Participatory Appraisal Research Articles

Understanding water, sanitation, and hygiene situation through participatory appraisal in urban slum of Dhaka City

Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is an imperative issue for infection prevention, and disease control. To understand the existing resources, and WASH situation, a participatory appraisal was conducted at Bauniabadh slum, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh from February-March 2022, and June-July 2023. <i>Social mapping</i>, <i>transect walk</i>, and <i>informal discussion </i>were conducted to identify available resources in the community for maintaining WASH, and also understand the challenges related to these; explore the surrounding cleanliness, waste disposal, and drainage system. Most of the households (HHs) fetched water from the nearest supply stations. Few families did not treat drinking water for purification; the gas flow was not sufficient to boil drinking water most of the time. A number of HHs did not clean their water reservoirs regularly, resulting in odor in supplied water. Regular garbage removal system was absent. WASH being a communal issue in slum setting, community engagement for WASH management is strongly recommended.

Addressing the Economic Impacts of COVID-19: A Gender-Based Training Needs Assessment and Intervention in Barangay Acmac, Iligan City

This study aims to evaluate the gender-based training needs of men and women impacted by COVID-19 in Barangay Acmac, Iligan City. Using Participatory Needs Assessment (PNA), the research allowed 30 men and 30 women to identify their economic challenges and propose solutions. Key findings include: before the pandemic, 78% of respondents were employed full-time, with 80% of men and 76% of women in such roles. Post-pandemic, many transitioned to part-time work, with 43% now working part-time (30% of men and 56% of women). Prior to COVID-19, 73% relied on formal paid work as their main income source. Post-pandemic, income sources diversified, with some retaining formal work (19% of men and 30% of women) and others turning to trading (9%), service businesses (8%), and technical work (6%). A substantial 96% of respondents (29 men and 29 women) reported changes in income sources since March 2020. In addition, men preferred welding training, while women prioritized cookery training. Additional male interests included masonry, automotive servicing, driving, and electrical work, while women showed interest in Food and Beverage Services NC II certification. The study highlights the need for targeted livelihood training to address the economic challenges caused by COVID-19.

Research on the Impact of Rural Tourism on Farmer’s Sustainable Livelihood and Coordinated Development (Case Study Jiwodu Village in Yangshuo, Guangxi)

Rural tourism is considered a viable strategy for achieving sustainable rural economic development and poverty reduction, offering significant economic, social, cultural, and ecological benefits. However, as an external force, rural tourism disrupts the livelihood capital and strategies of farmers, significantly influencing their sustainable livelihoods. This paper uses the sustainable livelihood analysis framework from a micro perspective to assess rural tourism's impact on farmers' livelihoods, particularly in Jiwodu Village, Guangxi, China. By categorizing farmers based on the proportion of rural tourism income in their total household income—Tourism-related, Tourism-dominated, and Tourism-exclusive livelihoods—the study constructs a farmer livelihood capital scale, employs a participatory assessment method, and compares changes in the five major livelihood capitals before and after rural tourism development, exploring farmers' perceptions of its impact.

Social learning and collective action in flood-hazard management in Manitoba, Canada

ABSTRACT Knowledge of social learning about flood hazards in the literature, especially regarding its transformation into collective action for risk reduction, is very limited. This study addresses these gaps by developing an integrated framework that describes how social learning is transformed into collective action – particularly the underlying components and processes – and then applying it to empirical case studies of two communities, (namely, St. Adolphe and St. Agathe) of the Rural Municipality of Ritchot, Manitoba, Canada. Primary data were collected during the summer months of 2022 using participatory research appraisal (PRA) tools (i.e. key informant interviews and oral histories), while secondary data were collected primarily via government and NGO sources. The findings revealed that a) the flood experience and related interactions among community members and local institutions produced unique and distinct types of social learning, and b) that local and multilevel institutions had helped to create learning platforms that facilitated the formation of strategies for collective action related to flood risk reduction. These processes resulted in single – and double-loop learning at the community level. Based on the findings of this work, we recommend that learning and reflection relating to community members’ flood experiences be integrated into disaster risk reduction and management policies.

