Legal constraints, environmental variability, and the limits of innovative environmental governance

Using CALFED as a case study, this article explores problems with a conventional conceptual framework for understanding environmental crises. That framework, which both derives from and influences legal regimes, posits that environmental managers should fulfill the protective requirements of environmental laws, but should discern exactly where the brink of non-compliance lies and should allow or even facilitate resource consumption right up to that perceived edge. In contexts like CALFED, where environmental conditions are uncertain and institutions are unavoidably somewhat rigid and inflexible, that approach will function poorly, and this article therefore articulates an alternative conceptual approach capable of improving the reliability of resource allocation patterns. That alternative approach posits that in conditions of scarcity, environmental uncertainty, and rigidly constraining environmental laws, the intensity and reliability of resource use are likely to be inversely proportional, and reducing the intensity of consumptive use will tend to increase the stability and reliability of consumptive patterns.     

Institutional networks and adaptive water governance in the Klamath River Basin,USA

Polycentric networks of formal organizations and informal stakeholder groups, as opposed to centralized institutional hierarchies, can be critically important for strengthening the capacity of governance systems to adapt to unexpected social and biophysical change. Adaptive governance is one type of environmental governance characterized by the emergence of networks that stimulate adaptive capacity through increases in social-learning, communication, trust, public participation and adaptive management. However, detecting and analyzing adaptive governance networks remains elusive, especially given contexts of highly contested resource governance such as large-scale negotiations over water use. Research methods such as social network analysis (SNA) are often infeasible as they necessitate collecting in-depth and politically sensitive personal data from a near-complete set of actors or organizations in a network. Here we present a method for resolving this problem by describing the results of an institutional SNA aimed at characterizing the changing governance network in the Klamath River Basin, USA during a period of contested negotiations over water. Through this research, we forward a method of institutional SNA useful when an individual or egocentric approach to SNA is problematic for political, logistical or financial reasons. We focus our analysis on publically available data signaling changes in formal relationships (statutory, regulatory, contractual) between organizations and stakeholder groups. We find that employing this type of SNA is useful for describing potential and actual transitions in governance that yield increases in adaptive capacity to respond to social and biophysical surprises such as increasing water scarcity and changes in water distribution.     

Who should do what in environmental management? Twelve principles for allocating responsibilities

In environmental management there is often discussion on the allocation of responsibilities. Such discussions can continue for a long time and can form an obstacle for effective action. In this article twelve normative principles for the allocation of responsibilities are identified, coming from three different sources: the arguments used in discussions on responsibilities, Dutch and European law, and the environmental management literature. The principles are (1) capacity, (2) lowest social costs, (3) causation, (4) interest, (5) scale, (6) subsidiarity, (7) structural integration, (8) separation, (9) solidarity, (10) transparency, (11) stability (but not standstill), and (12) acquired rights. These principles point to fundamental tensions in environmental management and sometimes conflict with each other. At the same time they may help to resolve conflicts by providing common points of reference that are independent from the often conflicting interests of the discussants.     

吴江市社会经济发展对苏沪跨界水环境产生的影响研究

吴江市位于江苏省东南部,水资源极其丰富,随着吴江市社会经济的发展,在创造了工业产值上千亿的辉煌经济成就的同时,水污染问题严重、跨界水环境纠纷频发成了制约其社会经济可持续发展的瓶颈,本文通过对吴江市跨界水系情况的梳理,水质现状的分析,结合吴江市第一次全国污染源普查的相关数据,查找出其水质恶化的根源,从而对症的提出水环境管理策略。     

基于多元统计分析和RBFNNs的水质评价方法

提出了一种基于多元统计分析和RBFNNs的水质评价方法,其可适用于大尺度、多断面、长时间的水质评价工作,旨在补充以往相关研究工作.其主要程序为:利用方差分析对各断面多年水质监测样本进行时间与空间尺度上的显著差异性分析,识别出具有显著差异的样本,然后通过层次聚类分析把上述样本进行聚类分组,最后应用径向基神经网络对各组样本进行水质评价,并把此评价结果再分解到各断面各时段,此方法的特点为在不损失信息的前提下能大大减轻水质评价工作量,且客观可信、分辨率高,并能综合反映总体与个别特征.以辽宁省太子河为例,通过方差分析将2001～2003年6个断面的144个样本归纳为存在显著差异的74个样本,再通过聚类分析得到9个相似组,相应的水质评价结果为2.7394、4.4306、4.0994、2.777、4.2192、4.1214、4.4129、4.4259、4.4359,与传统单项指数法的结果基本一致.具体落实到各断面,结果表明,2001～2003 年间太子河大部分断面的水质处于Ⅳ类以上.     

