadways) can contribute to small-scale variations within communities. The aim of this study was to assess hyperlocal air quality patterns (intra-neighborhood variability) and compare them to average Vancouver concentrations (inter-neighborhood variability) to identify possible disparities in air pollution exposure for the Strathcona community. Between April and August 2022, 11 low-cost sensors (LCS) were deployed within the neighborhood to measure PM2.5, NO2, and O3 concentrations. The collected 15-min concentrations were down-averaged to daily concentrations and compared to greater Vancouver region concentrations to quantify the exposures faced by the community relative to the rest of the region. Concentrations were also estimated at every 25m grid within the neighborhood to quantify the distribution of air pollution within the community. Using population information from census data, cumulative hazard indices (CHIs) were computed for every dissemination block. We found that although PM2.5 concentrations in the neighborhood were lower than regional Vancouver averages, daily NO2 concentrations and summer O3 concentrations were consistently higher. Additionally, although CHIs varied daily, we found that CHIs were consistently higher in areas with high commercial activity. As such, estimating CHI for dissemination blocks was useful in identifying hotspots and potential areas of concern within the neighborhood. This information can collectively assist the community in their advocacy efforts.

Human Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the Argentinean Chaco: risk factors and identification of households with infected children for treatment

BackgroundChagas disease is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). Cost-effective strategies for large-scale implementation of diagnosis and etiological treatment are urgently needed to comply with NTD control goals. We determined the seroprevalence of Trypanosoma cruzi infection and associated risk factors in a well-defined rural population of Pampa del Indio municipality including creole and indigenous (Qom) households and developed two indices to identify houses harboring infected children.MethodsWe serodiagnosed and administered a questionnaire to 1337 residents (48.2% of the listed population) in two sections of the municipality (named Areas II and IV) 6–9 years after deploying sustained vector control interventions. Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationship between human infection and a priori selected predictors. Two risk indices were constructed based on environmental and serostatus variables, and we used spatial analysis to test whether households harboring T. cruzi-seropositive children were randomly distributed.ResultsThe global seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection was 24.8%. Human infection was positively and significantly associated with exposure time to triatomines, the household number of seropositive co-inhabitants, maternal seropositivity for T. cruzi, recent residence at the current house and the presence of suitable walls for triatomine colonization in the domicile. The pre-intervention mean annual force of infection (FOI) was 1.23 per 100 person-years. Creoles from Area IV exhibited the highest seroprevalence and FOI; Qom people from both areas displayed intermediate ones and creoles from Area II the lowest. Three hotspots of infected children were spatially associated with hotspots of triatomine abundance at baseline and persistent house infestation. No child born after vector control interventions was T. cruzi seropositive except for one putative transplacental case. Two simple risk indices (based on self-reported inhabiting an infested house and suitable walls for triatomines or maternal serostatus) identified 97.3–98.6% of the households with at least one T. cruzi-seropositive child.ConclusionsWe showed strong heterogeneity in the seroprevalence of T. cruzi infection within and between ethnic groups inhabiting neighboring rural areas. Developed indices can be used for household risk stratification and to improve access of rural residents to serodiagnosis and treatment and may be easily transferred to primary healthcare personnel.Graphical

Cultural Values and Behaviors of the Dayak and Malay Communities in the Social Forestry Program in Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan

This article explores the cultural values and behaviors of the Dayak and Malay communities in supporting the Social Forestry Program in the Northern Kapuas Hulu Forest Management Unit (FMU), Kapuas Hulu District, West Kalimantan. The research aims to understand the cultural values and behaviors of the Dayak and Malay communities that can significantly contribute to the success of the social forestry program. The research method involves literature review and in-depth interviews with traditional community figures and experts in community engagement. The study was conducted under the Foreign Grant Project from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. Data for the research was collected from 2021 to 2022. The main findings of this research include the necessity of high respect for the Dayak community's ancestors and an understanding of the key role of traditional figures in determining the program's success. The results of the social forestry program applications in three villages in Northern Kapuas Hulu FMU, including three schemes: Customary Forest, Village Forest, and Conservation Partnership, were approved covering a total of 16,031 Ha and benefiting 729 indigenous family households, including 228 women. The conclusion of this research highlights the importance of aligning social forestry schemes with community preferences and gaining full support from the Chief of the Adat. Intensive consultation processes are required to obtain community support, while a deep understanding of local culture and interaction with forest resources is crucial for success.

