The basalt stone quarries of eastern India

Quarrying of basalt stone in the Early Cretaceous Rajmahal Trap region of eastern India is increasing at an alarming pace. The quarries have created an extensive ugly landscape of pits and overburden dumps. The stone workshops continuously emit dust. These quarries generate year‐round employment in an impoverished terrain. The workforce mostly comprises the socio‐economically deprived indigenous tribal population. They are an important source of income to the State Governments of Jharkhand and West Bengal. While the need for building stone cannot be denied in a region that is rapidly industrialising and urbanising, issues of land degradation and health cannot be ignored. The paper offers measures to contain environmental degradation and generate alternative sources of income with bio‐fuel crops such as Jatropha curcas.     

Economic evaluation of floating gardening as a means of adapting to climate change in Bangladesh

This paper offers an economic evaluation of the floating garden as a means of adapting to climate change in Bangladesh. The study showed that the monthly income of some farmers using such gardens increased from US$12.02 to US$48.08. These folk farmers lacked alternative work especially during the monsoon period. The floating garden uses available natural resources, adjusts to wet conditions and helps the flood-prone people to earn a living, and can be an adaptive response to frequent disaster events in Bangladesh.     

民生新闻在构建和谐社会中的作用

民生新闻是近年出现的一种本土化的新闻模式,它以其关怀民生的情怀、深刻独到的见解越来越受到广大受众的拥护和记者的青睐。民生新闻的宗旨是关注民生,为民服务,这种关注不是无目的的、无章法的,而是要通过对民生问题的关注和反映,达到建设和谐社会的最终目的。这方面民生新闻大有作为。     

The impact of solar home systems on rural livelihoods. Experiences from the Nyimba Energy Service Company in Zambia

An Energy Service Company (ESCO) in the town of Nyimba, Zambia, has been operating 100 solar home systems since the year 2000. The company is part of a pilot project implemented by the Government of Zambia with the aim to apply the ESCO concept for diffusion of solar technology. The change in livelihood as a result of the access to electric services has been investigated in a survey. Clients were satisfied with the services they receive, although they are paying more than previously for energy. Light hours did not increase, but the quality of light was improved, enabling activities such as domestic work at night and studying for longer hours. Many of the clients had acquired TV and video, and become part of a more global culture. Appliances for entertainment, such as video and TV, were considered more attractive than productive appliances such as a water pump by many respondents. In some cases also people from households without solar installations benefited from the installations, for instance, children gathering in houses with solar to study at night.     

“政策—生计模式—文化”聚落变迁动力解释模式 ——以贵州省黔西南册亨县布依族板万村为例

改革开放三十年以来,尤其是近十 几年,贵州作为西部地区、少数民族地区和贫 困地区的三重叠加区反映了时代发展带来的 复杂性,而册亨板万村则是这种复杂性的集 中体现。国家力量、市场和文化在这里交织, 导致了传统聚落、民居形式和建造模式的变 迁。已有的聚落变迁模式无法完全解释贵州 少数民族聚落的变迁,本文针对贵州黔西南 少数民族聚落,提出“政策—生计模式—文 化”解释模式。政策是契机,起发动机作用; 生计模式为聚落的变迁提供资金支持,同时 也带来消费观念的转变;文化侵入则促使信 仰系统和观念的转变。这三点是贵州少数民 族地区聚落变迁的重要动力,在板万村的聚 落变迁中得到了体现和证明。希望将来在其 他贵州少数民族聚落的调查和研究中,能够 验证这个解释模型是否适用和有解释力。     

