Land In Countries Research Articles

Terror at the front gate: Insurgency in Mozambique and its implications for the SADC and South Africa

The paper, employing a qualitative research approach through the review of literature seeks to examine the increasing acts of terrorism in Mozambique's Northern Cabo Delgado region and its implications for the SADC and South Africa. Regionally, the SADC's failure to act has cast doubt on the regional body's ability to protect and support member states in times of need and has painted a bleak picture for the region's security, should the insurgency spread to other countries. For South Africa, this presents a security conundrum, not only are the country's land borders porous, but the country's intelligence services have been marred by political interference, thus questioning the country's ability to promptly respond to possible threats that may emanate from its land borders. The current political discourse in South Africa argues that should terror groups consolidate their presence in Mozambique and look to expand their operations to South Africa, The country's borders at their current state together with a politically compromised intelligence service would serve little purpose in protecting the country considering their state of disarray. The paper recommends that collective action is needed to address the on‐going insurgency in Mozambique through a SADC initiated regional framework, which is supported by member states. For South Africa, investment in border operations, policy harmonisation, and the impartiality of intelligence services are key issues that ought to be addressed to ensure that going forward, South Africa can repel any possible terror‐related incident.

The electrokinetic stabilization (EKS) impact on soft soil (peat) stability towards its physical, mechanical and dynamic properties at Johor state, Peninsular Malaysia

Peat is considered one of the most problematic soils in the construction industry due to its poor physical, mechanical, and dynamic properties. It exists in the coastal part of peninsular Malaysia, and covers almost 8% of the country's land. Therefore, building or road foundations on peat in the coastal region are deemed a serious threat to construction engineers. Thus, it's essential to strengthening its weak properties. This study aims to improve the physical, mechanical, and dynamic peat properties, including shear strength, maximum dry density, moisture content, liquid limit, and shear wave velocity. The soil samples were collected from different locations in Parit Botak area, Batu Pahat District, Johor state, Peninsular Malaysia. The electrokinetic stabilization (EKS) method was applied with an operated electric gradient of 150 V through an aluminum electrode on anode and cathode for 6 h. As a result, the change in moisture content, liquid limit, density, and shear wave velocity has indicated that post-treatment stability has been improved. It is, therefore, concluded that the EKS technique is effective and capable of strengthening the properties of soft soil.

Drivers of diversity and community structure of bees in an agroecological region of Zimbabwe.

Worldwide bees provide an important ecosystem service of plant pollination. Climate change and land‐use changes are among drivers threatening bee survival with mounting evidence of species decline and extinction. In developing countries, rural areas constitute a significant proportion of the country's land, but information is lacking on how different habitat types and weather patterns in these areas influence bee populations.This study investigated how weather variables and habitat‐related factors influence the abundance, diversity, and distribution of bees across seasons in a farming rural area of Zimbabwe. Bees were systematically sampled in five habitat types (natural woodlots, pastures, homesteads, fields, and gardens) recording ground cover, grass height, flower abundance and types, tree abundance and recorded elevation, temperature, light intensity, wind speed, wind direction, and humidity. Zero‐inflated models, censored regression models, and PCAs were used to understand the influence of explanatory variables on bee community composition, abundance, and diversity.Bee abundance was positively influenced by the number of plant species in flower (p < .0001). Bee abundance increased with increasing temperatures up to 28.5°C, but beyond this, temperature was negatively associated with bee abundance. Increasing wind speeds marginally decreased probability of finding bees.Bee diversity was highest in fields, homesteads, and natural woodlots compared with other habitats, and the contributions of the genus Apis were disproportionately high across all habitats. The genus Megachile was mostly associated with homesteads, while Nomia was associated with grasslands.Synthesis and applications. Our study suggests that some bee species could become more proliferous in certain habitats, thus compromising diversity and consequently ecosystem services. These results highlight the importance of setting aside bee‐friendly habitats that can be refuge sites for species susceptible to land‐use changes.

