Titay Zeleke, Fekadu Beyene, Temesgen Deressa, Jemal Yousuf and Temesgen Kebede
Change of climate is attributed to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere observed over comparable periods. The purpose of this paper is to explore…
Abstract
Purpose
Change of climate is attributed to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere observed over comparable periods. The purpose of this paper is to explore smallholder farmers' perceptions of climate change and compare it with meteorological data, as well as to identify perceived adaptation barriers and examine the factors that influence the choice of adaptation options in eastern Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 384 sample households were chosen from four districts of the zone. A cross-sectional survey was used to conduct the study. Primary data was acquired through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and semistructured interviews, whereas meteorological data was collected from the National Meteorological Service Agency of Ethiopia. A Mann–Kendall statistical test was used to analyze temperature and rainfall trends over 33 years. A multivariate probit (MVP) model was used to identify the determinants of farmers' choice of climate change adaptation strategies.
Findings
The result indicated that temperature was significantly increased, whereas rainfall was significantly reduced over the time span of 33 years. This change in climate over time was consistently perceived by farmers. Smallholder farmers use improved varieties of crops, crop diversification, adjusting planting dates, soil and water conservation practices, reducing livestock holdings, planting trees and small-scale irrigation adaptation strategies. Moreover, this study indicated that sex of the household head, landholding size, livestock ownership, access to extension, access to credit, social capital, market distance, access to climate change-related training, nonfarm income, agroecological setting and poverty status of the households significantly influence farmers’ choice of adaptation strategies.
Research limitations/implications
Further research is required to evaluate the economic impact of each adaptation options on the livelihood of smallholder farmers.
Practical implications
Institutional variables significantly influenced how farmers adapted to climate change, and all of these issues might potentially be addressed by improving institutional service delivery. To improve farm-level adaptation, local authorities are recommended to investigate the institutional service provision system while also taking demographic and agroecological factors in to account.
Originality/value
This study compared farmers' perceptions with temperature and rainfall trend analysis, which has been rarely addressed by other studies. This study adopts an MVP model and indicated the adaptation strategies that complement/substitute strategies each other. Furthermore, this study discovered that the choice of adaptation options differed between poor and nonpoor households, which has been overlooked in previous climate change adaptation research.
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Maryam Ijaz, Zaheer Ahmed and Nauman Khalid
This study aims to assess the information-seeking behaviors, attitudes and beliefs about pregnancy-related nutrition, food-related myths and taboos and supplementation among…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the information-seeking behaviors, attitudes and beliefs about pregnancy-related nutrition, food-related myths and taboos and supplementation among pregnant women in different communities of Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional quantitative survey method was used in this study, which included 150 pregnant women from various locations in Lahore and Faisalabad.
Findings
Most participants were between the ages of 25 and 29, having 14 years of education. Regardless of age or number of children, all selected women had the same dietary awareness. Regarding myths and taboos, highly significant values (p = 0.001) were found in various studied variables. No significant difference was observed in knowledge level between age and number of children. It was observed that food myths and taboos significantly (p = 0.001) impact pregnant women’s dietary choices.
Research limitations/implications
This survey experienced limited representativeness; many participants provided incomplete food and nutritional information. This research was conducted in two major districts of Pakistan, i.e. Lahore and Faisalabad; therefore, the results can be generalized for a population of pregnant women living in the northeastern region of Pakistan.
Practical implications
This study can provide helpful insight for health-care professionals to improve pregnant women’s nutritional status and knowledge.
Social implications
The outcomes of this study can help guide how pregnant women might be educated and have better nutritional awareness at domestic and professional levels.
Originality/value
In Pakistan, there is a lack of research on pregnant women’s nutritional knowledge, and this research can assist health-care professionals in providing diversified knowledge to promote maternal health.
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Nneji Ifeyinwa Umeokeke, Osayi Precious Emokpae and Ayoola A. Adewale
This study assessed the impact of livestock production on the poverty of rural households in Ethiopia.
Abstract
Purpose
This study assessed the impact of livestock production on the poverty of rural households in Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from the Ethiopia Living Standard Measurement Survey 2021/2022 was employed. The study assessed poverty using additional poverty aversion parameters (skewness and kurtosis) in the Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) and the conditional mixed process (CMP) model.
