THE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ON WOMEN'S AND CHILDREN'S TIME ALLOCATION DECISIONS IN MALAWI: IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S WELFARE

The majority of the Malawi people is rural (85%) and lives primarily on subsistence farming (NSO 2001). More than 90% of households collect and use fuel wood as their main source of cooking energy (NEC 2001; NSO 2000). However, between 1990 and 2000, Malawi experienced an average annual deforestation rate of 2.4% that was significantly higher than both Africa's average deforestation rate of 0.78%, and the world's average deforestation rate of 0.22% (UN FAO 2001). Malawi is also reported as one of the countries that will experience water stress by 2025 (PRB 2002). The rapid depletion of natural resources can have significant consequences for the quality of people's lives. Since Malawian women and children are primarily responsible for rural transportation work including collection of fuel wood and water (Edmonds et al. 1995), environmental degradation is expected to affect them disproportionately. This study will investigate the effects of environmental degradation on women's and children's time allocation decisions and the implications on children's school performance and health. The importance of relationships between population, the environment, and poverty has been acknowledged at both international and regional levels since the 1970's (United Nations 1997). However, there is a serious dearth of empirical studies on the nature of such relationships (United Nations 1997). The lack of studies has been cited as one of the reasons frustrating policy makers in their attempt to adopt sustainable development efforts (Arizpe et al. 1994). Some recent studies in this area have looked at effects of environmental degradation on women's fertility (Filmer and Pritchett 1996; Aggarwal et al. 2001); women's time allocation decisions (Cooke 2000); farm productivity (Cooke 1998). Earlier work by the authors showed that environmental degradation was associated with lower school enrollment and high domestic child labor hours, especially for girls (Nankhuni and Findeis 2002). This analysis extends that research to investigate the impact of environmental degradation on school performance. Attempts to look at impact on child health were done by Aggarwal et al. (2001) in South Africa but no significant impact was found. This study will also contribute to the research on effects of environmental degradation on children's health. Methodology Data Data from an Integrated Household Survey of 10,698 households conducted in Malawi in 1997-98 by the Malawi National Statistics Office are used. The data contain information on demographic and socio-economic characteristics of individuals and households, including child levels of education and health. The data also include time allocation information on domestic activities that include time spent on fuel wood and water collection. Information on each household's access to different water sources and whether the household relies on purchasing rather than collecting fuel wood as their main source of cooking energy is also available. Supplementing these data are estimates of fuel wood availability (GOM 1987) and information on access and quality of schools and health facilities at the district level (Benson 2002). Theoretical framework Freeman (1993) proposes that the basis for measuring the economic value of changes in resource environmental systems is the effects on human welfare. Therefore, the starting point for analyzing the impacts of environmental degradation is utility theory. The household production-utility model based on Becker (1965, 1993) and as adapted to farming households by Singh et al. (1976) will be the theoretical approach used in this paper. In this model, households derive utility from consumption of household farm-produced goods and from having children. They also derive positive utility from children's quality normally reflected in the children's health and education. The household's utility is maximized subject to budget, farm and household technology, and time constraints. Assuming that an interior solution to the household's maximization problem exists, reduced-form demand equations for children's health and education can be derived. These demands will be functions of shadow wages, prices, individual and household socio-economic and demographic characteristics, and the state of the environment. As the environment degrades, more hours of work are spent on fuel wood and water collection. This results in increased price of education thereby decreasing demand for education, as children may be needed for domestic work. Similarly, if women in more deforested areas cannot spend enough time on farming, cooking, and childcare this will act as an increase in cost of children's health resulting in the children's poor health (Kumar and Hotchkiss 1988). Estimation strategy The effect of environmental degradation on children's quality will be estimated by adding environmental quality variables in school performance and child health models. The school performance indicators are children's attendance of senior primary school and being in a certain class at the appropriate age for that class. The child health variables are anthropometric measures of weight, height, and weight for height. Possible endogeneity of child schooling, child health, domestic child labor, and fertility decisions will be tested and corrected for, where appropriate. It is expected that environmental degradation will negatively affect children welfare.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Apparent digestibility of nutrients, energy, and amino acid of nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes for Nile tilapia.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the apparent digestibility coefficients of nutrients, energy, and amino acids of nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes treated with solvent plus posterior extrusion, for Nile tilapia. The apparent digestibility coefficients of crude protein and gross energy were higher for detoxified than for nontoxic physic nut cake. However, the apparent digestibility coefficient of ether extract of the nontoxic physic nut cake was higher than that of the detoxified one. The apparent digestibility coefficient of amino acids of both feed ingredients was superior to 80%, except for glycine, for the nontoxic psychic nut cake,and for threonine, for the detoxified one. Nontoxic and detoxified physic nut cakes show apparent digestibilitycoefficient values equivalent to those of the other evaluated oilseeds and potential for inclusion in Nile tilapia diets. Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente de nutrientes, energia e aminoácidos de tortas de pinhão-manso atóxica e destoxificada tratadas com solvente e posterior extrusão, para tilápia-do-nilo. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente da proteína bruta e da energia bruta forammaiores para a torta destoxificada do que para a atóxica. No entanto, o coeficiente de digestibilidade aparente do extrato etéreo da torta atóxica foi superior ao da destoxificada. O coeficiente de digestibilidade aparente dosaminoácidos dos dois alimentos foi maior que 80%, exceto para glicina, para a torta atóxica, e para treonina, para a destoxificada. Tanto a torta atóxica quanto a destoxificada de pinhão-manso apresentam valores similares aos das outras oleaginosas avaliadas e potencial para utilização em dietas para tilapia-do-nilo. Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente de nutrientes, energia e aminoácidos de tortas de pinhão-manso atóxica e destoxificada tratadas com solvente e posterior extrusão, para tilápia-do-nilo. Os coeficientes de digestibilidade aparente da proteína bruta e da energia bruta foram maiores para a torta destoxificada do que para a atóxica. No entanto, o coeficiente de digestibilidade aparente do extrato etéreo da torta atóxica foi superior ao da destoxificada. O coeficiente de digestibilidade aparente dos aminoácidos dos dois alimentos foi maior que 80%, exceto para glicina, para a torta atóxica, e para treonina, para a destoxificada. Tanto a torta atóxica quanto a destoxificada de pinhão-manso apresentam valores similares aos das outras oleaginosas avaliadas e potencial para utilização em dietas para tilápia-do-nilo

Capitals and commitment. The case of a local learning and employment network.

