درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

Purpose- This study examined the effects of non-revenue water (NRW) on organisation running costs and customer satisfaction. The intention was to describe the NRW's effects on the MUWASA's performance as a case study. Specifically, it identified factors prompting non-revenue water; described the NRW effects on organisation running costs; and examined the level of customer satisfaction towards service provision.Design/methodology/approach- A purposive sampling technique was used to pick respondents for the household survey and key informant interview. The study included 100 respondents (70 connected customers and 30 employees of the authority). MUWASA serves 5 zones of the municipality; therefore, the study obtained 70 connected customers from the five zones of the authority. The household survey and the key informant interviews (KII) were the main data collection methods, the survey technique was used to collect data from 100 respondents and seven were involved in key informant interviews.  Descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis were used in data analysis.Findings- The findings have indicated that NRW affects the water utility revenue collection, and organisation running costs, which jeopardizes customer satisfaction with the organizational service delivery. Originality/value- Based on the National Water Policy of 2002 which aims at achieving sustainable, effective, and efficient development and management of Water Supply and Sanitation one of its objectives is to create an enabling environment and appropriate incentives for the delivery of reliable, sustainable, and affordable water supply and sanitation services. Therefore, the findings of this study are a catalyst for the improvement of the set policy objectives and enhance interventions where necessary.

Purpose- The main purpose of this research is to identify and analyze the performance of the two dimensions of tourism namely supply and demand to achieve agricultural tourism development in the rural areas of Zarivar Wetland in Marivan County as a capable destination in the field of agricultural tourism.Design/methodology/approach- This qualitative research has delved into documentary sources to collect data in the theoretical phase, and conducted purposeful interviews with the Delphi group (decision-making Delphi) in the field phase to identify effective obstacles. The Delphi group included 26 individuals of development authorities, tourism activists, local tourism entrepreneurs and informants as well as experts of rural development and tourism in the region. It was conducted applying grounded theory technique.Findings- The findings showed that the effective factors on the development of agricultural tourism in the region are in the form of two levels related to the development of mass tourism and specialized in the field of agricultural tourism. In the public sector related to the development of mass tourism, weakness in tourism infrastructures and services, weakness in marketing, weakness in training, protecting and diversifying the attractions, weakness in planning, monitoring and performance of governmental institutions, inappropriate business space and weakness in the needs and performance of tourists including 68 variables were identified as the main factors. In the specialized field and related to the development of agricultural tourism, , funding and financial flow, specialized advertising and highlighting, empiricism and creativity orientation, planning and management and traditional agriculture in the form of 34 variables were identified as the most important and effective obstacles of its development and expansion.Practical solutions- Changing the view of regional development and tourism managers to a systemic vision in tourism management and then changing the procedure in emphasizing the development of mass tourism in Zarivar Wetland and emphasizing the expansion of tourism with agricultural as well as paying attention to the villages on the edge of the wetland to present in the tourism market of the region are vitally important.Original/value- In today's era, according to the changes in the tourism market in attracting tourists with special motivations and taking the distance of the tourism market from mass tourism, the development of agricultural tourism can play as an important advantage in the field of rural tourism of Zarivar wetland and attract more tourists and increase their longevity.

This study was conducted in the Agogo Traditional Area of the Ashanti region of Ghana where there are numerous cases of conflicts between crop and animal farmers as a result of insufficient pasture for livestock, especially during the dry seasons. This has drawn the attention of various stakeholders in agriculture to the need for supplement feed through pasture establishment. The study used cross-sectional data from 150 farmers selected via a multi-stage sampling technique. Financial viability indicators such as Net Present Value (NPV), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and perception index based on a five-point Likert scale were used. SWOT analysis was also conducted to assess the feasibility of the pasture business venture. The study found the pasture business as a viable concept with a BCR of 1.18, a positive NPV of GH₵3,160, an IRR of 40.1% and a payback period of 2.61 years. Farmers’ perception on the establishment of pasture for small ruminant production was positive. The SWOT analysis identified the prospects and potential challenges of the concept as follows: availability of land, support to government policy of establishing ‘fodder banks’ for sustainable land use, low technical know-how, and land tenure issues, among others. The study recommends the establishment of pasture as a venture since it is financially viable and has the potency to reduce farmer-herder conflicts to make all stakeholders better off. Farmers should also be empowered by concerned institutions through technical education on pasture establishment.