Remote Highlands Research Articles

A stony track towards innovation in remote highland regions: agricultural intensification in the apricot sector of Northern Pakistan

BackgroundTraditional farming practices of remote highland regions are usually well adapted to the local agro-ecological and social conditions. There, introduced agricultural innovation geared towards sustainable intensification as a response to changing environments often faces multiple barriers. These may comprise limited market incentives for enhanced production, narrow pathways of knowledge transmission, and infrastructural hurdles. To quantify effects of innovation and sustainable intensification in enhancing smallholders’ livelihoods in the Karakoram Mountains of Northern Pakistan, the present study was conducted with 86 small-holder farmers. We chose interviewees who are involved in the cultivation, processing and/or trading of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), a traditionally important currently eroding fruit crop of the Central Asian highlands. By investigating the status quo of apricot production and producers’ innovative farming practices, we generated an intensification index based on simple agronomic indicators. Explanatory farm and framers’ characteristics, production characteristics, knowledge, and apricot management were tested for their predictive power.ResultsAlthough the data show low average profits of 3.8 US$ tree−1, we found that intensified apricot production can contribute to the provision of nutritious food and increased household income. Age and training of farmers were key factors fostering innovation, while lacking awareness of innovative practices was attributed to slow communication. Rejection of intensification was either due to low-value attribution towards apricot farming or risk aversion. Commonly adopted innovations, particularly sulfur drying, were either well integrated with traditional practices or characterized by low up-front costs and high returns on investment.ConclusionsManagement intensification may increase farmers’ incomes and retard abandonment of apricot farming and the consecutive loss of associated benefits, such as diversified farm output and improved ecosystem services.Graphical

Identifying the key sources of metal (loid) deposition to remote Tasmanian lakes: is legacy mining a problem?

Reports have shown that even remote lakes have been negatively affected by anthropogenic activities. This study used metal concentrations and enrichment factors to comprehensively determine key metal sources and identify potential impacts of recent anthropogenic activity in remote Central Highland Tasmanian (Australia) lakes. Metal concentrations (Al, As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) in these lakes remain below Australian interim sediment quality guidelines but have been slowly increasing since the start of the twentieth century. This increase is likely related to increasing organic matter content, rather than any direct, increased input of metals. The largest anthropogenic impact to these systems was damming, which typically led to an increase in organic matter content either directly, by the trapping of particles and nutrients, or indirectly, by stimulating primary production in the lake. This increased organic matter content, in turn, increased the retention of metals, manifesting as an increase to measured metal concentrations. Minor impacts are the historical use of lead shot, leaded petrol, and industrial processes, which may have contributed to the higher Pb enrichment, compared to the other studied metals, in these lakes. Despite recent concerns of metal contamination in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area from distant mining activities, there is no strong evidence in this study indicating that lakes in the Central Highlands (a similar distance away) have been impacted by long-distance atmospheric deposition. This is likely related to the decreased rainfall, and thus decreased rates of wet deposition of aerosols in the east of Tasmania, compared to that of the west and in the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area.

Menstrual hygiene management in the remote rural highlands of eastern Indonesia

Abstract Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) is essential for women's health, but it is often regarded as a taboo topic. This study investigates the practice of MHM in rural and remote Indonesian highlands. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 492 adolescent girls and adult women in the Jayawijaya and Central Mamberamo Districts of Papua Province. Principal component analysis and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships among the respondents' knowledge, attitudes, and MHM practices. The perception that discussing MHM is taboo exists in this area, and certain cultural rituals are associated with a young girl's first period. The respondents have moderate knowledge and attitudes regarding MHM. Furthermore, their practices after using sanitary pads are unhygienic, may increase the risk of reproductive tract infections, and may pollute the environment. Some variables are positively associated with appropriate MHM practice, namely knowledge of MHM, the perception that menstruation must be kept private, and the importance of using sanitary pads. Finally, the results show that schools do not provide a supportive environment for girls during their period. Overall, there is a need to increase MHM knowledge and foster positive attitudes to enhance healthy MHM among women in the rural and remote highlands of Indonesia.