Region-specific nutritious, environmentally friendly, and affordable diets in India

Region-specific nutritious, environmentally friendly, and affordable diets in India

Indigenous knowledge of South African bird and rangeland ecology is effective for informing conservation science

South Africa's communal rangelands constitute ~25% of the country's land cover and are largely managed for livestock grazing. These habitats play an important role in rural livelihoods and cultural practices. Using semi-structured interviews, we documented indigenous local ecological knowledge (LEK) held by rural dwellers linked to natural resource utilisation, environmental health and cultural keystone indicator species (CKIS) in the grassland communities of southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Our main objective was to examine the ability for LEK to inform conservation management. We found that people who were heavily reliant on natural resources attained a higher LEK score, indicating a greater breadth of ecological knowledge, which in turn shaped their perceptions of environmental change. Community members confirmed the presence of conservation concern species within this area, highlighting the limitations of only using citizen science databases for conservation management, as their observations within these databases are biased towards major road routes and protected or urban areas. LEK can play an important role in identifying habitats crucial to species' persistence and delineating population trends over time. Our surveys highlighted the importance of the Southern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri as a CKIS that acts as an early warning system of changing weather, notably rain. However, LEK is context-specific, and some CKIS species such as the Southern Ground-hornbill have wide distribution ranges. Consequently, the cultural associations and implications differ based on local belief systems that are often defined by the language spoken and the community's geographical location. Our study demonstrated the importance of including indigenous LEK in conservation planning for threatened species and habitats and the importance of traditional family values responsible for transferring oral knowledge.

The problem of rational use and protection of agricultural land

In this article we consider the current issues of effective use of agricultural land of the indicators of the state of the country's land fund, the development of private ownership of agricultural land are given. The problems in the field of rational use and protection of agricultural land are shown.

Damage reduction countermeasures for short span bridges focusing on restorability of structural joints

Lying on one of the world's most active seismic faults, Japan faces the continuous threat of natural disasters. The earthquake that struck east Japan on 11 March 2011, and the devastating tsunami, raised many very serious questions about this country's land and its disaster prevention and disaster reduction strategies for resilience. Disaster-related losses cause short- as well as long-term adverse effects on economy, society, health, culture and the environment. In Japan, the events of 11 March 2011 highlighted the need for the related government agencies, municipalities, research organisations and universities to work together in formulating and implementing a holistic and comprehensive policy approach for damage reduction countermeasures. In this paper, damage reduction countermeasures for short span bridges are presented focusing on the restorability of structural joints, with a view to earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and deterioration.

Creating a spatial knowledge database for protective functions in sustainable forest management: the case of Greece

One of the basic indicators required to assess and monitor sustainable forest management at the national level within the mandatory for the EU countries FOREST EUROPE policy initiative concerns the area occupied by the protective forests. However, within this policy, no operational harmonised definition of the 'protective forest' term has been adopted to date, thus making it difficult to identify and map accurately the forest land area with protective functions. This paper presents a methodological approach for creating a spatial knowledge database for the protective functions related to soil, water, and infrastructure compatible with the FOREST EUROPE policy frame. The approach was implemented in Greece and it was found that about 40% of the country's productive forest land has an increased protection effect on soil and water, and about 15% of it on infrastructure.

The Dusty Night of Ulaanbaatar: 2021 East Asia Sandstorm, Trans-Regional Impact, Ecological Imperatives in Mongolia

Mongolia, a nomadic and picturesque inland country, has battled with ongoing desertification, recurring droughts, and increasingly frequent sandstorms in recent years. Between mid-March to mid-April 2021, the country encountered violent gusts of wind, the Mongolia cyclone, and the largest sandstorms in a decade, causing nationwide damages and trans-regional impact in East Asia including northern China, Japan, and most parts of South Korea. A multitude of factors have contributed to the current ecological crisis in Mongolia. Since 1992, the country has transformed to a market economy with high economic growth driven by its mineral and agricultural exports. Overgrazing along with intensified human activities such as coal mining contributed to its widespread land degradation, while climate change has become a major driving factor for its recurring droughts. Annual mean air temperature in Mongolia increased by 2.24°C between 1940–2015, while annual precipitation decreased by 7% concurrently, resulting in a higher aridity across the country. A positive feedback loop between soil moisture deficits and surface warming led to a hotter and drier climate in the region, with over a quarter of lakes greater than 1.0-km2 in the Mongolian Plateau dried up between 1987–2010. Increased temperatures, decreased precipitation coupled with land degradation have resulted in a persisting drying trend, with more than three-quarters of land in Mongolia being affected by drought and desertification. The 2021 East Asia sandstorms drew international attention to ecological issues that have culminated for decades in Mongolia. Collaborative efforts from policy makers, residents and scientists from its local and the global research community are urgently needed to address the grand and rapidly aggravating ecological challenges in Mongolia.

