Transborder Region Research Articles

Book Review: The Politics of Language Contact in the Himalaya

The arguments of <i>The Politics of Language Contact in the Himalaya</i> are grounded in the multidisciplinary nature of area studies i.e., linguistics, political science, anthropology and geography. Focusing on the area study of the trans-border region of the Himalaya, the contributors enrich their arguments through specific case studies of their respective areas. For all the contributors, the issues of language contact are central and all of them provide contextual analyses of this issue. The contributors raise placing their issues in the emerging discourse of language contact making the collection accessible not only to linguists but also to scholars interested in anthropology, sociolinguistics, political science and Asian studies.

Main factors in the transformation of regional and ethnic identity

Aim. To identify the most important factors in the transformation of ethnocultural space and population identity through the example of a multicultural trans-border region.Materials and Methods. This research vector provides possibilities to consider this issue in line with the well-known ideas of L. N. Gumilyov regarding the adaptation of ethnic groups to landscapes, as well as to apply an analysis algorithm based on the study of various forms of interethnic contacts and ethnic processes. The author's data from field expedition research, including sociological surveys of the population (more than three thousand people on both sides of the Russian-Kazakh border), interviews, expert assessments, including observation, mapping, etc. have been used. Historical sources, as well as archival documents and existing cartographic materials from various times, have been analysed.Results. Ethno-cultural groups interact with each other and adapt to landscapes, as a result of these processes ethnic cultures acquire common features and regional specificities. These factors have been evaluated and features of interethnic interaction between migrants and the autochthonous population as well as transformation of the ethno-cultural space are revealed. The speed of transformation is influenced by historical, geopolitical, psychological and economic factors. The article is illustrated with specific examples. Geographical aspects of transformation of ethno-cultural identity as the main marker of ethnic culture in trans-border regions have been consideredConclusion. The most important factors of ethno-cultural space and regional identity transformation are adaptation in landscapes, intercultural interaction, migration, change of ethnic composition of the population and divergence as a consequence of delimitation.

Cross-Border Interaction as a Factor of Regional Security (on the Example of the Rostov Region)

The paper deals with the impact of the situation in the South-East of Ukraine on the security of the Rostov region, which has long borders with the Do-netsk and Luhansk regions. Contemporary studies of border regions imply a synthesis of traditional and postmodern methodologies. In this regard, the concepts of a transborder region and a transconflict region are used as the theoretical and methodologi-cal basis of this study. The authors analyze the cur-rent state and prospects of cross-border interaction, taking into account the features of the conflict zone of the Russian-Ukrainian border. It is concluded that it is necessary to minimize the consequences of the destructive potential of a number of negative pro-cesses and phenomena. The role of the Strategy for the Socio-Economic Development of the Rostov region is evaluated in terms of countering the chal-lenges and threats to regional security.

Транскордонне освітньо-наукове співробітництво з міжнародного цифрового маркетингу в Карпатському єврорегіоні

Транскордонне освітньо-наукове співробітництво з міжнародного цифрового маркетингу в Карпатському єврорегіоні

Resurgence risk for malaria, and the characterization of a recent outbreak in an Amazonian border area between French Guiana and Brazil

BackgroundIn 2017, inhabitants along the border between French Guiana and Brazil were affected by a malaria outbreak primarily due to Plasmodium vivax (Pv). While malaria cases have steadily declined between 2005 and 2016 in this Amazonian region, a resurgence was observed in 2017.MethodsTwo investigations were performed according to different spatial scales and information details: (1) a local study on the French Guiana border, which enabled a thorough investigation of malaria cases treated at a local village health center and the entomological circumstances in the most affected neighborhood, and (2) a regional and cross-border study, which enabled exploration of the regional spatiotemporal epidemic dynamic. Number and location of malaria cases were estimated using French and Brazilian surveillance systems.ResultsOn the French Guianese side of the border in Saint-Georges de l’Oyapock, the attack rate was 5.5% (n = 4000), reaching 51.4% (n = 175) in one Indigenous neighborhood. Entomological findings suggest a peak of Anopheles darlingi density in August and September. Two female An. darlingi (n = 1104, 0.18%) were found to be Pv-positive during this peak. During the same period, aggregated data from passive surveillance conducted by Brazilian and French Guianese border health centers identified 1566 cases of Pv infection. Temporal distribution during the 2007–2018 period displayed seasonal patterns with a peak in November 2017. Four clusters were identified among epidemic profiles of cross-border area localities. All localities of the first two clusters were Brazilian. The localization of the first cluster suggests an onset of the outbreak in an Indigenous reservation, subsequently expanding to French Indigenous neighborhoods and non-Native communities.ConclusionsThe current findings demonstrate a potential increase in malaria cases in an area with otherwise declining numbers. This is a transborder region where human mobility and remote populations challenge malaria control programs. This investigation illustrates the importance of international border surveillance and collaboration for malaria control, particularly in Indigenous villages and mobile populations.

