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“In Principle” versus “In Reality”: Assessing the potential of adaptive urban governance toward urban flooding in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7
Get PDFFlooding has become the new normal in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). During the rainy season, many areas of the city experience severe inundation that seriously impacts infrastructure, traffic, and economic transactions. As the effects of climate change unpredictably and rapidly manifest in Southern Vietnam, the frequency and impact of urban floods are projected to increase. In addition, within the last few decades, HCMC has rapidly developed and urbanized, transforming itself into the economic center of Southern Vietnam. However, previous studies and international experts have determined that rapid, poor development may be exacerbating urban flood issues.
In recent years, city authorities and land planners have recognized the threat of urban flooding and climate change, calling for sustainable development and investing in flood adaptation infrastructure. Despite these efforts, many local people and experts agree that measures have been largely ineffective. Furthermore, based on the Master Plan extending into 2025, the city does not appear to be slowing development any time soon. With plans to further develop into the low-lying floodplains south of Saigon, including District 7, HCMC is likely to create new flood-prone areas while increasingly vulnerability to climate change and poor development.
To better understand the issue of urban flooding and adaptation in HCMC, this paper selects District 7 as a site of study. Through a case-study approach, this research intends to explore the issue of urban flooding in District 7 within the context of climate change and rapid urbanization to determine whether the city could effectively implement a more coordinated form of flood adaptation considerate of climate change, socio-economic inequities, and community-based adaptation – otherwise known as “adaptive urban governance”. Based on interviews with 10 individuals, and observational data, and a “desk review”, relevant analysis includes an assessment of current formal efforts (i.e. programs and legislation), stakeholder analysis, and an assessment of the socio-economic and spatial inequities resulting from uneven development in District 7. This case-study of District 7 determined that, in principle, HCMC’s potential for adaptive urban governance toward urban flooding appears strong; however, in reality, current efforts are weak and insufficient, thereby minimizing the potential for adaptive urban governance
Peacebuilding And Community Development, A Civic Engagement Program For Vietnamese Undergraduate Students In Cambodia
Get PDFThis proposal presents a program design for the Peace Building and Community Development program, a ten-week civic engagement program for undergraduate Vietnamese students in Cambodia during the summer break. This is a new program model proposed to Sarus, a leadership and peace education organization, which has run its programs mostly in the form of short-term exchange programs. The program will be executed by Sarus in partnership with higher education institutions in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and community partner organizations in Cambodia. The program aims to give students exposure to a multicultural environment, opportunities for holistic development, as well as civic engagement experiences connected to their academic study. The program design is grounded in experiential learning theory, holistic student development theory, and multicultural education. This proposal outlines the theoretical foundations, needs assessment, program description as well as other components to implement the program successfully
Are Widows in Southern Cameroon Marginalized After the Death of their Husbands?
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Are widows in Southern Cameroon marginalized after the death of their husbands?
This independent Practitioner Inquiry Capstone paper seeks to address whether widows are marginalized after the death of their husbands and whether Cameroonian domestic and international laws and regional human rights have been applied or proven to protect widows in Cameroon against the discriminatory customary laws and practices against widowhood. Information was collected from books, journals articles, and websites, that have discussed the issues of customs and practices against widowhood in Cameroon and other sub- Saharan African Countries. This paper focused on widowhood in southern Cameroon as a case study and gave some examples of how widows were treated in other sub-Saharan African Countries. This also included findings on the treatment they received as widows in their time of grief and how they were deprived of their rights. It has been observed in this study that widowhood is similar across must countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In the rural communities’ customs and traditions are still fully enhanced and are mostly efficient because the women are not educated and are unaware of their rights. In some tribes depending on religious affiliation, they provide the alternative of widows remaining in their communities or remarry where ever they chose. In most cases, after undergoing difficult traditional norms to prove their innocence they were still accused, ostracized and ignored. Major causes of widow hood have been discussed, and suggestions on women empowerment and women’s rights according to UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) resolution should be enhanced in local communities and in endemic regions
Vaccine Hesitancy in the United States and Switzerland
Get PDFVaccine hesitancy (VH), or the reluctance or refusal to participate in vaccination programs, is a complex phenomenon with far-reaching impacts on society. VH can impact vaccine uptake and facilitate subsequent outbreaks, as seen with the case of measles. Perceptions of vaccination are similar in the United States and Switzerland, and misinformation in each country contributed to VH through impaired parental risk-benefit analysis; parental analysis and subsequent VH is associated with both anti-vaccination messages gaining prominence and a decrease in the public perception of the health risk from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs). There are many proposed strategies for addressing VH on both clinical and public health levels, most of which center around communication. So far, no single strategy has been shown to be most effective. The literature and the interviews included multiple possible strategies to be tested in the future
Iceland\u27s migratory birds in changing environmental conditions: An interactive synthesis
Get PDFHuman-driven changes to environmental conditions alter the habitats, behaviors, and migration patterns of migratory species. Changes in temperature, vegetation, and precipitation are just some of the factors contributing to shifts in phenology, demography, and distribution of migratory birds. These changes are driven by anthropogenic climate change and amplified by human land-use change, and are especially intense at high latitudes. This project creatively communicates the effects of environmental changes on three species of migratory birds in Iceland—the northern wheatear, the Greenland white-fronted goose, and the black-tailed godwit—using principles of storytelling and game design. The resulting interactive product is a game that can extend the reach of scientific information on migratory species to non-expert audiences and, by enabling players to engage with their observations and investigate further questions, increases accessibility of the scientific process