Comparing forest product harvest rates and livelihood activities among migrant and Indigenous households in the Congo Basin

Understanding uneven patterns of forest use and tracking changes in the composition of forest residents are both important for sensitive forest policy and management. With increases in migration streams in several tropical forest regions, we need corresponding information about how new immigrants are influencing human-environment relations in sites of ecological significance. We use data from over 6500 household surveys collected by the Wildlife Conservation Society in three sites in Central Africa: the forests surrounding Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park and Lac Télé Community Reserve in the Republic of Congo, and the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We compare household characteristics, livelihoods, and forest use among recent migrants (arriving within the past decade), longer-established households, and households belonging to an Indigenous group. We find that recent migrants are less likely to engage in forest-harvest-based livelihoods and harvest several types of forest foods and fibers less frequently than other households. Recent migrants also tend to be wealthier, younger, and over-represented in salaried jobs. Meanwhile, Indigenous households are 3 to 16 times more likely to participate in a forest-based livelihood, depending on the site. Other consistent predictors of forest harvest include village, age of the household head, household size, whether a household is female-headed (−), and wealth (−). Many trends hold broadly across all three sites, but there are also site-specific patterns related to differences in remoteness and economic opportunities. We conclude with reflections about what the changing make-up of forest-proximate communities might mean for forest management and governance.

Inequitable Financial Protection in Health for Indigenous Populations: the Mexican Case.

There is an important gap in the literature concerning the level, inequality, and evolution of financial protection for indigenous (IH) and non-indigenous (NIH) households in low- and middle-income countries. This paper offers an assessment of the level, socioeconomic inequality and middle-term trends of catastrophic (CHE), impoverishing (IHE), and excessive (EHE) health expenditures in Mexican IHs and NIHs during the period 2008-2020. We conducted a pooled cross-sectional analysis using the last seven waves of the National Household Income and Expenditure Survey (n = 315,829 households). We assessed socioeconomic inequality in CHE, IHE, and EHE by estimating their Wagstaff concentration indices according to indigenous status. We adjusted the CHE, IHE, and EHE by estimating a maximum-likelihood two-stage probit model with robust standard errors. We observed that, during the period analyzed, CHE, IHE, and EHE were concentrated in the poorest IHs. CHE decreased from 5.4% vs. 4.7% in 2008 to 3.4% vs. 2.9% in 2014 in IHs and NIHs, respectively, and converged at 2008 levels towards 2020. IHE remained unchanged from 2008 to 2014 (1.6% for IHs vs. 1.0% for NIHs) and increased by 40% in IHs and NIHs during 2016-2020. EHE plunged in 2014 (4.6% in IHs vs. 3.8% in NIHs), then rose, and remained unchanged during 2016-2020 (6.7% in IHs and 5.6% in NIHs). In pursuit of universal health coverage, health authorities should formulate and implement effective financial protection mechanisms to address structural inequalities, especially forms of discrimination including racialization, that vulnerable social groups such as indigenous peoples have systematically faced. Doing so would contribute to closing the persistent ethnic gaps in health.

Toward sustainable urbanization: Understanding the dynamics of urban sprawl and food (in)security of indigenous households in peri-urban Wa, Ghana

ABSTRACT This study responds to the limited literature on the effects of urban sprawl on food security in Ghanaian cities. As the study sought to understand the characteristics, drivers, and challenges of urban sprawl and the threat it poses to the urban food security of indigenous peri-urban households, we drew evidence from peri-urban Wa, Ghana. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 261 randomly sampled indigenous household heads and purposely selected key stakeholders using questionnaires and interview guides, respectively. The study used descriptive statistics, linear regression, and the food consumption score (FCS) to analyze the quantitative data. In contrast, thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data to contextualize the findings from the household survey. According to the results, urban sprawl is characterized by low-density residential housing, recurrent land disputes, and widespread encroachment on active and fallow farmlands. Hence, sprawling reduces land availability for food production and land fallowing. A higher proportion of indigenous households that depend on self-produced food fall within the acceptable level of food consumption than those that purchase food. Households that purchased food comprised those who lost land to urban sprawl and abandoned agriculture. The results imply that the role of urban and peri-urban food and land markets must be projected in urban sprawl discourse to broaden the spectrum in the Global South.