Policy dimensions of development and financing of water infrastructure: The cases of China and India

The past decades have seen planning and implementation of built infrastructure in all over the developed and developing world growing in large scales. This has been influenced by economic and population growths, urbanization and industrialization, which in turn have put increasing stress in provision of services. The paper reviews the policy dimensions of water infrastructure development and financing in the two largest economies at present, China and India, including planning, implementation and decision-making processes. Findings indicate that main challenges for infrastructure development have been limited sources of financing, but also policies and their implementation. The high levels of investment in water infrastructure in the two countries have been impressive, mainly in China. However, they still have not necessarily addressed efficiency over the long term, supported more inclusive and higher economic growth or improve social and environmental conditions in all cases.     

Making water policy work in the United Kingdom: A case study of practical approaches to strengthening complex,multi-tiered systems of water governance

We propose a suite of actions for strengthening water governance in contexts with complex, multi-tiered arrangements. In doing so, we focus on the collective water policies and approaches of the United Kingdom (UK), including those of devolved governments, which confront a host of serious water-related challenges—from massive flooding of urban areas and agricultural lands, to pressure on aquifers from rising water demand and drought. Further complexity in addressing these challenges has emerged in the wake of the June 2016 vote to leave the European Union (EU), so-called ‘Brexit’, and the ensuing ‘separation process’ with uncertainties for institutional and governance arrangements to follow. We make ten proposals for improving and reinvigorating water policy in complex, multi-layered situations, and comment specifically on their application in the UK setting. These are: put in place a system-wide water policy; fully embrace community-led nested river basin planning and management; fully fund river basin planning and management; re-focus the policy framing; use best-available data and information; create conversational spaces and become a more water-literate society; mobilise people; support and sustain core community networks; underpin river basin plans with regulatory provisions and effective monitoring and enforcement; and address systemic institutional amnesia. Individually and collectively, we contend that these actions will have a marked effect on transforming the planning and management of water resources. A system-wide water policy that maintains and builds on the substantive biophysical and socio-economic benefits delivered through implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, together with the more recent Floods Directive, will galvanise stewardship of water in the UK. We urge more active engagement with and empowerment of the multiplicity of system ‘actors’, and highlight the role of non-government actors in a post-Brexit world as conduits for reaching out to and connecting directly with a wide range of water-related actors, especially across the EU. While attention to-date has focused on a plethora of specifically water-related projects, initiatives, plans and regulations, what is really needed is a systemic, long-term view of water resource management.     

基于物联网的水环境监测及分析系统

基于物联网的水环境监测及分析系统集传感器、测控、通信、计算机应用、地理信息系统等技术为一体,实现了"测得准、传得快、说得清、管得好"的总体目标,可为水环境管理、水功能区管理、污染物减排和总量控制提供科学依据。系统可方便接入其他业务系统,实现资源共享,提高环保部门环境监察、管理能力,增强应对突发性污染事故快速反应能力,满足环境监测和环境管理的业务需求。     

Air quality and climate change: Designing new win-win policies for Europe

Anthropogenic activities are responsible for the emission of gaseous and particulate pollutants that modify atmospheric composition. Such changes are, in turn, responsible for the degradation of air quality at the regional/local scale as well as for changes of climate. Air pollution and climate change are two intimately connected environmental issues. However, these two environmental challenges are still viewed as separate issues, which are dealt with by different science communities and within different policy frameworks. Indeed, many mitigation options offer the possibility to both improve air quality and mitigate climate change but, at the same time, mitigation options that may provide benefits to one aspect, are worsening the situation in the other. Therefore, coordinated actions taking into account the air quality-climate linkages are required. These actions need to be based on strong scientific grounds, as recognised by the European Commission that in the past few years has promoted consultation processes among the science community, the policy makers and the relevant stakeholders. Here, the main fields in which such coordinated actions are needed are examined from a policy perspective.     

