Northern Province Research Articles

Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Blastocystis in Sheep and Pigs in Shanxi Province, North China: From a Public Health Perspective.

Blastocystis is a common zoonotic intestinal protozoan and causes a series of gastrointestinal symptoms in humans and animals via the fecal-oral route, causing economic losses and posing public health problems. At present, the prevalence and genetic structure of Blastocystis in sheep and pigs in Shanxi province remains unknown. Thus, the present study collected 492 sheep fecal samples and 362 pig fecal samples from three representative counties in northern, central and southern Shanxi province for the detection of Blastocystis based on its SSU rRNA gene. The results showed that the overall prevalence of Blastocystis in the examined sheep and pigs were 16.26% and 14.09%, respectively. Sequences analyses showed that four known subtypes (ST5, ST10, ST14 and ST30) in sheep and two subtypes (ST1 and ST5) in pigs were detected in this study, with ST5 being the predominate subtype among the study areas. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the same subtypes were clustered into the same branch. This study reveals that sheep and pigs in Shanxi province are hosts for multiple Blastocystis subtypes, including the zoonotic subtypes (ST1 and ST5), posing a risk to public health. Baseline epidemiological data are provided that help in improving our understanding of the role of zoonotic subtypes in Blastocystis transmission.

Rubens’ landscapes and the Dutch Republic

Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) is generally regarded as the painter of the Counter-Reformation and the embodiment of Flemish Baroque. Since the founding of the Belgian state in 1830, he and his art have been increasingly appropriated as a point of reference for the cultural identity of Flanders. Art was also appropriated in the formation of the national identity of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – in particular the depiction of nature and landscape that had become a speciality of many painters in the northern provinces. But Rubens too was admired by his contemporaries for his landscapes, and in the Dutch Republic they were held in high esteem. For his part, Rubens can be shown to have followed closely developments in landscape painting on the Northern side of the border. Despite the difficult political situation, there was also an ongoing exchange between North and South, even during the Eighty Years’ War. Rubens bought and owned Dutch pictures, and added human and animal figures to landscapes of his Dutch colleagues. He took a general interest in such pictures as an incentive to paint landscapes himself, which, reproduced in prints, became well-known in the Dutch Republic. In terms of landscape art, not only can a lively exchange of images and ideas be demonstrated, but it can also be shown that the existing differences were not understood as an expression of different political or religious contexts. The example of Rubens and his landscapes shows the value of a change of perspective to focus not on the differences between Flemish and Dutch art, but on cultural cross-border connections.

Application of deep learning in assessing the impact of flooding on the endangered freshwater fish Neolissochilus benasi (Cyprinidae) in a northern province of Vietnam

Application of deep learning in assessing the impact of flooding on the endangered freshwater fish Neolissochilus benasi (Cyprinidae) in a northern province of Vietnam

Barriers to equitable access to quality trauma care in Rwanda: a qualitative study

ObjectivesUsing the ‘Four Delay’ framework, our study aimed to identify and explore barriers to accessing quality injury care from the injured patients’, caregivers’ and community leaders’ perspectives.DesignA qualitative study assessing...

‘Of Noble Sentiment and Of Noble Thought’: Burns Clubs and Commemoration in Ireland 1800–1950

The reception of Robert Burns's work and legacy in Ireland, particularly in its Northern province of Ulster has been well documented. Less explored is the range of clubs, commemorations and events that exist and have existed throughout Ireland to honour his memory. This article will explore the foundation and activities of a variety of Burns Clubs and in particular the Belfast Burns Association, one of the longest standing groups within the Burns Federation. While these clubs were mostly situated in the province of Ulster, the article will argue that the commemoration and celebration of Burns was not confined to the northern province, nor was it merely the preserve of those from an Ulster-Scottish cultural background or indeed those from Scotland, or their descendants residing in Ireland. This article will trace the early efforts to mark Burns's significance in Ireland from the early decades of the nineteenth century, chart the widespread engagement in the 1859 Centenary activities across the island and continue into the twentieth century and twenty first centuries where Burns events continued to play a role in Irish civic and cultural life. This survey of commemorative engagement across Ireland pre- and post-partition will provide an insight into the role Burns's legacy played in the shaping of cultural exchange between Ireland and Scotland, the range and variety of civic, cultural and social discourse on Burns's writing and character in an Irish setting, and how the representation of Burns in the Irish public sphere mirrored and diverged from similar initiatives in Scotland and England.

