Poor Rural Communities Research Articles

The economic burden of visceral leishmaniasis and barriers to accessing healthcare in Tigray, North Ethiopia: A field based study.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an important public health problem, which mainly affects the poor rural dwelling communities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. However, little is known about the health and economic burdens of this disease in East Africa, including Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess the household level economic burden of VL among affected communities in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Between April and August 2020, a cross-sectional household survey was conducted on 96 patients who had been treated for VL within 12 months prior to the survey, in six districts of Tigray. Data on households' health seeking behavior, direct and indirect costs and coping strategies were collected using a structured questionnaire and the responses were analyzed using SPSS software. Most (82%) of the patients surveyed were males and the majority (74%) of them were between 16 and 30 years of age. The education level of participants was very low: over 33% had not received any form of education; 48% of patients were farmers dependent on subsistence agriculture and about 32% were daily laborers. Just under half of household families (46%) resided in "poor houses" with structures made from entirely local materials. Forty-one percent of patients from the surveyed households had traveled 48 to 72 kilometers to reach VL treatment hospitals. The median total household cost for one VL episode was estimated to be US$ 214. This is equated to 18% of the mean total annual household income or 72.5% of annual per capita income of the study population. More than 80% of the households surveyed incurred catastrophic costs of VL, where this is defined as exceeding 10% of annual household income. The median delay between the onset of symptoms and arrival at a care provider hospital was 37 days; once the patient arrived at hospital, the median delay during diagnosis was 3 days. Direct and indirect costs represented 44% and 56% of the total costs incurred, respectively. To cope with VL treatment costs, 43% of the households used more than one coping strategy: 48% took out loans, 43% sold livestock and 31% of households mobilized cash savings. VL in Tigray is concentrated among young males with low educational background and mostly engaged in subsistence economic activities. Despite the free diagnostic and treatment provisions that were available at public hospitals at the time of the study, our work shows that the household economic burden of the disease had significant impact among VL-affected communities in Tigray. Initiating community awareness towards prevention, early treatment seeking and decentralization of VL treatment centers are strongly recommended. In addition, we recommend efforts to reduce household treatment costs through transport and food provisions for patients (and their accompanying carers where possible) or through cash reimbursement for patients who complete treatment at public hospitals, in order to reduce the barriers to seeking treatment for this life-threatening disease.

The legal and illegal supply chains of sea turtle eggs in Costa Rica

Many poor rural communities rely on biodiversity to fulfil basic livelihood requirements. Trade bans of natural resources often conflict with poverty alleviation and can stimulate illegal trade. Understanding markets, prices and profitability along both legal and illegal trade chains is crucial if appropriate regulatory mechanisms are to be implemented. Using the legal extraction of sea turtle eggs from Ostional, we used a mixed-methods approach to analyse the legal domestic supply chain. We used semi-structured interviews, questionnaires and data on the volume and destinations of egg sales to conduct a value chain analysis. We found an inequitable distribution of revenue along the legal supply chain, with middlemen profiting the most. Geographical barriers to trade flows and competition with illegal trade meant higher profits were achieved by sending the largest volume of the furthest distance. However, this increased the vulnerability of local traders to fluctuations in supply. Comparing legal and illegal trade routes, we identified potential laundering hotspots on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Illegal eggs were cheaper than legal eggs available from Ostional. However, given the volume of Ostional eggs supplying the Caribbean and the fragility of local trader livelihoods, we advise caution in altering any management plan that could impact supply to this region, fearing a dwindling supply of legal eggs may stimulate illegal extraction in the Caribbean. Our research is directly relevant to the policies of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, Convention on Biological Diversity and UN Sustainable Development Goals as our research enhances our understanding of how natural resource use can help alleviate poverty, improve local livelihoods and inform policy regarding wildlife laundering.

(Amoralny) familizm: propozycja rekonceptualizacji z wykorzystaniem psychologii ewolucyjnej i międzykulturowej