MANAJEMEN RISIKO FATAL DI PT. FREEPORT INDONESIA

PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) operates underground copper-gold mines (block cave and open stoping mining methods) located in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia, about 3,500 km east of Jakarta, Indonesia. The rugged terrain with extreme elevation changes, highly varied weather, variety of geological condition and complex mining-processing activities create challenging situation to manage safe and productive mine operation.From safety statistics performance, the Total Reportable Incident Rate (TRIR) and severity rate have declined over time, however achieving zero fatality consistently is still significant challenge for the team.Fatal Risk Management (FRM) is one of PTFI’s safety programs to eliminate and reduce serious injuries and fatalities. This paper elaborates the history of the FRM program, implementation challenges, digitalization transformation program and future improvement to ensure safety of the workers and continued achievement of desired mine-mill production.

Human milk microbial species are associated with mild growth deficits during early infancy among Guatemalan mother–infant dyads

Growth faltering is common in Guatemalan indigenous communities, but the possibility that it may be related to milk microbial composition has not been explored. For this cross-sectional study, unrelated mother–infant dyads (n = 64) from eight communities in the remote Western Highlands of Guatemala were recruited. Milk samples and infant length-for-age and weight-for-age Z-scores were collected at two stages of lactation: early (6–46 days postpartum, n = 29) or late (109–184 days postpartum, n = 35). Within each stage of lactation, infants were subdivided into mildly underweight [weight-for-age Z-score (WAZ) < –1 SD] or normal weight (WAZ ≥ –1 SD) and mildly stunted [length-for-age Z-score (LAZ) < –1.5 SD] or non-stunted (LAZ ≥ –1.5 SD). 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to identify milk microbial communities, and DESeq2 was used to compare the differential abundance (DA) of human milk microbiota at the species level for WAZ and LAZ subgroups at each stage of lactation. A total of 503 ESVs annotated as 256 putative species across the 64 human milk samples were identified. Alpha diversity did not differ, but beta-diversity redundancy analysis identified four distinct clusters among the four WAZ (p = 0.004) and LAZ subgroups (p = 0.001). DA identified 15 different taxa in the WAZ and 11 in the LAZ groups in early lactation and 8 in the WAZ and 19 in the LAZ groups in late lactation. Mothers’ milk had more DA taxa of oropharyngeal and environmental bacteria with opportunistic activities in the LAZ < –1.5 SD infants, whereas the LAZ ≥ –1.5 SD had DA taxa with potential probiotic and antimicrobial inhibitory activity against pathogens. In particular, milk microbial communities of infants not classified as underweight or stunted had more beneficial species including Lactococcus_lactis. These findings suggest the potential associations between the milk microbiome at the species level with infant growth prior to 6 months of age. These data provide important evidence of the associations between the human milk microbiome and the growth of breastfed infants.

Clustering of Cryptosporidium species infections among sheep and cattle but not children in remote highland communities of Madagascar

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to identify local transmission patterns of Cryptosporidium spp. infections among livestock and humans in four extremely rural and remote highland communities in Madagascar.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, households were randomly sampled throughout a 1-year study period, with one feces sample collected from each child (≤ 5 years old), sheep and cattle. Cryptosporidium spp. were identified using a nested PCR assay targeting the 18S ribosomal RNA gene. All samples positive for Cryptosporidium hominis were further subtyped by sequencing the 60-kDa glycoprotein gene (gp60). Spatial clustering methods were applied to analyze potential transmission patterns.ResultsIn total, 252 households participated in the study, and samples from 197 children, 862 cattle and 334 sheep were collected and included in the study. Of the samples collected, 11 (5.6%) from children, 30 (3.5%) from cattle and 42 (12.6%) from sheep tested positive for Cryptosporidium spp. Very little overlap in the species distribution between human and animal infections was found. Global (overall) and local (spatially defined) clustering was observed for Cryptosporidium spp. infections in sheep and for Cryptosporidium xiaoi/bovis infections among sheep and cattle.DiscussionThe results of this analysis do not support the occurrence of defined disease outbreaks, rather they point to a continuous series of transmission events that are spatially aggregated. Despite the close coexistence between humans, sheep and cattle in the study area, mutual transmission was not observed. Hence, the study underlines the importance of sustained sanitation and hygiene measures to prevent cryptosporidiosis transmission among infants, since asymptomatic children serve as an infection reservoir. Similarly, the study highlights the importance of improving hygiene to reduce the transmission of Cryptosporidium spp. in livestock, an infection with serious consequences, especially in newborn calves.Graphical