Dynamics in bush cover, local uses of encroaching woody plants and their preferences by foraging livestock in semi-arid rangeland in northern Tanzania

Bush cover is high in some semi-arid African grasslands, and these woody plants have various socio-cultural uses and potential as livestock feed resources. The current study was conducted in northern Tanzania to investigate the changes in bushland cover, identify general uses of woody plants by agro-pastoral farmers, determine livestock preferences, and the nutritional values of selected plants. We determined bush cover changes from 2000 to 2022 by Google Earth Engine using the Random Forest algorithm during land cover classification. Livestock observation and participatory rural appraisal were used to sample woody plants foraged by livestock. Farmers named woody plants in a local language, listed their uses and ranked them as livestock feed. Farmer-preferred plants were analysed for nutritional values and screened for preference using goats. Bush cover had increased by 6.9–90.2% at 0.6–4.5% per year in the studied area, where 32 woody plant species were ranked and had other socio-cultural uses. These uses were medicine (78%), firewood (59%), a food source (31%) and construction (28%), with Grewia bicolor and Cordia sinensis possessing many of the uses. Farmers ranked woody plants highly as the feed if they were available all year round, readily eaten by livestock (palatable) and led to high performance. The coefficient of preference (COP) varied (p < 0.001) among goats fed the selected plants. Grewia similis (COP = 1.8) and Haplocoelum foliolosum (COP = 1.7) were highly preferred, while Combretum campestris and C. sinensis were the least preferred. There were differences in nutritional values among key woody plants, and G. similis had the highest digestibility (59%), making it a suitable species for agroforestry. Encroaching non-invasive woody plants can be used as livestock feed or serve other socio-cultural uses; their control should be informed by participatory appraisal involving locals in semi-arid areas.

Evaluation of the integration of palliative care in a fragile setting amongst host and refugee communities: Using consecutive rapid participatory appraisals

Background: Palliative care is seldom integrated in healthcare in fragile, conflict affected and vulnerable settings with significant refugee populations. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the integration of palliative care into a fragile, conflict affected and vulnerable community in Northern Uganda. Design: Consecutive Rapid Participatory Appraisals were conducted to evaluate the integration of palliative care in Adjumani District. The first established a baseline and the second, 4 years later, evaluated progress. Data collection included documentary review, key informant interviews and direct observation. Setting/participants: A rural district in Uganda with equal numbers of refugees and host populations living side-by-side. 104 key informants were interviewed, and practice observed in 11 health facilities. Results: At baseline, palliative care was not routinely integrated in the health system. Barriers included health system challenges, cultural beliefs, understanding and trust, mental health issues, gaps in palliative care provision, the role of the community and beliefs about illness impacted care with the village health teams being a trusted part of the health system. Following integration activities including training, mentorship and community sensitisation, the repeat rapid appraisal after 4 years showed a significant increase in palliative care delivery. New themes identified included increased provision of palliative care, the impact of training and community engagement and ownership of palliative care. Conclusion: Community engagement and participation, training interventions and referral pathways enabled the integration of palliative care. Rapid Participatory Appraisal provides a useful framework to evaluate activities aimed at integration of palliative care in a community.

From perception to action: Participatory water risk assessment in Nagaon District of Assam, India

This paper presents an examination of water risks in rural communities within Nagaon district of Assam, India. It employs a participatory approach to integrate community perspectives into the assessment process. The objective is to engage local people, gain an understanding of water risks they encounter in their everyday lives, and incorporate their opinions and experiences. To achieve this objective, the present analyses employ mixed methods, including stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions, household surveys, and community forums. Additionally, the development of the Participatory Water Risk Index (PWRI) provides a novel metric for quantifying and prioritizing water risks, aligning with local priorities and perspectives. The findings highlight the identification and evaluation of seven key parameters of water risk which include availability and sufficiency of drinking water, water quality issues, prevalence of water-related diseases, irrigation facilities, vulnerability to floods, and utilization of public water infrastructure. The study underscores the importance of community involvement and empowerment in addressing water-related challenges and promoting resilience. Policy recommendations derived from the research emphasize the need for context-specific approaches to water resource management, recognizing the unique challenges and strengths of each community within the district. The transferability of the PWRI to other locations offers substantial opportunities for improving water security worldwide, contingent upon careful consideration of context-specific parameters and community engagement. Thus, this paper contributes to the advancement of sustainable water management practices by integrating local knowledge into the assessment process, guiding future interventions to build a water-secure future for rural communities in Nagaon district and beyond.

