Technical Cooperation Project Research Articles

Development of radon detectors calibration system in Cameroon

ObjectiveTo develop a radon detectors calibration system at the Research Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CRSTN) of the Institute of Geological and Mining Research (IRGM) in Cameroon. MethodsA transparent box named radon chamber, a certified radon source, and a reference device have been provided to Cameroon by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within the framework of a technical cooperation project. Depending on what radon levels are expected, two different configurations (Hookup I and Hookup II) of the system are adopted. Hookup I is a closed loop, and Hookup II is an open loop that samples fresh air. ResultsThe operation of the system generates a radon concentration of up to ∼ 30,000 Bq/m3 when applied the Hookup I and of up to ∼1,000 Bq/m3 using the Hookup II configuration. For the calibration of the detectors for environmental radon monitoring, a stabilized concentration of ∼1,000 Bq/m3 is enough. Furthermore, temperature, relative humidity, and pressure, in the reference instrument ranged from 23 to 40°C, 32 to 72%, and 929 to 936 mBar, respectively. Inside the radon chamber, temperature, relative humidity, and pressure are similar to the laboratory’s condition. ConclusionThe present calibration system will be useful for the calibration of radon detectors. The system can also be used for various purposes such as research activities on radon, education on radon detection, radon measurement, radon mitigation, radon mapping, protection against radon, and research in the African region.

IAEA fostering of the development and applications of nuclear analytical techniques for Heritage Science

The IAEA Physics Section is strongly involved in the development and utilization of accelerator-based analytical techniques, which are powerful tools for the characterization of cultural and natural heritage objects and materials. Various activities are carried out with the purpose to build capacity, strengthen capabilities, transfer knowledge and foster networking in the field of heritage science. In addition, access to different X-ray fluorescence spectrometers and other analytical techniques is provided at the Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory (part of the IAEA Physics Section), and access to ion beam accelerators and synchrotron light is facilitated thanks to collaborations with Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) in Croatia and the Elettra Sincrotrone facility in Italy, respectively. Member States are also supported on their Research and Development programmes, as well as through the technical cooperation projects. This paper aims to provide a broad overview about how the IAEA Physics Section is engaged in the field of heritage science, promoting the safe, reliable, and effective use of ion beam, X-ray and neutron-based techniques for the characterization and preservation of cultural and natural heritage through its global networks and partners.

Introduction of Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach as an innovative agricultural extension model

Agricultural extension in developing countries faces many challenges. The main challenge for public institutions, the implementers of agricultural extension services, is that they have weak implementation systems to support farmers. On the other hand, the main challenge faced by beneficiary farmers is low agricultural productivity and income. Against this backdrop, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) launched an initiative to promote “agriculture as a business” by strengthening the agricultural extension systems of developing country governments, beginning with a technical cooperation project implemented in Kenya from 2006 to 2009. The agricultural extension method developed in this project is the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach. The SHEP approach is supported by two theoretical pillars: promoting farming as a business (economics) and empowering and motivating people (psychology). A series of activities fulfilling these two pillars is the innovative originality of the SHEP approach. These activities are practiced according to four steps to promote market-oriented agriculture while motivating smallholders to improve their farming operations. In Kenya, horticultural income of target farmers increased through the practice of “grow to sell.” Following this result, the SHEP approach has spread across Africa through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), benefitting 256,546 small-scale farmers in 30 countries to date. In countries where the SHEP approach was implemented, in addition to the outcomes of increased horticultural productivity and income, many impacts were identified that contributed to improved farmers’ livelihoods, including repairing or building houses, purchasing mobile phones and vehicles, installing electricity in homes and funding children’s education. Since TICAD VII in 2019, JICA has been working with African governments, development partners, private companies and relevant organizations to promote the transition to profitable agriculture through the SHEP approach with the goal of achieving better lives for one million smallholders by 2030. This has led to the utilization of the SHEP approach in various forms, and its effectiveness and versatility has been recognized. However, inadequate government agricultural extension budgets and farmers’ high expectations for the provision of agricultural inputs raise the bar for intervention in the SHEP approach. The SHEP approach, however, is not a “panacea” that can solve all agricultural extension challenges in developing countries. Nevertheless, in order to continue agricultural and rural development programs/projects that promote farmers’ self-reliance, it is essential to continue to extract the outcomes and impacts of the SHEP approach at the field level and disseminate the effectiveness of the approach widely. Key words: agricultural extension, market-oriented, SHEP approach, smallholder, JICA, technical cooperation, Kenya, income

