Rural-urban Interface Research Articles

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plant knowledge among three ethnic groups in peri-urban areas of south-central Ethiopia

BackgroundDocumenting traditional knowledge on plant use among ethnic groups has enabled researchers to obtain a better understanding of how indigenous flora is seen and used in daily life. Their therapeutic applications will also encourage future conservation and phytochemical research, potentially leading to the development of novel drugs. However, past ethnobotanical studies conducted in Ethiopia mainly focused on rural areas, and limited coverage to document the ethnobotanical knowledge at the rural‒urban interface. Therefore, this study was conducted to document and analyze traditional ethnobotanical knowledge on medicinal plants among three selected ethnic groups in peri-urban areas of south-central Ethiopia. In addition, we attempted to investigate the range of cultural similarity and disparity between the studied ethnic groups in relation to traditional medicinal plants and diseases treated.MethodsData were collected using semistructured questionnaires and in-depth interviews of 189 key informants, floristic species inventories, and field observations. Several cultural importance indices and Rahman’s similarity indices were applied to analyze the relevance of medicinal plants and cultural similarity among the ethnic groups.ResultsA total of 189 therapeutic plants representing 159 genera and 69 families were identified and documented across the three studied ethnic groups. Of these, the Sidama, Gedeo, and Oromo ethnic groups reported 28, 34, and 38%, respectively. Most medicinal plants were represented by herbs (36%), followed by shrubs (31%), trees (27%), and herbaceous climbers (7%). Rahman's similarity index (RSI) revealed considerable ethnobotanical knowledge variation among ethnic groups. Oromo and Sidama showed the highest disparity (63.8%), followed by Gedeo and Oromo (63.2%). Of the total collected therapeutic plants, 78 most important medicinal plants were selected for the cultural importance analysis, which revealed that Croton macrostachyus Hochst. ex Delile scored the highest point in the Gedeo and Oromo ethnic groups and Zingiber officinale Roscoe in the Sidama ethnic group. Whereas Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, Psidium guajava L., and Melia azedarach L. are the least.ConclusionThe present study revealed the presence of cultural differences in medicinal plant knowledge practices and therapeutic plant use among the studied ethnic groups in rural–urban interface areas of south-central Ethiopia. The diverse healing potential of plants would support future pharmacological investigations, emphasizing the need for adequate documentation of indigenous knowledge and versatile flora to prevent their further loss.

Convergence and divergence in science and practice of urban and rural forest restoration.

Forest restoration has never been higher on policymakers' agendas. Complex and multi-dimensional arrangements across the urban-rural continuum challenge restorationists and require integrative approaches to strengthen environmental protection and increase restoration outcomes. It remains unclear if urban and rural forest restoration are moving towards or away from each other in practice and research, and whether comparing research outcomes can help stakeholders to gain a clearer understanding of the interconnectedness between the two fields. This study aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for enhancing forest restoration in both urban and rural systems by reviewing the scientific evidence, engaging with key stakeholders and using an urban-rural forest restoration framework. Using the Society for Ecological Restoration's International Principles as discussion topics, we highlight aspects of convergence and divergence between the two fields to broaden our understanding of forest restoration and promote integrative management approaches to address future forest conditions. Our findings reveal that urban and rural forest restoration have convergent and divergent aspects. We emphasise the importance of tailoring goals and objectives to specific contexts and the need to design different institutions and incentives based on the social and ecological needs and goals of stakeholders in different regions. Additionally, we discuss the challenges of achieving high levels of ecological restoration and the need to go beyond traditional ecology to plan, implement, monitor, and adaptively manage restored forests. We suggest that rivers and watersheds could serve as a common ground linking rural and urban landscapes and that forest restoration could interact with other environmental protection measures. We note the potential for expanding the creative vision associated with increasing tree-containing environments in cities to generate more diverse and resilient forest restoration outcomes in rural settings. This study underscores the value of integrative management approaches in addressing future forest conditions across the urban-rural continuum. Our framework provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and decision-makers to advance the field of forest restoration and address the challenges of restoration across the urban-rural continuum. The rural-urban interface serves as a convergence point for forest restoration, and both urban and rural fields can benefit from each other's expertise.

