Local Community Representatives Research Articles

Stakeholder perspectives on landslide triggers and impacts in five countries

AbstractExpert perspectives drive landslide mitigation and post-disaster policy planning. This study examines landslide risk perceptions among the stakeholders (government officials, academics, policy experts, local community representatives, and representatives of NGOs/civil society) across Brazil, Colombia, Nepal, Iran, and Pakistan, identifying both shared concerns and local heterogeneity. Key informants revealed a discrepancy in their degree of concern about landslides, with government officials exhibiting greater apprehension compared to local community representatives. Local community representatives incorrectly perceived landslides to be the result of natural phenomena. In contrast, governmental and academic stakeholders felt that human-induced triggers, specifically those related to land use and land cover change, were significant contributors to landslide occurrences, necessitating stringent law enforcement. The comprehensive impacts of landslides included economic losses, infrastructure disruption, agricultural losses, and food security concerns, underscoring the multifaceted nature of this hazard. Our results suggest the need for proactive citizen engagement in landslide monitoring, recognizing the importance of local contexts. We end by proposing a dual-pronged policy approach that emphasizes the socio-economic context of each region.

Communicating CC(U)S and UGS technologies: The case of deliberative group interviews in North-Western Poland

The paper presents the results of deliberative group interviews with the representatives of local communities in West Pomeranian Province (Poland) on the opportunities and challenges related to the theoretical location of combined CO2 and natural gas underground storage (CC(U)S and UGS) in their immediate vicinity. The research has been conducted within AGaStor Project that focuses on innovative usage of captured CO2 as a cushion for stored natural gas. Therefore, there are two possible benefits: active limitation of CO2 emissions (Poland is and will be dependent on conventional energy sources) and reduction of gas storage costs (by using waste CO2 as so-called cushion gas). However, previous experiences in these types of projects show the key role of local public opinion in the final shape of the investment.CC(U)S projects are usually located in less developed, less populated areas, with smaller, more rural local communities facing serious socio-economic challenges. This is the case presented in this paper. In such communities, socially expressed uncertainty and dissent are mechanisms of emancipation and articulating community's subjectivity, and a strategy for articulating fears of distrust and inadequacy of empowerment. The presented results of the research lead to four significant mechanisms of building trust for CC(U)S and UGS in West Pomeranian Province communities: a) communicating safety, b) communicating the lack of nuisances, c) communicating the benefits and d) transparent and competent knowledge transfer.

Migrants’ community building in two Montenegrin informal neighborhoods

ABSTRACT This research aims to benefit displaced people due to conflict in Kosovo and their commitment to community building in two Montenegrin informal neighborhoods. Drawing on qualitative data from observations, questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews, the author examines the potential for urban cohesion through inhabitation and political agency in the urban-occupied territories attributed to the physical and social qualities of neighborhoods. Urban cohesion involves feelings of trust, gathering, acceptance, and connectedness, while political agency entails the broadest and freest access to community tools. The consequence is a communal building that opposes dependence on the leadership of the elected representatives. Proponents of residents’ trust in the effective leadership of local elected officials and community representatives promote productive community development. Since evidence of the efficacy of this model is lacking in Montenegro, this article seeks to address inhabitants’ engagement with political parties, leading toward communal consciousness.

Applied sociological projects in the context of the clinical educational model of the Saint Petersburg State University

Applied sociological projects can play an important role in reducing the gap between higher education and labor markets, but for this educational organizations need to develop a mechanism for interaction between students and employers. The article presents the clinical model used at the Saint Petersburg State University as a tool for organizing applied sociological projects as a part of the educational process. The authors describe the features of the Sociological Clinic of Applied Research of the Saint Petersburg State University, the results of its work and the directions of its development, providing some practical recommendations for introducing a clinical training infrastructure in educational programs in sociology. These recommendations may be useful for universities that want to improve their interaction with the labor market and their quality of education. The development and assessment of forms for integrating employers’ requests into educational institutions are current methodological tasks, and solutions developed and tested by the Saint Petersburg State University, namely the clinical approach, may be interesting for all participants of the education market. Its uniqueness is determined by the flexible organizational model which focuses on characteristics of different educational areas. Over a five-year period, the Sociological Clinic of Applied Research has become an educational form that successfully combines classical education with project-based activities, giving students the opportunity to include in-demand cases into their portfolios and establish relationships with representatives of local communities. This experience will be useful for improving the quality of education in sociology-related areas.

