Groundwater mapping and locally engaged water governance in a small island terrain: Case study of Karainagar island, Northern Sri Lanka

Groundwater is a vital resource under threat in island communities. Karainagar, a 22 km2 island, is one of seven islands off the coast of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka, with its population of just about 11,000 persons, experiences seasonal water shortage, and salinity in groundwater as twin threats impacting on their lives. This paper reports on a 3-year study (October 2019 to September 2022) to map groundwater dynamics of Karainagar island spatially and seasonally and discusses the patterns revealed in terms of community needs, policy implications, and governance ideas that could already be considered by relevant authorities and citizens jointly. Thirty-six dug wells used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and public purposes were selected, and water level, salinity, and pH changes recorded along with daily rainfall. This paper offers a thorough description of the geography, land use, distribution of wells, and water bodies, followed by discussion of the current status of the groundwater in Karainagar island. Year-to-year differences in rainfall pattern resulted in different rates of change and range in water level with a corresponding reverse pattern seen in salinity with some exceptions across the island. Cumulative rainfall required to reach full capacity of wells ranged from 652 to 892 mm over the 3 years with an average figure of 739 mm of rain. This implies that any further rainfall during early phase of the main rainy season is potential surface water for storage and runoff. Practices such as unregulated pumping and construction of tube wells are argued to be contributing to increase in salinity levels with health implications for residents. A participatory governance approach that overcomes limitations of the existing institutional approach is proposed. Its success based on broad stakeholder engagement, improved equity, and transparency when supported by adequate policies and village level aquifer monitoring will enable sustainability of groundwater resources in Karainagar

Liberation struggle or terrorism? The politics of naming the LTTE

This article examines the politics of naming in one of the longest-running and most intractable conflicts in the world: that between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (ltte) and the Sri Lankan state. While the narratives presented by the ltte and the state in support of their respective positions are complex and range across a number of issues, this paper is primarily concerned with the politics of the ‘terrorist’ label as applied to the ltte. In particular, it examines how the characterisation of the conflict as a form of terrorism has affected its evolutionary course. While the Sri Lankan state has deployed the language of terrorism to further its strategic aims in both the domestic and international spheres, the label has not necessarily impeded the growth of the ltte's military capability but has, by denying the ltte international legitimacy, undermined the organisation's stated political project—Tamil self-determination. The article also outlines the contradictions between prevailing international attitudes to terrorism and the conduct of key international actors with regard to the protagonists in Sri Lanka and demonstrates how the sustained rhetoric of terrorism has become a serious impediment to reaching a permanent resolution of the conflict

LEAFSE – Lernen durch (Studenten-)Austausch – Landwirtschaft-Nahrungskette-Umwelt

The LEAFSE project is the first EU sponsored joint venture project between four European and four Australian universities. It is funded for three years (2003 to 2005) and enables the exchange of 36 students from each continent. The umbrella subject of the project covers agriculture-food systems-environment. Experiential learning is the special focus for all students that are linked together through video-conference tools

Groundwater mapping and locally engaged water governance in a small island terrain: case study of Karainagar island, northern Sri Lanka

Groundwater is a vital resource under threat in island communities. Karainagar, a 22 km2 island, is one of seven islands off the coast of Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka, with its population of just about 11,000 persons, experiences seasonal water shortage, and salinity in groundwater as twin threats impacting on their lives. This paper reports on a 3-year study (October 2019 to September 2022) to map groundwater dynamics of Karainagar island spatially and seasonally and discusses the patterns revealed in terms of community needs, policy implications, and governance ideas that could already be considered by relevant authorities and citizens jointly. Thirty-six dug wells used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and public purposes were selected, and water level, salinity, and pH changes recorded along with daily rainfall. This paper offers a thorough description of the geography, land use, distribution of wells, and water bodies, followed by discussion of the current status of the groundwater in Karainagar island. Year-to-year differences in rainfall pattern resulted in different rates of change and range in water level with a corresponding reverse pattern seen in salinity with some exceptions across the island. Cumulative rainfall required to reach full capacity of wells ranged from 652 to 892 mm over the 3 years with an average figure of 739 mm of rain. This implies that any further rainfall during early phase of the main rainy season is potential surface water for storage and runoff. Practices such as unregulated pumping and construction of tube wells are argued to be contributing to increase in salinity levels with health implications for residents. A participatory governance approach that overcomes limitations of the existing institutional approach is proposed. Its success based on broad stakeholder engagement, improved equity, and transparency when supported by adequate policies and village level aquifer monitoring will enable sustainability of groundwater resources in Karainagar