Findings
The result shows that 49% of the livestock farming households are poor. The poverty skewness and kurtosis indices show that the bulk of the population is far from the poverty line and poverty extremities exist. The CMP estimates show that age, household size, marital status, distance to market and capital region, income and agroecology influenced tropical livestock units. Also, an additional increase in tropical livestock significantly increases the household per capita expenditure.
Social implications
Although livestock production positively contributed to household expenditure, poverty still exists in all regions in Ethiopia. Interventions should consider local conditions and community needs in the value chain approach.
Originality/value
This study examined rural household poverty beyond the conventional headcount, gap and severity by including poverty skewness and kurtosis.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2024-0415.
Nadeem Ahmad Khan, Saif Ullah Khan, Sirajuddin Ahmed, Izharul Haq Farooqi, Arshad Hussain, Sergij Vambol and Viola Vambol
The purpose of this paper is to cover some aspects about the disposal and regulatory standard around the world toward hospital effluent discharge, its managements and treatment…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to cover some aspects about the disposal and regulatory standard around the world toward hospital effluent discharge, its managements and treatment technologies that are adopted and best suitable nowadays.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to large and variety of antibiotics available in the market nowadays it is difficult to control its use, thereby risking the whole ecosystem and its components. The regulation pattern is variable depending upon the various factors in different countries. The permissible limit of these emerging pollutants found in sewage as compared to in hospital effluent streams having active pharmaceutical ingredients is very narrow and is a debatable issue.
Findings
The disparity in the available legislation for hospital waste management in different countries makes it difficult to compare pro’s and con’s of methods adopted. Strict laws need to be framed for hospital wastewater management and its treatment, as it contains harmful compounds in higher concentrations resulting in development of resistant genes. The guideline applicable nowadays makes it clear that, specific management guidelines with respect to HWW, but also indicate certain characteristics that can be represented to specify their nature and indicator.
Research limitations/implications
Determination of effluent characteristic for each specialized treatment need to be analyzed for meeting the framed regulatory standards. Up-gradation of existing treatment facilities, adopting new technologies and improving operation, maintained is a viable option. As there are no specific treatment schemes available hence combination and optimization of treatment methods may solve the problem to certain extent.
Practical implications
There is some flexibility also there so that law framework can be modified accordingly. For any health facilities direct discharges into natural water bodies it effluent need to follow national discharge standards. These are quite strict as compared to indirect standards and generally not meet by such facilities. This is quite logical because they are not being monitored or treated by municipal systems.
Social implications
The law indicates that hospital needed to collect and treat effluent according to the treatment standards. But on other hand the law was made making it consideration about the HWW collection in water bodies.
Originality/value
The best way of management as described, is to treat HWW onsite-dividing into primary, secondary and tertiary. The document also provides details about sludge disposal, possible reuse, including the application of new and innovative treatment technologies for HWW. It also provides guidance for minimum approach for HWW management because developing countries patients do not have proper sanitation facilities.
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Social resources have gained considerable interest from scholars for their effect on youth's labor market outcomes. The available evidence indicates that social capital is a…
Abstract
Purpose
Social resources have gained considerable interest from scholars for their effect on youth's labor market outcomes. The available evidence indicates that social capital is a crucial factor in determining youth's labor force status. This paper examines the effect of social capital components on youth self-employment in Holeta town, Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
Using youth survey data, principal component analysis (PCA) was conducted on social capital components datasets. This provided the construction of composite indicators for measuring social capital component, which are robust and exhibited construct validity. Following this, the effect of social capital component on youth self-employment was examined using Logit model.
Findings
The results show that institutional trust positively affects the likelihood of young people's decision to be self-employed.
Practical implications
The finding reveals a need to improve the transparency of the institutions' resource delivery, the competency of the institutions' workforce, communication, and information sharing of the institutions with the youth.
Originality/value
Looking at different social capital components simultaneously, the paper provides insight into the wide range of effects of social capital on youth self-employment.
