Socio-environmental Changes Research Articles

Floods after drought: storytelling with agro-pastoralists in a Kenyan dryland

In East African drylands, agro-pastoralists are continuously dealing with recurrent droughts and floods damaging to their livelihoods. Although droughts and floods have been widely studied as separate phenomena, little attention has been paid to agro-pastoral experiences of the relations between successive droughts and floods over time. Yet when floods follow a drought, they are likely to exacerbate or alleviate the impacts of the preceding drought. To address this, we conducted a study in southeastern Kenya’s drylands, organizing storytelling sessions with 213 agro-pastoralist participants. By reconstructing a history of droughts and floods experiences from the 1940s to the early 2020s, we found that droughts and floods are strongly interrelated and ambivalent phenomena. During the latter half of the 20th century, agro-pastoralists narrated droughts as severely disruptive, distinct periods that frequently concluded with flooding, which both alleviated and intensified drought impacts. In the 21st century, however, droughts and floods are no longer experienced as discrete, named events but rather as a new normal. Floods after drought have become more frequent, short-lived, intense, and erosive, their regenerative function diminishing. The participants articulated how they adapt to droughts and floods amidst rapid socio-economic and socio-environmental changes. We found that various drought adaptation measures, largely initiated by (non)governmental organizations operating in drylands, have introduced flood risks. As droughts and floods are expected to become even heavier and frequent in future East African drylands and beyond, the stories underscore a need for adaptation approaches that benefit from the regenerative potential of floods after drought.

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT MATRIX) OF TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES UNDER THE PERSPECTIVE OF ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL RESILIENCE IN THE PANTANAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL

This study analyzed how the traditional communities of Sesmaria Boa Ventura and Água Branca see and respond to socio-environmental changes and public policies. These communities are located in the municipality of Santo Antônio de Leverger, with a population of 15 and 12 families, respectively, between the rivers Cupim and Água Branca in the inland region of Morrarias São Vicente, with the mouth in the Chacororé–Sinhá Mariana lake system in the Pantanal of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The SWOT method (S - strengths, W - weaknesses, O - opportunities, T - threats) served as a guide for the semistructured interviews and data organization, and the Snowball method was used to indicate participants. The participants were born and always lived in the region, had a mean age of 71 years and 73% were male. The communities practice subsistence family farming, their residents have a low education level and social habits. The 15 participants mentioned 19 strengths, 16 weaknesses, 10 opportunities, and 16 threats. The most mentioned strengths were public security (15.48%), and peace and nature (11.90%), The weaknesses were water (18.87%) and food insecurity (15.09%) and deficient health (11.32%). The opportunities were electric power for everyone and the construction of roads (25.71%), construction of schools (17.14%), and health centers (11.43%). The threats were environmental (27.59%) and economic insecurity (13.79%), use of pesticides, and lack of rain (10.34%). The communities responded to weaknesses and threats with adaptations such as building and expanding wells (18.42%), changing the agricultural calendar (15.79%), and using agricultural input (10.53%). Unused traditional ecological knowledge was reincorporated as cultural adaptations in situations of high vulnerability, highlighting oral transmission as a resilience mechanism.

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS (SWOT MATRIX) OF TRADITIONAL COMMUNITIES UNDER THE PERSPECTIVE OF ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL RESILIENCE IN THE PANTANAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MATO GROSSO, BRAZIL