P044 Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Project Increased Bean Consumption and Improved Protein Quality of Rural Guatemalan Families

<h3>Objective</h3> To assess impact of nutrition-sensitive agricultural project on intake of beans and improved quality protein of indigenous women and their families in the Guatemalan highlands. <h3>Use of Theory</h3> Nutrition lessons were designed based on the Social Ecological Model taking into account the indigenous highland cultures and local foods grown. They were delivered across geographically dispersed communities in households using wood-burning stoves and no refrigeration. <h3>Target Audience</h3> Indigenous women and their families living in remote rural highland communities. <h3>Description</h3> Five-pound bags of improved bean seed varieties were provided to rural families coupled with training to grow them. Five group lessons with videos and activities were developed to address nutrition topics taught by cross-trained nutrition, health and agricultural extension educators: preventing chronic malnutrition; enhancing protein quality; nutrient needs in pregnancy and lactation; feeding the child 6-11 months; and feeding the child 1-3 years. Because these rural families rarely eat animal protein and had reduced bean consumption, protein complementarity was stressed. Previous assessments demonstrated that their diets were composed primarily of corn and other carbohydrates. <h3>Evaluation</h3> This was addressed two ways: by comparing the household intake of beans both before and after receiving the lessons; and using the Most Significant Change technique for qualitative assessment. <h3>Results</h3> The timeframe for the intervention was six months. Five hundred and seventy one households from 93 communities reported eating beans 1.5 x/week before receiving the bean seed and training and 2.8 x/week afterwards. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for HH intakes showed statistically significant increases. Qualitative measurements 12 months after the intervention confirmed increased bean consumption across the study area. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This nutrition-sensitive food-based approach when coupled with seed distribution, agricultural and nutrition education resulted in an increased consumption of beans, which when combined with corn and other cereals, improved protein quality intake of women and their families in rural indigenous households. <h3>Funding</h3> USAID

Jhum Cultivation among the eastern Nagas

The paper analyses the dialectics of land and labour relation to assess the multifaceted and changing relationship between nature and culture in jhum development villages. Shifting cultivation, locally known as jhum in Indian northeast, reminds us of an archaic form of farming practised in out-of-the-way upland spaces. Today, this form of farming is fast changing into plantation, agri-business and monoculture because of state, donor, and community-focused bottom-up development programmes. Nevertheless, jhum remains a „way of life‟ and livelihood option for many remote highland farming communities across the Eastern Himalayas. The paper draws upon my ethnographic study on Naga slash and burn farming and the ways it has changed over time with the introduction of agricultural demonstrators, subsidies, microcredits, plantation crops and Baptist work ethics introduced by the village Church. More fundamentally, it reflects the patronage relations between village chiefs, their subjects (clan members), political go-between, and the state. These interfaces developed over time as colonial administrators and anthropologists established their authority and control over Naga Hills in the late nineteenth century with the help of village intermediaries locally known as dobashis. Labour and land relations have both transmuted from communal– common property resources to „private assets‟ with different meanings attached to right and control over „land‟ and „labour‟.

Development of a graphical resilience framework to understand a coupled human-natural system in a remote arid highland of Baja California Sur.

