Public Health – �鶹��Ƶ

Lusaka’s Expanding �鶹��Ƶ Partnerships Look to Solve Capacity Issues

Ada Inman — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:55:10 +0000

Like many other African cities, Lusaka is facing rapid urbanization and various challenges related to inequality, climate change, economic opportunity, and service delivery. The city is faced with limited technical capacity to deliver essential services to all 3.3 million people and with a growth rate of about 5% annually, Lusaka’s Local Authority is unable to match the growing demand for public services. The Local Authority is overwhelmed and is currently looking for strategies to help mitigate these issues. Similarly, the University of Zambia has sought to reform its teaching, research, and community engagement strategies to become more relevant to the immediate environment through research and teaching partnerships for community development. To meet both the city and University goals, the �鶹��Ƶ model provides a simple but powerful tool that can draw upon the skills and technical know-how of academicians, researchers, and their students, to help aid Lusaka’s struggling municipality.

Lusaka already has a history of using the �鶹��Ƶ model on a smaller scale as the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Zambia to institutionalize the �鶹��Ƶ model in Lusaka. For the past four years, the model has been implemented on a small scale and has resulted in significant gains for the city. Currently, the City Council of Lusaka and the University of Zambia are looking to expand the �鶹��Ƶ model to create city-wide positive change to locally relevant issues such as climate change adaptation, waste management, and urban planning. This project will look to begin in August of 2023 and end by August 2024.

In taking steps to expand the model, the City hopes to build capacity among all �鶹��Ƶ model actors in Lusaka through training, sensitization, and community engagement so that skills are created for upscaling deployment of the �鶹��Ƶ model in Lusaka. The City would also like to collaborate with other entities to identify community development interventions that are in line with the principles of the �鶹��Ƶ model and make investments to support urban climate adaptation, social and gender inclusion in city development plans, and support learning and innovation at a community level. Finally, the city would also like to undertake capacity development actions that look to build sustainability in all future �鶹��Ƶ interventions in Lusaka through expanded partnerships for �鶹��Ƶ innovations.

In support of the goals, the project will look to sensitize at least 20 Departments at the University of Zambia to adopt the �鶹��Ƶ model in teaching and research. To increase the application of the �鶹��Ƶ model and principles in the community, the project will increase the capacity of all nine Departments at the Lusaka City Council. This research will work to accelerate the implementation and expansion of the �鶹��Ƶ model by expanding the agreement to build sustainability. Over 500 students are planned to be involved in the �鶹��Ƶ model beginning with graduate courses in Economics, Geography, Urban Planning, Development Studies, Environmental Management, Public Health, Geomatics, GIS, Environmental Education, Civil Engineering, and Education.

There will be many actors involved throughout this project to meet as many goals as possible. The project will be implemented as a collaboration between the Lusaka City Council, the University of Zambia, and selected communities with each party holding a very specific role in the project. For instance, the Lusaka City Council will provide a specific policy framework for community interventions to take place. Communities will anchor and support all activities in the collaboration while the University of Zambia will provide the students and research capacity needed to expand the Epic model in the city. Members of the community will also take the lead in identifying key problems in the communities and in respective wards. Community members will be represented within each project by community leaders, Community-Based Organizations, Ward Development Committees, and residents.

The University of Zambia will undertake capacity development activities to increase capacity on �鶹��Ƶ model implementation and raise awareness among the MoU actors. This includes training for students, Course conveners, Deans of Schools, and Heads of Departments at the University of Zambia and the Lusaka City Council. In terms of providing knowledge, university students will provide time and a technical understanding of selected topics and community members will supply time and local knowledge. Students will also take time to engage with communities to define priority interventions through the �鶹��Ƶ model.

Through this research, the relationship between communities, the Lusaka City Council, and the University of Zambia will be strengthened. There will additionally, be improved community service and a better understanding of development actions in communities particularly those focused on strengthening climate resilience in flood-prone areas, aligning with SDG 13. This �鶹��Ƶ project will bring improved governance and civic awareness in communities where �鶹��Ƶ projects will take place and see increased accountability from all parties involved in community development in Lusaka.

This project is ongoing and will be finished in 2024.

Community Gardens and City Parks in Lemon Grove, CA

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:04 +0000

Recent satellite and ground-based data have indicated that Earth’s climate is changing at an alarmingly fast rate as the mean global temperature continues to rise. This effect is visible around the world and is already beginning to threaten both society and the environment (Kitchen, 2014). Our failure to limit the emissions of heat-trapping green-house gases (GHGs) today will lead to damaging and irreversible changes in climate tomorrow. For this reason, Lemon Grove has collaborated with the Sage Project at San Diego State University to generate possibilities for climate change mitigation and adaptation.This detailed report identifies the main objectives and aims of our initiative, which are intended to help Lemon Grove build a more equitable and sustainable future. These ideas have been developed specifically to reduce GHG emissions across many sectors, including: electricity, transportation, natural gas, solid waste, water, and wastewater. However, equally important are our adaptation policies, which will be just as critical in protecting Lemon Grove from the long-term impacts of climate change, such as cool zones, increased green space, and public education.This report also includes a chapter dedicated to the United Nations Toolkit. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, or UN-Habitat, recognized that many cities were in the initial stages of combating climate change and reducing GHG emissions. Most cities do not have any kind of climate action plan (CAP) that would raise awareness in their communities regarding mitigation and adaptation strategies. In response, the United Nations developed the “Guiding Principles for City Climate Action Planning.” This toolkit includes eight guiding principles that provide a resource for evaluating cities with current CAPs; these principles and resources can also be used to formulate a climate plan in cities that have little or no current plan. These principles address the following descriptors to be considered and addressed when formulating or evaluating a CAP: ambitious, inclusive, fair, comprehensive and integrated, actionable, evidence-based, and transparent and verifiable. In our case, Lemon Grove currently has not yet complet-ed their CAP; thus, we are utilizing these principles to collaborate with city officials and provide recommendations that will set them up for success with the development of their CAP. The goals of these field tests are to identify how the principles can be applied to cities of different socioeconomic statuses, help cities with their planning process, spread awareness of climate change, and receive feedback on the project.Keywords: climate change, city planning, energy conservation, greenhouse gas reduc-tion, mitigation, adaptationLemon Grove Climate Action Planning