Dual frames of reference: naturalization, rationalization and justification of poor working conditions. A comparative study of migrant agricultural work in Northern California and South-Eastern Norway

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes how agents such as agricultural migrants, agricultural employers and local community representatives apply the dual frame of reference (DFR) to naturalize, rationalize and justify the presence of exploitative labor practices for agricultural migrants. The paper gives a qualitative account of social dynamics in two agricultural-dependent communities located in Northern California and South-Eastern Norway. Qualitative one-on-one interviews with agricultural migrant workers (n = 11), employers (n = 10) and community representatives (n = 12) were conducted in English and Spanish. Our findings demonstrate how DFR is utilized by employers to justify labor strategies that rely on migrant workers, employees to rationalize their participation in exploitive work, and by local community representatives to naturalize the exploitative labor practices of migrant workers in their community. Our research findings further add to the analysis by suggesting that the frames of reference are dynamic based on changes of material conditions in the home country. Lastly, we find a third frame of reference focused on the future of the agricultural worker and the hopes for future generations. Combined, these perspectives add to the understanding of the disempowerment of workers, lack of successful changes and overall, upkeeping of exploitative migrant labor systems in the agricultural industries and beyond.

Apartament z widokiem na apartament z widokiem. Współczesny rozwój bazy noclegowej w powiecie tatrzańskim z perspektywy lokalnej społeczności

An apartment with a view of an apartment with a view: Contemporary development of accommodation facilities in Tatra County from the perspective of the local community The rapid growth in the number of individual tourist trips to the towns and villages of Podhale, observed nowadays in combination with changes in visitor preferences, in particular the growing share of short stays, higher expectations in terms of standards offered by accommodation facilities and a greater interest in renting separate apartments, coincides with the growing demand for properties to be purchased in tourist resorts in Poland for investment purposes. These processes trigger the expansion of accommodation opportunities, particularly by increasing the number of facilities that offer apartments: houses for rent, self-catering apartment buildings, and aparthotels. Recognising the new trends in the development of accommodation facilities in Tatra County that lead to spatial, social, and economic changes, a study was carried out, aiming to: 1) verify the availability of accommodation facilities, in particular including the scale of the phenomenon of apartment rental of apartments (the data were obtained from available statistical and spatial databases, a field inventory and the Booking.com website), and 2) examine the problems caused by the contemporary development of the accommodation infrastructure in local communities (the data were obtained during interviews with representatives of local communities, n = 74). The study demonstrated well-developed accommodation facilities in Tatra County, characterised by uneven spatial distribution, a large share of informally operating facilities and a rich offer of apartments for rent. The development of accommodation facilities, triggered by mechanisms of the free market, helps to satisfy the fluctuating tourist demand, and consequently to maintain the economic function of tourism in the region. However, on the other hand, it causes numerous spatial and social conflicts. In particular, it leads to excessive intensification of development, dwindling of landscape values, and destruction of cultural heritage (including the vanishing of traditional architecture). Furthermore, it may result in reduced availability of accommodation facilities operated by local residents, as well as in tourism gentrification of Zakopane and loss of the traditional highland character of villages of the Podhale region.

Rural Zambian Oral Health Transition: A Long-Term Retrospective Examination of an Outreach Program's Progress and Impact.

