Local Government Entities Research Articles

Computer Attacks and Their Impact on the Security of Servers with Linux Operating System of Local Government Entities

This research aims to determine the incidence of computer attacks on servers with the Linux operating system of local government entities. The study is limited to the decentralized autonomous government (GAD) of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Initially, the most common computer attacks that have affected organizations in recent years were determined using statistical reports from important computer security companies positioned as leaders in Gartner’s magic quadrant. Phishing and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are established as computer attacks under study. Computer attacks are carried out before and after mitigation measures are established. With the help of the information systems risk analysis and management methodology (MAGERIT), the vulnerability, level of impact, and risk computer attacks cause on servers with the Linux operating system are determined. This research aims to serve as a guide to the information technology departments of local governments in implementing mechanisms that safeguard the most important asset of an organization, such as information. Keywords: computer attack, phishing, DDoS, MAGERIT, Linux. Resumen La presente investigación tiene como finalidad determinar la incidencia de los ataques informáticos en los servidores con sistema operativo Linux de entidades de gobierno local. El estudio está delimitado a un gobierno autónomo descentralizado (GAD) de la Amazonía ecuatoriana. Inicialmente se determina los ataques informáticos más comunes que han afectado a las organizaciones en los últimos años haciendo uso de reportes estadísticos de importantes empresas de seguridad informática posicionadas como líderes en el cuadrante mágico de Gartner. Se establece como ataques informáticos objeto de estudio los ataques de phishing y de denegación de servicio distribuido (DDoS). Se realizan ataques informáticos antes y después de establecer las medidas de mitigación y con la ayuda de la metodología de análisis y gestión de riesgos de los sistemas de información (MAGERIT) se determina la vulnerabilidad, el nivel de impacto y el riesgo que los ataques informáticos provocaban en los servidores con sistema operativo Linux. El presente trabajo de investigación pretende ser de gran utilidad y servir de guía a los departamentos de tecnologías de la información de gobiernos locales en la implementación de mecanismos que salvaguarden el activo más importante de una organización como lo es la información. Palabras Clave: ataque informático, phishing, ddos, magerit, linux.

“THE HERCULES PROJECT”: THE HISTORY OF THE BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT'S RECOGNITION OF UFOLOGIST AS AN OCCUPATION

On the night of May 30, 2024, in an emotional virtual meeting organized by the Latin American Academy of Scientific Ufology (LAASU), several ufologists from Brazil and other continents met with the aim of celebrating the recognition by the Brazilian government of the profession of ufologist as an occupation after a long process of technical evaluation. The intensification of activities and research by scientific entities such as LAASU, local and federal government entities in Brazil, the U.S. government through the Pentagon, Congress, NASA, and some media, all contributed to create an environment conducive to this heroic feat. The "Hercules Project" is described herein, which was conceived inside the LAASU with the objective of the Brazilian government's recognition of the profession of ufologist as an occupation with social, economic and scientific value and ended in a total success. Although this process was an initiative of LAASU, the merit belongs to scientific Ufology worldwide and especially in Brazil, which has contributed with studies, researches and publications over several years. This article aims to discuss the rational basis supporting that Ufology can be considered a profession. Additionally, this article aims to describe the history of the recognition by the Brazilian government through the Ministry of Labor and Employment of the profession of ufologist as a legitimate occupation. The struggle for the recognition of the ufologist as an occupation is an epic story of faith, struggle, and overcoming obstacles, that ended in May 2024

Building a searchable online corpus of Australian and New Zealand aligned speech

ABSTRACT Advances in automatic speech recognition technology, increases in bandwidth availability, and the widespread use of video streaming and sharing platforms have opened new horizons for corpus phonetics. CoANZSE Audio, a searchable online version of the Corpus of Australian and New Zealand Spoken English, provides access to over 195 million words of transcribed speech from transcripts of videos uploaded to YouTube by councils and other local government entities in Australia and New Zealand. Audio and forced alignment files are also available, making the resource suitable for the investigation of a range of research questions pertaining to morphosyntax, phonetics, and discourse. The resource, which is freely available via login through CLARIN, Europe’s main language resources infrastructure network, was created through the use of open-source tools and software: yt-dlp, a Python library for collecting data from video and streaming websites; the Montreal Forced Aligner, a recent neural network alignment suite; and Parselmouth-Praat, Python bindings for the Praat acoustic analysis software. The website is powered by BlackLab, which combines a powerful search engine based on Apache Lucene with an intuitive web frontend. CoANZSE Audio may be useful for the investigation of regional differentiation of language features, and with additional annotation, differences in feature use according to social or demographic groups. Recent applications have included studies of double modals, a rare syntactic feature, and apology sequences. The nature of the audio and alignment data may make the resource especially suitable for the study of regional phonetic variation. Furthermore, the methods used to create the resource may be of interest to researchers seeking to adopt a pipeline approach for the creation of specialized corpora from publicly available online content.