Hydrological systems are important to society as water resources and effective management requires an understanding of how water and humans influence each other. To describe human-water connections it is necessary to bridge social and natural sciences. To this end, we construct an interdisciplinary graphical framework for evaluating potential human-water system resilience, which is a tool to show the spatial and temporal response to system change of both human and natural systems. This helps to identify the ways that human responses to change relate to changing water resources and identifies important thresholds and potential disconnects that would create vulnerability. We further use this tool to describe a dynamic, coupled human-water system present in the arid Sierra de la Giganta region of Baja California Sur, Mexico. In this remote mountain range, there is a community (self-identifying as Choyeros) who rely on spring water for ranching and subsistence. Using mixed methods of hydrogeochemistry and anthropology, we describe spatial connectivity and temporal changes of both hydrologic and social systems. We use these observations to examine the Choyero response to system changes and explore the topology of the various approaches that the community employs to adapt to changing water availability. The framework guides dialogue to constrain the types of policies, strategies, and responses that help to promote the sustainability of water resources. This framework can be used to compare systems across spatio-temporal scales to produce more generalizable and communicable insights of coupled human-natural systems.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-022-01101-6.

Progress or Mistake?

This article focuses on the ideas behind the introduction of reindeer to Iceland, how the Danish authorities played a role and the attitudes that prevailed among Icelanders towards this new species in Icelandic nature. The Danish authorities had reindeer exported from Finnmark in Norway to Iceland in the late eighteenth century. They adapted to the Icelandic environment and grew in numbers, except for the first imported little flock, which seems to have died out soon. The idea of bringing reindeer to Iceland came from a few Icelandic officials, who asked the Danish authorities for support. The reindeer kept themselves in the remote heaths and highlands in the districts where they roamed free from the beginning. Nevertheless, in harsh winters, they fled the highlands and came down to the lowlands to graze. This caused frustration among farmers, who complained to the authorities and demanded permission to hunt reindeer to defend their grazing land and obtain reindeer meat for their households.

Labor Migration from Kruševo: Mobility, Ottoman Transformation, and the Balkan Highlands in the 19th Century

AbstractAlthough mountainous regions remained relatively isolated and almost untouched by the Ottoman rule, labor migration connected the inhabitants of these regions to the socioeconomic and political processes in the Ottoman Empire and beyond. Kruševo, a highland village located in present-day North Macedonia, provides an excellent case for understanding these connections. This paper presents systematic evidence from the Ottoman archives to document and analyze the social, economic, and demographic impacts of labor migration during this period. It provides an in-depth analysis of the Ottoman population and tax records of Kruševo in the 1840s, demonstrating the occupational profiles, migration patterns, and family and neighborhood networks of village residents during this period. Based on this analysis, it argues that labor migration was key to the transformation of social, economic, and demographic relations in rural communities and to the integration of even the most remote highland villages with the modernization processes that characterized the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

Journeys to Knua: displacement, return and translocality in Timor-Leste

ABSTRACT Return journeys to ancestral lands are a central dimension that underscores contemporary ideas of origin, identity, kinship, custom, health and prosperity for the East Timorese. The material and social reproduction of knua – both in the sense of the ancestral territory and associated kin-based ritual community – is heavily reliant on ongoing place-based and translocal customary reciprocal exchanges. Based on multi-sited fieldwork, this article examines the return journeys to Lesuai, an ancestral settlement in the remote central southern highlands of Timor-Leste, which was abandoned during the Indonesian invasion and restored in the later years of occupation. Lesuai community believes the spirit realm exerts an overwhelming influence over their general well-being, compelling ‘house’ members to renew their connection with knua to maintain family ties and benefit from ancestral protection. Closer ethnographic attention reveals how the motivations, experiences and understandings of ‘return’ to origin places are highly personal, gendered and generational. Broadly, these return mobilities demonstrate the agency, adaptability and resilience of conflict-affected populations. Through prolonged displacement and resettlement, dispersed knua members have created new livelihoods, subjectivities and attachments across multiple places, which are reconfiguring family ties, connections to ancestral places, and how ritual obligations are fulfilled.

