Sustainable Resource Conservation Research Articles

Unveiling the hidden treasures: the vital contributions of Bhitarkanika mangrove in supporting local communities

Mangroves are salt-resistant vegetation that inhibit the muddy intertidal region of tropical and sub-tropical countries. Bhitarkanika Mangrove Sanctuary is one of the hotspots of Odisha state due to its wide range of biodiversity. Mangroves are always integral to the coastal livelihood by providing goods and services to the communities. The importance of mangroves gets neglected by sideling its provision of valuable resources and protection services against cyclones and storms. The present article studied the benefits provided by the Bhitarkanika Mangroves forests to the local communities and focuses on the sustainable conservation of resources for the future. Evidence-based suggestions are suitable for achieving the sustainability of local communities by adopting conservation measures.

Role of Social Norms in Natural Resource Management: The Case of the Communal Land Distribution Program in Northern Ethiopia

The increasing population pressure in the rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa has caused land degradation as well as an increase in the number of landless farmers. To promote a conservation-oriented utilization of communal lands and increase the livelihood of poor farmers, the Ethiopian government introduced a program to distribute less-utilized communal lands to landless farmers. This study identified the social norms related to natural resource conservation that affect the participation in this program. Using data from 477 farmer households in northern Ethiopia, we estimated probit models with endogenous regressors for the determinants of social norms and their impacts on program participation. The results show that social norms related to conservation positively affect program participation. Regarding policy implication of the findings, an intervention to improve the social norms of local farmers leads to sustainable resource conservation without reducing intrinsic motivation of the local people. A conservation-oriented utilization of the communal lands would be more effective if the land distribution program was accompanied by other programs to improve the social norms in the villages.

A novel eco-friendly hybrid approach for recovery and reuse of copper from electronic waste

Amid the plethora of initiatives and regulations targeting the minimization of electronic waste generation and its transboundary shipment, efforts to adopt a sustainable resource conservation from this emerging waste stream are considerably missing. Present study is a pioneer effort to develop a novel two stage biorecvoery process followed by electrochemical treatment to recover copper in its reusable form from waste printed circuit board. An isolated strain USCT-R010 was employed for the leaching of copper and process parameters (reaction pH, substrate concentration, inoculum size, pulp density, agitation speed) were optimized in order to maximize bioleaching of copper. The leach liquor containing mobilized copper was subjected to purification step where biosorption was carried out using dead biomass of Aspergillus oryzae and Baker’s Yeast under optimized reaction condition. Desorption was performed using 0.1N HCl to recover pure copper from dead biomass and more than 86% copper was desorbed from both the biosorbents. Electrowinning was carried out at current: 2A and electrolysis time: 150 min to recover 92.7% Cu from eluate. Characterization studies suggested 95.2% purity of recovered copper which was reused as an antibacterial agent against Escherichia coli. Utilization of low cost biomaterial for recovery and purification of metals, eco-efficient technology with high level of purity, reusability of recovered copper and environmentally sound practices are the aided incentives associated with this novel approach. The proposed work can be reckoned as successful demonstration of ‘Greening the waste’ concept in order to generate substantial economic, environmental and social benefits from e-waste.

LAND DEGRADATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE: AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Zimbabwe’s problems of land degradation date back to the colonial era when the Rhodesian government created native reserves, the so-called Tribal Trust Lands (TTLs) in 1926. Through the enactment of the Land Apportionment Act of 1930, the country was subdivided into European and Native Lands. Since the Act ignored the population disparities of these areas, an environmental crisis was bound to occur in the near future. Furthermore, the Europeans took the best agricultural land while blacks were relegated to the drier and less productive areas. Due to the introduction of the ox-drawn plough, the communal lands were subjected to massive land degradation in the form of deforestation and soil erosion. Although massive land re-distribution has occurred since 2000, land degradation has spread to the newly-resettled areas as human and livestock populations continue to increase in these former white farms. The demand of timber for building purposes as well as wood fuel in these areas, have worsened the environmental crisis. In tobacco farming areas deforestation has been worsened by the demand for energy to cure the harvested crop. Another challenge has been that of a weak environmental education (EE) programme which focuses on scientific facts about the environment rather than behavior change. Organizations such as the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) are not well equipped to provide their mandate due to the lack of resources, vehicles for transport and inadequate manpower. Based on information that was collected in September, 2017, this paper examines Zimbabwe’s land degradation problem from an historical perspective. It argues that unless the rate of deforestation and soil erosion are curbed or reduced, Zimbabwe’s dream of achieving sustainable resource conservation in future is unlikely to be achieved in the long run. Article visualizations:

Adoption of Economic and Sustainable Resource Conservation Technology (RCT) in Rice Wheat System: Zero Tillage

Adoption of Economic and Sustainable Resource Conservation Technology (RCT) in Rice Wheat System: Zero Tillage

Poverty and Natural Resources Degradation: Analysis of their Interactions in Lake Tana Basin, Ethiopia

AbstractDeveloping a clear understanding of the links between poverty and natural resources degradation remained a vital task in the poverty reduction and sustainable resources conservation process. Accordingly, this paper explores the poverty and natural resources degradation linkages in Lake Tana Basin of Ethiopia. With the application of simultaneous order probit econometric model, this paper argues that a one‐sided argument of poverty that causes natural resources degradation is challenged, as poverty not only contributes to natural resources degradation but also natural resources degradation contributes to poverty along with other factors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Perspectives on Sustainable Resource Conservation in Community Nature Reserves: A Case Study from Senegal

The coalescing of development and conservation has recently given rise to community-based conservation. Under this framework, sustainable livelihood strategies are incorporated into conservation goals on the basis that the integration of local priorities into management guidelines benefits rather than impedes conservation efforts. Consistent with this approach, the Community Nature Reserve of Dindéfélo in Kédougou, Senegal endeavors to protect biodiversity without jeopardizing local people’s reliance on natural resources. In this article we provide evidence that sustainable resource conservation is a very powerful mechanism in redirecting labor and capital away from ecosystem-degrading activities. To do this, we present three examples of projects, aiming to illustrate different ways in which local people’s management and sustainable use of natural resources can be beneficial in terms of biodiversity conservation, socioeconomic development, and human well-being.

Awash National Park, Ethiopia: use policy, ethnic conflict and sustainable resources conservation in the context of decentralization

AbstractIn response to recent decentralization in Ethiopia, we investigated pressure exerted on Awash National Park (ANP), vis‐a‐vis park resources; causes of park‐related conflicts and the impact of policy on sustainable resources conservation before decentralization (pre‐1995) and after decentralization (post‐1995). The study's aim was to assess the implementation of sustainable resources conservation in terms of use policy and conflicts in protected areas. We sampled a total of 210 respondents by stratified random sampling and group discussion participants and key informants using purposive sampling technique. Our results show that while policy problems were perceived to be the main threats to the park pre‐1995, demand for pasture land and water, resource‐caused conflicts, expansion of private and state farms were identified as main threats to the park post‐1995. Before decentralization (pre‐1995), inequitable resource sharing and poor organizational structures were the main causes of ethnic conflicts, whereas after decentralization, increasing demand for various resources were the main causes of conflict. We recommend experiences from the Simen National Park be tested to the benefit of improving the state of ANP.