Application of Stochastic Dynamic Programming (SDP) for the optimal allocation of irrigation water under capacity sharing arrangements

This study attempts to arrive at an optimal allocation of irrigation water using capacity sharing (CS) as an institutional arrangement, and stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) as an optimisation model. It determines the value of an additional unit of water under a crop enterprise mix of lucerne-maize-wheat (LMW). SDP is an improvement on linear programming (LP) under stochastic conditions. The SIM-DY-SIM Model was used to simulate optimal returns, decision and policy variables under varying conditions of capacity share. LP results show that wheat has the highest MVP of R0.39/m3, with maize exhibiting the lowest value of R0.09/m3. The MVPs generated with SDP range between R0.06/m3 and R0.35/m3 on the whole farm basis, with revenue to the farmer increasing with an increase in CS content and increased percentage water release. However, the MVP of water decreased with the increased supply of the resource – a phenomenon that follows the general rule of decreasing marginal utility of a resource as more of it is used.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Knowledge and Attitude towards Ebola Virus Disease among Secondary School Students in Abakaliki, South-east, Nigeria

Introduction: Ebola virus disease (EVD) is an acute haemorrhagic fever. It is also a zoonotic disease which has posed a serious public health problem in the West African Sub-Region. The study was conducted to determine the level of knowledge and attitude towards EVD among Secondary School Students in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 318 secondary school students in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, selected through multistage sampling method. Information and permission were obtained from the State Ministry of Education, Informed consent from the principals of the schools and their class teachers. Assent was obtained from selected students prior to the study. Data was collected with pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires and analyzed using statistical package for the social science (SPSS) version 20. Results were treated with strict confidentiality. Results: Majority of the respondents (85.5%) were between 15 to 19 years. Students in SSS 2 constituted the greatest proportion of respondents, 57.0% and 48.8% for public and private schools respectively. One hundred percent of the respondents had heard about EVD. Knowledge of EVD was generally poor for majority of the students in both schools, the proportion being higher in the public (65.8%), compared to the private schools (40.6%). Greater proportion (70.6%) of those in private schools had positive attitude to EVD compared to 53.8% in public schools. Conclusion: Respondents from private schools were more knowledgeable and exhibited more positive attitude than respondents from public schools. Recommendation: Sensitisation and health education of secondary school students on EVD

The Role of Universal Primary Education in Development

It is has become universally mandatory that every child of school age – irrespective of gender – should go to school and receive at least a primary education. This article discusses strategies for implementing meaningful and sustainable Universal Primary Education (UPE). It postulates that successful UPE should conduct proper diagnosis of the present and future populations of pupils, the demand for teachers at all levels, and the number of secondary and tertiary institutions necessary to absorb primary and secondary school graduates respectively. Effective implementation of the UPE requires builtin employment strategies in the industrial, commercial and continued education sectors, with suffi cient capacity to absorb the UPE graduates, thereby minimising the problem of unemployment and its associated social and economic vices that has a negative effect on national development. Africa Insight Vol. 37 (4) 2008 pp. 137-14

Assessing the compliance of African countries with environmental sustainability indicators for sustainable development

No Abstract

The Rise of Food Prices and the Challenge of Development in Africa

This article examines the rise of food prices and analyses the factors that contribute to price hikes and the overall implication in Africa’s development. Africa is a conspicuous laggard among contemporary developing regions in the world. The continent bears the brunt of starvation, malnutrition, hunger and diseases that arise directly from food price hikes. Political instability, bad governance, lack of political will, and natural disasters such as droughts, fl oods and famine are some of the contributors to the price hikes. The article recommends timely government intervention through bulk purchase and distribution of food in the short term, and land redistribution, provision of credit, agricultural processing, and improved access to markets as long-term measures to mitigate the debilitating condition

Using Indigenous Knowledge in Traditional Agricultural Systems for Poverty and Hunger Eradication

This article discusses the role of indigenous knowledge in traditional agriculture and its potential in contributing to food security, poverty and hunger eradication, and increased employment in South Africa. It is noted that indigenous knowledge can inform rural agricultural production, storage, processing, marketing, and food preparation, as well as the fashioning of farm tools, selection of crop and animal breeding stock, crop and animal health, and genetic manipulations to shorten crop and livestock gestation periods. As a labour- intensive but cost-effective application, indigenous knowledge proves a viable option for resource-poor farmers in their pursuit of increased output and income. The fear that the generation holding the quantum of indigenous knowledge is fast aging and dying out underpins the urgency of this discourse. Africa Insight Vol. 37 (4) 2008 pp. 47-6

The Socio-Cultural and Economic Relevance of the Marula Tree and its Sustainable Use in South Africa

This article analyses the cultural, and socioeconomic importance and sustainability of the Marula tree. The Marula is prolifi c in the production of fruit, for which it yields diverse uses within households, social and cultural ceremonies, and in industrial manufacturing. The fruit pulp is the main ingredient in the popular ‘Amarula Cream' liqueur and used to produce home-brewed beer, while the kernel oil is in demand in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The Zulus use the seed oil for body massages, while the Vendas use the oil for meat preservation. The Marula also features prominently in ethno-medical practices. With increasing commercialisation and industrial demand for the tree and its products, there is a fear that the supply may not be met or sustained in future. Given the high economic potential of its many uses, well-ordered research interventions are recommended to beef up supplies, verify many of the ascribed attributes, and stimulate domestication of the Marula. African Insight Vol. 36 (3&4) 2006: pp. 249-26

A review of Africa\'s performance on sustainable development from safe drinking water, improved sanitation and secure tenure perspectives

No Abstract. Africa Insight Vol. 37 (2) 2007: pp. 197-21

Analysis of the production functions for the Principal Food crop in Lesotho

No abstract availabl