This study analyzed how the traditional communities of Sesmaria Boa Ventura and Água Branca see and respond to socio-environmental changes and public policies. These communities are located in the municipality of Santo Antônio de Leverger, with a population of 15 and 12 families, respectively, between the rivers Cupim and Água Branca in the inland region of Morrarias São Vicente, with the mouth in the Chacororé–Sinhá Mariana lake system in the Pantanal of the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The SWOT method (S - strengths, W - weaknesses, O - opportunities, T - threats) served as a guide for the semistructured interviews and data organization, and the Snowball method was used to indicate participants. The participants were born and always lived in the region, had a mean age of 71 years and 73% were male. The communities practice subsistence family farming, their residents have a low education level and social habits. The 15 participants mentioned 19 strengths, 16 weaknesses, 10 opportunities, and 16 threats. The most mentioned strengths were public security (15.48%), and peace and nature (11.90%), The weaknesses were water (18.87%) and food insecurity (15.09%) and deficient health (11.32%). The opportunities were electric power for everyone and the construction of roads (25.71%), construction of schools (17.14%), and health centers (11.43%). The threats were environmental (27.59%) and economic insecurity (13.79%), use of pesticides, and lack of rain (10.34%). The communities responded to weaknesses and threats with adaptations such as building and expanding wells (18.42%), changing the agricultural calendar (15.79%), and using agricultural input (10.53%). Unused traditional ecological knowledge was reincorporated as cultural adaptations in situations of high vulnerability, highlighting oral transmission as a resilience mechanism.

8156 Exploring Gender-Specific Characteristics Of Diabetes Among Young Adults In Korea: The Korea National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 And 2019-2020

Abstract Disclosure: C. Chung: None. Background: The escalating global incidence of diabetes among young adults could be linked to dynamic socio-environmental changes including pandemic and climate shifts. In this investigation, we aimed to discern the distinct features of diabetes among young adults in Korea. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 63,489,047 Korean young adults (32,173,248 male, 31,315,799 female) aged 20-39 years who participated in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 and 2020-2021. Diabetes cases were identified through hospital diagnoses or the prescription of insulin or non-insulinemic anti-diabetic medications. The significant insulin resistance was defined as HOMA-IR above 2.9. Complex sampling design and cross-tabulation analyses were used to examine both socioeconomic and laboratory factors. Results: The prevalence of diabetes was higher in men in both 2011-2012 and 2020-2021 (Men vs. Women, 2011-2012: 2.2 ± 0.5 vs. 1.2 ± 0.3 %, p<0.001; 2020-2021: 3.0 ± 0.5 vs. 1.6 ± 0.3 %, p<0.001). The use of insulin and oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA) was comparable between men and women in 2011-2012 (Insulin: 18.1 ± 8.2 vs. 5.2 ± 5.1 %, p=0.305; OHA, 18.2 ± 6.3 vs. 19.5 ± 6.5 %, p=0.239), but more women used insulin and more men used OHA in 2020-2021 (Insulin: 5.3 ± 3.7 vs. 28.7 ± 9.4 %, p=0.016; OHA: 31.4 ± 7.7 vs. 19.6 ± 7.3 %, p=0.009). Execution of fundus exam (25.7 ± 10.6 vs. 68.5 ± 14.1 %, p=0.021) and diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy (0 vs. 8.9 ± 3.3 %, p=0.001) was higher in women in 2020-2021. HbA1c was higher in men in 2020-2021 (8.1 ± 0.4 vs. 7.3 ± 0.3 %, p <0.001), but was similar between men and women in 2011-2012 (8.4 ± 0.6 vs. 8.1 ± 0.6 %, p=0.697). Obesity, one of the most common comorbidities of diabetes, was higher in women in 2011-2012 (24.8 ± 4.8 vs. 79.4 ± 9.3 %, p<0.001), but was higher in men in 2020-2021 (94.4 ± 2.9 vs. 67.8 ± 11.0 %, p<0.001). The factors associated with increase in HOMA-IR in 2020-2021 was different between men and women. Unexpectedly, men with low mental stress showed positive correlation with HOMA-IR (B = 3.9, 95% CI 0.1-7.7, p=0.047). For women, mental stress did not affect HOMA-IR, but those with regular anaerobic exercise (B = -10.5, 95% CI -18.3 - -2.6, p=0.011) and stable employment status (B = -11.9, 95% CI -19.4 - -4.8, p=0.002) presented negative correlation with HOMA-IR. Conclusion: In comparison to before the COVID-19 pandemic, men diabetic patients showed more obese tendency after COVID-19, and there was also a statistically significant difference in HbA1c disparity with women. The higher prevalence of diabetic retinopathy despite of lower HbA1c in women during pandemic era needs to be further investigated in well-designed cohort study. Presentation: 6/3/2024

