An approach to evaluation of sustainability for Guangzhou's urban ecosystem

Guangzhou has ambitions to build itself into a world class metropolis by 2010. Sustainable development is the only way to achieve this magnificent goal. Based on the ecological perspective of sustainable development and the principles of ecosystem integrity, this paper develops an approach for evaluation of sustainable development in Guangzhou between 1986 and 1995. A hierarchical evaluation system of four tiers of sustainability indicators was established. Using the method of fuzzy multistage synthetic evaluation, sustainability development level index, QIx, was calculated for the indicators at the B, C, D, and E tiers. Development stages were identified based on these index values. The coordination degree among the economic, social, and natural subsystems was also computed. Further, an overall sustainability index for each year was computed by combining the development level index and the coordination degree. It was found that the urban ecosystem in Guangzhou had generally become more sustainable, in spite of fluctuations in coordination degree. The development level index of the economic subsystem has surpassed that of social and natural subsystems since 1995. Appropriate measures must be taken to ensure coordinated development among the subsystems for the purpose of sustainable development.     

Water shortages and countermeasures for sustainable utilisation in the context of climate change in the Yellow River Delta region,China

With an increasing population and rapid development of the economy and society of the Yellow River Basin region, the Yellow River is at crisis point. The discrepancy between supply and demand of water resources is a key issue. In 2000–2006, the mean annual discharge of the Yellow River entering the delta was 13.2 billion m³, a reduction of 18.6 billion m³ compared with the 1980s, and 9 billion m³ less than in the 1990s. The water requirements of various sectors are increasing. Large amounts of water essential to maintain the health of the delta ecosystem have been diverted for other users. The lower river channel is shrinking and the threat of flooding is becoming severe. Moreover, water pollution is increasing to a serious level; the river mouth ecosystem is subject to degradation. Due to overall decreased flow into the delta, and almost no flow into the delta for much of the year except in wet periods, biodiversity is threatened and there has been degradation of the ecological environment. In view of the water scarcity and variation in water supply, particularly in the context of climate change, measures need to be taken to realise sustainable water use in the Yellow River Delta region. In view of the lack of a complete index system for sustainable utilisation of regional water resources in China, this paper examines the major countermeasures for sustainable water use in the region. A rational adjustment mechanism for water prices is needed. Adjustment of agricultural infrastructure and water saving need to be directed by water prices, and thus the reasonable exploitation of groundwater must also be directed by water prices. Participation of the public is to be encouraged, with the development of a water user association that will become involved in formulating water rights, water allocation and water prices. Decision-making, management and supervision of this association will be done in a democratic way to promote the social management of water saving.     

Sustainable development strategies for China's Du Jiang Yan Water Resources Project

China's Du Jiang Yan Irrigation Project, dating back to 256 BC, is one of the world's earliest water resources projects. Although it has been benefiting the Sichuan Basin area for over 2000 years, it is facing increasing problems due to ecological deterioration, over-exploitation from local industries and agriculture, suboptimal resource allocation arising from supply and demand mismatches, and an aging infrastructure. The traditional water resources development model is no longer appropriate for current and future needs of the area. Therefore, a sustainable development framework is envisioned in which population, economy and environment coexist in harmony. Within this framework, major strategies, such as construction and renovation of infrastructure, promotion of water conserving irrigation through non-engineering measures, pollution control and ecological improvements, restructuring of management entities and exploration of new funding sources, are proposed. An evaluation system is also introduced to assess the degree of sustainability and to monitor progress towards a high level of sustainable development.     

生态文明视角下城市水安全评价指标体系的构建

水安全既是城市生态文明建设的重要内容,也是生态文明建设的重要保障,而水安全评价则是实现水安全的必然途径。本文旨在以生态文明建设为宗旨,以水安全的影响因素为依据,构建水安全评价指标体系。生态文明导向下的城市水安全评价更强调水资源的循环性、效率性、可持续性,水生态与社会发展的和谐性及平衡性。评价指标体系可分为自然生态、社会行为、制度规则和精神意识4个维度,然后根据每个维度下水资源的特征及外部因素对水资源的影响方式设计具体的评价指标,并运用层析分析法为各指标赋权。     