Women Empowerment in Rural-Urban Interface of Bengaluru: An Approach through Supply Chain Management

Women Empowerment in Rural-Urban Interface of Bengaluru: An Approach through Supply Chain Management

Evaluation and determinants of satisfaction with the urban-rural interface area liveability toward “15-min city”: A case study in Henan Province, China

Building liveable cities is one of the most important goals of China's new urbanization development in the new era. Thus, understanding community residents' satisfaction in the rural-urban interface and its determinants is beneficial for constructing liveable cities and promoting the construction of safer, resilient, sustainable, inclusive and 15-min cities in China. This study aims to evaluate the community liveability satisfaction levels in relocated rural communities and identify the important influencing factors. Structural equation model (SEM) is used to capture the complex interrelationships between community liveability satisfaction, community environment, policy elements, community participation and other objective factors. The importance-performance analysis (IPA) is applied to measure the importance of relevant variables. The empirical results show that policy factors, and objective environment factors within the 15-min walking distance have significant positive impact on residents' community satisfaction. The mediating effect related to community participation strengthens not only the influence of policy elements on life satisfaction but also the effect of residents' subjective perception on community satisfaction.

Monitoring rural-urban transformation in the coastal region of Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, Morocco.

Worldwide urbanization drives rural-urban transformation (RUT) which has major consequences in many countries of the Global South where there is an urgent need to better understand and manage the underlying processes and consequences for ecosystem services. To fill existing knowledge gaps on the extent and time course of RUT in Morocco, this study focused on (i) analyzing the spatial patterns of rural-urban transformation in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra (RSK) region from 1972 to 2020, (ii) identifying key mechanisms of change, and (iii) defining the main driving forces behind the spatial transformation patterns. To this end, we processed data of the Landsat free archive, historical grayscale Corona images, and nighttime lights datasets on Google Earth Engine (GEE) using machine learning classifiers and LandTrendr spectral-temporal segmentation algorithms. With an overall accuracy (OA) ranging from 88-95%, the results revealed that during the study period the RSK region experienced a 473% growth of horizontal built-up reflected in an area increase from 63.4 km2 to 299.9 km2. The main changes occurred along the Kenitra-Rabat-Temara axis and in central cities connected to the main road network. The horizontal expansion of large and medium-sized cities led to the formation of a Rural-Urban Interface (RUI) on the outskirts. The urban sprawl of some cities has affected the surrounding rural lands within the RUI. Environmental, social, economic, and political forces have interacted in shaping the changes in rural-urban landscapes.

Organizational Models of Alternative Food Networks within the Rural–Urban Interface

Alternative food networks (AFNs) represent local food systems and short supply chain networks alternative to global food systems. These networks are often developed within rural–urban interfaces and take various forms, due to the high propensity towards the innovative organization of the network. The aim of our study is to map the currently applied, distinctive innovative organizational models of alternative food networks by identifying the organizational innovations of these networks in available case studies. Adopting the lens of organizational sociology and using space-filling visualization, the study compares various forms of localized and spatially extended AFNs. The results of our comparative analysis suggest that main aspects of AFNs’ differentiation are the models of network organization, applied coordination models, competences structures of the involved actors, nature of the intermediaries and their roles within the AFNs, and the level of customer engagement. Innovation processes within short food networks can be driven by the producer, intermediaries, and communities of consumers. We identified three types of AFNs defined with regard to the predominant direction of flows in the urban–rural interface: (1) AFNs localized within the borders of the city, (2) AFNs based on interconnecting the rural farmers located within rural settlements adjacent to the city and to the consumers in cities, and also (3) AFNs localized in peri-urban interfaces with distant customers.