This study aimed to (a) describe an annual prevention-focused, community-based oral health outreach program in rural Zambia, (b) assess its oral health outcomes using demographic and oral health variables, and c) identify milestones resulting from program activities. A retrospective analysis of demographic and oral health data from a single site between 2007-2014 and 2018-2019 was conducted. Demographic variables included sex and age, while clinical outcomes encompassed pain, untreated caries, and treatment urgency. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed, adjusting for sex and age categories. Information on community development was obtained from the Ministry of Health and local community representatives. Data from 5,791 subjects were analyzed. The prevalence of pain, untreated caries, and highest treatment urgency category decreased consistently across year categories. Both bivariate and multivariable analyses showed statistically significant differences in clinical outcomes between year categories (p < 0.001). In addition, the percentage of male participants and younger age categories increased during the study period. Key program milestones included the installation of two boreholes for clean water, the development of a local community oral health volunteer program, the establishment of an educational pipeline by the Dental Training School for residents, and the construction of a maternal/oral health center with district and ministry oversight. The observed decrease in treatment urgency scores, presence of pain, and untreated caries are consistent with the prevention-seeking behavior of program participants. The increasing participation and changing demographic patterns over time suggest a growing demand for oral health services among males and younger individuals. The positive oral health outcomes and development of a maternal child/oral health facility exemplify a program design aligned with community needs and appropriate care delivery.

Formation of new social-group communities on the territory of the municipality with low initiative citizens in conditions of conduction of SMO

The article is devoted to the consideration and transformation of social and administrative problems of municipalities with low initiative of citizens. The empirical basis was the data of sociological research (surveys), conducted by the author in the urban district of Krasnoturinsk (Sverdlovsk region) before and after the announcement of partial mobilization. In the course of the study the social problems of the territory, the level of trust in the local authorities, interaction with them, as well as the dynamics of changes in these aspects under the influence of key political factors, in particular, the special military operation in Ukraine were considered. Activity and activity-activist approaches were applied, which allowed us to study the state of society in the context of radical changes as well as to study the formation and activity of socio-group communities on the territory of the municipality in the conditions of special operation. The author conducted expert interviews with officials of the Administration of the Northern Administrative District, the Administration of the City District of Krasnoturyinsk, the Chairpersons of the Public Chambers of the Serov and Krasnoturyinsk City Districts, and the representatives of newly-created local communities: Committee of Soldiers' Mothers of Serov urban district and veterans' organizations of Krasnoturinsk urban district on their interaction with the authorities and the settlement of conflicts. The study showed that even with low citizen initiative, the presence of an external factor (partial mobilization) stimulates residents to make decisions on social problems outside the competence of local government, while forming new social institutions, local communities. The author concludes that in the realities of the special operation, in addition to those existing on the territory of the municipality, new local communities, social institutions emerge, providing conditions of organizational and stimulating nature of further action, whose representatives, as leaders of public opinion, can claim to be included in the Public Chamber of the municipality during the subsequent selection procedures. This opens up another mechanism for identifying leaders of public opinion in a municipal territory with low citizen initiative to effectively organize the interaction between citizens and local government through the Public Chamber of the municipality, which, in turn, can both further contribute to relieving social tensions in the conditions of SSE, and in general improve the quality of life in the municipal territory.

Community Participation In Developing Cupak Village As A Tourist Destination In Jombang, East Java, Indonesia

This research was conducted to utilize a model of community participation in the development Cupak Village as a Tourist Destination in Jombang, East Java, Indonesia. The approach used in this research is a qualitative approach, which describes the participation of the community in the development of a tourist village. The informants in this study were village officials, pokdarwis administrators, local youth organizations, community representatives and visitors. Information was taken through structured interviews. The study results show that developing a tourism village requires participation from various parties, including the community as the major actor, the local government, and stakeholders in charge of providing guidance. Likewise, the university's role took a significant place by providing Assistance in managing the tourism village while the role of SMEs is to provide special products that can be offered to visitors. The implication oif this study. This research aims to provide an overview of village communities in developing tourism villages by involving the community to participate.