Emergent and re-emergent zoonotic infectious diseases in Uruguay (2004-2024) and socio-environmental changes. a one health perspective

The One Health approach aims to operate at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental influence to prevent and control the scale of these shifts. In recent decades, Uruguay has experienced various productive and socio-environmental alterations. This communication presents some relationships between emerging and increasing zoonotic diseases and some socio-environmental-climatic determinant factors under the One Health framework. We identify emerging and re-emerging zoonotic diseases (e.g. rabies, Leishmaniasis, avian influenza, western equine encephalitis) based on Uruguayan WOAH and the zoonotic reports from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Ministry of Public Health. We analyse the outbreaks, cases, deaths, distribution, and time progression. Finally, we compare the monitoring sources and reports and show their differences. There are some differences among them that need to be verified.

Uncertainty and perceived cause-effect help explain differences in adaptation responses between Swidden agriculture and agroforestry smallholders

Swidden smallholders are among the most vulnerable groups to climate change. Many efforts have focused on incentivizing their transition to agroforestry, often with limited results. Such transitions, embedded in complex socio-environmental changes, generate uncertainties, often ignored in the science-policy interface. In this paper, we examine dispersed disciplinary developments in decision-making under uncertainty, apply the insights to a case study, and discuss results in the context of prevalent knowledge production assumptions and incentivized livelihood transitions policies. We use interview data from three communities in the Mexican Maya region to create aggregated mental models of smallholders who adopted agroforestry, and those who continue to practice traditional swidden agriculture. The mental models depict perceived causal connections—including uncertain or delayed—between hazards, causes, consequences and responses. Our results show substantial differences in mental models driven by length of explanatory pathways, attribution of hazards and portfolios of responses, suggesting that agroforesters were more prone to proactive behavior and/or more responsive to outside discourses. Agroforestry is effective in reducing some uncertainties in its bundled approach, but new uncertainties for which smallholders have no prior experience arise. Contrastingly, recurrent themes point to lower self-efficacy in swidden smallholders, which may help explain non-adoption. We caution that not recognizing differences in mental models among potential beneficiaries of incentivized interventions may inadvertently exacerbate inequalities, while unaddressed uncertainties may lead to future disadoption. As a scientific tool, mental model mapping can inform the design of adaptation measures by identifying new knowledge and conflicting rationales, and segmenting strategies for potential (non)adopters.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated factors among patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Ethiopia, 2023: asystematic review and meta analysis

BackgroundMetabolic syndrome is a complex pathophysiologic state which characterized by abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidaemia. The Adult Treatment Panel III report (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Programme identified the metabolic syndrome as a serious public health issue in the modern era. In Western and Asian nations, the frequency of metabolic syndrome is rising, especially in developing regions experiencing rapid socio-environmental changes, in Sub-Saharan Africa; metabolic syndrome may be present in more than 70% of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Therefore the objective of our study was to estimate the pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome and associated factors among type II diabetes mellitus patient.MethodThis systematic review and meta-analysis included original articles of cross sectional studies published in the English language. Searches were carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and grey literature Journals from 2013 to June 2023. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome among type II Diabetes mellitus patient in Ethiopia. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic. Subgroup analysis was also conducted based on study area. Egger’s test was used to assess publication bias. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted.ResultsOut of 300 potential articles, 8 cross sectional studies were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis study. The pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome among patient with type II diabetes mellitus in Ethiopia was found to be 64.49% (95% CI: 62.39, 66.59) and 52.38% (95% CI: 50.05, 54.73) by using NCEP/ATP III and IDF criteria, respectively. The weighted pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome among type II diabetes mellitus patients by sub group analysis based on the study region was 63.79% (95% CI: 56.48, 71.11) and 52.23% (95%CI: 47.37, 57.22) by using NCEP/ATP III and IDF criteria, respectively. Being female and increased body mass index were factors associated with metabolic syndrome among type II diabetes mellitus patients.ConclusionThe prevalence of metabolic syndrome among type II patient is high. Therefore, policymakers, clinicians, and concerned stakeholders shall urge effective strategies in the control, prevention, and management of metabolic syndrome among type II diabetes mellitus.