Unemployment and Military Labour Supply: A Study on Belgian Data for the Period 2005-2020

ABSTRACT The Belgian military has been an all-voluntary force since the suspension of the conscription (1994). Characterised by a high average age and confronted with large outflows of personnel due to retirement, the Belgian armed forces are forced to substantially increase their recruitment efforts. Belgium is not only a country with a small military but it also has a very specific labour market for which policy is a responsibility of the three regions. Not only does policy differ between the different regions but so does the unemployment rate with clear differences between the north and the south of the country. This makes the country a unique case study to examine the effects of unemployment across the different regions. We therefore estimate the determinants of military labour supply by means of a mixed-level model, capturing the impact of unemployment on the application rate at the regional level. Our study confirms earlier findings in the literature, showing that changes in unemployment have an important impact on the number of candidates for joining the military. Our study does, however, not reveal a clear-cut North–South distinction (in line with the strong discrepancies between the Northern and Southern provinces), indicating the importance of other explanatory variables.

Hiện trạng chất lượng rong câu nguyên liệu tại một số tỉnh ven biển phía Bắc

Gracilaria seaweed is the main raw material for the extraction of agar, a widely used polysaccharide in the food industry. The results analysis of raw seaweed samples collected from the May to the June 2021 survey in 11 northern coastal provinces showed that the level of impurities in raw seaweed was quite high, reached 24.8 ± 5.2% dry weight. Agar content in raw seaweed averaged 18.7 ± 2.3% dry weight; agar freezing capacity 243.7 ± 29.6 g/cm2; agar freezing temperature 34.5 ± 0.3oC. The protein content of dry seaweed ranges from 9.38% to 12.75%, lipid - from 1.06% to 1.28%, and inorganic salts - from 20.85% to 22.17%. The results of this analysis also showed that the content and quality of raw seaweed has significantly decreased compared to the past. Therefore, it is necessary to develop solutions to improve the quality of raw seaweed sources in our country in the future to satisfy the needs of domestic production and export.

BED PROTECTION FOR EXTREME STORM SURGE INFLOW THROUGH FAILING SLUICEGATES

At the northern part of The Netherlands the closure dam Afsluitdijk is situated. It is the primary flood defense that closes off Lake IJssel from the Wadden Sea to protect the northern provinces against storm surges. This structure was built in the 1930’s and needed to be improved to withstand the foreseen increase in storm surge conditions and sea level rise. It consists of a 32 km long dam with five discharge sluices for regulating the water level at Lake IJssel. Three of these sluices are located in the west end of the dam and two in the east end. Due to climate change larger discharges are foreseen. Therefore two new sluices were built in between the three old sluices at Den Oever in the west end of the dam to increase the capacity. A new bed protection was designed at Lake IJssel to ensure the stability of the old and new sluices. This bed protection needs to withstand the inflow during the worst case scenario that one sluice does not close during a 45 hour storm surge. This event has a probability of occurrence of 1/1,000,000 per year. During this extreme load case, water flows from the Wadden Sea through the open sluice gates into Lake IJssel. The water level difference is up to 6.6 m. This causes discharges up to 3600 m3/s and currents that are supercritical with speeds up to 9 m/s. Erosion of the bed cannot be prevented entirely with these high velocities. The length of the bed protection is designed large enough to keep the scour hole away from the sluices. The bed protection consists of a structural and a natural part. The natural part was introduced to minimize the length of the structural protection, reducing the construction costs and CO2 footprint. For this design approach the erosion resistant boulder clay layers in the subsoil were taken into account as natural bed protection, ‘Building with Nature’. To achieve the custom made design was a challenge. To predict the flow behavior in combination with the erosion process was extremely complex. This could not be predicted with the conventional formulas and methods. Therefore multiple approaches were used and combined. This resulted in the design being based on the combination of computer simulations, 2D and 3D model tests and calculations with conventional formulas. The structural part of the bed protection has a length of 24 m. The first 19 m is a concrete slab with a sheet pile at the end. The last 5 m consists of grouted rock. The thickness of the concrete slab and grouted rock is 1-1.5 m. This large thickness is required to prevent uplift due to the supercritical flow. Further downstream of this structural bed protection a scour hole will develop. At this location the boulder clay forms the natural part of the bed protection. The expected development of the flow field and geometry of the scour hole during the 45 hour storm surge was determined. The scour resistance of the boulder clay was based on laboratory tests with samples taken on site. This lead to the conclusion that the boulder clay reduces the development of the scour hole enough to ensure the stability of the structural part of the bed protection and the stability of the sluices.