Pelatihan Pembuatan Pupuk Organik Cair dari Limbah Ternak Sapi

The training on the production of liquid organic fertilizer from cattle waste in Merembu Village, Labuapi Subdistrict, West Lombok Regency aimed to enhance the participants' knowledge and skills in managing livestock waste into economically valuable and environmentally friendly products. This training utilized Participatory Rapid Appraisal (PRA) and Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) methods, engaging participants actively at every stage of the learning process. Results from pre- and post-training questionnaires showed a significant increase in participants' knowledge and understanding, with an average score improvement of 55%. Observations and document studies indicated that participants successfully applied correct fermentation techniques and improved waste management methods. Additionally, some participants achieved halal certification, positively impacting their product operations and marketing. Case studies and literature demonstrate that processing cattle waste into liquid organic fertilizer can enhance soil fertility and crop yields, while reducing environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The training not only provided economic benefits by opening new business opportunities but also raised environmental awareness among participants, fostering a more caring and proactive community in maintaining environmental cleanliness and health.

Participatory evaluation of Sustainable Community Development Parameters in SHELL’S Global Memorandum of Understanding model in the Niger Delta

ABSTRACT International Oil Companies (IOCs) are increasingly becoming key development actors in communities where they operate. This is becoming the norm as IOCs come to the realisation that their contributions to the well-being of their host communities brings them closer to attaining their business goals. The evaluation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) actions by IOCs operating in Nigeria's oil rich Niger Delta is however characterised by a unilateral self-assessment by IOCs themselves, without commensurate integration of host community participation. In providing an alternative approach, this study utilised a participatory community-based appraisal to evaluate the Shell Petroleum Development Company's (SPDC), Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) model within the praxis of selected parameters for sustainable community development including ownership, participation, sustainability and transparency. The study argues that due to the limitations of universal indicators in the assessment of community development problems, a combination of community-based parameters works better in evaluating community development.

Participatory Assessment of Agriculture Land and Vegetation Associated Issues and Possible Interventions in Gurage Zone, Ethiopia

Land degradation and depletion of natural forests made agriculture unsustainable and threaten communities and ecosystems as a whole. The objective of this participatory assessment was to identify researchable issues related to agricultural land and vegetation cover in Gurage zone. Accordingly, seven representative districts were selected and from each district two representative kebeles were purposively selected. Focus Group Discussion with farmers, development agents and subject matter specialists and direct observation were important primary sources of information. The survey result depicts in the Gurage zone land degradation, undulating steep slope topography, small and overwhelmed land tenure, inappropriate land use system, cultural landscape mismanagement, deforestation of indigenous trees and expansion of eucalyptus tree, and decreasing enset production are the major identified problems associated with land use and vegetation cover of the study area. In the mixed farming system, enset is produced as a homestead farm and its coverage is decreasing due to disease, lack of processing machines, and shortage of organic matter. Due to the expansion of eucalyptus and land use change, the majority of native trees are disappearing or decreasing in area coverage. Therefore, enset and eucalyptus require suitable policy attention. In the mountainous areas of Gurage; limited land availability, soil degradation, shortage of appropriate farm technologies, water scarcity, lack of knowledge for alpine agriculture and inconvenient topography for mechanized farming machines issues threaten agriculture of area. Despite the fact that there are few attempts to control land degradation; the issue still needs much attention. Appropriate agricultural technologies and knowledge suited for mountain agriculture, dense populations, enset-based farming systems, and small land tenure are important priority research focus areas for future research.

