Geo-Geography and Environment最新文献

This paper uses multimedia to showcase the narratives and lived experiences of those who live and work in tropical Asian mega-deltas, and as such is the first journal article of its kind in the field of Regional Geography. Using videos, photography and audio this paper describes the characteristics of ponds and their place in the intrinsically connected human-environmental fabric of these delta regions. The aim is to bring to life descriptive inventories and provide greater weight in support of our conclusion that tropical Asian mega-delta ponds are important and threatened systems. River deltas comprise just 1% of land cover worldwide but support the livelihoods of more than 500 million people. Delta research has historically focused on the major river channels and the socio-ecological role of ponds has been overlooked despite their large number and surface area. Ponds are intrinsically linked to daily life (potable water, sanitation, bathing, washing), industry (aquaculture, agriculture) and the natural-cultural heritage (religion, folklore) of deltas. In contrast to the larger river channels, ponds are likely to be significant stores and processors of nutrients, including carbon, and pollutants at annual to decadal scales, on account of their heavy anthropogenic use and smaller individual sizes. Consequently, they are severely polluted water sources and pose significant public health risks. In this review, we use case studies from three Asian mega-deltas (the Red River Delta and the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta, India and Bangladesh) to highlight the importance of Asian mega-delta ponds as important socio-ecological systems in their own right. We discuss future environmental challenges, knowledge gaps on the ecological function and biodiversity of these habitats, management and policy practices, and the capacity of ponds to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This Open Collection proposes innovative research directions for both urban and beyond/more-than-/non-human geographies with animals. We are seeking papers for this Open Collection across three themes: (1) methods; (2) ethics and politics; and (3) planning and design. Specifically, we are interested in papers that pose questions of and reflect upon emergent tensions in researching with urban animals in each of these themes. This Open Collection aims to explore urban space beyond the human lens and to offer new modalities and frameworks for geographical research with urban animals. We are interested in papers that explore urban geographies with animals from a range of different theoretical, methodological, and empirical locations and perspectives. In this introduction to the Open Collection, we briefly summarise existing research in this field, before outlining the three thematic areas of the Collection.

Even though flooding is a threat to rural communities in plains drained by ephemeral rivers, the magnitude of its impact, coping/prevention mechanisms, and the implications for river management are not well known. In this study, data were collected using a phenomenological-based research design. Field observations, a questionnaire (n = 440), key informant interviews (10), and one focus group discussion (with seven discussants) were used to collect the desired data from flood-prone farmers. As the results show, 42% of the respondents believe that flooding has become stronger over the past 20 years, whereas 38% believe there has been no change. As mitigation measures, 52% of the respondents suggested evacuating to neighbouring villages as the best option. Most of the damage was experienced in farmlands (including crops, either harvested or standing) and settlements. As coping mechanisms, 31% of the respondents were displaced, whereas an additional 40% were forced to construct new houses for their settlement. Chi-square testing showed that the farmers’ responses statistically varied among different groups (p < .001). In the meantime, community participation in flood control and catchment management is important. Improving flood management knowledge and the skills of different groups in a community is equally important. In this case, a qualitative inquiry approach was a good option to assess the hydrological conditions of rivers.

Road networks are an integral part of any human settlement, facilitating the movement of people, goods, and information. The structural arrangement of a road network can have a profound impact on its performance, mobility and access to critical infrastructure. This study takes advantage of a computational network science approach to examine the structural configuration of road networks using geometric and topological descriptions in districts covering 10 regional capitals in Ghana. The majority of urban road networks were found to follow a radial pattern at the global scale, with either a gridded or a branching configuration at the local scale. Only road networks in Accra and Kumsi are fine grained and of comparable density to other global cities, based on intersection and street densities. Structural indicators such as circuity, clustering, page rank, degree centrality, and betweenness centrality for urban roads in Ghana were found to be comparable to other global cities. Given the lack of adequate infrastructure for traffic monitoring in Ghana, the spatial distribution of betweenness centrality could be part of the critical resource to provide insight for traffic management. These findings provide the basis to inform transportation planning and management on critical issues, particularly, based on the spatial distribution of betweenness centrality it is possible to identify problematic locations within the road network which are most vulnerable to traffic congestion.

Over 9.5 billion kg of coffee is produced annually and demand is expected to triple by 2050. Hence, the identification and quantification of the greenhouse gas emission footprint of coffee is essential if it is to become a more sustainable crop. We have produced a detailed life cycle assessment of the carbon equivalent footprint of coffee produced in Brazil and Vietnam and exported to the United Kingdom. The average carbon footprint of Arabica coffee from both countries was calculated as 15.33 (±0.72) kg of carbon dioxide equivalent per 1 kg of green coffee (kg CO_2e kg⁻¹) for conventional coffee production and 3.51 (±0.13) kg CO_2e kg⁻¹ for sustainable coffee production. The 77% reduction in carbon footprint for sustainable coffee production in comparison to conventional production was due to exportation of coffee beans via cargo ship rather than freight flight and the reduction of agrochemical inputs. Based on our results, further reductions could be made through optimal use of agrochemicals; reduced packaging; more efficient water heating; renewable energy use; roasting beans before exportation; and carbon offsetting. Applying these recommendations correctly through certification schemes could mitigate other environmental impacts of coffee cultivation.

Although Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 715 calls for the provision of an accessible environment, attention paid to the mobility needs of persons with disability has focused on their access to public facilities like libraries and schools without paying attention to the transport environment connecting the homes of commuters to these public facilities. This study was carried out to examine the road transport infrastructure and mobility needs of students with disability at the University of Cape Coast. Participants consisted of 31 people with visual impairment and one wheelchair user who were engaged through snowballing. Also, the Transport Officer and selected shuttle operators were engaged to ascertain transport support services to students. These were reached through purposive and convenient sampling, respectively. Findings from the study indicate that hostile reception from shuttle operators and the absence of disability-friendly accessories on campus shuttles constitute a major barrier to participants' use of campus shuttles. The study recommends documentation and enforcement of the free shuttle services for students with disability as well as the modification of existing transport facilities.