Adaptation to salinity in Southwest Coastal Bangladesh: An environmental and qualitative study of water and food security in an era of climatic change

Salinity intrusion, a process by which seawater moves inland into freshwater sources and the surrounding land, affects much of the southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. The resulting increase in soil and water salinity impinges on diverse aspects of rural livelihood, including access to freshwater, agriculture, and aquaculture. Our overall objective was to conduct a comprehensive, yet in-depth, analysis of how communities living in salinity-affected areas perceived salinity as a phenomenon, how they were affected and adapting, and how well the assistance provided and prioritized by NGO and government actors met their needs. We conducted 86 in-depth interviews and 6 focus group discussions with community members across three sites in the districts of Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira. We also measured salinity of soil and water samples, and administered household questionnaires to 25 households. At the stakeholder level, we conducted 24 and 16 in-depth interviews with representatives of NGOs and government, respectively. All qualitative data collection activities were transcribed and thematically analyzed. Results from salinity testing and questionnaires were mapped and tabulated. Although community members recognized some salinity as inevitable due to the area’s coastal geography, they emphasized saltwater shrimp aquaculture and sluice gate management as major exacerbating factors. NGO and government perspectives aligned to some extent with those of communities. However, they prioritized measures to address the impacts of salinity rather than actions to curtail potentially modifiable causes. Salinity had a significant effect on households’ ability to obtain freshwater, particularly during winter and hot season. It also inhibited households’ ability to produce food. Methods to adapt effectively to these impacts were generally resource-intensive, and sometimes inaccessible even with external assistance provided by development actors. In implementing interventions to promote adaptation, NGO and government actors faced numerous challenges. These included designing effective interventions, selecting beneficiaries in a fair and transparent manner, and ensuring that infrastructure remained functional. The overarching conclusion is that those affected by salinity do not feel they are receiving the assistance they need. Despite a variety of adaptation strategies being proposed, negotiated, and implemented, effective adaptation remains a critical challenge

Decision-making on intra-household allocation of bed nets in Uganda: do households prioritize the most vulnerable members?

Abstract Background Access to insecticide-treated bed nets has increased substantially in recent years, but ownership and use remain well below 100% in many malaria endemic areas. Understanding decision-making around net allocation in households with too few nets is essential to ensuring protection of the most vulnerable. This study explores household net allocation preferences and practices across four districts in Uganda. Methods Data collection consisted of eight focus group discussions, twelve in-depth interviews, and a structured questionnaire to inventory 107 sleeping spaces in 28 households. Results In focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, participants almost unanimously stated that pregnant women, infants, and young children should be prioritized when allocating nets. However, sleeping space surveys reveal that heads of household sometimes receive priority over children less than five years of age when households have too few nets to cover all members. Conclusions When asked directly, most net owners highlight the importance of allocating nets to the most biologically vulnerable household members. This is consistent with malaria behaviour change and health education messages. In actual allocation, however, factors other than biological vulnerability may influence who does and does not receive a net.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109479/1/12936_2014_Article_3219.pd

Orden público y perfiles raciales: experiencias de afrocolombianos con la policía en Cali

Este libro documenta el trato que recibe la población afrodescendiente en Cali por parte de miembros de la policía que operan en esta ciudad. Esto se manifiesta a la hora de retener o requisar personas, particularmente en la selectividad y el trato, tanto físico como verbal. El libro presenta en una primera parte la normatividad, tanto nacional como internacional, existente respecto a la lucha contra la discriminación. Complementario a lo anterior, a modo de revisión metodológica, se presentan estudios similares realizados en otros lugares. Por último, el trabajo se enfoca en dos aspectos de la situación en Cali: información estadística sobre violencia y concentración de población afro y, por otro lado, los testimonios de la población afectada por esta problemática. Con lo anterior se pretende presentar resultados empíricos de aspectos como la “etiquetación racial”, la violencia física y simbólica que se ejerce por temas raciales y la necesidad de tomar medidas para que Colombia se ajuste a los parámetros normativos que buscan combatir la discriminación racial. Descripción tomada de: https://www.dejusticia.org/publication/orden-publico-y-perfiles-raciales-experiencias-de-afrocolombianos-con-la-policia-en-cali

Etnorreparaciones: La Justicia colectiva étnica y la reparación a pueblos indígenas y comunidades afrodescendientes en Colombia

