Species composition of the international shark fin trade assessed through a retail‐market survey in Hong Kong

The shark fin trade is a major driver of shark exploitation in fisheries all over the world, most of which are not managed on a species‐specific basis. Species‐specific trade information highlights taxa of particular concern and can be used to assess the efficacy of management measures and anticipate emerging threats. The species composition of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, one of the world's largest fin trading hubs, was partially assessed in 1999–2001. We randomly selected and genetically identified fin trimmings (n = 4800), produced during fin processing, from the retail market of Hong Kong in 2014–2015 to assess contemporary species composition of the fin trade. We used nonparametric species estimators to determine that at least 76 species of sharks, batoids, and chimaeras supplied the fin trade and a Bayesian model to determine their relative proportion in the market. The diversity of traded species suggests species substitution could mask depletion of vulnerable species; one‐third of identified species are threatened with extinction. The Bayesian model suggested that 8 species each comprised >1% of the fin trimmings (34.1–64.2% for blue [Prionace glauca], 0.2–1.2% for bull [Carcharhinus leucas] and shortfin mako [Isurus oxyrinchus]); thus, trade was skewed to a few globally distributed species. Several other coastal sharks, batoids, and chimaeras are in the trade but poorly managed. Fewer than 10 of the species we modeled have sustainably managed fisheries anywhere in their range, and the most common species in trade, the blue shark, was not among them. Our study and approach serve as a baseline to track changes in composition of species in the fin trade over time to better understand patterns of exploitation and assess the effects of emerging management actions for these animals.     

Challenging established narratives on soil erosion and shifting cultivation in Laos

The official environmental discourse in Laos describes a “chain of degradation” stretching from upland shifting cultivation, increased runoff and soil erosion to the siltation of wetlands and reservoirs. This perspective has had wide‐ranging impacts on rural development policy which, in the uplands, has long favoured forest conservation over agriculture. Integrating soil erosion and water sediment data with local perceptions of land degradation in an upland village of northern Laos, this study tests the validity of the official environmental discourse. Biophysical measurements made in a small agricultural catchment indicate a significant correlation between the spatial extent of cultivation and soil erosion rates. However, sediment yields recorded at the outlet of the catchment highlight relatively low levels of off‐site sediment exportation. Furthermore, farmers' perceptions suggest that local land degradation issues and crop yield declines could be less related to soil erosion than to agricultural land shortage, increased weed competition, and fertility losses resulting from the intensification of shifting cultivation. The study concludes that a better understanding and management of land degradation issues can be achieved by developing more inclusive and scientifically‐informed approaches to environmental perceptions and narratives.     

新疆塔城黄土的形成

中亚黄土是研究区域古气候和古环境变化的重要载体。但是对于受到广泛研究的黄土 高原黄土来说,对中亚东部塔城黄土的报道较少。基于对塔城黄土粒度的系统分析,与伊犁盆 地黄土、典型黄土高原的黄土对比,我们发现无论是粒度频率曲线、粒度结构散点图、还是三 角图,塔城黄土与伊犁盆地清水河黄土较相似,而与黄土高原黄土不同,塔城黄土粒度频率分 布曲线为三峰分布,粒度组成比较分散,分选较差,细、中颗粒含量较少,主要以粗颗粒物质 为主,属近源风成黄土。结合当地地形和现代环流分析,我们认为中亚萨雷耶西克阿特劳沙漠 为塔城黄土提供主要的物源,盛行西风为粉尘的搬运提供足够的动力,向西开口的山间盆地地 形为粉尘的沉积提供有利的沉积中心,这三个条件的共同作用导致了塔城盆地厚层黄土的沉积。     

Effects of Karst Forest Degradation on Pulmonate and Prosobranch Land Snail Communities in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo

Abstract:  Limestone (karst) outcrops in Southeast Asia are rich in land snails. Certain groups of land snails, in particular Prosobranchia species, are restricted to limestone and show a high degree of short-range endemism. Karst habitats are, however, seriously degraded by quarrying, logging, agriculture, and burning. The effect of these disturbances on land snail fauna is unknown, so we studied paired primary and secondary forest localities on six separate limestone hills in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Land snails were sampled with a standard protocol and identified to species level. More than 16,000 individuals, belonging to 74 species, were recorded. In most sites, snail diversities did not differ between disturbed and undisturbed plots. However, pulmonate snails were significantly more abundant at disturbed localities than prosobranch snails, whereas abundances for both groups were similar at undisturbed sites. Because Prosobranchia contain many site-endemic species, our findings suggest that continued exposure to these disturbances will eventually lead to extinctions in this group.     

