| 1. |
- Elbakidze, Marine, et al.
(författare)
-
A bottom-up approach to map land covers as potential green infrastructure hubs for human well-being in rural settings : A case study from Sweden
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Landscape and Urban Planning. - : Elsevier BV. - 0169-2046 .- 1872-6062. ; 168, s. 72-83
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Green infrastructure (GI) policy encourages the spatial planning of natural and semi-natural areas to deliver biodiversity conservation and a wide range of ecosystem services (ES) important to human well-being. Much of the current literature relies on expert-led and top-down processes to investigate connections between landscapes' different land covers and ES. Little is known regarding the preferences of residents, and how they connect land covers with the delivery of ES important for their well-being. The aim of this study is to identify and locate such land cover types as GI that provide multiple ES important for human well-being in rural settings. First, we interviewed 400 urban and rural residents to identify ES important for personal well-being and the land covers that deliver multiple ES in three counties that best represent the existing rural-urban gradient in Sweden. Second, to support the inclusion of GI in spatial planning, we identified and located spatial concentrations of individual land covers providing multiple ES (GI hubs) and significant clusters of such land covers (GI hotspots). The majority of urban and rural respondents associated their well-being with lakes, mountains above the tree line, old-growth forests, wooded-pastures, mature pine forests and rural farmsteads. The areal proportion of each type of hub was low, on average 3.5%. At least three land management strategies are needed to sustain GI hubs: maintenance of the composition, structure and function of natural ecosystems in protected areas; support for traditional agroforestry and villages as social-ecological systems; and diversification of the current intensive forest management approach.
|
|
| 2. |
- Elbakidze, Marine, et al.
(författare)
-
Defining Priority Land Covers that Secure the Livelihoods of Urban and Rural People in Ethiopia: a Case Study Based on Citizens' Preferences
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Sustainability. - : MDPI AG. - 2071-1050. ; 10
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Securing land management systems that maintain land covers is important for sustaining human livelihoods in Africa; however, simultaneously maintaining a viable natural environment is a serious challenge. Aggravated by rapid population growth and biodiversity loss, Ethiopia is an illustrative example of this issue. Stressing the need for a bottom-up stakeholder perspective, we identify and map land covers that deliver multiple ecosystem services that are important for the livelihoods of rural and urban citizens in the southern part of Ethiopia's Rift Valley. First, we interviewed 400 urban and rural residents to identify the land covers that deliver desired ecosystem services in three agroecological zones, representing a steep gradient in the livelihood conditions. Second, to support the inclusion of priority land covers in spatial planning, we located spatial concentrations of individual land covers providing bundles of desired ecosystem services. The majority of urban respondents selected homegarden agroforestry (92% of respondents from this group), freshwater lake (82%), river (70%), agroforestry shade-grown coffee (65%), natural old-growth forest (59%), rural settlement (52%), Afromontane undifferentiated forest (52%), and urban areas (73%) as important for their livelihood. In contrast, the majority of rural respondents selected three land covers: homegarden agroforestry (80% of respondents from this group), agroforestry shade-grown coffee (58%), and urban areas (65%). To maintain the identified natural and semi-natural priority land covers, at least two land management strategies are crucial to sustain the provision of ecosystem services for the livelihoods of both urban and rural people, and biodiversity conservation: (1) maintaining traditional agroforestry land-use practices, and (2) enhancing the protection and sustainable management of natural forest ecosystems. Additionally, integrated spatial planning is needed that considers both rural local community-based resource management that focuses on local needs for employment and products, and global demands to conserve biodiversity.
|
|
| 3. |
- Elbakidze, Marine, et al.
(författare)
-
Hållbar landsbygdsutveckling : samverkan för kunskapsproduktion och lärande
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Fakta. Skog. - 1400-7789.
-
Annan publikation (populärvet., debatt m.m.)abstract
- Landsbygdens naturresurser och andra värden är viktiga för att vidareutveckla en biobaserad ekonomi och att stärka Sverige som besöksnation. Därför är det viktigt med befolkade, aktiva och växande landsbygder. Landsbygden står dock inför stora utmaningar. Hur skapas attraktiva bygder? Hur bevaras gamla jobb, och skapas nya? Hur bevaras ekologiska, sociala och kulturella värden? Genom tvärvetenskaplig forskning tillsammans med aktörer på olika samhällsnivåer verkar vi för en hållbar landsbygd genom att generera kunskap och bidra till lärande. Vårt internationella arbetssätt ger nya perspektiv på kunskapsproduktion och lärande tillsammans med praktiker, och skapar förutsättningar för problembaserad utbildning för hållbar landsbygdsutveckling. Här presenteras huvudinriktningarna för vår forskning för hållbar landsbygdsutveckling.
|
|
| 4. |
- Sahilu, Mersha, et al.
(författare)
-
From self-subsistence farm production to khat: driving forces of change in Ethiopian agroforestry homegardens
- 2016
-
Ingår i: Environmental Conservation. - 0376-8929 .- 1469-4387. ; 43, s. 263-272
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- SUMMARY Traditional agroforestry homegardens deliver multiple products and benefits, including food security and livelihoods for rural households in Ethiopia. However, this land use has been changing towards monoculture production of khat (Catha edulis). This study analyses the development trajectories and causes of change in agroforestry homegardens. In total, 84 interviews, including key informant and semistructured household interviews, and eight focus group discussions were conducted in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Regional State. It was found that khat production was increasing regardless of household wealth status. The proximate causes included better financial income for households, smaller sizes of farms due to farm land redistribution, favourable market conditions for khat, access to irrigation, decrease in governmental subsidies to buy fertilizer and quality seeds for food crop production, a positive experience of other farmers in khat production, and minimizing risks of theft and wildlife damage. Khat production challenges the implementation of national policies towards eradication of poverty and hunger.
|
|
| 5. |
- Sahilu, Mersha, et al.
