Household Representatives Research Articles

Towards a Community-Based Framework for Flood Risk Management in Woodlands Park, Gweru

AbstractUrban flood risks in Zimbabwe emanate from the twin challenges of rapid urbanisation and climate change. Most urban settlements have become increasingly anchorages, which require increased adaptation through the sustainable management of urban storm water. Building on the Woodlands Park case in Gweru, this paper locates the problem of recurrent floods to the impasse between residents and council authorities on the one hand, and climatic risks reinforcing underlying rapid urbanisation challenges on the other hand. The purpose of the study was to gather the views of residents and their role in seeking solutions to the storm water management challenges. Utilising a mixed methodology, insights were drawn from field observations and purposive selection of 50 household representatives, triangulated with the views of officials from Gweru City Council (GCC). Data were obtained through in-depth interviews using semi-structured questions and analysed using thematic content analysis where participants’ views were grouped into themes according to their resemblance. By utilising Vensim PLE 7.3 Software, we applied systems thinking theory to reveal the interconnectedness of the factors leading to heightened storm water challenges. The findings showed that Woodlands Park lacks proper drainage installations that meet the standards of GCC. Some residents use personal resources to make storm drains on their yards but with differing structural dimensions. The local drainage system gets choked by silt and illegally dumped litter. Municipal authorities do not undertake routine annual drain reticulation operations, exposing houses to flooding. We argue that municipal authorities, land developers and the residents have not equitably collated their efforts to create bargained storm water management initiatives. The study proposes a community-based, low-cost flood resilience framework that engages residents with technical guidance from municipal staff.

Inappropriate antibiotic access practices at the community level in Eastern Ethiopia

Access to antibiotic medications is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal for good health and well-being. However, non-prescribed and informal sources are implicated as the most common causes of inappropriate antibiotic access practices, resulting in untargeted therapy, which leads to antibiotic resistance. Hence, knowing antibiotic access practices at the community level is essential to target misuse sources. In this study, 2256 household representatives were surveyed between July and September 2023 to examine their antibiotic access practices. Of 1245 household members who received antibiotics, 45.6% did so inappropriately. Non-prescribed antibiotic access was more common among urban residents and individuals not enrolled in health insurance schemes. This means of antibiotic access was also more common among individuals concerned about distance, drug availability, and healthcare convenience at public facilities. In addition, women and rural individuals were more likely to get antibiotics from unauthorized sources. Unrestricted antibiotic dispensing practices in urban areas enabled their non-prescribed access, while unlicensed providers prevailed with this access practice in rural areas. In this regard, personal behaviors and healthcare-related gaps such as the lack of health insurance, inconvenience, and drug unavailability have led community members to seek antibiotics from unofficial and non-prescribed sources. Targeting the identified behavioral and institutional factors can enhance antibiotic access through prescriptions, hence reducing antibiotic resistance.

From individual to household decision‐making: A practical perspective on the base of the pyramid consumer

AbstractThis paper proposes a new household decision‐making model for base of pyramid (BoP) consumers. Many decision‐making models focus on general consumer behaviour theory, with few focusing on the resource constraints experienced at the BoP. By focusing on the dynamics of household decisions, the data collected bring a unique perspective to BoP consumer behaviour and extend recent work in the BoP domain. The study comprised qualitative interviews with 61 household representatives (representing 233 household members) to explore decision‐making, loyalty, budgeting, shopping and category trade‐offs. The study proposes a household‐focused decision‐making framework, which is far more characteristic of BoP consumer behaviour (as opposed to isolated individual decisions). The proposed framework reveals the impact of situations and financial constraints on BoP household decision‐making and how most households operate in both the formal and informal economy. Family obligation was observed to be a key factor, as well as how functional illiteracy drives brand loyalty but also creates embarrassment. Word of mouth trumps all other sources of information and, due to household complexities, there is significant decision‐maker ambiguity, making it hard to define a target audience with a communication strategy. Brands are important, but fundamental value is still key and there is inexorable monthly variation in finances, making category trade‐offs commonplace.