“We Know Only Our Po Then Luang ”: Heritagization, Religious Inculturation, and Resistance in Post-đổi mới Vietnam

Abstract: In 2016, the local government of Như Hoa multi-ethnic district of a northern province of Vietnam rebuilt a ruined temple of the Thái minority, a place associated with their long tradition of offering buffalos to their supreme God –the Po Then Luang. With the aim of meeting the spiritual needs of diverse ethnic communities in the district, the structure and altars of the temple were built with a combination of Việt Buddhist temple architecture and the iconic Thái stilt house. During the inauguration of the temple, a Buddhist ritual was celebrated by hundreds of different ethnic people including the Thái. However, in contrast to the local government's expectation, Thái villagers resisted local authorities’ efforts to integrate Buddhism and the Mother Goddess religion into the rebuilt temple. Thái villagers did not mind the architecture of the rebuilt temple or the devotional practices of the Vietnamese people, but they resisted the inclusion of altars dedicated to Buddhist figures in the temple and the inclusion of Buddhist rituals in their own site of worship. Their resistance revealed the complexities of religious accommodation in contemporary Vietnam. This article examines this episode of contestation in relation to state efforts of heritagization, and situates this local resistance within the larger context of religious dialogue and revitalization in contemporary society.

Academic performance of learners at co- and single sex schools: A case of selected Secondary Schools in Kasama District of Northern Province, Zambia

Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education is the practice of conducting education with male and female students attending separate classes, perhaps in separate buildings or schools. The study on single sex and learner’s academic performance in secondary schools in Kasama sought to determine the extent to which coeducation schools affect male and female students’ academic performance and to establish students’ and teachers’ attitude on effects of sex on the academic performance of learners. To achieve this, the study employed documentary search and analysis on results from 2013 to 2018. The study was guided by the following research objectives; (a) To establish the effects of co- and single sex education on the academic performance of learners in selected secondary schools of Kasama district, (b) To compare learner’s academic performance at co- and single-sex schools in selected secondary schools of Kasama district and (c) To offer recommendations on how to improve the single sex education system in selected secondary schools of Kasama district. The study employed both the qualitative and quantitative methods and a descriptive survey design that sampled head teachers, teachers and pupils. Data was obtained from the respondents by means of interviews and questionnaires. Frequency tables, graphs, figures and pie-charts were used to analyze the qualitative data. Quantitative data were analyzed by the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 26) and Microsoft Excel (version 16). The findings reviewed that coeducation context does affect students’ academic performance compared to single-sex schools in the sense that learners in single-sex schools seem to perform better academically. Further, most of the learners and teachers prefer single-sex schools to coeducation schools and the reasons for the dislike of coeducation context include, high level of indiscipline, boys’ offensive behavior towards girls, encouragement of boy-girl relationships that interfere with learning, the fear of girls to participate freely within classroom as well as teachers’ differential treatment of boys and girls in favor of girls. The study therefore recommended that the ministry of education should establish more single-sex schools and convert underperforming co-education schools into single-sex schools.