(författare)
-
Gender relations in changing agroforestry homegardens in rural Ethiopia
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Rural Studies. - : Elsevier BV. - 0743-0167 .- 1873-1392. ; 61, s. 197-205
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agroforestry homegardens have been the dominant farming practice in the southern part of Ethiopia, delivering multiple products important for food security and livelihoods of rural households. This traditional farming is based on the labour force of both men and women in the household, however, with unequal rights to access and control over land and farm products. Since the 1990s the traditional agroforestry homegardens have been gradually changing from self-subsistence farming towards mainly commodity production of cash crops, dominantly khat. This study examines how the formal and customary institutions address the gender relations in the changing agroforestry homegardens. Based on a review of 22 legal documents, 24 key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews in 40 households and eight focus group discussions in the Sidama zone we identified that customary institutions restrict women's access to land, market and trading, decision-making process at the household and community levels. We conclude that while international and national legal documents recognize women's contribution, and their human/civil rights, in practice rural women are still disadvantaged.
|
|
| 6. |
- Sahilu, Mersha
(författare)
-
Recent transitions in Ethiopian homegarden agroforestry : driving forces and changing gender relations
- 2013
-
Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Homegarden agroforestry was a dominant land use practice in Southern Nations, Nationalities and People's Regional State (SNNPRS) Ethiopia until the 1990s. It has been known for its diversity, ecosystem balance and sustainability. Its outputs were contributing to the sustainable livelihoods of the region and were crucial for the household food security and rural development. More recently it has been challenged by population pressure, shrinking farm size, poverty and a new market situation and has gradually been changing towards monoculture production of khat (Catha edulis) and eucalyptus species. The consequence of the transitions on ecology, biodiversity, sustainability and food security has been studied by different scholars. However, the trend and extent of the change, its driving forces and its impacts on household food availability, gender division of labour and income, gender roles and gender power relations have not been properly addressed. Therefore, the overall aim of this thesis is to broaden the scope and understanding of drivers and consequences of the on-going land use changes in the traditional agroforestry of Ethiopia and thereby contribute to institutional development efforts towards a stable and sustainable land use and gender equity in rural development. Its specific objectives are i) to assess the trend of change from traditional homegarden agroforestry towards cash crop production and its proximate and underlying causes and ii) to analyse and explain how the land uses change affects the lives of farm women and men, their gender roles and the gender power relationship and space for action and agency. Primary data have been gathered through transect walks, field and market observations, household surveys, keyinformants and focus group discussions, while secondary data have been obtained through policy documents, files and records. The study revealed that there is a change in the distribution and area proportion among the three land use categories "food crops", "cash crops" and "grazing and living quarter" and in the structure of traditional homegarden agroforestry. The change has been driven by expectations of financial income (cash), farm land fragmentation, favourable market conditions for new cash crops, access to irrigation, limited supply of farm input for food crop production (fertilizer and seed), experience of others, risk of theft, and wildlife disturbance. These causes, which were identified by the respondents, have been underpinned by underlying factors such as demographic, economic, policy and institutional, socio-cultural and technological drivers. The analysis of the system dynamics shows that all underlying driving forces interact with each other and cause change in traditional practices although policy and institutional factors could be seen as key drivers provoking the change of other driving forces. The expansion of cash crops has had a number of effects on the households. It has significantly affected the food supply for households and market, and the financial income from cash crop trading. Moreover it has affected household division of labour, decision making, family share and distribution of income, gender role of women and men, and the household gender power relationship. The expansion of cash crops has enhanced the decision making and the bargaining power of men as most production and trading of cash crops and the income is controlled by men. Women's role, on the other hand, has been declining in terms of labour input, access to products, control over products decision making and bargaining over use and distribution of resources. The increase of cash crop production and financial income obtained more attention while declining food crop production and biodiversity of the system were given little attention by the farming households. The transition towards monoculture cultivation of crops has affected the rational of weighing and balancing economic gain and the socio-cultural and ecological benefits derived from the traditional homegarden agroforestry in the study region. Therefore, securing gender equality and balancing the economic benefits with the socio-cultural and ecological values of this system should be considered in regional agricultural development plans and land use policies towards the implementation of sustainable rural development.
|
|
| 7. |
- Sandewall, Mats, et al.
(författare)
-
An Approach for Assessing Changes of Forest Land Use, Their Drivers, and Their Impact to Society and Environment
- 2015
-
Ingår i: Precious Forests - Precious Earth. - : InTech. - 9789535121756 ; , s. 259-277
-
Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Globalization, urbanization, and new policies are changing land use, environment, and rural life. Policy makers need means to understand changes and their impacts for making wise decisions. This paper explores a methodological landscape-level approach for assessment and monitoring of changes in land use, forest cover and society, its drivers and impacts. It is based upon experience from case studies in Asia and Africa. The paper suggests that such approaches should address major issues of land use change including its drivers and impacts, generate policy relevant and accurate information, be cost-efficient and practical to implement, make appropriate use of modern knowledge, and engage stakeholders and decision makers. Technically, the approaches should cover all land types, objectively describe current land use and trends, enable verification, and be robust and flexible to address upcoming needs. The approach combines participatory field point sampling for estimating land use trends with remote sensing and GIS, household and key informant interviews for obtaining socio-economic and other information, and meetings with farmers and decision makers for feed-back and discussing policy issues. It illustrates that land use assessments for policy purposes can be developed to meet proposed requirements by combining different techniques and involving local stakeholders in inventory processes.
|
|
