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1 – 10 of over 1000Sarah Abdulkareem Salih, Sumarni Ismail and Aysha Mseer
The residents of Baghdad city has been suffering from various issues, including poor social relations, low quality of life, as well as neglect of many public spaces and small…
Abstract
Purpose
The residents of Baghdad city has been suffering from various issues, including poor social relations, low quality of life, as well as neglect of many public spaces and small parks. Therefore, there is a need to devise effective alternatives to compensate for the loss of large public open spaces so as to enhance the residents’ social interactions and other social activities. Having that said, this study identified the types and characteristics of public open spaces to enhance residents’ social activities in Baghdad city.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted the questionnaire survey method to gather quantitative data from 306 respondents based on the single-stage random procedure. The targeted population of this study refers to the residents of the Karkh district, the western part of Baghdad.
Findings
The study outcomes highlight the need to provide pocket parks with adequate characteristics to promote the residents’ social interactions in Baghdad city.
Practical implications
This study contributes by emphasizing the significance of establishing pocket parks for social interaction in Baghdad City.
Originality/value
The study shows a number of solutions related to pocket parks by studying the critical actionable attributes that can be embedded into new development, land-use policies, or to upgrade existing parks. The study may serve as a useful reference for urban and landscape planners, architects, social psychologists, the Municipal of Baghdad, and other interested researchers in this field.
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Keywords
Kirkuk oil.
The purpose of the paper is to highlight the key issues that need to be taken into consideration when establishing an office, facility or project in a conflict situation, with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to highlight the key issues that need to be taken into consideration when establishing an office, facility or project in a conflict situation, with particular reference to the International Zone in Baghdad, Iraq.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a descriptive approach, setting out the main aspects of setting up and running an office facility or project in Baghdad and highlighting the various options available, with particular reference to the security implications. The analysis is based on the author's personal experience in Baghdad and information on the experience of other organisations working there.
Findings
Working in Baghdad, and by implication other conflict zones, is difficult but not impossible. Security permeates every aspect of existence and as a result any task will cost a lot more and take a lot longer to complete than it would elsewhere. If this can be factored into the preparations for any project there is no reason why the opportunities here, whether to rebuild the country, make a profit or simply to survive unscathed, cannot bear fruit.
Practical implications
The paper provides a practical guide to establishing a project, facility or office in a conflict zone and provides useful information to anyone considering doing so.
Originality/value
The paper describes practical situations and options that are currently being experienced or used today, rather than proposing anything new or untested. It will, therefore, be of great value to any person or organisation considering establishing an office or facility in a conflict one and particularly in Iraq.
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Shaimaa Hadi Al-Dulaimi and Miyada Kh Hassan
This study was design to investigate of P. aeruginosa, an example of Gram-negative bacteria, in seven primary and secondary schools of Baghdad city, and the effects of Ethanol and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study was design to investigate of P. aeruginosa, an example of Gram-negative bacteria, in seven primary and secondary schools of Baghdad city, and the effects of Ethanol and Dettol of P. aeruginosa biofilm.
Design/methodology/approach
Seventy swabs were collected from seven primary and secondary schools of Baghdad city, Iraq, during November -December 2022. Swabs were collected from classes desk, doors handles, students hands and water taps. Standard microbiological testing methods were used on the samples for isolation and identification. The ability of bacteria to form biofilm and the effects of Ethanol and Dettol on"preformed” biofilms was examined by microtiter plate with the use of an ELISA reader.
Findings
In 70 swabs from seven primary and secondary schools, growth was observed in 33 swabs as P. aeruginosa. Primary schools were higher contaminated than secondary and water taps and door handles represented the main source of this contamination. The ability of bacteria to produce biofilm was observed in 19 (57.6%) isolates and 14 (42.4%) nonbiofilm producers. As well as, Ethanol (70%) treatment of preformed biofilms led to enhance biofilm formation and revealed significantly greater staining after 4 and 24h than Dettol (3%) compared to an untreated control (tryptic soy broth (TSB) incubation).