Improved rice varieties adoption and welfare implications among small-holder farmers in south-west Nigeria: An empirical analysis and prospects for food security

This study examines improved rice variety adoption and its welfare implications among small-holder farmers in South West Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 300 rice-farming households from two selected states. The study used primary data retrieved with the aid of structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using a five-point Likert scale, a logistic regression model, and the multidimensional poverty index (MPI). The study showed that more than half (56%) of the farmers noted that the acceptance of improved varieties was easy, with a mean score of 3.5. The study also established that age (β = -0.0394; p &lt; 0.001), farming experience (β = 0.0758; p &lt; 0.001), and extension contact (β = 1.7203; p &lt; 0.001) were the factors that influenced the adoption of improved rice varieties in the study area. The results of the MPI revealed that indigenous rice farmers were poorer than improved rice-farming households. Overall, 34% of improved and 54% of indigenous rice farming households are multidimensionally poor. MPIs of 0.11 and 0.21 were obtained for improved and indigenous farmers, respectively. The adoption of improved varieties was influenced by socioeconomic factors, and some households cultivating rice were MPI-poor. The study indicated that the adoption of improved varieties can result in improved productivity and reduce the prevalence of poverty in the study area.

Groundwater Practices and Vulnerability at a Pocket of the Northwest Region of Bangladesh: A Study Based on Social and Hydrogeological Factors

The combined effects of climate change and anthropogenic factors are causing the depletion of the groundwater level in the Northwest region of Bangladesh, leading to the rise of socio-economic stress among the rural marginalised communities. This research aims to assess the current water practices by identifying the changes in water supply sources and associated socio-economic stress to rural marginalised communities. Both social and hydrogeological factors have been taken into consideration for vulnerability assessment. The social factors are (a) percentage of indigenous households, (b) percentage of poor households, (c) percentage using unhygienic water sources and (d) percentage of households having water scarcity. On the other hand, the hydrogeological factors are (a) depth of topsoil, (b) elevation, (c) stream density, (d) slope of the elevation, (e) land use and (f) soil. The geospatial-based weighted linear combination technique combines all the social and hydrogeological factors. The resultant areas are characterised by five categories: very low to very high vulnerability. According to social and hydrogeological factors, Sapahar, Tilna, Dibar, Sihara and Nirmail unions are in the most vulnerable zone.

Strategies Used by Rural Indigenous Populations to Cope with Energy Poverty, in San Luis Potosí, Mexico

At the global level, the strategies used by rural Indigenous populations to face energy poverty have not been studied. Pioneering in the field, this work contributes to filling the gaps in the literature on the subject, mobilize the debate on a problem that affects rural Indigenous populations unequally, and outline key areas for policy. With a quantitative approach and taking as a research scenario the five rural Indigenous municipalities with the highest multidimensional poverty in the State of San Luis Potosí, Mexico, this paper analyzes the strategies used by rural Indigenous households to cope with energy poverty. It finds that a considerable proportion has had difficulty paying for their energy consumption (electricity, LP gas, and firewood), using strategies to cope with energy poverty (67.7%, 73.2%, and 96.1%, respectively): reducing expenses or stopping buying other things, borrowing money, and/or failing to pay for electricity or buy fuels for lack of economic resources. Food is significantly sacrificed in the reduction of expenses or stopping buying things, followed by health and housing. The situation has normalized over time, potentially impacting development, physical health, and mental well-being, and acting as an accelerator of the cycle of risk of energy poverty, given the confirmation of additional stressors.

