Climate Adaptation Services for the Netherlands: an operational approach to support spatial adaptation planning

There is a growing availability of climate change information, offered to scientists and policy makers through climate services. However, climate services are not well taken up by the policy-making and planning community. Climate services focus on primary impacts of climate change, e.g., the disclosure of precipitation and temperature data, and this seems insufficient in meeting their needs. In this paper, we argue that, in order to reach the spatial planning community, climate services should take on a wider perspective by translating climate data to policy-relevant indicators and by offering support in the design of adaptation strategies. We argue there should be more focus on translating consequences of climate change to land-use claims and subsequently discuss the validity, consequences and implications of these claims with stakeholders, so they can play a role in spatial planning processes where much of the climate adaptation takes place. The term Climate Adaptation Services is introduced as being a stepwise approach supporting the assessment of vulnerability in a wider perspective and include the design and appraisal of adaptation strategies in a multi-stakeholder setting. We developed the Climate Adaptation Atlas and the Climate Ateliers as tools within the Climate Adaptation Services approach to support decision-making and planning processes. In this paper, we describe the different steps of our approach and report how some of the challenges were addressed.     

Climate proofing the Zuidplaspolder: a guiding model approach to climate adaptation

Climate change will have an impact on various sectors, such as housing, infrastructure, recreation and agriculture. Climate change may change spatial demands. For example, rising temperatures will increase the need for recreation areas, and areas could be assigned for water storage. There is a growing sense that, especially at the local scale, spatial planning has a key role in addressing the causes and impacts of climate change. This paper promotes an approach to help translate information on climate change impacts into a guiding model for adaptive spatial planning. We describe how guiding models can be used in designing integrated adaptation strategies. The concept of guiding models has been developed in the 1990s by Tjallingii to translate the principles of integrated water management in urban planning. We have integrated information about the present and future climate change and set up a climate adaptation guiding model approach. Making use of climate adaptation guiding models, spatial planners should be able to better cope with complexities of climate change impacts and be able to translate these to implications for spatial planning. The climate adaptation guiding model approach was first applied in the Zuidplaspolder case study, one of the first major attempts in the Netherlands to develop and implement an integrated adaptation strategy. This paper demonstrates how the construction of climate adaptation guiding models requires a participatory approach and how the use of climate adaptation guiding models can contribute to the information needs of spatial planners at the local scale, leading to an increasing sense of urgency and integrated adaptation planning process.     

基于GIS分析的生态清洁小流域治理思路——以陕西省石泉县饶峰河小流域为例

生态清洁小流域建设对于维护重要水源区水生态安全具有极其重要的意义。以汉江上游的陕西省石泉县饶峰河小流域为研究对象,在对该小流域自然因素和社会经济因素进行调查的基础上,采用GIS空间分析方法,对该小流域治理区域进行精细划分。研究表明饶峰河小流域可划分7个不同的治理区域,分别为:生态修复区、坡耕地修复区、坡面治理区、坡耕地治理区、农田治理区、村镇综合治理区及河(沟)道周边整治区。根据各区域的污染产生特点,针对性地提出各区域治理方向,并进行治理措施配置。该研究可为生态清洁小流域精准治理提供一种新的建设思路。     

Hierarchical priority setting for restoration in a watershed in NE Spain, based on assessments of soil erosion and ecosystem services

Maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services through the restoration of degraded ecosystems have become an important biodiversity conservation strategy. Deciding where to restore ecosystems for the attainment of multiple services is a key issue for future planning, management, and human well-being. Most restoration projects usually entail a small number of actions in a local area and do not consider the potential benefits of planning restoration at broad regional scales. We developed a hierarchical priority setting approach to evaluate the performance of restoration measures in a semiarid basin in NE Spain (the Martín River Basin, 2,112 km²). Our analysis utilized a combination of erosion (a key driver of degradation in this Mediterranean region) and six spatially explicit ecosystem services data layers (five of these maps plotted surrogates for soil retention and accumulation, water supply and regulation, and carbon storage, and one plotted a cultural service, ecotourism). Hierarchical maps were generated using a geographic information system that combined areas important for providing a bundle of ecosystem services, as state variables, with erosion maps, as the disturbance or regulatory variable. This was performed for multiple scales, thereby identifying the most adequate scale of analysis and establishing a spatial hierarchy of restoration actions based on the combination of the evaluation of erosion rates and the provision of ecosystem services. Our approach provides managers with a straightforward method for determining the spatial distribution of values for a set of ecosystem services in relation to ecological degradation thresholds and for allocating efforts and resources for restoration projects in complex landscapes.     

