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The benefits of learning

By Dr. Rosa Hilda Lora M. Advisor at AIU | rosa@aiu.edu

When talking about benefits, many immediately think of the economic aspect. The benefit of something is not only an economic aspect, it’s also a quality of life aspect. Quality of life refers to having the opportunity to grow as a human being, receiving the benefits corresponding to Human Rights from the State. As for learning, it’s being able to identify an object, which can be physical or ideal, and the characteristics it has. Learning can be informal and formal. Informal learning is what we obtain through the experience we acquire in living with others. Formal learning is what science provides us. For formal learning we need to be guided in the methods that science must achieve knowledge of objects. In formal learning we currently have serious problems because the States, which oversee organizing education, in many cases, change the social sciences for ideologies that suit their interests to remain in power. We also have the problem that many citizens are made to think that education, learning, is beneficial for a few. Another difficulty is the implementation that the States do so that all citizens can have quality education. We know that there are Psychological and Pedagogical methods so that students can achieve the knowledge that today’s society demands.

The implementation and training of knowledge accompaniers is something that many States don’t do because they save the money for other activities that suit their interests. Human Rights are rights of all human beings and due to their ignorance, many people are used for the benefit of certain rulers. There are 30 Human Rights and States are obliged to provide them to all beings in the society they represent. The State is not for the benefit of certain groups. “… it is said that the State, as a human work, has been built to serve social, that is, collective, purposes of all the members of a society…” National Autonomous University of Mexico- UNAM . Legal Archives- p. 46-47. https://archivos. juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/libros/ 3/1461/5.pdf The State arises to organize everyone in a coexistence of opportunities for all. In the times in which we live, groups of human beings have appropriated the functions of the State to only look after their economic well-being. Education and Quality Education is a Right for every human being. From the legal point of view “...it is stated that the State is a legal person formed by a political community, settled in a determined territory and sovereignly organized in its own government with decision and action.” National Autonomous University of Mexico- UNAM . Legal Archives- p. 46 https:// archivos.juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/ libros/3/1461/5.pdf The State is not an entity that emerged from the taste of anyone: it means the coexistence and organization of human beings and the opportunity to be had and treated with all the benefits and rights as a human being.

“Education is a human right. The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for free primary education and mandatory. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further by stipulating that countries must make higher education accessible to all.” United Nations. International Education Day. january 24. https://www.un.org/es/observances/ education-day Let’s see what Human Rights are because many people, due to their lack of knowledge, are deceived by the States that claim to give privileges to citizens and what they do is give what is their obligation and maintain the discourse that they are wonderful for everything. What they do when it is their obligation.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights All human beings are born free and equal. All people have all the rights of this Declaration. Every person has the right: To the life. No one may be subjected to slavery. No one will be subjected to torture. Every person: has the right to be recognized in his or her personality. It is equal before the law. They have the right to effective recourse before the law. No one can be arbitrarily detained. Everyone has the right to be heard publicly: He or her has the right to be presumed innocent. No one will be subject to interference in her private life. You have the right to:

Move freely. To seek asylum. To a nationality. To find a family. To private and collective property. To freedom of thought. To the expression freedom. To freedom of assembly. To participate in the government of your country. To social security. To work. To rest. To social services. To education. To cultural life. For Human Rights to be made effective. Has duties to the community. Nothing in the Declaration of Human Rights can be interpreted differently. United Nations. Peace, Dignity and Equality on a healthy planet. https://www.un.org/es/about-us/universal- declaration-of-human-rights

We may ask ourselves by what means we can make everyone aware of their rights as human beings. The best instrument is education. “Education is key to sustainable development. When the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted, the international community recognized that education is essential to the success of its 17 goals. Goal number 4 of Sustainable Development specifically aims to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’ by the year 2030.” https://www.un.org/es/observances/ education-day Education is so important that the World Bank committed to helping achieve goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals SDG 4. Without a people, a Nation without Education we can achieve little.