Spatial distribution of the four invasive plants and their impact on natural communities' dynamics across the arid and semi-arid environments in northwest Pakistan.

Non-native species are globally successful invaders with negative impacts on vegetation communities' social, economic, and ecological values. Hence, the current research was carried out to assess the spatial distribution patterns and vegetative diversity of the four non-native species in severely invaded areas of the semi-arid parts of northern Pakistan. The research was conducted using data from 1065 plots spread across 165 sites. These sites represented habitats throughout Northern Province, such as farm countryside, highlands, and abandoned places in rural and urban areas. The communities were floristically diverse, represented by 107 plant species, and dominated mainly by annual and perennial life forms with herbaceous habits. Similarly, the floristic structure shows significant variation tested by the χ2 test (P< 0.05) for plant status, life forms, life cycle, and habitat base distribution. In addition, the diversity indices show significant variation having the highest diversity in C-III (P. hysterophorus-dominated sites) and lowest in C-IV (S. marianum-dominated sites, i.e., primarily pure communities), indicating non-native species may increase or decrease site diversity. The diversity communities were further supported by higher quantities of soil nutrients, i.e., organic percentage (2.22 ± 0.04). Altitude, soil nutrients, and texture were shown to be the environmental factors most associated with communities that non-native species had invaded. It is recommended that relevant, additional soil and climatic parameters be integrated into species distribution models to improve our understanding of the ecological niches of different species and to make a collective approach for preserving and conserving native plant communities.

Effect of home cook interventions for salt reduction in China: cluster randomised controlled trial.

To determine the effects of salt reduction interventions designed for home cooks and family members. Cluster randomised controlled trial. Six provinces in northern, central, and southern China from 15 October 2018 to 30 December 2019. 60 communities from six provinces (10 communities from each province) were randomised; each community comprised 26 people (two people from each of 13 families). Participants in the intervention group received 12 month interventions, including supportive environment building for salt reduction, six education sessions on salt reduction, and salt intake monitoring by seven day weighed record of salt and salty condiments. The control group did not receive any of the interventions. Difference between the two groups in change in salt intake measured by 24 hour urinary sodium during the 12 month follow-up. 1576 participants (775 (49.2%) men; mean age 55.8 (standard deviation 10.8) years) from 788 families (one home cook and one other adult in each family) completed the baseline assessment. After baseline assessment, 30 communities with 786 participants were allocated to the intervention group and 30 communities with 790 participants to the control group. During the trial, 157 (10%) participants were lost to follow-up, and the remaining 706 participants in the intervention group and 713 participants in the control group completed the follow-up assessment. During the 12 month follow-up, the urinary sodium excretion decreased from 4368.7 (standard deviation 1880.3) mg per 24 hours to 3977.0 (1688.8) mg per 24 hours in the intervention group and from 4418.7 (1973.7) mg per 24 hours to 4330.9 (1859.8) mg per 24 hours in the control group. Compared with the control group, adjusted mixed linear model analysis showed that the 24 hour urinary sodium excretion in the intervention group was reduced by 336.8 (95% confidence interval 127.9 to 545.7) mg per 24 hours (P=0.002); the systolic and diastolic blood pressures were reduced by 2.0 (0.4 to 3.5) (P=0.01) and 1.1 (0.1 to 2.0) mm Hg (P=0.03), respectively; and the knowledge, attitude, and behaviours in the intervention group improved significantly. The community based salt reduction package targeting home cooks and family members was effective in lowering salt intake and blood pressure. This intervention has the potential to be widely applied in China and other countries where home cooking remains a major source of salt intake. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1800016804.