Флора и ее анализ. Гидрофильные растения разнотипных водоемов Самаркандской области (Узбекистан)

Aquatic and coastal aquatic plants are one of the most important components of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, at present, much attention is paid to the issues of rational use and development of the country's inland water bodies. Together with phytoplankton, this group of plants participates in the trophic cycle of biocenosis, providing various stages of the links of the food chain with appropriate products. For example, the plants of reservoirs serve as food for representatives of different taxonomic groups of animals, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, fish, birds and mammals. With moderate overgrowing of water bodies, favorable conditions are formed for the development of the phytophilous fauna of invertebrates. The flora of higher aquatic and coastal plants of the Samarkand region has not yet been fully studied. The species composition was not studied, taxonomic and floristic analysis was not carried out. In addition, it is very rare to find detailed information about the use of aquatic plants in the national economy, information about useful species and rare species common in this territory. The article presents the results of research on the study of aquatic and coastal plants of reservoirs of the Samarkand region. It was revealed that 72 species of aquatic and coastal plants, which belong to 51 genera, 34 families and 5 classes, grow in reservoirs of various types on the territory of the Samarkand region. Representatives of the families Potamogetonaceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae and Polygonaceae make up 43% of the total number of plants of this group growing in the studied region. In terms of life forms, about 12.5% (9 species) are annuals, and 77.8% (56 species) are perennials. It was found that 7 species of aquatic mosses grow in the studied water bodies.

An analysis of Zimbabwe's comparative advantage in the beneficiation and value addition of minerals

Over the past decade, Zimbabwe has implemented various policies in the form of export tariffs and embargoes to stimulate downstream mineral beneficiation. The policies failed to yield tangible results due to, among other factors, inadequate due diligence regarding the capability of the country in terms of its factor endowments to support downstream beneficiation. Additionally, lack of Investment in the country's downstream industries as reflected in its capital stock contributed significantly to poor domestic demand for raw materials. In light of the above, different studies have established that there are few examples where mineral beneficiation oriented policies have yielded positive results in mineral-rich countries. The reasons for failure include lack of comparative advantage and economic viability of the technologies adopted. Related studies have also shown that the similarity of factor intensities and technology across sectors stimulates structural transformation in developing countries. This paper uses the factor endowment approach to evaluate Zimbabwe's comparative advantage in the downstream beneficiation of minerals. The country's arable land, physical capital stock and human capital are used as a measure of its capability to produce beneficiated products along the mineral value chain. By matching Zimbabwe's arable land, capital stock and human capital to the revealed factor intensities for different products, the mineral related products that the country has a comparative advantage in producing are identified and presented.

Land use decisions after the Conservation Reserve Program: Re‐enrollment, reversion, and persistence in the southern Great Plains

AbstractThe temperate grasslands of North America remain one of the most modified and threatened ecosystems on the planet. In the United States, the conservation of grassland‐dependent wildlife continues to be challenged by the widespread conversion of privately owned grasslands to cropland. Recent analyses indicate that land exiting the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the country's largest private lands conservation program, is a primary source of grassland conversion. In this mixed‐methods study, we employed focus groups and mail surveys to understand the decisions made by landowners in the southern Great Plains as their CRP contracts near expiration and up to 7 years following expiration. We explored both the post‐contract intentions of landowners with fields currently enrolled in CRP and the self‐reported, post‐contract decisions of landowners whose CRP contracts expired between 2011 and 2017. Interest in re‐enrolling in CRP upon contract expiration was high among landowners with current fields; however, over half of landowners with former CRP fields reported being unable to re‐enroll when they tried. We found higher rates of grassland persistence than have been previously reported, but also detected temporal patterns that suggest that cropland reversion is increasingly likely as the time since contract expiration increases. This study highlights the need for increased attention to the barriers that preclude transition into other conservation programs following CRP and more detailed understanding of what drives landowner decision‐making about re‐enrollment and post‐CRP land use. These insights will be critical for increasing the effectiveness of programs for enduring grassland conservation on private lands.

