Do looks matter? A case study on extensive green roofs using discrete choice experiments

Extensive green roofs are a promising type of urban green that can play an important role in climate proofing and ultimately in the sustainability of our cities. Despite their increasingly widespread application and the growing scientific interest in extensive green roofs, their aesthetics have received limited scientific attention. Furthermore, several functional issues occur, as weedy species can colonize the roof, and extreme roof conditions can lead to gaps in the vegetation. Apart from altering the function of a green roof, we also expect these issues to influence the perception of extensive green roofs, possibly affecting their acceptance and application. We therefore assessed the preferences of a self-selected convenience sample of 155 Flemish respondents for visual aspects using a discrete choice experiment. This approach, combined with current knowledge on the psychological aspects of green roof visuals, allowed us to quantify extensive green roof preferences. Our results indicate that vegetation gaps and weedy species, together with a diverse vegetation have a considerable impact on green roof perception. Gaps were the single most important attribute, indicated by a relative importance of ca. 53%, with cost coming in at a close second at ca. 46%. Overall, this study explores the applicability of a stated preference technique to assess an often overlooked aspect of extensive green roofs. It thereby provides a foundation for further research aimed at generating practical recommendations for green roof construction and maintenance

Do tourists' preferences match the host community's initiatives? : a study of sustainable tourism in one of Africa's oldest conservation areas

Involvement of stakeholders in sustainable tourism, particularly in developing countries, is crucial for the success of tourism development. However, its implementation is often criticized for not considering stakeholders' needs. This study explores tourists' preferences for tourism activities, designed by local stakeholders, in one of the oldest conserved parks in East Africa-the Menagesha Suba Forest, in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia. The study area is endowed with natural, cultural and historical, yet undeveloped, tourist attractions. The host community benefits little from tourism and is in continual conflict with the park administration. This study aims to provide new insights on potential engagement of stakeholders in sustainable tourism planning. In particular, we explored tourists' preferences for activities designed by local stakeholders, as well as their preferences concerning the improvement of the park infrastructure. The local community has been engaged in group discussions to design community involvement activities in tourism, while park guest books have been consulted to identify infrastructure improvements suggested by tourists. A survey that embedded a discrete choice experiment was conducted among tourists that visited the Menagesha Suba Forest. Data were analyzed with mixed logit and latent class models. We identified preferences for infrastructure improvement in the park. Tourists' preferences are heterogeneous and vary with their profile as foreigners, foreign residents, and locals. Furthermore, the study indicates that there is a mismatch between tourists' preferences and activities designed by the host community for their engagement in tourism. Tourists might be unaware of the importance of such activities for local communities. On the other hand, the findings also imply that increasing host residents' awareness of tourism and tourists' preferences is required, prior to tourism activities planning. Hence, sustainable tourism planning and development needs to understand perception gaps between host residents and tourists for its smooth implementation

Landslide resilience in Equatorial Africa: Moving beyond problem identification!

Landslides (LS) impacts are acute in Equatorial Africa, which is characterized by mountainous topography, intense rains, deep weathering profiles, high population density and high vulnerability. This study aims to move beyond the recognition of landslide occurrence and investigate effective risk reduction strategies. Based on 5 workshops with local stakeholders, we illustrate the widespread occurrence of LS on 4 representative study areas known for being severely affected by rainfall-triggered LS in Uganda (Mount Elgon, Mount Rwenzori) and Cameroon (Limbe and Bamenda urban regions). The findings highlight the good knowledge of local stakeholders on factors controlling the timing and spatial distribution of these events. Stakeholders identify a wide range of direct, but also far-reaching indirect and intangible cumulative impacts of LS. Finally, the project inventoried and categorized risk reduction strategies currently implemented in the targeted regions, as well as the factors identified by stakeholders as bottlenecks in the implementation of potential alternative strategies. The experience underlines the usefulness of involving stakeholders at an early stage in selecting study areas and defining specific research objectives.En Afrique Équatoriale les glissements de terrain ont des conséquences très lourdes en raison de la topographie montagneuse, des pluies intenses et d'épais profils d'altération, ainsi que d'une densité de population élevée et d'une grande vulnérabilité. Cette étude a pour objet de dépasser la simple identification des occurrences des glissements de terrain et de rechercher des stratégies efficaces de réduction des risques. En nous basant sur 5 workshops organisés avec des acteurs locaux, nous montrons la fréquence générale des glissements de terrain sur 4 zones d'étude sévèrement impactées par les précipitations en Ouganda (Mount Elgon, Mount Rwenzori) et au Cameroun (zones urbaines de Limbe et Bamenda). Il ressort de nos résultats que les acteurs locaux ont une bonne connaissance des facteurs qui déterminent la distribution de ces évènements dans le temps et l'espace. Ils identifient toute une série d'impacts directs mais aussi d'impacts indirects intangibles d'une grande portée.Enfin, le projet a inventorié et catégorisé les stratégies de réduction des risques habituellement mises en œuvre dans les régions touchées, ainsi que les facteurs identifiés par les acteurs comme des obstacles à la mise au point de stratégies alternatives. Cette expérience souligne l'utilité d'engager des acteurs locaux à un stade très précoce de la sélection des zones d'étude et de la définition d'objectifs de recherche spécifiques

