Disaster risk perception and preparedness of households in Yangon, Myanmar: Disaster experiences, socio-demographic factors and spatial variation

International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning

Jakarta and the entire Jabodetabek Region is since many years and growingly burdened by heavy symptoms of mega-urban overload. Against this background, the Indonesian government in 2019 announced the plan to relocate it to the newly built capital city, Nusantara, in the east of Kalimantan. The objective of this research is to analyze plans for sustainable development in Indonesia's new capital city. This research uses a qualitative approach through in-depth interviews with experts and spatial analysis. The results show that the capital city of Nusantara is supported by programs that include the concept of sustainable development. This is demonstrated through plans to develop large green open spaces, environmentally friendly and integrated transportation systems and modes, balanced land use, a green economy and livable and intelligent housing areas. However, it seems that there are still shortcomings in …

Das Perlflussdelta ist eines der bedeutendsten Wirtschafts- und Innovationszentren (Megacity Clusters) Chinas. Auf weniger als 1 % der Fläche konzentrierte sich um 2020 12 % der Wirtschaftskraft und erfolgten 40 % der Exporte Chinas. Während die Region bereits seit Jahren eine der bedeutendsten Produktionsstätten der Welt ist, verfolgt die chinesische Regierung das Ziel, sie nun auch technisch, wissenschaftlich und als Finanzzentrum zu globaler Spitzenstellung zu entwickeln. Nach einer historischen Einordnung wird aufgezeigt, wie sich seine hohe wirtschaftliche und soziale Dynamik räumlich und auf die Lebensbedingungen der Gesellschaft auswirkt. Als städtisches Beispiel wird Shenzhen gewählt, da es stellvertretend für Chinas Aufstieg und Zukunftsplanung als Weltmacht steht.

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences

With their low lying, flat topography, river deltas and coastal plains are extremely prone to relative sea level rise and other water-related hazards. This calls for accurate elevation data for flood risk assessments, especially in the densely populated Southeast Asian deltas. However, in data-poor countries such as Myanmar, where high accuracy elevation data are not accessible, often only global satellite-based digital elevation models (DEMs), suffering from low vertical accuracy and remote sensing artefacts, can be used by the public and scientific community. As the lack of accurate elevation data hampers the assessment of flood risk, studying available information on land elevation and its reliability is essential, particularly in the context of sea level rise impact. Here, we assess the performance of 10 global DEMs in the Ayeyarwady Delta (Myanmar) against the new, local, so-called AD-DEM, which was generated based on topographical map elevation data. To enable comparison, all DEMs were converted to a common vertical datum tied to local sea level. While both CoastalDEM v2.1 (Kulp and Strauss, 2021) and FABDEM (Hawker et al., 2022) perform comparably well, showing the highest correspondence in comparison with AD-DEM and low-elevation spot heights, FABDEM outperforms CoastalDEM v2.1 by the absence of remote sensing artefacts. The AD-DEM provides a high-accuracy, open and freely available, and independent elevation dataset suitable for evaluating land elevation data in the Ayeyarwady Delta and studying topography and flood risk at large scale, while small-scale investigations may benefit from a FABDEM locally …

Since the beginning of the Doi Moi reforms, Vietnam's economy and society have been profoundly transformed. While in 1986 less than 13 million of Vietnam's inhabitants lived in areas classified as urban (20%), the number has risen to more than 30 million inhabitants today (35% of the total population). This massive urbanisation was made possible by the rapid transformation of the former agricultural state into an industrial and service state and extensive migration processes from rural areas to the fast growing cities and megacities. Fifteen articles analyse the current situation.

AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts

With their low lying, flat topography, river deltas and coastal plains are prone to relative sea-level rise and other water-related hazards, indicating the need of accurate elevation data for flood risk assessments, especially in densely populated Southeast Asian deltas. However, in countries such as Myanmar, where high-accuracy elevation data is not accessible, often only global satellite-based digital elevation models (DEMs), suffering from low vertical accuracy and remote sensing artefacts, can be used by the public and scientific community.