Risk of incident cardiovascular diseases at national and subnational levels in Iran from 2000 to 2016 and projection through 2030: Insights from Iran STEPS surveys.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in developing countries. CVD risk stratification guides the health policy to make evidence-based decisions. To provide current picture and future trend of CVD risk in the adult Iranian population. Nationally representative datasets of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, and 2016 STEPwise approach to non-communicable diseases risk factor surveillance (STEPS) studies were used to generate the 10-year and 30-year risks of CVD based on Framingham, Globorisk, and World Health Organization (WHO) risk estimation models. Trend of CVD risk was calculated from 2000 until 2016 and projected to 2030. In 2016, based on Framingham model, 14.0% of the Iranian, aged 30 to 74, were at great risk (≥20%) of CVD in the next 10 years (8.0% among females, 20.7% among males). Among those aged 25 to 59, 12.7% had ≥45% risk of CVD in the coming 30 years (9.2% among females, 16.6 among males). In 2016, CVD risk was higher among urban area inhabitants. Age-standardized Framingham 10-year CVD risk will increase 32.2% and 19%, from 2000 to 2030, in females and males, respectively. Eastern provinces had the lowest and northern provinces had the greatest risk. This study projected that CVD risk has increased from 2000 to 2016 in Iran. Without further risk factor modification, this trend will continue until 2030. We have identified populations at higher risks of CVD to guide future intervention.

Spatial differentiation of carbon emissions from energy consumption based on machine learning algorithm: A case study during 2015–2020 in Shaanxi, China

Carbon emissions resulting from energy consumption have become a pressing issue for governments worldwide. Accurate estimation of carbon emissions using satellite remote sensing data has become a crucial research problem. Previous studies relied on statistical regression models that failed to capture the complex nonlinear relationships between carbon emissions and characteristic variables. In this study, we propose a machine learning algorithm for carbon emissions, a Bayesian optimized XGboost regression model, using multi-year energy carbon emission data and nighttime lights (NTL) remote sensing data from Shaanxi Province, China. Our results demonstrate that the XGboost algorithm outperforms linear regression and four other machine learning models, with an R2 of 0.906 and RMSE of 5.687. We observe an annual increase in carbon emissions, with high-emission counties primarily concentrated in northern and central Shaanxi Province, displaying a shift from discrete, sporadic points to contiguous, extended spatial distribution. Spatial autocorrelation clustering reveals predominantly high-high and low-low clustering patterns, with economically developed counties showing high-emission clustering and economically relatively backward counties displaying low-emission clustering. Our findings show that the use of NTL data and the XGboost algorithm can estimate and predict carbon emissions more accurately and provide a complementary reference for satellite remote sensing image data to serve carbon emission monitoring and assessment. This research provides an important theoretical basis for formulating practical carbon emission reduction policies and contributes to the development of techniques for accurate carbon emission estimation using remote sensing data.

Characteristics, management and outcome of stroke: Observations from the Sri Lanka Stroke Clinical Registry