Effectiveness of Utilizing Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to Estimate the Exposure to Organophosphate Pesticides Drift over Macon, Alabama

Farmers utilize pesticides extensively on their farms to control weeds and insects, as well as increase crop productivity. Despite these advantages, their excessive use poses a serious threat, particularly to the population living at the nexus of urban and rural areas. Exposure to pesticide drift can be investigated using geospatial tools. Remote sensing technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques have been used intensively and constitute trusted tools in different sectors, especially in agriculture. Remote sensing depends on processing the electromagnetic radiation reflected and emitted from the ground target and can be used to identify the main units of Land Use Land Cover (LULC), in addition to measuring crop areas exposed to pesticides. GIS has powerful tools for building a spatial geo-database of pesticide exposure drift. Therefore, the major objective of the research was to explore the effectiveness of using remote sensing and GIS techniques to estimate the exposure organophosphate pesticides drift over Macon County, Alabama. To achieve this objective, the Cropland Data Layer (CDL) dataset, the available pesticide usage data, and gridded population data were used to estimate the potential pesticide drift on the Macon County level. In addition, the AgDRIFT model was used to estimate the potential drift of pesticides from their intended targets at the field level. The results indicated that 6.6% of Macon County’s residents are considered potentially severely exposed, and the potentially affected population resides primarily in rural areas. In comparison, 23% of residents of the urban-rural interface are considered to have potentially medium to high exposure. In addition, 38% of residents living in suburban areas are considered to have potentially low-to-medium exposure. The results indicated that both GIS and remote sensing could play an effective role in estimating pesticide exposure drift at the State or County level. In addition, the AgDRIFT model was more appropriate for estimating pesticide drift at the field level.

Ecological drivers of sustained enzootic yellow fever virus transmission in Brazil, 2017-2021.

Beginning December 2016, sylvatic yellow fever (YF) outbreaks spread into southeastern Brazil, and Minas Gerais state experienced two sylvatic YF waves (2017 and 2018). Following these massive YF waves, we screened 187 free-living non-human primate (NHPs) carcasses collected throughout the state between January 2019 and June 2021 for YF virus (YFV) using RTqPCR. One sample belonging to a Callithrix, collected in June 2020, was positive for YFV. The viral strain belonged to the same lineage associated with 2017-2018 outbreaks, showing the continued enzootic circulation of YFV in the state. Next, using data from 781 NHPs carcasses collected in 2017-18, we used generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to identify the spatiotemporal and host-level drivers of YFV infection and intensity (an estimation of genomic viral load in the liver of infected NHP). Our GAMMs explained 65% and 68% of variation in virus infection and intensity, respectively, and uncovered strong temporal and spatial patterns for YFV infection and intensity. NHP infection was higher in the eastern part of Minas Gerais state, where 2017-2018 outbreaks affecting humans and NHPs were concentrated. The odds of YFV infection were significantly lower in NHPs from urban areas than from urban-rural or rural areas, while infection intensity was significantly lower in NHPs from urban areas or the urban-rural interface relative to rural areas. Both YFV infection and intensity were higher during the warm/rainy season compared to the cold/dry season. The higher YFV intensity in NHPs in warm/rainy periods could be a result of higher exposure to vectors and/or higher virus titers in vectors during this time resulting in the delivery of a higher virus dose and higher viral replication levels within NHPs. Further studies are needed to better test this hypothesis and further compare the dynamics of YFV enzootic cycles between different seasons.