Developing Wordwall Evaluations in Blended Islamic Education Using the Smith and Ragan Model

Islamic religious education plays a crucial role in shaping the character and morality of individuals in the context of formal education. In the growing digital era, the use of blended learning has become popular and raising the need to develop an appropriate learning evaluation. This research aims to develop an evaluation of Islamic learning in the context of blended learning with wordwall media using the Smith and Ragan model. a developmental research design method was used to analyse the learning context, student needs, and learning tasks, in addition the strategy and assessment phases are also crucial stages of this development process. Data were obtained through interviews, observation, questionnaires, and documentation. Research instruments included questionnaires, interview guides, and observation lists, which were then analysed using qualitative and descriptive quantitative approaches. Drawing from the analysis findings, a dynamic and participatory assessment approach was formulated, leveraging the wordwall platform. Additionally, strategies for structuring, executing, and overseeing evaluations were devised to guarantee their efficacy. The results show that the development of this evaluation has the potential to improve the quality of sslamic learning in the digital era by providing a more diverse, effective and engaging learning experience for students. This research makes a significant contribution to the literature on the use of technology in Islamic religious education in blended learning.

External intervention and responsive adaptation by the community: Experiences of improving house quality in an urban slum

AbstractNon‐governmental organizations (NGOs), governmental organizations, or other entities may run their projects as external interventions within a community to reduce disaster risks and adapt to future climatic events. These external interventions may influence the community to take further adaptation measures for enhancing community resilience. The spontaneous adaptation process, referring as responsive adaptation, needs to be identified and acknowledged. This research aims to investigate the impacts of external interventions on the responsive adaptation process by studying a riverside flood‐prone urban slum in Bangladesh. This settlement experienced a site development project, primarily run by an NGO, that allowed several modifications to the built environment, mainly targeting flood risks. Selected tools of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) or participatory urban appraisal (PUA) methods were employed to obtain data about the community's initiatives for further development. The results show that the site development project, especially its impacts on reducing flood risks, has influenced community members to invest in improving the condition of their individual houses. As a means of responsive adaptation, the conscious developments of their houses contribute to enhancing the resilience level. Through exploring the community's initiatives, this research identifies that the engagement of communities with their knowledge and investments can extend the success of the external intervention.

Confined within a sugarcane monoculture: A participatory assessment of water pollution and potential health risks in the community of El Tiple, Colombia

Communities neighboring monoculture plantations are vulnerable to different forms of pollution associated with agro-industrial operations. Herein, we examine the case of El Tiple, a rural Afro descendant community embedded within one of the largest sugarcane plantations in the Americas. We implemented a participatory approach to assess water pollution, exposure via water ingestion, and non-carcinogenic health risks associated with the use of local water sources available to the community. We conducted household surveys to unveil demographic characteristics and family dynamics linked to water consumption. Additionally, we measured water quality parameters and assessed the concentration glyphosate, its major metabolite (aminomethylphosphonic acid) and metals and metalloids. Drinking water El Tiple households is sourced from three primary sources: the local aqueduct system, water delivery trucks, and private deep wells. Tests on water samples from both the local aqueduct and delivery trucks showed no traces of pesticides, metals, or metalloids surpassing regulatory limits set by Colombian or EPA standards. However, we found concentration of contaminants of primary concern, including mercury (up to 0.0052 ppm) and lead (up to 0.0375 ppm) that exceed the permissible regulatory thresholds in water from groundwater wells. Residents of the peripheric subdivisions of El Tiple are four times more reliant on well water extraction than residents of the central area of the town due to lack of access to public drinking water and sanitation infrastructure. Finally, adult women and school-age children have a higher health risk associated with exposure to local pollutants than adult men due to their constant presence in the town. We conclude that expanding the coverage of clean water and sanitation infrastructure to include all households of the community would be the most recommended measure to minimize exposure and risk via ingestion of water pollutants.

Organic prodution in Minas Gerais: analysis of the cooperation circle controlled by certifiers

The present essay aims to identify, analyze, and propose diagnoses regarding cooperation circles, theorized by geographer Milton Santos, in the production of organic food, focusing on municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It aims to highlight the main interactions and connections between organizations associated with and linked to the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) and various educational institutions, which influence the production process towards a model of organic, participatory, and solidarity-based agriculture. The work also explores how these interactions manifest concretely in the formation of circles linked to PGS entities, such as Participatory Conformity Assessment Bodies (PCABs) and Social Control Organizations (SCOs). As results, the research presents cartographic products related to these agents, through an analysis of their activities at municipal and state levels, emphasizing how these connections can challenge the conventional certification process associated with predominant productive circles. Furthermore, a heterogeneous distribution of these circles is observed in the municipalities of Minas Gerais, where each presents its own scale of representativeness, focusing on different levels of production and interconnection. This typology of dynamics is evident in several municipalities of the state, underscoring the diversity of approaches, along with the importance of decentralizing the agroproductive model, promoting an organic, sustainable, and inclusive agriculture that meets local and regional needs and fosters the resilience of rural communities.

