Municipal Council Research Articles

THE EFFECTS OF LOW CARBON CITIES FRAMEWORK CHECKLIST (LCCFC) IMPLEMENTATION ON COMMUNITY SATISFACTION LEVEL

Local authorities (LA) have been serving as leaders in their communities to implement the Low Carbon Cities Framework (LCCF). LCCFC, although carefully developed, has not been effectively utilised. This paper aimed to study the effect of LCCFC implementation on community satisfaction levels. The objectives of this paper were: (i) to determine the implementation of LCCFC in relation to community satisfaction, (ii) to analyse the levels of community satisfaction across economic, social, and environmental aspects, and (iii) to suggest strategies and frameworks for enhancing community satisfaction. A mixed method approach was employed, which encompassed both an interview and a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey reached a sample size of 400 participants, drawn from six distinct neighbourhood areas within the jurisdiction of the Subang Jaya Municipal Council. Meanwhile, the interview was conducted with town planners within a Local Authority (LA) as key stakeholders, alongside the community. The qualitative data was analysed using Atlas Ti, while the quantitative data was via SPSS. The findings of the present study reveal that the utilisation of the LCCF checklist by the local authority concerned is currently inadequate, thereby necessitating the identification of strategies for improvement and the formulation of action plans to enhance community contentment. It is recommended that the findings of the current study be utilised as a point of reference by other local authorities, thereby constituting a significant advancement in the pursuit of accelerating sustainable development.

The Impact of Political Fragmentation on the Municipal Spending in Peru

Abstract This study evaluates the impact of political fragmentation at the municipal level on public expenditure during the period 2007–2018 for the Peruvian case. The results indicate that the effect of political fragmentation within a municipal council on the spending of the provincial municipality could be non-linear. That is, political fragmentation affects negatively the expenditure in a certain tranche and positively in another. In particular, we observe that the incidence occurs only on the execution of capital expenditure. On the other hand, the political fragmentation of the districts within a province seems not to have a significant effect on the execution of expenditure in coordinated areas such as transport, health, and sanitation. (JEL Codes: E62, H54, H72, P16, P35)

Understanding Urban Ornamentation Policy and Practice: Case study of Alor Gajah Melaka roadside sculptures

This study investigates the significance of Roadside Sculptures in the context of urban ornamentation policy and practice, utilizing a triangulation method of observation, formal analysis, and expert rating. Based on the findings the 14 Roadside Sculptures along the Alor Gajah-Melaka-Jasin highway feature four similar designs that promote environmental sustainability but lack cultural identity. Expert ratings, however, draw attention to problems in terms of functionality, idealization, shape, accessibility, sensibility, and exactitude. To improve the town's image, the study recommends that the Alor Gajah Municipal Council strengthen its urban ornamentation policy and practice by collaborating with the creative society and local community.

Local government capacity for earthquake disaster risk reduction in Malaysia: Case studies in Bentong and Selayang areas

This paper investigates the status of earthquake disaster risk reduction (DRR) capacity of local governments (LG) in Malaysia, and the factors that influence the LGs’ capacity to reduce earthquake risk. Currently, there is a lack of understanding and systematic study of the capacity of LG to address earthquake DRR even though the LGs in Malaysia are at the forefront of the national agenda to carry out DRR actions at the local level. A qualitative methodology was utilised based on a comparative case study design involving two cases of LG in Malaysia with the risks in dealing with earthquakes i.e. Bentong Municipal Council and Selayang Municipal Council. The study employed semi-structured interviews and documentation analysis as its data collection methods. To ensure a systematic data collection, a capacity assessment framework (CAF) had been developed based on key capacity categories identified according to the powers and responsibilities of the LG as outlined by UNDRR, and components of UNDP capacity building. The findings of this study suggested that inadequacy of LG in Malaysia to address earthquake DRR measures are mainly due to several capacity issues: insufficient financial backing, lack of knowledge and required expertise, lack of specific unit to tackle DRR issues, and low utilisation of existing resources such as inter-agency networking and regulations. The findings highlighted the need to empower the LG with improved capacities and governance structures. This paper concludes with several recommendations on how the LG can address key capacity gaps identified in this study.