Synergies and Trade-Offs among Different Ecosystem Services through the Analyses of Spatio-Temporal Changes in Beijing, China

Increasing global urbanization has not only resulted in economic development but it has also caused a number of ecological issues, such as haze, global warming, and storm surges, which can end up hindering the development of human society in the long term. One method of maintaining the long-term growth of human ecosystems is by considering ecosystem services (ES) when making decisions over land use. This study provides information to aid with decision making in the maintenance of Beijing’s ES provision in the long term. Firstly, three key ES, namely, carbon storage (CS), habitat quality (HQ), and water yield (WY), were evaluated by the InVEST model. Then, the spatial patterns of synergies and trade-offs among three ES at the city and grid scales were explored through the correlation coefficients analysis and geographically weighted regression (GWR). Finally, the strength of trade-offs among ES was calculated based on root mean squared error (RMSE), and the potential ecological risk areas are recognized. We discovered that (1) the total carbon storage decreases from 3.74 million tons in 2000 to 3.66 million tons in 2020, and HQ has the same trend, with its average value decreasing from 0.72 to 0.67; in contrast, water yield is more stable, increasing slightly from 8.22 × 1010 m3 in 2000 to 8.23 × 1010 m3 in 2020. (2) The synergies and trade-offs of ES are spatially heterogeneous. Among them, the correlation coefficients at the city-level indicated synergistic relationships among the three ES, but CS-WY and WY-HQ always have trade-off relationships at the grid level, where 37.88% of WY-HQ and 14.59% of CS-WY were trade-offs in 2020. (3) At the urban-rural interface, the trade-offs among ES are stronger than those in other regions. In rural-urban areas, the RMSE in CS-HQ, CS-WY and WY-HQ always had high values (>0.5), accounting for 16.72%, 9.33%, and 26.94% of the entire area, respectively; these areas are identified as potential ecological risk areas, which will be the focus area for future ES regulation. These findings provide opportunities for clear trade-offs among ES and promote positive synergies. In addition, land-use management may use the results to guide ecosystem service use, identify critical areas, and ensure regional sustainability in urban development.

Processed foods, socio-economic status, and peri-urban obesity in India

The ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020′ report states that switching to healthy diets will both prevent backsliding into hunger and help countries meet their sustainability goals. In 2019–2020, 17 percent of India’s adult population was undernourished. At the same time, however, 23 percent of all adults were obese. The increasing prevalence of obesity implies that improving diets and reducing risks for obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a major food security challenge for India in the coming years. Overconsumption of calories from processed foods is known to increase the risk of obesity. To gain insights into the dietary transition and its relationship with obesity, we use cross-sectional data from a primary socio-economic survey conducted in the rural-urban interface of Bangalore, a mega-city in India that is characterized by high economic development. We show that for women in lower-middle socio-economic status (SES) groups, higher share of calories from semi-processed foods (SPF) is associated with a higher prevalence of obesity, while excess consumption of calories from ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with a higher obesity prevalence among women in higher SES groups. Older women and women who consume above the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calories are more vulnerable to excess calories from SPF consumption than younger women and women who consume less than the RDA of calories. Furthermore, a lower prevalence of obesity is observed among women who consume excess calories from SPF but engage in labor-intensive occupational activity. These results speak to the need for interventions that incentivize weight loss and increased physical activity. The result that SPF consumption is associated with an increased prevalence of obesity especially among lower-middle SES group calls for interventions that increase access to and affordability of healthy diets. Policy instruments such as diversifying the public distribution system (PDS) are important to improve accessibility and affordability of healthy diets. In addition, increasing sugar and processed food taxes and incentivizing companies to invest in culturally sensitive food labeling should be considered to shift consumer demand towards healthier diet choices.