This article draws on research undertaken with a Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) in the state of Victoria, Australia. LLEN are networks that were implemented by the state government in 2001 to undertake community capacity building through which the outcomes of young people aged 15-19 in education, training and employment would be enhanced. In 2008, in the context of an enhanced federal commitment to social inclusion through ‘joining-up’, the Victorian experience provides insights on the implications of such policy initiatives. Drawing on Bourdieu’s discussion of the forms of capital and Granovetter’s notion of the strength of weak ties, I argue that stores of economic, cultural and social capital as outlined by Bourdieu were necessary, but insufficient, for LLEN to achieve the objectives with which they were charged given the failure of government to follow through on the implications of its policies. I argue for a commitment on the part of all stakeholders to realise the potential of ‘joining-up’

Análise de componentes principais de atributos químicos e físicos do solo limitantes à produtividade de grãos.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar, por meio da análise dos componentes principais, a redução na dimensionalidade de atributos químicos e físicos do solo para a compreensão da variabilidade espacial e temporal da produtividade de culturas de grãos. A área experimental, de 54 ha, é manejada em agricultura de precisão há oito anos. Com base em seis mapas de colheita (soja - safra 2000/2001; milho - 2001/2002; soja - 2002/2003; trigo - 2003; soja - 2003/2004; e milho - 2004/2005), a área foi dividida em três zonas de produtividade de grãos (alta, média e baixa). Foram definidos 15 pontos georreferenciados representativos, para determinação de atributos químicos e físicos do solo, o que totalizou 63 variáveis analisadas. Entre os atributos químicos, o elevado teor de K no solo é o que melhor explica a variabilidade espacial da produtividade das culturas de grãos, provavelmente em razão do desbalanço das relações Ca:K e Mg:K. A zona de baixa produtividade apresentou baixa qualidade física do solo. Neste caso, a infiltração de água no solo, isoladamente, é a variável que melhor explica o desempenho das culturas de grãos. A análise dos componentes principais dos atributos químicos e físicos do solo é estratégia eficiente para explicar a variabilidade espacial e temporal da produtividade de culturas de grãos

Small Towns and Welfare Reform: Iowa Case Studies of Families and Communities

Since passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996, public discussion of welfare reform and most research efforts to assess the effects of new policies have focused on urban areas. Major studies and frequent newspaper headlines have portrayed the dimensions of welfare reform in Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, and other urban settings (e.g., Burton et al. 1998; Quint et al. 1999). Little attention is being paid to the consequences of the new policies for rural families and communities.This book chapter is published as 2002 Fletcher, C. N., Flora, J. L., Gaddis, B. J., Winter, M., and J. S. Litt. “Small Towns and Welfare Reform: Iowa Case Studies of Families and Communities.” In Bruce A. Weber, Greg J. Duncan and Leslie A. Whitener (eds.) Rural Dimensions of Welfare Reform: Welfare, Food Assistance and Poverty in Rural America (pp. 201-229). Kalamazoo, MI: Upjohn Press. 10.17848/9781417508884 </p

Agricultura de precisão no manejo de pragas na cultura da soja no sul do Brasil.

Entre os fatores que podem interferir negativamente no rendimento de grãos da soja, destacam-se os insetos-praga. O estudo da distribuição espacial de insetos-praga é fundamental para a utilização de estratégias de controle, aperfeiçoamento de técnicas de amostragens, quantificação de danos econômicos e incorporação de um programa de agricultura de precisão (AP) voltado para manejo integrado de pragas. Avaliar a distribuição espacial de pragas na cultura da soja por meio de ferramentas de AP e a possibilidade de controle sítio específico foi o objetivo desse estudo. O estudo foi realizado na safra agrícola 2007/2008 em uma área de 99,75 ha, localizada no município de Boa Vista das Missões, RS, Brasil. A área foi amostrada em malha de 100 m x 100 m (1 ha) totalizando 98 pontos amostrais. Para fins de comparação, 40,27 ha foram manejados segundo princípios da AP e 59,48 ha segundo a metodologia convencional. Durante a safra investigada realizaram-se 13 avaliações de pragas semanalmente. Este estudo indicou que a utilização das ferramentas de AP em associação as do Manejo Integrado de Pragas - MIP mostram-se promissoras na redução do custo de produção e no incremento da sustentabilidade da produção de soja

Design definition study of a NASA/Navy lift/cruise fan technology V/STOL airplane: Risk assessment addendum to the final report

An assessment of risk, in terms of delivery delays, cost overrun, and performance achievement, associated with the V/STOL technology airplane is presented. The risk is discussed in terms of weight, structure, aerodynamics, propulsion, mechanical drive, and flight controls. The analysis ensures that risks associated with the design and development of the airplane will be eliminated in the course of the program and a useful technology airplane that meets the predicted cost, schedule, and performance can be produced