Guidelines for Promoting Household Financial Wellbeing in Bang Kruai District, Nonthaburi Province

This article uses quantitative methods to achieve two objectives: assessing the needs of and creating suitable and appropriate guidelines for promoting financial wellbeing of households in Bang Kruai district, Nonthaburi province, Thailand. The sample group provided with questionnaires consisted of 400 representatives of households, obtained by multi-stage sampling. The statistics used for data analysis were descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, Mean, standard deviation and the priority need index (PNI modified). We found that households have needs for financial decision-making, including spending and buying items as needed, earning extra income, increasing investment financial capacity, planning spending, and earning income and expense control. Regarding financial sense, confidence that there is money available in case of an emergency is important, as well as an absence of concern over income and expenses, and satisfaction with household savings. Our guidelines for promoting household financial wellbeing included financial planning for reserves, fund management and investments to generate returns, spending according to the philosophy of sufficiency economy, and organizing activities and saving projects.

Determinants of diarrhea prevalence among children under 5 years in semi-arid Ghana

ABSTRACT Despite the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG6) of achieving universal access to clean water and sanitation by 2030, many developing countries still face water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)-related health issues such as child mortality caused by diarrhea. This study investigated the factors contributing to diarrhea prevalence in rural children, utilizing a cross-sectional survey (n = 517) of smallholder household representatives from a Risk, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self-Regulation (RANAS) perspective. Using binary logistic regression, the study found that a high prevalence of diarrhea among children was associated with unsafe/open disposal of child feces, living in the poorest households, poor self-rated health, and residing in the Wa East district. Conversely, children from the Brifo ethnicity and those from larger households were less likely to have a high prevalence of diarrhea. These findings underscore the influence of behavioral, socio-cultural, and socioeconomic factors on the prevalence of diarrhea in rural areas. To achieve SDG6, child-friendly sanitation infrastructure, behavior change communication strategies, and incentivizing WASH infrastructure in Ghana and other regions in Sub-Saharan Africa facing similar conditions are recommended.

Nexus between Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Adaptation to Climate Change Strategies by Farmers in Kajiado County, Kenya

Indigenous knowledge (IK) has played an important role in adaptation to climate change in traditional agricultural communities. These approaches have been shown to be more effective when integrated with scientifically developed strategies. In this study, a perception survey questionnaire was used to find out whether there is a nexus between IK systems and the uptake of modern Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (CCAS) among farmers in Kajiado County, Kenya. A mixed research approach that involved the use of household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), and observations was used to obtain data. The two theories, namely the Situated Learning Theory (SLT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), formed the basis for illustrating the relationship between variables, while the Model of Private Proactive Adaptation to Climate Change (MPPACC) was the key theoretical model employed. A total of 382 small-scale rural household representatives randomly selected from 3 Kajiado sub-counties were the principal respondents. The key informants included officers in the departments of agriculture, environment, meteorology, trade, and industry, as well as local administration and village elders. Statistical tools such as chi-square, correlation, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to determine associations. Thematic analysis of data collected from key informants and focus group discussions (FGD) was conducted to triangulate the survey results. Farmers' awareness of climate change, risk perceptions of impacts, existing locally developed approaches to climate change adaptation, and perceptions of CCAS were the main areas of investigation. The majority of farmers (85%) indicated that prolonged drought was the main extreme event that affected their farming activities. Of the indicators observed, drought (X2 = 13.861, p =.000) was perceived as the greatest risk associated with climate change to their agricultural productivity. Their IK adaptation strategies resulted from their interactions with the effects of drought on their livelihoods over the years. Farmers who were nomadic (IK practitioners) were not willing to apply for CCAS. For example, they were 72% less likely to increase their irrigated cropped area and 79% less likely to increase the number of better livestock breeds. Among the CCAS approaches, water resource management was the only preferred strategy. This particular finding shows that climate change policies can be easily adopted by indigenous farming communities if they are developed around an issue that matches their socio-ecological priorities. Without taking into account the prevailing social, cultural, and geo-environmental context of specific communities, the adoption of CCAS by farmers would be significantly affected. The study recommends that integrating indigenous agricultural knowledge into climate change adaptation policies enhances community resilience. Aligning adaptation strategies with local responses enriches farmer knowledge and boosts resilience against climate change impacts. Effective climate change adaptation plans should incorporate local weather prediction, environmental conservation, and proven community-based strategies, especially in water resource management for arid and semi-arid pastoralist communities.

