Some epidemiologic features of disasters in guatemala

Epidemiological procedures can be organised under disaster conditions by means of a simple surveillance system and with few personnel.
In the aftermath of the 4 February 1976 earthquake in Guatemala, an information system was organized by which the requisite information for decision-making was obtained with adequate speed and promptness.
The initial epidemiologic informution was based on reports collected during the early days on symptoms observed at hospitals and health centers and in localities and villages in the stricken area.
At a second, post-emergency stage a more elaborate surveillance system was instituted to provide guidance in the investigntwn of outbreaks, evaluate the health activities and establish basic criteria for preventive and control measures.     

Influence of Suspended Clay Minerals and Humic Matter on the Solid Phase Extraction Efficiency of Selected Pesticides from Water

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of humic acids (HA) and Ca-montmorillonite (CaM) on the solid-phase extraction (SPE) efficiency of atrazine, alachlor and α-cypermethrin from water samples at various pH-values. The nature and intensity of binding of the studied pesticides to CaM were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and termogravimetric analysis (TGA) test. The studied pesticides eluted from discs were analysed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The effects of CaM and humic acid were generally pH-dependent and acted independently in extraction efficiency influence. Lower recovery of pesticides was observed at higher pH values when CaM was ≥0.1 g and was attributed to greater dispersion of clay, increased surface area and subsequent adsorption. Concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in humic acid had less effect on the extraction efficiency when water was at pH 8 compared to water at pH 2, which was probably due to greater nonpolar interactions of the pesticides to the charge-neutralized humic acid molecule.     

An economic analysis of environmental protection and management: An example from the Philippines

Summary The island of Palawan covers some 12000 km² and is located in the southwest of the Philippines archipelago. It is a beautiful and as yet relatively unspoilt island but in recent years the social and economic pressures on its natural resources and environment have begun to mount. If present trends continue, severe environmental damage will result. In recognition of this danger, the Philippines government and the European Economic Community have commissioned the preparation of an Integrated Environmental Program (IEP) for the island, as part of an overall economic development program. Phase one of the IEP study comprised an assessment of the island's resources and present situation and the formulation of a plan for the future protection of its environment, taking due account of the need for continuing economic development.An analysis was made of the likely economic returns from the proposed environmental protection program, using conventional benefit-cost analysis methodology. Due to the inadequate data base and the wide-ranging assumptions which had to be made, this was inevitably very approximate in nature. It was carried out in terms of the three main types of conservation activity proposed, namely land-based conservation, mangrove conservation and inshore marine conservation, and the program as a whole. The main benefits and costs were identified and, where appropriate, quantified for inclusion in the analysis.Choice of discount rate and length of analysis period are critical factors affecting the economics of environmental protection, which essentially involves the pursuit of long-term rather than short-term gains, output in the immediate future being restricted to the level of long-term sustained yield for the benefit of future generations. Use of the high discount rates customarily applied for project analysis in countries such as the Philippines (typically, 10–15 percent) places a heavy premium on short-term gains and attributes little or no value to benefits and costs further in the future. To take account of this problem the present values of costs and benefits were calculated using low discount rates of zero and 5 percent. Though this was a necessarily crude and arbitrary method of adjustment it was considered to be a better alternative than that of following normal convention and applying the high rates of discount customarily used in the Philippines.The analysis indicated that the various conservation activities could be expected to produce acceptable, though not spectacular, levels of economic return. Mangrove conservation would be particularly beneficial and the irrigation benefits from preserving river base flows and preventing an increase in peak floods, by means of catchment protection, would be high. The unquantifiable ecological and social benefits would also be substantial.Christopher Finney is Chief Economist of Hunting Technical Services Limited, UK, a major consulting firm involved in planning and implementation of agricultural development overseas, and has been with the firm since 1962. He is an agricultural economist with particular interest and experience in the fields of irrigation, livestock, farm mechanisation, general agriculture and conservation. He has worked on a wide variety of projects in numerous countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Mr Stanley Western is a senior soil scientist and land use planner with the same company. Since joining the firm in 1960 he has undertaken a very wide range of resource assessment and planning assignments in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He was Team Leader on the Palawan Integrated Environmental Program planning study.     

Evolution of newspaper coverage of water issues in Australia during 1843–2011

News accounts both reflect and influence public opinion through their noted ‘agenda-setting’ capability. We examined newspaper articles in Australia’s The Sydney Morning Herald from 1843 to 2011 to observe the evolution of media coverage on water issues related to water resources management. The results showed that water supply-related articles have dominated the reporting of water issues since 1843. This emphasis is reflected in the institutions involved and their related policy/management initiatives, as well as the themes of the articles. Extreme events such as flooding and drought have punctuated the historical record of reports on water issues. An economic development-driven tone was overwhelmingly predominant in newspaper articles (85 % of the total); however, there has been a marked decline in the importance of development-driven tone relative to environmental-sustainability oriented tone of articles since 1994. People from academia and NGOs were rarely quoted. Inclusion of wider range stakeholders should be considered as a strategic break-through and natural events should be considered as an “opportunity” to change public opinion on water issues for environmental sustainability.