ANALYSING URBAN SPRAWL OF THE MUMBAI METROPOLITAN REGION USING REMOTE SENSING AND SOCIOECONOMIC DATA

Abstract. Urban growth in developing countries like India is happening more than twice as fast as the population increase. Such rapid urban growth has resulted in urban sprawl characterized by low-density scattered development. Urban planners require a timely updated dataset and suitable tools to monitor the urban sprawl and ensure sustainable development. The present study uses Landsat data from 1999, 2009 and 2019 and socioeconomic data to study the urban sprawl characteristic of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) over two decades. The analyses show that MMR's built-up areas have expanded from 400 sq. km in 1999 to 761 sq. km in 2019, implying a 90% growth in the past two decades. While most municipal corporations have more than 60% of land covered by built-up areas, municipal councils are less saturated, with <30% built-up covers. With saturated land spaces within municipal corporations, higher growth rates are observed in the municipal councils. Also, the urban growth rates in these municipal councils outpace the population growth rate. The urban sprawl indices computed also suggest a continuous compact development within the municipal corporations while a continued sprawling within these fast-developing municipal councils. Mira Bhayandar is the most compact, while Bhiwandi Special Notified Area is the most sprawled urban area in MMR. The analyses show a clear indication of urban sprawl characteristics of the MMR. Many of these municipal councils are in the initial stages of development and lack appropriate governance to tackle rapid urbanization. Suitable policy measures that result in balanced urban growth can help ensure sustainable development.

The role of Mayors in protecting citizens' health: a brief report from Italy.

The World Health Organization has identified urbanization as one of the most important public health challenges of our century. Nowadays, about half of the world's population live in urban areas, thus municipal authorities can influence multiple determinants of health through Urban Health strategies. However, the health policies and welfare systems are usually managed by multi-level political governments. The aim of this report is to describe the legal and operational competences attributed to mayors and municipal councils with reference to health, taking Italy as case study. Our report summarises and analyses the national, regional, and local Italian legislations. Our results identified the mayors as the highest local health authorities. Indeed, the mayor can issue specific regulations for their local area or order contingent and urgent measures for preventing or delimiting serious health hazards for the safety of their citizens. Moreover, among their duties, municipalities play a crucial role in social care. Hence, municipalities are expected to cooperate with National Health Service at the regional level, to integrate their contributions in a single welfare system. In conclusion, mayors represent the institutional figures closest to the citizens. Municipalities and regional governments should coordinate and integrate their strategies and policies to meet health and social needs of citizens, providing easy access to shared pathways. Municipalities also regulate autonomously fundamental aspects related to the urban environment and can promote and protect health and improve the quality of life for citizens.

Awareness and Practices Regarding Leptospirosis in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Union Territory of India.

Background Leptospirosis is a worldwide prevalent zoonotic infection and re-emerging disease caused by the bacterium of genus Leptospira transmitted by infected animals in the environment.Andaman and Nicobar Islands has one of the highest incidence rates of leptospirosis in India with a seroprevalence of 52.7%.This study examined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding leptospirosis among the urban and rural populations of the Union Territory (UT) of India. Aim and objective This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding leptospirosis in a rural and an urban community of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Materials and methods This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted atrural and urban field practice areas under the aegis of the Department of Community Medicine, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS), Port Blair, for a period of three months.A semi-structured interview schedule was administered to 450 participants in community settings selected from a list of households obtained from the municipal council using a systematic random sampling method. All interviews were conducted face-to-face by the investigators to collect data on the sociodemographic variables of the study participants and their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the disease. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA). Results The knowledge and attitude regarding leptospirosis and henceforth the likelihood of individuals using preventive practices were evaluated. The majority of respondents (97%) had previously heard about leptospirosis; however, specific knowledge regarding its risk factors, causative agent, and complications was limited among the participants. Although more than 90% of them had a favorable attitude towardseeking treatment for the disease and adopting specific preventive measures and general hygiene,they did not practice these hygiene habits nor used self-protective equipment in their day-to-day lives. Less than 50% of participants wore protective clothing, boots, and gloves while cleaning cattle sheds, and only 40% of them used rodenticides despite the presence of rodents in their houses. Most of the owners (60%) had not vaccinated their pets. We also found a significant association between the male gender and urban residence with a good knowledge score (p=0.05). Conclusion Despite having knowledge of and a positive attitude towardthe disease, the participants did not practice preventive measures. We recommend that health interventions in endemic communities should focus on the implementation of protective measures by raising awareness in the susceptible population on multiple dimensions of leptospirosis in order to attain and ensure better compliance.