PERI-URBAN REGIONS OF INDIAN CITIES: IMPEDIMENTS AND CONCERNS

In Indian cities, peri-urban zones, often known as the transitional areas between urban and rural settings, are seeing fast growth. These areas are distinguished by their intricate socioeconomic dynamics, fast urbanisation, and prevalence of informality. This study looks at the difficulties that peri-urban zones of Indian cities confront, concentrating on the obstacles and worries that exist in these areas. The research consisted of a literature evaluation followed by case studies to determine the most important problems and worries. According to the findings, peri-urban regions in India confront a number of challenges, the most significant of which are inadequate infrastructure, unplanned development, weak governance, and environmental degradation. Concerns include things like how land is used, where people live and work, their health, their childrens education, and other public services. The paper comes to a close with a discussion of the implications of these challenges and concerns, as well as offering recommendations to address them in a manner in which city managers can play an important role and track their thought process regarding sustainable planned development for respective cities. KEYWORDS: Urbanization, Rural-urban interface, Infrastructure, Land use, Sustainability

Urban–rural interface dominates the effects of urbanization on watershed energy and water balances in Southern China

Urban–rural interface dominates the effects of urbanization on watershed energy and water balances in Southern China

Watershed land use change indirectly dominated the spatial variations of CH4 and N2O emissions from two small suburban rivers

Urban rivers have been proved to be the hot spots of atmospheric methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. However, the rivers across rural-urban interface, which are undergoing significant environmental changes in the process of urbanization, received little attention. In this study, we conducted seasonal investigations in two small suburban rivers in mountainous southwest China, to clarify the spatial-temporal characteristics of CH4 and N2O concentrations and fluxes in relation to watershed land use change and their potential controls. The results showed that, the small suburban rivers acted as strong CH4 and N2O emitters to atmosphere with averaged fluxes of 960.2±966.6 and 205.1±240.8 µmol·m−2·d−1, respectively. The concentrations and fluxes of CH4 and N2O presented a sharp increase and spatial variability when the rivers cross the rural-urban interface. Such discontinuous spatial pattern of CH4 and N2O emission in river continuum were closely related to watershed land use, and could be modeled as functions of the urban land use proportion. The urban land proportion in the basins could explain 70% and 59% of the total spatial variations of CH4 and N2O emissions, respectively. Stepwise multiple regression models (SMRM) based on water environment parameters were established in our study and indicate that DTC, NH4+, NO3−, TP and conductivity play key controls on CH4 and N2O emissions in the two studied mountainous suburban rivers. Moreover, SMRM and urban land use based functions were tested to have good predictions based on constrained mountainous samples, could provide a possible path to extrapolate CH4 and N2O emissions in mountainous urbanized-rivers at the whole regional network scale. We also found evidences for the sewage-dominated tributary with abnormally high CH4 and N2O concentrations, which was partially responsible for the sharp increase of CH4 and N2O fluxes in urban reaches. The results of structural equation model provided strong evidence for direct and indirect controls of urban expansion on longitudinal differentiation of riverine CH4 and N2O emissions crossing rural-urban interface. We argued that CH4 and N2O emissions from rivers in the mountainous rural-urban area are sensitive to the watershed urbanization and water pollution, and suggested that land use management, nutrient and organic matter control can be promising avenues to mitigate riverine CH4 and N2O emissions.

Suburban pastoralists: Pastoral adaptation strategies at the rural-urban interface in Nairobi, Kenya

How does urban expansion interact with pastoral climate change adaptation? This article explores pastoral adaptation strategies at the rural-urban interface. It examines how Maasai pastoralists in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya, respond to climate hazards in the context of urban expansion, land use change, and land privatisation. Using mixed-method research, the study is informed by a household survey (n = 72), 38 qualitative interviews, and 12 focus group discussions. Drawing on the literature on climate change adaptation, pastoral change, and peri-urban dynamics, we find that while urban expansion provides significant challenges for pastoral livelihoods in the study area, pastoralists also engage new opportunities in the peri-urban context and employ them in their adaptation strategies. We show how adaptation strategies related to mobility, diversification, market exchange, and storage are employed through a variety of efforts including engagement with urban land markets and demand for livestock products, and by capitalising on proximity to transport, trading facilities, water, and commercial fodder. Communal pooling, another adaptation strategy, is less used and perceived to be in decline. We further find that historical land ownership patterns play a significant role in adaptation strategies, as pastoralists who have benefitted from rangeland privatisation are able to convert high peri-urban land values into private rural land access and investments in, e.g. diversification. Poor households are in a more precarious position but draw on informal agreements to access land as part of their adaptation strategies. Our findings highlight how pastoral households at the rural-urban interface may draw actively on peri-urban opportunities in their adaptation strategies as part of their efforts to enhance livelihoods, and in so doing bridge peri-urban and rural space. More broadly, our study highlights the importance of understanding pastoral climate change adaptation in the context of wider changes in livelihoods, land use, and land rights, rather than as isolated actions.Graphical

