Assessing Tourists' Preferences for Recreational and Environmental Management Programs Central to the Sustainable Development of a Tourism Area in the Dominican Republic

The main goals of this paper are to (1) highlight the need for sustainable development as a means to conserve natural resources and the environment, which often represent the basis for tourism development, (2) illustrate the importance of assessing tourists' preferences when designing programs and policies central to the sustainable development of a tourism area, and (3) study tourists' interests in sustainable development. With these goals in mind, 180 tourists from Europe, Latin America, and North America were interviewed as they were leaving the resort region of Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The main factors that they considered when deciding where to go on a beach vacation were evaluated, as well as their preferences regarding four programs designed to improve recreational and environmental management of the area. Preferences by tourists were elicited both in monetary and non-monetary terms. This paper reports the non-monetary analysis of the data. The results indicate that clean ocean water and beaches, quality of services, and price are the most important factors considered by the respondents before deciding to come to Punta Cana. It was not possible to obtain reliable responses on how tourists perceived the four programs contributing to the sustainable development of Punta Cana. Nevertheless, they expressed high interest and willingness to pay for two of these programs: the outdoor aquarium and the Water Management Program. The results reported in this paper show how important it is to elicit tourists' preferences of programs central to the sustainable development of tourism areas since these preferences can drive managers' development decisions in more sustainable directions.     

淮南市持续发展的生态安全评价

淮南市是一所典型的煤炭资源型城市。是建立在资源、环境、经济和社会等子系统上的复杂系统。是城市发展与资源和环境保护之间矛盾较为突出的区域。主要表现在：城市布局不合理。城市整体结构不完善；人类进行煤炭资源开发利用过程中对生态和景观产生了干扰和破坏。从而造成其生态结构、功能的破坏以及量观的破碎化。本研究从压力-状态-响应三方面构建了淮南市生态安全评价指标体系。指标体系包括目标层、系统层、要素层和指标层。并给出了计算各评价指标值之闻均衡度的模型。量后结合RS、GIS技术实施该评价模型。对淮南市为实例进行了分析和评价。评价结果与实际情况基本符合。     

中国乡村发展面临的挑战与长期性管理策略

分析研究了当前我国乡村发展所面临的严峻的挑战性问题，如乡村非农化进程停滞，城乡差异扩大带来的问题等；尤其是乡村生态破坏和环境污染危及到农业生产环境的安全和城乡居民的生存基础的情况，指出21世纪中国乡村发展相当迫切而艰巨；在可持续发展思想的框架下，提出了长期性管理策略，即类型管理、目标管理、乡村制度性投入的管理模式，并考虑了实现乡村可持续发展的制度创新与保障问题；随后针对乡村发展管理，构想了实施对策：即，1）积极推进城市化，缩减乡村人口总量；2）开展农业行业标准的制定和修订工作；3）推进乡村产业的科技创新步伐；4）强化生态环境观念，实行空间开发管制、尤其是生态脆弱地区。此外还需强调环境教育机制和广泛的公众参与机制。     

资源核算及其纳入国民经济核算体系初步研究

实施资源核算并将其纳入国民经济核算体系是保障和促进国民经济持续、稳定、协调发展的重要措施之一。本文论述了对这一问题初步研究的基本思路、框架、方法,并以1988年我国森林资源状况为研究范例,说明了核算方法的具体应用。     

全球可持续发展与国际合作

本文认为环境生态是全球可持续发展的重要组成部分,必须在全球范围内,通过有效的国际合作和国际协调来加以解决。作者认为:国际合作应在国际性河流流域管理方面发挥重要作用。对全球温室效应问题,国际组织应重视科学研究,协调各国政府在能源税收、补贴和开发再生能源方面取得进展。此外,在保护地球生物多样性方面,国际组织可调试债务与自然环境互换机制。     

跨世纪时期的世界矿产资源形势和我国的对策

本文研究分析了世界资源、尤其是矿产资源的供需形势,以及全球资源紧张与危机的状况和发展趋势。结合我国资源状况和国情,从经济、社会长期发展战略角度,论述了客观分析、参与研究国际及我国社会基础资源问题的重要性、紧迫性,并提出建立我国资源供需持续、稳定、协调发展的方略对策。     

长江上游攀西—六盘水地区资源开发与环境保护

长江上游攀西——六盘水地区是个资源富集的“金三角”。通过交通先行,加快资源开发,对增强21世纪经济发展后劲意义重大。但生态环境恶化,急需加强保护。     

Ecotourism Model and Benefits of Periphery Regions in Western Sichuan Province

There are many problems in the minority regions of western Sichuan Province, such as serious soil erosion, fragile ecological environment, low levels of economy and so on. Ad-vantages of tourism resources in the "periphery regions" should be fully utilized, and "multi-tourism" meets the characteristics and present situation of the minority regions. The "multi-tourism de-velopment model" can exert the functions of tourism as the key industry. Based on the demands and the internal linkages among different industries, the model can accelerate the development of related-industries, such as eco-agriculture, eco-industry and so on. Through implementing the multi-tourism model, we can fully utilize the advantages of the periphery regions and promote the sustainable development of regional economy.     

Environmental change,development and vectorborne disease: Malaysia’s experience with filariasis,scrub typhus and dengue

During Malaysia’s rapid economic development into becoming a middle income country in the past several decades, environmental changes resulted in altered land use patterns because of agricultural practices such as large scale rice, rubber and oil palm cultivation. The impact of environmental changes brought about by rice and rubber cultivation affected the breeding habitats of mosquito vectors which in turn affected the prevalence of two strains of lymphatic filariasis in different ways. With scrub typhus, the development of oil palm plantations affected the ecology of mite and rodent populations which resulted in very high incidence of the disease in affected populations. Malaysia’s relentless urbanization has resulted in increased incidence of dengue, as peridomestic mosquito vectors increasingly colonize urban habitats. This article discusses how ecological factors determine the way lymphatic filariasis, scrub typhus and dengue were spread in Malaysia. The nation’s experience with environmental changes due to rapid development provides lessons for other developing countries in control programs and public health policy.     

重庆市北碚区经济、社会和资源环境协调度分析

一个地区经济、社会和资源环境的协调发展状况直接反映区域的可持续发展能力。重庆市北碚区作为"城乡结合"型的国家可持续发展实验区，其可持续发展能力对重庆市乃至整个西部地区的可持续发展都将产生较强的示范作用。为将北碚建设成为国家可持续发展示范区，探讨有北碚特色的可持续发展模式，首先建立反映北碚区经济、社会和资源环境发展状况的指标体系；在此基础上,利用SPSS软件对数据进行因子分析，得到三大体系的综合评价指数；将综合评价指数代入eview软件选择适合的回归方程，再利用模糊数学的方法，计算出成立试验区以来北碚的经济、社会和资源环境的协调发展度；最后在综合评价指数和协调度的基础上，发现北碚区协调发展的主要问题并给出建议。