Search Results (20,455)

Water pans and small dams play a vital role in supplying domestic water in rural regions characterised by seasonal rainfall regimes, with increasing importance as a climate change adaptation measure. Despite their small individual size, the collective impact of numerous water pans is significant. Commercially available monitoring systems are often too costly to be justified for these decentralised infrastructures, resulting in limited data availability that impedes detailed studies aimed at improving their performance. Here, we developed a low-cost monitoring station network that measures water level (JSN-SR04T ultrasonic sensor), precipitation (3D-printed tipping-bucket gauge), and air temperature and humidity (DHT22 sensor). Each station costs less than 12,000 KES (≈93 USD in March 2026), making it suitable for such decentralised multi-site monitoring. A field trial conducted from June to November 2025 at four water pans in the Kakia-Esamburmbur Catchment, Kenya, compared the collected data with an automatic weather station and manual observations. Water level measurements were more accurate than manual reference readings, while air temperature showed biases of $1.4$ to $1.8$ ${}^{\circ }$C. Precipitation data were largely inaccurate due to inadequate sensor levelling. Overall operational reliability reached $83\%$, indicating potential for improvements to reduce maintenance efforts and fully exploit the advantages of its low-cost hardware. Full article

Medical drone delivery (MDD), defined as the use of uncrewed aerial vehicles to transport medical products, is an emerging technological innovation responding to persistent health supply chain challenges in rural and low-resource settings. Within sub-Saharan Africa, MDD systems have demonstrated large-scale success in improving key health outcomes, health supply chain efficiency, and reductions in medical product stockouts and wastage. However, the existing evidence base on the effectiveness of this technology is dominated by quantitative, performance-based evaluations, with limited emphasis on the community-driven mechanisms that shape such outcomes. Drawing on original qualitative research, this article presents a qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) of interview data collected as part of a larger case study on MDD in Madagascar. The QSA, guided by socio-technical systems theory, analyzes a subset of 18 interviews with 23 community-level stakeholders to understand how MDD affects healthcare services in remote regions of the country. Participants reported that MDD led to downstream healthcare improvements in vaccination coverage and malaria-related health outcomes. These improvements were enabled through four interconnected socio-technical mechanisms: (1) improved medical product availability through the mitigation of geographic and transportation barriers, (2) stabilization of vaccine and cold chain transportation, (3) building trust and healthcare-seeking behaviours through predictable service delivery, and (4) reduced physical, mental, and financial burdens experienced by healthcare workers. A final, cross-cutting theme emphasized was the criticality of MDD program continuity, with participants noting that operation disruptions or withdrawals risked reversing benefits and breaking communities’ trust in the health system. By centering lived realities, perceptions, and social processes, this article bridges the gap between predominantly quantitative evidence on MDD systems and the experiences of the communities they are intended to serve. Full article

Background: Informal sewing workers are widely exposed to ergonomic and workload-related risks but remain largely excluded from formal occupational health protection, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluated integrated physical and mental workload risks associated with WMSDs among informal sewing workers to develop contextually feasible preventive guidelines based on the Hierarchy of Ergonomic Control. Methods: A mixed-methods study was conducted among 150 informal sewing workers in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Thailand. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire, the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). Associations between sociodemographic characteristics, ergonomic risks, and WMSDs were analyzed using chi-square tests and correlation analysis. Qualitative data were obtained through a focus group discussion with key stakeholders to develop ergonomic control strategies guided by the HEC framework. Results: The majority of participants were female and middle-aged, with widespread exposure to high-risk ergonomic conditions, including prolonged sitting, repetitive tasks, and awkward postures. A high prevalence of WMSDs was observed, particularly in the neck, shoulders, and back. Younger workers and those with lower educational attainment experienced significantly higher ergonomic risk exposure and WMSD prevalence. NASA-TLX results indicated that physical demand and performance pressure were the main contributors to overall workload. Application of the HEC framework showed that elimination and substitution controls were the most effective strategies for reducing ergonomic risks, followed by engineering controls, while administrative measures and personal protective equipment were less effective. Conclusions: Informal sewing workers face substantial ergonomic and mental workload risks that contribute to a high burden of WMSDs. Prioritizing higher-order ergonomic controls, integrating workload management, and implementing community-based ergonomic interventions are essential to improving occupational health and reducing inequities among informal workers. Full article

