ABSTRACT
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT : This study undertook a survey on the perception and status of water sanitation and hygiene within pointe-Noire Town and Tandou-Boma Village in the Republic of Congo using the novel Conventional and SERVQUAL-AHP models under the existing COVID-19 pandemic. It also highlighted the challenges experienced in the control of the COVID-19 pandemic under the existing water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) status and knowledge. The result revealed the potential application of the new study method (conventional-SERVQUAL-AHP model) in understanding the WASH status as well community perception and expectation on WASH matters. Indeed, it showed that the WASH condition in both the two study areas was of substandard status, with the communities and households lacking adequate knowledge and resources to embrace proper WASH conditions for efficient control of contagious diseases such as the COVID-19. We also proposed the use of integrated conventional-SERVQUAL-AHP models in understanding WASH status and needs within a community
ABSTRACT
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT : The Covid-19 pandemic has fast-tracked the construction industry's digital transformation, and more and more companies are leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve their on-site operations. But as digital technology becomes increasingly integral to the construction process, so too does high-speed, reliable internet connectivity, says Databuild CEO Morag Evans. "In fact, in today's digital landscape, it's critical. A construction site is a hive of activity at any given time, with numerous teams working together to deliver the required project timeously and within budget
ABSTRACT
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT : Namibia's State of Emergency was announced on 27 March 2020. Institutional attempts to introduce blended learning and formal online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic prior to the students leaving campus came too late. We subsequently did not have the luxury of time to plan and prepare formal online material. Emergency remote teaching (ERT) was started whilst our students were on recess with many stuck at home in rural off-grid settings. They were subsequently faced with erratic internet connectivity and limited data. This limitation necessitated a small file size alternative that addressed the educational needs of our students whilst permitting constructive alignment with the intended learning objectives. Furthermore, it was also found that students prefer communication through WhatsApp. Here the authors report on a novel and content-specific approach to ERT through to-the-point anatomy video tutorials that are data friendly - i.e., Goldilocks Anatomy
ABSTRACT
NATCHA : Using an existing framework, we classified each story into one of six categories with respect to how the mammals were portrayed in the article. We categorised most stories in the `mammals as attraction' context. Asian elephants Elephas maximus were the most frequently discussed mammal, and a majority of the stories were focused on events occurring on the African continent. The COVID-19 outbreak is having an unprecedented effect on human society, but how is it affecting the mammals that people live with? Mammals that were part of tourism experiences are of concern, because they impact on people's health and livelihoods and, since many of them are now dependent on people, we urge consideration of the status of these mammals as a result of the pandemic.We provide a systematic review of the impacts the COVID-19 outbreak has had on mammals in tourism venues. We examine reports of diverse species in various settings responding to changes in their environments that are occurring because of the pandemic.We searched the scholarly literature, preprints, and online news sources using combinations of the search terms `tourism', `animals', `wildlife', `coronavirus', and `COVID-19'. We searched Web of Science, SCOPUS, EBSCOHost, JSTOR, bioRxiv, OSFPREPRINTS, GDELT, Google News, and National Public Radio, and analysed a total of 39 news articles, one peer-reviewed article, and six preprints.In total, we identified 92 distinct animal reports representing 48 mammal species. We used an existing tourism classification schema to categorise each article based on the situation reported, with the new addition of one context. We classified 92 separate animal reports in 46 articles into four (of six possible) contexts: mammals as attractions (n = 40 animal reports), mammals as commodities (n = 33), mammals as threats (n = 2), and unusual sightings of mammals (n = 17). Shortage of food, in danger of losing home, having an enriched/relaxed environment, spatial expansion, disease transmission, and poaching are the major impacts or events reported in these contexts.We suggest changes for each context with respect to how people interface with mammals, with the goal of improving the lives of mammals and the people dependent on them