BackgroundStroke registries are pivotal to the monitoring and improvement of the quality of stroke care. We report data from the initial phase of a nationally representative hospital-based stroke registry in Sri Lanka. MethodsBased on an observational cohort design, all consecutive patients aged ≥18 years with a diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) presenting to six tertiary-care hospitals in the Western, Eastern, Southern, Northern and Central provinces of Sri Lanka within 14 days of onset were recruited. ResultsDuring a period of 14 months, 5893 patients with a stroke/TIA (58.8% men; mean age 65.22 years, SD=13.28) were entered into the database; 69.8% (n=4111) had an ischaemic stroke (IS); 20.9% (n=1233) had a haemorrhagic stroke (HS); 7.2% (424) had a TIA; and 2.1% (125) had a venous stroke. While IS were more common among women (71.7% vs 68.4%; p=0.006), HS were more common among men (22.3% vs 19.0%; p=0.003). Hemiparesis (86.2% vs 83.2%; p=0.011), headache (29% vs 11.6%; p<0.001), seizures (5.9% vs 4.2%; p=0.013), sphincter dysfunction (11.8% vs 7.7%; p<0.001) and hypertension (72% vs 67.3%, p=0.002) were more common in HS while dysphasia (63.2% vs 50.0%; p<0.001), ataxia (9.6% vs 7.3%; p=0.014), sensory disturbances (10.8% vs 6.0%; p<0.001) and diabetes mellitus (37.9% vs 28.1%; p<0.001) were more common in IS. Thrombolysis was administered in only 2.1% while only 14.6% had access to stroke units. The mean door-to-needle time was 100.2 (SD=46.0) minutes. The hospital mortality rate was 8.3%. Recurrent strokes within three months were more common in HS than IS (3.2% vs 1.6%; p=0.007). ConclusionsWhile stroke characteristics in Sri Lanka are similar to that of other populations, the rate of thrombolysis and access to stroke units are inadequate. The stroke registry provides useful data for the appraisal and improvement of stroke services.

Women empowerment is a tool to improve the quality of life of a community-case study

A reduction in Quality of life (QoL) is evidenced among disempowered populations in Low Middle-Income Countries (LMIC) like Sri Lanka. Women in marginalized populations were culturally identified as potential persons who have care responsibilities to break the vicious cycle of poverty through capacity building. The aim of the study focuses on framework analysis to develop an implementation strategy with women empowerment to enhance the QoL of the community. A study was conducted for 4 years (2018-2022) in the Family Health Center, Kondavil, Northern Province, Sri Lanka, as a qualitative framework analysis using participatory action research methodology. As a result of the study, the empowered women coordinate several health service delivery programs for their community members and financially support their own families. The study can be concluded that women empowerment is an effective tool to improve the QoL of the community.

Lepidopteran fauna of Mandaitivu Mangrove Ecosystem, Jaffna, Sri Lanka

The mangrove forests, which support the survival of both terrestrial and aquatic inhabitants, are considered some of the most productive ecosystems. Mangrove faunal diversity is well known for the vertebrates and invertebrates but is poorly known for insects. Mangroves and insects have strong relationships in which mangroves provide a suitable habitat for insect habitation. In contrast, the feeding activities of insects contribute to the litter detritus formation and sustainability of the mangrove ecosystem. They connect mangroves with adjoined terrestrial and marine ecosystems by their eco-services such as pollination, herbivory, predation, and being food for other predators. Lepidopterans, consisting of moths and butterflies, are the most widely recognized insects as indicators of the ecosystem's health and are considered in conservation strategies. As the information on the Lepidopteran fauna of mangrove has not been revealed in Sri Lanka, this study was performed to explore the diversity of butterflies and moths in the Mandaitivu mangrove ecosystem from August 2019 to March 2020 located in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. True mangrove species such as Avicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal and Pemphis acidula are distributed as patches around this island. Adult as well as larval stages of butterflies and moths were collected from two different locations based on the abundance of the mangrove vegetation at the west and south border of the Mandaitivu Island through sweep netting and hand-picking methods. They were then identified based on their morphological characteristics. A total of 13 butterfly species, belonging to four families, and 6 moth species, belonging to three families were recorded. The highest species composition was recorded from Avicennia marina than Rhizophora mucronata which has fewer insects probably due to the thickness of their leaves. The plain tiger (Danaus chrysippus) was the most common and abundant butterfly followed by Mottled Emigrant (Catopsilia pyranthe) and the Small Salmon Arab (Colotis amata). The Yellow Pansy (Junonia hierta), the critically endangered (CR) species was also found. The other twelve species are listed as least concerned (LC) nationally. All the moth species recorded are listed as not assessed as per the IUCN red list. These results confirm that further extensive surveys in the Mandaitivu mangrove ecosystem will expose more diverse assemblages of lepidopterans that can be utilized in threat assessment and conservation strategy planning.