Urban Outshopping in Rural Slovakia

Abstract Outshopping is consumption behaviour where a consumer leaves the local economy and procures products and services in other local economies. While rural outshopping has been studied in the scientific literature for decades, the consumption structure of urban dwellers in smaller rural settlements has never been precisely mapped. The aim of this study is to understand the basic patterns of urban residents' spending on goods and services in the local economies of small rural settlements, using descriptive methods, comparison and content analysis. Based on the results, we put forward hypotheses that rural outshopping takes place within the nodal region of the city rather than in the wider urban-rural interface, may have a potentially selective character, and the frequency of short-term movement on the city-rural axis may be additional to other dominant intentions for traveling to a rural settlement.

An Economic Analysis of Milk Production in Rural-urban Interface of Bengaluru

Study was carried out in the rural-urban interface of Bengaluru to address the rapid urbanization of the rural areas surrounding Bengaluru urban. Data from 240 dairy sample respondents, 120 non-dairy sample respondents were also drawn from different layers of South and North transects. Thus, the total sample size was 360. The results revealed that per day net maintenance cost for indigenous and cross-bred cows was ` 58.34 and 104.34, respectively, with corresponding yields of 2.39 lt and 5.13 lt. The cost of production of milk and gross returns realized were comparatively higher among cross-bred cows (` 77.66 and ` 127.56) than local cows (` 58.34 and ` 124.08). Milk marketing practices, the highest proportion of respondents followed marketing channel-II (54 %) and marketing channel III (48 %) in the marketing of milk produced by local cows and cross-bred cows, respectively. The per liter total cost of milk marketing was more in channel-III (` 1.26 and 0.61) than the channel-II (` 0.62 and 0.37) and channel-I (` 0.37 and 0.38) in the case of milk produced by both local as well as cross-bred cows.

Endogenous Driving Forces in Ecology-Production-Living Space Changes at Micro-Scale: A Mountain Town Example in Inland China

Studying land use transition and restructuring has value for promoting sustainable regional development, especially in China’s vast rural areas, which are undergoing rapid changes. Current research tends to focus on the macro level, and analyses of driving forces are mostly based on the correlation analysis of influencing factors. However, in the case of villages and towns, which are at the micro level, it is important to know who promotes land use transition and how to promote it under the influence of the macro environment. This study, therefore, focused on the endogenous driving force behind land use transition and its characteristics at the micro level of villages and towns. On the basis of our theoretical framework, an empirical study was carried out on the transformation and restructuring of ecology–production–living (EPL) spaces in the town of Zhulin in Central China over the past 30 years. We found the following: (1) The overall distribution of EPL spaces in Zhulin shifted from mixed distribution to relatively concentrated distribution, and the spatial transfer of EPL spaces showed fluctuations in the expansion and contraction of different types of spaces. (2) Land use transition was more active in spatial interface areas than in noninterface areas, where the interconversion of ecological space and agricultural production space was concentrated at the terrain interface. In addition, transformation processes related to living space and non-agricultural production space were concentrated at the urban–rural interface. (3) Macro-level social and economic changes were the root cause of land use transformation, and the autonomous spatial governance capability of villagers’ self-organization institutions was key to regulating land use transformation. The spatial interface was a sensitive area for land use transformation in a natural state. An endogenous driving mode of active response to land use transformation based on rural autonomous spatial governance capability and spatial interface sensitivity is proposed. How to improve the rural governance capacity of key local actors in different regions and at different levels is an aspect worthy of further consideration.

