Rapid Appraisal Tools Research Articles

Problems and prospects of fish farming in the Chattogram Hill Tracts of Bangladesh: Community-based aquaculture might be a right choice

The study was carried out in Matiranga Upazila, Bandarban district, which is considered one of Bangladesh's major hill tract regions. The study aimed to identify present farming conditions, prospects, and problems and suitable solutions to the problems of fish farming. Different participatory rapid appraisal tools such as focus group discussion, field visits, and farmers' interviews were used to collect relevant fish farming information in the study area. The polyculture method was the most practised aquaculture method. Among the selected farms, eleven fish species were identified as culture species. The transportation cost for seeds purchased from remote areas was high (11% of total seed cost). The average transportation-related mortality of fish fry and fingerlings was 7.2% and 2.8%. Feed cost was found as the major cost (58.4%) in aquaculture. Costs and revenue for fish production per decimal varied from BDT 311 to 3528 and BDT 23 to 1268. Utilization of vacant lake, youth and women engagement, integrated aquaculture, the desire of people to engage in aquaculture, and available human resources were found as significant prospects. The major problems identified were lack of hatchery, high feed cost, lack of stakeholder linkage, lack of capital for fish farming, and lack of proper knowledge, guidelines, and consultancy for fish culture. A community-based aquaculture model was proposed to overcome the present challenges and problems in the study area. The model may help to expand aquaculture and thus improve the livelihood and socio-economic status of the people of the hilly areas of Bangladesh.

Wildlife–Human Survey: a rapid appraisal tool to assess mammal diversity and human–wildlife interactions in rural settings

Context Scarcity of standardised data is one of the main obstacles in understanding the responses of wildlife to anthropogenic pressures. By assessing local people’s knowledge, it is possible to generate valuable social-ecological data to fill this gap cost-effectively. Aims We present the Wildlife–Human Survey (WHS), a protocol for rapidly assessing information on medium and large-sized mammals, rural people, and the latter’s interactions with these species. In a pilot study, we investigate the effectiveness of our tool to generate valuable information for wildlife research and management. Methods The survey consists of a structured interview protocol that can be used as a tool to generate information on (i) the occurrence and assemblage composition of medium and large mammalian species, (ii) the socioeconomic profile of rural populations and farming activities in the area, and (iii) people’s perception of human–wildlife interactions (e.g. benefits, economic losses). To test the effectiveness of our tool, we conducted a total of 300 face-to-face interviews using this protocol in 30 rural landscapes (1250 ha each) in the Paraiba Valley region, São Paulo State, Brazil. We analysed the resulting data using descriptive statistics, random curves of species accumulation and maps of species distribution and richness. Key results We generated data on the occurrence and distribution of 32 species of medium and large mammals and on socioeconomic profile of the 300 surveyed households. We found that 95% of the species could be determined to occur in the region, with an effort ranging from 66 to 266 h; up to 611 h were necessary to find evidence of all species. Conclusions Our protocol can be an effective, fast and low-cost tool for appraising the occurrence of medium and large-sized mammals, the socioeconomic profile of people sharing rural landscapes with them and their interactions. Implications The WHS can generate information for mammal management by highlighting hotspot areas of human–wildlife interactions. This protocol can be especially useful when and where other methods are inadequate/unviable, and create the opportunity for rural people to contribute to wildlife management by allowing them to share their knowledge and concerns about their interactions with the local fauna.

Resource nexus for sustainable development: Status quoand prospect

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in 2015 are a roadmap for action to promote coordinated development of economy, society, and the environment. Natural resources, including energy, water, biomass, minerals, and land, are key elements for the achievement of SDGs. Various dependence, substitution, competition, and complementation relationships exist among different kinds of natural resources. The idea of intrinsic interconnectivities of the world’s material basis, which states that the five basic elements of “gold, wood, water, fire, and earth” mutually enable and restrict one other, can be traced back to Wuxing theory in ancient Chinese culture. The research interest in understanding and managing such interconnections has inspired a large number of studies on “resource nexus” and its role in facilitating SDGs in the past decade. Bibliometric analysis showed that the number of publications on resource nexus increased rapidly after the Bonn 2011 Nexus Conference. Nexuses between water and other resources, especially energy, are commonly investigated issues. Transdisciplinary approaches have become an important research direction in recent years. Studies on resource nexus have been incorporated into SDG discussions after 2015. Methods and models used in resource nexus studies are generally classified into three categories, namely, accounting, simulation, and optimization. These widely used methods in the system analysis of single-resource elements have been extended to cover and focus on linkages among resources. A number of integrated decision support tools, such as CLEW, WEF Nexus Tool, WEAP-LEAP, and WEF Nexus Rapid Appraisal Tool, have also been developed for problem identification, scenario analysis, and policy design. Many research institutes and international organizations have compiled databases on resource extraction, production, consumption, and trade to facilitate academic studies and decision making. Effects of resource nexus on sustainable development can be summarized as follows: (1) Strengthened impacts of increasingly interconnected resource nexus on sustainable development, (2) global expansion of localized resource nexus, (3) resource nexus leads to both synergies and conflicts among SDGs, and (4) resource nexus has both promoting and restricting effects on sustainable socioeconomic transitions. Finally, future investigations can focus on the following directions: (1) Expand the research scope of resource nexus; (2) reveal mechanisms and influences of resource nexus; (3) build universal, open-source, and extendible data platforms; and (4) strengthen the decision support capability of resource nexus studies.