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF COOPERATION OF THE BORDER REGIONS OF UKRAINE, ROMANIA, MOLDOVA AND SLOVAKIA

The purpose of the paper is to outline the legal framework for the development of Ukrainian- Moldovan, Ukrainian-Slovak and Ukrainian-Romanian transborder regions (TBR), in particular in the context of intergovernmental agreements, national legislation on issues of cross-border cooperation, agreements between local authorities and regional cross-border regulatory support. The international cooperation of the Western region of Ukraine from the side of the authorities is focused mainly on the western vector, on relations with Poland. In our view, such regional policy leads to increasing regional differences in the socio-economic development of the Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, in particular their northern and southern parts. The intensification of the cross-border cooperation with Romania will create promising conditions for the transformation of a number of southern regions of the Carpathian region into a zone of accelerated economic development. This can be done through the development of transport, tourism and recreation, finance, logistics infrastructure, which will increase the attractiveness of the territories. And for this it is necessary to create an economic climate in the southern districts of the region, which would help attract foreign investment, especially Romanian, possibly by creating special or free economic zones there. The region has significant untapped potential of the Ukrainian-Romanian interaction that can be harnessed. The Ukrainian-Slovak and Ukrainian-Moldovan cooperation should also be strengthened in the region, the latter especially for the purpose of the European integration of Ukraine and Moldova. To this end, the article outlines the regulatory framework for the development of the Ukrainian-Moldovan, Ukrainian-Slovak and Ukrainian-Romanian transborder regions, in particular in the context of interstate agreements, national legislation on cross-border cooperation, agreements between local authorities and regional transborder security. The article describes the current state of subregional cooperation within the transborder regions, identifies the problematic issues of such cooperation, as well as reveals its content through the lens of the Euroregional cooperation. Methodogy. The dialectical method of scientific knowledge, method of analysis and synthesis, comparative method, method of data generalization are used in the paper. Results of the research. A description of the current state of subregional cooperation within the framework of the TBR is given, the problems of such cooperation are revealed, and its content is revealed through the prism of Euroregional cooperation. The key international projects of the development of the transborder regions were identified and their content and significance were analyzed for the improvement of the ecological safety of TBR, their entrepreneurship development, activation of innovation activities, the development of the border infrastructure, deepening of cultural interaction, improvement of urban development, revival of trade and investment activity in the above-mentioned transborder regions. The perspective directions of development of these TBRs are determined.

The Submissive Relationship of Public Health to Government, Politics, and Economics: How Global Health Diplomacy and Engaged Followership Compromise Humanitarian Relief.

This paper describes efforts by public health practitioners to address a health crisis caused by economic development policies that are unrestrained by either environmental, public health, or human rights mandates. Economic development projects funded by international funding institutions like the Inter-American Development Bank that reduce poverty when measured in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in the transborder region between Suriname and French Guiana harm minority populations where commercial activities destroy, alter, and remove the resources upon which local communities depend. In this study, the structural causes of a community health crisis affecting Indigenous people in the transborder region between Suriname and French Guiana was addressed by seeking gatekeepers in government who have access to policy-making processes. We found that deeply rooted economic development policies structured social, economic, and political alliances and made them resistant to feedback and reform. We concluded that work must be focused beyond the simple exchange of public health information. Public health practitioners must become politically active to create new policy commitments and new patterns of governance that advance development as well as improve health outcomes. Failure to do so may result in public health practitioners becoming ‘engaged followers’ that are complicit in the inhumanity that springs from their acquiescence to the authority of government officials when their policies are the cause of preventable death, disease, and disability.