The role of general and specific pro-environmental education in household waste management in Malaysia: Evidence from quantile regression

This study uses integrated behavioral model as the guiding framework to examine the role of general and specific environmental education in promoting household pro-environmental behavior. The data collected from a convenience sample of 213 household representatives using self-administered questionnaires were analyzed using OLS and quantile regressions. The results show that specific knowledge, intention, and salience of behavior have positive effects on pro-environmental behavior, while environmental constraints have negative effects. The effects vary across different quantiles of pro-environmental behavior, which imply that different emphasis and strategies should be placed based on different levels of pro-environmental behavior to encourage such behavior. The result of the joint effect of general and specific environmental knowledge shows that specific knowledge is a significant factor of pro-environmental behavior, but not general environmental knowledge. Intention becomes more important in encouraging pro-environmental behavior as the gap between general and specific environmental knowledge widens. The overall result suggests that different strategies should be designed and implemented based on different levels of behavior in encouraging household pro-environmental behavior, especially for those with low-level of pro-environmental behavior but with high intention as they require improved specific environmental knowledge and skills, support and facilities, and recognition of their pro-environmental behavior.

Stavovi domaćinstava na Kosovu i Metohiji prema održivom razvoju

This article investigates the attitudes and preferences of households in three municipalities (Štrpce, Gračanica and Kosovska Mitrovica) in Kosovo and Metohija in relation to sustainability issues. For the purposes of the paper, a survey was conducted, in which data were collected by questionnaire from a total of 81 representatives of households from three municipalities. Through a comprehensive analysis of the results of the survey, the key factors affecting the sustainability of households were investigated, the challenges and obstacles faced by households in the implementation of sustainable practices were identified, and guidelines for improving sustainability were also proposed. The key conclusions point to the need for an integrated approach in promoting sustainability, which includes education, infrastructure investments, political incentives and support for households in order to create a sustainable society that protects the environment and promotes a better quality of life for all residents.

The social protection aspect of the subjective assessment of the material security of large and foster families: the results of a comparative qualitative study

Modern demographic trends in the field of fertility have led to increased state attention in recent years to issues of social protection of motherhood and childhood, social support for families with children. This trend has resulted in a significant increase in the list and volume of social benefits and other social benefits, and an increase in the number of their recipients. The issue of evaluating the effectiveness of measures taken by the state is becoming increasingly relevant, not only from the standpoint of quantitative statistical indicators, but also by studying the opinion of beneficiaries. The article presents the results of a study aimed at determining subjective assessments of the material security of families with children in connection with their receipt of social protection and support measures. The object of the study is families with children belonging to the categories of large and foster families. By the method of in-depth qualitative interviews, representatives of households of 10 large families and 10 foster families living in large and small cities of the Irkutsk region were interviewed. The author has revealed significant differences in assessments between representatives of different categories of families with children. Large families express dissatisfaction with the following positions: the availability and amount of social benefits; the amount of benefits and the complexity of obtaining them. In conditions of dependence of social benefits on the size of the per capita income of family members, the status of having many children ceases to play a social protection role, not being a significant factor in ensuring the material well-being of the family. On the contrary, foster families note: a significant increase in the amount of payments for the maintenance of foster children and the remuneration of foster parents; an increase in the list and volume of additional social support measures. These measures have made it possible to increase the level of financial security of foster families. Foster parents expressed the need to take into account the needs of foster children not only of a minimal nature, but also related to their development, health maintenance, and additional education. The results obtained made it possible to formulate approaches to solving problems of a social protection nature of the considered categories of families with children. For foster families, it is important to gradually expand measures of social support for foster children based on monitoring needs. In relation to large families, it is necessary to radically change the social protection mechanisms based on the recognition of the status of having many children, which gives the right to receive additional social guarantees.