Universidad Nacional Agraria y su responsabilidad en la conservación y manejo de recursos naturales: caso Isla Zapatera

Thinking systems are a holistic method, included in the set of methods known as soft systems. The concepts of conservation and natural resource management and community life, become a dilemma of difficult conciliation in reality. Currently, it is necessary to deal with complex and dynamic situations in the daily agricultural and natural resource management and environment. The direct beneficiaries are residents and owners of protected areas; indirect external actors represented by organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including institutions of higher education and research. Using soft systems and thinking systems, experiential learning and Kolb cycle as well as mind maps, rich picture and various participatory tools, we began a process in Zapatera Island, to generate an exchange of views and opinions and a platform for communication and interaction that brings the common positions of the different actors and enable progress towards updating and joint identification of a comprehensive management and consensual plan for the protected area, Zapatera Island Archipelago National Park. The results are flattering in the sense that they were able to establish such a platform and the degree of communication and exchange, is key in achieving advantageous positions for different actors especially the inhabitants of the archipelago. Coordinate UNA and SLU, supported by MARENA, and other NGOs and GOs.El pensamiento sistémico es un método holístico, incluido en el conjunto de métodos conocidos como sistemas blandos. Los conceptos de conservación y manejo de los recursos naturales y vida comunitaria, se convierten en un dilema de difícil concertación en la realidad. Actualmente, es necesario encarar situaciones complejas y dinámicas en el quehacer agropecuario y el manejo de los recursos naturales y el ambiente. Los beneficiarios directos son pobladores y propietarios de áreas protegidas; indirectos, actores externos representados por organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, incluyendo centros de educación superior e investigación. Utilizando sistemas blandos y pensamiento sistémico, aprendizaje experiencial y ciclo de Kolb, así como mapas mentales, imagen enriquecida y diferentes herramientas participativas, se inició un proceso en la Isla Zapatera, para generar un intercambio de visiones y pareceres y una plataforma de comunicación e interacción que acerque las posiciones comunes de los diferentes actores y permita avanzar hacia la actualización y definición conjunta de un plan de manejo integral y consensuado del área protegida, Parque Nacional Archipiélago Isla Zapatera. Los resultados son halagadores en el sentido de que se logró establecer tal plataforma, y el grado de comunicación e intercambio, es clave en el logro de posiciones ventajosas para los diferentes actores, especialmente a los habitantes del Archipiélago. Este trabajo fur coordinado por la Universidad Nacional Agraria (Nicaragua) y la Universidad Agrícola de Suecia, apoyados por el Ministerio de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente, y otros organismos gubernamentales y no gubernamentales

Universidad Nacional Agraria y su responsabilidad en la conservación y manejo de recursos naturales: caso Isla Zapatera

