Climate shocks and women’s livelihood in Zimbabwe: A case study | JBES 2022

Author

Douglas Marowa and Angeline Musiya

Journal

Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES

Abstract

Climate shocks in Zimbabwe have been of worry to the sustenance of women livelihoods. The study sought to assess climate shocks and women’s livelihood in Chimanimani. To recommend for future gender sensitive adaptation and mitigation measure. Positivist and interpretivist paradigm, mixed research design were used. Used sample of 1,464 women, questionnaires, interviews, direct observation and focus groups for data collection. Findings, women were actively engaged in agricultural and heavily affected by the cyclone. No special considerations for women livelihoods. Adaptation strategies were early recovery, conservation agriculture, water harvesting, climatic resilience crops and environmental education. The provision of food aid as emergency phase, cash for work, and food for work or assets. Noted mitigation were use of organic fertilisers to reduce greenhouse gases, improved cropping, grazing and agro-forestry practices. To increase biomass productivity and carbon sequestration, it was also noted that there is now more reinforcement on forestry legislation to reduced deforestation and promotion of afforestation/reforestation. Noted was policy gaps in a gender based approach to climate shocks resilience and preparedness, as there was a clear exhibition of ignorance on the fundamentals of gender based approaches to climate chock resilience, mitigation and preparedness in District. Recommend need to consolidate and mainstream policies in harmonizing the sustainability of women livelihoods in climate shock resilience undertakings and preparedness. Establishment of climate smart technology and investing in breeding drought resilient crop varieties. Gender mainstream of women livelihoods in climate shock resilience. Increased developmental initiatives on capacity building and to strengthen environmental education programmes.

Ethnobotany of Oyster nut (Telfairia pedata) in Northern Tanzania | Research Paper By JBES

Author

Philipina F. Shayo, Anna C. Treydte, Ernest R. Mbega

Journal Name

Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES

Publisher Name

International Network For Natural Sciences | INNSpub

Abstract

Telfairia pedata (Sims) Hook is an important native climber plant commonly grown in East Africa. It bears nuts which are eaten either raw or cooked and is consumed mostly by expectant mothers, and as cooking oil. The survey was conducted between September 2019 to February 2020 in Sambaa, Meru, and Pare communities of Lushoto, Bumbuli, Arumeru and Same Districts, Northern Tanzania to assess the ethnobotany of T. pedata from a sample of 346 respondents using semi-structured questionnaires. Results indicate that, 21% of respondents used T. pedata for cooking with other staple foods while 18% claimed that the nuts are used by pregnant and lactating mothers for medicinal and breast milk stimulation and nine (9) percent indicated that the nuts are used for cultural and ritual purposes. Despite its importance, the cultivation of T. pedata in the study area is declining and the gap why such decline is experienced needs to be answered in further studies. Secondly, respondents within the 36-50 age groups reported the greatest diversity of uses of T. pedata 51% compared with those aged below 36 years old 21% signifying that the traditional knowledge known by younger aged groups may be declining. Thus, this gap of traditional knowledge between the groups should be addressed in order to improve utilization and conservation of this seriously declining yet important nut in the study area and other places of Tanzania.

An introductory study on composition and abundance of corals using an imaging survey technology in the South China Sea.

Author

Xiaojuan Xu, Bo Yuan, Yuemin Liu, Weidong Li, Zhihao Wang, Lian Ming Wang, Pei-Zheng Wang, and Farnaz Mahmoudi Shikhsarmast

Abstract

Coral reefs are one of the important marine ecosystems in the oceans. This study evidenced the composition and abundance of coral communities in protected and non-protected areas in Sanya (Hainan, China). Our results showed that different localities have different communities of soft and/or stony corals. Regarding our findings, Yalong Bay that which is under a protection program represented high coverage of corals, especially soft corals. It is documented that a protection program can be introduced as one of the major methods to preserve coral reefs.

JBES CFP2022

Research Paper | Reuse of wastewater for irrigation purposes-JBES 2021 by INNSPUB

This research was developed by Mr. Talat Farid Ahmed, Hashim Nisar Hashmi, Syed Ameer ul Hassan, Usman Ali Naeem, Ashfaq Ahmed Sheikh, Ghulam Nabi, Muhammad Azeem Afzal, and Mr. Muhammad Atiqullah Khan, from the different institute of Pakistan.

Abstract

At present no Macrophyte WSP system under study in many of developing countries like Pakistan, so for the promotion of a macrophytes-based WSP system, detailed pilot scale studies is needed for treating wastewater that can be used for irrigation purposes. In near future, water scarcity is expected all over the world so efforts should be made to address this issue, as most of the economy of our country is dependent on agriculture. The aim of this study is to reduce and evaluate the different parameters of domestic wastewater by treating it with macrophytes WSP system with different Hydraulic Retention Times (HRT) so that wastewater can be used for irrigation purposes as per FAO Irrigation Water Quality Guidelines. A macrophytes WSP system model was designed /operated for five experimental runs with each run comprising of different HRT i.e. 3, 5, 7 and 10 days. For treating wastewater, locally available Macrophyte specie Duckweed was used. The different parameters used in this study were; EC_w , TDS, SAR, Sodium, Chloride, Boron, Nitrate, Bicarbonate, pH and F Coliform. The average reduction in values of different parameters of wastewater at the start of each run was 31.96%, 31.96%, 42.51%, 31.00%, 22.86%, 34.52%, 30.23%, 50.23%, 20.02% and 41.39% for EC_w, TDS, SAR, Sodium, Chloride, Boron, Nitrate, Bicarbonate, pH and F Caliform respectively. After treating wastewater with 10 days HRT, the values of different parameters of wastewater was within the range of FAO guidelines with slight to moderate degree of restriction on use.

Spatial and seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature across Nigeria | JBES 2021

Mr. Ndakara Ofudjaye Emmanuel, and Mr. Eyefia Oghenerukevwe Alexander from the Department of Geography and Regional Planning, Delta State University, Nigeria, wrote a paper entitled “Spatial and seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature across Nigeria.” This paper was published by the Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences | JBES in Volume 18, February issue, 2021. under the publication of the International Network For Natural Sciences | INNSPUB, an open access scholarly research journal publishing company.

Abstract

This research investigated spatial and seasonal variations in the rainfall and temperature in Nigeria. The study utilised the ex-post facto research design, on the existing 8 climatic zones in Nigeria. Archival data on rainfall and temperature from 1901 to 2017 used for this study were got from Climate Research Unit, University of East Anglia, via Google Earth Version 7.3.2, using 5° x 5° high-resolution gridded CRUTEM 4.03. Statistical analyses of data were carried out using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Mann-Kendall tests. Results indicate that significant differences exist in: rainfall within Nigerian states as determined by ANOVA test at F (35, 4176) = 1596.76 and p = 0.000; temperature within Nigerian states as determined by ANOVA test at F (35, 4176) = 310.73 and p = 0.000; seasonal variations in rainfall within Nigerian states as determined by ANOVA test at F (11, 50532) = 7776.36 and p = 0.000; seasonal variations in temperature within Nigerian states as determined by ANOVA test at F (11, 50532) = 4575.79 and p = 0.000; trends of rainfall across Nigeria; and trends of temperature across Nigeria. While rainfall showed increasing trends, temperature trends were alternately increasing and decreasing. Rainfall and temperature vary spatially and seasonally within Nigeria. The environmental regions have their peculiar rainfall and temperature characteristics. Therefore, this study is of significant importance to agricultural production because understanding regional climatic attributes is an essential environmental part of effective agricultural productivity.