Strengthening regional commitment to ensuring access to medical abortion medicines in WHO’s South-East Asia region: report of a participatory assessment and workshop

BackgroundIn 2019, the World Health Organization identified improving access to safe abortion as an important priority toward improving sexual and reproductive health and rights and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. One strategy for addressing this priority is strengthening access to medicines for medical abortion. All 11 countries in the South-East Asia Region have some indications for legal abortion and permit post-abortion care. Therefore, strengthening access to medical abortion medicines is a reasonable strategy for improving access to safe abortion for the Region.MethodologyWe applied an adapted version of an existing World Health Organization landscape assessment protocol for the availability of medical abortion medicines at the country-level in the South-East Asia Region. We collected publicly available data on the existence of national health laws, policies, and standard treatment guidelines; inclusion of medical abortion medicines in the national essential medicines list; and marketing authorization status for medical abortion medicines for each country and verified by Ministries of health. The findings were once more presented, discussed and recommendations were formulated during regional technical consultation workshop. Each country teams participated in the process, and subsequently, the suggestions were validated by representatives from Ministries of Health..ResultsFew countries in the Region currently have national policies and guidelines for comprehensive safe abortion. However, either mifepristone-misoprostol in combination or misoprostol alone (for other indications) is included in national essential medicines lists in all countries except Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Few countries earmark specific public funds for procuring and distributing medical abortion commodities. In countries where abortion is legal, the private sector and NGOs support access to medical abortion information and medicines. Several countries only allow registered medical practitioners or specialists to administer medical abortion.ConclusionFollowing this rapid participatory assessment and technical consultation workshop, the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Technical Advisory and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights technical committee recommended priority actions for policy and advocacy, service delivery, and monitoring and evaluation, and indicated areas for support.

"We all think boots are meant for men": A community-based participatory assessment of rural women's barriers to preventing podoconiosis in Rwanda.

Podoconiosis is a debilitating neglected tropical disease (NTD) that is possibly caused by prolonged exposure to irritant alkaline clay soil. It is endemic to East Africa and disproportionately affects rural female farmers. The condition can be prevented through foot hygiene and regular wearing of protective shoes. In Rwanda, there is limited information on the factors impacting rural female farmers' access to and utilization of boots while farming. Therefore, this community-based participatory study was conducted to explore the cultural, economic, and ergonomic factors affecting rural farmers' use of protective footwear. Sixteen audio-recorded focus group discussions were conducted with female and male farmers in four villages with the highest podoconiosis prevalence across four provinces of Rwanda. Transcripts were coded inductively using Dedoose (version 9.0.86) and analyzed through thematic content analysis. Participants expressed that wearing shoes protects against diseases and injuries but ability to afford a pair of protective footwear was a major barrier to accessing and wearing them. There were differences in women and men's shoe-wearing behaviors while farming, largely driven by the fact that women who wear boots face rumors and backlash. Findings highlight barriers hindering effective podoconiosis prevention among rural female farmers in Rwanda. Opportunities exist to strengthen podoconiosis and NTD prevention programs, through the integration of gender into existing community-based interventions and the inclusion of local communities into the co-designing of contextualized interventions.