Agriculture in the Face of Changing Markets, Institutions and Policies: Challenges and Strategies

Since the late 1980s, agriculture in Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) has been under considerable adjustment pressure due to changing political, economic and institutional environments. These changes have been linked to the transition process, as well as the ongoing integration into the European Union and the world market. Reduced subsidies, increased environmental and food quality demands, as well as structural changes in the supply, processing and food retailing sector call for major structural adjustments and the improvement of farmersâ managerial abilities. Though such changes always carry significant threats to farms, they also offer new opportunities for the farms' entrepreneurial engagement. Upcoming changes in the agricultural environment and their possible consequences for farm structures across Europe are thus still timely subjects. The objective of the IAMO Forum 2006 is to contribute to the success of agriculture in the CEECs, as well as their neighboring countries, in todayâs increasingly competitive environment. Concrete questions the conference focuses on are: What are the most suitable farm organizations, cooperative arrangements and contractual forms? How to improve efficiency and productivity? Where do market niches lie and what are the new product demands? This book contains 33 invited and selected contributions. These papers will be presented at the IAMO Forum 2006 in order to offer a platform for scientists, practitioners and policy-makers to discuss challenges and potential strategies at the farm, value chain, rural society and policy levels in order to cope with the upcoming challenges. IAMO Forum 2006, as well as this book, would not have been possible without the engagement of many people and institutions. We thank the authors of the submitted abstracts and papers, as well as the referees, for their evaluation of the abstracts from which the papers were selected. In particular, we would like to express our thanks to OLIVER JUNGKLAUS, GABRIELE MEWES, KLAUS REINSBERG and ANGELA SCHOLZ, who significantly contributed to the organization of the Forum. Furthermore, our thanks goes to SILKE SCHARF for her work on the layout and editing support of this book, and to JIM CURTISS, JAMIE BULLOCH, and DÃNALL Ã MEARÃIN for their English proof-reading. As experience from previous years documents, the course of the IAMO Forum continues to profit from the support and engagement of the IAMO administration, which we gratefully acknowledge. Last but not least, we are very grateful to the Robert Bosch Foundation, the Federal Ministry of Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Haniel Foundation and the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe (IAMO) for their respective financial support.Agribusiness, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management, Industrial Organization, International Development, Labor and Human Capital, Land Economics/Use, Productivity Analysis,

Land, Labour and Capital Markets in European Agriculture: Diversity under a Common Policy. CEPS Paperback. October 2013

Well-functioning factor markets are an essential condition for the competitiveness and sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. At the same time, the functioning of the factor markets themselves is influenced by changes in agriculture and the rural economy. Such changes can be the result of progress in technology, globalisation and European market integration, changing consumer preferences and shifts in policy. Changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) over the last decade have particularly affected the rural factor markets. This book analyses the functioning of factor markets for agriculture in the EU-27 and several candidate countries. Written by leading academics and policy analysts from various European countries, these chapters compare the different markets, their institutional framework, their impact on agricultural development and structural change, and their interaction with the CAP. As the first comparative study to cover rural factor markets in Europe, highlighting their diversity − despite the Common Agricultural Policy and an integrated single market − Land, Labour & Capital Markets in European Agriculture provides a timely and valuable source of information at a time of further CAP reform and the continuing transformation of the EU's rural areas