Dastan Bamwesigye | Mendel University in Brno (original) (raw)

Papers by Dastan Bamwesigye

Energies, Jan 15, 2023

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

European Journal of Economics, Law and Politics

The effects of COVID-19 have significantly interrupted countries and the social order across the ... more The effects of COVID-19 have significantly interrupted countries and the social order across the globe. However, the developing countries which could not manufacture or even buy the most wanted commodity: COVID-19 Vaccine, looked on as the situation got worse even in the wealthy nations. Diplomacy seems a ray of hope among developing countries as wealthy nations have used almost all the vaccines themselves. The goal of this study was to critically analyze the challenges and opportunities around the COVID19 pandemic, especially vaccine distribution and access, and the role of diplomacy in this process in selected countries in Africa. We used the narrative literature review approach. We examined the cases of Uganda, Ghana, and South Africa on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. We found minimal accessibility and affordability of vaccines in developing nations. African and other developing countries have since depended on vaccine donations. Affordability makes it challenging for wealthy...

Discover Sustainability

Discover Sustainability, 2023

Residents living adjacent to forests commonly gather non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for incom... more Residents living adjacent to forests commonly gather non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for income, nourishment, ailment treatment, firewood, religious reasons, and artefacts. This study investigates local perceptions of the commercialisation and value addition of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in forest-adjacent communities in Ghana. NTFPs are integral to food security and cultural practices. However, more is needed to know about local perceptions of these products' commercialisation and value addition. In this study, we collected data using a qualitative research approach through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with community members involved in NTFP collection and sales. To determine which NTFPs are collected, we interviewed 732 residents about their perception of value addition to the NTFPs collected and if value addition has impacted the commercialisation and quality of the products obtained from the forest. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data for the study. From the survey, frequencies and percentages of responses were analysed for each indicator related to value addition and commercialisation of NTFPs. The study found that 97.5% of those surveyed frequently visited the forest to gather different NTFPs. For example, mushrooms, snails, honey, and others were the most collected. Also, most interviewees do not process or add value to the NTFPs collected from the forest; thus, adding value to these NTFPs could increase incomes in the future. The findings indicate that locals have a variety of perceptions and understandings about commercialisation and value-addition processes. The study emphasises the importance of understanding local perceptions to develop effective strategies for the commercialisation and value addition of NTFPs. By incorporating the perceptions and insights of locals, interventions can be tailored to meet the needs and aspirations of forest-adjacent communities and promote sustainable resource management and equitable distribution of benefits. Future research should focus on educating locals about the value addition to NTFPs, and processes for increasing the price of NTFPs by adding value and commercialising these products. Proper commercialising of NTFPs may well help improve the lives of the locals.

Forests

Urban forests provide benefits in terms of the environment and society. Many people living in urb... more Urban forests provide benefits in terms of the environment and society. Many people living in urban areas could profit from the recreational services provided by urban forests to alleviate the physical and psychological stresses caused by closure restrictions during the COVID-19 epidemic. However, limited research has been conducted on the role of forest recreation during the COVID-19 lockdown to support future policy decisions regarding such dramatic circumstances. The study aims to investigate the frequency of visitors in the reference Training Forest Enterprise Masaryk Forest Křtiny in Brno, Czech Republic, and to verify if the lockdown led to its intensified use, under the context of weather conditions. Data were collected using a Pyro Box Compact reader and TRAFx Infrared Trail Counter. Regression analysis was performed to determine whether individual weather factors significantly influenced the intensity of forest visitations before and during COVID-19. The number of visits in...

Public recreation and landscape protection - with environment hand in hand?

AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Mar 30, 2023

Finanse i Prawo Finansowe

The purpose of the article/hypothesis: The prime objective of this study is to discover whether e... more The purpose of the article/hypothesis: The prime objective of this study is to discover whether external debt and foreign direct investment promote economic development. The paper investigates whether external debt and foreign direct investment inflows stimulate economic growth, intending to determine the causal relationship between the variables to serve as a substantial factor for policymakers. Methodology: Numerous econometrics techniques were employed to ensure the findings' effectiveness and accuracy, including the stationarity test, Johansen cointegration test, and multiple regression (ordinary least squares). The hypothesis test that external debt and foreign direct investment inflows do not attain their justification of ensuring economic growth was conducted empirically. Results of the research: The outcome revealed that external debt and foreign direct investment positively and significantly support Ghana's economic growth. This leads to the conclusion that these va...