基于独立环境报告的中日石油企业环境绩效信息披露比较研究

有效的环境绩效信息披露是正确进行企业环境绩效评估的基础.本文首次依据全球报告倡议组织(GRI)<可持续发展报告指南>(2006年版)中的30个环境绩效指标,对中石油独立环境报告中环境绩效信息披露的研究发现,中石油环境绩效指标披露不完整,重要的核心指标披露情况更不理想,年度间纵向比较还出现了倒退;定性指标披露多于定量指标;体现企业积极行动和效果的内容和数据披露得相对较为详细;存在选择性披露问题,可比性较差,相关信息披露也较为散乱,不利于读者进行环境绩效评估.对此,我国企业应重视环境原始信息的收集和处理,将环境相关信息纳入企业日常的信怠管理系统,在披露方法上则应综合借鉴相关国际组织的做法并不断加以改进;政府监管部门也应对环境信息披露做出系统指引和规范,并积极推动环境报告审计的发展.     

Restorating marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goad for integrated catchment management in Tolo Harbour,Hong Kong,China

Abstract

The paper demonstrates why it is necessary to take the restoration of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal for integrated catchment management, in coastal area of the Tolo Harbour. The present goal of integrated catchment management (ICM) in the Tolo Harbour is to meet with Water Quality Objectives. The performance of an ICM plan, Tolo Harbour Action Plan (THAP), is evaluated by using marine coastal ecosystem health indicators including stress indicators and responses indicators. Since the implementation of THAP in 1988, some significant reduction in pollution loading has been observed—reduction of 83% of BOD load and 82% of TN between 1988 and 1999. There has been an improvement in the health state of Tolo Harbour marine coastal ecosystem as evidenced in the trends of the physical, chemical and biological indicators, although some reverse fluctuations in some periods exist. However, this can only be considered as the first sign of the ecosystem health restoration, since ecosystem health covers not only physical, chemical and biological aspects of an ecosystem, but also ecosystem-service-function aspect. It is recommended to take the restoration and protection of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal, instead of water quality objective management, for integrated catchment management in Tolo Harbour catchment. Steps to further improve the marine coastal ecosystem health of Tolo harbour are discussed in the paper.     

Restorating marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goad for integrated catchment management in Tolo Harbour,Hong Kong,China

The paper demonstrates why it is necessary to take the restoration of marine coastal ecosystem health as a new goal for integrated catchment management, in coastal area of the Tolo Harbour. The present goal of integrated catchment management (ICM) in the Tolo Harbour is to meet with Water Quality Objectives. The performance of an ICM plan, Tolo Harbour Action Plan (THAP), is evaluated by using marine coastal ecosystem health indicators including stress indicators and responses indicators. Since the implementation of THAP in 1988, some significant reduction in pollution loading has been observed - reduction of 83 % of BOD load and 82 % of TN between 1988 and 1999. There has been an improvement in the health state of Tolo Harbour marine coastal ecosystem as evidenced in the trends of the physical, chemical and biological indicators, although some reverse fluctuations in some periods exist. However, this can only be considered as the first sign of the ecosystem health restoration, since ecosystem health co     

Multiscale Methodological Framework to Derive Criteria and Indicators for Sustainability Evaluation of Peasant Natural Resource Management Systems

Design and implementation of more sustainable natural resource management systems is the current objective of many research institutions, development agencies, NGOs and other stakeholders. But, how to assess whether a system is sustainable? How do we know whether the alternatives designed will increase the sustainability of the system? How to evaluate or assess the sustainability of natural resource management systems?In this paper we present a multiscale methodological framework for sustainability evaluation. The framework is based on a systems approach from which five general attributes of sustainable natural resource management systems are defined based on scale- and discipline-independent properties (productivity, stability, resilience, reliability and adaptability).A general operational strategy to derive ‘site-specific’ criteria and indicators for the attributes at different scales is also presented. This strategy is based on the definition of ‘impact scales’, at which the different stakeholders can or want to design alternatives, as well as the main stakeholders’ objectives and constraints. The application of the multiscale framework is illustrated with a case study in the Purhepecha Region of Michoacán, a peasant mountainous region in the west of Mexico. We used stakeholder consultation to identify the main objectives and constraints as well as to select criteria and indicators. The sets of criteria and indicators suggested for the different scales of analysis of the Purhepecha Region are comprehensive, yet not exhaustive, and represent the main issues related to natural resource management in the region. Further work will be directed towards the quantification of indicators at different scales and their relationships and trade-offs.     