Evaluation of clinical practice guideline quality: comparison of two appraisal tools.

The tools used for critically appraising the quality of clinical practice guidelines are complex and not suitable for the busy end users. So rapid, effective and simple instruments are more preferred. The aim of this study is to compare two critical appraisal tools: iCAHE as a rapid instrument and AGREE II as a complex instrument on guideline quality assessment. The diabetes mellitus guidelines of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Turkey (SEMT) were assessed separately by four appraisers using the iCAHE and AGREE II instruments. The mean iCAHE criteria scores and the total and domain AGREE II scores given by the four appraisers are presented for each guideline. No statistically significant difference was detected between the iCAHE scale scores of the guidelines evaluated (P = 0.063). The rank of the guidelines according to their average total iCAHE and AGREE II instrument scores was similar. The iCAHE mean scores of the guidelines were as follows: NICE, 92.85%; SIGN, 92.85%; IDF, 66.07% and SEMT, 73.21%. The AGREE II mean scores of the guidelines were as follows: NICE, 87.13%; SIGN, 78.25%; IDF, 53.44% and SEMT, 53.22%. In addition to being a quality scale, the iCAHE checklist is easy, practical and short to implement. It also helps the users to understand the quality of the guideline in a shorter time. To increase the use of guidelines, it is important that users with little experience and time use the iCAHE scale as a rapid appraisal tool, but more studies are needed to decide the best appraisal tool.

Estimating the criteria affected to agricultural production: case of Chau Thanh A district, Vietnam

The study aimed to assess the current agricultural production and to identify the criteria affecting the agricultural cultivation and overcome the limitations in agricultural production of Chau Thanh, A district of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The study collected primary from farmers using Participatory Rapid Appraisal tool, and discuss directly with experts and local agricultural managers. The results showed that economic development mainly based on agriculture (of which the paddy and fruit trees land were the most 13.577 ha (98,8%)). The five criteria were identified (techniques, physical, social, economic, and environment) and twenty-six sub-criteria, in which the production scale (0.084), infrastructure (0.071), total income (0.075) and profit (0.062) were the most important factors. The AHP analysis assisted in proposing several solutions such as infrastructure construction and non-structural solutions to cover the output of products to develop sustainable agricultural production. Therefore, the case study of Chau Thanh A district was used to support the development of agriculture production.

Knowledge, Attitudes and perceptions of the local people towards the conservation of the Nigeria-Cameroon Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ellioti) in the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (THWS), South West Region, Cameroon

Local attitudes and perceptions are important concepts toward wildlife conservation. The success of chimpanzee conservation relies on the perceptions and the willingness of the local population to contribute towards its conservation. This study evaluates the knowledge, attitude and perception of local communities towards chimpanzee conservation in the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary (THWS) in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Structured questions based on a questionnaire (open and close ended questions), Focus group discussion and Participatory rapid Appraisal tools and techniques were used to collect information from 300 participants within the participatory age group of 20years and above from six out of 14 villages (Nkong, Bangang, Besali, Bechati, Folepi and Fossimundi) around the THWS. Fifty individuals were sampled from each village and a maximum of 2 individuals (the head of household and one other active participant) participated from each household. Collected data were stored in Microsoft excel spreadsheets 2007 after importation into XLSTAT 2007. 8. 4 statistic software for the different statistical tests. Chi-square test and Spearman correlation were conducted at 0.05 level of significance. The knowledge of interviewees on chimpanzee presence was supported by 90.33% of participants. Local knowledge on the population status of chimpanzee shows that 61% affirmed that their population is reducing primarily due to hunting and habitat loss of poor agriculture. According to 67% of interviewees, benefiting from wildlife through tourism, seed dispersion, bush meat and medicine influenced local attitudes and perception toward chimpanzee conservation while their destructive habits through crop riding, inadequate farmland for agriculture and high income derived from the sales of chimpanzee makes 33% of the local population to change their attitude and perception toward chimpanzee conservation. People with no formal education (62.96%) did not found chimpanzee conservation important whereas more educated people (76.76%) found chimpanzee conservation a priority. Most respondents (57.04%) said the idea of chimpanzee conservation was not supported due to high income (15,500FCFA) generated from the sales of chimpanzee. Increasing public awareness of the benefits and values of chimpanzee conservation through media (radios, televisions and smart phones), handbills, bill boards, seminars and symposiums, and films could help mitigate the poor attitudes of the local population towards chimpanzee conservation. Instigating outreach programs to communities living in close proximity to chimpanzee and other wildlife species is often high on the agenda of conservation NGOs with the assumption that long-term change can best be achieved through accelerating change in societal attitudes towards wildlife.

