Basic services approach to urban development: Indian experience☆
In India a number of earlier efforts were made to improve basic services in urban areas, with the active involvem e n t of the p e o p l e and n o n governmental organizations (NGOs). But these were more in the nature of pilot projects. The Urban Basic Services (UBS) programme launched during 1985-90 in India, covering a number of small and medium towns in various parts of the country, is a unique experiment. Its uniqueness stems not only from its wider scale of operation but also from its basic themes of community participation, convergence and capacity building. The active involvement of the NGOs and its institutional support are other unique features of the programme. This paper traces the genesis of the basic services approach, the role of international bodies like UNICEF and the World Bank and analyses the UBS programme as it is being implemented in India.
POTENCIALIDADES TERRITORIALES Y ESTRATEGIAS DE DESARROLLO EN LAS ZONAS DE PLANIFICACIÓN SENPLADES5 Y 8, ECUADOR
Se realizo un diagnostico territorial con el objetivo de servir a los planificadores de gobiernos provinciales para elaborar sus estrategias de desarrollo sustentable. Se seleccionaron las zonas de planificacion SENPLADES 5 y 8 de Ecuador, correspondientes a las provincias de Guayas, Santa Elena, Los Rios y Bolivar y al distrito metropolitano de Guayaquil, y se analizaron sus potencialidades territoriales. Se consideraron 27 indicadores de variables ambientales y socio-economicas; los valores de repositorios nacionales, se mapearon y compararon con las otras zonas SENPLADES. Las zonas 5 y 8 lideran nacionalmente en un mayor numero de potencialidades, 7 de las 27, destacando, aptitud agricola, captacion de agua, energia termoelectrica, volumen de minerales, infraestructura de salud y educacion y kilometros de vias. Entre las cuatro provincias, Guayas sobresale al ser la primera en 22 de los 27 indicadores. Sin embargo, estas zonas obtienen los peores resultados nacionales para 4 indicadores, i.e. alcantarillado, indice integrado de servicios basicos y acceso a internet fijo. Doce de los indicadores estan relacionados con alguna meta del PNBV 2013-2017, pero el aporte de las zonas 5 y 8 en su consecucion es muy limitado, solo positivo en las metas 7.2 y 11.2, y para el Guayas en la 10.3. Entre las estrategias de desarrollo se proponen dar valor agregado a los productos agropecuarios, promover el ecoturismo y las energias renovables y, mejorar el alcantarillado y el acceso a internet fijo mediante la infraestructura educativa existente.
Cambodian refugee health care beliefs and practices.
Since 1975, when refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia first began coming to the United States, many articles have been written about Southeast Asian or Indochinese refugees and health care. A careful review of the literature shows that most of these articles have one thing in common: they are written primarily about Vietnamese and do not address the unique health care beliefs and practices of Lao or Cambodian refugees.1 Although some beliefs and practices are common to most Southeast Asians, many are not. Understanding at least that differences exist, and hopefully what some specific differences are, will allow nurses and others to give better care to the various people commonly grouped together as Southeast Asians. This article will introduce readers to some Cambodian beliefs and practices related to health care. Of the principle refugee groups admitted to the U.S. since 1975, the Cambodians are presenting the greatest challenges to health care providers. Cambodians are usually poorly understood by Americans, their health status statistics are hidden among the broad category of "Asian-Pacific Islanders" or "Indochinese Refugees," and cultural and institutional barriers combine to make access to care an overwhelming problem. The end results, of course, are more problems and more expense for the Cambodians, increased stress placed on an already terribly overstressed people, and ultimately greater demands and expense placed on the health care system. One of the most common misunderstandings about Cambodians is that they (and Lao) are basically the same as the Vietnamese. "They speak the same dialect don't they?" There are some similarities, but there are also very significant differences.