Remote Sensing

Land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) dynamics significantly impact deltas, which are among the world’s most valuable but also vulnerable habitats. Non-risk-oriented LULCCs can act as disaster risk drivers by increasing levels of exposure and vulnerability or by reducing capacity. Making thematically detailed long-term LULCC data available is crucial to improving understanding of those dynamics interlinked at different spatiotemporal scales. For the Ayeyarwady Delta, one of the least studied mega-deltas, such comprehensive information is still lacking. This study used 50 Landsat and Sentinel-1A images spanning five decades from 1974 to 2021 in five-year intervals. A hybrid ensemble model consisting of six machine-learning classifiers was employed to generate land-cover maps from the images, achieving accuracies of about 90%. The major identified potential risk-relevant LULCC dynamics include urban growth towards low-lying areas, mangrove deforestation, and the expansion of irrigated agricultural areas and cultivated aquatic surfaces. The novel area-wide LULCC products achieved through the analyses provide a basis to support future risk-sensitive development decisions and can be used for regionally adapted disaster risk management plans and models. Developed with freely available data and open-source software, they hold great potential to increase research activity in the Ayeyarwady Delta and will be shared upon request.

Natural hazards

Resilience has become important in disaster preparedness and response. Unfortunately, little is known about resilience at the household level. This study presents the results of a survey into individual and household level preparedness to disaster events in Yangon, Myanmar, which is prone to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, flooding, and earthquakes. The study aimed to understand societal resilience and to provide information that could be used to develop a holistic framework. In four different Yangon townships, 440 households were interviewed. The results of the survey indicate how risk preparedness could be improved by specific measures related to the following five factors: (1) increasing the general public’s knowledge of first aid and its role in preparedness; (2) improving mobile phone infrastructure and capacity building in its usage so that it can be used for communication during disasters, along …

Kompakt und verständlich wird das Grundwissen der Allgemeinen und Regionalen Stadtgeographie dargestellt. Heinz Heinebergs Standardwerk zur Stadtgeographie in 6., aktualisierter, ergänzter und erweiterter Auflage führt in zahlreiche wichtige Themenbereiche ein–unter Mitarbeit von Frauke Kraas, Christian Krajewski und Jörg Stadelbauer: Verstädterung/Urbanisierung, städtische Agglomerationsräume/Metropolräume, Stadttypen, Städtesysteme, Theorien und Modelle der Stadtstruktur und-entwicklung, Stadtgliederungen, innerstädtische Zentren. Weitere Schwerpunkte bilden Stadtentwicklung und Städtebau in Mitteleuropa, in Deutschland, im West-Ost-Vergleich sowie in zahlreichen außereuropäischen Kulturräumen. Besondere Berücksichtigung erfahren Metropolen/Megastädte im Globalisierungsprozess, die postmoderne Stadtentwicklung sowie Städtetourismus und Stadtkultur.

Geographische Rundschau

The Covid 19 pandemic hit Thailand hard. Initially low incidence and death rates have risen sharply lately. Key sectors of the economy are experiencing massive declines, with under-and unemployment leading to the return of migrants from the cities to their rural homes. Tourism had largely come to a standstill, although it has recovered recently. Its post-pandemic revitalisation requires innovative programmes and a paradigm shift with strategic diversification and quality enhancement of tourism offers.© 2022 Westermann Schulbuchverlag GmbH. All rights reserved.

Journal of the Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science. Special Issue: Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Asia

The Indawgyi Lake area in the peripheries of Kachin State, Myanmar, is traditionally characterised by three nature-based economic sectors: agriculture, fishery and mining. Because of its specific natural environment, it was designated as “Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary” in 1999. Apart from retarding economic development, the area suffers from the conflict between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Organisation. In recent years, Indawgyi Lake is becoming a destination of community involvement in tourism (CIT) aiming at enhancing the local/regional development. These tourism activities need to be in line with the conservation goals. Against this background, the research aims at analysing the current conditions in the area in order to discuss how CIT can become an incentive for a beneficial future development. The empirical analysis is based on a mixed method approach consisting of interviews with experts from relevant sectors (eg administration, conservation sector, tourism), field observations and secondary data analysis (primary and secondary statistics). The case study demonstrates that tourism, specifically CIT, can be used as a tool to develop a lagging behind area in concordance with conservation goals. But is still remains a longer way until a satisfying situation of peace will be reached.

