Nature, Society, and Marginality: Case Studies from Nepal, Southeast Asia and other regions (Perspectives on Geographical Marginality, 8)

This book focuses on the interrelations between nature and humans, in particular on those segments of societies that have been left behind (marginal groups). Nature is both the friend of humans and their adversary, depending on the way people treat and use it. Consequently, the book adopts a wide perspective of marginality: nature that has been marginalized by man (ecological marginality), but also social groups marginalized by politics, economic interests, and value judgements imbedded in culture. Many chapters deal specifically with issues in Nepal, but along with the other chapters with case studies from Southeast Asia and other regions, they demonstrate that the major man-nature problems are the same everywhere and can only be solved by constructive politics through clear regulations, convincing actions and general acceptance. Preface Contents List of Figures List of Tables Contributors Part I: Introduction Chapter 1: Natural Disasters, Marginal Regions, and Labour Migration Part II: Human Interference and Natural Systems Chapter 2: Environmental Unsustainability or the Cost of Civilization 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Humans, Risks and Nature 2.3 Living with Risks 2.4 Natural Hazards in the Swiss Alps 2.4.1 Examples 2.4.2 Discussion 2.4.3 Lessons to Be Learnt 2.5 Who Bears the Costs? 2.5.1 Cost Externalization: Neglecting the Environment 2.5.2 Costs in Swiss Mountains 2.6 Out of Sight – Out of Mind 2.7 Conclusion References Chapter 3: Climate Change and Health Impacts on Vulnerable Communities: The Case of Kala-Azar (Visceral Leishmaniasis) in Nepal 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Data and Methods 3.3 Results and Analysis 3.3.1 Geographic Regions and Climatic Seasons 3.3.2 Climate Change and Extreme Climate Trends 3.3.3 Climate Sensitive Vectors and Vector-Borne Diseases in Nepal 3.3.4 Origin and Distribution of Kala-Azar (Visceral Leishmaniasis) in Nepal 3.3.5 Risk Factors for Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) 3.3.6 Control Measures 3.4 Discussion 3.5 Conclusion References Chapter 4: Cryosphere Changes, Cascading Disasters, and Societies – A Case in Langtang Valley 4.1 Background 4.2 Methodology 4.2.1 Study Area 4.2.2 Methods of Data Collection 4.3 Results 4.3.1 Cryosphere–Livelihood Linkages 4.3.2 Changes in the Cryosphere System 4.3.3 Cascading Disaster: The 2015 Gorkha Earthquake 4.3.4 Cascading Effects of a Cascading Disaster 4.4 Discussion 4.5 Conclusion References Part III: Geomorphological and Water Issues: Nepal and Brazil Chapter 5: Urbanization and Soil Erosion in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal 5.1 Introduction 5.2 The Study Area 5.3 Methods and Materials 5.3.1 Land Use/Land Cover 5.3.2 Topography 5.3.3 Soil Erosion Rate 5.3.4 Field Study 5.4 Results 5.4.1 Land Use/Land Cover Change 5.4.2 Soil Erosion 5.5 Discussion 5.6 Conclusion References Chapter 6: Assessing Terrain Hazards for Sustainable Human Settlements in Chāngunārāyan Municipality of Kathmandu Valley, Nepal 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Data and Methods 6.3 Study Area 6.4 Results and Analysis 6.4.1 Change in Land Uses and Built-up Area 6.4.2 Terrain Hazards 6.4.2.1 Landslide Hazards 6.4.2.2 Liquefaction Hazard 6.4.3 Settlements for Suitability and Unsuitability 6.4.4 Settlement Planning 6.5 Conclusion References Chapter 7: River Ecology Services and People of Riparian Settlements in the Tamakoshi River Basin, Central Nepal 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Methods and Materials 7.2.1 The Study Area — The Tamakoshi River Basin 7.2.2 Data and Survey Methods and Tools 7.3 Results