20-Year Trends in Metabolic Syndrome Among Korean Adults From 2001 to 2020

BackgroundThe number of people with metabolic syndrome (MetS) is increasing worldwide, and many socioeconomic and environmental factors contribute to this. ObjectivesThe authors investigated tangible trends in the prevalence of MetS using the 2001 to 2020 versions of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). MethodsIn these surveys, stratified multistage sampling designs were used to approximate the entire population. Blood pressure, waist circumference, and lifestyle variables were examined in a standardized fashion. Metabolic biomarkers were measured in a central laboratory operated by the Korean government. ResultsThe age-adjusted prevalence of MetS increased significantly from 27.1% in 2001 to 33.2% in 2020. It was more prevalent in men (25.8%→40.0%) but did not change in women (28.2%→26.2%). Among the 5 MetS components, the proportions of high glucose level and large waist circumference increased substantially by 17.9% and 12.2% over 20 years, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased significantly, resulting in a decrease in low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 20.4%. Caloric intake derived from carbohydrates decreased from 68.1% to 61.3%, while fat consumption increased from 16.7% to 23.0%. Notably, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption showed an almost 4-fold increase from 2007 to 2020, while physical activity levels decreased by 12.2% from 2014 to 2020. ConclusionsGlycemic dysregulation and abdominal obesity were key features contributing to the increased prevalence of MetS observed in Korean men during the past 20 years. Rapid economic and socioenvironmental changes in this period may be involved in this phenomenon. Understanding these changes in MetS could be valuable for other countries undergoing such socioeconomic transformation.

Systemic stress in hunter-gatherers from the Central Pampas Dunefields (Argentina): evaluating linear enamel hypoplasia during the Holocene

This research aims to evaluate whether the socio-environmental changes observed in the Central Pampas Dunefields (Argentina) throughout the Holocene (ca. 11,000–350 cal year BP) caused episodes of systemic stress in hunter-gatherer populations. Linear enamel hypoplasia was analyzed macroscopically with a 40 × magnifying glass and oblique light in 337 teeth from 26 adult individuals recovered from 11 archaeological sites. Data were analyzed following three levels of observation: individual, tooth, and number of dental enamel lines. 42.3% of the individuals presented linear enamel hypoplasia. The lines affected males and females similarly. No statistically significant differences were observed between the three Holocene periods. The age of growth-disruption events occurred between 2 and 6.05 years, and stress episodes are registered at earlier ages in the Late Holocene than in the other periods. The causes could be related to metabolic stress associated with weaning, post-weaning, variations in the availability of natural resources over time, development of infectious, and parasitic diseases during changes in social organization strategies and gastrointestinal diseases caused by non-potable water intake. At the regional level, Pampas shows moderate to high values of linear enamel hypoplasia, suggesting the exposure of hunter-gatherer groups to recurrent episodes of stress during the early stages of postnatal life.

