Abstract: An unbiased photo-fuel cell (PFC) is a device that integrates the functions of a photoanode and a cathode to achieve simultaneous light-driven oxidation and dark reduction reactions. As such, it generates electricity while degrading pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The photoanode is excited by light to generate electron-hole pairs, which give rise to a photocurrent, and are utilized to oxidise organic pollutants simultaneously. Here we have systematically studied various TiO2/WO3 photoanodes towards their photocatalytic soot degradation performance, PFC performance in the presence of VOCs, and the combination of both. The latter thus mimics an urban environment where VOCs and soot are present simultaneously. The formation of a type-II heterojunction after the addition of a thin TiO2 top layer over a dense WO3 bottom layer, improved both soot oxidation efficiency as well as photocurrent generation, thus paving the way towards low-cost PFC technology for energy recovery from real polluted air.

Abstract: In Ethiopia, the state owns all lands within the territory of the country. Cities are incorporating large parcels of land from their surrounding rural agricultural areas through land expropriation. However, these land developments do not consider the nonmarket value of ecosystem services (ES), which is causing a deterioration of the existing ES and reduction on the potential supply of ES from agricultural land. The aim of this study was to estimate the monetary value of nonmarketable ES from the agricultural land using a double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method. A survey of 524 smallholder farmers was conducted. In the survey, respondents were asked to state their willingness to pay for the improvement of some of the nonmarketable ES: erosion control, air and climate regulation, water regulation, and soil fertility. The estimation was carried out using a bivariate probit model. The results revealed that farmers are willing to pay on average 276 ETB (7.9 USD) per hectare per year for a period of 10 years. We found that individual characteristics such as age, family size, and a recent land expropriation experience adversely affect the willingness to pay by the farmers. On the other hand, individuals with higher income and larger land size are willing to pay more. In general, the study indicated that the nonmarket ES, which are affected by the land expropriation for urban expansion, are valuable for the farmers. Therefore, we recommend that the government consider the value of nonmarketable ES in its land use decisions and hence achieve sustainable land development.

Abstract: Globally, incorporation of agricultural lands into the urban boundary has been a common phenomenon. Governments use various alternatives to access the required land, including land expropriation procedures, which refers to the compulsorily taking of land from the landholders without their consent by paying compensation. In Ethiopia, the urban population is growing rapidly which resulted into an increase in the demand for urban land for housing construction, public services provision, and infrastructure developments. As the Ethiopian constitution prohibits sale of landholders, governments, at various levels, have been expropriating land from the surrounding farmers to meet the demand for urban land. The general objective of this thesis is to improve the understanding of the impacts of local land deals for urbanization on socioeconomics of farmers and the environment. The findings of this thesis revealed that there are gaps in the current practices of land expropriation for urban expansion that should be improved. The results showed that the compensation paid to the affected farmers is found to be economically inappropriate, i.e., not enough to restore the affected farmers’ livelihoods, in contrast with the land laws that allows a compensation amount that would put previous land users in a better or the same wellbeing as before the land expropriation. In addition, it is indicated that the land expropriation process does not take into account the value of ecosystem services, which are benefits obtain from the land, and important for the wellbeing of the society. We conclude that while land expropriation is an important tool to obtain land from the landholders when it is needed for public purposes, the practices in the study area show it is adversely affecting the socioeconomics of farmers and the environment.

Abstract: A first-principles study of the electric field gradient (EFG) calculated for ideal and In-111(Cd-111) implanted ZnO samples is reported in the present work. The study was made for ZnO ideal hexagonal structures and supercells were introduced in order to consider the possible implantation environments. The calculation was done using the “WIEN2k” code within the density functional theory, the exchange and correlation effects were determined by the GGA approximation. Three possible In-111(Cd-111) implantation configurations were studied, one substitutional incorporation at cation site and two interstitials. The obtained EFG values for the ideal structure and the substitutional site are in good agreement with the experimental reports measured by perturbed angular correlation (PAC) and high precision nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Thus, the ascription of substitutional incorporation of In-111(Cd-111) probe atom at the ZnO cation site after annealing was confirmed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.