The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103

University Faculty Contact
Zohir Chowdhury
Public Health

Local Government / Community Contact

Management

Air Quality and Noise Pollution in Lemon Grove

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:39:04 +0000

This report details a collaboration between the San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health’s Spring 2017 PH 632 Air Quality course, the Sage Project, and the City of Lemon Grove. The studies contained in this report were designed to provide the City of Lemon Grove with data regarding humidity, noise levels, and ambient air quality and to assess the usability of certain areas of the city. This report covers four ambient air and noise sampling studies in Lemon Grove performed by four graduate student groups. Their purpose was to determine whether the residents of Lemon Grove were exposed to excessive ambient concentrations of particulate matter (PM) as well as excessive ambient noise levels. Multiple PM2.5 mass concentration and particle count measuring devices were used. Instruments that measure ambient noise, relative humidity, and temperature were also used. The air sampling measurements were performed in the following four areas in Lemon Grove: the police department (stationary), parks, hotspots, and areas frequented by sensitive groups. Across all areas, ambient PM2.5concentrations were found to be below federal and state Ambient Air Quality Standards, a 24-hour average of 35 μg/m3. Additionally, it was determined that ambient PM2.5 concentrations were lower on rainy days compared to non-rainy days in all the areas sampled, whereas concentrations of PM1.0 and PM10 were higher in the hotspots examined as compared to residential areas. This was mainly due to the automobile combustion of particles as well the pres-ence of dust, mold, and pollen emitted in the atmosphere. It was also found that the mean noise level values in the parks examined were higher than those recommended by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The proximity of the respective parks to nearby freeways or the number of cars on the road was deter-mined to have no effect on noise level. Noise levels also exceeded the recommended levels in the hotspots. As a result, a few domestic and industrial mitigation strategies were recommended. For instance, limiting large PM2.5 producing activities by imposing permitting requirements that could require industrial facilities to outline and integrate emission reduction plans before going into operation. In addition, short-term mitigation strategies include require-ments or fines imposed on unsanctioned community or residential fire pits and firework activities and restrictions on the use of charcoal and wood barbeques, especially during times of elevated PM2.5 concentrations (i.e., peak traffic periods). Public notices and city council meetings informing the public regarding air pollutants and noise levels may also be beneficial in educating residents on matters concerning the air quality in Lemon Grove. Air Quality and Noise Pollution in Lemon Grove

Neighborhood Health Livability Indicators

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:36:24 +0000

Much of Tacoma’s appeal comes from the uniqueness and spirit of our neighborhoods. As the lifeblood of the city, it is vital that we continue to provide support and seek out opportunities and projects that make the places people live better. A pathway to make good decisions is an analytic tool, which will be used across departments, that displays, interprets, and correlates a set of indicators (schools, grocery stores, parks, retail, rates of foreclosure, age, race, ethnicity) that portend neighborhood health.

Livable City Year Contact Info
Teri Thomson Randall
Program Manager
terir@uw.edu
206.221.9240

University Faculty Contact
India Ornelas
Health Services
Professor
iornelas@uw.edu
206-685-8887

Local Government / Community Contact
Allyson Griffith

Community Change & Sustainability of Athletic Fields

Victor Manzanilla — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:35:24 +0000

The data contained in this report were generated during collaboration between National City, the Sage project, and San Diego State University’s Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) in the spring of 2014. Fourteen students from the Environmental Health division of the GSPH who were enrolled in a course entitled ‘Air Quality’, taught by Professor Zohir Chowdhury, designed and implemented studies pertinent to the hypothesized Air Quality issues which may arise in National City. Dr. Chowdhury guided and directed the implementation of the studies, and instructed on ways to optimize the study designs.

In total, four studies were conducted, with students choosing to focus on various spatial and temporal components of air pollution, as well as demographics of interest within the city. This included a fixed-site, continuous monitoring study, a ‘hot-spot’ or multiple site monitoring study, a study focused on exposure to school-aged children, and an occupational exposure study.

As part of the course, students were trained on relevant instrumentation, as well as rel-evant software and statistical measures to employ in the analysis of the collected data. Each study was summarized and written up in the style of a peer-reviewed journal publication, and the results of each study are summarized in this report. The conclusion offers some suggestions for possible remediation steps to limit residents’ exposure to pollutants, as well as ideas for the scope and direction of future research efforts in the city.

The scope of this project as a whole can be considered that of an exploratory pilot study. The data sampling was extensive, but by no means should it be considered an exhaustive or final summary of pollutant dynamics throughout the city. Rather, this project rep-resents an important first step and primary assessment of the city’s pollutant levels. The data collected provide valuable baseline information to direct further studies which can in turn paint a more complete picture of the city’s air quality.