Stakeholder perceptions of the socio-ecological role of nature-based solutions in the Les Glòries Park, Barcelona

The ongoing effects of the climate emergency and the recognition of the need to redesign cities to cope with future socio-environmental changes and increase the quality of life of urban inhabitants has pushed many cities to embrace the ‘re-naturalization’ of public space through Nature-based Solutions (NbS). Les Glòries park (Barcelona) is an ongoing massive urban transformation project that incorporates NbS as a multifunctional tool. It attempts to respond to complex environmental, social, and economic urban problems while at the same time mitigating and adapting to hazards, such as floods and droughts, both predicted to increase in the Mediterranean region due to climate change. While NbS are also expected to improve environmental quality, not much attention has been given to how those strategies would intersect with citizens’ expectations and visions of public space and the uneven socio-environmental relations they can enforce. Through a case of urban development of a new large green area in Barcelona, this article aims to discern different perceptions by the local community and planners on the socio-ecological role of NbS and the implications this has for sustainable urban transitions. In-depth interviews were held with 25 key stakeholders and users, complemented by the analysis of secondary data from the town council of Barcelona about the perception of the space by residents living in the surrounding neighborhoods of the park. The results of this paper show that perceptions around NbS are strongly divided into three groups: the believers, the opposers and the skepticals. These results contribute to nuance NbS, as they do not provide universal benefits, neither for nature nor for society, and that they are subject to urban tensions derived from inequities, conflicts, tradeoffs, and particularly from divided visions of what the ‘re-naturalization’ of cities should look like.

Understanding the cumulative socioenvironmental impacts of energy transition-induced extractivism in Mozambique: The role of mixed methods

The global energy transition is very resource intense, and scholarship is rapidly increasing to show its impacts in various resource extraction frontiers in the global South. These emerging studies are clarifying the social and environmental impacts of extracting particular energy transition resources (ETRs). However, there is still limited attention on the cumulative socioenvironmental impacts of extracting multiple ETRs from the same region. This paper proposes to mix geospatial and qualitative research methods to examine the cumulative socioenvironmental impacts of ETR extraction. We apply these mixed methods to study the impacts of an expanding frontier of graphite and natural gas extraction in Mozambique. The geospatial results show that patterns in socioenvironmental changes, including a surge in built-up and bare areas and water-covered surfaces, and a shrinkage of vegetated areas – some of which are ecologically sensitive, are starting to emerge in the project areas. In combination with qualitative methods, we identified additional impacts including an increase in solid waste and air and noise pollution, and an inception of extractivism-associated conflict in certain project areas. When single commodities are analyzed, using single methods, some of these impacts may be overlooked or underestimated. In order to fully understand the sustainability implications of the energy transition process, it is instrumental to combine geospatial and qualitative research methods to monitor the cumulative socioenvironmental impacts at its upstream end.

Biocultural Calendars Across Four Ethnolinguistic Communities in Southwestern South America.

Since the mid-20th century, the so-called Great Acceleration (sensu Steffen etal.,2007, https://doi.org/10.1579/0044-7447(2007)36[614:TAAHNO]2.0.CO;2) has amplified processes of ecosystem degradation, extinction of biological species, displacement of local peoples, losses of languages, and cultural diversity. These losses are still underperceived by the academic community, and by a global society that is disconnected from biocultural diversity. To reconnect society with biocultural diversity, we integrate temporal and spatial dimensions of seasonal cycles, by combining two conceptual frameworks: ecological calendars and the "3Hs" model of the biocultural ethic (sensu Rozzi, 2012, https://doi.org/10.5840/enviroethics20123414). The latter values the vital links between human and other-than-human co-inhabitants, their life habits (e.g., cultural practices of humans or life cycles of other-than-human species), and the structure and processes of their shared habitats. This integration enhances an understanding of links between cultural practices and the life cycles of biocultural keystone species. As a synthesis, we use the term biocultural calendars to emphasize their co-constitutive nature that result from interactions between dynamic biophysical and cultural processes embedded in specific ecosystems and cultures. These calendars link astronomical, biological, and cultural seasonal cycles that sustain life and enhance the integration of Indigenous and scientific knowledge to confront challenges of climate change faced from local to global scales. To illustrate this integration, we examine cultural practices and socio-environmental changes across four contrasting ethnolinguistic communities in southwestern South America, from southern to northern Chile along a marked climatic gradient to show the broad application of the concept of biocultural calendars.