岷沱江流域水环境治理绩效综合评价方法研究

为全面研究生态文明背景下岷沱江流域水环境治理成效，该研究从水生态保护与修复、水污染治理与控制、水资源开发利用和社会经济承载4个维度构建评价指标体系，先采用灰色关联分析法和均方差决策法建立组合权重，再通过加权综合指数法和理想解模型对2011~2017年岷沱江流域10个主要地级市的水环境治理绩效进行动态评价，最后利用ArcGIS10.5软件进行评价结果的时空分异性的可视化。研究表明：在水环境综合管理下，岷沱江流域水环境治理绩效水平呈上升的趋势。空间分布上，虽岷沱江流域上、中、下游的水环境治理绩效整体水平差异性逐渐缩小，但流域中各地级市在水污染治理与水资源开发利用上存在明显的差异性，今后岷沱江流域应重点控制水污染和优化水资源配置，统筹流域可持续发展的水环境管理。     

An ethical dimension to sustainable restoration and long-term management of contaminated areas

Experience after the Chernobyl accident has shown that restoration strategies need to consider a wide range of different issues to ensure the long-term sustainability of large and varied contaminated areas. Thus, the criteria by which we evaluate countermeasures need to be extended from simple cost-benefit effectiveness and radiological protection standards to a more integrated, holistic approach, including social and ethical aspects. Within the STRATEGY project, the applicability of many countermeasures is being critically assessed using a wide range of criteria. Attention is being given to issues such as practicability, feasibility, capacity and environmental side-effects, as well as social factors such as public perceptions of risk, communication of information and the need for dialogue and consultation with affected communities, and ethical aspects such as informed consent and the fair distribution of costs and doses. Although such socio-ethical factors are now the subject of a substantial field of research, there has been little attempt to integrate them in a practical context for decision makers. Within this paper, we specifically consider the ethical aspects of restoration strategies and suggest practical means by which these can be taken into account in the decision making process, introducing a value matrix. The paper covers two critical areas: evaluation of individual countermeasures, and use of the matrix to ensure transparent and systematic consideration of values in selection of a restoration strategy.     

山区县域生态系统安全因子遥感和GIS分析--以重庆市忠县为例

数据的高效获取和信息的实时提取,长期以来一直是困扰区域生态安全研究领域和地学过程研究领域的瓶颈和难题。在对案例研究区——重庆忠县地区TM卫星遥感数据进行波谱信息特征分析的基础上,通过人机交互目视判读解译和模型模拟自动信息提取等多种有效技术和方法,实现用遥感影像数据对山区县域生态环境系统安全因子体系中的3个主要因子：土地覆被、水土流失强度、植被盖度等进行数据提取,并用GIS技术对这些指标因子数据进行空间分析。这在一定程度上解决了中尺度山区县域生态环境系统安全评价指标因子数据提取与地学分析的技术和方法难题。通过GIS空间分析,揭示出忠县部分生态安全因子的时空分异特征,为山区县域生态环境退化评价和生态恢复研究提供了一种新的方法尝试。     

城市湖泊有机质氮同位素差异及其对水污染的指示作用分析

如何对湖泊生态环境修复效果进行评价是当前湖泊生态修复工作的难点所在，以武汉市内不同修复状态湖泊为研究对象，通过分析湖泊水体营养盐浓度、水质类别、综合营养状态指数TLI（Σ）与湖泊不同有机质δ15N的关系，探讨以水体中某一有机质δ15N指示城市湖泊水污染状态，进而作为湖泊修复效果评价指标的可行性。结果表明：武汉南湖、东湖、内沙湖水质分别为劣Ⅴ类、Ⅳ类、Ⅲ类；水体富营养化程度分别为重度富营养、轻度富营养、中营养；南湖有机质δ15N均值最高为13.193‰（8.394‰~19.380‰）；东湖δ15N次之为8.191‰（5.162‰~13.488‰）；内沙湖δ15N最低为2.940‰（0.001‰~6.433‰）。不同湖泊有机质δ15N与表层水 c(TN)、c(DIN)、c(NH+4-N)、c(TP)、水质类别和TLI（Σ）呈正相关趋势，其中悬浮有机质、沉水植物δ15N与水污染参数的相关性最为显著，均能有效表征城市湖泊水污染状态；为了采样的简便性及样品的通用性，建议以悬浮有机质δ15N作为城市湖泊水污染状态及水环境治理效果的快速评价指标。     

