Solid Waste Management: A Case Study of Arppukara Grama Panchayat Of Kottayam District, Kerala (India)

The rising pressure of Population, together with the constantly changing technologies, and development perspectives, contribute to the ever increasing volumes of wastes in different forms. The solid and liquid wastes generated in the urban areas were considered a burden to the society, and hazardous to the environment. The fact is that the growth of consumerist culture and aimless throwing of refuse by the people created the outbreak of environmental pollution. Unhygienic environment and solid waste accumulation coincided with mosquito breeding which causes, the spread of most epidemics. The rationale behind most of the diseases is the unhygienic pattern followed by the people both in rural and urban areas. As an environmental package, the disposal of solid waste from different sources, such as house holds markets, commercial areas, slaughter houses, hospitals and industries, therefore assumed crucial importance. So as a part of the theory and practice, a study on the area, solid waste management of Arppukara Grama Panchayat of Kottayam district is taken into consideration. The study conducted here proposes, to examine the quality and quantity of the solid waste generated in the panchayat and also it's impact on the existing social, economical, environmental and ecological systems

Utilization of aquatic macrophyte Spirodela polyrhiza as phytotoxicological assessment and phytoremediation tool in selected polluted wetland sites in Ernakulam district

One of the objectives of the current investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of Spirodela polyrhiza to remove heavy metals and other contaminants from the water samples collected from wetland sites of Eloor and Kannamaly under controlled conditions .The results obtained from the current study suggest that the test material S. polyrrhiza should be used in the biomonitoring and phytoremediation of municipal, agricultural and industrial effluents because of their simplicity, sensitivity and cost-effectiveness. The study throws light on the potential of this plant which can be used as an assessment tool in two diverse wetland in Ernakulum district. The results show the usefulness of combining physicochemical analysis with bioassays as such approach ensures better understanding of the toxicity of chemical pollutants and their influence on plant health. The results shows the suitability of Spirodela plant for surface water quality assessment as all selected parameters showed consistency with respect to water samples collected over a 3-monitoring periods. Similarly the relationship between the change in exposure period (2, 4 and 8 days) with the parameters were also studied in detail. Spirodela are consistent test material as they are homogeneous plant material; due to predominantly vegetative reproduction. New fronds are formed by clonal propagation thus, producing a population of genetically homogeneous plants. The result is small variability between treated individuals. It has been observed that phytoremediation of water samples collected from Eloor and Kannamaly using the floating plant system is a predominant method which is economic to construct, requires little maintenance and eco friendly.

Perspectives of Urban Growth Management and Sustainable Development In West Bank, Hebron District as a case Study

