Financial services and disaster risk finance: Examples from the community level

Increased attention has recently been given to the possible role of financial services in the management of natural disaster risk. Local communities have been at the forefront of developing innovative disaster risk finance strategies and implementing risk-oriented incentive programs. In view of increasing risks, including the impacts of climate change, such programs will become more important. This paper examines four models and some recent experiences in using financial services at the community level. The paper offers an overview of advantages and limitations of each model to manage disaster risk in communities. Examples include a federal government initiated scheme of social protection funds, a local government risk reduction scheme, an insurance product provided by a non-governmental organization , and a micro-insurance scheme. Finally, the paper offers some directions about specific ways that the public and private sectors, in collaboration with other partners can improve finance alternatives for disaster management at the community level. It appears that a range of follow-up studies and further dialogue is needed, in order to expand the knowledge on what types of risk finance models can help manage and reduce the financial impacts of natural disasters.     

A decision model for selecting sustainable drinking water supply and greywater reuse systems for developing communities with a case study in Cimahi, Indonesia

Capacity Factor Analysis is a decision support system for selection of appropriate technologies for municipal sanitation services in developing communities. Developing communities are those that lack the capability to provide adequate access to one or more essential services, such as water and sanitation, to their residents. This research developed two elements of Capacity Factor Analysis: a capacity factor based classification for technologies using requirements analysis, and a matching policy for choosing technology options. First, requirements analysis is used to develop a ranking for drinking water supply and greywater reuse technologies. Second, using the Capacity Factor Analysis approach, a matching policy is developed to guide decision makers in selecting the appropriate drinking water supply or greywater reuse technology option for their community. Finally, a scenario-based informal hypothesis test is developed to assist in qualitative model validation through case study. Capacity Factor Analysis is then applied in Cimahi Indonesia as a form of validation. The completed Capacity Factor Analysis model will allow developing communities to select drinking water supply and greywater reuse systems that are safe, affordable, able to be built and managed by the community using local resources, and are amenable to expansion as the community's management capacity increases.     

Public engagement in neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation and preparedness: case studies from Canada, the US and Australia

This study examined neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation programs being implemented in neighbourhoods in Canada (FireSmart-ForestWise), Australia (Community Fireguard) and the US (Firewise Communities). Semi-structured interviews were completed with 19 residents participating in the programs. A wide range of activities were completed as part of the three programs. Despite differences between the three programs, participants appeared to participate in the programs for three main reasons: Fire experience, agency involvement, and personal and family protection. A fire therefore provides a window of opportunity to engage residents in neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation programs. The neighbourhood level wildfire mitigation programs helped to reduce the wildfire risk, but also enhanced both community resilience and relationships between residents and government agencies.     

《社会生活环境噪声排放标准》应用中应注意的若干问题

本文对《社会生活环境噪声排放标准》在应用中可能遇到的问题进行了分析,通过具体实例提出了解决问题的办法。     

Influence of trees on the spatial structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in a temperate tree-based intercropping system

Tree-based intercropping (TBI) is an ecologically sustainable agricultural practice that may promote a more diverse arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal community compared to conventional systems, but the influence of the dynamics of these systems on AM fungi has not been established. Soil and root samples were collected in the intercropping alleys along transects perpendicular to tree rows occupied by white ash (Fraxinus americana), poplar (Populus deltoids × nigra), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and rows without trees (control). Molecular analysis of the AM fungal community at the TBI site revealed 17 phylotypes belonging to the Glomeraceae. Overall, the AM fungal community in the TBI site was comparable to other conventional agricultural systems; with the majority of phylotypes belonging to Glomus group A. AM fungal phylotype richness and community composition significantly differed among the treatments in the TBI site. AM fungal communities were more diverse in cropping alleys adjacent to trees that associate with AM fungi than trees that do not associate with AM fungi. Norway spruce had a negative influence on the AM fungal community as tree rows and bordering intercropping alleys had a significantly lower phylotype richness and different community composition. These results suggest that to maintain a diverse AM fungal community throughout TBI systems, it may be best to incorporate tree species that associate with AM fungi.     