Mapping biodiversity and cultural values complemented with understanding of social dynamics provides effective means for addressing opportunities for nature conservation in a cultural landscape

The ecosystem services framework can usefully complement biodiversity assessments in developing socially robust nature conservation strategies in protected areas and beyond. However, there is still little research, especially in Eastern Europe, which links biodiversity assessment and nature related values to the deeper social-economic dynamics and aspirations existing in the local communities. Here we address this knowledge gap with a study case from Romania. We used data from a thorough biodiversity survey to map the protected species and habitats in a Natura 2000 area. Then we used participatory mapping with key local community representatives to understand the type of values linking the local community with the protected area, distinguishing between the past (1960’s-1989 period) and present. We identified that socio-economic and cultural values were strong and synergistically manifested in the past but not in the present. A dramatic abandonment of land use practices was reported. The current distribution of protected species and habitats does not overlap with the farmed areas in the past and present. Interviewees report that the local community went through dramatic changes from the past to present: increased individualism weakened or lost local rules, diversifying individual aspirations, low level of collective actions and weak alignment between knowledge and aspirations and the protected area. New socio-cultural values are represented by educational activities, however, with a lack of genuine local community engagement. Key directions identified by participants for the future of the site were nature friendly activities such as tourism, biking trails, forestry, and the renewal of viticulture.

Stakeholders’ Involvement in Tourism Development for Poverty Alleviation: The Case of Suba Forest, Ethiopia

Despite divergent involvement of stakeholders in development of tourism, tourism has been seen as a fresh and risk of free profitable business. Additionally, the stakeholder involvement contributes excessively to the development of the tourism industry. But, a lack of understanding various involvements of the stakeholders in development of tourism is hindering the sectors development. So, this study assessed stakeholders’ involvement in development of tourism for poverty alleviation, in the case of Suba forest, Oromia, Ethiopia. A qualitative with descriptive research design was employed to conduct this study. The population of the study was local community representatives (eight local community leaders) and government sectors (three Oromia forest and wildlife enterprise employees, one Walmara district land administration employee, two Walmara district culture and tourism office employees, two Walmara district administration employees, and two media employees). Purposive with snowball sampling technique was used and primary (interview) as well as secondary (documents) data sources were castoff. Collected information was analyzed qualitatively via thematic analysis. The finding of the study reveals that; Lists of government sectors are involved in tourism development via cultural studying, marketing and allocating resources, and offering capacity building training while, the local communities are involved through providing lodging as well as services for tourists and working as an employee in tourism related offices. Besides, factors that influence stakeholders’ involvement were; lack of awareness, lack of trust, political issues, and lack of infrastructural service & facilities. Accordingly, the researcher recommended that, concerned bodies should focus on; the ways that make local communities get involved in and benefit from tourism development, and also shou ld solve problems that make stakeholders not to involve in the tourism development of the study area.

Building Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Capabilities Through Disaster Citizen Science: Perspectives From Local Health Department, Academic, and Community Representatives.

Disaster citizen is the use of scientific methods by the public to address preparedness, response, or recovery needs. Disaster citizen science applications with public health relevance are growing in academic and community sectors, but integration with public health emergency preparedness, response, and recovery (PHEPRR) agencies is limited. We examined how local health departments (LHDs) and community-based organizations have used citizen science to build public health preparedness and response (PHEP) capabilities. The purpose of this study is to help LHDs make use of citizen science to support PHEPRR. We conducted semistructured telephone interviews (n = 55) with LHD, academic, and community representatives engaged or interested in citizen science. We used inductive and deductive methods to code and analyze interview transcripts. US and international community-based organizations and US LHDs. Participants included 18 LHD representatives reflecting diversity in geographic regions and population sizes served and 31 disaster citizen science project leaders and 6 citizen science thought leaders. We identified challenges LHDs and academic and community partners face in using citizen science for PHEPRR as well as strategies to facilitate implementation. Academic and community-led disaster citizen science activities aligned with many PHEP capabilities including community preparedness, community recovery, public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation, and volunteer management. All participant groups discussed challenges related to resources, volunteer management, collaborations, research quality, and institutional acceptance of citizen science. The LHD representatives noted unique barriers due to legal and regulatory constraints and their role in using citizen science data to inform public health decisions. Strategies to increase institutional acceptance included enhancing policy support for citizen science, increasing volunteer management support, developing best practices for research quality, strengthening collaborations, and adopting lessons learned from relevant PHEPRR activities. There are challenges to overcome in building PHEPRR capacity for disaster citizen science but also opportunities for LHDs to leverage the growing body of work, knowledge, and resources in academic and community sectors.