The main objective of this PhD research study is to provide a perspective on the urban growth management and sustainable development in Palestine, and more specifically in Hebron district as a case study. Hebron is located 36 km south of Jerusalem, with an overall population size of around 600,000 people living in a total area around1246km2. Hebron is the biggest Palestinian district that has 16 municipalities and 154 localities. The research discusses and analyzes the urban planning system, economical and environmental policies and the solution required to manage and integrate the development elements to develop a sustainable development plan for Hebron. The research provides answers for fundamental questions such as what kind and definition of sustainable development are applicable to the Palestinian case?. What are the sustainability problems there and how the Israeli occupation and unstable political condition affect the sustainable development in Palestine? What are the urban growth management and sustainability policies and actions required from government, public and privets sector in Palestine? The fast urban growth in Palestine is facing many problems and challenges due to the increase in the population size and the resulting impact of this increase including, but not limited to, the demand of new houses, need for more infrastructure services, demands on new industrial, commercial, educational and health projects, which in turn reduces the area of agricultural lands and threatens the natural resources and environment. There are also other associated sustainability problems like the absence of effective plans or regulations that control urban expansion, the absence of sufficient sustainable development plans at the national levels for the district, new job requirements, Israeli restrictions and occupation for more than 60 years, existence of construction factories near residential areas, poor public awareness and poor governmental funds for service projects and development plans. The study consists of nine chapters. Chapter One includes an introduction, study objectives, problems and justifications, while Chapter Two has a theoretical background on sustainability topic and definitions of sustainability. The Palestinian urban planning laws and local government systems are discussed in Chapter Three and the methodology of research is detailed in Chapter Four. As for Chapter Five, it provides a general background on Hebron District including demographical and economical profiles, along with recommendations related to sustainable development for each profile Chapter Six addresses the urban environment, sustainability priorities and policies required. Chapter Seven discusses and analyzes infrastructure services including transportation, water and wastewater. As for Chapter Eight, it addresses the land use, housing and urban expansion beside the cultural heritage, natural heritage with relevant sustainable development polices and recommendations. Finally, Chapter Nine includes a conclusion and comprehensive recommendations integrating all of urban and sustainability event in one map. Hebron has a deep history including a rich cultural heritage aged by thousands of years, with 47% of Hebron district population under 14 years old. Being the biggest Palestinian district, Hebron has thousands of industrial and economical organizations beside a large agricultural sector at Palestine level. This gives Hebron a potential to play major roles in developing a national sustainability plan, as the current urban planning system in Palestine needs urgent reform and development to fulfill the sustainability requirement. The municipalities and ministers should find permanent financial aid for urban planning and development studies so as to face future challenges. The Palestinian government can benefit from available local human resources in development projects; hence Palestinian people have sufficient qualifications in most sectors. The Palestinian people also can invest in the privet sector in Palestine in case businessmen have been encouraged and clear investment laws and plans have been developed. The study provides recommendations associated to the sustainable development in Palestine in general and Hebron, as a case study, in specific. Recommendations include increasing the privet sector as well as the public involvement in urban growth management, and stopping unplanned urban expansion, subjecting granting building permits of new projects to the no-harm environmental impact assessment, increasing the coordination and cooperation between localities and central bodies, protection and renovation of old cites and green areas, increasing the quality and quantity of infrastructure services, establishing district urban planning department to coordinate and organize urban planning and sustainable development activities. Also, among recommendations come dividing Hebron into three planning and administrative areas (north, central and south), and dividing the sustainable development and implementation period (2010 to 2025) into three main phases. Finally, the study strongly recommends benefiting from the same urban development plans in similar districts at national and international levels, also to use new technologies and information systems in urban planning process.

Water Resource Pollution and Impacts on the local livelihood: A case study of Beas River in Kullu District, India

The rivers are considered as the life line of any country since they make water available for our domestic, industrial and recreational functions. The quality of river water signifies the health status and hygienic aspects of a particular region, but the quality of these life lines is continuously deteriorating due to discharge of sewage, garbage and industrial effluents into them. Thrust on water demand has increased manifolds due to the increased population, therefore tangible efforts to make the water sources free from pollution is catching attention all across the globe. This paper attempts to highlight the trends in water quality change of River Beas, right from Manali to Larji in India. This is an important river in the state of Himachal Pradesh and caters to the need of water for Manali and Kullu townships, besides other surrounding rural areas. The Manali-Larji Beas river stretch is exposed to the flow of sewage, garbage and muck resulting from various project activities, thereby making it vulnerable to pollution. In addition, the influx of thousands of tourists to these towns also contributes to the pollution load by their recreational and other tourist related activities. Pollution of this river has ultimately affected the livelihood of local population in this region. Hence, water quality monitoring was carried out for the said stretch between January, 2010 and January, 2012 at 15 various locations on quarterly basis, right from the upstream of Manali town and up to downstream of Larji dam. Temperature, color, odor, D.O. , pH, BOD, TSS, TC and FC has been the parameters that were studied. This study gives the broad idea about the characteristics of water at locations in the said river stretch, and suggestions for improving water quality and livelihood of local population in this particular domain.