❖ AimsUnderstanding the multiple risks challenges for fast growing (mega) cities in Myanmar, with focus on Yangon, establishment of a comprehensive, integrative multiple risk management

2018 war der 40. Jahrestag des Beginns der Reform-und Öffnungspolitik (gaigekaifang, 改革开放) der Volksrepublik China. In den vergangenen 4 Jahrzehnten erlebte das Land unter der Führung der Kommunistischen Partei gewaltige Transformationen. Bis Ende der 1970er Jahre war China überwiegend landwirtschaftlich geprägt und, politisch bedingt, nahezu vom Welthandel isoliert. Im Zuge der seit 1978 durch DENG XIAOPING eingeleiteten Reform und Öffnung Chinas kam es zu bislang unbekannten Dimensionen wirtschaftlichen Wachstums, nationaler Migration, städtischer Expansion und urbaner Transformation. Seit 2010 ist China die zweitgrößte Volkswirtschaft weltweit. Kehrseiten dieser Entwicklung sind gravierende hydrologische Probleme und immense wasserwirtschaftliche Herausforderungen. In den, an natürlicher Wasserknappheit leidenden, nördlichen und nordöstlichen Provinzen geriet die …

Sedimentology

The catastrophic storm surge of tropical cyclone Nargis in May 2008 demonstrated Myanmar's exposure to coastal flooding. The investigation of sediments left by tropical cyclone Nargis and its predecessors is an important contribution to prepare for the impact of future tropical cyclones and tsunamis in the region, because they may extend the database for long‐term hazard assessment beyond the relatively short instrumental and historical record. This study, for the first time, presents deposits of modern and historical tropical cyclones and tsunamis from the coast of Myanmar. The aim is to establish regional sedimentary characteristics that may help to identify and discriminate cyclones and tsunamis in the geological record, and to document post‐depositional changes due to tropical weathering in the first years after deposition. These findings if used to interpret older deposits will extend the existing instrumental …

Journal of the Myanmar Academy of Arts and Science

Myanmar is among the most vulnerable states with respect to many kinds of natural hazards. Since 2008, when the Tropical Cyclone Nargis had such a disastrous impact, public awareness to natural hazards has been increasing. It was thus not unexpected that in 2009 the Myanmar Action Plan on Disaster Risk Reduction was introduced (last updated in 2017) and in 2013 the Natural Disaster Management Law was passed. In the Action Plan of 2017, 32 priority actions were established and related responsibilities defined for different administrative and spatial levels. Structures were defined for the specific functions and duties, and in particular for the methods and forms of collaboration between the institutions on different levels. But implementation remains weak. Moreover, the goals set for the first phase (until 2020), for instance that disaster management bodies at all levels should then be fully functional, seem somewhat optimistic.Based on this situation, the joint Myanmar and German research project aims to understand institutional preparedness and awareness for multiple natural risks–in particular cyclone, flood and earthquake risks–in the megacity Yangon. Against the background of risk governance as a key component of successful disaster risk management, the focus is on the following institutional aspects and arrangements: the structural concept of responsibilities, the institutional situation according to disaster preparedness and awareness, and collaborative issues and circumstances related to a disaster.

In this chapter, the authors focus on the different phases of tourism development and provide an overview of the regional distribution of the centres and characteristics of tourism, including information about visitors’ origins and their arrivals. Myanmar has a number of well-established centres of international tourism that boast significant religious, cultural, and historical sites. These sites have attracted visitors for decades and include the ‘classic four’ destinations: in and around the former capitals Mandalay and Yangon, the pagodas and traditional handicrafts at Sagaing, the archaeological site at Bagan, and Inle Lake in Southern Shan State. The cities of Yangon and Mandalay and their surroundings have witnessed a growing demand for resorts to accommodate domestic visitors and provide amenities for weekend tourism, which is becoming increasingly popular among Myanmar’s upper-middle class and elites, as …

Tourism and Development in Southeast Asia

Having recently experienced rapid growth in the demand for tourism, Myanmar is beginning to diversify its range of tourism products and services. As the benefits of the latest political and socioeconomic transformation processes are now being recognised, Myanmar offers immense potential for tourism development in light of its abundant historical, cultural, and natural heritage, not to mention the genuine hospitality of its people and the exotic appeal of a country hitherto ‘unexplored’(at least from a foreign perspective). This potential is augmented by the rising incomes among Myanmar’s Asian neighbours, as well as the accompanying surge in interest and investment in foreign travel. Although the 2018/2019 crisis and violence in the Rakhine state at the border with Bangladesh resulted in a decrease in the number of Western tourists, this decline was offset by an increase in the number of Asian tourists, especially from China. In addition to its major religious and cultural sites–notably the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and the world’s largest concentration of pagodas at Bagan (inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in July 2019)–the highly diverse ethnic groups and the broad range of Myanmar’s natural and cultural assets offer immense potential for tourism development. Natural attractions include the country’s relatively unspoilt beaches, islands, and bays around Ngapali, Chaungtha, and Ngwe Saung; its extensive national parks and nature reserves; the vast Ayeyarwady River and Delta area and the Indawgyi and Inle Lakes; and the Shan Hills as well as the picturesque mountain ranges of Chin, Sagaing, and Kachin. As for its cultural …