Practice for Continuous Effect of Technology Transfer in Bridge Maintenance and Management

As part of international cooperation efforts by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Japan has implemented technical cooperation projects for bridge maintenance and management in several countries. The authors conducted technology transfer for bridge inspection and repair in technical cooperation projects in Egypt and the Philippines. This paper describes the past shortcomings and future support methods required based on these efforts as well as maintenance efforts in Japan. At the organizational level, we examined goals and strategies for fostering “effective ownership” and the nature of the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle, including effectiveness measurement. At the individual engineer level, we examined the need to accumulate and pass on experience. Through these studies, the sustainable management cycle was examined. As a result, the studies identify the importance of flexibility in project monitoring and revision. It is necessary to determine the evaluation period based on actual achievement rather than time constraints. Besides, it is important to elastically reconsider indicators even at higher levels as well as effective countermeasures.

History of ukraine’s participation in bilateral scientific and technical cooperation projects: transformation processes and geopolitical challenges

Bilateral scientific and technical cooperation develops at two levels: at the macro level, it includes interstate cooperation (cooperation agreements, intergovernmental agreements, etc.), and at the micro level, it includes direct agreements between scientific institutions or organizations of different countries. The article examines the history of bilateral cooperation, reveals the essence of key transformational processes on the way to the development of bilateral scientific and technical cooperation in Ukraine, and analyzes the trends in the development of bilateral cooperation and its main indicators over the past 7 years. As a conclusion, further vectors for the development of bilateral cooperation in Ukraine are outlined and the need to create a system for monitoring the results of bilateral projects and evaluating the effectiveness of their implementation is emphasized.

Achievement of JICA technical cooperation project in period 2

Achievement of JICA technical cooperation project in period 2

Improvement of water utility management in Tajikistan: reduction in water wastage using a metered tariff system

AbstractTajikistan is a country in Central Asia with rich water resources. However, drinking water is used for agriculture and other non-drinking purposes owing to the fixed tariff system. Consequently, the overall level of water services has deteriorated and generated revenue is insufficient for operation and maintenance costs. Therefore, a project aimed to improve the quality of water supply services by providing hardware support, such as construction of wells and renewal of water distribution pipes, was conducted. However, because hardware improvement alone cannot sufficiently enhance water supply services, software support to improve the capacity of Vodokanal (utility) staff, including preparation of a metered tariff system, was implemented through a technical cooperation project. The project successfully raised customer awareness of water conservation, and the water consumption rate was reduced to two-thirds of that before implementation of the project. Additionally, the water quantity, quality, pressure, and supply hours in the target area were significantly improved. Despite the resulting increase in financial burden, customer satisfaction regarding the water supply was enhanced from 51% before the project to 100% in the second half of the project. Simultaneously, the water supply revenue increased by 24% and this increase contributed to sustainable water supply management.

Estimating QOL from Car View Scene using Deep Neural Network and Clustering Approach

One of JST and JICA's technical cooperation projects, ”Smart Transportation Strategy to Realize Thailand 4.0,” aims to reduce traffic congestion to simultaneously achieve low carbon emissions and improve citizens’ quality of Life (QoL). To achieve this goal, it is necessary to develop an AI-based system that allows users to select a combination of transportation modes that meets the various needs of people of all ages and genders, and to realize this goal, evaluation of QoL from images is required. The project suggests how to improve QoL when people moves from some point to another point and some application software to recommend the time scheduling about how to optimize the QoL in a day. It recommends the highest QoL route when we have several path candidate of roads and further some application is necessary to show how QoL dynamically changes in the route. That is scenario of the QoL project. In the previous research, a method for QoL estimation from images was proposed based on semantic segmentation and MLP (Multi Layer Perceptron) by constructing a unique questionnaire form and collecting data in a car view scene. However, the previous method estimates QoL without considering differences in the attributes of the questionnaire data, so the constructed model does not satisfy the attributes of all people. In the proposed method, multiple subjects are asked to subjectively evaluate QoL in 5 levels for the same driving image data set, and the subjects are grouped by clustering based on the evaluation results. The effectiveness of the proposed method was demonstrated by comparing the MAE (mean absolute error) of the model constructed by the proposed method with that constructed by other subjects in a 5-step cross-validation.