Community perception of the autodissemination of pyriproxyfen for controlling malaria vectors in south-eastern Tanzania

BackgroundThe efficacy of the autodissemination of pyriproxyfen to control malaria vectors has been demonstrated under semi field environment in Tanzania. However, the information on how best communities should be engaged for its routine and large-scale adoption are lacking. This study assessed the community’s level of knowledge, perceptions, acceptability of the autodissemination of pyriproxyfen, and the perceived risks on the safety of pyriproxyfen on the environment.MethodsThis was a concurrent mixed methods study, comprised of a community-based survey of 400 household representatives and eight focus group discussions (FGDs). The study was conducted in two villages in Mlimba district in south-eastern Tanzania between June and August 2022. For the quantitative data analysis, descriptive statistics were applied using R software, while inductive approach was used for qualitative data analysis, using NVivo software.ResultsKnowledge on autodissemination of pyriproxyfen approach was found to be relatively low among both the FGD respondents and surveyed community members (36%, n = 144). Nevertheless, when it was explained to them, the envisioned community support for the autodissemination approach was relatively high (97%, n = 388). One of the major perceived benefits of the autodissemination of pyriproxyfen was the reduction of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes and associated malaria transmission. Environmental impact of pyriproxyfen on non-target organisms and health risk to children were among the major concerns. When provided with information on the safety and its utilization particularly through autodissemination approach, 93.5% (n = 374) of the survey respondents said that they would allow the PPF-contaminated pots to be placed around their homes. Similarly, FGD respondents were receptive towards the autodissemination of pyriproxyfen, but emphasized on the need for raising awareness among community members before related field trials.ConclusionThis study indicates a low knowledge but high support for scaling up of the autodissemination of pyriproxyfen as a complementary tool for malaria control in rural Tanzania. The Findings of this study suggest that community sensitization activities are required to improve the community’s acceptability and trust of the approach before respective field trials.

Factors Influencing the Employment Transition of Rural Employees in Nghi Son Economic Zone, Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam, After Relocation Caused by Land Acquisition

Purpose: to analyze the factors affecting the job transition and propose solutions to support the job transformation of rural workers after resettlement due to land acquisition in Nghi Son economic zone, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. Participants and methods: Four hundred representatives of households after resettlement due to land acquisition to serve the process of industrialization and urbanization in the study area. Results: The results of the binary logistic regression model analysis showed that five factors influence the household's job transition, including (i) Gender; (ii) Age; (iii) Education level; (iv) Using compensation money in job transition; (v) Development guidelines and policies of the State. The education level is the factor that has the strongest influence on the job transition of rural workers after resettlement due to land acquisition. Conclusion: Addressing the multifaceted factors influencing job transitions among rural workers after land acquisition requires a collaborative and holistic approach, combining supportive policies, targeted interventions, and individual empowerment. Only through a comprehensive understanding of the gender dynamics, age-related challenges, educational requirements, and effective utilization of compensation funds can meaningful and sustainable job transitions be achieved, contributing to the well-being and prosperity of rural workers in Nghi Son Economic Zone, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam.

Quantification and characterization of household solid waste at Urban Area of Kathmandu

Solid waste management can have significant positive and negative implications to the physical, social and economic environment and these implications are the function of management options adopted. The quantity and character of the waste generated changes with time and understanding these properties of waste in a locality form the basis of solid waste management. Thus, this research aims to understand the rate of solid waste generation in Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Ward 31, Shantinagar, and characterize the waste based on composition and management options. Waste generated by 100 households in 24 hours was collected, segregated, and weighed to quantify and characterize the waste generated at household level. Furthermore, an in-person interview was conducted with the household representatives using a semi-structured questionnaire to understand the options used for solid waste management at household level and their willingness to participate in waste segregation at source. The percentage composition of each waste category and per capita waste generated at household level was calculated. The relation of the per capita waste with number of family member was modeled by using linear regression. Data analysis was performed by using Microsoft Excel and R software. Significant fractions of the waste generated in the households were organic waste followed by paper waste which together makes up nearly 51% of total weight of the solid waste generated in the area. Per capita waste generation was found to be 402.7 grams per person per day. Per capita waste generation was a function of the number of family members with a decrease in per capita waste by an average of 111 g with an increase in one member in a family. Households who are involved in rooftop farming were segregating waste at the source indicating the local government can encourage rooftop farming to promote waste segregation at source.