Evaluating Water and Carbon Retention in a Low-Order, Designed River Corridor

As urban residential areas expand into the areas around cities, especially in North America, these areas were previously forested or were converted to agricultural uses (e.g., cropping, grazing). Many of the pre-existing channels were modified prior to residential area expansion and required modification and/or restoration in order for development permits to be granted. These pre-existing channels are often low-order, semi-ephemeral streams with hydrological and geomorphological functions and provide aquatic-terrestrial habitat and ecological linkages. Once restored, these corridors provide important services to the entire river network related to flood-risk mitigation, sediment trapping, and are potential carbon (via particulate organic matter) sinks. This research evaluated water flow and carbon trapping within a low-order tributary of East Morrison Creek in Southern Ontario, Canada in the years immediately following construction. Water level records (5 September and 30 November 2019, and 1 April and 30 November 2020) show that even in its early development this new system was functioning efficiently. Sediment samples taken throughout the 2020 field season determined particulate organic matter was being stored, especially in features where flow was attenuated. Channel roughness imposed by large wood structures promote organic matter deposition within bed sediments and were expected to increase over time. These findings highlight the importance of spatial heterogeneity imposed by the design features used in this reach-scale restoration and serve as a valuable ‘proof of concept’ for future work along the urban-rural interface of expanding cities.

Preventive measures focused on the urban-rural interface protect rural food-producing communities from SARS-CoV-2.

Rural food-producing communities are fundamental for the development of economic activities associated with sustainability and food security. However, despite the importance of rurality in Colombia, preventive strategies continue to be implemented homogeneously, without considering the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in rural food-producing communities. To model real areas in Colombia involving rural and urban populations that have intrinsic SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics. Characterize rural-urban interactions by means of a parameter that provides different scenarios and allows us to identify interactions capable of preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission in rural food-producing communities. The dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection was modeled in five case studies (Boyacá, Caquetá, Cundinamarca, Santander and Sucre) considering urban and rural areas and their interaction (connectivity) in the urban-rural interface. For this purpose, an epidemiological compartmental model considering a classification of individuals according to their economic activity and their epidemiological status was assessed. Preventive measures focused on the urban-rural interface impact the number of deaths in rural areas. Hence, it is possible to assume that the dynamics of the disease in rural areas depend on the constant interaction with infected individuals from urban areas, which occurs due to the food production dynamics in the urban-rural interface. Preventive measures should focus on places of high transmissibility and risk for rural communities, such as the urban-rural interface. This work highlights the importance of national heterogeneous preventive measures and the protection of rural communities from the social and economic impacts of SARS-CoV-2.

Categorization of green and grey infrastructure complexity in the rural–urban interface of Bengaluru, India: an unsupervised volumetric approach with relevance for urban quality

Trees are key elements of urban green infrastructure and provide multiple ecosystem services that are essential for the quality of life of people in urban environments. Grey infrastructure is made up of buildings or built-up area, generally characterized by imperviousness of the surface. The complexity of urban green and grey infrastructure and their interactions co-define the quality of urban life and the ecological value of urban areas. Using conventional dichotomies by separation into “urban” and “rural” contexts does hardly allow to comprehensively assess the situation in rapidly urbanizing environments of the Global South. We present an unsupervised remote sensing-based approach that integrates 3D information to objectively categorize the complexity of green and grey infrastructure. Using the rural–urban interface of Bengaluru, India, as a case example, we distinguished five categories that describe the composition and configuration of green and grey infrastructure, where three variables served as indicators for categorization into five clusters. We argue that such integrated 3D assessment of green and grey infrastructure is particularly useful for understanding and classifying “rurban” environments, where a distinction between urban and rural is often no longer possible. Our final map allows to quantitatively characterize such rurban configurations.