@article{MehmoodArshadMahmoodetal.2021, author = {Mehmood, Yasir and Arshad, Muhammad and Mahmood, Nasir and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Kong, Rong}, title = {Occupational hazards, health costs, and pesticide handling practices among vegetable growers in Pakistan}, series = {Environmental Research}, journal = {Environmental Research}, number = {200}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {1096-0953}, doi = {10.1016/j.envres.2021.111340}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7366}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Disregarding protective measures when handling pesticides in agricultural production imposes increased health risks and health costs on farmers as well as degrades the natural ecosystem. In Pakistan, where agriculture is the prime occupation in rural communities, there is overwhelming evidence of indiscriminate use of hazardous pesticides by farmers without taking adequate precautions. Using cross-sectional data, we examined personal protection and health costs to vegetable growers due to pesticide exposure and determinants of farmers' pesticide handling practices. The theory of averting behavior was used, and the possible factors affecting farmers' adoption of safety equipment and of disposal methods for pesticide containers were estimated using a logit model. Health effects (P < 0.05) and farmers' protection and health costs (P < 0.01) are found as important determinants of farmers' adoption of safety equipment and of disposal methods for pesticide containers. The mean protection and health cost of pesticide exposure per farmer per vegetable season in 2019 was US \$3.60. Analytical outcomes indicate that safe and recommended pesticide handling practices are needed to be introduced through adequate integrated pest management (IPM) training programs and by improving farmers' formal education. Thus, creating awareness through IPM training programs among vegetable growers and enhancing formal education to encourage the adoption of precautionary measures and safe disposal methods for pesticide containers may reduce health risks and health costs. Findings imply that adoption of adequate pesticide handling practices would further help reduce occupational hazards and promote sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.}, language = {en} } @article{MahmoodArshadMehmoodetal.2021, author = {Mahmood, Nasir and Arshad, Muhammad and Mehmood, Yasir and Faisal Shahzad, Muhammad and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Farmers' perceptions and role of institutional arrangements in climate change adaptation: Insights from rainfed Pakistan}, series = {Climate Risk Management}, volume = {32}, journal = {Climate Risk Management}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {2212-0963}, doi = {10.1016/j.crm.2021.100288}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7375}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Rainfed farmers are among the most vulnerable farming communities to climate change in Pakistan because of the heavy reliance of crop farming on rain and of farmers' livelihoods on crop farming. The best and most timely responses against climate change are suitable adaptation measures. Accurately perceiving the risks associated with climate change is an essential factor for planning and then implementing adaptations. Using farm household-level data of 400 rainfed farmers collected through a well-designed and field-tested questionnaire, this study examines the association between various adaptation stages (climate risk perceptions, adaptation planning, and implementation of adaptation) and their determinants using a multivariate probit (MVP) model. The findings indicate that farmers' perceptions of climatic changes are in line with historical climatic data. Climate risk management (CRM) trainings and digital agriculture extension and communication (DAEC) services (indicators of formal institutional arrangements) show a highly significant impact on all adaptation stages. Input market distance, farmer cooperative meetings (an indicator of informal institutional arrangement), off-farm income, education, and number of male family members are among the other key determinants. A highly significant association between various adaptation stages indicates that accurate climate risk perceptions lead to planning and implementation of adaptations. When risk perceptions are underestimated or lacking, then adaptations do not occur. The results further indicate that the timely availability of reliable information on advanced agricultural inputs, weather parameters, crop farming advisory services, and market information could help rainfed farmers devise sound adaptations to minimize risks associated with climate change. The study recommends the provision of CRM trainings and DAEC services to provide a better understanding and promote sound adaptation planning through the adaptive capacity enhancement of rainfed farming communities for sustainable production and livelihood security.}, language = {en} } @article{MehmoodArshadKaechele2022, author = {Mehmood, Yasir and Arshad, Muhammad and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Effects of wastewater reuse on perceived health risks of farmers in Pakistan: Application of the Zero-Inflated Poisson regression model}, series = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, journal = {Journal of Cleaner Production}, number = {369}, publisher = {Elsevier}, issn = {1879-1786}, doi = {10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133430}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7423}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Not only is the reuse of wastewater, particularly for irrigation purposes, an increasingly common practice in developing countries, it is also encouraged by many governments and official entities. Although exposure to wastewater has noteworthy hazardous effects on human health and the environment, this