Newspaper coverage of water security issues in the water‐stressed Northern Province of Sri Lanka: An explorative study of three Tamil dailies

AbstractNewspapers remain as an effective medium for circulating information among the public in the North of Sri Lanka and have the potential to influence public opinion and people's behavior regarding sustainable use of groundwater. This study investigated the extent and scope of newspaper coverage on the subject of water security in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Three newspapers, namely, Yarl Thinakkural, Uthayan, and Valampuri were chosen on the basis of readership, circulation in print form, and for being daily local or regional papers in Tamil. The content analysis of 1214 articles published in 2019 and 2020 in the three papers indicated that as much as 80% of space in the papers was allocated to reporting general news items and events in the community related to new water projects, rain and floods or drought events and announcements of allocation of irrigation water for farming. Only 20% of newspaper space was taken up by non‐news articles including advertisements related to water. We conclude by saying that the effect of these newspapers on their audiences would merely be to inform rather than to set agendas or frame the discourse in society, let alone persuade readers enough to make changes. The study revealed the significant potential that exists for newspapers to shift their culture of simply reporting of facts in a dispassionate way to one of environmental journalism with a degree of advocacy in view of the critical nature of the security of groundwater in the Northern Province.

City‐Level Virtual Groundwater Flows in Northern China and the Effect of Agricultural Relocation on Alleviating Groundwater Scarcity

AbstractNorth China faces severe groundwater overdraft because of unsustainable groundwater use. However, consumers of local groundwater have rarely been precisely delineated. As such, identifying external consumers of groundwater‐intensive products may promote targeted policies from the consumption side, especially for the most water‐scarce Beijing‐Tianjin‐Hebei (BTH) metropolitan area, which has important links to food security and groundwater overdraft across North China. In this study, we revealed the prefecture city‐level virtual groundwater flows in the BTH region for, to our knowledge, the first time by compiling a nested multiregional input‐output table with 13 BTH cities and 28 Chinese provinces outside BTH in 2012. Our results showed that &gt;50% of groundwater use in BTH cities was driven by agricultural supply for outside provinces, significantly exceeding the local demand of 38.8%. In addition, we simulated different scenarios that focused on redistributing the original agricultural production of the BTH region to other northern provinces. We found that these redistribution strategies would lead to 13%–67% groundwater savings relative to total groundwater use in the BTH region in 2012. Moreover, our results also indicated that BTH cities would save groundwater under higher stress in exchange for increased groundwater use in provinces under lower stress. These findings can be utilized to optimize the agricultural distribution and groundwater conservation policies in other regions or countries facing agriculture‐induced groundwater overdraft issues.

Maize boom, bust and beyond: Investigating land use transitions in the northern Thai uplands

Over the past few decades, increasingly intensive maize farming by smallholders in the uplands of northern Thailand has produced a maize boom that has fed the country’s livestock industry. Despite continuously high demand for feed maize, its cultivation has declined unexpectedly over the past decade, pointing to a major land use transition in the uplands. This study investigates the causes of this maize bust and its accompanying land use changes from the perspectives of smallholders. Drawing from fieldwork in the northern province of Nan, we examined their household-level decision-making, challenges, and future visions around land use and livelihoods. Data was collected through a survey of 347 households across 10 villages and semi-structured interviews with 45 smallholders and 8 of their children. We found that many smallholders are being squeezed out of maize because of surging production costs and labor shortages due to aging and the economic out-migration of younger household members. However, rather than abandoning farming altogether, these smallholders are investing in less labor-intensive perennial crops for livelihood security amidst an uncertain future, signaling a pivotal land use transition in the northern uplands. Our data suggests that the ability to make this transition depends on access to land and financial resources. This raises questions around policy support for smallholders with fewer resources who remain dependent on maize despite the growing production risks.