大纵湖大型底栖动物群落结构与水质生物学评价

2013年1月中旬对大纵湖5个采样点的大型底栖动物进行调查,共采集底栖动物29种,其中DZ1的优势种为苏氏尾鳃蚓(Branchiura sowerbyi);其他各点的优势种为长角涵螺(Alocinma longicornis)。采用理化分析、Shannon-Wiener指数、Margalef指数、BPI指数对各点水质进行了综合评价。结果表明:DZ4属于β-中污染水质,其他各点属于α-中污染水质;对主要的环境因子与底栖动物密度进行相关性分析,发现DO与底栖动物群落未显著相关,NH3-N、NO-3-N、CODMn等因子更能代表水体的污染水平和营养状态,且随着营养状态的升高,耐污种类的颤蚓类数量呈现出增高趋势;寡毛类、蛭类、摇蚊幼虫、水生昆虫和软体动物5者之间除了寡毛类和蛭类存在极显著正相关性之外,其他无显著相关性。     

大港发电厂温排水对附近海域浮游动物影响研究

分别于2010年夏、冬季对大港发电厂温排水口附近海域浮游动物进行调查。结果表明:调查区浮游动物以桡足类和幼虫类占优势,群落结构相对稳定,但丰度明显低于渤海湾其他海区,种类组成、丰度和多样性指数具有夏季高于冬季、近岸低于远岸的时空变化特征。临近温排水口的TJHS1117站位的浮游动物群落物种数、丰度及多样性等在6个调查站位中都处于最低,可见温排水对浮游动物群落结构及平面分布有一定的影响。     

The Middle Eastern small towns

In recent years there has been a large increase in the number of small towns with populations between 5,000 and 10,000 in the Middle East. They represent an immense variety of urban types fulfilling a great range of functions. This paper looks at the characteristics of these settlements and argues that they have been largely neglected in the study of Middle East urbanisation and calls for comprehensive national urban planning orientated towards the needs of small towns.     

Picoplankton and virioplankton abundance and community structure in Pearl River Estuary and Daya Bay, South China

By using flow cytometry techniques, we investigated the abundance and composition of the heterotrophic prokaryotes, virioplankton and picophytoplankton community in the Pearl River Estuary and Daya Bay in the summer of 2012. We identified two subgroups of prokaryotes, high nucleic acid(HNA) and low nucleic acid(LNA), characterized by different nucleic acid contents. HNA abundance was significantly correlated with larger phytoplankton and Synechococcus(Syn) abundance, which suggested the important role of organic substrates released from primary producers on bacterial growth. Although LNA did not show any association with environmental variables, it was a vital component of the microbial community. In contrast to previous studies, the total virioplankton concentration had a poor relationship with nutrient availability. The positive relationship between large-sized phytoplankton abundance and the V–I population confirmed that V–I was a phytoplankton-infecting viral subgroup. Although the V–II group(bacteriophages)was dominant in the virioplankton community, it was not related with prokaryotic abundance, which indicated factors other than hosts controlling V–II abundance or the uncertainty of virus-host coupling. With respect to the picophytoplankton community,our results implied that river input exerted a strong limitation to Syn distribution in the estuary, while picoeukaryotes(Euk) were numerically less abundant and showed a quite different distribution pattern from that of Syn, and hence presented ecological properties distinct from Syn in our two studied areas.     

Community participation in the management of forest reserves in the Northern Region of Ghana

The 1994 forest and wildlife policy of Ghana provides the basis for community participation in forest management through participatory forest management. Even though forest reserves in the Northern Region are said to be managed collaboratively, fringe communities are supposedly involved only in maintenance activities of the reserve boundaries and seedling planting in plantation programmes. The forest reserves are said to be threatened by illegal activities from the fringe communities. This study therefore examined the nature of community participation in the management of forest reserves.

It is a mixed method research in which structured interview schedule, in-depth interview and focus group discussion guides were used for data collection. Respondents comprised community members, forestry staff and NGOs. Communities’ participation was found to be passive and tokenistic and limited to boundary cleaning and providing labour on plantations. There is no formal collaboration between communities and Forest Services Division. Prospects to communities’ participation lie in the continuous flow of benefits and their active involvement in management decisions. Active involvement of communities in all decision-making processes, capacity building of communities and forestry staff, incentive schemes and awareness creation are recommended for promoting community participation in managing forest reserves in Northern Region.