The role of land use conversion in shaping the land cover of the Central American Dry Corridor

The Central American Dry Corridor (CADC) is a trans-border region characterized by climatic and ecological continuities. It is expected to experience rising aridity and severe hydro-climatic events due to climate change. Subsistence agriculture and other rural livelihoods to which land cover is central are widely practiced in this impoverished territory of approximately eleven million people.The CADC’s land cover was profiled to determine: a) how it differs from Non-CADC areas, and b) the role of land use in shaping these differences. Spatial autocorrelation analysis using satellite data showed that forest cover is a third less prevalent in the CADC than in the Non-CADC while the share of mosaic vegetation and mosaic cropland is nearly double. A naturally prevalent cover type in the CADC, tropical dry forest (TDF), has been largely eliminated.The significantly lesser proportion of forest and greater percentage of coverage consistent with agriculture and ranching implicate land use conversion, specifically deforestation for agricultural expansion and cattle ranching, in shaping CADC land coverage. The process began in the mid-1800s when small-scale agriculturalists migrated to the region followed by large-scale export crop and beef production, primarily for international markets. Deforestation peaked after WWII, concluding by the 1990s with the conversion of most woodlands. Similar patterns now threaten forests along the Caribbean coast.Traditional land use practices cannot sustain local communities or preserve the resource base, thereby contributing to rural outmigration. Adopting sustainable practices and promoting livelihoods strategies leading to forest regeneration will be fundamental for CC adaptation in the CADC.

The environmental aspect of the Eurasian integration of trans-border regions of Siberia and the Far East

The article considers the environmental problems of the trans-border regions of Siberia and the Far East in the conditions of the Eurasian integration. The environmental consequences of functioning of the economies of the near-border East Asian countries for the Russian trans-border regions are shown. Russian trans-border Siberian and Far Eastern regions perform economic cooperation with the countries of the Asia-Pacific region in various sectors of the economy: mining and manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, nuclear energy, transport and other industries. At the same time, the environmental risks of such cooperation are not always evaluated. This is evidenced by the deteriorating environmental situation in the regions under consideration. The article proposes measures to improve the state environmental regulation of the Eurasian integration process: the development of low-carbon energy and energy-efficient technologies, the use of modern agricultural technologies, focus on the formation of a green economy, coordination of environmental legislation of the cooperating Eurasian states.

Dark Events of the Istrian Countryside: An Electronic Media Perspective

This pilot research illuminates the connection and reflection of past traumatic events in contemporary dark events. The purpose of the research is to provide a basic understanding of what dark events and dark tourism mean in a specific regional environment – the countryside of the trans-border region of Istria. Consequently, the media-constructed social reality related to dark events was identified with the help of a quantitative content analysis; cross tabulation and descriptive analyses were employed to resolve three research questions. It was found that wwii-related memorial services dominate in all areas of the Istrian countryside; dark events, according to media, mostly occurred at memorials or internment sites;most of them were in small Istrian towns. Flower ceremonies and cultural programmes are essential elements of Istrian dark events in all areas. However, there is no statistically significant association between event type and different rural areas. Consequently, we are now (at least basically) familiar with current Istrian dark events, which offer an ideal basis for the development of dark tourism in the most developed tourist region of Slovenia and Croatia. Keywords: dark events, dark tourism, thematic tourism, Istrian history, countryside, media

Coffee, Migration and Climatic Changes: Challenging Adaptation Dichotomic Narratives in a Transborder Region

The narratives of migration as adaptation and in situ adaptation are well established in mainstream adaptation policy and are usually presented as independent and opposing trends of action. A common and fundamental element of such narratives is the depoliticized conception of both migration and adaptation. Using a trans-scalar approach, we address the migration–coffee–climate change nexus: first at a regional scale, at the conflictive border of Guatemala–Mexico, to show the contradiction between the current Central American migratory crisis and the narrative of migration as adaptation; second, at a local scale and from an ethnographic perspective, we focus on the process of in situ adaptation in shade-grown coffee plots of smallholder coffee farmers in the Tacaná Volcano cross-border region, between Chiapas and Guatemala. We argue that the dichotomy “in situ adaptation” versus “migration as adaptation” is not useful to capture the intertwined and political nature of both narratives, as illustrated in the case of the renovation of smallholders’ coffee plots in a context of climatic changes. We provide elements to contribute towards the repolitization of adaptation from an integral perspective.