Studium Generale

Zwei sich wechselseitig verstärkende, tiefgreifende Umbrüche lösten während der letzten drei bis vier Jahrzehnte in den Städten Asiens enorme Veränderungen aus: Zum einen förderten zunehmende Globalisierungsprozesse in allen Teilen Asiens, speziell in den großen Städten als Knotenpunkte globaler Wirtschaft, massive Urbanisierungsschübe. Diese wurden zum zweiten durch epochale Transformationsprozesse verstärkt, die einige, darunter die größten Länder Asiens von Zentralverwaltungs-zu marktorientierten Wirtschaften umzuformen begannen. Die räumlich-baulichen und sozioökonomischen Folgen sind am deutlichsten zu sehen im teils massiven Umbau der Innenstädte und in der enormen Expansion der Städte in die Regionen des angrenzenden, vormaligen urban fringe (Kraas 2007). In den Innenstädten wurden und werden–unmittelbar sichtbar–teils ganze Stadtviertel, oft aus der Kolonialzeit, abgerissen und durch neue, moderne Büro-und Wohnhochhäuser ersetzt. Oder es werden bedeutende historische Gebäude und Ensembles renoviert, aber funktional umgewidmet, womit nicht nur ein erheblicher Verlust vormaliger Bausubstanz und historischen Kulturerbes verbunden ist, sondern zentrale Bereiche identitätsstiftenden urbanen Sozial-und Lebensraums endgültig ausgelöscht werden. Die dadurch immer globalisierter und gleichartiger werdenden Städte erhalten dabei innerstädtische Zentren mit großflächigen Infrastrukturen, international austauschbaren Architekturstilen und globalisierten Stadtelementen (von Shopping Malls über Freizeitparks bis zu Gated Communities)–bei gleichzeitig erheblicher Verdrängung der …

ERDKUNDE

Environmental change is increasingly challenging the habitability of places around the world, particularly with regard to resource-dependent rural areas in the Global South. Apart from objectively measurable, bio-physical indices, it is likewise important to look at individual and group-specific perceptions of habitability, which are embedded in their respective socio-cultural context (s). Migration as a well-established household risk diversification strategy has the potential to increase people’s adaptive capacity, their well-being, and can shape the way people perceive the habitability of places. This study utilizes a human-centered approach in order to unravel the impacts of migration on culturally-embedded and subjective perceptions of habitability in a rural community in Northern Ghana which faces increasing pressure of environmental changes. Based on qualitative empirical research, we utilize place attachment, social status, and community cohesion as exemplary socio-cultural dimensions with particular relevance in this specific local context to showcase 1) the subjectivity and cultural embeddedness of habitability perceptions and 2) the respective potential of migration to influence such perceptions to both positive and negative ends. Positive migration impacts on the underlying socio-cultural context (s) can serve to undergird (collective) responsibility and adaptive action towards improving local habitability in parallel to encouraging efforts that strive to maintain cultural integrity. Integrating this knowledge in future habitability assessments can pave the way for context-sensitive and locally-adjusted resilience-building strategies that take the …

Erdkunde

This paper uses the concept of riskscapes to understand the way climate risks manifest themselves and interact with other risks to create vulnerable local communities in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The main research question we addressed is: what are the different sources of risks facing farmers' livelihoods in the selected case study areas of both countries and where does climate risk fit? The study uses qualitative research methodology with thick description of our case studies to identify variables which are common in both countries. Accordingly, we identified six major risk settings which are important in determining the vulnerability of communities, namely 'climate hazard risk setting', 'subsistence risk setting', 'population increase risk setting', 'state policy failure risk setting', 'market volatility risk setting', and 'supernatural risk setting'. Our findings highlight two important points. First, the interaction between risk settings …

