Universität Stuttgart
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/handle/11682/1
Browse
4 results
Search Results
Item Open Access Unpacking stakeholder perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with urban greenspaces in Sub-Saharan Africa(2021) Guenat, Solène; Porras Lopez, Gabriel; Mkwambisi, David D; Dallimer, MartinUrban greenspaces underpin ecosystem service provision in cities and are therefore indispensable for human well-being. Nevertheless, they are increasingly disappearing from cities in Sub-Saharan Africa. Understanding how the stakeholders influencing urban greenspace management perceive the benefits provided by urban greenspaces and the challenges to its conservation and management is critical for reversing this trend. Using Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe, as a case study, we conducted 44 semi-structured interviews to explore the profiles and perceptions of stakeholders who currently hold influence over greenspace planning, conservation and management. Stakeholders with influence over urban greenspace management described the main focus of their organisation as relating to urban planning, natural resources protection and management, development work, or the hospitality business sector. Critically, only a third of all stakeholders focused on natural resources protection and management. Stakeholders had nuanced and varied appreciations of the benefits that greenspaces provide. Regulation and maintenance ecosystem services, as well as cultural services were frequently mentioned. However, provisioning services were mostly mentioned by those in development work. Stakeholders also identified an additional suite of societal benefits that do not directly map onto ecosystem service frameworks, such as the generation of financial income and the provision of employment opportunities. Challenges identified as hampering the planning, conservation and management of greenspaces included inappropriate urbanisation, lack of coordination and participation, and population growth. Lack of coordination was however not widely acknowledged among those focusing on natural resources protection, who conversely identified population growth more often than any other groups. Highlighting how stakeholders with varying priorities perceive ecosystem services a first step towards improving greenspaces management both for their better acceptation and for improving their potential for biodiversity conservation. Specifically, we bring attention to need for stakeholders working with natural resources protection to recognise more the need for collaborations and engagement. Additional research is also necessary to understand how those different perspectives might be integrated into ongoing processes and procedures to manage greenspaces in Sub-Saharan Africa.Item Open Access Home food gardening : benefits and barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Santiago, Chile(2022) Cerda, Constanza; Guenat, Solène; Egerer, Monika; Fischer, Leonie K.The recent COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way people live in an unprecedented way. This includes severe impacts on people's health and wellbeing such as stress, reduced physical activity and loneliness due to confinement. In parallel, people had to find ways to secure their food, with fresh food especially scarce in some regions due to lockdowns and restricted flow of goods. As in previous massive crises, the practice of home food gardening seemed to have increased during this pandemic. Yet we largely do not know which parts of society took to home food gardening, in which urban setting home food gardening was practiced, and to which extent this practice contributed to people's daily livelihoods during the pandemic. In this case study we explore (a) who practices home food gardening, (b) the garden characteristics, and (c) the main perceived benefits and barriers bound to home food gardening during the pandemic. We set up an online questionnaire targeted at the population of Santiago de Chile, for which we received 305 responses. Our results clearly show that the possibility of being in contact with nature and feeling less stress through practicing home food gardening were the most significant perceived benefits, while lack of or inadequate space to garden and limited knowledge on home food gardening were the main barriers. These findings highlight for the specific context of a metropolitan region in South America that access to gardens and green space could contribute to a just urban society. Likewise, the practice of home food gardening can be a relevant tool to cope with the adverse consequences of the pandemic by informing public initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles during this and future crises contexts and also in the awaited “ordinary” times.Item Open Access Meeting sustainable development goals via robotics and autonomous systems(2022) Guenat, Solène; Purnell, Phil; Davies, Zoe G.; Nawrath, Maximilian; Stringer, Lindsay C.; Babu, Giridhara Rathnaiah; Balasubramanian, Muniyandi; Ballantyne, Erica E. F.; Bylappa, Bhuvana Kolar; Chen, Bei; De Jager, Peta; Del Prete, Andrea; Di Nuovo, Alessandro; Ehi-Eromosele, Cyril O.; Eskandari Torbaghan, Mehran; Evans, Karl L.; Fraundorfer, Markus; Haouas, Wissem; Izunobi, Josephat U.; Jauregui-Correa, Juan Carlos; Kaddouh, Bilal Y.; Lewycka, Sonia; MacIntosh, Ana C.; Mady, Christine; Maple, Carsten; Mhiret, Worku N.; Mohammed-Amin, Rozhen Kamal; Olawole, Olukunle Charles; Oluseyi, Temilola; Orfila, Caroline; Ossola, Alessandro; Pfeifer, Marion; Pridmore, Tony; Rijal, Moti L.; Rega-Brodsky, Christine C.; Robertson, Ian D.; Rogers, Christopher D. F.; Rougé, Charles; Rumaney, Maryam B.; Seeletso, Mmabaledi K.; Shaqura, Mohammed Z.; Suresh, L. M.; Sweeting, Martin N.; Taylor Buck, Nick; Ukwuru, M. U.; Verbeek, Thomas; Voss, Hinrich; Wadud, Zia; Wang, Xinjun; Winn, Neil; Dallimer, MartinRobotics and autonomous systems are reshaping the world, changing healthcare, food production and biodiversity management. While they will play a fundamental role in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, associated opportunities and threats are yet to be considered systematically. We report on a horizon scan evaluating robotics and autonomous systems impact on all Sustainable Development Goals, involving 102 experts from around the world. Robotics and autonomous systems are likely to transform how the Sustainable Development Goals are achieved, through replacing and supporting human activities, fostering innovation, enhancing remote access and improving monitoring. Emerging threats relate to reinforcing inequalities, exacerbating environmental change, diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions and reducing freedom and privacy through inadequate governance. Although predicting future impacts of robotics and autonomous systems on the Sustainable Development Goals is difficult, thoroughly examining technological developments early is essential to prevent unintended detrimental consequences. Additionally, robotics and autonomous systems should be considered explicitly when developing future iterations of the Sustainable Development Goals to avoid reversing progress or exacerbating inequalities.Item Open Access Urban foraging in Brazilian public greenspaces(2023) Guenat, Solène; Bailey-Athias, Jonas P.; Fischer, Leonie K.Urban foraging, i.e., the gathering of wild edible plants, plays a key role in nature connection within cities. Its integration in planning could contribute to the conservation of urban biodiversity. However, we have little understanding of the interactions between the motivations for and barriers to foraging, and the role of legislation, especially in biodiversity hotspots. Through an online questionnaire and policy review, we explored the practice of urban foraging in Recife, Brazil, across social, spatial and regulatory dimensions. We found that most non-foragers would forage if pollution risks were addressed and knowledge was improved. Foragers collected up to 31 species, none of which are threatened. By integrating the social, spatial and regulatory dimensions of the practice, we highlighted the importance of the local context for targeting foraging incentives. In all, regulation had little impact on where the practice is carried out, and foraging seemed to have little negative impact on biodiversity, as no threatened species were collected and foragers were conscious of their impact. This knowledge can contribute to better integrate the practice of foraging within legislation and develop forager-led greenspace planning and management. In biodiversity hotspots threatened by urban expansion, foraging can contribute to slowing down the biodiversity crisis and improve urban residents’ contact with biodiversity.