Assessment of Chimkurgan water reservoir sedimentation processes

Uzbekistan is an inland country with very dry summers and cold winters. The main course of the economy is agriculture. There are two basic kinds of agriculture in terms of irrigation: rainfed and artificial irrigation systems. Therefore, in long dry summers it is reasonable to build water reservoirs to keep enough water resources for vegetation period. Because of sedimentation transport water reservoirs sometimes quickly filled with sediment. Estimating the effects of potential sediment accumulation in reservoirs is an important element in the planning of the dam project. Sediment accumulation in a reservoir may reduce the useful storage of water in this reservoir, change the water quality near the dam, increase flooding level upstream of the dam due to sediment aggradation, influence the stability of the stream downstream of the dam, affect stream ecology in the dam region, etc. This article provides a correlation between the reservoir volume reduction from the bottom to a given level, based on the amount of water flowing into the Chimkurgan reservoir and the river basin monitoring data. Based on the results of observations and calculations, the current state of the reservoir was formed on the basis of GIS tools. In the first step we constructed a flow duration curve, which is the cumulative distribution curve of the stream runoff passing the dam.

Influencing Factors of Cross-Border E-Commerce Trade between China and “Belt and Road” Coastal and Inland Countries

Zhao, Y., 2020. Influencing factors of cross-border e-commerce trade between China and “Belt and Road” coastal and inland countries. In: Yang, Y.; Mi, C.; Zhao, L., and Lam, S. (eds.), Global Topics and New Trends in Coastal Research: Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 103, pp. 70–73. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.In context of building “Belt and Road”, e-commerce has developed rapidly. Therefore, how to evaluate and measure its influential factors is worth exploring. This article uses an extended trade gravity model to empirically explain the influencing factors of CBEC volume scale between “Belt and Road” countries and China. This study results show that similar to traditional trade, per capita income, consumer groups, and additional factors affect the scale of CBEC signifigantly, especially geographical distance has a significant obstacle to the size of CBEC transactions. Additionally, the above estimated results of the newly added explanatory variables such as logistics performance index and Internet penetration are basically in line with expectations. In particular, the logistics performance index has the most obviously positive effect on CBEC exporting and CBEC importing. China would strengthen cooperating with Belt and Road countries in the aspect of e-commerce, create a good business environment, encourage infrastructure construction so as to develop the potential of CBEC markets.

Soil Resources and the Role in Agriculture Sector of Greek Economy

This paper analyzes the quality of the soil resources of arable lands of the Hellenic Republic. Greece is characterized by mild winters and high sunshine. Greece's agricultural potential is hampered by poor soil conditions, inadequate levels of precipitation in spite of having also fertile soils and important water resources, especially in Western Greece. The mild climate allows Greece, especially in its southern regions, to produce early fruit and vegetable products. Data on the presence of saline, acid, and calcareous lands and the reasons for their formation in the country are presented. It refers to the basic characteristics of pathogenic soils, which have been studied in detail in recent years, their origin and their classification into several categories. Particular attention is paid to the serious problem of erosion and desertification of soil resources in many areas of Greece. It describes the important role that agricultural production has always played in the Greek economy. It is referred to the extent of cooperative organization which stays at low comparative levels, despite the efforts mainly of European Union. The total value of agricultural production in Greece amounts to 9.95 billion euros. Of this total, 69% comes from crop production. Consequently, crop production has a dominant position in the country's agricultural economy. Greek agriculture has remained at about the same level in terms of the value of agricultural production since 2010. As a percentage of the EU as a whole, however, it has dropped from 2.9% to 2.5%. It also describes the agricultural economy and policy of the country, the prospects and the economic impact of the increase in the problematic agricultural lands. Some suggestions on measures to preserve national wealth, such as the country's land resources, are indicated.