Conselhos municipais de meio ambiente e o índice de avaliação ambiental em cidades médias do estado de São Paulo / Brasil

A escalada dos problemas ambientais no planeta tem impactado sobremaneira a qualidade de vida humana, impondo, além dos desafios técnicos, desafios políticos, econômicos e sociais complexos que, no limite, apontam para uma nova forma de ser e estar no mundo. Em países democráticos, tem-se como ideal que o processo de produção de políticas públicas, da formulação à avaliação, conte com a participação da sociedade, não só para defender seus interesses, mas para controlar as ações estatais. Desde a Carta Constitucional de 1988, o Brasil tem se destacado por ampliar as arenas participativas no processo de produção e controle de políticas públicas. Os conselhos gestores de políticas são exemplos dessas arenas democráticas de decisão. Assim, o objetivo deste artigo é apontar uma possível relação entre a existência de conselhos municipais de meio ambiente e o resultado do Índice de Avaliação Ambiental (IAA), desenvolvido pela Secretaria de Meio Ambiente do Estado de São Paulo/Brasil. Selecionou-se, como universo amostral, dez cidades médias do Estado de São Paulo, analisando o IAA de 2019 e 2020 e relacionando as dimensões do índice com a existência ou não de conselhos municipais de meio ambiente. A pesquisa não pretendeu estabelecer uma relação causal direta, mas constatou-se forte influência positiva entre a existência de conselhos com escores elevados no IAA e a melhoria nas demais dimensões consideradas pelo índice.

AN ASSESSMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTANTS (PM2.5, PM10, CO2, SO2, NO2 AND CO) CONCENTRATIONS ON AIR QUALITY USING AIR QUALITY INDEX IN EASTERN NIGERIA

The rate at which atmospheric pollution is increasing in the world as a whole is quite alarming, having a negative effect on the health of humans and the environment. The alarming rate of pollutants in the atmosphere led to this study which was carried out in Douglas Road, Owerri Municipal Council (urban) and Ezihe village, Uzii, Ideato North Local Government Area (rural) in Imo State, Nigeria with the aim to investigate and assess the effect of industrial activity on the air quality of the survey areas, to ascertain its impact on the environment and to compare the overall results of the air quality assessment with the Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings. The air quality status of the sampled areas was analyzed using Gasman Air Monitoring Meter (Models 1200-19831) and Air Ae Steward Meter (Haz-Dust Tm; PM2.5 and PM10, Model: HD1000). The results of the air quality assessment in the urban and rural areas of the state analyzed were in the ranges of 99.30-124.70 µg/m3 for PM2.5, PM10 (138.70-168.00 µg/m3), relative humidity (62.67- 68.33 %), pressure (1008.70-1011.70 hpa), temperature (28.33-35.67 oC), elevation (18.70-82.67 m), cloud (55.67-99.33 %) and wind speed (1.28-1.57 m/s). Other results in (ppm) were: SO2 (0.63-0.70), NO2 (0.27-0.37), CO (33.00-38.67), CO2 (6,500.00-10,166.27). The air quality Index (AQI) ratings of the obtained results showed that, in the rural area, it was rated from poor (D) to very poor (E) while in the urban area, it was rated very poor (E) to hazardous (F). There is need for a routine monitoring of the air quality in Eastern part of Nigeria and in Nigeria as a whole to ensure safety, and a few helpful recommendations were suggested in this study for positive impacts on the environment.