Intercohort upsurge of cognitive ability among the general population in China: Evaluating a Flynn effect

Drawing on data from three waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we find a substantial intercohort upsurge of both vocabulary and mathematical abilities among the Chinese general population born between 1935 and 1984. Consistent with the well-established Flynn effect, Chinese adults boost their average vocabulary score by 3.21 points and mathematical score by 3.83 points per decade. Further examinations suggest that the observed intercohort gains in cognition are largely associated with educational expansion, nutritional improvement and reduced family size. These factors together account for about 76% of vocabulary gains and 79% of mathematical gains. Moreover, subgroup analyses reveal that females gain at a much faster pace than do males in terms of both vocabulary and mathematical scores among the studied cohorts, with young females catching up and even surpassing males in the recent cohorts; while rural residents still fall behind their urban counterparts for both vocabulary and mathematical abilities. Taken together, these findings are consistent with the life history theory and strongly support the fundamental role of socioenvironmental changes in producing the Flynn effect.

Identifying and interpreting regional signals in tree-ring based reconstructions of snow avalanche activity in the Goms valley (Swiss Alps)

One of the purposes of dendrogeomorphic studies is to provide long and continuous reconstructions of mass movements and to detect climate-induced trends in process activity. The development of regional chronologies—in which information from different sites are aggregated—is often needed to identify process–climate relations and to overcome local-scale specificities, sparse data available for individual sites and to extract a signal that is common to a larger region and possibly driven by past climate fluctuations or large-scale environmental changes. Yet, such chronologies are scarce and consensus neither exists on how to compile local data at the regional scale nor on the methods to be used to extract a common signal. In the case of snow avalanches, existing regional tree-ring studies typically included less than ten paths, and they discriminated years of high/low avalanche activity based on a regional index representing the proportion of disturbed trees in any given year. However, such an index does not account for potential non-stationarities in local tree-ring reconstructions such as e.g., time-varying sample size, decreasing dendrogeomorphic potential of trees after the occurrence of an extremely large, devastating avalanche or socio-environmental changes. Here we combine a dendrogeomorphic approach to reconstruct snow avalanche events in 11 paths located in the Goms valley (Swiss Alps) with an innovative statistical modelling approach. For each path, we compute reconstructions using a 4-step procedure to disentangle potential effects of snow avalanches from disturbance pulses in trees caused by climatic or other exogenous factors. We then process the regional dataset (spanning the period 1766–2014) within a Bayesian hierarchical spatio-temporal framework specifically designed to homogenise time series of avalanche events by i) removing trends related to the decreasing number of living trees back in time and ii) inferring robust trends in mean annual/regional avalanche activity in time and space. This contribution has the merit to introduce a methodological approach allowing rigorous extraction of common, average avalanche signals from snow avalanche paths characterized by heterogeneous process activity. Despite its stringency, we show that 11 avalanche paths may not suffice to yield a signal that is independent from the selection of couloirs. As a result, the approach also does not highlight a clear climatic control of snow avalanche activity but rather points to a complex, yet combined impact of afforestation and management strategies on reconstructed avalanches.

Challenges of agriculture 4.0 with socio-environmental changes: influence of consumer institutional logic

Population growth has forced the planet to rethink attitudes towards sustainability. Meeting current and future human needs is a major challenge, as it involves trying to balance the exploitation of natural resources while meeting society's needs. This challenge becomes even greater when an exponential increase in population is observed. In this sense, one of the human needs is food, and therefore the production of beef has been the focus of study by environmentalists, due to the large occupation of areas. Thus, the main objective of this study is to understand consumer expectations according to different institutional logics and to identify the most adapted Industry 4.0 technologies to meet these requirements. For this, a bibliographical survey of the technologies used in the sector and the consumer's view of socio-environmental changes was carried out. It was observed in the results that there is a continuous need to use technologies in agriculture for monitoring, since the number of consumers concerned about the origin of the meat and an ecologically correct production has increased.