Structure Changing in Maize-Based Agriculture Production in Vietnam: Case Study in Son La Province

Maize is the primary food resource for livestock, mainly cultivated in the northern mountains, the central provinces, and the central highlands in Vietnam. By studying reliable reports and policies related to maize-based agricultural production in combination with interviews and focus group discussion methods conducted in Son La province, this study specifically analyzes the situation of maize production in Vietnam and impacts of policies for the specific case in Son La province. The research results show that, though the sharp decrease, maize has still been the main crop with an annual cultivation area of ​​over 30% of the country's agricultural land recently. However, maize is only modestly mentioned in some central policies, and no policy at the local level is reserved for maize production. In addition, maize is no longer a crop to attract local farmers’ and authority’ interest, especially since 2015, the transition in maize cultivation area on sloping land to arable land of fruit trees and many other crops has been carried out on a large scale due to some policies by the province, resulting in a sharp decrease in maize cultivated area and production. This might lead to limited results of substantial government policies on maize acreage expansion, maize cultivated area planning, or maize development strategy. Accordingly, some recommendations to improve the situation are provided.

Cities without slums? China's land regime and dual-track urbanization

China's urbanization has avoided the expansion of slums despite the influx of rural migrants. What might explain this phenomenon? We argue that Chinese urbanization is driven by two tracks rooted in the country's land ownership: 1) a state-led track relying on land financing and expropriation, facilitated capital accumulation, infrastructure construction, and the provision of public goods; 2) an informal track based on collective land ownership and self-governance resulted in informal “urban villages” that provide affordable housing and services to migrants. China's urbanization underscores the credibility thesis, which posits that institutional form follows from function, as the urban villages – as informal settlements – fulfil a credible function in driving urbanization by accommodating the migrant population. However, Chinese urbanization is challenged by issues of sustainability and inclusiveness, and its current credibility might not last. In this context, local policy innovations may highlight possibilities to integrate the tracks and achieve a new type of urbanization by “formalization of the informal.” Put differently, the inclusion of that what is done into law, which should be critically distinguished from privatization through titling. At this point, one could consider the Credibility Scales and Intervention (CSI) Checklist, a “toolbox” of policy interventions predicated upon the credibility thesis.

СТАН ЗЕМЕЛЬНИХ РЕСУРСІВ ЯК ЧАСТИНИ ЗЕМЕЛЬНОГО ФОНДУ ВОЛИНСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ

The aim is to analyze land resources as part of the land fund of the Volyn region. A profound study of land resources in the region on such components as land types, quantitative and qualitative indicators to determine the state of land resources at the regional level is done. General scientific and static methods, methods of system and structural analysis, comparative geographical and graphic methods are applied. Regional statistics are processed. The results are shown. The essence of land resources as a part of the country's land fund is revealed. The land fund of the Volyn region is covered (as of January 1, 2019, is 2014.4 thousand hectares), 52% of which is occupied by agricultural land, which indicates a high level of agricultural land development and excessive plowing of its territory. We observe different internal agro-development of the territory of the region in accordance with its landscape differences. The share of the main components of agricultural land in the Volyn region is 33%.The changes in the structure of land resources of the Volyn region are evidenced by the fact that the disturbed lands, which lost their economic and environmental value amounted to 5.85 thousand hectares. There is an increase in the share of unproductive and degraded lands. 87.4% of the total land area of the region is unproductive (2018). In the structure of degraded lands of the Volyn region, lands with acid soils are widespread (12.4% of the total area). The indicator of humus content in soils is important when assessing land resources. The weighted average humus index in the soils of the Volyn region was 1.56%. The application of mineral and organic fertilizers in agricultural enterprises of the region has decreased. The state of land resources of the Volyn region is characterized. The humus condition of soils deteriorates, the supply of nutrients decreases, acidity increases and, as a consequence, their fertility decreases. Rational use of land resources requires the prevention of adverse physical and geographical processes. Scientific novelty. The state of land resources by their structure, quantitative and qualitative indicators on the example of the Volyn region is revealed. Practical significance. The results of the studies reveal the state of land resources of the Volyn region. The results can be used to determine the potential productivity of land resources in the region. The level of the maximum possible rational efficiency of their usage from the point of view of management is determined.