Perception of school teachers towards integrating ict in senior secondary school curriculum: aftermath of covid-19 pandemic


 The study is aimed at determining the perception of school teachers’ towards integrating ICT in senior secondary school curriculum content delivery, aftermath of Covid-19 pandemic. The study adopted a survey research. The Population of the study consisted of all 310 Senior Secondary School teachers (78 males and 132 females) in Owerri municipal Council of Imo state. The sampling technique used is purposive since the population is small. The researchers designed an assessment questionnaire which was used for data collection. It has a reliability co-efficient of 0.83 determined through cronbach alpha. The data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation in answering the research questions while the hypothesis was analyzed using independent t-test analysis tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study showed that senior secondary school teachers have positive perception towards integrating ICT in senior secondary school curriculum content. It was therefore recommended among others that the government should speed up the expansion of its existing ICT and remote learning capacity in senior secondary school curriculum, especially for learners with disabilities who may need access to assistive technology. This is based on the fact that senior secondary school teachers have positive perception on the workability of ICT integrated curriculum in senior secondary school.

Cost-outcome analysis of HIV testing and counseling, linkage, and defaulter tracing services in Bukoba, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Effective services along the HIV continuum of care from HIV testing and counseling to linkage, and from linkage to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation and retention, are key to improved health outcomes of persons living with HIV. A comprehensive analysis of the costs and outcomes of cascade services is needed to help allocate and prioritize resources to achieve UNAIDS targets. We evaluated the costs and population-level impact of a community-wide, integrated scale-up of testing, linkage, and defaulter-tracing programs implemented in Bukoba Municipal Council, Tanzania. Costs per identified HIV-positive client for provider-initiated, and home- and venue-based testing and counseling were $92.64 United States dollars (USD), $256.33 USD, and $281.57 USD, respectively. Costs per patient linked to HIV care and ART were $47.69 USD and $74.12 USD, respectively, during all ART-eligibility periods combined. Costs per defaulter traced and returned to HIV care were $47.56 USD and $206.77 USD, respectively. The provider-initiated testing and counseling was the most cost-effective modality. Testing approaches targeted to populations groups and geographic location with high testing positivity rates may improve the overall efficiency of testing services. The expansion of ART eligibility criteria and high linkage rate also result in efficiency gains and economies of scale of linkage services.

The Level and Determinants of Contraceptive Use Among Kampala International University Western Campus Students Between March and September 2022

The study aimed to evaluate the level and determinants of contraceptive utilization among students at Kampala International University, Western Campus in Bushenyi District, Uganda. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using online questionnaires and Microsoft Excel v.2019. The majority of respondents were Pentecostals, single, and not formally employed. 24.48% were currently using any contraceptive method, with 69.25% being well-informed about different methods. Barriers to contraceptive utilization included ease of use, affordability, availability, and absence of side effects. Barriers included lack of information about contraceptive methods, rural setting, partner reluctance, and religious constraints. Contraceptive utilization is low among female students at KIU-WC, and stakeholders such as the clergy, women's partners, the university, and the municipal council must work together to address these barriers and address the unmet need for contraceptives among women. Keywords: Family planning, Maternal and child mortality rate, Contraceptive, Female students, Mothers.

Forever young: Relative age effects in Belgian political selection

AbstractPolitical selection is crucial for the functioning of democracy. However, the practice—in education and sports contexts—of artificially dividing school‐age children into different age groups leads to a considerable bias in this selection. The probability of becoming a (successful) politician depends on individuals' relative age. Being born shortly after the cut‐off date significantly increases the probability that an individual will be politically successful later in life. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find strong evidence of such relative age effect (RAE) among a large sample of Belgian federal parliamentarians over the period 1950–2019 (N = 4032), but not among municipal councillors (N = 7387), nor among municipal candidates (N = 36,740) in the 2018 election. The estimated overrepresentation of federal members of the parliament (MPs) born immediately after the cut‐off date is up to 90% compared to politicians born just before the cut‐off date. The overrepresentation is observed over the whole period and thus seems to be deeply rooted in the political system. We find the RAE to have a gendered dimension: The effect is driven by early‐born male politicians' overrepresentation. No significant RAE was found among female politicians.