基于压力—状态—响应概念框架的可持续水资源管理指标体系研究

基于压力－状态－响应概念框架,充分考虑可持续隶资源研究的特点和目标,提出持续水资源管理指标体系,并应用于深圳东部供水水源工程可持续管理的评价。     

Interactions between water and land in The Netherlands

The Netherlands are one of the most densely populated coastal countries in the world and there is only limited space for living, working, transport and recreation, while there is also the need to preserve and expand valuable natural habitats. In order to solve many existing and future conflicts of interest, and in order to create ‘added value’, strategies are developed to optimize the use of water-land systems. The principle of ‘building with nature’ is applied in order to integrate land in sea and water in land in such a way that future generations will be able to use coastal resources in a sustainable way, including a minimal effort to maintain the coastline and the promotion of a multiple-use system. The concept of Integrated multifunctional sustainable coastal zone development is introduced. This concept deals with a balanced approach to the lack of space for present and future coastal uses in relation to each other, to the hinterland, and to the sea. Flexible master plans are developed, taking into account many functions of the coastal zone, and facilitating adaptation to future developments—e.g. impacts of climate change and relative sea level rise. In this regard increasing the flexibility of the coastal zone is of vital importance. Large-scale coastal land reclamations in The Netherlands are dealt with, based on two different principles: (1) polder systems (low lying land reclamations surrounded and protected by dikes), (2) systems of ‘building with nature’—land reclamation protected by man-made foreshores, beaches and dunes. In the latter type new flexible dynamic-equilibrium coasts are created for many functions, while coastal vulnerability is reduced and a flexible coast is developed.     

基于管理成熟度的大型水利水电工程环境绩效评价研究

借鉴项目管理成熟度模型的研究方法,构建了大型水利水电工程环境管理成熟度模型,对模型的组成、内容和评价方法进行了定义.结合大型水利水电工程施工过程中的生态环境影响因素分析,建立了大型水利水电工程的环境绩效评价体系,并采用数据包络分析(DEA)动态评估模型进行了环境管理成熟模型评价.案例研究表明,大型水利水电工程环境绩效评价结果能较好的反映出工程施工期间的环境管理成熟度水平,并能反映持续改进方面的环境贡献,研究成果对于改善我国大型水利水电工程建设对生态环境的影响及制定相关政策具有重要意义.     

Beijing's coordinated development of population,resources, environment,and economy

Since the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing at 2008, the urban development plan of Beijing deserves special attention. The essence of regional sustainable development is that population (P), resources (R), environment (E) and economy (E) could develop with sustenance, order and coordination during a certain period, which forms a complex system called the PREE complex system. For this system, a multi-objective integrated model is formulated and solved by a nonlinear goal programming technique. Beijing's PREE complex system is then used as an empirical study. Twelve interesting goals are carefully selected, the parameters of each goal function were estimated by using Beijing's 50-year (1949–1999) statistical data, and their ideal goal limits for 2000 and 2005 are chosen according to the 9th and 10th Five-Year Economic Development Plans of Beijing. The results showed that population size is the most sensitive element in Beijing's PREE complex system. Furthermore, some suggestions related to public policies about the urban development of Beijing are proposed.     

基于RS和GIS的生态系统健康评价

生态系统健康评价可以认识区域生态系统健康状况、识别生态环境问题,为制定科学的生态保护对策提供依据,对提高可持续发展和环境管理具有重要的指导作用。文章由压力-状态-响应（P-S-R）概念模型建立了生态系统健康评价指标体系和评价模型,运用RS和GIS技术及统计学分析法,形成程序化、系统化的生态系统健康评价技术方法体系,并以高平市为案例,运用定量的方法对其生态系统健康进行综合评价及分级研究,通过对压力、状态、响应评价结果及健康综合评价结果的分析,结合高平市生态系统健康的自然条件状况与人类活动影响,探讨了影响区域健康的因素,为高平市资源的合理利用与保护提供科学依据。结果表明该技术对生态系统健康评价是切实可行的。     

Environmental sustainability index of Shandong Province,China

Since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, sustainable development has been embraced as an important goal. In order to measure sustainable development, many scientists and researchers have made efforts to establish measurement systems such as the Driving Force State Response (DSR) framework (Hens 1995), the Human Development Index (HDI) (Goeteyn 1996) devised by the United Nations Development Programme, the Sustainable National Income (SNI) developed by Hueting et al. (1992) and the Ecological Footprint proposed by Wackernagel and Rees (1996). The environmental sustainability index (ESI) is a composite index, which was created by the World Economic Forum, Yale and Columbia Universities, aggregating data at the national level to measure a country's performance in sustaining a healthy, livable environment. 142 countries have been measured with ESI by 2002. However, it has not yet been documented if it can be applied at a regional level. In this study, we have tried to apply ESI to measure the sustainable development of Shandong in China. 22 indicators and 43 variables were chosen, and results showed the ESI of Shandong was 49, suggesting that Shandong is still far from a position of sustainable development.     