Household energy consumption patterns in agricultural zone,pastoral zone and agro-pastoral transitional zone in eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Despite the rapid development in fossil fuel, biomass is still the main energy resource in rural China. However, the research on household energy consumption on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is limited. We investigated the differences in household energy consumption pattern, the influencing factors of fuel type choice, and the willingness to use clean energy in agricultural, pastoral and agro-pastoral transitional zones in eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Information was collected through Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and Physical Monitoring (PM). We found that biomass was the main energy resource in pastoral regions while fossil energy was the main fuel in agricultural regions. Energy consumption per capita in pastoral regions was higher than that in agricultural regions in our study area, and annual household energy consumption in pastoral regions was much higher than the provincial average. Altitude, livelihood and education level were main factors affecting domestic fuel type choice, while altitude and household size were two factors determining energy consumption per capita. The use of biomass as fuel could have negative influence on the material cycle in ecosystem and affect the carbon budget on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Householders were willing to use clean energy and most interviewees chose electricity as their favorite fuel type. Therefore, the modern utilization of biomass and the exploration of renewable energy are promising in future energy development in eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. However, energy transition might be constrained by poor local transportation and traditional consumption habit of indigenous community.     

Patterns and drivers of fuelwood collection and tree planting in a Middle Hill watershed of Nepal

The majority of residents in the rural Middle Hills of Nepal use fuelwood from public and private sources as their primary energy source. This study investigated fuelwood availability in accessed forests, amount of fuelwood collected, preferred tree species for fuelwood, contribution of public and private sources to total fuelwood consumption, and investment in tree planting on agricultural land. Fuelwood availability declined in the decades prior to 1990, but stabilized by 1990. Fuelwood from fifty-three species was collected from forests. Median annual per capita collection was 683 kg and predicted only by family size. Occupational castes (‘low castes’) did not show different harvesting rates than non-occupational castes and non-caste ethnic groups. Wealth was not associated with total fuelwood collection, probably because there was no fuelwood market. Most households collected fuelwood from a private source, namely trees planted on sloping, rain-fed agricultural land (bari), but this accounted for only a small portion of most households’ requirement. Bari landholding area and livestock holdings-typical measures of wealth-drove the decision to plant trees on bari land, and the number of trees that were planted. Bari-poor and landless households were consequently the most vulnerable to forest degradation, so the promotion of private fuelwood planting by large bari landholders could reduce pressure on forests and promote greater fuelwood availability for landless households. Support of community forestry emphasizing access for bari-poor and landless families could further decrease fuelwood vulnerability of poorer households.     

邓小平民生思想探析

在改革开放与社会主义现代化建设的过程中,邓小平始终十分关注民生问题,首先纠正了以往忽视民生问题的错误思想,为民生建设打下了坚实的思想基础;其次提出了一系列切实有效的民生建设举措,形成了丰富的邓小平民生思想。     

践行科学发展观 着力做好“四结合”

深入学习实践科学发展观,必须做好"四个结合"即做好与形势任务教育的结合;做好与改善民生的结合;做好与创建学习型组织的结合;做好与精神文化创建活动的结合。在此基础上,推动工作全面发展。     

基于可持续生计分析框架的消费扶贫质量研究——以国家扶贫开发工作重点县绿春县为例

全面建成小康社会后,如何构建社会扶贫长效机制以巩固脱贫成果是我国未来扶贫工作的重要内容。在消费扶贫质量分析与可持续生计分析框架结合的视角下,宏观消费扶贫政策作用于微观贫困农户可持续生计,最终表现为扶贫质量的提升。从宏观角度出发,产品与服务的供需匹配才能建立长期稳定的消费关系,而贫困农户较为单一、低端的产品和服务生产难以满足城市品质化的消费需求,不利于高质量脱贫目标的实现。因此,高质量的消费扶贫需要提升贫困地区产品和服务的供给质量,以生计资本的增加推动贫困农户可持续生计的建立,最终达成家庭和区域两个层面的高质量脱贫。绿春县的消费扶贫在建立贫困农户的可持续生计方面取得了一定成效,但还存在贫困农户人力资本和社会资本培育不足、生计多样化和专业化水平不够高等问题。下一步要以农民专业合作社为载体,加强人力资本和社会资本培育,拓展农业多样化经营和非农就业,打响特色优势品牌以推动农户生计专业化,以消费扶贫夯实高质量脱贫。