A wind of change in Norway: Explaining shifts in municipal stances on wind power by policy feedback and energy justice

Despite the growing need for renewable electricity, wind power development has not proceeded smoothly. This study examines the shifting stances on wind power development in Norwegian municipalities. By developing and applying a combined policy feedback and energy justice framework, we investigate how experiences from earlier wind power policies have affected the positions of municipal councils. Through a systematic text analysis of municipal council responses to a national consultation on the siting of wind power installations, combined with data from interviews in selected municipalities, we show how considerations of distributional, procedural and recognition justice, stemming from experiences with wind power policies and developments, have moulded the shift in municipal council stances. Our analysis makes clear the essential role of perceptions of justice in connection with strategies for raising acceptance of wind power development as part of the ongoing energy transition.

Nationwide experiences with youth-targeted smoking and nicotine product cessation.

Most adolescent and young adult (youth) smokers and users of novel nicotine products wish to quit. Little is known, at a population level, about youth cessation activities, and the counselor's experiences in working with youth smoking and nicotine product cessation. A questionnaire was mailed to all 98 municipalities in Denmark on 31 October 2022. Youths were defined as those aged 16-25 years. The participation rate was 96% (n=94). Simple descriptive statistics were performed. This survey explored youth-targeted smoking and nicotine product cessation activities and ex-periences from municipality counselors across the whole nation. Overall, 60% of the Danish municipal counselors had low/very low/no personal experience with youth cessation interventions, 89% found it dif-ficult to work with youth counseling, 90% found it difficult to recruit youth to nicotine cessation services, and only 25% of the active municipalities were described as highly experienced. A higher percentage of the highly experienced municipalities reported that they share the responsibility of recruitment to cessation services with schools, counsel youths in separate groups from adults, and have good experiences with online counseling. This Danish nationwide survey showed that even in a country with very well-organized and free-of-charge cessation counseling programs, very few municipalities give assistance to youth, and most find it difficult to work with youth. Cessation services have been designed for adult smokers and seem to have failed to meet the needs of young smokers and users of novel nicotine products, at least in Denmark. There is an urgent need for research on how to effectively recruit youth to cessation services, and what works to help youth quit.

The reaction to the war which came: an examination of a cold war shelter from the 1960s and the Swedish response to the war in Ukraine

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of the relationship between civilians and politicians towards cold war air-raid shelters in Sweden, and how the encounter between Russia and Ukraine might affect how individuals perceive what was previously considered obsolete relics of the cold war. The study makes use of the air-raid shelter at Halvtumsgatan 3 in Gothenburg and interviews are conducted with its tenants, the landlord of the apartment building, as well as a local politician currently part of the municipality council. The text applies a theoretical framework based on post-colonial theories such as Homi Bhabha’s Encounter and Third-Space theories, and it is stressed that a change in the relationship between civilians, the shelter and Sweden’s national foreign policy is the result of the encounter between both Ukraine and Russia. This result is attained by focusing on the case study Halvtumsgatan 3, through interviews, and observing policy changes from the Swedish government.

Fiscal decentralization in the nude: Discursive struggles and the stalling of its implementation in Jamaica

Despite an apparently promising start, the decentralization of property tax in Jamaica has never really progressed, nor yet been abandoned. Why is this? This paper adopts a discourse theory perspective to answer these questions. It primarily takes cues from a case study of the Portmore Municipality Council, which was tasked by Jamaica’s central government to implement fiscal decentralization. The initiative was intended to pave the way for further local government reforms in the country in line with new public management (NPM) principles, but something different happened. We conclude that several influential signifiers and signifieds were linked with fiscal decentralization. Mobilized in various politically motivated and overlapping discourses, these served different interests and attracted shifting groups of supporters and contenders, and gradually halted fiscal decentralization. The signifiers and signifieds pertained to NPM, participation, local and central government commitment, entrenchment,11This is the process of legally embedding local government into Jamaica’s constitution. Thereby, it is intended that local government becomes a permanent and protected feature within the Jamaican political landscape. councilors’ lack of skills, nepotism, corruption, and the need for a “fix” for decentralization to progress. They were part of a larger palette of discourses relating to central government power, globalization, and societal and economic progress. The discourses in question made it impossible to abandon fiscal decentralization entirely, because they continued to be in line with the Jamaican political elite’s professed take on NPM, and helped to attract IMF funding.