The sterile insect technique: an international framework to facilitate transboundary shipments of sterile insects

The sterile insect technique (SIT) has been successfully used since the 1950s as part of an integrated pest management approach in large-scale programmes to prevent, contain, suppress and eradicate key insect pests in many countries throughout the world. During this period, over one trillion live sterile insects have been shipped across borders. The very few adverse incidents from this significant trade were managed and resulted in no significant impacts. The phytosanitary and zoosanitary requirements by importing countries have been simple, facilitating the transboundary shipment of sterile insects, which is carried out mostly under the framework of cooperative agreements between the governments of the countries involved, and under technical cooperation projects of the United Nations. However, the shipment of sterile insects from sources outside this governmental framework, including public-private facilities, has been complicated, despite the availability of harmonised international guidelines in some cases, such as those for fruit flies. The SIT has great potential for the control of endemic pests or against the growing threat of invasive pests that can affect whole regions and even continents. Since SIT is species-specific, with negligible risk of introducing unwanted invasive species to the environment, and with the advantage of reducing insecticide use, a harmonised framework that recognises the low risk of SIT would facilitate shipments of sterile insects across borders and help to expand the use of this effective and environmentally friendly technology. The scope of this paper is limited to insects that have been sterilised using ionising radiation.

Medical physics services in radiology and nuclear medicine in Africa: challenges and opportunities identified through workforce and infrastructure surveys

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) developed a staffing model to estimate the number of clinically qualified medical physicists (CQMP) that are required in an imaging facility, including diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine. For the first time this staffing model was applied on a large scale across Africa. Within the framework of the IAEA African Regional Agreement (AFRA) Technical Cooperation (TC) project RAF6/053 entitled “Enhancing Capacity Building of Medical Physics to Improve Safety and Effectiveness of Medical Imaging (AFRA)”, a survey based on the IAEA staffing model was used to investigate the current CQMP workforce needs in imaging and radionuclide therapy in Africa in order to establish a baseline, identify gaps and suggest steps for improvement. The survey was open for five months, after which data verification was performed. 82 responses were received from 21 countries, including data from 97 diagnostic radiology and 40 nuclear medicine departments, as well as 75 interventional radiology departments and/or catheterization laboratories. Only 26·8% of centres employed an adequate number of CQMPs. The staffing model indicated that 134·3 CQMPs were required for these centres, but only 63 are currently employed in medical imaging and/or nuclear medicine at these centres. At least 11 countries do not have a single institution with an adequate number of CQMPs. Data analysis indicated that the number of radiology and nuclear medicine CQMPs is largely inadequate, at least by a factor of 20 in almost all countries in the region.

Advances in Irradiated Livestock Vaccine Research and Production Addressing the Unmet Needs for Farmers and Veterinary Services in FAO/IAEA Member States.

The Animal Production and Health section (APH) of the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture at the International Atomic Energy Agency has over the last 58 years provided technical and scientific support to more than 100 countries through co-ordinated research activities and technical co-operation projects in peaceful uses of nuclear technologies. A key component of this support has been the development of irradiated vaccines targeting diseases that are endemic to participating countries. APH laboratories has over the last decade developed new techniques and has put in place a framework that allows researchers from participating member states to develop relevant vaccines targeting local diseases while using irradiation as a tool for improving livestock resources.

ПРОБЛЕМЫ РИСК-КОММУНИКАЦИИ ПО ВОПРОСУ ОБЛУЧЕНИЯ РАДОНОМ: РЕЗУЛЬТАТЫ ВСЕРОССИЙСКОГО СОЦИОЛОГИЧЕСКОГО ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ

1,500 respondents took part in an Internet survey conducted in autumn 2020 in the Russian Federation. The survey was a part of the Radon Cross-Cultural Multilingual Public Opinion Survey (STEAM project) in the framework of the IAEA technical cooperation project RER9153. The survey was representative for the population of the country as per sex, age, and a region of residence. Random sampling error didn’t exceed 2.5 % for 95 % confidence interval. All respondents were given some information on radon that was as similar as possible in questionnaires published in languages spoken in all 22 coun- tries that took part in the STEAM project; it was done in order to provide an opportunity to make further cross-country com- parison of the survey results. The objective of the survey was to investigate what attitudes people had towards their health and towards radon as a possible health risk factor. The survey revealed that in the Russian Federation people were rather poorly aware about radon. Only 31.7 % re- spondents stated that they were to a greater or lesser extent informed about radon. The level of knowledge about radon as a health risk factor was at a comparable level. For the majority of respondents, information about radon received from Ro- spotrebnadzor and its subordinate research institute formed the perception of radon as a risk factor that requires actions to mitigate its impact on health. Medical specialists turned out to be the most trustworthy source of information about health risks, first of all, family doctors and physicians in polyclinics; people also trusted medical prevention centers, Rospotrebnad- zor, regional and local public health care authorities. Results of the presented survey that was the first social survey focusing on the radon problem and conducted throughout the country can be used as a basis for planning communication strategies within the framework of both national and regional radon programs.

