1,751,002 research outputs found
Sahara or Sahel? The fuzzy geography of terrorism in West Africa
Full text linkSince the mid-2000s, terrorism has pushed the peripheries of West Africa into the news and the public eye. While the political implications of this phenomenon have been extensively documented, most commentators have adopted a zonal approach to terrorism in which the Sahel and the Sahara are usually confused. This paper assumes that this confusion dramatically highlights the failure of academic and common geography to think beyond territories in West Africa, and to move away from a ?sedentary? vision of West African societies. The paper contributes to an understanding of the geographical locations of terrorism in West Africa by showing, firstly, what the main reasons behind the current confusion between the Sahel and Sahara are. Secondly, we show that this confusion arose from a territorial vision of space, which has important implications not only for local economic activities, but also for our own understanding of the spatiality of networks in West Africa.terrorism; space; networks; Social Network Analysis (SNA); Sahel; Sahara; West Africa
Dormancy and Revitalization: The fate of ethnobotanical knowledge of camel forage among Sahrawi nomads and refugees of Western Sahara
Full text linkKnowledge about forage is fundamental to the survival of pastoral populations around the world. In this paper, we address the knowledge of camel forage of Sahrawi nomads and refugees of Western Sahara. We analyze the distribution of this knowledge through cultural consensus analysis and develop an explanation for intra-cultural variation based on changing processes of knowledge transmission. In total, 100 plant species were free-listed by informants, with five species (i.e., Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne, Nucularia perrinii Batt., Astragalus vogelii (Webb) Bornm., Panicum turgidum Forssk., and Stipagrostis plumosa Munro ex T.Anderson) found to be culturally highly salient. These five represent five local categories of forage that are necessary for camel management in the Western Sahara desert. The Sahrawi listed 25 forage plants that influence the taste and properties of camel milk, demonstrating that cultural values, as much as survival functions, underpin local knowledge systems. Perhaps unsurprisingly, age and nomadic experience are positively correlated with forage knowledge. Forced displacement and sedentarization are hypothesized as causes of progressive non-use of this knowledge and the lack of its transmission to younger generations of refugees. Nonetheless, across the study area, refugees are re-engaging with pastoralism and nomadism, which is leading to a revitalization of forage knowledge and its transmission. This should be regarded as an adaptation pathway for refugees
The Western Sahara crisis and its repercussions on Moroccan-Algerian relations.
No full textreservedMolti fattori hanno reso la regione del Sahara occidentale un importante centro di conflitto e di instabilità nelle relazioni marocchine in generale, e nelle relazioni marocchine-algerine in particolare. Il fatto che il territorio confina con paesi che hanno relazioni tese tra loro ha complicato il problema e ne ha fatto una zona di conflitto diplomatico tra Marocco, Algeria e la RASD. Questo lavoro si propone di dare risposta alle seguenti domande:
Quali sono le radici storiche del conflitto nel Sahara occidentale?
Qual è la posizione delle parti nel conflitto e la posizione della comunità internazionale sulla questione del Sahara occidentale?
Qual è lo status giuridico del Sahara occidentale attualmente?
Quali sono le condizioni umanitarie del popolo sahraui?
Qual è stata la natura delle relazioni diplomatiche tra Marocco e Algeria e quanto essa è stata colpita dal conflitto nel Sahara?
Esiste un consenso algerino e marocchino per risolvere il conflitto nel Sahara occidentale
2019 Ambon Aftershocks Catalogue Data Compiled Using Local and Regional Seismic Networks
No full textThese Datasets present earthquake catalogs of the 2019 Ambon aftershocks compiled from the regional seismic networks of the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics of Indonesia (BMKG) and the local network deployed by Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Indonesian National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) and BMKG. The final earthquake catalogs are comprised of 1,009 and 1,764 aftershocks compiled from the regional and local network, respectively, which span the period of October 18th to December 15th, 2019. The range of their spatial region is -3.70o to -3.30o on the latitude and 128.15o to 128.60o on the longitude. Additionally, focal mechanism solutions of the main Mw 6.5 and its biggest triggered aftershock Mw 5.2 events were acquired. Such datasets could provide a basis for further seismology analysis, including seismic tomography, and source mechanism analysis, as well as further seismic hazard analysis in the Ambon and Seram islands. This dataset with its linked article is a companion for an article in the Tectonophysics with the title “Source Mechanism and Triggered Large Aftershocks of the Mw 6.5 Ambon, Indonesia Earthquake” (Sahara et. al., review process)
The Contribution of Critical Theory to New Thinking on Peacekeeping: Some Lessons from MINURSO
No full textYesThis paper sums up the findings from the first comprehensive study on the United Nations
Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara. This research project explores the
possibilities of using a Foucualtian analysis to look at the links between peacekeeping
practice and Western policies of conflict containment in the Western Sahara with a view to
enhancing UN conflict resolution capabilities
Axe 1. Le Sahara : objet d’étude historique
No full textResponsable : Agnès Charpentier Il conviendra en premier lieu de s’interroger sur la pertinence du Sahara en tant qu’objet historique : quand et comment le Sahara est-il devenu un objet d’étude pour les scientifiques, les historiens et les médiévistes en particulier ? L’intérêt pour le Sahara date en effet de la période coloniale et de la volonté des pouvoirs coloniaux d’étendre leur domination sur de nouveaux territoires dont l’exploitation future semblait prometteuse. L’objectif est ains..
