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.

汶川地震灾区过渡房安置点场地选择中的地震问题

大地震后,如何在最短的时间内在灾区选择比较安全的过渡房安置点建设场地,是一项具有挑战性的工作。本文以四川省汶川8.0级大地震后灾区群众快速安置为背景,论述了选择过渡房安置点场地必须考虑的地震问题,并提出了处理地震断层、地表裂缝、砂土液化、坍塌等实际问题的方案;利用强余震的预测结果,分析了这些灾害对场地可能造成的危害;同时对可能潜在的滑坡、危岩崩塌、泥石流等地质灾害提出相应的处理建议,供安置点规划建设参考。     

不同居民燃煤炉具大气污染物排放差异性及减排分析

为探究不同类型炉具的大气污染物排放差异,本研究选择5种常见的新式居民燃煤炉具（方型煤炉具、折流换热炉具、炕暖炊一体化炉具、气化正烧及气化反烧炉具）在实验室内进行模拟燃烧和大气污染物排放水平监测,定量评估不同炉具的环境效果,识别污染排放水平差异的影响因素及原因,从而提出炉具研发设计等污染减排的改进建议.结果表明：①不同炉具大气污染物排放差异较大,炕暖炊一体的炉具污染排放强度最大,3种大气污染物（SO₂、NO_x和颗粒物）的排放强度为2.9 kg ·t^-1,是平均值的1.6倍;应用方型煤技术的炉具大气污染物排放强度最低,是平均值的65%.②不同炉具在不同燃烧阶段其气态污染物排放也呈现出明显的差异和特征.旺火阶段方型煤炉具NO_x排放浓度为0.49mg ·m^-3,相较于其他类型炉具降低了45%~72%;气化反烧炉具的SO₂排放浓度为1.38mg ·m^-3,相较于其他类型炉具最高降低了28%.③影响炉具大气污染物排放因素包括应用技术及燃烧类型,采用方型煤及气化反烧技术的炉具环境效益较好,但两类炉具的经济成本分别达到2.0万元和1.8万元,明显高于其他类型炉具.④考虑不同炉具污染排放差异,建议采取差异化的经济政策和严格的排放和产品标准,推广使用节能环保型炉具,降低燃煤炉具大气污染物排放.     

Formulation and Validation of an Empirical Moisture Damage Index

An empirical moisture damage index was developed in order to reduce the subjectivity of the estimation of moisture damage in domestic residences, in relation to occupant health. The database was generated using information gathered from a sample of 164 houses that were examined by civil engineers, and questionnaire data collected from the occupants. The index was formulated to associate with the occupant reported respiratory symptoms by calculating weighted estimates of selected moisture damage attributes using 80% of the sample. The remaining 20% of the sample was used to verify the final index. The index associated strongly with the health symptoms of interest. This index is a tool that may be used as an indicator of moisture damage induced exposure in domestic residences.     

The interaction between physical and social-psychological factors in indoor environmental health

Indoor environmental health is now recognized as an important factor in preventing respiratory health problems in the United States. It is also a concern in Canada due to the amount of time that Canadians spend indoors because of cold weather and the potential for increased time indoors during the summer if theclimate warms. The negative health effects are often labeled assick building syndrome, but diagnosing a building or itsoccupants as sick is complicated by the variety of symptoms, thepresence of chronic versus acute symptoms and social andpsychological (socio-psychological) factors that may reduce theeffectiveness of an engineering solution. As a case study, thecontribution of various factors to indoor environmental health,in three buildings at the University of Toronto, was examinedusing five different methods. The results indicate that theinhabitants of the buildings consider features other than airquality in considering building health such as design,maintenance, funding cuts and socio-psychological factors.     

建立商品房抗震安全监管体系的思考

在城市建设高速发展的今天,商品房日益增多。然而,商品房的抗震设防现状却令人不容乐观。本文通过认真分析商品房抗震安全监管存在的种种问题,提出了相关对策措施,旨在引起人们的重视并加以解决。     

分散式小区污水回用分析研究

污水回用处理可分为分散式和集中式,本文着重就分散式小区污水回用处理模式进行探讨,比较分析国内外典型国家或城市的技术和应用现状,在此基础上,指出我国分散式小区污水回用模式当前实施存在的问题及今后的发展趋势.     

建筑物地基安全性监测

建筑物地基安全性监测是及时掌握建筑在施工和最初使用阶段地基是否出现异常变形的重要方法。本文根据大量工程监测实践，分析了建筑物地基安全性异常的表现形式及产生原因，总结了建筑物安全性监测应注意的几个问题。     

碎砖骨料再生混凝土配合比研究

用正交法试验分析了碎砖骨料混凝土的配合比，提出水灰比和碎砖骨料掺量分别是影响混凝土强度和流动性的主要因素。倡导用碎砖做混凝土骨料，保护生态环境。