Erdkunde

This paper uses the concept of riskscapes to understand the way climate risks manifest themselves and interact with other risks to create vulnerable local communities in Ethiopia and Tanzania. The main research question we addressed is: what are the different sources of risks facing farmers' livelihoods in the selected case study areas of both countries and where does climate risk fit? The study uses qualitative research methodology with thick description of our case studies to identify variables which are common in both countries. Accordingly, we identified six major risk settings which are important in determining the vulnerability of communities, namely 'climate hazard risk setting', 'subsistence risk setting', 'population increase risk setting', 'state policy failure risk setting', 'market volatility risk setting', and 'supernatural risk setting'. Our findings highlight two important points. First, the interaction between risk settings …

ERDKUNDE

Environmental change is increasingly challenging the habitability of places around the world, particularly with regard to resource-dependent rural areas in the Global South. Apart from objectively measurable, bio-physical indices, it is likewise important to look at individual and group-specific perceptions of habitability, which are embedded in their respective socio-cultural context (s). Migration as a well-established household risk diversification strategy has the potential to increase people’s adaptive capacity, their well-being, and can shape the way people perceive the habitability of places. This study utilizes a human-centered approach in order to unravel the impacts of migration on culturally-embedded and subjective perceptions of habitability in a rural community in Northern Ghana which faces increasing pressure of environmental changes. Based on qualitative empirical research, we utilize place attachment, social status, and community cohesion as exemplary socio-cultural dimensions with particular relevance in this specific local context to showcase 1) the subjectivity and cultural embeddedness of habitability perceptions and 2) the respective potential of migration to influence such perceptions to both positive and negative ends. Positive migration impacts on the underlying socio-cultural context (s) can serve to undergird (collective) responsibility and adaptive action towards improving local habitability in parallel to encouraging efforts that strive to maintain cultural integrity. Integrating this knowledge in future habitability assessments can pave the way for context-sensitive and locally-adjusted resilience-building strategies that take the …

ERDKUNDE

Heat poses a significant risk to human health, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, older individuals, young children and people with pre-existing medical conditions. In view of this, we formulated a heat stress-avoidant routing approach in Heidelberg, Germany, to ensure mobility and support day-to-day activities in urban areas during heat events. Although the primary focus is on pedestrians, it is also applicable to cyclists. To obtain a nuanced understanding of the needs and demands of the wider population, especially vulnerable groups, and to address the challenge of reducing urban heat stress, we used an inter-and transdisciplinary approach. The needs of vulnerable groups, the public, and the city administration were identified through participatory methods and various tools, including interactive city walks. Solution approaches and adaptation measures to prevent heat stress were evaluated and integrated into the development of a heat-avoiding route service through a co-design process. The findings comprise the identification of perceived hotspots for heat (such as large public spaces in the city centre with low shading levels), the determination of commonly reported symptoms resulting from severe heat (eg, fatigue or lack of concentration), and the assessment of heat adaptation measures that were rated positively, including remaining in the shade and delaying errands. Additionally, we analysed and distinguished between individual and community adaptation strategies. Overall, many respondents did not accurately perceive the risk of heat stress in hot weather, despite severe limitations. As a result, the heat …

ERDKUNDE

Environmental change is increasingly challenging the habitability of places around the world, particularly with regard to resource-dependent rural areas in the Global South. Apart from objectively measurable, bio-physical indices, it is likewise important to look at individual and group-specific perceptions of habitability, which are embedded in their respective socio-cultural context (s). Migration as a well-established household risk diversification strategy has the potential to increase people’s adaptive capacity, their well-being, and can shape the way people perceive the habitability of places. This study utilizes a human-centered approach in order to unravel the impacts of migration on culturally-embedded and subjective perceptions of habitability in a rural community in Northern Ghana which faces increasing pressure of environmental changes. Based on qualitative empirical research, we utilize place attachment, social status, and community cohesion as exemplary socio-cultural dimensions with particular relevance in this specific local context to showcase 1) the subjectivity and cultural embeddedness of habitability perceptions and 2) the respective potential of migration to influence such perceptions to both positive and negative ends. Positive migration impacts on the underlying socio-cultural context (s) can serve to undergird (collective) responsibility and adaptive action towards improving local habitability in parallel to encouraging efforts that strive to maintain cultural integrity. Integrating this knowledge in future habitability assessments can pave the way for context-sensitive and locally-adjusted resilience-building strategies that take the …