Smallholder farmers’ access to credit in the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Provision of credit has being identified as an important instrument for improving the welfare of smallholder farmers directly and for enhancing productive capacity through financing investment by the farmers in their human and physical capital. This study investigated the individual and household characteristics that influence credit market access in Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, using a cross sectional data from smallholder farmers’ household survey. The aim is to provide a better understanding of the households’ level socio-economic characteristics, not only because they influence household’s demand for credit but also due to the fact that potential lenders are most likely to base their assessment of borrowers’ creditworthiness on such characteristics. The results of the logistic regression suggest that credit market access was significantly influenced by variables such as gender, education, households’ income, value of assets, savings, dependency ratio, repayment capacity and social capital. Implications for rural credit delivery are discussed.

Factors affecting peasants’ empowerment in West Halmahera District – a case study from Indonesia

Agricultural development has not yet created empowered farmers in Indonesia. Most farmers living in eastern Indonesia are peasants with low access to development resources. This condition causes most of the peasants to be classified as poor citizens. This research was meant to formulate improvement strategies for empowerment of the peasants. The data were collected between March – May 2012 using the following methods: observation, interview and focus group discussion. The data was analysed using descriptive statistic and structural equation modelling (SEM) and showed that: (1) the empowerment of peasants was within the lowest category for all variables, namely: the peasant characteristics, the role of the agents for development, program quality, the learning process and access to environmental support, (2) the determining factors affecting the empowerment of the peasants were: program implementation quality, the role of the agents of development, environmental access and support, the peasant characteristics, and the appropriateness of the learning process and (3) the strategy to improve empowerment of the peasants could be through corrective efforts towards program implementation quality, the role of facilitators, environmental access and support while considering the peasant characteristics and the learning process of the peasants.

Factors affecting choice of financial services among rural consumers: Emerging experiences from Gicumbi District, northern Province in Rwanda

Enhancement of financial inclusivity of rural communities is often recognised as a key strategy for achieving economic development in third world countries. The main objective of this study was to examine the factors that influence consumers’ choice of a rural bank in Gicumbi district of Rwanda. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using a binary probit regression model and non-parametric procedures. Most consumers were aware of Popular Bank of Rwanda (BPR) and Umurenge SACCO through radio advertisements, social networks and community meetings. Accessibility, interest rates and quality of services influenced choice of a given financial intermediary. Moreover, the decision to open a rural bank account was significantly influenced by education and farm size (p<0.1). These results indicate the need for financial managers to consider these findings for successful marketing campaigns.

Perception of quality in certified organic pineapples by farmers in Kayunga district, Central Uganda: Implications for food security

In East Africa, Uganda is one of the major producers of organic pineapples for export. These pineapples are mainly produced in central Uganda and have to meet stringent quality standards before they can be allowed on international markets. These quality standards may put considerable strain on farmers and may not be wholly representative of their quality interpretation. The aim of this paper is therefore, to determine the Ugandan organic pineapple farmers’ quality perception, the activities they carry out in order to attain that quality and challenges (production, postharvest & marketing) faced on the same. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out among 28 organic pineapple farmers in Kayunga district, central Uganda. Findings suggest that quality of organic pineapples is mainly perceived in terms of product attributes particularly appearance followed by food security provision. Certification plays a minor role in what farmers describe as organic quality. High production input costs (labour and coffee husks) coupled with a stagnant premium are some of the major challenges faced by farmers in attaining organic quality. The paper argues that currently there are concealed negative food security effects embroiled in these pineapple schemes. It is recommended that the National Organic Agricultural Movement of Uganda (NOGAMU) works with all relevant stakeholders to have the farmer premium price raised and an official organic policy enacted.

Análisis de las estrategias de gestión social en la recuperación de patrimonio cultural inmueble en centros históricos. Estudio de Caso: Bogotá, barrio La Candelaria, 2000-2010

Existen factores importantes en el deterioro del Centro Histórico de Bogotá, a saber, los crecientes movimientos poblacionales en el centro de la ciudad, las actividades de comercio que generan funciones poco constructivas para el centro histórico y la no apropiación de toda la población que hace uso de él. A partir de esta problemática se pensó algo que pareciera obvio y es que en buena parte el patrimonio además de la mención o interrogante respecto a los temas de ley tanto del Estado como del Distrito, en su facultad de dar una solución al deterioro del centro histórico, es también pensarlo desde el punto de vista de la gestión social. Entendiendo que el patrimonio no solamente se consolida o se protege pensando desde las herramientas o los recursos que promueve el Estado, sino de la gestión social misma, de aquella que los propios residentes, habitantes o usuarios del centro puedan movilizar.