The World Bank committed to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goal – SDG 4, which works for equitable, inclusive, and quality education. World Bank. Press release. 2024, 04. https://www.worldbank.org/es/ topic/education/overview We are living in a world that seems unknown to us: an abundance of science, but also hate speech. What is happening to human beings? Will the human species disappear along this path? The human species will not disappear because we were born to build. Human beings, by our nature, need others to grow, to learn. If we were as a society building the path to disappear, we would have already done so many centuries ago.

We are living a stage of great experience, some would say, to learn the value we have. At these moments in History, we are witnessing a few who could not have had more hate speech and misinformation. We will learn to value who we are and how much we can grow. It seems that the other one doesn’t exist. We must learn the value of the other, the ways of coexistence. We must learn, we must study to know where we are going, to understand the way of being with others. You are studying and studying should be to grow and to give to others. You do your program at Atlantic International University (AIU): Study and you will grow. Give to others so you can be happy. Only in this way we will all live growing. Only this way we will live in peace.

BIBLIOGRAPHY. Banco Mundial. Comunicado de Prensa. 2024. 04. https://www.bancomundial.org/es/topic/education/overview | Naciones Unidas. Día Internacional de la Educación. 2024. enero 24. https:// www.un.org/es/observances/education-day | Organización de las Naciones Unidas. Paz, Dignidad e Igualdad en un planeta sano. https://www. un.org/es/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México - UNAM. Archivos jurídicos- p. 46- 47. https://archivos.juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/libros/3/1461/5.pdf | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México - UNAM. Archivos jurídicosp. 46. https://archivos.juridicas.unam.mx/www/bjv/libros/3/1461/5.pdf

CONTROVERSIAL ROLE OF THE Eucalyptus tree species: a challenge on ground water depletion

Masimba Gwemende | Doctorate in Agricultural Science

I. Introduction This study employed pragmatic world view coupled with mixed methodology design and research approach (Creswell, 2014). The main focus was on how the eucalyptus tree species impact ground water depletion. As the survey process progressed, it was noted that, a paradigm shift is needed in groundwater management, from technocratic approaches to use of collaborative, participatory knowledge systems. Groundwater users, technical specialists, scientists and policy makers need to work jointly with the support of facilitators, and backed by demonstration results, learning and communications. They should collaborate to align groundwater knowledge, governance reforms, economic incentives, investment and social organisation. Smith (2016), associates the tree’s fast growth, adaptability to a wide range of environments and socio-economic roles it plays to its global support it has gained. Since 1980’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) promoted tree plantations. In compliance to IMF’s call most countries worldwide adapted to establishing plantations with the earth covered by forestry plantations which increased from 167 million to 277.9 million hectares from 1990 to 2015. Brazil, Argentina and Chile comprise the largest areas of forestry plantations in South America. Currently Brazil has about 7.8 million hectares of planted forests, mainly eucalyptus (5.7 million hectares) and pinus (1,6) (Tiago Souza Mattos, 2019). As for the African region, forestry plantations were earmarked to meet increased demand for domestic industries, export, fuel wood and charcoal, together with the demand for an array of non-wood products. Pressure has been exerted on natural forests as a result of urbanisation and above all human population growth. As such production levels are; 1.76 million in W. Africa, 0.15 in E. Africa, 0.05 in C. Africa and 2.2 million in Southern Africa (Chamshama and Nwonw u, 2004). While the above production levels were mainly inclined to meet economic targets, plantation forests could play ecological roles in buffering floods, increasing interception rates, decreasing surface runoff as well as contributing to an accumulation of soil organic matter (Bonn esoeur etal, 2019). The purpose of this study is to alert farmers on the controversial impact paused by the eucalyptus tree species on ground water depletion, a phenomenon that seemed to be silent among the group of people and has led to diverting of the cropping programmes on certain lands as well as shifting farmers from old farming sites relocating themselves to new sites of favourable conditions. Targeted farmers in question seem to be a neglected group by most studies because of their farmland sizes and location (Subsistence farmers). Most studies concentrated on big forestry plantations ignoring small forestry tree establishments (less than 1 hectare plantations).