Adaptation constraints and prospects for future research priorities in lowland rice-based farming systems: learning experiences from Northwest Cambodia

Sustainable agricultural development not only addresses global food insecurity but may also alleviate poverty by enriching the lives of millions of smallholder farmers. Improving the sustainability and profitability of agriculture where smallholders are dominant creates profound impacts because small landholding farmers produce approximately 70–80% of the global food. The need for a thorough understanding of the factors affecting farmers’ adoption of agricultural technologies and practices has been identified from extant literature as an important research gap. Responding to the research gap and need, this study examined the challenges that prevent farm households from adopting improved farming practices and/or technologies in Banteay Meanchey and Battambang provinces in Northwest Cambodia. A total of 524 rice producing farm household representatives were randomly selected from a household database maintained by the local government authorities. A mixed methods approach was used in the study including semi-structured interviews followed by in-depth interviews, field observations, and literature review. Farmers were found to be confronted with a range of challenges and concerns, including soil degradation, weeds, diseases, insect pests, high production costs, flooding, droughts, changing rainfall pattern, and unreliable rainfall distribution. The research findings demonstrate that improved crop production practices (e.g., adopting mechanised direct seeding methods of crop establishment, maintaining and improving soil health through crop residue retention, growing cover crops, etc.) and better resource use efficiency (e.g., reducing seeding rates to less than 100 kg/ha, being more strategic in the use of integrated nutrient, weed, and pest management strategies, etc.) can be a starting point for sustainable intensification of rice production. This transition towards intensifying paddy production sustainably may become even more effective through a clear understanding of local contexts, farm household characteristics, available resources, and the farm management practices and constraints. We observed that farmers and their associations have yet to be fully recognised as partners and actors in Cambodia. Instead, they tend to be viewed as beneficiaries and recipients of improved practices and technologies. We, therefore, propose that farmers and their associations be acknowledged and included in a process of co-creation of knowledge-practices. Such partnerships will enable the inclusion of factors (e.g., production costs, production risks, complexity and practicability of implementations, product market and prices, etc.) shown to influence farmers’ adoption of innovative farming practices and technologies. The original contribution of this article is a real-world account of the constraints and limitations experienced by smallholder rice farmers in Cambodia, which are connected to future research and development priorities in the region.

Food purchasing habits at traditional and modern markets and consumption of natural and processed foods in Moroccan households.

The locations of food purchase have an impact on the quality of food consumed. To examine food purchasing habits at traditional and modern markets, their associated factors, and their effects on consuming natural and processed foods. This work used a validated conceptual and methodological framework of a study conducted among 507 households in the Rabat-Salé-Kenitra region in Morocco. Data on sociodemographic and economic characteristics and the frequency of food purchasing were collected from household representatives through a population survey. The food frequency questionnaire was used to collect frequency of consumption of 20 foods, including 10 natural and 10 processed. The associations between the variables were studied by the Chi-square test with a level of significance of p <0.05. Among the households 70% were urban, 62% have nuclear families, 51.5% a size of 5 to 12 members, 41% middle standard of living, 87% frequented markets and souks (MS), and 19% frequented large and medium-sized stores (LMS) at least once a week. The households have in majority a frequency of natural foods consumption ≥ 3 times/week, including fresh vegetables (91%), olive oil (85%), and fresh fruit (84%); and processed foods, such as refined flours (68%), industrial cheese (65%) and industrial yoghurt (52%). MS and LMS frequentation were associated with environment (p<0.001), family type (p=0.01 and p=0.002, respectively), household size (p=0.04 and p=0.002 respectively) and standard of living (p<0.001). Foods whose consumption was associated with both MS and LMS frequentation included fresh vegetables (p<0.001) as natural foods and baked goods as processed foods (respectively, p=0.01 and p=0.04). The results of this study argue for implementing a nutrition education strategy based on the choice of food purchase locations as well as the consumption of natural or processed foods as part of a sustainable Mediterranean diet.