The U.S.‐Mexico Transborder Region: Cultural Dynamics and Historical Interactions ‐ by Velez‐Ibáñez, Carlos G. and Josiah Heyman

The U.S.‐Mexico Transborder Region: Cultural Dynamics and Historical Interactions ‐ by Velez‐Ibáñez, Carlos G. and Josiah Heyman

Municipal Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Evidence from U.S. Cities on the U.S.-Mexico Border

In this study, we examine municipal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by focusing on emissions from vehicular sources. We compare what different cities have done to address the problem of GHG emissions from vehicles by using atmospheric data to assess the impact policy efforts have had on actual GHGs. We focus on an area overlooked in the literature, U.S. cities on the U.S.-Mexico transborder region. Using GHG vehicular emissions data from the Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) and an ordinary least square model, this research foundcities have reduced levels of GHGs, especially when municipal efforts are supported by state policies to reduce GHG emissions. While GHG in general are transboundary and a global issue by nature, communities in the U.S. border region are directly impacted by vehicular emissions due to cross-border trade that is not prevalent in interior communities. However, one of the main limitations in this type of study is the lack of reportable environmental data for less populated cities on the U.S.-Mexico border. Future studies need to develop alternative approaches to sustainability that could provide a more nuanced examination of some of the challenges or success in the U.S. transborder region.

Differences in the Environmental, Social and Economic Development of Polish\u2013Lithuanian Trans-Border Regions

Regional development is a complex process that can be analysed in various contexts, including environmental, social and economic factors. Variations in the levels of development are naturally observed across countries and regions, but they play a special role in trans-border regions. The aim of this study is to investigate differences in the level of development of two Polish voivodships (Warmia and Mazury, and Podlasie) and two Lithuanian counties (Marijampolė and Alytus) which are trans-border regions (NUTS 4 level). The study was conducted by analysing three subordinate criteria, namely environmental, social and economic factors, as well as the overall development of the evaluated regions with the use of the analytical hierarchy process and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution methods. The evaluated trans-border regions are characterised by a predominance of rural areas and considerable variations in development. The entire area is characterised by high natural value. This is an important observation because the condition of the natural environment is a key determinant of well-being, and it directly influences the quality of life. The analysis revealed considerable demographic problems, mainly in Lithuanian regions, resulting from low population growth and a negative net migration rate which influence population structure. Disproportions in regional development call for regional policies that are adapted to local needs and resources.

Los mam de México y Guatemala: un pueblo binacional entre la autonomía y la heteronomía

En el presente artículo se realiza un acercamiento a los discursos y las prácticas de dos organizaciones del pueblo maya mam ubicadas en la región transfronteriza entre México y Guatemala. Por un lado está la asociación civil Conciencia Cultural Mam, en los municipios de Unión Juárez y Cacahoatán, Chiapas, y por el otro, el Consejo del Pueblo Mam de Sibinal, en el municipio de Sibinal, departamento de San Marcos. Se elabora una aproximación analítica considerando el surgimiento de las organizaciones, así como los objetivos que persiguen, desde las categorías de autonomía y heteronomía indígenas.

Liaisons dangereuses: cross-border gene flow and dispersal of insecticide resistance-associated genes in the mosquito Aedes aegypti from Brazil and French Guiana.

BACKGROUND In recent years, South America has suffered the burden of continuous high impact outbreaks of dengue, chikungunya and Zika. Aedes aegypti is the main mosquito vector of these arboviruses and its control is the only solution to reduce transmission.OBJECTIVES In order to improve vector control it is essential to study mosquito population genetics in order to better estimate the population structures and the geneflow among them.METHODS We have analysed microsatellites and knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations from a trans-border region in Amazonia between the state of Amapá (Brazil) and French Guiana (overseas territory of France), to provide further knowledge on these issues. These two countries have followed distinct vector control policies since last century. For population genetic analyses we evaluated variability in 13 well-established microsatellites loci in Ae. aegypti from French Guiana (Saint Georges and Cayenne) and Brazil (Oiapoque and Macapá). The occurrence and frequency of kdr mutations in these same populations were accessed by TaqMan genotype assays for the sites 1016 (Val/Ile) and 1534 (Phe/Cys).FINDINGS We have detected high levels of gene flow between the closest cross-border samples of Saint-Georges and Oiapoque. These results suggest one common origin of re-colonisation for the populations of French Guiana and Oiapoque in Brazil, and a different source for Macapá, more similar to the other northern Brazilian populations. Genotyping of the kdr mutations revealed distinct patterns for Cayenne and Macapá associated with their different insecticide use history, and an admixture zone between these two patterns in Saint Georges and Oiapoque, in accordance with population genetic results.MAIN CONCLUSIONS The present study highlights the need for regional-local vector surveillance and transnational collaboration between neighboring countries to assess the impact of implemented vector control strategies, promote timely actions and develop preparedness plans.