Relationship Between Turkey and Kazakhstan, Commercial Relationship Problem Of Reflection

Aynı dili konuşan, ortak değer, inanç, dine mensup, ortak tarihi geçmişe sahip iki ülke Kazakistan ve Türkiye’dir. Bu iki ülke arasındaki kültürel bağlar ve kardeşlik ilişkileri stratejik ortaklık, müttefiklik boyutunda olmasına rağmen iki ülke arasındaki ticaret ifade edilen ilişkilerin düzeyinden oldukça uzaktır. Türkiye tarafından Hindistan'dan bir yılda ithal edilen motorinin ticaret hacmi Kazakistan ile gerçekleştirilen yıllık toplam ticaret hacmine neredeyse eşit olması bu duruma bir örnek teşkil etmektedir. Kazakistan'ın bir kara ülkesi olması ve açık denizlere uzaklığı ikili ticari ilişkileri kısıtlamaktadır. Buna karşın özellikle karşılıklı seferlere yeni başlayan Bakü-Tiflis-Kars (BTK) demiryolu ticari ilişkileri geliştirmesi beklenmektedir. Kazakistan'ın iç bölgelerinden Aktav Limanına ve oradan BTK demiryolu aracılığıyla Mersin'e ulaşan yükler ve karşılıklı seferler ticari açıdan önemli bir gelişmedir. Aynı zamanda bu gelişme Kazakistan'a Akdeniz kıyısı ülkeler aracılığıyla Güney Avrupa, Kuzey Afrika ve Ortadoğu'ya erişimini sağlayarak yeni pazarlara ulaşım imkânı sağlayacaktır. Yapılan bu çalışmada Bakü-Tiflis-Kars demiryolu Kazakistan-Türkiye arasında karşılıklı çıkarlarının korunması temelinde ticaret ilişkilerinin arttırılması ile mevcut potansiyellerinin değerlendirilmesi ve oluşacak ticaretin kültürel etkileşimine olan etkisi araştırılmaktadır.

РАЗРАБОТКА ПРОГНОЗНОЙ МОДЕЛИ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ ЗЕМЕЛЬНЫХ УГОДИЙ ВЬЕТНАМА

Актуальность исследования. Вьетнам – аграрная страна, в настоящее время его развитие идет по пути индустриализации, но правительство по-прежнему озабочено количественными и качественными показателями сельскохозяйственных угодий. Поэтому прогнозирование ресурсного потенциала разных видов земельных угодий Вьетнама играет ключевую роль в управлении земельными ресурсами страны. Исследования ресурсного потенциала земель проведены на примере административной области Тиенхая, которая является прибрежным регионом страны, где преобладает сельскохозяйственный сектор экономики и характерны многие виды земельных угодий. Цель: оценка пригодности земель разных угодий для прогноза использования их в будущем. Объектом исследования являются земельные угодья государственной собственности района Тиенхая социалистической республики Вьетнам. Методы: методы эмпирического уровня: описание, наблюдение, измерение, сравнение, анкетный опрос, обобщение и моделирование. Для выявления динамики площадей земель различных категорий использовались космические снимки, а для их обработки – ГИС-технологии. При оценке пригодности земель к различным видам землепользований применялись методы ФАО (продовольственная и сельскохозяйственная организация ООН) и экспертных оценок. Важность факторов трансформации земель для разных видов их пользования рассчитана по методу аналитической иерархической процедуры Саати. Для разработки прогнозной модели трансформации земельных угодий во Вьетнаме выбраны цепи Маркова и современные компьютерные программы и технологии. Результаты. На основе дешифрирования космоснимков территории и ГИС-технологий построена матрица вероятности трансформации земельных угодий в Тиенхае с 2005 по 2015 гг. Нормированный вектор относительной важности факторов трансформации при оценке ресурсного потенциала земель для разных видов использования по методу аналитической иерархической процедуры Саати сформирован с помощью экспертов. Разработаны карты пригодности земель для различных типов земельных угодий. Создана модель прогноза земельных угодий в районе Тиенхая к 2025 г. По модели спрогнозированы площади землепользований в районе исследований через 10 лет.