An assessment of the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) situation in rural Volta Region, Ghana

Access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a fundamental human right. However, inadequate and unequal access prevail in resource-poor settings and contribute to morbidity/mortality from diarrhoeal and other diseases. WASH-related access has improved in some districts in Ghana but little is known about the situation in many other parts. The WASH situation in two rural districts of the Volta Region was assessed to help identify specific areas for support in a cross-sectional study. Seven hundred and twenty (720) households were randomly selected and their household heads or representatives interviewed using a structured questionnaire in the Ho West and Adaklu districts. Data were collected on respondents’ demographic characteristics including education level, household characteristics including type of toilet facility and sources of water, 2-week prevalence of symptoms of water-borne diseases and handwashing practices. Summary statistics were conducted and Chi-square analysis done for association between selected variables. Results with a p-value of &lt;0.05 were considered statistically significant. Almost all households (97.9%, 706/720) had access to improved water sources with piped water and sachet water being the most common. Also, 73.3% (526/718) of respondents had access to improved sanitation facilities but many of these were shared. A third of respondents (33.4%, 240/718) practiced open defecation. Significant differences existed between the Ho West and Adaklu districts regarding use of improved toilet facilities (92.1% vs 50.5%; p&lt;0.001), in-house location of toilet facilities (51.2% vs 41.9%; p = 0.013) and in-house water sources (32.4% vs 13.5%; p&lt;0.001). Up to 95% (679/718) of respondents indicated that they washed their hands with soap and water after using the toilet, before cooking and on arrival home from outside but these were suspected to be influenced by COVID-19 risk perceptions. Households need support to own toilet facilities in adequate numbers for household sizes. This would assist in minimizing open defecation.

Model of Utilization and Participative Management of Community Forests according to Geosocial Principles

The objectives of this research were 1) to study the utilization of the Huai Sai Khao Community Forest, Ban Tha Pa Pao, Tha Pla Duk Sub-district, Mae Tha District, and Lamphun Province with community participation. 2) To study the mode of participative management of community forests according to the geosocial principles of Ban Tha Pa Pao, Tha Pla Duk Sub-district, Mae Tha District, and Lamphun Province. The objectives were performed using questionnaires from a sample group of 66 household representatives and qualitative research using in-depth interviews and group discussions from village forums. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, and mean. The results showed that the social structure of Ban Tha Pa Pao was self-sufficient agriculture. Most people in the community had modest incomes and were primarily men. Overall, it was an empowered community with indigenous knowledge from the local sage, who was a leader and had visions for solving problems and developing communities properly. In addition, the cooperation of people in the community is of great importance to the community forest area. Villagers utilized community forests by collecting non-timber forest products and hunting at all times, and they mainly utilized the forests during the dry season. In terms of community forest management, it was found that villagers participated in community forest management as a whole at a good level. Villagers participating in decision-making showed that they were aware of taking part in proposing alternatives and discussing guidelines to solve problems and set rules or regulations in the management of community forests. Research results suggest that the community forest management model should be adapted to suit modern times and be distinctive to create value for the community and be a source of learning for the community. It should increase the conservation of wildlife that is scarce and provide knowledge about wildlife conservation and the balance of the ecosystem, as well as continuously develop a source of learning and good publicity.