Promoting resilience, increasing productivity and sustainability, and profit maximization remain key challenges facing farmers globally. These are exacerbated by factors such as climate change, low to no access to technological advancement, financial constraints, poor technical and management skills, inadequate government support, and limited access to resources. However, there are diverse strategies that abound, including on-farm diversification, that farmers could leverage on to address these numerous and complex challenges. This study investigated the determinants of on-farm diversification strategies among smallholders in Mpumalanga Province. The study employed a quantitative approach using closed-ended survey questionnaires to elicit information from a total of 465 farmers who were randomly sampled from a total population of 14,411. The data gathered were analysed using descriptive statistics to determine the on-farm diversification strategies employed by farmers and the factors influencing the use of these strategies. A binary logistic regression model was employed to establish the relationship between on-farm diversification strategies and the determining factors. More than half of the farmers were female (51.8%), with only 48.2% male. The majority (59.1%) of the farmers were between the ages of 36 and 60, with only 20.2% youth participation in farming. Slightly more than half (50.8%) of the farmers practise mixed farming as their on-farm diversification strategy, while only 4.3% of the farmers practise mono-cropping. The study identified significant variables such as level of education (p = 0.001), secondary source of income (p = 0.057), farmland size (p = 0.022), number of farm assistants (p = 0.016), and on-farm diversification awareness as key determinants of on-farm diversification among smallholder farmers in Mpumalanga Province. Therefore, it is recommended that policies within the agricultural sector be revised to encourage on-farm diversification in order to motivate farmers to transition to agripreneurship for poverty alleviation, food security and rural economic development (RED). Full article

Smallholder farming remains a critical livelihood source for rural communities in South Africa, particularly in the Eastern Cape Province. However, cropland abandonment has become an escalating concern, undermining food security, household incomes, and the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. This study assessed the socio-economic and climate-related factors influencing cropland abandonment in the former homelands of Transkei. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a quantitative survey, a qualitative focus group discussion, and a key informant interview. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, a double-hurdle model, and thematic analysis. The descriptive results revealed that the average respondent was 57 years, with a predominantly male majority (57.47%), a primary education (40.27%), and a mean average household size of 5.4. About 51.58% of household heads were married and 48.42% were single, with a mean household income of R63 155 (3680.26 USD). The econometric results from the first hurdle model indicated that education level, farming experience, rainfall variability, access to irrigation, and off-farm income significantly influenced the decision to abandon cropland. The second hurdle model demonstrated that the extent of cropland abandonment was shaped by labour availability, access to credit, rainfall patterns, cooperative membership, and farming experience. The study concluded that cropland abandonment in the former Transkei was influenced by different factors. Therefore, the study would recommend targeted policy interventions that strengthen human capital, improve access to agricultural support services, and promote youth participation and collective farming structures to revitalise smallholder agriculture and enhance rural food security. Full article

In the context of rural sustainability and poverty alleviation within the developing world, a key dilemma facing the international community is to identify suitable strategies and mechanisms to bring multiple stakeholders together to work in efficient and sustainable ways. This paper focuses on the Public–Private–Producer Partnership (4P), a model that involves cooperation between government agencies, business firms, and small-scale producers to foster mutual trust and enhance collaboration through infrastructure development and capacity building in the agricultural value chain. Drawing on evidence from China, Indonesia, Rwanda, Ghana, and Nigeria, this study examines the impact of 4P on crop productivity, agricultural infrastructure, market access, stakeholder empowerment, employment, the land tenure system, and household income. This paper combines value chain analysis, Theory of Change mapping, and both qualitative and quantitative evaluation techniques to assess how the 4P model functions in different institutional and ecological contexts. While the model promotes inclusive growth, it also faces challenges such as price volatility, insufficient long-term sustainability, and limited integration of smallholder farmers into formal value chains. The paper discusses policy implications for improving the 4P model’s effectiveness in poverty alleviation and local economic development, highlighting the importance of better governance structures, financial mechanisms, and market stability. This paper sheds new light on inclusive, justified, and sustainable collaboration mechanisms for participatory agencies and individuals. Full article

High-quality agricultural development (HQAD) in China is essential to achieving Chinese-style modernization, which represents a uniquely Chinese path to modernization characterized by coordinated development across economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological dimensions. Against the backdrop of accelerating digitalization in global value chains (GVCs), exploring how it influences China’s HQAD carries significant theoretical value and policy implications. This study, for the first time, integrates GVC digitalization and HQAD into a unified analytical framework. Utilizing panel data from 30 Chinese provinces from 2009 to 2020, it empirically examines the relationship between them and the underlying mechanisms. GVC digitalization is measured with the interaction term between provincial digital GVC participation and global digitalization level, while HQAD is comprehensively assessed using a multi-dimensional evaluation indicator system constructed based on the new development philosophy, employing the entropy weight TOPSIS method. The findings reveal that GVC digitalization significantly promotes HQAD in China. For every one-standard-deviation increase in the degree of digitalization, the level of HQAD increases by an average of approximately 0.02 percentage points. Mechanism analysis further identifies industrial structure upgrading and rural integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries as two crucial transmission pathways. Heterogeneity analysis indicates that this promoting effect is more pronounced in major grain-marketing regions, provinces with better digital infrastructure, and those with higher levels of human capital. This research provides new empirical evidence for understanding agricultural transformation in the digital era and offers policy insights for leveraging GVC digitalization to advance HQAD. Full article