Multi-scale spatial determinants of dissolved oxygen and nutrients in Qiantang River, China

This study employed spatial regression to analyze the determinants of dissolved oxygen (DO) and nutrients in the Qiantang River, China. Determinants of their spatial patterns in 1996 and 2003 as well as their dynamics during this time period were characterized at sub-basin and 500-m riparian buffer scales. Results indicated that the determinants differed by variable and by scale. Built-ups, farmland, water body, population density and gross domestic product were positive indicators for nutrient pollution and hypoxia, while distance to river source and forest were negative indicators. Higher slope variability indicates more DO and nutrients. In addition, built-up increases that were accelerated by population growth and economic development accounted for DO and nutrients dynamics to a large extent. This study highlighted that incorporation of spatial autocorrelation into regression was not only a methodological advantage but also a promising management tool.     

Relative Assessment of Indicators in Sustainability Enhancement (RAISE): a first approach in the manufacturing stage of products

The estimation of the sustainability performance of products requires tools to provide systematic approaches to the definition of impacts, indicators and comparative scenarios from early design stages. This paper illustrates the Relative Assessment of Indicators in Sustainability Enhancement (RAISE) methodology that is based on the measure of negative impacts generated during any product life cycle stage. This approach includes a systematic process for the definition and evaluation of indicators to compare the sustainability performance of products considering each indicator individually and using a holistic index of sustainability to entail an overall comparison between products from manufacturing scenarios. The RAISE method is developed with the aim of assessing sustainability performance of product life cycle stages and incorporating this assessment into the decision-making process when comparing different manufacturing scenarios. A guitar capo manufactured in polymeric material is used as case study to demonstrate the use of the method. In this paper, only the manufacturing stage is considered; however, the method can also be employed in other stages of the life cycle.     

Typifying cities to streamline the selection of relevant environmental sustainability indicators for urban water supply and sewage handling systems: a recommendation

Measuring performance and setting targets and benchmarks for the future entail the adoption of metrics or indicators. Sustainability is a multi-pronged objective encompassing social, economic, health, cultural, governance and environmental aspects. Indicators can be grouped under these categories. The selection of environmental sustainability indicators for a water and wastewater utility in a city needs to be based on concerns specific to the utility in question. The authors, in this paper, have recommended the classification of cities into city types based on specific attributes and identification of relevant environmental sustainability indicators, from a pool of 13 indicators, for these different city types. Having selected the relevant indicators, utilities can use them as tools to improve their environmental performance. The purpose is to not facilitate inter-utility comparisons within or across city types. Every utility would compare its environmental performance at a given point in time with what it was in the past. Towards the end, the paper also applies the methodology to nine cities across four continents—Europe (Oslo, Trondheim and Turin), Asia (the National Capital Territory of Delhi, Beijing, Tel Aviv and Male), North America (Sacramento) and South America (São Paulo). In all, 13 environmental sustainability indicators have been identified. Two cities—Oslo and Trondheim (both from Norway) belong to the same city type, while the other seven are different from each other in this regard. The number of relevant indicators ranged from 4 for Trondheim to 11 for Tel Aviv. The methodology is not restricted to urban water supply and sewage handling systems. It can be extended to other infrastructure systems as well—waste management, transportation, etc.     

Research on the Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources of Jinan City

The study on the sustainable utilization of water resources of Jinan city is a research hotspot in the urban sustainable development field.How to use a scientific and rational evaluation index system to analyze the sustainable utilization of water resources of Jinan city and then guide the development and utilization of water resources becomes particularly important.Based on the theory of sustainable development this study introduces the method,basic steps and evaluation indexes of the assessment of the development and utilization of water resources.By systemic analyzing the exploitation and utilization standards of water resources and economy and society in Jinan city,the evaluation and index system of sustainable utilization of water resources in Jinan city can be constructed and index weight can be confirmed,and then,the standard of sustainable utilization of water resources in different years can be analyzed comparably.Thus,the deficiency of lack of reflection of coordination extent in water resources development standard,society and economy in traditional evaluation method is settled efficiently.The paper takes the sustainable utilization of water resources of Qingdao City in 2008 as the standard to compare and assess the water resources utilization in Jinan City.The paper also collects data of water resources in Jinan City from2001 to 2007.The result indicates that evaluation method is of feasibility and it is effective to the implementation of sustainable utilization strategy water resources in Jinan City.     