Using synoptic tracer surveys to assess runoff sources in an Andean headwater catchment in central Chile.

Headwater catchments in the Andes provide critical sources of water for downstream areas with large agricultural communities dependent upon irrigation. Data from such remote headwater catchments are sparse, and there is limited understanding of their hydrological function to guide sustainable water management. Here, we present the findings of repeat synoptic tracer surveys as rapid appraisal tools to understand dominant hydrological flow paths in the semi-arid Rio Grande basin, a 572-km2 headwater tributary of the 11,696-km2 Limarí basin in central Chile. Stable isotopes in stream water show a typical altitudinal effect, with downstream enrichment in δ2H and δ18O ratios. Seasonal signals are displayed in the isotopic composition of the springtime melting season water line with a steeper gradient, whilst evaporative effects are represented by lower seasonal gradients for autumn and summer. Concentrations of solutes indexed by electrical conductivity indicate that there are limited contributions of deeper mineralised groundwater to streamflow and that weathering rates vary in the different sub-catchments. Although simplistic, the insights gained from the study could be used to inform the structure and parameterisation of rainfall runoff models to provide seasonal discharge predictions as an evidence base for decision making in local water management.

Domestication of jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.): ethnobotany, production constraints and phenomics of local cultivars in Ghana

Jute mallow rich in proteins, vitamins and essential amino acids is an important leafy vegetable in Africa. Ethno-botanical knowledge on the crop in Ghana has been only incompletely documented and little is known about variation and diversity of local accessions. In order to document available ethnobotanical knowledge and investigate diversity of local accessions, 4000 farmers in twenty districts were surveyed using participatory rapid appraisal tools and techniques. 50 accessions of local germplasm were collected from these districts. Using randomized complete block design with three replications, the 50 accessions collected were characterized based on 12 quantitative and 6 qualitative traits. Results of the survey recorded several vernacular names of the crop and their meaning referring to the slimy nature of the leaves. Some local cultivars which were known in the past are no longer cultivated in farmers’ field suggesting genetic erosion of jute mallow in Ghana. Apart from food, respondents use jute mallow to treat fever, waist pain, stomach problems and loss of appetite indicating nutraceutical potential of the crop. Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped the accessions into four distinct clusters and individuals from the same geographical origin were separately classified. Quantitative traits such as leaf length, number of branches per plant, and number of leaves/plant defined the first principal component. Accessions Cagric 26, Cagric 28, Cagric 41, Cagric 08 and Cagric 01 recorded high yields. These accessions could serve as parents for breeding of improved cultivars.

Ethnobotany and analysis of food components of African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth.) in the transitional zone of Ghana: implications for domestication, conservation and breeding of improved varieties

African locust bean is an important non-timber leguminous tree species for food security in Sahelian zones of Africa. Despite its multipurpose uses by local inhabitants, not much is known about its nutritional importance and ethnobotany in Ghana. For this, one thousand farmers randomly selected from five towns in the transitional zone of Ghana were surveyed using participatory rapid appraisal tools and techniques. The major uses of the plant in the survey area include food, medicine and firewood. Men are involved in the collection of the fruits and women process the seed into “dawadawa”, a protein rich condiment. Folk names of the plant in the study area means a mother or helper indicating the importance of the plant in nutrition and food security. The leaf, bark, root and fruit of the plant are used to treat various medical problems including fever, diarrhoea, stomach problems, boils and burns. Bad odour, limited market access, lack of elite genotypes, bush fires and tedious labour operations were the main constraints of African locust bean production in Ghana. Results on the stages of domestication show that African locust bean is in early stages of domestication which suggest that the respondents are aware of the food value and have a sense of ownership of the crop. Proximate composition of the pulp and the dehulled seed was determined using the official method of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists revealed that the pulp contains 2.47 % ash, 2.15 % protein, 1.33 % fat, 6.9 % fibre and 74 % carbohydrates. The dehulled bean contains 3.91 % ash, 20.93 % protein, 26.33 % fat, 4.92 % fibre and 34.18 % carbohydrates. These findings justified urgent need to domesticate, conserve natural populations and to develop improved varieties to ensure food and nutrition security and health in Africa.