Organizational and Legal Mechanisms and Limitations of the Participation of the Local Population in Developing the Tourist Attractiveness of the Territories

The research problem lies in the low involvement of local residents in the processes of developing the tourist attractiveness of the territories, insufficient support for the initiatives of the authorities to develop domestic tourism. The authors in their study set the goal - to study the possibilities and barriers to attracting representatives of local communities to the development of tourism. The key research method is a questionnaire survey of the population (N=732). The results of the study showed that the presence of social alienation in the interaction of the government and the population, as well as a low level of trust in local governments significantly limit the practice of involving residents in the development of tourist attractiveness of the territory. Additional barriers are the following: information vacuum of the local community on the development of domestic tourism; organizational and legal dysfunctions of business support. There is a need provision of legal and organizational support to active representatives of the local community, subsidizing, reducing the tax burden, grant support.

Evolution and expansion of the One Health approach to promote sustainable and resilient health and well-being: A call to action.

One Health is a transdisciplinary approach used to address complex concerns related to human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health. One Health frameworks and operational tools are available to support countries and communities, particularly for the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance and the protection of food safety. However, One Health has yet to be implemented in a manner that fully considers the complexities and interconnectedness of the diverse influences that have impacts at a larger system level. This lack of consideration can undermine the sustainability of any positive outcomes. To ensure the One Health approach can function effectively within the new global context of converging and escalating health, social, economic, and ecological crises, it must evolve and expand in three overlapping dimensions: (1) Scope: the partners, knowledge, and knowledge systems included, (2) Approach: the techniques, methodologies, and scholarship considered, and (3) Worldview inclusivity: the interweaving of other worldviews together with the mainstream scientific worldview that currently predominates. Diverse partners and knowledge from outside the mainstream health and scientific sectors, including Indigenous peoples and representatives of local communities, and traditionally generated knowledge, must be included. These systems of knowledge can then be braided together with mainstream science to comprise a holistic framework for decision-making. Scholarship and methodologies being applied in other fields and contexts to solve complex challenges and manage uncertainty, such as collaborative governance, social-ecologic systems theory, and complexity science, must be recognized and incorporated. The spectrum of considered worldviews must also expand to authentically integrate the expanded scope and approach into action and sustainable impact. By increasing community and social engagement and by recognizing and entwining different worldviews, the plurality of disciplines, and traditional and scientific ways of knowing to address community concerns in the contexts in which they exist, we can ensure that One Health remains effective and true to its paradigm in our rapidly changing and complex world.

A whole-of-community approach to promote cardiovascular health: Healthy Communities in Moldova