Analyzing temporal–spatial characteristics of drought events in the northern part of Cyprus

Drought in the northern part of Cyprus has become a recurrent phenomenon. In the last few decades, Cyprus has experienced significantly severe drought events occurring periodically, and this trend is now continuing. With rainfall distribution varying considerably across the region and frequent drought conditions, the water resources, agriculture, economy and the environment have been adversely affected. This study aims to investigate spatial–temporal characteristic of drought using Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) at multiple timescales (3, 6 and 12 months). Monthly time series of 36 years (1977–2013) rainfall data from nine weather stations are used to derive SPI values. Based on different drought categories, this study focuses on propagation of drought from one timescale to another and estimating critical rainfall values during moderate, severe and extreme drought conditions. The analysis revealed that there is a strong correlation among different timescales in detecting drought events. On average, 79 and 78% of 3-month timescale drought propagated into 6- and 12-month drought events, respectively, while 90% of 6-month timescale drought events propagated into 12-month drought events. The derived critical rainfall value for extreme droughts over a 12-month timescale was less than 255 mm/year in the town of Alsancak, while for Guzelyurt, a major citrus growing city, this figure was less than 135 mm/year. The results are validated through drought events detected at various regions of the Mediterranean basin and local flood occurrences during the wet periods and decline in water tables at drought seasons.     

Developing indicators of ecosystem condition using geographic information systems and remote sensing

Improvements in remote sensing technologies and the use of geographic information system (GIS), are increasingly allowing us to develop indicators that can be used to monitor and assess ecosystem condition and change at multiple scales. This paper presents global- and regional-level indicators developed by the World Resources Institute and collaborating partners using remote sensing and GIS. Presented as regional and global maps, these spatial indicators are ideal communication tools to raise awareness of the condition of the Earths ecosystems among different audiences. Global and regional spatial indicators not only inform us about the current condition of, and pressures on, ecosystems, but also about the likely capacity of the ecosystem to continue to provide goods and services to future generations. The increasing focus on integrating socio-economic and biological information with remote sensing and GIS technology can only help to further our understanding and capacity to manage ecosystems in a more sustainable manner.The author researched and wrote this paper while working for the World Resources Institute (WRI).     

水利枢纽施工干扰区生态系统综合评价

针对水利枢纽施工过程中对周边环境的干扰机制，提出生态系统综合评价指标体系，利用RBF神经网络建立水利枢纽施工干扰区生态系统综合评价模型，并以尼尔基水利枢纽为例，对其施工干扰区生态系统进行综合评价。评价结果表明各指标在施工期间均跌到最低点，其中受影响最大的就是社会进步指标和景观生态性指标。但是在恢复过程中，这两类指标的上升幅度也是最大的，自然生态环境具有较强的稳定性，但当外界干扰超过其自身的承受能力时，对其进行恢复的难度也是很大的。可见，RBF生态评价模型可以对施工干扰区生态现状进行评价，评价结果为干扰后的生态环境恢复与重建提供理论依据，也可对治理后的效果进行预测评价，并为其他水利枢纽工程施工干扰区生态恢复与重建提供科学借鉴。     

Research on the Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources of Jinan City

Abstract

The study on the sustainable utilization of water resources of Jinan city is a research hotspot in the urban sustainable development field. How to use a scientific and rational evaluation index system to analyze the sustainable utilization of water resources of Jinan city and then guide the development and utilization of water resources becomes particularly important. Based on the theory of sustainable development this study introduces the method, basic steps and evaluation indexes of the assessment of the development and utilization of water resources. By systemic analyzing the exploitation and utilization standards of water resources and economy and society in Jinan city, the evaluation and index system of sustainable utilization of water resources in Jinan city can be constructed and index weight can be confirmed, and then, the standard of sustainable utilization of water resources in different years can be analyzed comparably. Thus, the deficiency of lack of reflection of coordination extent in water resources development standard, society and economy in traditional evaluation method is settled efficiently. The paper takes the sustainable utilization of water resources of Qingdao City in 2008 as the standard to compare and assess the water resources utilization in Jinan City. The paper also collects data of water resources in Jinan City from 2001 to 2007. The result indicates that evaluation method is of feasibility and it is effective to the implementation of sustainable utilization strategy water resources in Jinan City.