In his 1958 book Moral Basis of a Backward Society, Edward Banfield introduced the term amoral familism to describe social relations and values in a poor rural community in southern Italy. In my analysis, I propose to abandon the value-laden epithet "amoral" and consider familism as an evolutionary adaptive strategy activated in times of scarcity or crises. I base the thesis of the evolutionary roots of familism on the inclusive fitness theory (Hamilton 1964) and the theory of kin and reciprocal altruism (Trivers 1971). The perspective of evolutionary psychology makes it possible to see the positive functions of familism and to propose a new biological-cultural understanding of familism. Familism has so far been diagnosed primarily "indirectly" in sociological studies of bonding (and bridging) capital and in research on social trust conducted as part of cyclical social surveys such as the World Values Survey and the European Social Survey. In the search for accurate measures of biological-cultural familism we can additionally turn to the research of cross-cultural psychologists conducted for international management. I argue that the dimension of particularism on the 7-dimensional cultural map of Fons Trompenaars and Charles Hampden-Turner (2002) and the dimension of in-group collectivism on the 9-dimensional cultural map of the GLOBE project (House et al. 2004), can valuably complement the measures used in sociological sciences and make the diagnosis of familism more reliable. Finally, I call for in-depth research on Polish familism aimed at testing whether it is possible to build bridging capital on the basis of familist bonding capital.

Regional and socio-demographic variation in laboratory-based predictions of 10-year cardiovascular disease risk among adults in north and south India

ObjectiveCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in India. There is no laboratory-based CVD risk data among Indians from different regions and backgrounds. This study estimated laboratory-based 10-year CVD risk across different population sub-groups. MethodsData from UDAY derived from cross-sectional surveys of rural and urban populations of northern (Haryana) and southern (Andhra Pradesh) India were analysed. World Health Organization/International Society of Hypertension laboratory-based equations calculated 10-year CVD risk among participants without CVD history. Wilcoxon rank sum test analyzed average CVD risk across subgroups. Chi-square test compared population proportions in different CVD risk categories. Regression analysis assessed the association between CVD risk and participant characteristics. ResultsThe mean (SD) age of the participants (n = 8448) was 53.2 (9.2) years. Males in Haryana had increased CVD risk compared to those in Andhra Pradesh (p < 0.01). In both states, female gender was shown to have a protective effect on CVD risk (p < 0.01). Age correlated with increased risk (p < 0.01). Education level did not affect CVD risk however employment status may have. Hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and insufficient exercise were associated with increased CVD risk (p < 0.01). Residence (urban versus rural) and wealth index did not largely affect CVD risk. ConclusionMinor differences exist in the distribution of laboratory-based CVD risk across Indian population cohorts. CVD risk was similar in urban wealthy participants and rural poor and working-class communities in northern and southern India. Public health efforts need to target all major segments of the Indian population to curb the CVD epidemic.

Exploring the “Urban Advantage” in Access to Immunization Services: A Comparison of Zero-Dose Prevalence Between Rural, and Poor and Non-poor Urban Households Across 97 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Urban children are more likely to be vaccinated than rural children, but that advantage is not evenly distributed. Children living in poor urban areas face unique challenges, living far from health facilities and with lower-quality health services, which can impact their access to life-saving vaccines. Our goal was to compare the prevalence of zero-dose children in poor and non-poor urban and rural areas of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Zero-dose children were those who failed to receive any dose of a diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus (DPT) containing vaccine. We used data from nationally representative household surveys of 97 LMICs to investigate 201,283 children aged 12–23 months. The pooled prevalence of zero-dose children was 6.5% among the urban non-poor, 12.6% for the urban poor, and 14.7% for the rural areas. There were significant differences between these areas in 43 countries. In most of these countries, the non-poor urban children were at an advantage compared to the urban poor, who were still better off or similar to rural children. Our results emphasize the inequalities between urban and rural areas, but also within urban areas, highlighting the challenges faced by poor urban and rural children. Outreach programs and community interventions that can reach poor urban and rural communities—along with strengthening of current vaccination programs and services—are important steps to reduce inequalities and ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.

An inquest into the resource mobilization and utilization capacity of local leaders for community resilience to agriculture-threatening droughts and floods

The main objective of the study was to analyze the relationship between resource mobilization and utilization capacity of local leaders and community resilience to droughts and floods in Lower Muzarabani District of the Zambezi Valley in Zimbabwe. Continual exposure to the hydro-climatic disasters of droughts and floods in Lower Muzarabani has accelerated the vulnerability of poor rural communities, plunging them deeper into poverty and preventing them from taking advantage of economic opportunities. With Lower Muzarabani faced with increasing magnitude, frequency and intensity of droughts and floods, the need for concerted efforts towards building disaster-resilient communities can never be overemphasized. The Conjoint Community Resilience Assessment Model (CCRAM) Household Questionnaire was used to collect data in face-to-face interviews among the sampled households. in Lower Muzarabani. The original CCRAM Model structure, consisting of 5 disaster-resilience factors (Leadership, Collective Efficacy, Preparedness, Place Attachment, and Social Trust) and 28 items, was used as the basis for the survey. The multi-stage sampling method was used in selecting the 200 households for the survey. The major finding obtained with the use of the Pearson Bivariate Correlation Analysis and Linear Regression Analysis was that the efficiency and effectiveness of resource mobilization and utilization activities (represented in the CCRAM model by the preparedness factor) significantly and positively influence community resilience to the hydro-climatic disasters of droughts and floods in Lower Muzarabani.