Is a village level always relevant to describe land cover changes? Analysing the landscape to understand socio-environmental changes in western Burkina Faso

This paper presents a study about land management in western Burkina Faso. A landscape approach combining surveys and spatial analysis was used to identify key, levels of land management. While the village level provides us with current key data for, a detailed understanding of population dynamics (i), and the household level provides, explanations of economic conditions (ii), these two traditional levels were not able to, fully explain local variability in environmental resources. We therefore question the, relative dominance of traditional levels (village, households) and introduce a spatial, dimension of environmental management to examine the variability of plural legal, rights in several places. We demonstrate the impact of lineage strategies on observed, changes at different levels. Our results provide evidence that, although land cover has, changed, the local land management system seems relatively stable due to historic, lineage alliances. This paper highlights the importance of understanding how the, localized social position of inhabitants, inside and outside the village level, can strongly affect local resource management and thus contribute to a certain inefficiency of public policies.

Endogenous learning and innovation in African smallholder agriculture: lessons from Guinea-Bissau

ABSTRACT Purpose To advance understanding about the way endogenous knowledge on mangrove swamp rice (MSR) farming is transmitted, reinvented and negotiated between generations and highlight the implications this has for R4D. Design/Methodology/Approach Long-term qualitative research using an ethnographic approach, technography and biographies of farmers. Findings The endogenous Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) is dynamic but faces shortcomings owing to socio-environmental changes. This highlights the relevance of knowledge exchanges from multiple sources, eroding the divide between endogenous and exogenous from the farmers’ point of view. For positive exogenously induced socio-technical change to occur, external actors must fully understand the conditions under which (a) endogenous knowledge is produced and reinvented and (b) endogenous innovations flow among farmers. This will then allow the co-production of innovations adapted to each specific agro-ecological, cultural and socio-economic context, leaving them to be further transformed and refashioned by smallholders to meet their individual ‘dispositions’ and generate the roots necessary for a strong AKIS. Practical implications This paper highlights the importance of locally embedded processes of learning and innovation, the better understanding of which can provide a more solid basis for the co-production of technologies and the establishment of an AKIS. Theoretical implications This paper improves understanding of socio-technological change in smallholder agriculture by focusing on endogenous processes of learning and innovation. Originality This paper advances the knowledge on endogenous processes of learning and socio-technical change in smallholder agriculture.

Analysis of Changes and Statistical Characteristics in PM-2.5 based on the Seasonal Management Data

Objectives : This study aims to identify the changes and statistical characteristics of the observed concentration data of fine particles (PM-2.5), one of the air environment indicators, and to analyze the variability of observation data in South Korea based on the statistical significance of the observation data.Methods : We analyzed the changes and characteristics of daily average PM-2.5 observations based on descriptive statistics (the basic statistical and frequency analysis), and inference statistics (analysis of variance and post-hoc analysis) from December to March for the period 2015 to 2021.Results and Discussion : Through ANOVA analysis and post-hoc analysis, it was confirmed that there was a statistically significant difference in the observed PM-2.5 as of the winter of 2019. Before 2019, the frequency of observed data greater 30 µg/m;3 was relatively more than after 2019, and on the contrary, the frequency of observed data less than 20 µg/m;3 was smaller than after 2019. After 2019, the frequency of high-concentration observations greater than 50 µg/m;3 was insignificant, and on the contrary, the frequency of observations less than 20 µg/m;3 was more than before 2019. As a result, It’s an average difference of 7.5 µg/m;3 between before and after 2019, and it was reduced by about 24% compared to the average before 2019. Meanwhile, as a result of examining the weather influence (wind direction and wind speed) to analyze the causes of the observed data differences before and after 2019, no significant differences were identified between the two periods due to the influence of meteorological conditions.Conclusion : The observed concentration of PM-2.5 data set in South Korea showed variability as of the winter season of 2019 at the significance level of 5%. The variability could be more attributed to anthropogenic activities and socio-environmental changes such as COVID-19 rather than natural environmental factors such as meteorological factors. In order to more effectively manage air quality, it is necessary to identify social changes and their flows, and at the same time conduct continuous and systematic research such as data expansion and analysis technique development.