Originality/value
Studies on P. aeruginosa in Iraqi schools are quite rare. This work is considered distinctive because it drew attention to the presence of pathogenic bacteria within primary and secondary schools, which are not considered their natural environment.
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Iraqi universities in the aftermath of invasion in 2003 experienced extremely high levels of “post”-war violence and insecurity. The most widely known dimension of this violence…
Abstract
Iraqi universities in the aftermath of invasion in 2003 experienced extremely high levels of “post”-war violence and insecurity. The most widely known dimension of this violence is the shocking assassination campaign that killed hundreds of Iraqi academics. This paper provides an analysis of violence and insecurity in post-2003 that takes a broader optic and considers multiple forms of vulnerability to attack including insurgencies, sectarian conflict, and criminal violence. It also considers the various responses to the security dilemma taken by Coalition forces – principally counter-terrorism and stabilization efforts – and by Iraqi policy-makers and higher education communities, including security measures, politicization, ethno-sectarianization, and displacement.
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Omar Al-Hafith, Satish BK and Pieter de Wilde
Traditional central courtyards have been advocated for being thermally efficient for hot-climate regions. However, exploring previous literature shows that it is not clear to what…
Abstract
Purpose
Traditional central courtyards have been advocated for being thermally efficient for hot-climate regions. However, exploring previous literature shows that it is not clear to what extent courtyards are truly thermally comfortable. This study determines the level of thermal comfort in residential courtyards in hot-climate regions, taking Baghdad as a case study.
Design/methodology/approach
This study develops a novel Courtyard Thermal Usability Index (CTUI) to quantify the ability of courtyards to provide thermal comfort to occupants. CTUI is the fraction of useable thermally comfortable hours in courtyards of the total occupation hours during a specific period. To operationalise CTUI, the research employs the Envi-met 4.2 simulation tool to determine the annual thermal conditions of 360 courtyards. An adaptive thermal comfort model developed by Al-Hafith in 2020 for Iraq is used to judge simulated thermal conditions and determine CTUI.
Findings
CTUI enables determining the level of thermal comfort courtyards offer to occupants by showing the ratio of the thermally comfortable period versus the occupation period. Results show that, in Iraq, annually, courtyards offer up to 38% comfortable hours out of the total potential occupation hours. The rest of the time the courtyard will not be comfortable, mostly due to overheating. When designing courtyards, the most effective geometric property impacting courtyards' thermal conditions is width/height. The most important microclimatic factor impacting occupants' thermal sensation is mean radiant temperature (MRT). This study can be used to inform designing thermally efficient courtyards for hot-climate regions.
Originality/value
This study presents the first assessment of the thermal efficiency of courtyards in hot-climate regions depending on an assessment of their ability to provide thermal comfort to occupants. The study presents a novel index that can be used to quantify the ability of courtyards to provide a thermally comfortable environment to occupants.
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Maha Younis, Abdul Kareem Al Obaidi and Ahmed Al-Nuaimi
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a psychiatric clinic in a general hospital can function in conflict-ridden Iraq through the easing of patient access to services…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how a psychiatric clinic in a general hospital can function in conflict-ridden Iraq through the easing of patient access to services.
Design/methodology/approach
The workload of psychiatrists was analyzed for one year (2010) at the psychiatry consultation clinic located in the campus of the Medical City Hospital in Central Baghdad which is also a training center.
Findings
A total of 2,997 consultations (both adults and children) occurred in 2010. In total, 96 percent were self or family referrals. Patient services were provided by five consulting psychiatrists for a variety of psychiatric disorders. The main therapeutic intervention was the prescription of psychotropics.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the turbulent circumstances and limited mental health resources in Iraq, this clinic was established as a model to attract patients for consultation and triage management to reduce appointment defaults and delayed care.
Practical implications
The data can contribute to the planning and development of mental health services in Iraq, contributing to the current body of literature and serving as a model for other conflict areas.
Originality/value
To best of the understanding this study is the first in the country.
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Keywords
Iraqi security forces took control of Kirkuk following a controversial independence referendum in September 2017. Since then, security in the area has deteriorated, with an…
Details
DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB232240
ISSN: 2633-304X
Keywords
Geographic
Topical
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