Search results for: multiroll gauge

Authors: Yimer Mohammed Assen, Abiyot Legesse Kura, Engida Esyas Dube, Asebe Regassa Debelo, Girma Kelboro Mensuro, Lete Bekele Gure

Abstract:

Climate change has posed severe threats to many cultural landscapes of UNESCO world heritage sites recently. The UNESCO State of Conservation (SOC) reports categorized flooding, temperature increment, and drought as threats to cultural landscapes. This study aimed to examine variations and trends of rainfall and temperature extreme events and their threats to the UNESCO-designated Konso Cultural Landscape in southern Ethiopia. The study used dense merged satellite-gauge station rainfall data (1981-2020) with spatial resolution of 4km by 4km and observed maximum and minimum temperature data (1987-2020). Qualitative data were also gathered from cultural leaders, local administrators, and religious leaders using structured interview checklists. The spatial patterns, coefficient of variation, standardized anomalies, trends, and magnitude of change of rainfall and temperature extreme events both at annual and seasonal levels were computed using the Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator under the CDT package. The standard precipitation index (SPI) was also used to calculate drought severity, frequency, and trend maps. The data gathered from key informant interviews and focus group discussions were coded and analyzed thematically to complement statistical findings. Thematic areas that explain the impacts of extreme events on the cultural landscape were chosen for coding. The thematic analysis was conducted using Nvivo software. The findings revealed that rainfall was highly variable and unpredictable, resulting in extreme drought and flood. There were significant (P<0.05) increasing trends of heavy rainfall (R10mm and R20mm) and the total amount of rain on wet days (PRCPTOT), which might have resulted in flooding. The study also confirmed that absolute temperature extreme indices (TXx, TXn, and TNx) and the percentile-based temperature extreme indices (TX90p, TN90p, TX10p, and TN10P) showed significant (P<0.05) increasing trends which are signals for warming of the study area. The results revealed that the frequency as well as the severity of drought at 3-months (katana/hageya seasons) was more pronounced than the 12-months (annual) time scale. The highest number of droughts in 100 years is projected at a 3-months timescale across the study area. The findings also showed that frequent drought has led to loss of grasses which are used for making traditional individual houses and multipurpose communal houses (pafta), food insecurity, migration, loss of biodiversity, and commodification of stones from terrace. On the other hand, the increasing trends of rainfall extreme indices resulted in destruction of terraces, soil erosion, loss of life and damage of properties. The study shows that a persistent decline in farmland productivity, due to erratic and extreme rainfall and frequent drought occurrences, forced the local people to participate in non-farm activities and retreat from daily preservation and management of their landscape. Overall, the increasing rainfall and temperature extremes coupled with prevalence of drought are thought to have an impact on the sustainability of cultural landscape through disrupting the ecosystem services and livelihood of the community. Therefore, more localized adaptation and mitigation strategies to the changing climate are needed to maintain the sustainability of Konso cultural landscapes as a global cultural treasure and to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers.

Keywords: adaptation, cultural landscape, drought, extremes indices

Procedia PDF Downloads 26

Authors: Veenapani Rajeev Verma

Abstract:

Context: Assessing facility readiness is paramount as it can indicate capacity of facilities to provide essential care for resilience to health challenges. In the context of decentralization, estimation of supply side readiness indices at sub national level is imperative for effective evidence based policy but remains a colossal challenge due to lack of dependable and representative data sources. Setting: District Poonch of Jammu and Kashmir was selected for this study. It is remote, rural district with unprecedented topographical barriers and is identified as high priority by government. It is also a fragile area as is bounded by Line of Control with Pakistan bearing the brunt of cease fire violations, military skirmishes and sporadic militant attacks. Hilly geographical terrain, rudimentary/absence of road network and impoverishment are quintessential to this area. Objectives: Objective of the study is to a) Evaluate the service readiness of health facilities and create a concise index subsuming plethora of discrete indicators and b) Ascertain supply side barriers in service provisioning via stakeholder’s analysis. Study also strives to expand analytical domain unravelling context and area specific intricacies associated with service delivery. Methodology: Mixed method approach was employed to triangulate quantitative analysis with qualitative nuances. Facility survey encompassing 90 Subcentres, 44 Primary health centres, 3 Community health centres and 1 District hospital was conducted to gauge general service availability and service specific availability (depth of coverage). Compendium of checklist was designed using Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) in form of standard core questionnaire and scorecard generated for each facility. Information was collected across dimensions of amenities, equipment, medicines, laboratory and infection control protocols as proposed in WHO’s Service Availability and Readiness Assesment (SARA). Two stage polychoric principal component analysis employed to generate a parsimonious index by coalescing an array of tracer indicators. OLS regression method used to determine factors explaining composite index generated from PCA. Stakeholder analysis was conducted to discern qualitative information. Myriad of techniques like observations, key informant interviews and focus group discussions using semi structured questionnaires on both leaders and laggards were administered for critical stakeholder’s analysis. Results: General readiness score of health facilities was found to be 0.48. Results indicated poorest readiness for subcentres and PHC’s (first point of contact) with composite score of 0.47 and 0.41 respectively. For primary care facilities; principal component was characterized by basic newborn care as well as preparedness for delivery. Results revealed availability of equipment and surgical preparedness having lowest score (0.46 and 0.47) for facilities providing secondary care. Presence of contractual staff, more than 1 hr walk to facility, facilities in zone A (most vulnerable) to cross border shelling and facilities inaccessible due to snowfall and thick jungles was negatively associated with readiness index. Nonchalant staff attitude, unavailability of staff quarters, leakages and constraint in supply chain of drugs and consumables were other impediments identified. Conclusions/Policy Implications: It is pertinent to first strengthen primary care facilities in this setting. Complex dimensions such as geographic barriers, user and provider behavior is not under precinct of this methodology.

Keywords: effective coverage, principal component analysis, readiness index, universal health coverage

Procedia PDF Downloads 121