The COVID-19 pandemic and children’s engagement with learning in rural Sierra Leone

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic caused worldwide educational disruption. This paper addresses a gap in the literature relating to the impact of the pandemic on learning experiences of children in rural communities in the Global South, particularly in earlier years of schooling. Children in these communities are at considerable disadvantage in comparison to their urban peers due to poor school infrastructure and challenges in recruitment and retention of teachers. Drawing on a mixed-methods study of primary school children, their teachers and families in rural Sierra Leone, both during and immediately after school closures, the paper highlights how primary schools and their communities responded to the pandemic and how this influenced children’s engagement with their learning. While national planning focused on pandemic control measures and provision of some remote learning support, findings highlight challenges for poor rural communities in accessing basic learning supports and the consequent disruption to children’s education.

When connecting ventures to international markets falls short: examining the root mechanisms of perceived inefficacy in market-driven poverty alleviation efforts

PropósitoEl objetivo de nosso estudo é integrar as percepções de três atores: os organismos internacionais, os empreendimentos em comunidades pobres e as próprias comunidades pobres, com o objetivo de mudar a discussão sobre a redução da pobreza para as percepções dos diferentes atores envolvidos nas relações de mercado, particularmente as das comunidades pobres. A redução da pobreza é um compromisso chave das nações unidas, e atualmente abordagens de mercado são promovidas como um meio para reduzir a pobreza, especialmente entre os organismos internacionais. Uma estratégia consiste em conectar empreendimentos em comunidades pobres com mercados internacionais. No entanto, pesquisas anteriores mostram que essas abordagens de mercado têm sucesso variado em algumas ocasiões e em outras não.MetodologiaRealizamos um estudo de casos comparativo de três empreendimentos em comunidades pobres urbanas e rurais que recebem apoio de um organismo internacional. Em seguida, analisamos nossos dados para determinar quais mecanismos levaram a discrepâncias nas percepções de cada ator envolvido em relação à redução da pobreza.ResultadosNosso estudo identifica três mecanismos que explicam as discrepâncias nas percepções dos atores envolvidos em relação às abordagens de mercado para a redução da pobreza: ‘desvinculação dos mercados da pobreza’, onde o apoio aos empreendimentos pode paradoxalmente separá-los das comunidades pobres; ‘estresse de sobrecarga’ que captura situações em que os empreendimentos não podem cumprir sua função de redução da pobreza por meio de suas atividades no mercado devido à expectativa de fazê-lo, mesmo que implicitamente, sobrecarregando o empreendimento; e ‘divergência de valores’ que mostra que os atores envolvidos frequentemente avaliam de maneira diferente o impacto das abordagens de mercado na pobreza.OriginalidadePropomos que um aspecto-chave da redução efetiva da pobreza por meio de abordagens de mercado que façam contribuições substanciais e a longo prazo é monitorar as relações e a eficácia percebida entre todos os atores envolvidos nessas abordagens, incluindo as próprias comunidades pobres.

Effectiveness of calcium channel blockade for organophosphorus and carbamate pesticide poisoning – study protocol for an open label, pragmatic, 3-arm RCT repurposing two widely available medicines

Pesticide self-poisoning is one of the three most important global means of suicide, killing an estimated 110–168,000 people each year, mostly in poor rural Asian communities. Organophosphorus (OP) and carbamate anticholinesterase insecticides are responsible for about two-thirds of these deaths. Calcium channel blocking medicines (CCB) may reduce the effect of pesticides and prevent deaths. Two preclinical rodents’ studies and eight clinical studies utilising nimodipine and magnesium sulphate (MgSO4), respectively, showed mixed results. We have established a multi-centre randomised controlled trial (RCT) of patients with OP or carbamate self-poisoning admitted to at least six major hospitals in Bangladesh. The study aims to recruit maximum 3,243 patients over four years. One-third of the patients selected at random will receive standard treatment, while one-third will be treated with additional nimodipine and one-third with additional MgSO4. The additional treatments will be given for 48 h. We will check mortality (currently an estimated 11% die with standard treatment) and need for intensive care for mechanical ventilation across the three groups. This could lead to development of the first novel treatment for anticholinesterase poisoning in 50 years and its introduction into routine hospital practice worldwide.