ERDKUNDE

Heat poses a significant risk to human health, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, older individuals, young children and people with pre-existing medical conditions. In view of this, we formulated a heat stress-avoidant routing approach in Heidelberg, Germany, to ensure mobility and support day-to-day activities in urban areas during heat events. Although the primary focus is on pedestrians, it is also applicable to cyclists. To obtain a nuanced understanding of the needs and demands of the wider population, especially vulnerable groups, and to address the challenge of reducing urban heat stress, we used an inter-and transdisciplinary approach. The needs of vulnerable groups, the public, and the city administration were identified through participatory methods and various tools, including interactive city walks. Solution approaches and adaptation measures to prevent heat stress were evaluated and integrated into the development of a heat-avoiding route service through a co-design process. The findings comprise the identification of perceived hotspots for heat (such as large public spaces in the city centre with low shading levels), the determination of commonly reported symptoms resulting from severe heat (eg, fatigue or lack of concentration), and the assessment of heat adaptation measures that were rated positively, including remaining in the shade and delaying errands. Additionally, we analysed and distinguished between individual and community adaptation strategies. Overall, many respondents did not accurately perceive the risk of heat stress in hot weather, despite severe limitations. As a result, the heat …

ERDKUNDE

Heat poses a significant risk to human health, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women, older individuals, young children and people with pre-existing medical conditions. In view of this, we formulated a heat stress-avoidant routing approach in Heidelberg, Germany, to ensure mobility and support day-to-day activities in urban areas during heat events. Although the primary focus is on pedestrians, it is also applicable to cyclists. To obtain a nuanced understanding of the needs and demands of the wider population, especially vulnerable groups, and to address the challenge of reducing urban heat stress, we used an inter-and transdisciplinary approach. The needs of vulnerable groups, the public, and the city administration were identified through participatory methods and various tools, including interactive city walks. Solution approaches and adaptation measures to prevent heat stress were evaluated and integrated into the development of a heat-avoiding route service through a co-design process. The findings comprise the identification of perceived hotspots for heat (such as large public spaces in the city centre with low shading levels), the determination of commonly reported symptoms resulting from severe heat (eg, fatigue or lack of concentration), and the assessment of heat adaptation measures that were rated positively, including remaining in the shade and delaying errands. Additionally, we analysed and distinguished between individual and community adaptation strategies. Overall, many respondents did not accurately perceive the risk of heat stress in hot weather, despite severe limitations. As a result, the heat …

Erdkunde

This methodological paper proposes two codifiability indicators to examine trade and manufacturing statistics and the spatial distribution of value-added manufacturing activities. Codifiability is defined as the level of documentation about the manufacturing processes of a product required to allow tasks to be replicated by other suppliers. First, the codifiability indicators allow researchers to examine products that are grouped under the same sub-product class in conventional statistics, but the manufacture of such products could involve vastly different technologies and thus the level of value-added. A proprietary database was used to delineate the supply networks of automakers in passenger vehicles and their major tier-I suppliers between 2000 and 2015. Second, codifiability allowed the researchers to unpack the spatial distribution of value-addedness of each supplier in the production network, as illustrated by the …

Erdkunde

Tropical highlands remain a challenging target for remote sensing due to their high heterogeneity of the landscape and frequent cloud cover, causing a shortage of high-quality and reliable comprehensive data on land use and land cover on a local or regional scale. These, however, are urgently needed by local stakeholders and decisionmakers. This applies for example to the Muringato sub-catchment in Nyeri County, Kenya, where acute water problems have been identified to be usually directly related to specific land use and land cover. This article contributes to the understanding of tropical highlands from a remote sensing perspective by examining Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Global Forest Canopy Height Model data from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation, all provided by the Google Earth Engine. To do so, we assess classifiers derived from these datasets for different land cover types, analyzing the …

ERDKUNDE

This is a datapaper including microscopically measured data of annual ring widths from the Mediterranean-alpine shrub species Cytisus galianoi (Sierra Nevada, Spain). The dataset will be updated with future measurements.

ERDKUNDE

Here, we present a datapaper containing observational air quality and meteorological data related to our long-term air quality monitoring program at the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site Geirangerfjord, Western Norway. The dataset will be updated with future data.