Hemoglobin levels and anemia evaluation among pregnant women in the remote and rural high lands of mid-western Nepal: a hospital based study

BackgroundAnemia though is a major risk factor for unfavorable pregnancy outcomes; no previous studies have yet described the hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and anemia prevalence among pregnant women of remote mid western highlands of Nepal where the aggravating factors that increase the risk of anemia are very common. In addition, the physiological adaptive Hb rise to altitude was considered in the study while evaluating anemia. Thus, our primary objectives were to study the hemoglobin levels and prevalence of anemia among pregnant women of Jumla and its adjoining districts, and to assess the potential associations of hemoglobin and anemia with women’s characteristics.MethodsThe study was conducted in 319 singleton term non-smoker pregnant women who visited to the teaching hospital for delivery. Their blood samples were tested for Hb and related sociodemographic information was collected. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and independent t-test were used to compare the mean Hb levels. Multiple linear regression model and multiple logistic regression model were used to assess the association of Hb level and anemia with pregnant women’s characteristics. The prevalence of anemia was calculated based on the altitude and pregnancy-adjusted Hb cut off value for anemia [{11+ adjustment factor (1.3)} gm./dl].ResultsThe overall mean hemoglobin concentration was (13.497 ± 1.64) gm/dl, ranging from 8 to 19.20 g/dl. The pregnant women Hb level showed significant association with their age (Coeff = 0.059; 95% CI: 0.011, 0.106; p = 0.015) and parity (Coeff = − 0.21; 95% CI: − 0.382, − 0.038; p = 0.017). The overall prevalence of anemia in the study population was 17.9% (57/319), which varied with age, parity and ethnicity. The disadvantaged Janajatis were more likely (OR = 4.615, 95% CI: 1.48, 14.35, p = 0.008) to have anemia compared to upper cast group.ConclusionThe mean Hb concentration was high and prevalence rate of anemia was low among pregnant women in karnali zone compared to average Nepali pregnant women. Women’s age and parity were significant predictors of Hb level. Ethnicity, however, was associated with the occurrence of anemia.

The avifauna, conservation and biogeography of the Njesi Highlands in northern Mozambique, with a review of the country’s Afromontane birdlife

Northern Mozambique’s ‘sky-island’ mountains have become increasingly recognised for their Afromontane birdlife. Despite growing ornithological coverage, however, several Mozambican mountains remain poorly known. We present results from a three-week survey of three such mountains: the Njesi Plateau, Mount Chitagal and Mount Sanga (collectively termed the Serra Jeci/Njesi highlands) in Niassa, north-western Mozambique. These mountains had received little/no previous biological surveys, but are the only known locality of the endangered Mozambique Forest-warbler Artisornis sousae (formerly Long-billed Tailorbird A. moreaui sousae). We recorded 159 species, including several range-extensions of both conservation and biogeographical importance (e.g. Dapple-throat Arcanator orostruthus), and 15 Afromontane biome-restricted species, including two species new for Mozambique (Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus and Dark Batis Batis crypta). We found good numbers of Mozambique Forest-warblers on all three mountains, extending the distribution of this little-known and highly range-restricted taxon. Combining our data with previous surveys (collectively totalling 184 species), we critically appraise the Njesi Important Bird Area (MZ015), based on the occurrence of 26 Important Bird Area (IBA) trigger species, correcting previous errors in its assessment and suggest extensions that include Mount Sanga to the north, and extensive miombo woodland to the west. The site also qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) and Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) site. Finally, we review all published ornithological literature from Mozambique’s mountains and discuss emergent biogeographical patterns in their Afromontane avifauna, while also highlighting key sites that require ornithological surveys. We find that the Njesi highlands are more biogeographically linked to Tanzania, than to mountains farther south in Mozambique and Malawi. Collectively, our results illustrate the critical value of even small Afromontane forests on remote highlands for some of Africa’s least known, and most threatened avifauna.

An Epidemiological Study of Injuries in Karnali, Nepal.