is poorly understood by farmers who reuse wastewater for crop production. Using household-level survey data of 321 respondents, this study investigates the effects of wastewater reuse on farmers' perceived health risks and the determinants of farmers' reuse of wastewater for vegetable production in Punjab, Pakistan. A Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression model shows that wastewater irrigation has a significant positive effect (P < 0.05) on farmers' perceived health risks. Farmers using wastewater have relatively little knowledge of its negative effects on human health compared to their counterparts using freshwater. Around 85\% and 80\% of farmers who used wastewater state that water scarcity and decreased production costs were the key reasons why they use wastewater for vegetable production, respectively. A logit regression model indicates that farmer age, household size, irrigation experience, income, access to institutional credit, awareness of health risks, access to canal water, ownership of tube well, and perceived health risks are the key determinants of wastewater reuse. The findings of this study and subsequent recommendations may guide policymakers in educating and updating farmers' knowledge about the hazardous effects of wastewater through frequent training and workshops. Installation of plants for wastewater treatment by collecting a pollution premium from farmers seems to be a viable option for sustainable agricultural development.}, language = {en} } @article{MehmoodArshadKaecheleetal.2021, author = {Mehmood, Yasir and Arshad, Muhammad and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Mahmood, Nasir and Kong, Rong}, title = {Pesticide residues, health risks, and vegetable farmers' risk perceptions in Punjab, Pakistan}, series = {Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal}, volume = {27}, journal = {Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal}, number = {3}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, doi = {10.1080/10807039.2020.1776591}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7218}, pages = {846 -- 864}, year = {2021}, abstract = {Extensive use of pesticides in agricultural production results in increased health risks and health costs, productivity loss, and degradation of the environment. Farmers' risk perceptions of pesticide residues can help mitigate these issues. This paper applies an ordered probit model to analyze farmers' perceptions of pesticide residues using a cross-sectional dataset of 209 vegetable cultivators in Punjab, Pakistan. Important determinants of farmers' perceptions include their educational level, family labor, ratio of self-consumed foodstuffs, health effects, integrated pest management (IPM) training, knowledge, and awareness. Among these determinants, farmers' awareness and IPM training programs are the principle indicators of risk perception. These results have significant implications for policymakers because farmers' perceptions including overuse of pesticides tend to worsen if supported by the internalization of social norms, which, in turn, is restricted by farmers' awareness and knowledge. The study findings suggest that special attention should be given to farmers who are limited to receiving information directly from agricultural extension officers. Moreover, intensive IPM training programs should be designed with the aim of conveying precautionary measures for human health and a sustainable agro-ecosystem.}, language = {en} } @article{ArshadAbbasKaecheleetal.2022, author = {Arshad, Muhammad and Abbas, Faisal and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Mehmood, Yasir and Mahmood, Nasir and Mueller, Klaus}, title = {Analyzing the Impact of Government Social Spending, Population Growth and Foreign Remittances on Human Development in Pakistan: Implications for Policy}, series = {The European Journal of Development Research}, journal = {The European Journal of Development Research}, number = {34}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, issn = {0957-8811}, doi = {10.1057/s41287-021-00435-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-7314}, pages = {1607 -- 1626}, year = {2022}, abstract = {To achieve sustainable future for all, United Nations' (UNs') Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-2030) reinforced the formulation of social, economic and human development policies. Pakistan is a country with high population growth rate, among top ten recipients of foreign remittances but facing an acute problem of stagnant human development outcomes over the years. Of note, Pakistan's economic growth is considered as growth without human face (see Easterly in The political economy of growth without development: A case study of Pakistan, 2001). It is, therefore, important from public policy point of view to understand the short-and long-run dynamics of the relationships between important social, demographic and economic factors. Accordingly, this paper investigates the short-and long-run relationships between population growth, government social spending, foreign remittances inflow and aggregate level of human development in Pakistan using Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach of cointegration and error correction models. The cointegration test results showed that there is cointegration among the variables to proceed with the estimations of long-run relationships. Our empirical results confirm the existence of short-and long-run relationships between population growth, remittances inflow and human development in Pakistan. Population growth inversely while remittances inflow positively influenced Pakistan's human development status both in the short-and long-run. The empirical findings of our study call for designing and implementing robust development policies—that result in effective and sustainable human development—mainly towards viewing population from a more humanitarian and equitable perspective in Pakistan.}, language = {en} }