Risks and Influences of Climate Hazards for Agro-Pastoral Development and Strategies Adopted by Agro-Pastoralist Communities in the Bougouni District, Mali

In the southwest of Mali, pastoral resources play an important role in the production and reproduction of livestock. These pastoral resources are very sensitive to climatic hazards and negatively affected their availability in quantity and quality. The main objective of this study was to analyze the risks and influences of climate hazards on pastoral resources and the strategies taken by agropastoralists to cope with them. To achieve this objective, meteorological data trends from 1950 to 2022 were analyzed. The socio-economic data were collected through a semi-structured survey administered to 404 head households, from focus groups through discussion with local stakeholders by using climatic risks matrix. The results obtained indicate a concordance between agropastoralists perception on climate change and meteorological observations concerning the decrease of rainfall (−213 mm;63.3%), the increase of maximum and minimum temperature (+1.33˚C, +1.24˚C;93.1%), and the increase of wind speed (+0.59 m/s;97%) over the past 70 years. Respondents noted a deterioration in the conditions of pastoral resources due to climatic hazards compared to the last 40 years (44.8% for watering points;23.5% for pastures;63.1% for salty lands). Agro pastoralists have adopted measures that allow them to be resilient. These include the collection and storage of crop residues (49.5%), regular watering of animals (39.6%), changing of animals rhythms driving (35.9%), protection of pruning species (31.7%), and concerted reforestation (37.9%). Climatic risk-related hazards constitute a real threat to pastorals resources in the district of Bougouni.

A Frame Work of Multistage Decision Making

This research has objective to analyze some tools which are used to support decision maker to make a decision in multi stage and systematic way. And also in making decision, there are a qualitative type and quantitative type. In order to get an optimum decision making, the decision maker needs systematic way. There is the frame work which is based on combination of some existing methods and challenges emerging in organizational activities, including social organizations as well as business organisations. To formulate the framework, this research conducted focus group discussion consisting of some organizational managers as participants. There are five components of proposed frame work： （1） Criteria Identification through Focus Group Discussion （FGD）; （2） Criteria Selection; （3） Focus Group for Criteria Verification; （4） Multicriteria Decision Making based Analytic Hierarchy Process （AHP）; and （5） Impact Analysis. This research resulted in an effective approach of decision making which allows decision maker to have objective and rational reason in each step of its decision-making process. Strength of the proposed framework is to provide rational and objective approach in group decision making. However, it takes longer time to conduct decision making due to more steps and participants involved. As a conclusion, the proposed research has been successful in establishing a multi stage and rational decision-making process.

Lack of Consensus and Dense Content in Informational Letters on Benign Gynecological Surgery

Objective: This study maps the contents of departmental informational letters and explores whether the national GynOp letters live up to the patients’ expectations and needs. Introduction: Patients who are well informed before undergoing surgery experience reduced stress and increased understanding of the postoperative process. Although providing patients with written information before gynecological surgery is widely used and assumed important, no study has investigated what information patients truly need. Methods: In 2014, all 59 gynecological departments in Sweden were asked to provide the information letter they send to patients before hysterectomy on benign indication. 32 letters were analyzed using frequency analysis. In addition, three focus groups were conducted and these data were submitted to Qualitative Content Analysis. Results: The analysis of the information letters showed great variation and discrepancy in pre-operative information. The analysis of the focus groups resulted in the theme You can’t see the forest for the trees, reflecting that, the women found it very difficult to identify the most important information among the massive amount information received. Conclusions: The informational letters did not meet the patients’ expectations and needs. Practice implications: This study could serve as a foundation for the content of informational letters.