Large-scale monitoring in the DRC’s Ituri forest with a locally informed multidimensional well-being index

To monitor quality of life in changing landscapes and assess impacts of interventions, development scholars and practitioners continue to seek sensitive, flexible, practical means of measuring well-being. An approach that has received relatively little attention from development scholars but that is gaining traction among NGOs is the use of a well-being index derived from a list of locally defined and democratically weighted basic necessities. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been piloting a tool called the Basic Necessities Survey (BNS) in and around protected areas in Central Africa and beyond for over a decade. Adapted from consensual relative poverty metrics developed in the UK and Sweden, BNS data can be used to calculate a Well-being Index (WBI) that is locally relevant and comparable. To demonstrate its applicability in a lower-income context, we present findings from the Ituri Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where over 2,000 households were surveyed using the BNS tool in 2015, 2017, and 2019. WBI scores were lower among traditionally vulnerable and marginalized groups: Indigenous and female-headed households, those with young or elderly heads, and households that were smaller or had high ratios of dependents. WBI varied with livelihood and geography and was sensitive enough to detect group-specific changes over a short time; namely an economic shock concentrated in villages along the main local highway in 2017 when the DRC experienced a major currency devaluation. Scores can be calculated to either incorporate or isolate variability in subjective expectations about what constitutes well-being; we show that expectations differed for Indigenous households and expectations rose faster than assets in this period. Findings build confidence in the utility of this type of locally informed multidimensional well-being metric in low-income regions. Those seeking practical instruments to produce flexible and regionally comparable well-being measures may wish to consider this approach.

Contextualizing patterns in short-term disaster recoveries from the 2015 Nepal earthquakes: household vulnerabilities, adaptive capacities, and change

Disaster recovery is multidimensional and requires theoretical and methodological approaches from the interdisciplinary social sciences to illustrate short- and long-term recovery dynamics that can guide more informed and equitable policy and interventions. The 2015 Nepal earthquakes have had catastrophic impacts on historically marginalized ethnic groups and Indigenous households in rural locations, arising in the immediate aftermath and unfolding for years afterward. Analyzing factors that shape household recovery patterns can help identify vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities in addition to signaling potential future changes. We pursue this goal using survey data from 400 randomly selected households in 4 communities over 2 10-week intervals at 9 months and 1.5 years after the earthquakes. Building on previous research that used non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination to identify patterns among multiple indicators of recovery (Spoon et al. 2020a), we investigate associations among these patterns of recovery, hazard exposure, and four domains of household adaptive capacity: institutional participation, livelihood diversity, connectivity, and social memory. Our results suggest: (1) social inequality, high hazard exposure, and disrupted place-based livelihoods (especially for herders, farmers, and forest harvesters on the geographic margins) had strong associations with negative recovery outcomes and displacement; (2) inaccessibility and marginality appeared to stimulate ingenuity despite challenging circumstances through mutual aid and local knowledge; (3) recoveries were non-linear, differing for households displaced from their primary home and agropastoral practice and those displaced to camps; and (4) some households experienced rapid changes while others stagnated. We contribute a temporal dataset with a random sample collected following a disaster that uses a theoretically informed quantitative methodology to explore linear and non-linear relationships among multidimensional recovery, adaptive capacity and change and provide an example of how vulnerabilities interact with adaptive capacity.

A formative assessment of vulnerability and implications for enhancing livelihood sustainability in Indigenous communities in the Andes of Ecuador

Through the creation of a livelihood asset index, this study investigates the degree of livelihood vulnerability among indigenous farming households in the rural parish of Guangaje, Ecuador. The use of an asset index enables the estimation and description of the different areas of vulnerability in three communities across livelihood asset types. A unique feature of this article is that it provides a case study of how asset indexes can be used as part of a formative assessment, prior to intervention design, to understand local context. We find low levels of livelihood assets in Guangaje, especially in the categories of human, physical, and financial capital. There is significant variability among the communities linked to differences in access to clean reliable sources of water, the presence of governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), access to credit, and amount of productive capital. The community with the highest composite asset score also had the highest level of social capital, suggesting an important role for social capital in asset creation. Improving social and financial capital, especially access to credit, and increasing human capital through improved educational attainment could be effective approaches for decreasing vulnerability and improving livelihood outcomes in the three study communities and similar indigenous subsistence farming communities across the world.