Dynamics of solar energy entrepreneurship in rural Bihar, India

Access to energy provides numerous opportunities to enhance well-being and alleviate poverty. In rural and energy-poor areas, alternative technology solutions such as solar off-grid products, storage systems and energy-efficient devices can complement the unreliable electric grid to fulfil energy needs. Localized entrepreneurship in rural areas can play a significant role in increasing energy access. However, studies on the dynamics of rural entrepreneurship and low-cost energy access in poor households are scarce. This paper explores the local entrepreneurs' perception of social, economic, and technological factors that impact entrepreneurship dynamics in rural poor communities of India, and to identify strategies to help further improve the existing institutional support. A community-based system dynamics (CBSD) approach was used to engage community members to understand their perspective of entrepreneurial development. The study participants were twelve local rural retailers in the state of Bihar in India who were previously trained and employed in a decentralized solar project, and have since become solar entrepreneurs. Participants were engaged in group model-building sessions to develop a causal loop diagram (CLD). Based on the basic structure identified in CLD, a simulation model was developed and calibrated using data from solar project operations and surveys of solar users and entrepreneurs. Results indicate that training and subsequent experience in the project and business helped reinforce the entrepreneur's skills. Repair service and sales of energy products contributed in building trust and awareness in the community, thereby increasing demand for solar and energy-efficient products. The simulation-based scenario analysis shows the positive impact of better business practices, bulk procurement, and continued repair services on the income of the solar entrepreneurs. Findings from this study can inform subsequent energy entrepreneurial development in rural Bihar.

Critical Analysis of Payments for Ecosystem Services: Case Studies in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

The concept of payments for ecosystem services (PES) has been identified as a promising mechanism for use in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, with several potential advantages and benefits, including the ability to raise new funding for landscape management, increase the efficiency of conservation approaches, secure ecosystem services (ES), and benefit poor rural communities. Starting from understanding the complex relationship between human dependence on natural resources and the environment, this paper aims to determine the degree to which the various criteria affect the success of PES that involve forests. Primary data were collected using a mixed questionnaire that was sent to institutions that had implemented PES schemes in the region and 25 case studies of PES implemented in the region from various publications were used for the secondary data. The data were mainly analyzed using comparative analysis. The results indicated that PES success is higher when bundled ES are considered, financing is medium- to long-term, implementation is at the regional level, combined transaction types (cash and in-kind) are used, and both private buyers and public sellers are involved. This paper provides a good benchmark for decision makers on PES performance and the model presented may serve as one of the tools for improving livelihoods and ensuring the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Transforming the educational experiences of marginalized students in Ghana through dialogic literary gatherings

Discrimination and educational inequalities continually affect lifelong learning opportunities among marginalized groups in the 21st century. In Ghana and many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, children from rural and urban poor communities, ethnic and linguistic minorities and those in displaced situations have experienced discrimination and marginalization in education for decades. However, few studies propose ways marginalized students in Ghana can transform their experiences in school. This paper explores how participating in a dialogue-based intervention named Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs) transformed the educational experiences of marginalized students. An ethnographic-case study was conducted with 8th-grade students in a compulsory school in Southeastern Ghana. Focusing on the personal accounts of seven students, our findings show that the DLGs created affordances for marginalized students to engage in egalitarian dialogue, share their grievances while transforming relationships and attitudes with their peers and boost participants’ self-confidence, eventually transforming their educational experiences. This is relevant for practitioners and stakeholders seeking innovative strategies that potentially transform discriminated and marginalized students’ experiences and potentially keep them in school.

Potential decline in the distribution and food provisioning services of the mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) in southern Africa.

The mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) is an edible insect distributed across southern Africa. As a culturally important source of food, the mopane worm provides nutrition, livelihoods and improves wellbeing for rural communities across its range. However, this is strong evidence that insect populations are declining worldwide, and climate change is likely to cause many insect species to shift in their distributions. For these reasons, we aimed to model how the ecosystem service benefits of the mopane worm are likely to change in the coming decades. We modelled the distribution of the mopane worm under two contrasting climate change scenarios (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). Moreover, given that the mopane worm shows strong interactions with other species, particularly trees, we incorporated biotic interactions in our models using a Bayesian network. Our models project significant contraction across the species' range, with up to 70% decline in habitat by the 2080s. Botswana and Zimbabwe are predicted to be the most severely impacted countries, with almost all habitat in Botswana and Zimbabwe modelled to be lost by the 2080s. Decline of mopane worm habitat would likely have negative implications for the health of people in rural communities due to loss of an important source of protein as well as household income provided by their harvest. Biogeographic shifts therefore have potential to exacerbate food insecurity, socio-economic inequalities, and gender imbalance (women are the main harvesters), with cascading effects that most negatively impact poor rural communities dependent on natural resources.

Abstract P356: Does Out-Migration Contribute to Poorer Health in Rural Communities? An Investigation Using Mortality in the US

People living in poor rural communities, particularly in the South, live shorter and less healthy lives than those residing elsewhere in the United States. The basis of this very high rural burden of heart, lung, and blood disease, which does not spare any race, is unclear. We hypothesized that a potential contribution to this phenomenon is differential selection of healthy individuals to migrate out of rural communities. We examined how county-level migration patterns relate to county-level mortality with a specific focus on rural counties. We compiled nationally representative county-level data migration data from Internal Revenue Services for years 2011-2019 and mortality data from National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for years 2018-2019. We standardized characteristics to a mean=0 and standard deviation=1 and modeled county-level age-adjusted death rate in 2019 using 2-level hierarchical linear regression. Out- and in-migration in 2019 was not significantly associated with age-adjusted death rate in 2019 after adjustment for social, economic and population factors at the county-level. However, when stratified by 6 categories of urban/rural, greater out-migration in the smallest rural counties (non-core) was associated with higher age-adjusted death rate after adjustment for other county factors [Beta (95% CI); 7.2 (0.11,14.28)] (Table 1). When including lagged out-migration rates for years prior to 2019, previous out-migration was associated with age-adjusted death rate in the second smallest rural county categorization (micropolitan). These findings help to ascertain another component potentially contributing to differentially poorer health in rural communities. Future work at the conference will further evaluate decade trends in migration across the US by county.

Health literacy strengths and challenges among residents of a resource-poor village in rural India: Epidemiological and cluster analyses.

Cluster analysis can complement and extend the information learned through epidemiological analysis. The aim of this study was to determine the relative merits of these two data analysis methods for describing the multidimensional health literacy strengths and challenges in a resource poor rural community in northern India. A cross-sectional survey (N = 510) using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ) was undertaken. Descriptive epidemiology included mean scores and effect sizes among sociodemographic characteristics. Cluster analysis was based on the nine HLQ scales to determine different health literacy profiles within the population. Participants reported highest mean scores for Scale 4. Social support for health (2.88) and Scale 6. Ability to actively engage with healthcare professionals (3.66). Lower scores were reported for Scale 3. Actively managing my health (1.81) and Scale 8. Ability to find good health information (2.65). Younger people (<35 years) had much higher scores than older people (ES >1.0) for social support. Eight clusters were identified. In Cluster A, educated younger men (mean age 27 years) reported higher scores on all scales except one (Scale 1. Feeling understood and supported by a healthcare professional) and were the cluster with the highest number (43%) of new hypertension diagnoses. In contrast, Cluster H also had young participants (mean age 30 years) but with low education (72% illiterate) who scored lowest across all nine scales. While epidemiological analysis provided overall health literacy scores and associations between health literacy and other characteristics, cluster analysis provided nuanced health literacy profiles with the potential to inform development of solutions tailored to the needs of specific population subgroups.

The home language environment in rural China: variations across family characteristics

BackgroundA rich language environment is an important element of a nurturing home environment. Despite their proven importance, vocabulary and conversation have been shown to vary widely across households—even within the same socio-economic class. One significant gap in the existing literature is its nearly exclusive geographic focus on Western and developed settings, with little attention given to poorer communities in lower/middle income countries. The purpose of this study was to empirically illustrate the characteristics of the home language environment in the low SES, non-Western cultural setting of rural China.MethodsUsing Language Environment Analysis (LENA) automated language-analysis system, this study measured the home language environment of 38 children aged 20-27 months in Northwest rural China. Our primary measures of the home language environment were Adult Word Count (AWC), Conversational Turn Count (CTC) and Child Vocalization Count (CVC). Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine the association between home language environment and family/child characteristics, and language skills (Measured by MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory score).ResultsIn this paper, by comparison, we found that the home language environment of our rural sample fell far behind that of urban households. We also identify significant, positive correlations between language skills and both AWC and CTC. Our analysis finds no significant correlations between home language environment and family/child characteristics.ConclusionIn this paper, we present the first ever findings using the LENA system to measure the home language environment of young children from poor rural communities in China. We found that the home language environment of lower-SES household was significantly worse than high-SES households, and demonstrated the importance of the home language environment to language skills, pointing to a need for more high-quality studies of the home language environment in rural China to better understand possible mechanisms behind low levels of parent-child language engagement and ways to improve the home language environment.