The Role of Flagship Universities in a Region: Transformation Models

Efforts in providing expert and methodological support for the implementation of flagship university development programs in 2016–2017 yielded a specific-purpose flagship university model and four generic flagship university transformation models: regional technology leader (RTL), regional comprehensive university (RCU), industry sector leader (industrial university) (IL), and trans-border region university (TBRU). The article provides distinctive features of the four models, analysis of the regions where specific types of models pre­vail, and the results of model testing.
 As it has been found, flagship universities basically develop along two gene­ric models, RCU (classical universities, nearly half of the project participants) and RTL (engineering universities, one third of the flagship universities). For most universities, the type of transformation model pursued is strongly related to their current status and external environment characteristics. However, a number of universities fall in between and cannot be classified neatly under any particular model due to some specific external and internal factors. In this case, universities may use elements of more than one transformation model at once, yet the choice of model should first of all be based on the regional factors that determine the position and role of the flagship university in terms of the priority areas of regional development.

Inequalities of the Development of Polish-Ukrainian Transborder Regions

The purpose of the article is the estimation of the level of development of Polish-Ukrainian transborder regions, provision of an outline of problems and perspectives of their development, and of possible ways of solving such problems. The hypothesis states that the border line, on both the Ukrainian and Polish sides, is a powerful negative factor in the development of border regions. It is particularly visible on the Ukrainian side of the border. In order to delimitate the research area, the criterion of its location on counties (administration areas are named: in Poland — “poviat,” in Ukraine — “raion”) frame was applied. Therefore, for the transborder region, we consider administrative units located directly near the border: 9 counties of the Lubelskie and Podkarpackie voivodships for the Polish side, and 10 counties of 3 transborder regions in Ukraine (Lviv, Volyn, and Zakarpattia). For complex analysis of its development, we selected 9 diagnostic variables of sociodemographic, environmental, and economic development. In order to evaluate the level of development of transborder region, the synthetic index of its development was elaborated (Perkal index). The analysis of the spatial distribution of selected variables showed similarities in the development of Polish-Ukrainian transborder regions by environmental aspect, but significant differences in economic and sociodemographic depictions. In the context of the Perkal index, 4 classes of development of administrative units were elaborated. The worst situation regarding development was observed in the Volodymyr Volynskyi County with a level of development of -0,58. The best situation was observed in the case of the Bieszczadzki County with a level of development of 0,50. According to the authors, greater integration of Ukraine with the European Union, and active policy for activation of transborder regions could contribute to a reduction of differences in development of Polish-Ukrainian border regions.

Functioning of the Russian Language in Transborder Territories of the Arctic Region (As Exemplified by Northern Norway)

The research relevance is explained by the need to determine trends and prospects for the historical and cultural development of the Arctic Region with due regard to its multicultural evolution and existence forms, as well as by the importance of addressing the burning issue of the functioning of a national language in the context of globalization. The article aims to identify common trends in the functioning of the Russian language in transborder territories of the Arctic Region (the border area between the Murmansk Region and Northern Norway). The research novelty is in revealing the situation around minority languages of the Russian expat community living in Northern Norway. The article demonstrates that the Russian language is used in everyday communication, advertisements, announcements and signboards in the transborder region of Northern Norway by locals and a large number of Russian tourists but it has not become dominant among the population of the city of Kirkenes. At the same time, the linguistic isolation of Russian-speaking and Norwegian-speaking groups is obvious and is characterized by certain asymmetry like the relationship between Norway and Russia as a whole.

ПОЗИЦИОНИРОВАНИЕ ПРИГРАНИЧНЫХ РАЙОНОВ ДАЛЬНЕГО ВОСТОКА РОССИИ В ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЙ И СОЦИАЛЬНОЙ СТРУКТУРЕ РЕГИОНА: ПРОИСХОДЯЩИЕ ПЕРЕМЕНЫ

<p align="justify">В статье рассмотрены изменения во взаимоотношениях между экономическими структурами и местными жителями в приграничных районах Дальнего Востока России и Китая. Анализируются зависимость регионов Дальнего Востока от торговли с Китаем, развитие китайского агробизнеса и международные инвестиции в сельское хозяйство, а также трансграничная миграция.</p>