and Discussions 7.3.1 The basin’s Riparian Settlements 7.3.2 The River Ecological Services 7.3.2.1 Product Resources 7.3.2.2 Natural, Aesthetic and Spiritual Aspects 7.3.2.3 Geo-Chemical Features 7.4 Conclusions References Chapter 8: Traditional Water Supply Systems and the Sponge City Concept Toward Diminishing Environmental Marginalization in Kirtipur Municipality, Nepal 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Data and Methods 8.2.1 The Study Area: Kirtipur Municipality 8.2.2 Survey Methods 8.3 Findings and Analysis 8.3.1 Traditional Water Sources 8.3.2 Traditional Conservation Systems of Water Supply Sources 8.3.3 The Sponge City Concept 8.4 Findings and Application 8.4.1 Change in Land Uses 8.4.2 Hydrological Analysis 8.4.3 Wetland Design 8.4.4 Ecological Water Management 8.4.5 Designing River Banks with Rainwater Garden 8.4.6 Permeable Pavement 8.4.7 Bioretention 8.5 Discussions 8.6 Conclusion References Chapter 9: Everyday Water Use in Kathmandu Valley of Nepal: Contextualizing Marginality and Social Vulnerability 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Conceptual Framework 9.3 Methods and Materials 9.3.1 Study Area 9.3.2 Data and Methods 9.4 Results and Discussion 9.4.1 Resource Availability and Use 9.4.2 Social Structure & Relationships 9.4.3 Marginality and Vulnerability 9.4.4 Resource Management and Role of Institutions 9.5 Conclusion References Chapter 10: Marginalized Urban Rivers: Between Local Governance and Environmental Justice 10.1 Theoretical Landmarks on Territorial Justice 10.2 From Landscape Management to the Right to Landscape: The Recursive Ring against Marginalization 10.3 Landscape Integration and Urban River Re-Naturalization 10.3.1 The Landscape Integration and the Local Governance Strategy 10.3.2 Re-Naturalization of Urban Rivers and Landscape Management Tactics 10.4 Jacaré River Basin Case: Analysis of a Marginalized Neighborhood 10.4.1 The Jacaré River Basin: A Description 10.4.2 The Jacaré: Vernacular Geographies of a Critical Neighborhood 10.5 Conclusion: A Propositional Agenda References Part IV: Economy and Society: Nepal and Southeast Asia Chapter 11: Empowerment of Marginalized Dalit Women’s Groups Through Microfinance and Social Capital in Nepal 11.1 Introduction 11.2 SC Classifications and Concept Arrangement by the Social Capital Assessment Tool 11.2.1 SC Classifications 11.2.2 Concept Arrangement Framework by the Social Capital Assessment Tool 11.3 Methods: Interview Survey with Dalit Women 11.4 Results and Discussions 11.4.1 MF Activities of Dalit Women’s Groups 11.4.2 Women’s Empowerment and Poverty Reduction 11.4.2.1 Usefulness of MF Activities from the Perspective of Regional Discrepancies 11.4.2.2 Initiatives in the Badi Community 11.4.3 MF and SC Synergistic Effects 11.5 Conclusions and Recommendations References Chapter 12: Informal Marketing and Livelihood of Marginal Communities in Urban Kathmandu Valley, Nepal 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Data Base and Methods 12.3 Findings and Analysis 12.3.1 Brief Description of Kathmandu Valley 12.3.2 Features of Informal Marketing and Market Places 12.3.2.1 Growth and Development 12.3.2.2 Classification of Goods 12.3.2.3 Distribution Pattern of the Market Places 12.3.3 Livelihood Means 12.3.3.1 Employment and Income 12.4 Discussions and Conclusions References Chapter 13: Farmers’ Access to Agricultural Development Services in the Eastern Hills of Nepal: A Case of the Milke-Tinjure Watershed Region 13.1 Background 13.2 Data Base and Methods 13.2.1 Introduction to the Study Area 13.2.2 Database and Methods 13.3 Results and Analysis 13.3.1 Distribution of Cultivated Lands 13.3.2 Adoption Patterns of Modern Agricultural Inputs 13.4 Discussions 13.5 Conclusion References Chapter 14: People’s Accessibility and Periodic Markets in the Tankhuwākholā Watershed, Eastern Hills of Nepal 14.1 Introduction 14.2 Data Sources and Methods 14.3 Results and Analysis 14.3.1 Study Area 14.3.2 Growth and Development of the Periodic Markets 14.3.3 Spatio-Temporal Features of Hāts 14.3.4 Functions of Hāts 14.3.5 Linkages of Hats 14.3.5.1 Inflow 14.3.5.2 Outflow 14.3.5.3 Net Flow of Goods 14.4 Discussions 14.5 Conclusion References Chapter 15: Human-Elephant Conflicts in a Marginalised Community of Ulu Tembeling 15.1 Introduction 15.2 Methodology 15.3 Results and Findings 15.3.1 Respondents’ Profiles and General Information 15.3.2 The Intensity of HEC in Ulu Tembeling 15.4 Concluding Remarks References Chapter 16: The Sedentarization Program and Everyday Resistance to State Intervention in Vietnam’s Uplands 16.1 Introduction 16.2 Theoretical Insights 16.3 Methodological Considerations 16.4 Outline of the Study Site 16.5 Results 16.5.1 The Sociopolitical and Economic Situation of Un Village before State Intervention 16.5.2 State Interventions and Local Responses 16.5.2.1 The Forestland Allocation and Local Responses 16.5.2.2 The Sedentarization Program and Local Response 16.6 Discussion and Conclusion References Part V: Regional Policy Issues Chapter 17: Accessibility and Governance Systems in Local Development: Measuring Marginality in the Mid-Marsyāngdi River Basin, Nepal 17.1 Introduction 17.1.1 Brief Account of Development of Accessibility in Nepal 17.1.2 Brief Description of Accessibility in Lamjung District 17.2 Data and Methods 17.2.1 The Study Area: The Mid-Marsyāngdi River Basin 17.2.2 Data and Methods 17.2.3 Methods of Analysis 17.3 Findings and Analysis 17.3.1 Status of Available Public Facilities at the District Level 17.3.2 VDC Level Facilities/Services in MMRB 17.3.3 Service Accessibility by Castes/Ethnic Groups in MMRB 17.4 Discussions and Conclusions References Chapter 18: Cohesion Policy in the Struggle Against the Marginalization of the Inner Peripheries: Polish Experience and Recommendations 18.1 Introduction 18.2 Impact of European Cohesion Policy on the Formation of the Polish Model of Development Policy 18.3 Objectives and Outcomes of Cohesion Policy Intervention in Poland 18.4 Comparison of Regional Centres and Inner Peripheries as Beneficiaries of Cohesion Policy – Facts and Opinions 18.5 Cohesion Policy and Inner Peripheries – Polish Experiences and Recommendations References Chapter 19: Between Two Empires and Two States: The Central Jordan Valley and the Jiftlik Saraya 19.1 Introduction 19.2 The Ottoman Years: The Bedouin Question, the Refugees, and the Infiltration of the Western Powers 19.2.1 The First Centuries 1517–1858 19.2.2 The Privatization of Lands in Ottoman Palestine and the Private Lands of Sultan Abdul-Hamid II in the Jordan Valley 19.2.3 Building Villages, Towns, and Government Houses in Palestine 19.3 The Jiftlik Lands – Geography and Characteristics 19.3.1 Climate and Terrain in the Jordan Valley and Wadi Fara’a (Tirtza River) 19.3.2 The Jiftlik Saraya Structure at Wadi Fara’a 19.3.3 The Jiftlik During World War I and the British Mandate Period 19.3.4 The Uniqueness of the Jiftlik Police Station Among the Tegart Array of Police Forts 19.3.5 The Importance of the Jordan Valley to the Jewish Community 19.4 The Central Jordan and Fara’a Valleys Under Jordanian Rule 19.4.1 The East Side of the Central Jordan Valley Under Jordanian Rule After 1948 19.4.2 The Western Side of the Central Jordan Valley Under Jordanian Rule After 1948 19.5 The Israeli Period, 1967–Present 19.5.1 Use of the Saraya Following the 1967 Six-Day War 19.5.2 Conservation 19.6 Conclusion References Archives Published Sources Part VI: Conclusion Chapter 20: Humans and Nature: Conflict or Cooperation? References