Background:Trauma, a major public health concern in remote highlands of Nepal, has led to considerable morbidity and mortality. The study elucidates the pattern and characteristics of trauma at the only tertiary care hospital in the Karnali province, Nepal.Materials and Methods:Case records of all injured patients who presented to the emergency department from January to December 2018 were analyzed for demographic data, types of injuries, body parts injured, the outcome of the treatment, and distribution of injuries with respect to age and sex.Results:A total of 460 injured patients (age: 26.5 ± 19.67 years, range: 0.5–84) were studied consisting of 282 (61.3%) males and 178 (38.7%) females, with a male-to-female ratio being 1.58:1 (P = 0.001). Unintentional injuries were the predominant form of trauma (n = 383, 84.1%), with fall (n = 194, 42.2%), road traffic crashes (RTC) (n = 161, 35%), and physical assaults (n = 73, 15.9%) being the top three leading causes in order. Fall injury and RTC were most prevalent in children, accounting 12.8% (59) and 9.3% (43) of the total injuries, respectively. The physical assaults were predominant (n = 23, 5%) in adults (20–29 years). Male patients significantly outnumbered females for all types of injuries. Soft tissue followed by head and extremities was the most common site of injuries.Conclusion:Trauma in Karnali is a predominantly early age male occurrence, with fall injury being the leading etiological factor, followed by injuries due to RTC and physical assaults. Soft tissue, head, and extremities were the major sites of injuries. Reducing fall injuries, RTC, and physical assaults will likely reduce mortality and morbidity due to trauma in this province.

&lt;span&gt;A new Radix species from Qinling Mountains, China (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae)&lt;/span&gt;

A new representative of the genus Radix has been recorded from eastern China, Radix dgebuadzei sp. nov. This peculiar species was recorded from the Qinling Mountains, a remote highland region sharing the high levels of faunal and floral endemism. The phylogeny indicate that the new species belongs to the Radix alticola species group, being sister to the widespread species R. plicatula (Yunnan and Gansu in China and Southeast Asia) and R. euphratica (Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe). At first glance, we could assume that Radix dgebuadzei sp. nov. represents a local lineage endemic to the Qinling Region, while this preliminary hypothesis needs to be confirmed in the future. Our novel discovery highlights that China harbors a largely endemic fauna of the Lymnaeidae and that isolated mountain ranges in East Asia could be considered evolutionary hotspots of the radicine pond snails.

Tracking spatial–temporal landscape changes of impervious surface areas, bare lands, and inundation areas in China during 2001–2017

AbstractEfficient and timely quantification of landscape changes of urbanization, devegetation, and inundation in China is important for decision making in sustainable development. This study proposed a novel and automatic approach to track landscape changes in China based on 500 m 8‐day composite MODIS datasets from 2001 to 2017. An overall accuracy of 94.09% was achieved on the basis of 5,178 references sites. Results showed that newly impervious surface areas (ISA), bare lands, and inundated water bodies accounted for 0.51%, 0.23%, and 0.25% of the total land area in China, respectively. Rapid urbanization transformation was observed with the average annual land urbanization rate of 9.53%, almost three‐times higher than the global rate of urbanization. The speediest period of urbanization was exhibited in 2009 and 4,938.89 km2 of newly formed ISA were generated in this single year. The most obvious period of devegetation, which converted vegetation to bare lands, was observed from 2006 to 2009, with 2000–2100 km2 yr−1. Urbanization and devegetation dominantly occurred in humid/semihumid regions (&gt;85%), particularly in the Yangtze River Delta. The remarkable devegetation was strongly associated with newly ISA; however, significant reduction of devegetation was observed in arid/semiarid regions in 2010s. Besides one hotspot surrounding newly ISA, the other hotspot of inundation in remote highlands was highlighted and distinct reduction in inundation was evidenced after 2010. A free download link for these datasets is attached (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZGSk3sP04ob77lmLTH01B0x1PEgjby7w?usp=sharing).

Carnarvon Gorge: safekeeping a place and Indigenous agency within rock art research and management

One of the aspects that distinguishes the investigation and conservation of rock art in Australia, the Americas and parts of Africa from other parts of the world is the intrinsic link between rock art and living Indigenous cultures. Many Australian rock art sites benefit from the presence of a continuity of cultural connectedness. There are both challenges and advantages to these connections in relation to rock art research and site management. We discuss these by focussing on two sites located in Carnarvon Gorge in the remote Southern Central Highlands of Queensland. These sites, Art Gallery and Cathedral Cave, manifest cultural continuity, albeit with some disruptions. We show how Indigenous knowledge frameworks can be incorporated into rock art research and site management, especially for the prevention of site vandalism such as graffiti. There is a need to translate this into more robust policy design that brings Indigenous involvement to the fore. As has been argued for a number of Australian and international rock art sites, the incorporation of the Indigenous voice in site management enhances the safeguarding of the rock art for current and future generations. However, there are many challenges for Indigenous communities wanting to be more directly involved in the management of their heritage including Carnarvon Gorge, Queensland.