Willingness to Pay for Fixed Charged Electricity Connection in Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The study's objective is to investigate the willingness of consumers to pay for alternate fuel sources, such as fixed charge electricity connections, in the Neelum district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. The data was collected through a survey using questionnaires from four villages in the Neelum district in 2018. Questionnaires were collected from three hundred and fifteen household representatives, out of which two hundred and twenty-five questionnaires were selected. Thirty questionnaires were excluded as household representatives were not permanently residing in the area. Neelum district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is blessed with natural resources such as forest, water, minerals, etc. Households generally use wood as a fuel source. Using exploratory analysis and a binary logistic model, the study revealed that consumers with higher income and expenditure on fuel are more inclined to pay for fixed charged electricity connections. Furthermore, households with a high level of education were also ready to pay for fixed charged electricity connections. We also concluded that old and young consumers have almost the same preferences. Government should initiate awareness campaigns to educate residents about the conservation and protection of the forest.

Pemanfaatan Limbah Rumah Tangga Untuk Pembuatan Pupuk Organik Cair di Desa Panjunan Sukodono Sidoarjo

The volume of waste or residual materials arising from human fulfillment increases annually in line with the growth of the human population. The potential of household units to manage organic waste has the potential to minimize food waste and other forms of organic waste. Utilizing organic waste as a raw material for composting is an option for handling organic waste from households. This community service project aims to demonstrate to the community how to make liquid organic fertilizer and raise public awareness of the advantages of managing household waste. Training combined with direct demonstrations via interactive learning covering household waste sorting and composting techniques was performed. This event was attended by 25 community household representatives from Panjunan Village, Sukodono, Sidoarjo. The demonstration method that was used was thought to be effective because the community was interested and came up with new ways to use empty land as a follow-up after creating liquid organic fertilizer on its own

Quantification of the Impact of Solar Water Heating and Influence of Its Potential Utilization through Strategic Campaign: Case Study in Dimbaza, South Africa

This paper ascertained the performance of the evacuated tube solar water heater (SWH) coupled with an auxiliary electric heater with reference to the replaced electric water heater with the same storage tank capacity (200 L) in a building. It also examines the influence of the uptake of the SWHs in the community due to different campaign methods. The study evaluated the performance of a 4 kW electric water heater and a 2 kW input SWH with an auxiliary electric heater, and quantified the annual energy and cost savings. A survey using questionnaires was conducted among 150 residences in Dimbaza based on the house representative’s perceptions to replace their electric water heaters with solar water heaters (based on the monetary saving inscribed on the solar water heaters, the sensitization of the target population on the environmental benefits of the solar water heaters and both the monetary savings and environmental benefits). The findings revealed that by replacing the electric water heater with the solar water heater with an auxiliary electric heater, the annual electricity savings due to hot water heating was 4408.99 kWh and the net present value payback period was 4.32 years. The desire of the household representatives to replace their existing electric water heaters with solar water heaters due to the campaign strategies increased from 75 to 126. This study is capable of providing a mechanism to increase the penetration of solar water heaters and justifying the techno-economic viability of solar water heaters.

Assessing the Feasibility and the Potential of Implementing Solar Water Heaters in Dimbaza, a Township in Eastern Cape, South Africa

The level of income of the inhabitants in a township has an impact on the potential to have adequate access to electricity. The bulk of the domestic energy sources needed in the residential buildings is derived from electrical energy. In South Africa, the base load electricity is derived from coal thermal power plants. However, the environmental impact associated with the combustion of coal in the thermal power plants is a cause for concern. This study was designed to identify the common mode of sanitary hot-water heating in Dimbaza and the potential economic and environmental advantages of replacing the electric water heaters with solar water heaters (SWH) coupled with auxiliary electric heaters. The secondary data on the weather conditions, walk-through audits of selected buildings, and the energy consumption of a residence were analysed. The results depicted that the average annual day temperature and the global solar radiations of Dimbaza were 25 °C and 4.95 kWh/m2/day, respectively. The qualitative data recovered from the survey questionnaires of the sample household representatives revealed the level of awareness of the impact of climate change owing to the electricity generated from the Eskom national grid as 69%. The simple payback period of the projected SWH based on energy consumed by an electric water heater in a specific residence was 5.02 years using the energy analysis method. The implementation of SWHs in the households of Dimbaza would be techno-economically and environmentally viable due to the potential energy savings and the greenhouse gas reduction.