Making Capacity Building Meaningful: A Framework for Strategic Action

This paper aims to give practical meaning to ‘capacity building’ through (a) identifying a suite of practical measures, such as mentoring or best practice guidelines, that have been shown to or are considered to build human, social, institutional, and economic capital; (b) placing these measures within a broader systems framework; and (c) exploring stakeholder feedback on specific measures to inform framework implementation. The 29 measures described provide actors, whether government or nongovernment, with a suite of practical investment choices for building capacity. These measures are then clustered into eight groups according to their primary purpose and placed within a systems framework. The framework provides a tool for actors with responsibilities for or an interest in capacity building to inform more holistic and strategic targeting of effort and investment. Stakeholder feedback gathered through surveys and workshops is subsequently reported to further inform implementation of specific measures within the framework’s eight groupings. The framework presented may be built upon through the identification and inclusion of further capacity building measures. The research is conducted within the context of decentralized governance arrangements for natural resource management (NRM), with specific focus on Australia’s recently formalized 56 NRM regions and their community-based governing boards as an informative arena of learning. Application of the framework is explored in the Australian setting through the identification and comparison of measures supported and most preferred by four major stakeholder groups, namely board members, regional NRM organization staff, policy/research interests, and Indigenous interests. The research also examines stakeholder perceptions of capacity issues, and whether these issues are likely to be addressed through implementing their preferred measures.

Integrating long-term stewardship goals into the remediation process: natural resource damages and the Department of Energy

The United States and other developed countries are faced with restoring and managing degraded ecosystems. Evaluations of the degradation of ecological resources can be used for determining ecological risk, making remediation or restoration decisions, aiding stakeholders with future land use decisions, and assessing natural resource damages. Department of Energy (DOE) lands provide a useful case study for examining degradation of ecological resources in light of past or present land uses and natural resource damage assessment (NRDA). We suggest that past site history should be incorporated into the cleanup and restoration phase to reduce the ultimate NRDA costs, and hasten resource recovery. The lands that DOE purchased over 50 years ago ranged from relatively undisturbed to heavily impacted farmland, and the impact that occurred from DOE occupation varies from regeneration of natural ecosystems (benefits) to increased exposure to several stressors (negative effects). During the time of the DOE releases, other changes occurred on the lands, including recovery from the disturbance effects of farming, grazing, and residential occupation, and the cessation of human disturbance. Thus, the injury to natural resources that occurred as a result of chemical and radiological releases occurred on top of recovery of already degraded systems. Both spatial (size and dispersion of patch types) and temporal (past/present/future land use and ecological condition) components are critical aspects of resource evaluation, restoration, and NRDA. For many DOE sites, integrating natural resource restoration with remediation to reduce or eliminate the need for NRDA could be a win-win situation for both responsible parties and natural resource trustees by eliminating costly NRDAs by both sides, and by restoring natural resources to a level that satisfies the trustees, while being cost-effective for the responsible parties. It requires integration of remediation, restoration, and end-state planning to a greater degree than is currently done at most DOE sites.     

1994年江西省主要自然灾害综述

１９９４年江西省发生了历史上罕见的风雹灾害和洪涝灾害，受灾面积近４４万ｈａ，受灾人口１１４４万人，直接经济损失高达６３亿元，系全国重灾省份之一．本文对其中的三次主要自然灾害的灾因、灾情及减灾中的问题、经验和教训进行总结与分析。     