Erdkunde

Recent empirical research on internal migration has focused on the change in migration volume, before and after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, by the degree of urbanization. Less is known about the types of rural areas that are attracting internal migrants. This study aims to explore the changes in internal rural migration patterns in Serbia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the types of rural settlements as places of destinations and types of urban settlements as places of the origin of migrants. Relying on the additionally processed official national annual statistical data for the period 2018–2021, we offer findings on the differences in volume and socio-demographic characteristics of migrants across six internal migration flows (from small towns, medium-sized towns, and large cities, to suburban and non-suburban rural settlements). The results reveal that the pandemic affected an increase of rural …

ERDKUNDE

Here we present a datapaper containing microscopically measured data of annual ring widths in the arctic-alpine dwarf-shrub species Salix herbacea (central Norway). The dataset will be updated with future measurements.

Erdkunde

In the Brazilian Amazon region, social, economic, and political changing structures have increased the pressure on land, generating inequalities for the region's most vulnerable residents. Simultaneously, scientific knowledge production has increased and documented the region's different realities. This document presents a scientific discourse analysis of land-use change in the Amazonian region and its interaction with socio-environmental (in) justice, considering the pluriversal perspective. We respond to the main questions: Do hierarchies in scientific knowledge production contribute to silencing subaltern voices and hiding a pluriverse approach when writing about Amazonia land issues? And if so, how? A systematic literature review was conducted using the scientific dissemination platforms Scielo, Scopus, and WoS. The results show a disproportionate representation of some stakeholders, and some states are used as near-total representatives for the Amazonia region. Furthermore, consideration of pluriversal perspectives in the articles does not guarantee high sensibility for heterogeneity of local contexts or for making subaltern voices heard.

Erdkunde

Terroir is a concept referring interactions of natural (topography, lithology, climate, soil etc.) and human (economic conditions, traditions, cultivation practices, etc.) factors; therefore, terroir is spatially delimited and subjected to environmental, socio-economic, and temporal changes. The geoecological background of wine districts are considered more stable among them, but, because of its natural diversity and the spatial changes of production sites, changes in abiotic terroir components might occur too. In this study the spatial changes of grape production sites in Eger Wine District (Hungary) across two and a half centuries (1784 to 2018), and their consequences on the composition of the geoecological factors (lithology, topography, soil characteristics) were analyzed. Modernization of cultivation, urbanization and increase of builtup areas around the central settlement resulted in decreased concentration, i.e …

ERDKUNDE

This is a datapaper including microscopically measured data of annual ring widths from the Mediterranean-alpine shrub species Cytisus galianoi (Sierra Nevada, Spain). The dataset will be updated with future measurements.

ERDKUNDE

Here, we present a datapaper containing observational air quality and meteorological data related to our long-term air quality monitoring program at the UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site Geirangerfjord, Western Norway. The dataset will be updated with future data.

Erdkunde

In disaster-prone countries, it is of great concern that societies as a whole, as well as households and individuals, should become as resilient to disasters as possible. In Myanmar, with its frequent natural hazards like floods, cyclones and droughts and its high probability of earthquakes, raising awareness of and preparedness for disasters is of eminent importance in order to increase the resilience of society, households and individuals. Disaster research shows that the awareness and perception of people regarding disasters and thus also their risk preparedness can vary substantially. This seems to stem from various sources: the socio-demographic characteristics of households and people as well as former experiences of disaster seem to play a crucial role. Information of such variables and understanding how they influence the disaster risk perception and preparedness of households and people can provide an important background against which to improve individual disaster risk awareness and preparedness–with the final aim of making society, households and individuals more resilient. In this paper, the results of a household survey carried out in eight townships of Yangon (Myanmar) are presented. The analysis investigates how socio-demographic characteristics and the previous experiences of disaster of the respondents and their households influence their disaster risk perception and preparedness in different areas of Yangon City. The results show strong differences in disaster risk perception and preparedness according to socio-demographic characteristics and previous experiences of disaster in different areas of Yangon City …

Erdkunde

Shrub dendrochronology is gaining increasing momentum in temperate high mountain regions to decipher climatic controls on current shrub expansion. Yet, a lack of consensus still persists in terms of sampling protocols, thus hampering comparability of results from different studies. For instance, serial sectioning, i.e. the sampling of multiple sections along the same shrub stem is recommended as it increases the detection of partial and missing rings, but has only been employed in few studies as it is time-consuming. Similarly, as a result of serial sectioning, chronologies frequently combine sections sampled at different positions along the stem and at the root collar which hinders the detection of climatic signals. Here, we used cross-sections sampled on 21 Rhododendron ferrugineum shrubs from the French Pyrenees to define a parsimonious protocol enabling detection of partial and missing rings while increasing …