Death is a universal phenomenon, defined by the rituals associated with it and conducted within the confines of the culture to which the deceased belonged; thus, it is nearly impossible to universalise a particular mourning pattern, as African people display considerable diversity. The complexities introduced into African mourning by colonialism and other developmental changes, such as urbanisation and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, have relegated many African traditions in relation to bereavement to the periphery. A newer and controversial practice associated with funerals conducted among black communities in South Africa is that of the “after tears” party. Although this practice has not yet infiltrated the rural areas, it is nevertheless a phenomenon that is worth investigating, seeing that those who participate in this practice are predominantly from townships in Gauteng, and such events are gradually occurring in the rural villages as well. Full article

Urbanization is a major and rapidly expanding form of land-use change worldwide and is one of the main drivers of the decline in arthropod diversity. Within urban matrices, remnants of natural or semi-natural habitats serve as important refuges for native organisms. However, these urban fragments are typically small, isolated, and strongly affected by various forms of disturbance. Therefore, connectivity among urban remnant patches may enhance population persistence and resilience. Increased tendencies to explore novel environments, tolerate human disturbance, and exploit unpredictable resources can be advantageous in urban environments. Accordingly, in this study of a flightless ground beetle species, we hypothesized that individuals from urban habitats—especially from isolated ones—would be bolder and more exploratory than their rural conspecifics, that sexes would differ in behavior, and that these behaviors would be temporally consistent, indicating animal personality. Activity-, exploration-, and boldness-related behavioral traits were significantly repeatable, providing evidence for animal personality, particularly in females and rural beetles. Contrary to our hypothesis, no behavioral differences were detected between rural and urban individuals. Furthermore, no significant sex-dependent differences in behavior were observed. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of species-specific traits and ecological context in shaping behavioral variation. Full article

In rapidly urbanising developing economies, construction activity frequently relies on informal and semi-skilled labour. This coincides with limited opportunities for systematic skill development, leading to persistent labour deskilling. While existing research has predominantly addressed these challenges through policy reform, industrialisation, or efficiency-driven technological models, less emphasis has been placed on the role of architectural design in shaping labour–technology relations on-site. This article adopts a constructivist perspective on technology to investigate how architectural design can serve as a socio-technical framework for non-formal labour upskilling within construction practice. Drawing upon qualitative case studies of two architectural projects in Sri Lanka—a suburban residential retrofit and a low-income rural housing prototype—this study analyses how design strategies such as systemisation, construction sequencing, material hybridity, and craft-based component detailing embed tacit learning within production processes. The findings demonstrate that craft, understood as a mode of tacit knowledge and on-the-job learning rather than as a stylistic or nostalgic response, can facilitate skill acquisition across diverse economic and technical contexts. By repositioning architectural design as an active mediator between technology and labour, this article contributes to debates within construction studies, social sciences, and architectural theory and proposes design-led construction strategies as a context-sensitive alternative to purely policy- or efficiency-driven approaches to labour development. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rapidly emerging as transformative technologies for sustainable healthcare logistics, particularly in remote and infrastructure-constrained regions. Despite growing implementation, the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) implications of these systems remain insufficiently synthesized in the literature. This study conducts a PRISMA-ScR-guided Systematic Review of 37 peer-reviewed studies selected from 333 records across six major scientific databases (2015–2026). The analysis reveals a sharp acceleration of research after 2021, with over 80% of publications produced between 2021 and 2024, indicating increasing global interest in AI-supported autonomous medical logistics. Evidence demonstrates that AI-enabled drones can substantially reduce delivery times; expand access to blood, vaccines, and essential medicines; and enhance emergency response capacity in rural and disaster-affected environments. From a sustainability perspective, AI-driven route optimization and autonomous navigation may reduce transport-related emissions, supporting climate-responsive healthcare supply chains. However, large-scale deployment remains constrained by regulatory fragmentation, cybersecurity risks, operational limitations, and challenges with social acceptance. This review proposes an ESG-oriented framework linking technological innovation, ethical governance, and equitable healthcare access while identifying key research gaps in lifecycle sustainability assessment, cost-effectiveness modeling, and real-world implementation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article

Malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) is a highly lethal viral disease of cattle that poses a persistent threat to livestock production in wildlife–livestock interface areas of Southern Africa. Despite its recognized clinical severity, the economic burden of the disease remains poorly quantified in South African production systems. This study assessed the long-term economic impact of malignant catarrhal fever on cattle production in Lephalale Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa, using a retrospective analysis covering the period from 2001 to 2021. The study combined confirmed case records, estimated mortalities, and region-specific production parameters to quantify both direct and indirect economic losses. Direct losses included mortality-related financial costs and the expenditure on treatment, while indirect losses encompassed reduced productivity, diminished milk yields, and associated declines in overall herd performance. The results show that MCF imposed substantial financial burdens on cattle producers, with mortality contributing to more than ninety percent of total losses. The total economic losses over the study period were substantial, amounting to approximately R 1.55 million, driven primarily by high mortality-related costs. Annual losses displayed considerable variability, reflecting the sporadic nature of the outbreaks and the fluctuations in the wildlife–livestock interactions. The spatial analysis revealed that most cases occur in wards situated adjacent to wildlife conservation areas, where cattle are exposed to virus-carrying wildebeest populations. Seasonal patterns indicated a higher disease occurrence during the spring and winter, aligning with established transmission dynamics. Although a gradual decline in both cases and associated losses was observed over the study period, episodic outbreaks continued to exert significant economic shocks on affected farming households. The findings reaffirm MCF as a persistent and high-impact constraint to cattle production in interface zones and highlight the need for improved surveillance, integrated land-use planning, and sustained investment in targeted disease control measures. Full article

Improving the living environment in rural areas is an important task and a key breakthrough point in implementing the rural revitalization strategy. It not only directly affects the vital interests and health protection of farmers, but is also an important measure to promote ecological civilization construction and achieve the development goal of a beautiful China. Taking environmental demonstration villages in Shaanxi Province as the research object, questionnaire data were obtained through field research and face-to-face interviews. This study constructs an evaluation index system covering five dimensions: village appearance, domestic sewage treatment, rural toilet renovation, domestic waste treatment, and construction and management mechanism. The entropy method is used to determine indicator weights, and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is applied to measure the implementation effect. The research results indicate that the overall effect is between “average” and “good” (score 3.924), with domestic sewage treatment scoring highest and construction and management mechanism lowest. The study identifies key problems such as low farmer participation, insufficient funding sources, inadequate infrastructure maintenance, and weak environmental awareness. Based on these findings, countermeasures are proposed: enhancing farmers’ environmental awareness and participation; diversifying capital investment; improving infrastructure and establishing long-term management mechanisms; cultivating social capital; and strengthening the leading role of the government. This study provides empirical evidence and policy recommendations for improving rural environmental governance. Full article

We use Reiterative Truncated Projected Least Squares (RTPLS) to estimate the correlation between real GDP per capita and income inequality for the 159 counties in Georgia, USA, from 2011 to 2021. RTPLS produces a separate slope estimate for every observation (data point), where differences in these slope estimates are due to omitted variables. Our measure of inequality is the ratio of household income at the 80th percentile divided by income at the 20th percentile. We find that the negative marginal correlation between income inequality and real per capita income has strengthened over time, and there are large differences between the effects for different counties. For example, in 2021, our estimate for d(real per capita GDP)/d(income inequality) ranged from −3.70 to −28.48. We find that this estimate becomes more negative when there are increases in the percentage of the county population with some college education, the percentage of the county population that is Black, the percentage of the county population that is Hispanic, as well as when unemployment increases. However, d(real percapita GDP)/d(income inequality) becomes less negative as the percentage of the county that is rural increases and as the percentage of the population that is less than 18 years old increases. Full article

This study describes participants’ views and insights into crafting effective communication aimed at smokeless tobacco and nicotine pouch prevention among fire academy trainees and new recruits. Firefighters have elevated rates of smokeless tobacco use compared with the general population. Nicotine pouches have also gained popularity among this occupational group. We launched a pilot project centered in rural Northern California counties to uncover factors that can be used to communicate smokeless tobacco and nicotine pouch prevention messages within the firefighter workplace. As a first step, we conducted semi-structured interviews with firefighter subject matter experts, including fire chiefs, fire academy instructors, wildlands firefighters, and recent fire academy graduates. This purposive sample (n = 13) was obtained through referrals from the project’s Community Advisory Board, composed of fire service professionals. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Next, the qualitative interviews were thematically analyzed. The results focus on two aspects of effective workplace communication in the service to delivery of smokeless tobacco and nicotine pouch prevention messages: content (core information conveyed in a message), and format (how the message is transmitted or displayed). Examples of the former are the importance of keeping oneself healthy so that one can do one’s job; do not risk a future compensation claim due to smokeless tobacco or nicotine pouch use. Examples of the latter are the use of brevity; humor. Because firefighters often initiate use of these products after they join the fire service, communicating prevention messages in the workplace during the firefighter training and recruitment stage may help disrupt the uptake of nicotine products. Full article