How does eliminating mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining lead to achieving sustainable development goals?

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the principal anthropogenic activity that globally contributes to overloading our environment with mercury. Although the Minamata Convention, led by the United Nations, is a crucial instrument to eliminate its use progressively, novel approaches to accelerate this difficult transition are welcome. This article proposes a framework for policy-making or improvement, fostering the enforcement of mercury elimination through the lens of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the excluded artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their dependents. We move forward with a literature review of the Artisanal and Small Mining topic, taking each SDG as a unit of analysis. Understanding the problem as a puzzle of four sets of pieces, namely: (1) social, (2) environmental, (3) economic, and (4) institutional, the paper offers potential opportunities for the decision-makers and practitioners to accelerate the substitution of this heavy metal and develop sustainable futures for the ASGM communities. We conclude by proposing a pragmatic framework that synthesizes the means, actions, and ends to accelerate a sustainable transition.     

The nexus across water,energy and food (WEF): Learning from research,building on evidence,strengthening practice

While water-energy-food (WEF) Nexus is one of the most important, and widely investigated, environmental topics of our time, previous stock taking efforts possess notable limitations, namely (i) their focus is restricted to research articles, and (ii) there is less focus on nexus permutations that begin with energy and food. This paper assembled more than 900 documents and systematically categorized them according to more than 10 key parameters (e.g. scale, methods, limitations), to characterize approaches, achieved outcomes and presence of variables likely to support on-the-ground change. Our results reveal that WEF Nexus activities are often driven by the water sector, undertaken at global and national scale and authored by experts from diverse backgrounds. Among the utilized methods, modelling and review (i.e. systematic) are the most common. While climate change and governance are routinely considered in WEF Nexus documents, gender, stakeholders and capacity are not. These findings highlight areas for improvement in the design of WEF Nexus initiatives.     

厦门市家具类大件垃圾处理的经验及启示

调研厦门市家具类大件垃圾处理现状,总结厦门市处理家具类大件垃圾的主要经验。根据厦门市家具类大件垃圾处理的实践,提出适合我国国情的家具类大件垃圾处理框架体系,以期为国内其他城市开展家具类大件垃圾处理工作提供借鉴。家具类大件垃圾处理应遵循3个原则,即前端坚持可持续发展的原则,中端坚持循环利用的原则,终端坚持零遗弃的原则。     

Co-development of an integrated assessment framework to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of selected nature-based water treatment technologies in Sri Lanka,The Philippines,and Vietnam

Water quality is a critical challenge in Asia in the context of growing industrialization, urbanization, and climate change. Nature-based solutions (NbS) could play an important role in reducing urban water pollution, while generating multiple co-benefits that could make cities more liveable and resilient. In this regard, a number of pilot and demonstration projects have been set up to explore their potential across cities in Asia. Their effectiveness and impacts, however, have not been adequately documented, thus how they can be sustained, replicated and up-scaled remain poorly understood. This study aims to contribute to addressing this challenge by co-developing an integrated assessment framework and employing it to understand how existing evaluations of NbS in the region can be improved. It focuses specifically on a set of nature-based solutions that have been employed for water treatment across six cities in Southeast Asia (two in each Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Vietnam), namely, floating wetlands, constructed wetlands and maturation ponds. The study also suggests specific methodologies for capturing a set of core indicators considered relevant for assessing the effectiveness and capturing the multi-faceted impacts of the examined NbS.     

我国生态环境资产负债表编制框架研究

本文根据生态环境资产负债表的基本概念和理论,提出了生态环境资产负债表编制的总体框架,同时,针对环境容量资产、环境质量产品、生态产品资产的特点,分别建立了相应框架体系,提出了环境资产负债表的应用决策方向。本文研究成果对于确立统一的生态环境资产核算标准和方法、使我国生态环境资产负债核算工作逐步规范化、制度化具有重要的现实意义。     