National greenhouse gas inventory capacity: An assessment of Asian developing countries

The transparency framework of the Paris Agreement (PA) will be elaborated from the existing arrangements under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Yet, the capacities of developing countries to regularly report national GHG inventories vary, and their needs for capacity building are closely linked with efforts and achievements of previous inventory preparation. The purpose of this study was to analyze the status and changes in the capacity of 37 developing countries in Asia by using a matrix of capacity-indicators. Indicators were composed for four assessment categories: (1) international engagement of a country in the GHG inventory-related process; (2) institutional capacity to produce a GHG inventory; (3) existing technical capacity available to develop a GHG inventory; and (4) actual technical capacity applied to produce a GHG inventory. The paper also analyzed the scale of international support and variations in meeting with capacity building needs. Eleven countries were identified as having low capacity over time, while 9 improved their capacity. Seventeen countries, including 7 countries with established capacity, continuously had relatively high capacity over time. International support was scarce in the majority of Asian developing countries with the most capacity building needs. Improvements in basic technical capacity available for GHG inventory preparation, such as statistics and the scientific expertise, were found to be a key necessity for countries to respond to the PA’s enhanced transparency framework. Based on these findings, the study recommended increasing support for improvements in basic technical capacity, especially in countries where existing capacity is low and support is limited. Such capacity building efforts are also beneficial for countries to form and implement nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and other economic and development policies.     

Levels and regional trends of persistent organochlorines and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Asian breast milk demonstrate POPs signatures unique to individual countries

Human breast milk samples collected in 2007–2008 from four countries, Vietnam (Hanoi), China (Beijing), Korea (Seoul) and Japan (Sendai, Kyoto and Takayama), were analyzed for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), chlordane-related compounds (CHLs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Comparing with previous surveys, the present study indicates that the DDTs in breast milk from China and Vietnam had gradually decreased during the last decade, but were still 5–10 times higher than those in other nations. The ratios of p,p′-DDE/p,p′-DDT and o,p′-DDT/p,p′-DDT were higher in Beijing than in the other countries, suggesting that there is less fresh intake of commercial DDT products and a possible exposure to dicofol in China. CHL and PCB levels were relatively higher in mothers from Japan, whereas β-HCH and HCB were more common in Chinese women. In Japan, it is suspected that mothers in the urban/coastal area (Sendai) were more continuously exposed to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) than mothers in the rural/inland area (Takayama). In addition, OCP levels in primiparae were significantly higher than those in multiparae from Japan and Korea. These indicate that both parity and regional factors are major determinants of the levels of OCPs and PCBs in human milk. On the other hand, higher concentrations of PBDEs were observed in mothers' milk from Korea. The congener was dominated by BDE-47 (43–54%), followed by BDE-153 (23–33%) in all regions except for Beijing where BDE-28 (23%) was relatively abundant. In Japanese breast milk, regional and parity-dependent distributions were not observed for PBDEs. Among PBDE congeners, age-dependency was observed for BDE-153, which was negatively correlated (p < 0.05) to the age of mothers in Kyoto (17 participants were housewives), while it increased with age in Sendai (10 participants were clerks). No such correlation was seen for BDE-47, indicating that BDE-47 was ingested and assimilated via different kinetics or routes from BDE-153 in Japan.     

基于主体功能区划的规划布局优化调整方法——以博鳌亚洲论坛特别规划区规划环评为例

针对规划环境影响评价所面临的关键问题之一,即规划布局的优化调整问题,以海南博鳌亚洲论坛特别规划区为研究对象,综合考虑该地区的功能定位及其生态环境特征,筛选出具有代表性的生态适宜性评价因子和生态敏感性评价因子,利用地理信息系统空间分析工具对该地区生态适宜性和敏感性进行评价。根据生态适宜性与敏感性评价结果,进行案例区主体功能区划分。在此基础上,通过比较主体功能区划与案例规划布局,从建设用地地块层面提出具体的规划布局优化调整建议。研究结果表明:规划的141个建设用地地块中,约四成位于禁止开发区和限制开发区,建议控制项目规模或者取消项目。通过基于主体功能区划的规划布局优化调整方法及其案例研究,从环境保护与生态建设角度指导该地区规划布局,同时也丰富和发展了规划环境影响评价技术方法。     

Adaptation to Climate Change in Developing Countries

Adaptation to climate change is given increasing international attention as the confidence in climate change projections is getting higher. Developing countries have specific needs for adaptation due to high vulnerabilities, and they will in this way carry a great part of the global costs of climate change although the rising atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are mainly the responsibility of industrialized countries. This article provides a status of climate change adaptation in developing countries. An overview of observed and projected climate change is given, and recent literature on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation are reviewed, including the emerging focus on mainstreaming of climate change and adaptation in development plans and programs. The article also serves as an introduction to the seven research articles of this special issue on climate change adaptation in developing countries. It is concluded that although many useful steps have been taken in the direction of ensuring adequate adaptation in developing countries, much work still remains to fully understand the drivers of past adaptation efforts, the need for future adaptation, and how to mainstream climate into general development policies.     

Evaluation method of automobile recycling systems for Asia considering international material cycles: application to Japan and Thailand

To examine an appropriate recycling system for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) from Japan in the context of Asia, an Asian international automobile recycling input-output (AI-ARIO) analysis is presented. The AI-ARIO analysis spatially expands the existing ARIO analysis within the framework of the waste input-output (WIO) analysis developed by Nakamura et al., which considers the interdependence between the flow of goods and wastes in a country. This analysis focuses on the local and global cycles for ELVs in Asia and can evaluate the environmental and economic effects of alternative recycling systems. We estimated the AI-ARIO table for Japan and Thailand and applied it to scenario analyses covering the restriction of ELV trade between the two countries, the introduction of new recycling techniques in Thailand, and centralized treatment in Japan. We verified the applicability and effectiveness of the AI-ARIO analysis through the scenario analyses.