Abstract A low-income country, Moldova is facing a rapidly growing burden of non-communicable diseases with a cardiovascular disease mortality rate of 202.2 per 100'000. Scarce resources require urgent preventative actions and involvement of communities and patients in the definition and design of locally relevant health promoting activities. Our intervention is a holistic, whole-of-community approach to foster local leadership in health promotion for the prevention of cardiovascular risks. The Healthy Life project to reduce the burden of non communicable diseases, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), operates since 2016 in rural communities of Moldova. We present a 5-step model towards initiating Healthy Communities in Moldova based on 5 complementary steps: 1. Raising awareness on cardiovascular risk factors through community education seminars tailored to audience needs 2. Building multisectoral community coalitions for health between local elected leaders and community representatives around local health data and locally defined health priorities 3. Fostering community leadership in defining local health solutions through health asset mapping exercises 4. Community-led small projects based on identified needs and assets to improve local cardiovascular health 5. Empowering chronic patients for healthy behavior change through community-based self-management workshops The Healthy Communities intervention was rolled out to 40 communities in 20 districts, reaching 1332 direct beneficiaries. Important learning emerged from social accountability mechanisms embedded in community coalitions which ensure regular, health-focused dialogue on community health. Using local assets to health problem solving is changing the perspective on the resourcefulness of community actors in health. Progress towards sustainability is achieved by local public authorities and community making a matching contribution to start-up funding to small projects. Key messages • Our Healthy Communities model proposes a strength-based vision of health promotion which empowers community coalitions to self-organize for the prevention of cardiovascular risk factors. • We promote bottom-up approaches that strengthen local health governance and community leadership into defining and addressing local health priorities.

Assessing the adaptive reuse of heritage houses in Sultanate of Oman

PurposeOman has a rich built heritage due to its strategic location, making its history full of events, which resulted in remarkable cultural and social heritage. The government works on preserving the built environment through the adaptive reuse strategy of abandoned buildings or sites, which is considered a comprehensive approach to sustainability. The adaptive reuse process often involves complex factors especially through decision-making, which influence the success of the generated project. The research aims at proposing an assessment strategy that offers guidelines that can help to achieve comprehensive adaptive reuse.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzes and assesses adaptive reuse interventions of selected five heritage projects in Oman. The assessment was conducted based on semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and local community representatives, as well as onsite observations, documentation and relevant data analyses.FindingsThe results display that a comprehensive sustainable management plan for adaptive reuse projects is essential to ensure the success of the new uses in promoting the local economy, enhancing social values, preserving the cultural identity and adapting to the local environment.Originality/valueThis contribution proposes a comprehensive strategy for assessing the adaptive reuse projects' performance that can be used as a checklist for achieving more social, cultural, environmental and economic benefits. This strategy can be further developed by extending to include more categories.

Sustainability assessment of mangrove forest as a tourist destination: A case study using GSTC Criteria in Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia

The mangrove forest has been one of the natural areas that provides the local communities with economics opportunities especially those involving tourism activities. However, over time it could face destruction if there is no measure taken to monitor the impacts. The objective of this study is to identify mangrove forest conservation efforts in Nanamun River, Kota Belud, Sabah, Malaysia as sustainable ecotourism destination and to propose sustainable conservation guidelines based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Criteria and Indicator (GSTC) guidelines. A total of 14 in-depth interviews were conducted with stakeholders which involved the local government authorities, community representatives and local tour operators, as the primary data for this study. Purposive sampling were deployed specifically snowball sampling technique to identify key persons that could provide relevant information. The data collecting instrument were based on the Global Sustainable Tourism Council Criteria and Indicator (GSTC) guidelines for destination management which comprised 4 main sections (criterias): A) Demonstrate effective sustainable management; B) Maximize economic benefits to the host community and minimize negative impacts; C) Maximize benefits to communities, visitors, and culture; minimize negative impacts; and D) Maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts. This study found that there are some efforts to conserve mangrove forest in the study area. Among the 4 criteria, section A (sustainable management) and B (economic benefits) were found to have most of the indicators for sustainability checked. However, some of the conservation efforts might still need to be formalized. Recommendations were made in accordance with the gaps found based on the GSTC guidelines used.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOCIAL SPHERE IN MODERN TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES

The article presents the results of the study of social services development in territorial communities in Ukraine in the context of decentralization. Based on the analysis of the literature, the contradictions and challenges that arise in the process of decentralization of social services are highlighted. The empirical part of the study included a survey of representatives of local communities from six regions of Ukraine, as well as a survey of experts from community mobilization projects. In total, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted between August 2021 and February 2022.&#x0D; The article describes the features of social services development in communities in the context of decentralization from the standpoint of the communities themselves, namely: targeting and ways of organizing social services in communities; existing mechanisms for evaluating the effectiveness of social services in communities; factors of development of social services in territorial communities. Research has shown that social services in local communities are organized through the creation of territorial centers for social services, and the main recipients of services are families in difficult circumstances, the elderly and people with disabilities. According to the obtained data, the mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness of social services in communities are: collection of statistical data on the situation in the community; survey of service recipients; independent monitoring of the effectiveness of social services. The study proved the presence of factors in the development of social services in local communities, which can ensure the effectiveness of decentralization of social services. The following factors are highlighted: the effectiveness of assessing the needs of the population; level of interaction "local government - population - public sector"; willingness to cooperate and attract external resources.&#x0D; The interviews also provided an opportunity to identify internal and external factors that help and hinder the development of social services in local communities, ie to conduct SWOT analysis.

Rangeland restoration in Jordan: Restoring vegetation cover by water harvesting measures

Restoration of the degraded rangelands in Jordan using mechanized water harvesting and native species planting has become key to enhancing and maintaining the productivity and resilience of fragile ecosystems. A balanced interaction between the rangeland's hydrology and vegetation states is vital for achieving long-term sustainability. To gain a better insight into the impact of restoration on surface runoff and erosion and its role in recovering the ecosystem functions, we used the Rangeland Hydrological and Erosion Model (RHEM) to simulate various vegetation scenarios. Our research aims to understand the rangelands' water and sediment dynamics and the vegetation transition states of the ecosystem through evaluating the current (degraded) situation, assess the restoration approach on improving the degraded status (restored), and investigate the long-term sustainability of the restoration approach compared with historical rangeland conditions (baseline). Several scenarios were developed with rangeland experts, local community representatives, and measurements at protected and restored areas to represent the rangeland conditions. We found that restoration of the degraded Badia areas will decrease annual surface runoff from an average of 23.5 to 19.1 mm/year and soil erosion rate from 3.3 to 1.3 tons/ha. With time, restoration can bring back rangeland water and sediment dynamics closer towards the baseline conditions, which were 16.9 mm/year runoff rates and 0.85 ton/ha/year soil loss. The results indicate that restoration is a promising methodology to restore the degraded ecosystem and approximate the environment's historical hydrological regime.

Power dynamics in transdisciplinary research for sustainable urban transitions

Transdisciplinary Research (TDR) fosters collaboration amongst stakeholders from different academic disciplines and sectors of society, to jointly search for solutions to complex challenges including rapid urbanization. In order to enhance collaboration and ensure reciprocity of expertize amongst stakeholders, flattening the hierarchy of power is critical for working together to develop research agendas and experiment solutions. However, context dependent research on power dynamics in TDR is still limited and yet it is one of the conditions for understanding how to optimize the value and relevance of TDR in transitions to sustainable cities. This paper sheds light on power dynamics in TDR, using a qualitative analysis of case studies in the cities of Accra (Ghana), Durban (South Africa) and Nairobi (Kenya). Learnings from the case studies suggest that researchers should not overstate expert terminologies and illuminate the controversies that stem from stark differences in their methodological domains, during interfaces with stakeholders from policy and local communities, as this can dent the societal credibility and inclusiveness of the TDR process. Secondly, it is important to seize the potential of creating joint learning platforms using micro-level solutions in informal settlements, since it empowers local community representatives to assert themselves as co-researchers with legitimate perspectives on how the research agenda can be reshaped. Local-level solutions also provide scientific and policy windows for discerning expert biases in approaches used by academics and policy-makers to presuppose what can be done about the situation of under-privileged communities, which is key in building consensus when setting the research agenda.