Contribution of Leader Community Initiative to People’s Quality of Life: A Case of Thirty Years Application in Rural Spain

Abstract LEADER development programs have a primary objective of enhancing the quality of life. However, their evaluation has been limited due to the extensive time required for analysis. This report investigates the contribution of the LEADER approach to improving the quality of life through a thirty-year case study in the Alcarria Conquense region of Spain (1991-2021). Funding for projects focused on rural heritage, infrastructure, and essential services has played a pivotal role in creating conditions for a prosperous life in the region. Nonetheless, limitations have emerged, including deepening territorial imbalances, a heavy reliance on local government entities, and potential drawbacks to the innovation and management capacity of other economic and social actors. While LEADER offer a valuable tool for policymakers seeking to enhance rural communities' quality of life, further analysis is necessary to refine their implementation and maximize their overall impact.

Urban Tourism Appeal: The Effectiveness of Communication Channels and Multimedia Formats in Creating Tourists’ Expectations

Tourists’ expectations related to urban tourist destinations, which often derive from wider concept of destinations’ images, encompass a wide range of needs, desires and anticipations that tourists develop prior to visiting a particular destination. They are formed under the influence of different factors, one of which is traditional and digital communication channels. The objective of this research is to determine whether different communication channels and multimedia formats, used by tourists in the pre-travelling phase, could shape their expectations related to tangible and intangible characteristics of urban tourist destinations. The data gathering was conducted by applying Computer-Aided Web Interviewing (CAWI) on a representative sample of 312 adult citizens residing in Belgrade, the capital of the Republic of Serbia. The findings indicate that both traditional and digital communication channels, alongside personal recommendations used prior to the trip, significantly contribute to shaping respondents’ expectations concerning tangible characteristics of urban tourist destinations. Digital communication channels and personal recommendations appeared to be more important in shaping expectations related to the intangible characteristics of urban tourist destinations. Also, different formats of online media content exhibited positive associations with expectations concerning the tangible and intangible characteristics of urban tourist destinations. The obtained results provide recommendations for tourist organizations and local government entities, valuable for developing effective communication strategies for targeting potential tourists.

The Role of Local Governments in Supporting Social Forestry Implementation in Indonesia: A Social Network Analysis and Evidence from Eastern Indonesia

Social forestry has become an integral part of Indonesia's efforts to balance economic development, conservation of natural resources, and the well-being of local communities. The Jokowi administration has made significant efforts to promote this initiative, including allocating 12.7 million hectares of state forest areas and recognizing it as an instrument to address tenure issues in forest areas through the Omnibus Law on Job Creation with getting support from various regulations by relevant ministries. However, social forestry support is needed down to the local government/regional levels (provincial, regency, and village levels). This study aims to analyze the local government’s support for implementing social forestry. We employ Social Network Analysis to identify local government entities and their relationships in implementation processes. Additionally, document analysis is used to assess the extent of local government support through their working documents. The study shows that local government support for the implementation is still limited, with its execution primarily concentrated within a few agencies. Social forestry has not yet fully become a strategy for achieving community well-being around forests, enhancing local economies, or protecting forest resources. Furthermore, stakeholders' understanding of social forestry, resource availability, and local government policies to support it remains limited. Improvements in these three aspects are necessary to ensure successful implementation at the regional levels.