Thinking systems are a holistic method, included in the set of methods known as soft systems. The concepts of conservation and natural resource management and community life, become a dilemma of difficult conciliation in reality. Currently, it is necessary to deal with complex and dynamic situations in the daily agricultural and natural resource management and environment. The direct beneficiaries are residents and owners of protected areas; indirect external actors represented by organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including institutions of higher education and research. Using soft systems and thinking systems, experiential learning and Kolb cycle as well as mind maps, rich picture and various participatory tools, we began a process in Zapatera Island, to generate an exchange of views and opinions and a platform for communication and interaction that brings the common positions of the different actors and enable progress towards updating and joint identification of a comprehensive management and consensual plan for the protected area, Zapatera Island Archipelago National Park. The results are flattering in the sense that they were able to establish such a platform and the degree of communication and exchange, is key in achieving advantageous positions for different actors especially the inhabitants of the archipelago. Coordinate UNA and SLU, supported by MARENA, and other NGOs and GOs.El pensamiento sistémico es un método holístico, incluido en el conjunto de métodos conocidos como sistemas blandos. Los conceptos de conservación y manejo de los recursos naturales y vida comunitaria, se convierten en un dilema de difícil concertación en la realidad. Actualmente, es necesario encarar situaciones complejas y dinámicas en el quehacer agropecuario y el manejo de los recursos naturales y el ambiente. Los beneficiarios directos son pobladores y propietarios de áreas protegidas; indirectos, actores externos representados por organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, incluyendo centros de educación superior e investigación. Utilizando sistemas blandos y pensamiento sistémico, aprendizaje experiencial y ciclo de Kolb, así como mapas mentales, imagen enriquecida y diferentes herramientas participativas, se inició un proceso en la Isla Zapatera, para generar un intercambio de visiones y pareceres y una plataforma de comunicación e interacción que acerque las posiciones comunes de los diferentes actores y permita avanzar hacia la actualización y definición conjunta de un plan de manejo integral y consensuado del área protegida, Parque Nacional Archipiélago Isla Zapatera. Los resultados son halagadores en el sentido de que se logró establecer tal plataforma, y el grado de comunicación e intercambio, es clave en el logro de posiciones ventajosas para los diferentes actores, especialmente a los habitantes del Archipiélago. Este trabajo fur coordinado por la Universidad Nacional Agraria (Nicaragua) y la Universidad Agrícola de Suecia, apoyados por el Ministerio de Recursos Naturales y del Ambiente, y otros organismos gubernamentales y no gubernamentales

Glucose-stimulated insulin response in pregnant sheep following acute suppression of plasma non-esterified fatty acid concentrations

BACKGROUND: Elevated non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations in non-pregnant animals have been reported to decrease pancreatic responsiveness. As ovine gestation advances, maternal insulin concentrations fall and NEFA concentrations increase. Experiments were designed to examine if the pregnancy-associated rise in NEFA concentration is associated with a reduced pancreatic sensitivity to glucose in vivo. We investigated the possible relationship of NEFA concentrations in regulating maternal insulin concentrations during ovine pregnancy at three physiological states, non-pregnant, non-lactating (NPNL), 105 and 135 days gestational age (dGA, term 147+/- 3 days). METHODS: The plasma concentrations of insulin, growth hormone (GH) and ovine placental lactogen (oPL) were determined by double antibody radioimmunoassay. Insulin responsiveness to glucose was measured using bolus injection and hyperglycaemic clamp techniques in 15 non-pregnant, non-lactating ewes and in nine pregnant ewes at 105 dGA and near term at 135 dGA. Plasma samples were also collected for hormone determination. In addition to bolus injection glucose and insulin Area Under Curve calculations, the Mean Plasma Glucose Increment, Glucose Infusion Rate and Mean Plasma Insulin Increment and Area Under Curve were determined for the hyperglycaemic clamp procedures. Statistical analysis of data was conducted with Students t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA and 2-way ANOVA. RESULTS: Maternal growth hormone, placental lactogen and NEFA concentrations increased, while basal glucose and insulin concentrations declined with advancing gestation. At 135 dGA following bolus glucose injections, peak insulin concentrations and insulin area under curve (AUC) profiles were significantly reduced in pregnant ewes compared with NPNL control ewes (p < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively). In hyperglycaemic clamp studies, while maintaining glucose levels not different from NPNL ewes, pregnant ewes displayed significantly reduced insulin responses and a maintained depressed insulin secretion. In NPNL ewes, 105 and 135 dGA ewes, the Glucose Infusion Rate (GIR) was constant at approximately 5.8 mg glucose/kg/min during the last 40 minutes of the hyperglycaemic clamp and the Mean Plasma Insulin Increment (MPII) was only significantly (p < 0.001) greater in NPNL ewes. Following the clamp, NEFA concentrations were reduced by approximately 60% of pre-clamp levels in all groups, though a blunted and suppressed insulin response was maintained in 105 and 135 dGA ewes. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that despite an acute suppression of circulating NEFA concentrations during pregnancy, the associated steroids and hormones of pregnancy and possibly NEFA metabolism, may act to maintain a reduced insulin output, thereby sparing glucose for non-insulin dependent placental uptake and ultimately, fetal requirements

Developing Learning Systems For Addressing Uncertainty In Farming, Food And Environment: What Has Changed In Recent Times?