Multi-scale evaluation of river health in Liao River Basin, China

Previous studies on river health evaluation mainly focused on characterizations at a river-corridor scale and ignored the complex interactions between the river ecosystem and other components of the river basin. Based on the consideration of the interactions among rivers, associated river basin and habitats, an assessment framework with multi-scale indicators was developed. An index system divided among these three scales to characterize the health of river ecosystems in China’s Liao River Basin was established. Set pair analysis was applied to integrate the multi-scale indicators and determine the health classes. The evaluation results indicated that the rivers in the western and eastern zones of the Liao River were classified as sick, and rivers in the main stream of the Liao and Huntai rivers were classified as unhealthy. An excessive level of disturbances, such as large pollution loads and dense construction of water conservation projects within the river basin, were the main causes of the river health deterioration.     

Toxicity-oriented water quality engineering

• Toxicity-oriented water quality monitoring was proposed. • Toxicity-oriented water quality engineering control was proposed. • Future issues to the proposition were discussed. The fundamental goal of water quality engineering is to ensure water safety to humans and the environment. Traditional water quality engineering consists of monitoring, evaluation, and control of key water quality parameters. This approach provides some vital insights into water quality, however, most of these parameters do not account for pollutant mixtures – a reality that terminal water users face, nor do most of these parameters have a direct connection with the human health safety of waters. This puts the real health-specific effects of targeted water pollutant monitoring and engineering control in question. To focus our attention to one of the original goals of water quality engineering – human health and environmental protection, we advocate here the toxicity-oriented water quality monitoring and control. This article presents some of our efforts toward such goal. Specifically, complementary to traditional water quality parameters, we evaluated the water toxicity using high sensitivity toxicological endpoints, and subsequently investigated the performance of some of the water treatment strategies in modulating the water toxicity. Moreover, we implemented the toxicity concept into existing water treatment design theory to facilitate toxicity-oriented water quality control designs. Suggestions for the next steps are also discussed. We hope our work will intrigue water quality scientists and engineers to improve and embrace the mixture water pollutant and toxicological evaluation and engineering control.     

Effects of climate change on surface water management of Seyhan basin,Turkey

The goal of this study was to set-up the basis for climate change adaptation of water resources management policies in Seyhan River basin. The first priority was to identify the balances between water resources and water users with respect to existing and planned projects. In this respect various aspects of Seyhan basin were evaluated, including evaluation of existing water resources, determination of water demand of existing and planned projects, and water resources supply-demand characteristics. The global climate change model was downscaled to the basin scale, the results were associated with hydrometeorological monitoring network and finally the impact of climate change on surface water resources and demands were determined for specific projection years. Water resources management scenarios were developed to evaluate adaptation alternatives to climate change scenarios at the basin level. It was determined that even though there was no water stress in Seyhan basin in 2010, many parts of the basin were expected to suffer significant shortages over the coming years.     

面向可持续发展的水资源管理问题的探讨

可持续发展战略已引起世界各国的普遍重视和关注。本文从可持续发展的角度，对水资源的状况和水资源管理政策进行了分析，提出了二十一世纪面向可持续发展的水资源管理原则、管理模式和对策。论文的研究对改进我国的水资源管理具有重要意义。     

Management and exploitation dynamics of small-scale fisheries in the Bay of Biafra: An integrative analysis of purse seine fishing activity

For many decades, fisheries research has focused on stock assessment and the impact of the fishery effort on resources. Although this knowledge remains necessary, a more integrated analysis of the joint dynamics of resource and operational activities is needed to provide more useful advice for the management of fishery systems. Since 1994 a new approach to fishery science has been carried out for Cameroonian small-scale fisheries, the aim being the incorporation into fishery science of research on fishery management, fishing processes and fishermen's behaviour. This paper presents a more systemic data approach which combines biological parameters and operational factor analyses with the goal of sustainable development. From two years of data collected on the purse seine fishing units operating in the Bay of Biafra (2002 and 2003), a set of three correspondence analyses is applied: (1) to the length frequency distribution of Ethmalosa fimbriata, (2) to the number of visits per fishing ground, and (3) to the species appearance frequency in the landings. These three analyses were plotted per month-year period. The results are presented in the form of an annual exploitation cycle, linking fishing grounds, the main species caught, and corresponding fishing period.     

