18 research outputs found
Decolonizing nature/knowledge: indigenous environmental thought and feminist praxis
No full textThis faculty-student collaborative article is a result of a graduate seminar on ‘Environmental Education’ taught at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development in Karachi, and it illuminates new perspectives and pedagogies of nature from the global South, specifically South Asia. Drawing inspiration from feminist and indigenous thought, the narratives of ecology shared here center the place of emotions, experience, memory and spiritual intimacy, offering one means of decolonizing environmental studies and expanding our understanding of ‘environmental consciousness’. These narratives defy ontologies of nature-human separation, capturing not just the co-existence of animals, spirits and humans but their co-constitution. Such indigenous ecologies of knowledge and wisdom, we argue, offer a timely corrective to fragmented and exploitative constructions of the natural environment as mere resource, pleasure, or commodity, while providing a profound, alternative basis for a richly layered, spirited, environmental education.
How to cite this article:
ALI, Nosheen; SAMNANI, Binish; WALI KHAN, Abdul; KHATOON, Najmi; ALI, Barkat; ASFUNDYAR, Sadia; ASLAM, Muhammad; AMIRALI, Sumaira. Decolonizing nature/knowledge: indigenous environmental thought and feminist praxis. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in the South. v. 3, n. 1, p. 77-91, Apr. 2019. Available at: https://sotl-south-journal.net/?journal=sotls&page=article&op=view&path%5B%5D=80&path%5B%5D=36
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
نو آبادیاتی ہندوستان میں تانیثی ڈسکورس کے بنیاد گزار مولوی ممتاز علی اور شیخ محمد عبد اللہ
No full textMoulvi Mumtaz Ali and Sheikh Abdullah are the originator of feminist's discourse in colonial Hindustan. Both personalities are advocating women rights in India. They brought women's journals for their education. Molvi Mumtaz Ali launched journal "Tahzeeb-i-Niswan" in 1898 and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah launched monthly journal "Khatoon" from Aligarh. Both wrote book and articles with the theme of gender equality. Both are advocating equal rights for women. For this purpose Molvi Mumtaz Ali wrote a book "Haqooq-i-Niswan" and Sheikh Muhmmad Abdullah wrote a book " Islam main aurat ka darja" (Status of women in Islam)
Schistomeringos japonica (Family Dorvilleidae) – A new record of polychaete from Pakistani coast
No full text485-487A marine polychaete worm, of the genus Schistomeringos Jumars, 1974, is hereby reported for the first time from the coasts of Pakistan. Several specimens of Schistomeringos japonica (Annenkova, 1937) were collected from settlement panels deployed at Korangi Fish Harbour (24˚48´8.34˝ N; 67˚17´60˝ E), Karachi, Pakistani coast. S. japonica is closely related to S. rudolphi (Delle Chiaje, 1828) but differs in having furcate chaeta from the first, not the second, pair of parapodia. S. rudolphi has been reported from the Red Sea. Detailed description and illustrations of S. japonica, based on Pakistani materials, are given herein
Assessment of Groundwater Quality of Taluka Bulri Shah Karim, District Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh, Pakistan: Assessment of Groundwater Quality of Taluka Bulri Shah Karim, District Tando Muhammad Khan, Sindh, Pakistan
No full textGroundwater in Pakistan is the main drinking water source, highlighting the significance of regularlymonitoring its quality. There have been several examples of high concentrations of elements like arsenic and nitrate ingroundwater that harm human health and the environment. Our aim with this study was to assess the groundwater qualityof the sub-district Bhulri Shah Karim for drinking and irrigation purposes. We collected groundwater samples from 53shallow bore well hand pumps in October and November 2018. We determined the concentration of four cations, fiveanions and other parameters like pH, turbidity, TDS, total hardness, EC, alkalinity, total iron, and arsenic. Thegroundwater was found to be very hard, and the relative abundance of cations and anions was Na+> Ca2+> Mg2+> K+ andCl‾ > HCO3‾ > SO42‾ > NO3‾ > F‾. The concentrations of arsenic and iron varied from 0 to 0.2 mg/L and 0.02 to 3.6mg/L, respectively. We discussed groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes by calculating the waterquality index, sodium adsorption ratio, percent of sodium, permeability index, and residual sodium carbonate. Inconclusion, the groundwater of the studied area is suitable for drinking on average and irrigation. However, some watersamples were high in arsenic content, and some were highly saline and may need some prior treatment.
Keywords; Groundwater quality, Bhulri Shah Karim, Sindh, Pakistan
PROBLEMS IN RESEARCH RAISING OUT OF ILLUSION
No full textResearch plays an important role in our life. In research, speaking the truth is a difficult task but it is a requirement of research. The search for truth is called research. There are many difficulties in the way of research. But some problems are caused by convenience and haste and carelessness. Ambiguity (Iltibas) also arises as a result of this haste. Ambiguity (Iltibas) means doubting one thing over another. If there are two authors of the same name, the probability increases and the situation becomes like the author of a “Nairang-e-Khiyal”. Identifying these errors make new ways for researchers.  
Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021:A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
No full textBackground: Understanding the health consequences associated with exposure to risk factors is necessary to inform public health policy and practice. To systematically quantify the contributions of risk factor exposures to specific health outcomes, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 aims to provide comprehensive estimates of exposure levels, relative health risks, and attributable burden of disease for 88 risk factors in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, from 1990 to 2021. Methods: The GBD 2021 risk factor analysis used data from 54 561 total distinct sources to produce epidemiological estimates for 88 risk factors and their associated health outcomes for a total of 631 risk–outcome pairs. Pairs were included on the basis of data-driven determination of a risk–outcome association. Age-sex-location-year-specific estimates were generated at global, regional, and national levels. Our approach followed the comparative risk assessment framework predicated on a causal web of hierarchically organised, potentially combinative, modifiable risks. Relative risks (RRs) of a given outcome occurring as a function of risk factor exposure were estimated separately for each risk–outcome pair, and summary exposure values (SEVs), representing risk-weighted exposure prevalence, and theoretical minimum risk exposure levels (TMRELs) were estimated for each risk factor. These estimates were used to calculate the population attributable fraction (PAF; ie, the proportional change in health risk that would occur if exposure to a risk factor were reduced to the TMREL). The product of PAFs and disease burden associated with a given outcome, measured in disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), yielded measures of attributable burden (ie, the proportion of total disease burden attributable to a particular risk factor or combination of risk factors). Adjustments for mediation were applied to account for relationships involving risk factors that act indirectly on outcomes via intermediate risks. Attributable burden estimates were stratified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile and presented as counts, age-standardised rates, and rankings. To complement estimates of RR and attributable burden, newly developed burden of proof risk function (BPRF) methods were applied to yield supplementary, conservative interpretations of risk–outcome associations based on the consistency of underlying evidence, accounting for unexplained heterogeneity between input data from different studies. Estimates reported represent the mean value across 500 draws from the estimate's distribution, with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) calculated as the 2·5th and 97·5th percentile values across the draws. Findings: Among the specific risk factors analysed for this study, particulate matter air pollution was the leading contributor to the global disease burden in 2021, contributing 8·0% (95% UI 6·7–9·4) of total DALYs, followed by high systolic blood pressure (SBP; 7·8% [6·4–9·2]), smoking (5·7% [4·7–6·8]), low birthweight and short gestation (5·6% [4·8–6·3]), and high fasting plasma glucose (FPG; 5·4% [4·8–6·0]). For younger demographics (ie, those aged 0–4 years and 5–14 years), risks such as low birthweight and short gestation and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing (WaSH) were among the leading risk factors, while for older age groups, metabolic risks such as high SBP, high body-mass index (BMI), high FPG, and high LDL cholesterol had a greater impact. From 2000 to 2021, there was an observable shift in global health challenges, marked by a decline in the number of all-age DALYs broadly attributable to behavioural risks (decrease of 20·7% [13·9–27·7]) and environmental and occupational risks (decrease of 22·0% [15·5–28·8]), coupled with a 49·4% (42·3–56·9) increase in DALYs attributable to metabolic risks, all reflecting ageing populations and changing lifestyles on a global scale. Age-standardised global DALY rates attributable to high BMI and high FPG rose considerably (15·7% [9·9–21·7] for high BMI and 7·9% [3·3–12·9] for high FPG) over this period, with exposure to these risks increasing annually at rates of 1·8% (1·6–1·9) for high BMI and 1·3% (1·1–1·5) for high FPG. By contrast, the global risk-attributable burden and exposure to many other risk factors declined, notably for risks such as child growth failure and unsafe water source, with age-standardised attributable DALYs decreasing by 71·5% (64·4–78·8) for child growth failure and 66·3% (60·2–72·0) for unsafe water source. We separated risk factors into three groups according to trajectory over time: those with a decreasing attributable burden, due largely to declining risk exposure (eg, diet high in trans-fat and household air pollution) but also to proportionally smaller child and youth populations (eg, child and maternal malnutrition); those for which the burden increased moderately in spite of declining risk exposure, due largely to population ageing (eg, smoking); and those for which the burden increased considerably due to both increasing risk exposure and population ageing (eg, ambient particulate matter air pollution, high BMI, high FPG, and high SBP). Interpretation: Substantial progress has been made in reducing the global disease burden attributable to a range of risk factors, particularly those related to maternal and child health, WaSH, and household air pollution. Maintaining efforts to minimise the impact of these risk factors, especially in low SDI locations, is necessary to sustain progress. Successes in moderating the smoking-related burden by reducing risk exposure highlight the need to advance policies that reduce exposure to other leading risk factors such as ambient particulate matter air pollution and high SBP. Troubling increases in high FPG, high BMI, and other risk factors related to obesity and metabolic syndrome indicate an urgent need to identify and implement interventions. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license<br/
Blowing Your Own Trumpet: How to Increase the Online Visibility of Your Publication?