Impact of real property tax tools of Sulu Provincial Assessor’s Office: employees’ perspectives

The effect that real property tax instruments at the Sulu Provincial Assessor's office have on Sulu local government entities is the subject of this study. One hundred respondents were included in the study; most were middle-aged (26–39), with over half of them being employed full-time. Employees were highly in agreement about these technologies' efficacy, according to the survey, with tax mapping activities and computerization through electronic methods obtaining "Strongly Agree" ratings. For the Schedule of Market Value category, on the other hand, the rating was "Agree," indicating a somewhat lower but still favorable opinion of the fairness and accuracy of property assessments. When the tools were categorized based on gender, age, or work position, the study also did not find any discernible variations in the degree of impact of the tools. When the data was sorted by duration of employment, there were notable distinctions, indicating that employees with varying tenures had differing perceptions. The study found that respondents, independent of demographic variables, had a higher degree of agreement about the perceived impact and effectiveness of different real property tax instruments. The study's conclusion emphasizes how crucial it is to take into account the various backgrounds and experiences of staff members when assessing how well the Sulu Provincial Assessor's office's real property tax tools work.

Testing the Intention of Employees in Local Government to Adopt Blockchain Technology in Accounting Information Systems (AIS)

Research aims: This study aims to determine the intention of local government employees to adopt blockchain technology in Accounting Information Systems (AIS) using the Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model (TRAM) theory. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research participants were individuals employed in Regional Apparatus Organizations (RAOs) in Yogyakarta Special Region Province who were selected through a purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed utilizing the Partial Least Square method. Research findings: The results revealed that the perceived usefulness of blockchain technology in AIS was determined by comfort, optimism, and security from fraud. Meanwhile, the perceived ease of use was determined by comfort, innovation, and security from fraud. These results also found that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use positively influenced the intention of local government employees to use blockchain technology in AIS. Theoretical contribution/Originality: This research contributes to validating the TRAM theory in the context of blockchain technology adoption in AIS in local governments. Practitioner/Policy implication: The research findings offer valuable insight for relevant authorities, namely the Indonesian Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Communication and Information, and local government entities, to prepare for implementing blockchain technology in AIS in local government. Research limitation/Implication: The study was conducted using quantitative methods with a limited sample size.

A Comparative Benefit-cost Analysis for the Potential Waste Management Options for the Western Province, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka generates 7,000 metric tons of solid waste per day while only 3,242 tons are being collected. Within the Western province 1783 metric tons are collected daily. Management of municipal solid waste is mainly a responsibility of local governmental entities. Only a few waste management options are often practiced while economic aspects of this problem are rarely taken into consideration. The present study was designed therefore with the objective of analysing current and potential waste management options for the western province and identifying the best option that maximises the net benefit to the country. Seven different options for municipal solid waste management were identified for the analysis (option 1–open dumping; 2-sanitary landfilling; 3- recycling paper, polythene, glass and other recyclable waste (15%) and open dumping the rest; 4- composting the biodegradable (62%) and open dumping the rest (38%); 5-composting the biodegradable (62%), recycling paper, polythene, glass and other recyclable waste (15%) and open dumping the remaining; 6–waste to energy handled by the government; 7–waste to energy collaborated with private organizations). Then costs and benefits, including environmental costs related to each option were identified and quantified using literature and information obtained from interviews held with coordinators of waste management projects under both government and private sectors. Economic cost-benefit analyses were conducted for the seven options for a period of 30 years assuming that a constant amount of municipal solid waste (100 MT) per day is treated by each method. All seven models were developed on the basis of current municipal solid waste composition. According to the net present value analysis, five options resulted in negative net present values, while options four and five showed positive net present values. In the next step, the value of compost was re-estimated considering the replacement benefit of imported nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizer which has yielded a much higher net present value than earlier. Furthermore, option five was identified as the economically most profitable option. The results of the study will provide guidance toward designing the most economically and environmentally viable waste management options for urban areas of Sri Lanka. 
 Keywords: Municipal solid waste, Composting, Recycling, Cost-benefit analysis

METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF ASSESSING THE GENDER IMPACT IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TERRITORIAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the main aspects that form a methodological approach to assessing the gender impact of the action and implementation of the Territorial Community Development Strategy. Design/methodology/approach. Semantic analysis, comparative analysis and the systematisation method were used to form a system of gender-sensitive indicators; the grouping method and structural and logical modelling were used to develop a rationale for the sequence of gender impact assessment. The abstract and logical method was used to formulate conclusions and theoretically summarise the results of the study. Findings. The main task of conducting a gender impact assessment of a community development strategy is to determine whether certain programmes or development processes have contributed to or hindered the implementation of gender equality principles in the community. Based on the analysis of scientific and methodological sources, the article presents the gender impact assessment as a set of mutually agreed stages. At the first stage, the goals, principles and target groups of gender-sensitive groups are established. A gender analysis is conducted to identify existing gender roles and the challenges and obstacles to equal participation that they pose for gender-sensitive groups. The development of a gender-responsive methodology includes the creation of a system of methods, rules, principles and approaches aimed at assessing gender equality and determining the impact of a particular community development strategy on gender aspects. In order to assess gender impact, the article develops a system of gender-sensitive indicators. Presentation of the results, conclusions and recommendations in the gender impact assessment of the action or implementation of the community development strategy is the final stage. At this stage, a detailedpresentation of the information obtained is made, and the main conclusions are formulated regarding the identified gender inequalities and the specifics of the impact of the programme document on gender-sensitive groups. The results of the assessment and recommendations can be made public to the public and other stakeholders, and public discussions and hearings can be organised, as well as consultations with residents of the local community to ensure broad participation and involvement of different groups. The developed conclusions and recommendations are usually documented in the form of a report. The proposed methodological approach to gender impact assessment was tested on the data and information contained in the Development Strategy of Velyky Bychkivska settlement territorial community for the period up to 2027. The Velyky Bychkiv territorial community is located in the Rakhiv district of the Zakarpattia region of Ukraine. Practical implications. The practical implications encompass the development of a more effective methodological approach for assessing gender impact within the context of territorial community development strategies. This contribution holds significance for local self-government bodies, governmental entities, activist groups, and other stakeholders involved in the process. Implementing the proposed methodological approach has the potential to enhance the overall management of territorial development, ensuring a more efficient consideration of gender aspects in decision-making processes. Moreover, it can contribute to heightened gender sensitivity among participants involved in the decision-making process, fostering a more inclusive and equitable approach to strategic community development. Originality/value. The originality and value of the article lie in its innovative methodological approach to evaluating the gender impact of implementing the Territorial Community Development Strategy. The article introduces a comprehensive framework that not only identifies and analyzes gender-specific factors at various stages but also offers practical recommendations for addressing gender inequalities within the context of community development. This contribution adds unique insights to the existing literature by providing a nuanced and context-specific methodology tailored to the intricacies of territorial community development. The article's value extends to practitioners, policymakers, and researchers engaged in gender-responsive planning, offering a practical tool to enhance the effectiveness and inclusivity of strategic development initiatives

Detection of Freshness of Fish using Machine Learning Techniques on Vyas Municipality, Nepal

The historical narrative of the fish trade is well-document in various sources. However, the concerning prevalence of fish traders vending spoiled fish poses a significant threat to human health, prompting specific research inquiries. The study aimed to address key questions: What quality of healthy fish do traders sell? How effective are their fish storage methods? What's the duration between fish purchase and consumer access? The study objectives were devised to uncover a actual condition of the fish on sale, assess storage practices, and determine the selling timeline. To achieve these aims, the study employed the EfficientNetB1 machine learning model, chosen for its simplicity and high accuracy. Five fish shops and traders from wards 1,2,3 and 4 in Damauli, the primary city of Vyas Municipality in Nepal, were selected for investigation. Results from five main city shops in Damauli revealed that only 26% of the fish were deemed healthy, while a concerning 74% were identified as rotten. Similarly, within the sample, 44% of the fish were healthy, while 56% were spoiled. This study unveiled that fish were being sold even up to 15 days post-purchase, employing ice packs, refrigeration, and potentially chemicals for storage. These findings highlight the urgent need for ongoing monitoring by relevant stakeholders and local government entities to address this issue effectively.

The effect of decision making related rationalization on fraud and the mediating role of psychosocial work environment

This study aims to examine the influence of the psychosocial work environment on the proclivity for asset misuse in the context of local government management, with a focus on the perceptions of administrators in Central Sulawesi Province. Employing purposive sampling, a total of 39 government units constituted the study's population, with a final sample size of 114 participants, comprising administrators, officers, and managers. WarpPLS software was employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal a positive relationship between rationalization and the inclination toward asset misuse. Additionally, rationalization exhibits a negative impact on the psychosocial work environment. Finally, the psychosocial work environment demonstrates a negative influence on the propensity for asset abuse. These outcomes suggest that the psychosocial work environment plays a pivotal role in mitigating the inclination for asset misuse within the local government of Central Sulawesi Province. This research sheds light on the significance of fostering a positive psychosocial work environment to enhance decision-making processes and reduce the likelihood of fraudulent activities in the management of government assets. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for the development of strategies to promote ethical and responsible asset management in local government entities.