定量化土地评价指标体系及评价方法探讨

从可持续发展的角度，提出了定量土地评价指标体系建立的原则与依据；分析了土地评价指标体系的现状与存在的问题；总结了土地评价指标体系的量化表达方法，特别是空间统计分析模型和地理信息系统技术在定量化土地评价中的应用。为可持续利用土地评价提供理论依据和方法上的借鉴。     

Municipal wastewater treatment in China: Development history and future perspectives

The history of China’s municipal wastewater management is revisited. The remaining challenges in wastewater sector in China are identified. New concept municipal wastewater treatment plants are highlighted. An integrated plant of energy, water and fertilizer recovery is envisaged. China has the world’s largest and still growing wastewater sector and water market, thus its future development will have profound influence on the world. The high-speed development of China’s wastewater sector over the past 40 years has forged its global leading treatment capacity and innovation ability. However, many problems were left behind, including underdeveloped sewers and sludge disposal facilities, low sustainability of the treatment processes, questionable wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent discharge standards, and lacking global thinking on harmonious development between wastewater management, human society and the nature. Addressing these challenges calls for fundamental changes in target design, policy and technologies. In this mini-review, we revisit the development history of China’s municipal wastewater management and identify the remaining challenges. Also, we highlight the future needs of sustainable development and exploring China’s own wastewater management path, and outlook the future from several aspects including targets of wastewater management, policies and technologies, especially the new concept WWTP. Furthermore, we envisage the establishment of new-generation WWTPs with the vision of turning WWTP from a site of pollutant removal into a plant of energy, water and fertilizer recovery and an integrated part urban ecology in China.     

An integrated river basin-coast-sea modelling scenario for nitrogen management in coastal waters

Linked river basin and coastal water models were applied to analyse the effects of an optimal nitrogen management scenario in the Oder/Odra river basin on water quality in the Oder (Szczecin) Lagoon and the Pomeranian Bay (Baltic Sea). This scenario would reduce nitrogen loads into the coastal waters by about 35%, a level which is similar to the load of the late 1960’s. During summer the primary production and algae biomass in the Oder estuary is limited by nitrogen, which makes a nitrogen management reasonable. The comparison of the late 1960’s and the mid 1990’s shows that an optimal nitrogen management has positive effects on coastal water quality and algae biomass. However, this realistic nitrogen reduction scenario would not ensure a good coastal water quality according to the European Water Framework Directive. A good water quality in the river will not be sufficient to ensure a good water quality in the lagoon. Nitrogen load reductions bear the risk of increased potentially toxic, blue-green algae blooms, especially in the Baltic coastal sea. However, to reach water quality improvements in lagoons and inner coastal waters, nitrogen cuts are necessary. A mere focus on phosphorus is not sufficient.     

Cosmic exergy based ecological assessment for a wetland in Beijing

Wetlands research and restoration has become one of the critical concern due to their importance in providing ecosystem services. This study proposes a holistic methodology to assess the wetland ecosystem based on cosmic exergy as a thermodynamic orientor. This new approach is applied to two typical wastewater treatment facilities (an activated sludge system and a cyclic activated sludge system) and to a constructed wetland ecosystem in Beijing for comparison. Results show that the Beijing wetland ecosystem gains positive net present ecological value of 3.08E+14 J_c regarding its total life cycle. Comparison with the activated sludge system and cyclic activated sludge system, shows that the wetland ecosystem has greater dependencies on local resources (22% vs. 0% vs. 0%) and renewable resources (67% vs. 38% vs. 31%) as well as a larger ecological sustainability index (0.64157 vs. 0.00005 vs. 0.00008). This implies that the wetland ecosystem is more environmentally friendly and sustainable method for water treatment.     

Prioritising development planning in the Indian semi-arid Deccan using sustainable livelihood security index approach

This paper presents the status of sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) of Karnataka, the most drought prone state in the Southern part of India. Computation of ecological security index, economic efficiency index and social equity index, and finally SLSI were carried out at the district level for the entire state, using empirical data. The selected indicators were first normalised, and then using estimated weights, indices were computed. The results indicate that the state has a very low SLSI with only 27.6% of total geographical area (TGA) and 21.7% of population being placed in the ‘sustainable’ and ‘highly sustainable’ categories (covering 10 districts) while only 34% of the TGA covering six districts falls in the ‘moderately sustainable’ category. The remaining area, confined mostly to the northern parts of the state, comprising 14 districts (51.8% of the state’s TGA) is categorised as ‘less sustainable’ and ‘very less sustainable’ exposing 44.4% (27.14 million) of state’s population to the perils of uncertain rainfall, high soil erosion rates, high social inequality and poor resource use efficiency. There is an urgent need to reorient development programmes and prioritise development investments in these vulnerable districts so that they are provided resources and opportunities to improve their ecological (more forest cover and less soil erosion), economic (higher agricultural productivity) and social (improved health and education facilities and rural infrastructure) status and achieve sustainable levels of livelihood.