Indigenous knowledge on the diversity, phenology, abundance and distribution of fodder trees and shrubs in the northeastern agro-pastoral areas of Ethiopia

The research was undertaken in northeastern Ethiopia with the objective of identifying potential indigenous fodder trees and shrubs (IFTSs) species, their feed value, abundance and distribution and characterizing their current utilization scenarios from the local people's perspective. Participatory Rapid Appraisal tools were employed and it was possible to identify 51 IFTSs from 23 different families. The foliage availability, abundance, distribution and niches of the IFTSs were found to vary across the different locations indicating the relative importance of each species in different places. Moreover foliage availability of the IFTSs varies in the different months of a year. Besides, 15 most important species were identified based on the number of respondents and from these, using pair wise ranking method, farmers could identify the top ten species which are more preferred by goats. In view of the diversified families of the IFTSs species and their wide distribution, they could enhance the productivity of the livestock sector, if indeed supported by further scientific investigations.

Induced Temperature Gradients to Examine Groundwater Flowpaths in Open Boreholes

Techniques for characterizing the hydraulic properties and groundwater flow processes of aquifers are essential to design hydrogeologic conceptual models. In this study, rapid time series temperature profiles within open-groundwater wells in fractured rock were measured using fiber optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS). To identify zones of active groundwater flow, two continuous electrical heating cables were installed alongside a FO-DTS cable to heat the column of water within the well and to create a temperature difference between the ambient temperature of the groundwater in the aquifer and that within the well. Additional tests were performed to examine the effects of pumping on hydraulic fracture interconnectivity around the well and to identify zones of increased groundwater flow. High- and low-resolution FO-DTS cable configurations were examined to test the sensitivities of the technique and compared with downhole video footage and geophysical logging to confirm the zones of active groundwater flow. Two examples are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of this new technique for rapid characterization of fracture zones in open boreholes. The combination of the FO-DTS and heating cable has excellent scope as a rapid appraisal tool for borehole construction design and improving hydrogeologic conceptual models.

Vulnerability to coastal flooding and response strategies: The case of settlements in Cameroon mangrove forests

Worldwide, millions of people experience coastal flooding each year, with devastating effects especially in rural coastal settlements in tropical developing countries. This paper investigates the vulnerability of local settlements in the Cameroon mangrove forest zone to flooding, and improves understanding of perceptions and responses to past and current coastal flooding. Six communities in the coastal mangrove forest zone of the extreme SouthWest of Cameroon were investigated. A questionnaire was administered to a total of 200 individuals supplemented by other participatory rapid appraisal tools. The ground positions of the sampled sites as well as their altitudes were recorded for subsequent geospatial analysis.Statistical analysis was performed to show trends. The coordinates of the study sites were superimposed on base topographic maps of 1965, to investigate coastal changes over a period of 43 years. Results show that: (1) changes in coastal area have occurred in the past 43 years either through inland retreat or seaward shifts and accordingly, settlements are differentially vulnerable; (2) settlement submergence, house damage, and landscape deformation are the key impacts of flooding; (3) coastal flooding promotes the deforestation of mangrove forest for fuel wood; (4) current adaptive measures include retreat of settlement, abandonment, and house design modifications; and (5) most adaptive strategies are reactive individual actions which are likely inefficient and unsustainable from a longer term perspective given their limited scope of implementation. The paper recommends external support to improve adaptive capacity in mangrove settlements, review and improvement of existing policies, and development of integrated coastal management strategy for the region.

Payment for Environmental Services in Nepal (A Case Study of Shivapuri National Park, Kathmandu, Nepal)

With a view to highlight the issues of Payment for Environmental Services (PES) in Nepal, the paper aims at providing information on possible environmental goods and services rendered by the Shivapuri National Park (ShNP), Kathmandu. It also endeavors to explore the policy issues with regards to PES in Nepal. Secondary information was obtained through published and unpublished literatures and office records of ShNP whereas primary information was generated through various Rapid Appraisal tools; such as informal discussion with park officials, semi-structured interview, field observation etc. Despite the ShNP's role in providing environmental goods and services to the dwellers of Kathmandu metropolitan, the local inhabitants have not been benefited from such services. There has been low level of awareness on the issues such as environmental goods and services and possible benefits to be obtained and its equitable sharing. It is the dire need that policy should focus on these issues so that all the stakeholders could be benefited from the conservation and management of protected areas and forests in the country. Key Words: Payment for environmental services, Shivapuri national park, Upstream and downstream relationship, Benefit sharing, Free riders. DOI: 10.3126/init.v2i1.2525 The Initiation Vol.2(1) 2008 pp63-72