Adaptation and biocultural conservation of traditional agroforestry systems in the Tehuacán Valley: access to resources and livelihoods strategies

Traditional agroforestry systems (TAFS) are important areas for conserving biodiversity, ecosystems benefits and biocultural heritage, outstandingly local knowledge, management techniques, and domestication processes. These systems have adapted to environmental, social, technological, and cultural changes throughout history. However, contemporary drastic socio-environmental changes as climate variability, economic inequality, migration, among others, have caused a productive crisis, with several consequences as productive land abandonment, threaten the sustainability of TAFS and vulnerating livelihoods. In such context, the question arises of what kind of adaptations are needed to face these changes, and how access to water and land, should be managed to improve adaptation of TAFS? The study analyzes TAFS in the Tehuacán Valley, a region with high biological and cultural diversity and early signs of agriculture in Mexico, where TAFS have remained active until present. The study analyzes the capacity of TAFS to conserve biodiversity and sustain local livelihoods, despite socio-environmental threats. It is based on a political ecology approach, which proposes that socio-ecological systems degradation is linked to unequal access to land and natural resources. Looking for an integral study of adaptations of TAFS to socio-environmental changes, this study combines qualitative and historical research methodology with quantitative methods evaluating plant diversity and spatial analysis. The study findings show that differentiated access to resources, water, land, and forest, is a key factor that limits adaptation of TAFS, impacting livelihood strategies, changing management patterns, and constraining social capacities for coping with socio-environmental changes. TAFS have significantly higher species richness than forests but lower diversity. The main contribution of the study is the methodological approach looking for an integral analysis of natural resources management and biocultural conservation in agroecosystems, and the identification of the unequal access to resources, as a keystone to understand and act for improving adaptive strategies of TAFS to socio-environmental changes.

Socio-environmental changes and rodent populations in lowland agroecosystems of the lower delta of the River Senegal, West Africa: results of observations over a decade, 2008-2019

In the context of food self-sufficiency, the River Senegal Valley has been undergoing profound environmental changes for several decades. Rice production has increased due to the development of vast irrigated perimeters, which has been accompanied by recurrent proliferations of rodent populations that are crop pests and reservoirs of zoonoses. The aim of our study was to determine the factors underlying these phases of increased rodent abundance over a ten-year (2008 to 2019) sampling period during the hot dry season (February-May). A total of 1,867 rodents of four species were captured, among which Arvicanthis niloticus and Mastomys huberti dominated. Our results showed that, during this season, rodent abundance (i) increases significantly with rainfall from the previous year, (ii) is higher in cultivated than in uncultivated plots, (iii) increases with plant cover, (iv) increases, for M. huberti, with the presence of open water. We showed that in an area that was first sparsely cultivated and then impacted by hydro-agricultural rehabilitation of irrigation and drainage infrastructure, the abundance of A. niloticus changed following this program, reaching the level of a nearby area that has been intensively cultivated for decades. Moreover, we showed that the proportion of adults among the captured individuals was lower in rice plots than in vegetable gardening fields and uncultivated plots. The breeding pattern of adult individuals was also affected by land use. Results suggest that uncultivated areas and vegetable gardening fields constitute refuge and breeding ground hotspots and would thus form a starting point for the invasion of rice fields. Following these results, we advocate for regular monitoring of rodent breeding and abundance patterns, with a special focus on these refuge areas, particularly during the hot dry season. We recommend implementing effective and sustainable science-based control strategies at national and community levels to keep rodent populations within tolerable limits.