Water depletion on ground water sources was mainly attributed to climate change, putting very little blame on other factors if not none at all except for experts in the area of hydrological studies. The study will demystify the dilemma of only associating ground water shortage to poor precipitation. Inclusion of this minority group in the study closes the gap left by most researchers.

Various studies based on forestry tree plantation concentrated much on the production side with less input on expatiating the negative impact paused by such plants in particular the eucalyptus species. Timberwatch Coalition and World Rainforest Movement (2016) concentrated on projects earmarked at exploiting all African patches with a potential to produce timber and to include countries falling within West, East, Central and Southern Africa. White etal (2916) consider eucalyptus as contributing to positive development through retention of soil in its natural state as well as providing wood-based products. Negatively however, note the trees as impacting the availability of underground water levels by excessively drawing it than what the soil should retain. Studies by Rotzer etal (2016) view forest trees as natural water balancing bodies regulated by climatic conditions variation in which losses can be restricted through stoma closure or emitted as stoma open and thus maintaining an uncompromised water balance. This Scientific view is shared with that of Braun etal (2004) where ground water levels are naturally regulated contributed much to the tree’s loss of credibility which is the nerve centre of this study. This implies that continuous production of the tree species in drought threated regions would render the people into great food security risks.

II. Study methodology This study specifically used exploratory sequential mixed method approach where the researcher began with a qualitative research phase in exploring the views of 24 farmers selected from 52 Ward 20 villages of Cikomba District in the Mashonaland East province -Zimbabwe... The data was then analyzed, and the information used to build into a second, quantitative phase. The qualitative phase was used to construct the questionnaire instrument that best fits the sample under study (Creswell, 2014). The study used 3 ponds as a 3-year case study after prior observation of some water level changes in ponds and other areas that used to be marshy at certain times of the year but have totally changed as nearby eucalyptus tree canopy increased. The questionnaire contained the purpose of planting the tree, justification on the choice of the site; awareness on how the tree could impact ground water sources levels and views on action to take in getting rid of wrongly sited plantations. Concurrently observations were made to determine how the tree species impacted ground water levels. Questionnaire contents were schematised.

III. Results and discussion With reference to Table 1, 33.3% the respondents planted trees around their cropping areas irregardless of where the farmland was situated and could not have been aware on how the trees could impact crop productivity which the trees later did as their canopies increased. 29% of the respondents aimed at establishing timber for general home use and tree establishment to them had to be anywhere as long as they managed to get timber for the intended purpose. 25% of those utilising idle land were also not site restrictive as they were targeting at open spaces. Draining excess water by 12.5% of the respondents was site specific on earmarking wetlands. Heterogeneous and egocentricity that existed among the respondents depicted how liberal the pattern of planting was, as evidenced randomised tree establishment. Data in table depicts that the trees were planted in wetland constituting 41.7% of the respondents and the wetlands could be within the water course or near water sources where vegetable gardens could be located. 33.3% of the demarcated farm land could be gardens near water sources (Figure 1) at high water demanding eucalyptus trees which create a high water gradient and deplete underground water nearby. A 25% utilising of available land could in-discriminatorily included wetlands which have probabilities of being left out as unsuitably for cropping purposes and yet are an underground water source. Exposing eucalyptus to wetlands subjects the land to water depletion especially on sites with limited water supply as the case with the sites under study. Coining the results of the study to empirical findings by Joshi and Palasami (2011) where the tree said to draw as much as 90 litres of water per day. (Figure 2) Table 3 reflects that 16.7% of the respondents were the only people who were aware that eucalyptus trees could deplete ground but could be the same people who did not plant trees on water depletion sites. 83.3% of the respondents could have wrongly sited their plantations (Figure 1) due to ignorance and could be the group that could have benefited from the outcomes of the study.

Table 4 shows an 83.4% outweigh of those who felt the trees could remain on wrongly sited lands as long as they served anticipated social and economic roles constituted by 16.7%. The results could mean that, production of other basic crops outweighed benefits obtained from eucalyptus probably because economic benefits of the tree at small scale are not forthcoming.