基于DPSIRM概念框架模型的岩溶区水资源安全评价

针对目前水资源安全评价中存在的评价指标片面性、单个指标隶属信息遗漏及权重确定主观性问题,以岩溶典型区-贵州省为例,结合岩溶地区水资源的特点,构建基于驱动力-压力-状态-影响-响应-管理(DPSIRM)概念框架的岩溶区水资源安全DPSIRM评价指标体系,借助灰色-集对模型对贵州省2005~2012年水资源安全进行定量评价,研究结果表明:2005和2006年整个贵州省水资源安全处于临界安全状态,2007~2012年处于较安全状态,贵州省水资源安全呈现整体转好的态势.水资源的状态和水资源管理是目前影响贵州省水资源安全的重要因素;因此,在继续调整经济结构转变增长方式同时,提高水资源的利用效率,加大水资源基础设施建设的投入,加强水资源管理制度建设和提高水资源管理制度的落实情况,是贵州省水资源安全的根本保障;该评价模型和指标体系适用性较强,评价结果较为客观,为岩溶地区水资源安全评价提供了一个新视角和新方法.     

Framing an independent,integrated and evidence-based evaluation of the state of Australia's biophysical and human environments

A new approach was developed for Australia's 2011 national State of the Environment (SoE) report to integrate the assessment of biophysical and human elements of the environment. A Common Assessment and Reporting Framework (CARF) guided design and implementation, responding to jurisdictional complexity, outstanding natural diversity and ecosystem values, high levels of cultural and heritage diversity, and a paucity of national-scale data. The CARF provided a transparent response to the need for an independent, robust and evidence-based national SoE report. We conclude that this framework will be effective for subsequent national SoE assessments and other integrated national-scale assessments in data-poor regions.     

生态文明体制全面改革的“四然”问题

生态文明体制改革的问题导向性、目标适应性、统筹兼顾性,既是现实的环境问题所迫,也是生态文明理论和建设目标的内在要求。近两年来,为了促进生态文明体制的全面改革,中央发布了《关于加快推进生态文明建设的意见》、《生态文明体制改革总体方案》等系列文件。其中,《生态文明体制改革总体方案》因对生态文明体制改革作出全面部署,理论性和实践性相结合,科学性和民主性相结合,制度规范与考核评价相结合,成为统帅生态文明体制改革的纲领性文件。系列改革文件在治理理念、治理策略、治理主体、治理结构、治理依据、治理方法、治理功能和治理体系的运转方面,逻辑自洽,提出了自己的历史使命。"十三五"时期,要使改革的措施和要求落地生根,须在营造氛围和措施的具体推进方面,开展相关的工作。     

基于火灾场景的大型浮顶储罐区全过程风险防范体系研究

针对大型浮顶罐区火灾事故风险特征,通过对火灾场景辨识及其火灾风险影响因素分析,结合预防初期火灾场景风险要素和消防系统有效性,提出了罐区火灾事故现实风险的评估框架及确定方法。在此基础上,构建了基于火灾场景的全过程风险防范体系,包括库区评估规划、罐体本质安全化设计、库区火灾预防、罐区火灾扑救、园区火灾事故管理等5个方面,并给出相应的对策措施。大型浮顶罐区全过程火灾风险防范是一个持续改进的结构化过程风险管理体系,有助于实现罐区火灾风险的过程安全管理,进而提高仓储型园区的整体消防安全保障能力和风险防控水平。     

Valuation of ecotoxicological impacts from tributyltin based on a quantitative environmental assessment framework

In the scientific literature, few valuations of biodiversity and ecosystem services following the impacts of toxicity are available, hampered by the lack of ecotoxicological documentation. Here, tributyltin is used to conduct a contingent valuation study as well as cost–benefit analysis (CBA) of measures for improving the environmental status in Swedish coastal waters of the Baltic Sea. Benefits considering different dimensions when assessing environmental status are highlighted and a quantitative environmental assessment framework based on available technology, ecological conditions, and economic valuation methodology is developed. Two scenarios are used in the valuation study: (a) achieving good environmental status by 2020 in accordance with EU legislation (USD 119 household⁻¹ year⁻¹) and (b) achieving visible improvements by 2100 due to natural degradation (USD 108 household⁻¹ year⁻¹) during 8 years. The later scenario was used to illustrate an application of the assessment framework. The CBA results indicate that both scenarios might generate a welfare improvement.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0682-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.