Discovering our historic enviroment. 'Descubriendo nuestro entorno histórico'.

Proyecto que implica a alumnos de la ESO de 14 a 16 años en una serie de actividades que les ayudan a descubrir el entorno histórico del lugar donde viven y el desarrollo de su ciudad. Mediante el estudio y observación de edificios y lugares conocen su herencia cultural y el ambiente en el que se encuentran.

Limites e realidades do novo fundo de financiamento da Educação Básica (FUNDEB) no Munícipio de Nazarezinho - Paraíba - Brasil

Esta investigação faz um registro de um estudo de caso realizado com o objetivo de avaliar quais as contribuições trazidas pelo Fundo de Manutenção e Valorização da Educação Básica (FUNDEB) ao ensino fundamental, no Município de Nazarezinho – Paraíba/Brasil, no período de 2007 a 2009. O estudo está fundamentado nos principais acontecimentos históricos da educação brasileira: o financiamento educacional, as políticas de investimento e monitoramento internacional, as políticas neoliberais, o governo de Fernando Henrique Cardoso, a organização e vigência das principais legislações educacionais do país. Os principais programas educacionais da gestão do Presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, origem e desenvolvimento do FUNDEB a nível nacional e local, também fundamentaram a pesquisa conceitos de qualidade, financiamento educacional e políticas educacionais. Como aporte teórico, buscou-se as principais referências brasileiras: Davies (2008), Pinto (2004), Arelaro (2005), Azevedo (2005) e (Saviani) (2008). Como metodologia foram utilizadas técnicas de análise documental e entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores da rede municipal de ensino. A amostra documental foi feita através de estudo dos relatórios, balanços, demonstrativos de receitas e despesas do FUNDEB, Atas do Conselho de Acompanhamento do FUNDEB. Os resultados da pesquisa apontam que o novo fundo, no citado município, trouxe significativas melhorias em vários aspectos educacionais: formação docente, aquisição de equipamentos e infraestrutura das escolas. Porém, na questão da aplicação condigna dos recursos, ainda são necessários ajustes. Também percebemos que o índice de evasão e repetência continua muito alto. A pesquisa trouxe contribuições efetivas no que diz respeito às informações sobre os recursos do FUNDEB, inclusive abrindo debate para que o município pudesse discutir as formas de aplicação dos recursos conforme a lei na sociedade e no Conselho de Acompanhamento do FUNDEB.

Representing traumatic pasts at the District Six Museum

Using this metaphoric framework as a starting point, I would like to focus on the characteristics of the District Six Museum which extend its work beyond being that of representation (of traumatic memory). Representation signifies in some ways distance and separation, a telling of a story depicted for others. The work of the Museum is more akin to what could broadly speaking be described as ‘engagement’. Although this is word is much over-used, it nonetheless indicates more closely an embodied practice which invites personal insertion, empathy and emplacement. It includes a whole range of sense-making practices by those closest to the Museum’s story – the dispossessed ex-residents – who participate in the memorialisation practices of the Museum in both harmonious and dissonant ways. The architectural metaphor of this seminar is key to this approach, indicating a practice which is constructed and layered, fixed yet changeable. It speaks to a spectrum of activities related to the imperatives to develop as well as conserve – elements which are central to the Museum’s work in relation to the process of return and restitution. To signify the unfinished business of representation, the permanent exhibition is called Digging Deeper, a framework which allows for an always further uncovering of facts, meanings and perspectives.

Development of a historic hearing devices exhibit

This paper discusses historic hearing devices and their benefits to users.