Enhancing post-hurricane regional loss assessment with crowdsourcing: A probabilistic inference approach

With the emergence of efficient, widespread social networking infrastructure, along with advances in sensing technology, data retrieval, and data processing techniques, crowdsourcing and participatory sensing have garnered attention as promising approaches for leveraging the general public’s decision-making capacity for more effective and scalable disaster management practices. Although these approaches have recently been acknowledged for their potential in technical and domain-specific tasks, such as post-disaster damage assessment, there is still room for exploration and enhancement. This paper represents a significant stride in this direction by introducing a probabilistic approach designed to improve the reliability and quality of data gathered through participatory disaster damage assessments. By rigorously addressing crucial challenges related to task design and implementing sophisticated truth-inference mechanisms, this study aims to minimize uncertainty and subjectivity in the assessment of building damage states from imagery data conducted by non-expert crowd participants. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a post-disaster damage database from Hurricane Laura, with Amazon Mechanical Turk (M-Turk) serving as the online crowdsourcing platform. With an achieved accuracy of approximately 50% and a ±1-class accuracy of around 95%, the proposed methodology significantly outperforms other inference methods derived from crowd-assigned labels in similar applications. Furthermore, damage assessment is extended to loss estimation, providing a comprehensive view of end-to-end damage and loss assessment. The findings of this study can significantly contribute to the development of efficient and reliable strategies for post-disaster assessments, ultimately facilitating expedited response and recovery efforts in areas affected by disasters.

Automated decision-making as domination

Machine learning ethics research is demonstrably skewed. Work that defines fairness as a matter of distribution or allocation and that proposes computationally tractable definitions of fairness has been overproduced and overpublished. This paper takes a sociological approach to explain how subtle processes of social-reproduction within the field of computer science partially explains this outcome. Arguing that allocative fairness is inherently limited as a definition of justice, I point to how researchers in this area can make broader use of the intellectual insights from political philosophy, philosophy of knowledge, and feminist and critical race theories. I argue that a definition of injustice not as allocative unfairness but as domination, drawing primarily from the argument of philosopher Iris Marion Young, would better explain observations of algorithmic harm that are widely acknowledged in this research community. This alternate definition expands the solution space for algorithmic justice to include other forms of consequential action beyond code fixes, such as legislation, participatory assessments, forms of user repurposing and resistance, and activism that leads to bans on certain uses of technology.

Penguatan Nilai Keagamaan Anak Binaan melalui Program Kemandirian Yatim Dhuafa LKSA Rumah Yatim Kota Medan

The orphan and poor self-reliance program is a values and life skills-based orphan empowerment program for foster children and children assisted by Rumah Yatim by developing children's potential so that they are able to live in society. Focusing on the curriculum points of the orphan self-reliance program, including religious ability, yaumiyah, morals, academic values and skills. Morals/character are one of the main points inherent in a person, especially children, where apart from academic education, strengthening religious values themselves is really needed by children in the current environment and in the future. The purpose of this writing is as a result of the author's dedication in carrying out Field Work Practices II at Rumah Yatim Ar-Rohman Institution. The method used is qualitative research with data collection techniques through observation and interviews and using Macro Social Work Techniques, namely Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) with a participatory assessment approach. Then the source of additional data from this writing is a review of related literature which can support the discussion. By strengthening religious values, it has a positive impact so that the target children can recognize and understand the importance of morals for themselves. This can be seen from the willingness to learn of the children assisted by Rumah Yatim Ar-Rohman, Medan City.

Participatory stock assessment in West Java contributes to the management of glass eel fisheries in Indonesia

Following the decline of Japanese eel catches and the EU European eel trade ban, other regions, such as Southeast Asia, have become increasingly important sources of juvenile anguillid species for aquaculture. Although appropriate fishery management of tropical eel species is urgently required, data collection by the government or scientific authorities is extremely difficult, because tropical glass eel fisheries are small-scale fisheries conducted in the Global South, where expertise and resources are sometimes limited. To collect data on glass eel fisheries, participatory stock assessments were conducted in West Java, Indonesia, where a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) and an Aquaculture Improvement Project (AIP) were launched in collaboration with industries, middlemen, fishermen, NGOs, national and local agencies, and scientists. This participatory study successfully collected data on more than 3000 daily fishing practices from approximately 400 fishermen in a single water system in 2019. Even though the assessment was not species-specific, the data collected allowed estimation of the natural mortality rate as being 0.011 day−1. The annual exploitation rate of the glass eel fisheries was estimated as 24.9%, based on a generalised depletion model developed for the data-limited situation where only fishery catch and effort data are available. The data collection scheme for glass eel fisheries was disseminated by local and national agencies to glass eel fishermen in Indonesia and contributed to developing the Eel Conservation National Action Plan.