RADON RISK COMMUNICATION ISSUES: RESULTS OF THE ALL-RUSSIAN PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY

1,500 respondents took part in an Internet survey conducted in autumn 2020 in the Russian Federation. The survey was a part of the Radon Cross-Cultural Multilingual Public Opinion Survey (STEAM project) in the framework of the IAEA technical cooperation project RER9153. The survey was representative for the population of the country as per sex, age, and a region of residence. Random sampling error didn’t exceed 2.5 % for 95 % confidence interval. All respondents were given some information on radon that was as similar as possible in questionnaires published in languages spoken in all 22 coun- tries that took part in the STEAM project; it was done in order to provide an opportunity to make further cross-country com- parison of the survey results. The objective of the survey was to investigate what attitudes people had towards their health and towards radon as a possible health risk factor. The survey revealed that in the Russian Federation people were rather poorly aware about radon. Only 31.7 % re- spondents stated that they were to a greater or lesser extent informed about radon. The level of knowledge about radon as a health risk factor was at a comparable level. For the majority of respondents, information about radon received from Ro- spotrebnadzor and its subordinate research institute formed the perception of radon as a risk factor that requires actions to mitigate its impact on health. Medical specialists turned out to be the most trustworthy source of information about health risks, first of all, family doctors and physicians in polyclinics; people also trusted medical prevention centers, Rospotrebnad- zor, regional and local public health care authorities. Results of the presented survey that was the first social survey focusing on the radon problem and conducted through- out the country can be used as a basis for planning communication strategies within the framework of both national and regional radon programs.

Editorial: Material Surfaces and Interfaces at the Nanoscale: From Theory to Application

Preface/Introduction With great pleasure, we would like to present to you the scholarly selected articles presented in the Regional Conference in Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education Institutions 2020 (RCCE 2020), held between 23 rd and 24 th January 2021 conducted virtually via Whova Virtual Conference Platform in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor, Malaysia. This conference was sponsored by ASEAN Universiti Network/Southeast Asia Engineering Education Development Network (AUN/SEED-NET) under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation Project. RCCE 2020 strategized to combine the transformation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) based on the requirements of United Nation for the year 2030 as well as to support the specific agenda in “The World in 2050” (TWI 2050). This aspiration was the global research and fact-based knowledge in transforming the indicated SDGs in a better way. Therefore, all the keynotes/ invited/ guest speakers explained their roles and contribution to the society, with SDGs related to R&D, innovation, technology and knowledge-transfer. Most of the issues and challenges were connected to the environmental application thereby strengthening the interaction between HEIs, Industry, Government and Community. As the world is still bound to the COVID-19 pandemic, travelling was restricted. For this, different parallel sessions were conducted virtually focusing on the theme “Localizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Engineering with Look East Policy Partnership”. Participants around this region did not only share similar issues or problems faced but also forged strong partnership among the ASEAN countries to come out with viable solutions fitting this region. In line with the international publication requirements, manuscripts from sessions related to engineering field including structural, environmental, material science, green technology, geotechnical, transportation, water resources and wastewater were rigorously reviewed. We hope that the collection of accepted manuscript will provide insights to many academicians, researchers and specialist of particular field. List of Conference or sponsor logo(s), Committees are availble in this pdf.

