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on Africa |
| By: | Setondé Constant Gnansounou; Valère Kolawolé Salako; Corentin Visée; Farid Dahdouh-Guebas; Romain Glèlè Kakaï; Patrick PK Kestemont; Sabine Henry |
| Abstract: | Customary laws and traditional beliefs are progressively used in conservation and management of natural resources. However, their effectiveness has received limited attention. This case study from the Benin Republic (West Africa) examines how local deities and traditional beliefs can reduce manmade threats to mangroves. Data were collected from three categories of mangroves (sanctuary, sacralised, and non-deity mangroves) via direct observations, informal interviews (n = 5), in-depth interviews (n = 10), focus group discussions (n = 3) and household surveys (n = 200). We used twelve indicators including the quantity of resources collected, the use value and the perceived diversity of fish and plant species to characterize each category of mangroves. Eight of these twelve indicators showed significant variation among the categories of mangroves. Highly destructive uses were generally associated with non-deity mangroves, whereas moderately and less destructive uses were mostly associated with sacralised and sanctuary mangroves, respectively. Local deities can thus assist to limit unsustainable use of mangrove forests. Among the mangrove users, salt producers and residents with many children collect and commercialise more mangrove resources than others and should be continually involved in sensitization and community engagement to foster the sustainable use of mangroves. |
| Keywords: | Customary laws; Local governance; Sacralised mangroves; Sanctuary mangroves; Traditional beliefs |
| Date: | 2024–03–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ulb:ulbeco:2013/371723 |
| By: | Rachel Cassidy; Smita Das; Clara Delavallade; Kipchumba, Elijah; Komba, Julietha |
| Abstract: | Individuals’ socio-emotional skills (SES), and their perceptions of their skill levels, matter for labor market outcomes and other welfare outcomes. Men appear to have higher levels of SES than women, but this gender gap is typically documented in self-reported measures. Few studies use measures beyond self-reports—or seek to measure SES granularly and rigorously in large samples, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This paper deploys novel sets of self-reported and behavioral measures of 14 SES in a sample of more than 4, 000 male and female youth not in full-time education, employment or training, in urban and peri-urban Tanzania. The findings show that men score higher than women on all 12 positively-worded self-reported measures. In contrast, gender gaps in behavioral measures are only observed for a few skills, and are far smaller in magnitude. The paper provides suggestive evidence that this pattern reflects men’s overestimation of their own skills, rather than women’s underestimation. In particular, there is a larger gap between self-reported and behavioral measures among men. Men’s self-reports, and the gap between their self-reported and behavioral measures, are strongly correlated with measures of their social desirability and gendered beliefs about abilities—but this does not hold for women. |
| Date: | 2024–08–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10873 |
| By: | Njinkeu, Dominique; Tchana Tchana, Fulbert; Lohi, Julie Saty; Alli, Mosuru Olukayodé |
| Abstract: | Livestock contributes 6 to 7 percent of Chad's gross domestic product and over 35 percent of total wealth in rural areas. This paper analyzes trade and transport logistics facilitation measures for curtailing the adverse effects of trade disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis pays specific attention to measures related to behavior during border crossings and transactions along the trade corridors. The relevant actors do not understand the implication of the relevant measures; hence, there is a need for a peer pressure in the framework of empowered professional organizations, enforcement of regional regulations through universal reliance on the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa’s veterinary passport, as well as the practice of physical distancing through measures eliminating congestion at border crossing posts. A bolder post-COVID-19 reform will need to foster livestock-driven agro-industrialization. |
| Date: | 2024–06–27 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10830 |