3D Local Crime Type Models Based on Crime Hotspot Detection

This paper deals with the analysis of the relationship between locations and types of crime observed in the Czech Republic. Cluster analysis of crime data based on the recursive Bayesian mixture estimation algorithm is used to identify crime hotspots and estimate local models of crime type. The experiments report that the 2D configuration of the algorithm allows the detection of crime hotspots online. The 3D configuration provides 29% more accurate crime type models than 2D clustering and alternative data mining algorithms. For the data set used, it was determined in which crime hotspots the most serious and most frequent types of crime can be expected to occur with the highest probability. The limitation of the study is the artificial support of the 3D clusters by the fully continuous data vector with the recoded values of the crime type. The potential use of the algorithm is expected in online web applications for sharing information on criminal offenses managed by the Police of the Czech Republic with the public and local government entities in the Czech Republic.

Korupcja w jednostkach samorządu terytorialnego w Polsce – źródła i przyczyny

The aim of this paper is to present the problem of corruption in local government entities. It addresses the sources and causes, as well as attempts to completely eliminate corruption from public life. The article serves as a review and introduction to the issues related to corruption in local government, its sources, and causes.

Women's representation in local government in Sri Lanka: a study on the new (local government) electoral system

The female population of Sri Lanka is 51.6%. Women are well represented in a variety of sectors, such as education, health, etc. Women's presence in political institutions is low, despite the fact that it is considerable in grassroot level political activities. In light of the rising female population, it is by no means adequate. To address this issue, Sri Lanka's local government entities now have a mixed election system and a 25% female quota system under the Local Government Election (Amendment) Act No. 01 of 2016 and No. 16 of 2017. It was first put into practice in the 2018 local elections. The goal of this study was to determine whether the aforementioned constitutional provisions have resulted in a numerical increase of 25% in the representation of women in local government, whether the quality of participation has increased as a result, and whether these provisions will result in the creation of a new, promising women's representation in the future national politics. It is important to examine whether the 25% women's representation quota system introduced by the aforementioned constitutional provision has grown numerically and whether the stated goals have been achieved in practice with regard to women's representation. For this study, both primary and secondary data were used. A questionnaire based on 60 selected delegates from 12 local governing bodies was used to gather primary data in the Kalutara district. Simple statistical techniques were used to analyze quantitative data and information, and descriptive techniques were used to analyze quantitative data and information. MS Excel program was used to analyze the primary data. New constitutional provisions have resulted in a numerical increase of 25% for women's representation in local government bodies. It evolved from elected officials. Although the number of women in leadership positions has increased, their qualitative participation has not. It is observed that the level of quality participation has been hampered. The development of a women's representation that can inspire fresh optimism for tomorrow's politics on the national level, is not at a satisfactory level. Therefore, the constitutional measures that were enacted to promote women's representation have not actually achieved their intended goals.

Assessing presidential vulnerability in a partisan landscape: A mediation analysis of leadership among local universities and colleges in the Philippines

This study examined the vulnerability of leadership among the Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) that are heavily influenced by political factors during the period of local elections. This study used a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) mediation analysis to investigate the intricate interplay of leadership characteristics, political beliefs, and the vulnerability of the LUCs presidency. The study revealed that there is no significant influence of leadership characteristics and political beliefs on perceived vulnerability (Indirect Effect: β = 0.00503, p = 0.846; Leadership Characteristics ⇒ Political Beliefs: β = -0.18697, p = 0.257; Political Beliefs ⇒ Presidential Vulnerability: β = -0.02689, p = 0.788; Direct Effect: β = -0.13358, p = 0.367; Total Effect: β = -0.12855, p = 0.367).The findings indicate that leadership at LUCs exhibited vulnerability, especially after the loss of an incumbent local official, irrespective of their leadership characteristics or political views. The findings challenges prevailing assumptions and underscore the need of using broader criteria for assessing leadership risk. This research has significant implications for policy formulation and decision-making within the realms of higher education. The implementation of collaborative leadership development programs, promotion of ethical leadership, maintenance of non-partisanship, active involvement of stakeholders, establishment of succession planning, and utilization of effective conflict resolution processes are suggested. It is viewed that a comprehensive exploration of the legal framework governing the relationships between LUCs and local government entities is imperative for a deeper contextual understanding.