Systemic approaches to managing change and dealing with uncertainty in relation to farming, food and environment have evolved over many decades. These approaches take many forms and have been initiated by researchers, advisers, governments, NGOs, farmers, businesses and others. They include learning systems approaches that go beyond emphasising innovation and life-long learning, in appreciating a range of individual and collective perspectives. The importance of learning, and drawing on the multiple perspectives of stakeholders to co-produce knowledge, has become well recognised in contexts ranging from organic farming to managing water catchments to robotic agriculture. Some of the workshops and one-off events held in these contexts have built on relationships among stakeholders to evolve into longer-term inquiries and communities of practice that have adopted learning approaches and Living Labs where multiple stakeholders experiment and co-create innovations. In this paper we, the authors, who have worked on developing learning systems in a range of agricultural and environmental contexts since the 1980s, take a long-term look at what has changed over the years and what may need to change in future. We consider how theories and practices have changed and their influences on each other. Through reflecting on our experiences of learning systems (including those of running PhD courses for researchers alongside the International Farming Systems Association (IFSA) symposia) we review needs for systems thinking in practice (STiP) and some of the responses to these needs. We conclude with some insights into how to design learning systems that take account of the dynamics of learning in times of uncertainty

Designing and evaluating a conference-based critical social learning system to support systems thinking in practice in PhD research

Systems thinking in practice (STiP) education is poorly institutionalised across the Higher Education (HE) sector though needs to contextualise issues and studies and recognise interconnections are much in evidence across many different sectors. This paper reports on the design and implementation of a course-based initiative for PhD students keen to incorporate systems approaches (systems theories and methodologies) into their research practice. This initiative is of particular relevance to societies like ISSS from the systems and/or cybernetics fields (here after cyber-systemics). The model that has been developed can be used as a ‘wrap-around’ to any conference offering where enhancement of STiP capabilities may be desired or warranted.The key elements of the learning system design are (i) a sponsoring host University able to offer credits for training; (ii) a process design based on systemic inquiry; (iii) pre and post-conference time dedicated to the participants framing of the inquiry, valuing of prior experience and group-based learning; (iv) dedicated staff immersed in the different cyber-systemic traditions as well as learning system design and facilitation capability and (v) freedom to use the associated conference itself as a source of input as well as being the subject of critical inquiry.Students work as a critical social learning system, taking stock of their research trajectories and gaining experience in using systems thinking in practice. The course was first developed by the authors and some of their peers alongside the International Farming Systems Association’s European symposia in Arhus in 2012 and in Berlin in 2014. In Arhus the main focus was on making connections among issues of farming, food, rural areas and environment and negotiating boundaries for research in these areas, a process becoming more and more complicated. In Berlin the focus was on working strategically. Both recognised the need to develop particular skills and abilities e.g. in systemic inquiry. In Berlin in 2015, at the ISSS conference, the students’ focus is on “Cybersystemic Possibilities for Governing the Anthropocene” and the course design has been extended and adapted to include new elements and to be of relevance to students working in domains beyond agriculture.This paper will describe the design process of the course and the theories and experiences that underpin it. The evaluative data available is also reported. One particular challenge in the learning system design has been which traditions of understanding to build on and which systems theories to draw to students’ attention. Overviews have been provided as well experiences of using particular theories, techniques and methodologies. The authors recognise that students face many challenges in identifying and developing appropriate conceptual frameworks and methodologies for their research and try to avoid advocacy of one approach over another. They encourage students to approach the course critically and to take responsibility for their own learning.The paper critically reviews a range of influences on learning system design and the effects of the course –both intended and unintended. It considers how well the course has achieved its intended learning outcomes to date. Students, presenters and designers perspectives will be included. Issues of facilitation of learning, learning and teaching styles and experiential learning are addressed. The latter has particular significance to the theme of the ISSS conference in that lack of congruence between theories espoused and in use (e.g. teachers not ‘walking their talk’) has been a long-running theme in discourses on education for sustainability. For the authors, presenting this paper at ISSS 2015 provides a valuable opportunity for reflection in as well as on action (after Schön)