Exploring Sanitation Issues in Underserved Communities in Sri Lanka

The paper explores the sanitary experiences of people living in three low-income communities in Sri Lanka: Nawagampura, Salamulla, and Mahaiyawa. Qualitative data gathered from 30 households through in-depth interviews were analysed thematically to develop an understanding of the nature and magnitude of the sanitation problems encountered by residents. Salamulla is a high-rise building where residents have relocated from various shanty communities in Colombo. These complete houses have been given for free. In Nawagampura, similar shanty dwellers have been given two perches of land for free. Mahaiyawa is a shanty community occupied mainly by municipal council workers in Kandy. Most of the residents in all three sites do not have any legal documents to claim ownership of the house or land. Overcrowding throughout several decades of occupation has resulted in various sanitation issues such as clogged canals and drainages, overflowing sewages, unclean public toilets, flooding, urinating in public, open defecation, and ad hoc garbage disposal. Formal mechanisms to control these have failed due to unmanageability caused by the magnitude of the offenses and laissez-faire attitudes among authorities or residents.

Letter of Consent of the Goat’s Hair Processing Guild in Tarnovo, November 6, 1872

The consent letter of Goat’s Hair Processing Guild in Tarnovo dated back in November 6, 1872 is a contract (agreement) between the members of the governing body, attached with their signatures, seals and fingerprints for compliance with certain clauses, as an integral part of the statute (law) and the rules of the corporate organization. The analysis of the preserved manuscript texts in Bulgarian answers a number of questions related to the social status and property status of the representatives of the guild of Goat’s hair processing, the level of education and literacy, the membership and the participation of master craftsmen from nearby settlements in the association. In a comparative analysis with other documents from an earlier and/or later historical period, a repetition of the names of some of the Tarnovo craft’s men(mutafchii) – participants in the board of directors, is noticeable. They are represented in various incarnations as benefactors, wealthy merchants or members of the municipal council. The graphic prints of the personal and official seals on the document, their technical parameters and artistic analysis cast new light on the biographies of their holders before 1872. The collected historical information about the activities of the goat’s-hair rugs makers’ guild in Tarnovo in 1872 – extracted from the document, is systematized and analyzed in separate annexes. These include facsimiles, a list of members of the governing body and a catalogue of the official and personal seals.

Collaborative design of audio-visual materials in Political Science and Administration

The creation of educational audio-visual materials has recently become popular. It is an innovative and entertaining practice, which can reach millions of people through social networks and YouTube. For this reason, this specific was designed for students enrolled in the following three modules: The Spanish political system, public administration in Spain, and institutions and decision-making structures in both the of joint degrees in law and political science and in public management and economic sciences, as well as degrees in public management and degrees in political science. Educational audio-visual materials were co-designed and co-created to define a Municipal Council, its workings and its organization. This was a three phased experiment.. In the first, under the supervision of teachers, students developed five videos showing how Municipal Councils work. This allowed university students to become involved in a collaborative learning activity through which they acquired a series of important skills for future use, in addition to reinforcing their learning by participating in creation of digital teaching material, and also establishing a new teaching methodology consisting of learning-by-doing. In the second, professors and students attended CEIP Severo Ochoa Primary School in Madrid showing videos and playing two practical games, thus promoting knowledge transfer. In the third, the teachers evaluated the impact of this activity and the degree of satisfaction of university and primary school students. The result was positive, because not only was an educational innovation successfully implemented, but also a large part of objectives were achieved.