First Latin American and Caribbean interlaboratory comparison exercise for SSDLs on reference irradiation capabilities in personal dose equivalent

A comparison exercise of Latin American and Caribbean Secondary Standards Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) was jointly organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Ionizing Radiation Metrology Laboratory at the Federal University of Pernambuco (LMRI-DEN/UFPE). This exercise was organized during an IAEA regional meeting on the review and update of calibration capabilities in Latin America, held in Recife, during the period from 23 to 27 April 2018 under the technical cooperation project ME-RLA 9085-170572. Fifteen participating SSDLs were required to irradiate optically stimulated personal dosimeters in terms of the personal dose equivalent Hp(10) in 137Cs radiation quality. In addition, the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria, and the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, Middlesex, UK participated in this exercise as reference institutes. Each participant received 10 dosimeters that were hand-carried directly to the SSDL. Two nominal dose values of 2 mSv and 4 mSv were selected for this exercise. The participants irradiated the dosimeters using the setup and the procedures which are normally used in their standard laboratory for Hp(10) dosimeter irradiations. The dosimeters were evaluated as they were received by the coordinating laboratory, using a single BeOSL Reader. The results show that, except for one laboratory, the differences between the dosimeter reading and the assigned values were within 10%; this is consistent with the expanded uncertainty. The results indicate that most of the participant laboratories have a good capability to irradiate personal dosimeters in the quantity Hp(10).

The JICA Technical Cooperation Project for Capacity Building for Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Myanmar

The JICA Technical Cooperation Project for Capacity Building for Sustainable Natural Resource Management in Myanmar

Farmers’ Knowledge on Soybean Production Technologies in Madhya Pradesh

Soybean has emerged as a potential oilseed crop and has brought perceptible change in the economy of the farmers in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Demonstration on soybean production technologies were conducted under Technical Cooperation Project of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). For present investigation primary data were collected from six beneficiaries and six non-beneficiaries soybean growers from six demonstration sites, the overall sample size comprises of 72 soybean growers (36 beneficiaries and 36 non-beneficiaries). The results showed that the knowledge level about soybean production technologies of beneficiary farmers was higher as compared to non beneficiaries farmers and this was significantly associated with level of education whereas other socio-economic aspects were not associated with knowledge level about soybean production technologies.

Internationalization of nuclear education and training with the use of nuclear infrastructure and simulation tools

Internationalization the training programmes with inclusion of web-based training modules and students’ mobility access to the research facilities within the international initiative is a proposed mechanism to bring nuclear education to the new level in terms of attractiveness and quality. The paper discusses proposed nuclear-educating forums which could be international training courses, which are the complex of training modules containing practical exercises and theoretical training in both online format and traditional face-to-face sessions. Among foreign countries demostrating interest in Russian reactor facilities, there is a demand for training courses on the use of software to justify the safety and technical parameters of nuclear power plants based on different design: from classic VVER to advanced SMR technologies At the Rosatom Tech, the new format of regional courses are held on an annual basis within the framework of the technical cooperation project of Rosatom State Corporation and the IAEA on infrastructure development and safety assessment of VVER-type pressurized water reactors with the active use of Russian computational tools.

EVALUATION OF ORGANIC AND RECYCLABLE WASTE SEPARATION AT GENERATION SOURCE IN RATNAPURA AND KATARAGAMA LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN SRI LANKA

The Japan International Cooperation Agency implemented a technical cooperation project from 2017 to 2019 in collaboration with Central Environmental Authority (CEA) in Sri Lanka. The project provided technical; and financial assistances in preparing solid waste management plans at selected local authorities, and consequently implemented 3R promotion programs introducing source separation at households and subsequent separate collection by local authorities. Two pilot projects were implemented based on the solid waste management plans which were aimed at reducing the amount of solid waste to be landfilled. This paper described the approaches taken and results obtained through the pilot projects in Ratnapura Municipal Council (RMC) and Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha Town (KPS) of Sri Lanka. The pilot project in RMC consisted of distribution of household compost bins and the separate collection of five categories of waste: 1) biodegradable waste, 2) plastic and polythene, 3) paper and cardboard, 4) glass, metal and coconut shells, and 5) other residual waste; and provision of advices to households by leaflets, distribution of equipment, and implementation of an awareness program. The pilot project in KPS consisted of procurement of separation bins for biodegradable waste by cost-sharing with dischargers and the separate collection of three categories of waste: 1) biodegradable waste; 2) recyclables including paper, cardboard, plastic, polyethylene, iron and coconut shells, broken glass and glass bottles; and 3) other residual waste. The post evaluation of waste composition and final discharge amounts at disposal sites indicated that pilot projects have contributed to increase 3Rs in both pilot project areas.

ソロモンの森林とJICA の技術協力(2) ソロモン国における持続的森林資源管理能力強化プロジェクト

ソロモンの森林とJICA の技術協力(2) ソロモン国における持続的森林資源管理能力強化プロジェクト