Problems of Mirt, and potentials of improved Gonzie and traditional open cook stoves in biomass consumption and end use emission in rural wooden houses of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract The efficiency of traditional open cook stoves in supplying firewood energy is usually low. Accordingly, firewood saving, improved stoves called “Mirt” made of cement and “Gonzie” made of local clay soils were made in 1980s in energy sector of Ethiopia. However, the dissemination of Mirt stove was unknowingly limited and the potential of Gonzie was less known. In this study the two improved cook stoves, Mirt and Gonzie were compared with open stoves in biomass consumption and end use emission at three agro-ecologies (lowland, midland and highland) and corresponding sample peasant associations (PA) or Kebeles (Ener Kola, Daemir and Awed) in Enemorina Ener district (county), Southern Ethiopia in 2017. At hierarchical administrative level, first district energy offices were interviewed about stoves used in PA. Then the next administrative level called PA was selected in turn to select rural households and focus groups, in order to interview about the problems of getting Mirt stoves and to test the potential of local clay soils in making Gonzie stoves. In each PA, 30% of the houses with common cooking condition, about 6 to 21 households; 3–5 pottery workers; and PA representatives were interviewed. Then, Gonzie stoves were manufactured, and biomass consumption was evaluated using controlled cooking test. The results showed that the problems in dissemination of Mirt stoves were the unaffordable cost of stoves, lack of training in using improved stoves and inappropriate size plates. The households in remote lowland and highland PAs had no knowledge about improved stoves. The overall quality of Gonzie stoves of highland and lowland PAs were comparably better than the midland PA. Curing a single Gonzie stoves consumed 1.8 to 2.0 times greater firewood than the daily requirement of a household, but lower than the firewood for other clay based utensils that consume 42 to 75 kg firewood weekly. Gonzie stoves saved 33.9 to 54.2% of the firewood used by open stoves for baking “Injera”. The reduction in end use emission from Gonzie stoves was comparable to Mirt stoves. Therefore, rural households, and local pottery makers should be trained to use and manufacture improved stoves, respectively. In cooking food and curing local clay made utensils improved stoves should be used to save wood and protect fire damage.

Persistent organic pollutant emission via dust deposition throughout Pakistan: Spatial patterns, regional cycling and their implication for human health risks

In the current study, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in outdoor dustfall was monitored for the first time along the Indus river system of Pakistan. Among the studied OCPs (ng/g, dry weight), DDTs (0.16–62) were the predominant contaminants identified in deposited dust followed by HCHs (0.1–10.2), HCB (0.09–7.4) and chlordanes (0.1–2.8). The indicative diagnostic ratio for DDTs and HCHs suggested recent emission of DDTs as well as historical emission of both chemicals in regions where they were used for crop protection and malarial control. The levels of ∑31PCBs (ng/g, dry weight) in dust ranged from 0.95–125, and compositional profiles suggested arochlor-1248, -1254 commercial mixtures as source. A few exceptions were samples from urban areas that reflected the use of aroclor-1260, and-1262 and/or unintentional leakage from several industrial processes. The WHO05-TEQ values for dioxin-like PCBs (with major contributions of PCB-126) were found to be 0.07–34.5 (median; 1.87) pg TEQg−1dw for all the studied samples. Correlation analysis identified that DDTs, HCHs, HCB and PCBs were significantly associated (r=90; p<0.01) with dusts collected in proximity to urban centers with widespread anthropogenic activities in these areas. A few cases where high levels of POPs from remote mountain highlands were detected, point to the potential for long range transport of these chemicals. Human risk assessment analysis of contaminated dust showed that DDTs and PCBs are major constituent chemicals of concern with regard to the development of cancer in children, with ingestion being the main route of exposure of dust-borne DDTs (0.12–1.03×10−6) and PCBs (0.86–12.43×10−6).