No full textAbstract
After seeing one’s manuscript in the print form in a journal, the author feels a sense of elation which is indescribable. However, if one really want peers and other researchers to take note of the work, some more effort is needed. With the massive increase in the number of biomedical journals in print – supplemented by another large chunk online–quite a few published papers remain unread by majority of the readers. The availability of social sites, persistent identifiers, and manuscript-sharing sites has simplified the job of increasing the impact of an article. We herein share some of these tricks-of-the-trade.</jats:p
An empirical assessment of the value of irrigation water: the case study of Murrumbidgee catchment *
No full textEvaluation of value of irrigation water is essential for supporting policy decision making relating to investments in the irrigation sector, efficient allocation of irrigation water and water pricing and for crafting policies to compare the variable impacts of water reform within and across sectors of the economy. This paper asks the question of how much an established irrigator would pay for water and at what price farmers planning to expand the area they have under irrigation would consider paying for the right to access water. An analytical framework is developed to estimate the net present value of both annual and perennial agricultural activities in the Murrumbidgee catchment. Using these estimates the total value of water used in Murrumbidgee catchment is estimated. An aggregate water supply curve is derived for the catchment from where water may be acquired from irrigators for environmental flows. Copyright 2010 The Author. Journal compilation 2010 Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Inc. and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.
Decolonizing nature/knowledge: Indigenous environmental thought and feminist praxis
No full textThis faculty-student collaborative article is a result of a graduate seminar on ‘Environmental Education’ taught at the Aga Khan University’s Institute for Educational Development in Karachi, and it illuminates new perspectives and pedagogies of nature from the global South, specifically South Asia. Drawing inspiration from feminist and indigenous thought, the narratives of ecology shared here center the place of emotions, experience, memory and spiritual intimacy, offering one means of decolonizing environmental studies and expanding our understanding of ‘environmental consciousness’. These narratives defy ontologies of nature-human separation, capturing not just the co-existence of animals, spirits and humans but their co-constitution. Such indigenous ecologies of knowledge and wisdom, we argue, offer a timely corrective to fragmented and exploitative constructions of the natural environment as mere resource, pleasure, or commodity, while providing a profound, alternative basis for a richly layered, spirited, environmental education
Groundwater Quality Assessment Using Hydrochemical and Multivariate Approaches in Coastal Taluka Shaheed Fazil Rahu, District Badin, Sindh, Pakistan
No full textPakistan ranks 14th among the most water-stressed countries globally, with groundwater (GW)serving as the primary water source for both rural and urban populations. However, GW contamination is agrowing concern, driven by excessive agrochemical use, improper wastewater disposal, and toxic elements.Coastal Sindh, particularly District Badin, faces severe water scarcity and deteriorating GW quality, exacerbatedby seawater intrusion and the absence of proper water storage and supply infrastructure. This study assesses GWquality in Taluka Shaheed Fazil Rahu (SFR), District Badin, using hydrochemical and multivariate statisticalapproaches to evaluate contamination sources and freshwater availability. A total of 105 GW samples wereacquired from communal bore wells across three union councils and analyzed for physical, chemical, andmicrobiological parameters. Results showed that 65.71% of samples exceeded turbidity limits, 64.76% had highEC, and 58.1% surpassed TDS thresholds. Microbiological analysis detected total coliforms in 29.52% and E. coliin 12.38%, indicating fecal contamination. Contaminants followed the order: Cl⁻ (56.19%) > HCO₃⁻ (54.29%) >Na⁺ (37.14%) > SO₄²⁻ (31.43%) > K⁺ (25.71%) > Mg²⁺ (24.76%) > Ca²⁺ (22.86%) > F⁻ (14.29%) > As (5.71%) >NO₃⁻ (1.90%). Multivariate analysis identified salinity (EC, TDS), bicarbonate, chloride, and sodium as primaryinfluences on GW quality. WQI classification showed only 7.62% of samples as excellent, while most werecategorized as poor, with UC Tarai (38.46%) having the highest proportion. The findings highlight critical waterquality concerns and threats to public health, emphasizing the need for regular monitoring, water treatment,disinfection, and sustainable utilization of resources to ensure safe drinking water.
Keywords: Coastal Sindh, groundwater quality, hydrochemical assessment, multivariate analysis, public healthrisk, water contaminatio