IV. Conclusion The advantages drawn from the study have showcased that; • Commercial benefits derived from eucalyptus trees after manufacturing do not matter most at small scale production than what people could do without the tree. • People’s attitudes in the management of the water resource could change for the better. • People could accept the tree be grown at commercially selected sites other than haphazard planting which tend to threaten underground water resource. • Up to 90 litres of water discharged by the tree (Joshi and Palanisani 2011) in the dry season could be difficult to compensate under dry season conditions where rural people would need water most for watering their vegetable crops therefore its removal serves a lot of water. • Small farm setups may not accommodate the production of the tree because once the tree colonises the area, reduction of space for basic crop production results aggravating famine and thus contributing to high social costs for governments.

In as much as the study has justified the need to discourage people from establishing eucalyptus trees in areas where land size and use might not permit, incorrect handling of the study outcomes might result in; • Sedimentation of water sources due to complete removal of the tree where it could serve the purpose. • Disruption of the hydrological cycle in areas which are naturally bare and a bit further from water sources where the tree could serve the purpose. • Relocating the farmers threatened by depleted water sources in areas they were used to depend on available water could be a bit expensive as there is need to find alternatives like sinking costly boreholes for individual poor rural farmers. • There are some challenges to convince people to get rid of their small plantations for the good of availing water for the farmer whose farming activities are situated at lower sites of the plantations.

Acknowledgement
The author is grateful to the sons Vigil N Gwemende and Redemption M Gwemende for running around on questionnaire distribution.

REFERENCES. [1]. John W. Creswell (2014) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches 4th Ed, SAGE, Los Angeles/London/New Delhi Singapore/ Washington DC. [2]. Branum, C.I., Eberts, S.M., Jones S.A. and Harvey, G.J. (2004) Water–level variation and their effects tree growth and mortality on the biochemical systems at the phytoremediation demonstration site in Fort Worth , Texas, 1996–2003, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2003–5107, 39pp. [3]. Mark Smith, Katharine Cross, Mary Paden and Peter Laban (eds.) (2016) spring–managing groundwater sustainably IUN, Grand, Switzerland. [4]. Mukund1 Joshi and K. Palanisami. Impact of Eucalyptus Plantations on Ground Water Availability in South Karnataka, ICID 21 1st International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage, 15–23 October 2011, Tehran, Iran. [5]. S.A.O. Chamshama and F.O.C. Nwunwo (2004) A report prepared for the project, “Lessons Learnt on Sustainable Forestry Management Africa, African Forestry Research Network (AF3ORNET), and FAO. [6]. Tiago Souza Mattos, Paulo Tarso Sanches, de Oliveira, Muliro Caser Lucas and Edson Wenland (2019) Groundwater Recharge Decrease Replacing Pasture by Eucalyptus Plantations, muliroclucas@gmail.com; Tel +55–46–3220-2560. [7]. Timberwatch Coalition (South Africa) Industrial Forestry Tree Plantations Invading Eastern & Southern Africa, Ph +37834442083, October 2016. [8]. T. Rotzer, R. Matyssek, G. Schiitze, H. Pretzsch, K. H. Haberke, C. Kallenbach. (2017) Tree Species and size drive water consumption of beech / spruce forests —a simulation study highlighting growth, under water limitation, Springer International Publishing AG Switzerland DOI 10.1007 / S11104–017–3306–X. [9]. Vivien Bonnesoeur, Bruno Locatelli, Manuel R. Guariguata, Boris F. Ochoa – Tocachi, Veerle Vanacker, Zhun Mao, Alexio Stokes, Sarah–Lan Mathez– Stiefei, Paper published in Forest Ecology and Management (2019) https://dioi.org/106/j foreco. 2018–033. [10]. White, D.A. Battaglia M. and Mendham D.S. 2016. Water use and water productivity of Eucalyptus plantations in South East Asia. ACIAR Technical Reports Series No. 89. Centre for International Agricultural Research Camberra 55pp.

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