江苏沿海地区的相对海平面上升及其灾害性影响研究

江苏海岸是全国潮滩最集中分布区，其面积约占全国的１／４，沿海地区地势低平，相对海平面上升幅度较大，是全国少数几个受海平面上升危害最严重的地区之一。初步估算，２１世纪前半期该地区不同岸段相对海平面上升速率将可能达到４．５～９．５ｍｍ／ａ，约为同期全球平均上升速率的２～３倍。其灾害性影响主要集中在：①造成堤外潮滩湿地资源损失，相对海平面上升５０ｃｍ，因直接淹没、侵蚀加剧和淤涨减缓造成的潮滩损失面积将超过５×１０４ｈｍ２，湿地损失面积达２．４×１０４ｈｍ２；②降低海堤防御标准、危及海堤自身和受保护地区安全，相对海平面上升５０ｃｍ，该地区现有海堤防御标准将由现状５０～１００年一遇降为２０～５０年一遇；遇５０年一遇风暴高潮位，全区受潮水漫溢的海堤长度将比现状增加１７３ｋｍ以上，占海堤总长的１／４；③阻碍低洼地的洪水排泄、加剧洪涝灾害损失，相对海平面上升４０ｃｍ，苏北里下河和苏南太湖湖东两片洼地的自然排水能力将可能分别下降约２５％和２０％，若两洼地分别重现１９９１年型和１９５４年型洪水，则因海平面上升增加的受淹面积将超过４×１０４ｈｍ２     

天然气应用对兰州大气环境的影响

煤烟型污染是兰州市大气污染严重的主要原因之一，西气东输工程对改变兰州市能源结构，改善城市环境质量具有非常重要的意义。根据兰州市大气污染现状和特性，以2000年为基准，分析研究了兰州市利用天然气前后能源结构，主要污染源及大气污染物排放量的变化。针对污染源状况和兰州市天然气用气规划，选用适宜模式预测了兰州市利用天然气后的各主要污染物的年平均浓度，计算了空气质量的改善程度。     

液化天然气储罐9％镍钢焊缝相控阵AUT工艺

9％镍钢液化天然气储罐制造安装过程中,焊缝检验通常用常规射线照相（RT）进行。本文研讨用相控阵半自动超声检测（AUT）取代射线照相的工艺制定及验证方法。要领分四步：首先带缺陷专用焊接试样的制备;然后相控阵AUT工艺的编制;其次在有已知缺陷的焊接试样上,对AUTT艺作“开放性”验证试验;最后在现场对整个数据采集系统作“封闭性”操作演示和验证评定试验。验证结果表明相控阵AUT取代RT可行可靠,能凸显AUT种种优势。     

秦皇岛市生态状况及资源开发利用水平分析综述

秦皇岛市区内生态类型多样,各类生态系统功能突出,自然资源丰富,尤其是海、旅游资源优势突出,为区域经济发展提供了良好的基础条件。该文对秦皇岛市生态系统平衡及资源开发利用水平进行了定量分析。     

Evaluation of a Collaborative Model: A Case Study Analysis of Watershed Planning in theIntermountain West

Collaborative planning processes have become increasingly popular for addressing environmental planning issues, resulting in a number of conceptual models for collaboration. A model proposed by Selin and Chavez suggests that collaboration emerges from a series of antecedents and then proceeds sequentially through problem-setting, direction-setting, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation phases. This paper summarizes an empirical study to evaluate if the Selin and Chavez model encompasses the range of factors important for the establishment and operation of collaboration in watershed planning from the perspective of the planning coordinator. Analysis of three case studies of watershed based planning efforts in the Intermountain West suggests the model realistically describes some of the fundamental collaborative elements in watershed planning. Particularly important factors include the involvement of stakeholders in data collection and analysis and the establishment of measurable objectives. Informal face-to-face dialog and watershed field tours were considered critical for identifying issues and establishing trust among stakeholders. Group organizational structure also seems to play a key role in facilitating collaboration. From this analysis, suggestions for refining the model are proposed.     

Towards emergency management of natural disasters and critical accidents: the Greek experience

This paper presents the findings of a prototype study which sought to identify factors that contribute to effective emergency management in Greece and other European states regarding both natural disasters and critical accidents. The parameters for proper action and successful intervention in operational and logistical are identified based on the document analysis and interviews with emergency responders. The interviews are conducted between state-owned and voluntary organizations. They were asked to rate in terms of their importance for effective emergency response efforts. This paper offers useful information of the organization and management of emergency response in Greece, as well as provides interesting responders' opinions data concerning important priorities in the emergency management area. Despite the fact that the data come from the Greek experience, the conclusions may be applied for a broader use in the emergency planning of disasters. The whole study has been undertaken within the European Pre-Emergencies (PreEm) project.