Subsistence in Samoa: influences of the capitalist global economy on conceptions of wealth and well-being
Get PDFThis paper studies Samoa’s position in the global economy as an informal agricultural economy. A country’s access to the global economy reflects a level of socio-economic development and political power. It is also reflective of the country’s history of globalization. This research uses an analysis of past and current forms of colonization that continue to influence cultural and ideological practices, specifically practices regarding food. Concepts of wealth and well-being in subsistence and capitalist economies are compared and contrasted. Research takes place on the main island of Upolu, in and around the capital, Apia. Information is accumulated from previous research and interviews with a variety of Samoan participants. The faasamoa is regarded as a form of resilience in maintaining cultural values despite the globalization of neoliberal capitalist values. Subsistence and capitalism, although deemed inherently incompatible, function in the same sphere as Samoa utilizes capitalist concepts to maintain cultural practices. Both forms of wealth clash and yet are often held together as Samoa seeks to establish a position in the global economy while simultaneously developing the local economy to overcome colonial forms of dependence
Cancer Management in Kenya - Awareness and The Struggles Patients Face to Access Treatment, Care & Support
Get PDFThe amount of cancer cases in Africa, and Kenya specifically, are rising at an alarming rate. This study was conducted to determine the challenges that patients with cancer in Kenya face to access treatment, care and support. Thirty-nine cancer patients were interviewed and thirty cancer patients filled out a questionnaire about their experiences of having cancer in Kenya. In addition, twenty key informants were interviewed including doctors, caregivers, cancer NGO executives, a researcher, a psychologist, a National Health Insurance Fund official and a director from the Ministry of Health. A breast cancer awareness survey was also administered to fifty-nine women in Kenya to determine their level of breast cancer awareness. Many challenges that cancer patients face in Kenya were identified by the participants. The most common challenge identified was the expensive cost of cancer treatment in Kenya. Other challenges identified include the lack of access to cancer centers and trained specialized oncologists, especially for individuals who live outside Nairobi or in rural areas. Professional burnout and frustration of many medical personnel was reported by doctors and identified by patients and key informants. Psycho-social support and counselling for patients in the hospital setting was found to be lacking. A lack of awareness and knowledge about cancer was found to be rampant throughout Kenya and many study participants identified this as the main cause of stigma faced by cancer patients. Patients suggested that the Kenyan Government should begin to take cancer more seriously and look at ways to decrease the cost of treatment and increase awareness, access to facilities and support for cancer patients
Educator Perspectives on Suggested Changes to the Jordanian Education System as a Result of the Syrian Refugee Crisis
Get PDFThe research investigates the question: How do teachers believe the Jordanian education system should change in order to best meet the needs of all students given the recent influx of Syrian refugees? The researcher interviewed seven teachers in Amman and Madaba, Jordan to gather qualitative data on their perspectives on the current Jordanian education system. Educators interviewed represented a vary of different school populations, grade levels, environments, resources and subject areas. Teachers interviewed and material culture demonstrated that the current education system is in need of multifaceted reform. The primary issue raised by many interviewees is enhanced discrimination and inequitable distribution of resources as a result of the double shift system. They point to the segregation of Syrian and Jordanian students as a critical component of continued tension between the groups. However, the Jordanian school system is currently over capacity and the double shift system in an ingenious response to effectively use limited resources to provide an education to all students within Jordan. The researcher suggests moving to an integrated double shift system. This proposal suggests large-scale systematic reform and that could only happen over a long period of time. At present, this reorganization would be too overwhelming to students, families, teachers and the larger system. Therefore, the researcher also recommends incremental change in the form of an overlapping double shift system. The overlapping system would entail keeping Jordanian and Syrian students separate for the majority of the school day and integrated in the middle of the day, in classes where needs are generally similar, particularly for classes that encourage social cohesion. The overlapping double shift system is a stepping stone to eventually fully integrating the Jordanian school system
Conditionality, Rationale, and Implications of EU Aid for Migration: The Case of Morocco
Get PDFMorocco has a long history as a sending country. However, in recent years, as civil, political, and economic unrest has uprooted many people, Morocco has emerged as a transit country for migrants attempting to reach Europe. Additionally, as borders have become tighter and as migration has become more financially burdensome, many have permanently settled in Morocco. In response to the relationship between Morocco and Europe, many instruments have been developed between the EU and Morocco to manage migration and mobility. In this study, using policy analysis and a semi-structured interview approach, I will examine the motives of the EU for allocating financial aid to Morocco. Through comparisons between the discourse of policy documents and the reality of the types of projects financial support is being allocated towards, this study seeks to determine what goals the EU is hoping to achieve by supporting Morocco financially. After examining these motives, I will analyze the implications of financial support on migration policy and internal responses to migration in Morocco. While the EU is a powerful entity, this study examines whether Morocco has been able to maintain sovereignty and protect its individual interests in their migration policies. In addition to the EU’s impact on Moroccan migration policy, this study investigates how the conditionality and nature of financial support of the EU has affected the activity and success of national NGOs
Home and Healing in the In-Between: Migrant and Refugee Mental Health in Tunisia
Get PDFThis research is a study of migrant conceptions of home and healing in Tunisia. It seeks to understand the ways in which migration, trauma, and healing interact as lived experiences for people who migrate for various reasons to Tunisia. Using past research from Terre d’Asile and Médecins du Monde, the research seeks to understand the main risk and protective factors of migrant mental health. The research is a qualitative study of the ways in which migrants identify with having experienced trauma and the healing practices they may have brought to or learned in Tunisia. It also hopes to build connections as to how displacement from a sense of home is degrading psychologically, while establishment of strong community ties is the main protective factor for migrant mental health