The Western Sahara conflict as a factor of tension in Algerian-Moroccan relations: a historical and political analysis
No full textreservedQuesta tesi di laurea analizza i rapporti tesi tra Marocco e Algeria con particolare attenzione al conflitto del Sahara Occidentale. Il Sahara Occidentale, una regione contesa da entrambi i paesi, ha rappresentato una questione cruciale per la stabilità e la sicurezza nella regione del Maghreb. Lo ricerca esplora le radici storiche del conflitto, con un focus sugli interessi politici, storici e strategici che hanno contribuito alla persistenza delle tensioni tra i due paesi nordafricani. Nell'analizzare i rapporti bilaterali tra i due paesi, sono stati presi in considerazione anche i ruoli di attori regionali e internazionali, che hanno spesso agito da mediatori o sostenitori di una delle parti coinvolte. Questi attori esterni hanno influenzato l'evoluzione del conflitto e possono aver contribuito sia a una sua risoluzione sia al suo prolungamento. I risultati dello studio mettono in luce le principali sfide che il Marocco e l'Algeria devono affrontare per superare le tensioni legate al Sahara Occidentale.This dissertation analyzes the strained relations between Morocco and Algeria with a focus on the Western Sahara conflict. Western Sahara, a region disputed by both countries, has been a crucial issue for stability and security in the Maghreb region. The research explores the historical roots of the conflict, with a focus on the political, historical and strategic interests that have contributed to the persistence of tensions between the two North African countries. In analyzing bilateral relations between the two countries, the roles of regional and international actors, who often acted as mediators or supporters of one of the parties involved, were also considered. These external actors have influenced the evolution of the conflict and may have contributed to either its resolution or its prolongation. The results of the study highlight the main challenges Morocco and Algeria face in overcoming tensions related to Western Sahara
The relative importance and biological significance of non-stop and intermittent flight strategies in bird migrants crossing the Sahara
Full text linkIX Summary
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the flight and resting strategies of birds crossing the Sahara on migration. In order to overcome the severe limitations of ground observations, we chose radar to obtain continuous data of the temporal and spatial distribution of bird migration and to answer the core question whether migrants cross the largest desert by a long non-stop flight or rather by intermittent flying and resting. Study site and methods The Swiss Ornithological Institute carried out extensive radar and field studies at three different study sites in Mauritania, covering three migration seasons in 2003 and 2004. One station (20°56’ N; 11°35’ W), close to the oasis Ouadâne and about 500 km east of the Atlantic coast, was run permanently for about two moths in spring and autumn 2003 and in spring 2004. It provided continuous data on the course of bird migration across this part of the Sahara. The two other radar sites were operated about 300 km further to the East in the plain sand desert close to the border of Mali. At Mohammed Lemna (18°35’ N; 08°38’ W) radar data was collected for eleven days in September 2003. At Bîr Amrâne (22°47’ N; 08°43’ W), located about 450 km further to the North of Mohammed Lemna, the observations covered about three weeks in April 2004 (chapter I). Quantification of bird migration by means of radar is still a difficult task, in spite of almost sixty years of growing experience in radar ornithology. We present for the first time a method how radar data can be analysed to achieve reliable estimates of the number of migrating birds in a given air space. To reach this goal three basic steps of quantification must be considered: (1) echo detection, (2) echo identification and (3) quantification. First, the radar must be calibrated to allow the calculation of standardized echo sizes that are independent of distance. Then a distance-dependent threshold to reduce the detection of small targets at close range has to be applied. After this basic step, the remaining echoes must be assigned to bird or insect targets, eventually eliminating the insects. In our case, we were also able to determine the birds’ body axis relative to the radar (aspect) and to differentiate detection probabilities according to echo sizes. For the final quantification, we estimated the surveyed air space with respect to the specific detection range per echo size class. Using this method we calculated the temporal and spatial distribution of bird migration crossing the western Sahara (chapter II). Composition of daytime migration Billions of songbirds breeding in the western Palaearctic cross the Sahara desert twice a year. While crossing temperate latitudes most of them use an intermittent flight strategy, i.e. fly at night and rest or feed during the day. As resting and feeding in the Sahara is much less rewarding than in Europe, we investigated whether in the Sahara migration during daytime comprises the normal diurnal migrant species or the nocturnal ones prolonging their flight into the day. At the radar station Ouadâne, spring passage of passerine migrants showed high variation from night to night, but in general passerine densities decreased towards sunrise. However, under favourable wind conditions passerine migration continued far into the day, mostly at high altitudes (around 2000 m above ground level). These relatively high densities of passerines flying during the day were in contrast to very low proportions of real diurnal migrants detected on daily transect counts in the study area. For nocturnal migrants, however, the transect counts showed high correlation IX-
The EU’s Approach Towards Western Sahara
No full textOur purpose in this intervention is to give a general overview of the attitude adopted by the EU towards the question of Western Sahara. For the sake of simplicity, we may distinguish between the general political approach adopted by the EU and the concrete attitude adopted by the same organization vis-à-vis all the interested actors in the region and, above all, vis-à-vis the main power concerned, i.e. Morocco
Green Sahara Simulations with iCESM
No full textFiles contain monthly climatologies of surface temperature, 2m temperature, sea level pressure, precipitation, and d18O of precipitation from 50-year averages of the preindustrial control, mid-Holocene with desert Sahara, and mid-Holocene with vegetated Sahara experiments discussed in the manuscript
- …