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Beshea Abdissa Chemeda, Feyera Senbeta Wakjira and Emiru Birhane
Background: A range of local social and environmental factors has an impact on farmers' views of climate change and choices on the use of coping mechanisms. This study examines…
Abstract
Background: A range of local social and environmental factors has an impact on farmers' views of climate change and choices on the use of coping mechanisms. This study examines the factors that are limiting farmers' perceptions of climate change and their coping mechanisms in Gimbi district, Western Ethiopia.
Methods: A household survey and focus group discussion were employed to collect relevant data. A total of 402 randomly selected households and six focus group discussions containing 72 participants were used to gather data. Binary logit models were used to analyze the collected data.
Results: Farmers noted that some of the signs of climate change included increasing temperature, erratic rainfall, late onset of rainfall, and early cessation of rainfall. We discovered that there are three distinct sets of climate adaption strategies used by farmers: crop management, soil and water conservation and intensive farm management. The primary determinants of farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation techniques were household head age, education, soil fertility, market access, and agricultural training. Age, education, and soil fertility level were the characteristics that significantly impacted farmers' perspectives and coping mechanisms among the primary drivers evaluated in the area. Use of agroforestry, shifting planting dates, and fertilizer application were all essential farming practices used as climate adaptation measures.
Conclusions: Both socioeconomic and environmental factors have found to affect farmers' perceptions of climate change in the area. The existing socioeconomic and environmental factors, in turn, affect their choice of strategies to adapt to climate change. When implementing climate change adaption strategies, it is critical to assess farmers' level of awareness of climate change and their coping strategies, as well as the factors limiting their ability to adapt to climate change.
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Saheed Adewale Omoniyi, Adamu Musa Muhammad and Ruth Ayuba
Calyx of okra pods is usually cut off and discarded as a waste during processing, whereas the pulp and seeds are being used. This study aims to investigate the nutrient…
Abstract
Purpose
Calyx of okra pods is usually cut off and discarded as a waste during processing, whereas the pulp and seeds are being used. This study aims to investigate the nutrient composition and anti-nutritional properties of okra calyx flour.
Design/methodology/approach
Calyces from four varieties (Ex-kwadon, Solar, Chalawa and Syria) of okra pods were processed into flour. The proximate composition, mineral content, vitamin content and anti-nutritional composition of the flour samples were analysed by using standard methods.
Findings
There were significant differences in moisture content (p = 0.012), crude fat (p = 0.001), crude fibre (p = 0.002), carbohydrate (p = 0.002), sodium (p < 0.001), magnesium (p < 0.001), iron (p < 0.001), zinc (p = 0.006), vitamin A (p < 0.001) and vitamin C (p = 0.001) contents of okra calyx flour. The values of proximate composition ranged 8.1-8.9%, 8.4-9.0%, 14.3-15.3%, 1.4-2.1%, 16.9-18.2% and 47.1-49.4% for moisture content, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate, respectively, whereas the values of mineral contents ranged 7.6-8.7 mg/100g, 35.7-41.2 mg/100g, 26.5-28.1 mg/100g, 93.2-95.8 mg/100g, 1.6-1.8 mg/100g and 5.2-5.7 mg/100g for sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc, respectively. The values of vitamin contents of okra calyx flour ranged 0.2-0.3 µg/100g, 7.1-8.9 mg/100g and 0.1-0.2 mg/100g for vitamin A, vitamin C and thiamine contents respectively. Also, there were significant differences in the values of phytate (p = 0.023), oxalate (p = 0.011) and saponin (p < 0.001) contents with the values of anti-nutritional properties ranging 1.3-1.5 mg/100g, 2.5-3.3 mg/100g, 7.4-9.7 mg/100g and 2.3-3.6 mg/100g for tannin, phytate, oxalate and saponin contents, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
There are scanty published works/information on proximate composition, mineral content, vitamin content and anti-nutritional composition of okra calyx flour.
Practical implications
The study showed that okra calyx flour could be useful in fortification/supplement of carbohydrate-based foods in food system.
Originality/value
Okra calyx flour comprises high crude fibre, crude protein, ash and vitamin C contents. Also, calcium is the major mineral content of okra calyx flour followed by magnesium and potassium. However, the tannin content reported higher in okra leaf flour, and okra flour is low in okra calyx flour.