Uganda possesses natural rainforests that serve enormous environmental ecosystems and biodiversit... more Uganda possesses natural rainforests that serve enormous environmental ecosystems and biodiversity services. Moreover, the country is known for its various tropical rainforest hardwoods, birds, and animal species. Over the years, the trend in the natural forest land has declined at an alarming rate; hence need to investigate the possible drivers. The loss of such biodiversity and ecosystems risks desertification and extreme climatic condition. As the world moves towards Zero Deforestation 2030, understanding the determinants of deforestation and forest degradation is paramount. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to understand the impact and relationships between net forest conversion, energy emission, agriculture, and forest production of Roundwood. We used data from FAO for the period 2004-2016. Using the ADF and KPSS test, we checked for the unit root presence in the variables. Also, the study used two different regression models: multiple linear regression and dynami...

Sustainability, Oct 7, 2019

For decades, transportation has been considered as a link to all aspects of life worldwide. In ... more For decades, transportation has been considered as a link to all aspects of life worldwide. In this case, the world’s natural environment, social well-being and economic development all usually depend on transportation systems. In most cases, safe, clean, sustainable and equitable transport systems help countries, especially in cities and urban centers, to thrive. However, a wide range of research shows that transportation systems in most of the cities and urban areas are unsustainable. In fact, some of these transportation systems are considered to be a threat to the environmental, social and economical aspects of future generations. In this perspective, therefore, changing such trends in transportation requires the collaboration of various stakeholders at regional, national and international levels. In this paper, therefore, a wide range of definitions of sustainable transport are discussed. More so, some of the aspects of smart transport for modern cities such as cycling and the role of women in sustainable transport were explored. With the aim of getting to the core of the subject, cases of women in bicycle transport, especially in the Netherlands and Germany compared to Kenya and Uganda are equally elucidated. Although not fully outlined, the idea of smart cities and sustainable transport have heterogeneous characteristics globally as discussed herein.

Sustainability, 2020

Uganda is richly endowed with flora and fauna. Until the early 2000s, most of the types of vegeta... more Uganda is richly endowed with flora and fauna. Until the early 2000s, most of the types of vegetation have remained natural/virgin forests and shrubs until recent years, when human activities have damaged them. Understanding the different ways that people value such endangered forest resources is very important. The main hypothesis in our study is that willingness to pay (WTP) for forest existence value and sustainability depends on the preference for the same values. In addition, we examined socioeconomic characteristics, such as sex, education, and household incomes, which could influence the WTP for forest existence value and sustainability. We carried out field questionnaire interviews with the aim of ascertaining Willingness to Pay (WTP) for forest existence. The WTP values were in a range between 1 and 200 USD based on the contingent valuation method (CVM). A sample with a size of 203 was interviewed in selected towns and villages in Uganda, and the data collected were subject...

Royal Society Open Science, 2021

The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandem... more The COVIDiSTRESS global survey collects data on early human responses to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic from 173 429 respondents in 48 countries. The open science study was co-designed by an international consortium of researchers to investigate how psychological responses differ across countries and cultures, and how this has impacted behaviour, coping and trust in government efforts to slow the spread of the virus. Starting in March 2020, COVIDiSTRESS leveraged the convenience of unpaid online recruitment to generate public data. The objective of the present analysis is to understand relationships between psychological responses in the early months of global coronavirus restrictions and help understand how different government measures succeed or fail in changing public behaviour. There were variations between and within countries. Although Western Europeans registered as more concerned over COVID-19, more stressed, and having slightly more trust in the governments' efforts, there...

Scientific Data, 2021

This N = 173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Glob... more This N = 173,426 social science dataset was collected through the collaborative COVIDiSTRESS Global Survey – an open science effort to improve understanding of the human experiences of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic between 30th March and 30th May, 2020. The dataset allows a cross-cultural study of psychological and behavioural responses to the Coronavirus pandemic and associated government measures like cancellation of public functions and stay at home orders implemented in many countries. The dataset contains demographic background variables as well as measures of Asian Disease Problem, perceived stress (PSS-10), availability of social provisions (SPS-10), trust in various authorities, trust in governmental measures to contain the virus (OECD trust), personality traits (BFF-15), information behaviours, agreement with the level of government intervention, and compliance with preventive measures, along with a rich pool of exploratory variables and written experiences. A global consortiu...