Artificial Intelligence Powered Revenue Forecasting: Investigate The Use of AI To Predict Local Government Revenue

This paper explores the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in revenue forecasting for local governments. Revenue forecasting plays a crucial role in effective financial planning and resource allocation, enabling governments to make informed decisions regarding budgeting, expenditure, and policy formulation. Traditional revenue forecasting methods often rely on historical data and statistical models, which may have limitations in capturing complex patterns and dynamic factors that influence the revenue generation. This study aims to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of using AI techniques to predict local government revenue. By leveraging Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and advanced data analytics, AI has the potential to uncover hidden patterns and correlations within vast and diverse datasets. The research methodology involves collecting historical revenue data from multiple local government entities and also implementing various AI models, including regression based algorithms and neural networks. The models are trained and validated using a comprehensive dataset that includes relevant economic variables, such as Population, GDP, The Unemployment rate, and Hotel Occupancy. The results of the study demonstrate the potential of AI-powered revenue forecasting in local government contexts with high-accuracy prediction. The findings also highlight the significance of incorporating dynamic external factors into the forecasting process, as AI models can capture complex relationships and identify key drivers of revenue generation.

Therapeutic Landscape as Value Added in the Structure of the Destination-Specific Therapeutic Tourism Product

The aim of the paper is to describe how therapeutic landscape creates value added for tourists in spa resorts. Survey data were collected from 184 tourists to Swoszowice spa resort in Poland using a self-administered questionnaire. The results indicated that the way the therapeutic landscape creates value added for tourists differs concerning socio-demographic, behavioural and psychographic factors. The conclusions have important implications for scholars, allowing them to understand the importance of the therapeutic landscape and its determinants for tourists. Knowledge of how tourists assess landscape aesthetics, which constitute value added in the structure of the destination-specific therapeutic tourism product (DSTTP), is essential for local government entities and managers of treatment enterprises to develop and manage a therapeutic product that meets the needs of their customers. The present paper fills the gap in the subject literature, which lacks studies assessing the therapeutic landscape as one of the elements in the structure of DSTTP.

How subjectivities and subject-making influence community participation in climate change adaptation: the case of Vietnam

Critical scholars on power relations and climate change adaptation have highlighted the lack of community participation as a consequence of unbalanced power operations. Evidence about how unequal power relations and subject formation constrain public participation, however, is under-studied. In this paper, we utilised the intersection between community participation and the subjectivities lens to examine how a hierarchical political structure systematically operates to influence community engagement in adaptation and how and why local communities are included or excluded from adaptation as a result of subject-making, using Vietnam as a case study. Using 66 semi-structured interviews and ten focus group discussions involving policymakers, practitioners, local authorities, and communities, we examined how the key respondents stereotyped local roles and capacity in agricultural adaptation activities. Applying content analysis, we found that the general population in Vietnam is often framed as lacking knowledge and capacity to respond to climate impacts. Reflected through a traditional government-led model in two agricultural adaptation projects, the study showed that subtle but pervasive subjectivities and subject-making processes constrain community participation by affecting perceptions and, subsequently, actions of key stakeholders, undermining local roles and capacity in undertaking adaptation. These perpetuate the power imbalance between local communities and government entities. The findings contribute to the prevailing scholarship of climate change adaptation that, under an authoritarian regime, local capacity is undermined not only by powerholders but also by community members as they consent to government decisions.

A new corpus of geolocated ASR transcripts from Germany

AbstractThis report describes the Corpus of German Speech (CoGS), a 56-million-word corpus of automatic speech recognition transcripts from YouTube channels of local government entities in Germany. Transcripts have been annotated with latitude and longitude coordinates, making the resource potentially useful for geospatial analyses of lexical, morpho-syntactic, and pragmatic variation; this is exemplified with an exploratory geospatial analysis of grammatical variation in the encoding of past temporal reference. Additional corpus metadata include video identifiers and timestamps on individual word tokens, making it possible to search for specific discourse content or utterance sequences in the corpus and download the underlying video and audio from the web, using open-source tools. The discourse content of the transcripts in CoGS touches upon a wide range of topics, making the resource potentially interesting as a data source for research in digital humanities and social science. The report also briefly discusses the permissibility of reuse of data sourced from German municipalities for corpus-building purposes in the context of EU, German, and American law, which clearly authorize such a use case.