A low-carbon and hunger-free future for Bangladesh: An ex- ante assessment of synergies and trade-offs in different transition pathways

Feeding and nourishing a growing global population in Bangladesh is a major challenge in a changing climate. A multi-level participatory scenario approach with corresponding modeling and decision support tools is developed and applied to support decision-makers in developing scenario-guided enabling policy for food security in the future under climate change. The results presented in this paper show how, under different scenarios, the agri-food system may transform in the next decade as a result of the interaction of intertwined institutional, technological, and market drivers in Bangladesh. For scenario building, the food and agriculture community was brought together with the climate and energy community. We also experimented with different ways to bring voices that are often less included in policymaking, such as poor rural communities and youth. The scenario quantification is performed by MAGNET, a GTAP-based multi-sector and multi-region computable general equilibrium model. The simulation results depict a comprehensive picture of corresponding and varied pressures on agricultural resources and opportunities for economic development and trade in Bangladesh. Finally, we did an ex-ante assessment of the trade-offs and synergies between zero-hunger- and zero-emission-related targets within the Bangladesh Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the developed scenarios.

IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC SITUATION ON LIVELIHOOD OF WOMEN CULTIVATORS IN THE COASTAL AREAS OF WEST BENGAL AND ODISHA

India is known for its dependence on agriculture and allied sectors as the major pillar of its economy. Being one of the major emerging nation in the world’s economic and political power scenario the country has been expected to stand in good position in terms reduction of poverty and livelihood development of the people particularly of the rural area. The spread of Covid-19 virus has attributed to huge economic squander worldwide and India is no more any exception, rather the economy is such badly affected due to this situation that the GDP growth has brought down to only 23.9% over the same quarter last fiscal. Due to the current pandemic situation a large portion of global population is in a deadly juncture for its livelihood options due to sudden unemployment and related poverty along with. High risk of getting infected by this deadly virus and it’s after effects. Specifically, the poor rural community who are largely dependent on agriculture and labour work are the worst hit ones due to this present situation. In this perplexing time being the vulnerable section women are again the most affected ones. This paper aims to understand the current situation and its immediate effect on the women cultivators of coastal parts of West Bengal and Odisha; the study also aims to find major facts towards their attitude of alternation of livelihood strategies. The study has been done exclusively on primary data.

“We will give our blood, but not our land!”—Repertoires of resistance and state-organized land-grabbing at a Bangladeshi tea plantation

Land-grabbing is an international issue closely associated with conflict and violence, as communities confront, through prolonged struggles, powerful elite networks involved in the illicit transformation of space. Resistance to land confiscations can be a life-and-death struggle especially for poor rural and urban communities whose livelihoods are tied to the targeted land. Because these struggles are often marked by corruption, state violence, and the persecution of already marginalized populations, they have become an area of emerging interest for state crime and state-corporate crime scholars. However, there is only introductory data mapping how communities resist land-grabs engineered through illegitimate state-corporate activity. Against this backdrop the following paper analyses a case of community resistance to land-grabs in Bangladesh using a contentious politics framework and the concept of land-laundering. The structure and activity of this resistance has been mapped through interviews with stakeholders involved in this struggle, complemented by documentary research.

Optimal Scheduling of Neural Network-Based Estimated Renewable Energy Nanogrid

In developing countries, many areas are deprived of electrical energy. Access to cleaner, more affordable energy is critical for improving the poor’s living conditions in developing countries. With the advent of smart grid technology, the integration and coordination of small grids, known as nanogrids, has become very easy. The purpose of this research is to propose a nanogrid model that will serve the purpose of providing the facility of electrical power to the poor rural community in Pakistan using hybrid renewable energy sources. This paper targets the electrification of a poor rural community of Akora Khatak, a small district located in Pakistan. The mathematical modeling of solar and wind energy, neural network-based forecasting of solar irradiance and wind velocity, and the social analysis to calculate the payback period for the community have been discussed in this paper.