En el contexto de la discusión cada vez mayor y la necesidad urgente de reparaciones en Colombia, esta publicación pretende contribuir al debate académico y a la formulación de políticas públicas sobre reparaciones a algunas de las víctimas más apremiantes del país: los pueblos indígenas y las comunidades afro-colombianas. Para este objetivo, el concepto de “justicia colectiva étnica” (JCE) se introduce. En primer lugar, el texto justifica la necesidad de este concepto demostrando el vacío conceptual que llena. Posteriormente, ofrece una guía práctica sobre cómo la JCE se puede lograr en la práctica mediante la descripción de los principios y los criterios pertinentes en la legislación colombiana e internacional. Descripción tomada de: https://www.dejusticia.org/publication/etnorreparaciones-la-justicia-colectiva-etnica-y-la-reparacion-a-pueblos-indigenas-y-comunidades-afrodescendientes-en-colombia

Orden público y perfiles raciales : experiencias de afrocolombianos con la policía en Cali

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“People will say that I am proud”: a qualitative study of barriers to bed net use away from home in four Ugandan districts

Abstract Background Despite increased access and ownership, barriers to insecticide-treated bed net (ITN) use persist. While barriers within the home have been well documented, the challenges to net use when sleeping away from home remain relatively unexplored. This study examines common situations in which people sleep away from home and the barriers to ITN use in those situations. Methods To explore these issues, a group of researchers conducted 28 in-depth interviews and four focus groups amongst adults from net-owning households in four Ugandan districts. Results In addition to sleeping outside during hot season, participants identified social events, livelihood activities, and times of difficulty as circumstances in which large numbers of people sleep away from home. Associated challenges to ITN use included social barriers such as fear of appearing proud, logistical barriers such as not having a place to hang a net, and resource limitations such as not having an extra net with which to travel. Social disapproval emerged as an important barrier to ITN use in public settings. Conclusions Unique barriers to ITN use exist when people spend the night away from home. It is essential to identify and address these barriers in order to reduce malaria exposure in such situations. For events like funerals or religious “crusades” where large numbers of people sleep away from home, alternative approaches, such as spatial repellents may be more appropriate than ITNs. Additional research is required to identify the acceptability and feasibility of alternative prevention strategies in situations where ITNs are unlikely to be effective.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109543/1/12936_2013_Article_3146.pd

Multiple entries and exits and other complex human patterns of insecticide-treated net use: a possible contributor to residual malaria transmission?

Abstract Background Increased insecticide-treated net (ITN) use over the last decade has contributed to dramatic declines in malaria transmission and mortality, yet residual transmission persists even where ITN coverage exceeds 80%. This article presents observational data suggesting that complex human net use patterns, including multiple entries to and exits from ITNs by multiple occupants throughout the night, might be a contributing factor. Methods The study included dusk-to-dawn observations of bed net use in 60 households in the Peruvian Amazon. Observers recorded number of net occupants and the time and number of times each occupant entered and exited each net. The study team then tabulated time of first entry, total times each net was lifted, and, where possible, minutes spent outside by each occupant. Results The sample included 446 individuals and 171 observed sleeping spaces with nets. Household size ranged from 2 to 24 occupants; occupants per net ranged from 1 to 5. Nets were lifted a mean 6.1 times per night (SD 4.35, range 1–22). Observers captured substantial detail about time of and reasons for net entry and exit as well as length of time and activities undertaken outside. Conclusions These findings suggest that the ITN use patterns observed in this study may contribute to residual transmission. As a result, respondents to net use surveys may truthfully report that they slept under a net the previous night but may not have received the anticipated protection. More research is warranted to explore the impact of this phenomenon. Concurrent entomological data would help assess the magnitude of the effect

β2-Adrenoceptors in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Excitatory Neurons Regulate Anxiety-like Behavior in Mice

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and β-adrenoceptors (βARs) have been implicated in modulating anxiety-like behavior. However, the specific contributions of the β2-AR subtype in mPFC in anxiety are still unclear. To address this issue, we used optogenetic and microRNA-based (miRNA) silencing to dissect the role of β2-AR in mPFC in anxiety-like behavior. On the one hand, we use a chimeric rhodopsin/β2-AR (Opto-β2-AR) with in vivo optogenetic techniques to selectively activate β2-adrenergic signaling in excitatory neurons of the mPFC. We found that opto-activation of β2-AR is sufficient to induce anxiety-like behavior and reduce social interaction. On the other hand, we utilize the miRNA silencing technique to specifically knock down the β2-AR in mPFC excitatory neurons. We found that the β2-AR knock down induces anxiolytic-like behavior and promotes social interaction compared to the control group. These data suggest that β2-AR signaling in the mPFC has a critical role in anxiety-like states. These findings suggest that inhibiting of β2-AR signaling in the mPFC may be an effective treatment of anxiety disorders