Long-term water quality in the lower Seine: Lessons learned over 4 decades of monitoring

The Seine River is a highly artificialised catchment in Europe, comprising both productive agricultural areas and intense industrial and commercial activity. Due to its strategic importance, monitoring programs in the river started as early as the 1970s. The present study compiles and analyses this valuable data set (1970–2014), thoroughly describing the riverine section downstream of Paris and the estuary. We identify long-term trends and shifting patterns in nutrients and oxygen, and pay special attention to the river’s evolution after the year 2000, when the European Water Framework Directive came into force. The study has a manifest management perspective, and the results are discussed on the basis of the environmental quality standards proposed in current environmental regulations. The data show that water quality has improved remarkably over the past two decades, with sharp reductions of ammonium and phosphate and a progressive increase of dissolved oxygen levels. The amelioration is prominent in the estuary, where summer anoxic episodes have nearly disappeared. As a result, these three parameters are nowadays in good or very good condition throughout the year. The successful abatement of point sources contrasts, however, with the low effectiveness of the measures provided for the control of nutrients from diffuse sources. Nitrate concentration has increased by 150% since the early 1980s, and only very recently has the upward trend been reversed. Bold agri-environmental management measures are required if we are to prevent chronic pollution problems and truly restore the good ecological status of rivers.     

神经网络模型用于数值水质模型逼近的适用性及非敏感参数的欺骗效应

水质模型被广泛应用于水环境管理和决策,但却面临着计算时间和模型应用效率等多方面的问题;利用函数映射和逼近等方法来建立水质模型的输入-输出响应关系,可有效减少计算成本并显著改善模型效率.水质模型的输入-输出响应函数关系有多种形式,本文以其中的2种为例,并分别基于2个水质模型(零维总磷模型、WASP/EUTRO5)的案例,分析和验证了神经网络模型在响应关系逼近中的适用性.案例的结果表明:神经网络函数可以有效地用于水质模型输入-输出响应关系的逼近;当网络规模超出阈值大小时,神经网络函数逼近的准确度和泛化度对网络规模不敏感.在案例研究的基础上,推导和讨论了在神经网络模型函数映射过程中所可能出现的非敏感参数的欺骗效应,以及可能由此导致的过度预测或过低预测问题;并建议在神经网络函数逼近中,应只包含水质模型的敏感参数,以防止降低神经网络模型的准确度.     

Human adaptation to climate change: a review of three historical cases and some general perspectives

To study mitigation and adaptation to climate change, social scientists have drawn on different approaches, particularly sociological approaches to the future and comparative history of past societies. These two approaches frame the social and temporal boundaries of decision-making collectivities in different ways. A consideration of the responses to climate variability in three historical cases, the Classic Maya of Mexico and Central America, the Viking settlements in Greenland, and the US Dust Bowl, shows the value of integrating these two approaches.     

环境影响评价政策的一般理论分析

环境影响评价政策是我国环境政策体系中的重要组成部分，本文在对环境政策的内涵和基本特征阐述的基础上，运用公共政策的一般理论，对环境影响政策的内涵、特征、政策系统、政策过程以及主要政策功能进行了简明的分析，以达到从公共政策的角度来重新认识和了解环境影响评价制度的目的。     

稻、土及田水中锐劲特残留量分析方法

建立了新型杀虫剂锐劲特及其代谢物在水稻、土壤、田水中的气相色谱毛细管柱残留分析方法。该方法对锐劲特及其代谢物MB46513、MB45950、MB46136、RPA200766等，在水稻中的最低检出浓度依次为：0.002,0.001,0.001,0.004,0.01mg/kg；在土壤中这几种组分最低检出浓度为水稻中的1／3；在田水中最低检出浓度为水稻中的1／25。加标回收率83.4%-97.7%。变异系数1.86%-7.07%。     

Public support for carrot,stick, and no-government water quality policies

Public support for environmental policy provides an important foundation for democratic governance. Numerous policy innovations may improve nonpoint source pollution, but little research has examined which types of individuals are likely to support various runoff reduction policies. We conducted a household mail survey of 1136 residents in southern Wisconsin. In general, residents were more likely to support water quality policies if they were communitarians, egalitarians, concerned about water pollution, and perceived water quality as poor. The majority of respondents somewhat to strongly supported all of the seven proposed water quality policies, but opposed relying on voluntary action without government involvement on farms. Residents had higher support for incentives and market-based approaches (carrot policies) than regulation and taxes (stick policies). A more complicated pattern emerged in within-subject comparisons of residents’ views of carrot and stick approaches. Stick approaches polarized respondents by decreasing support among people with individualistic worldviews, while slightly increasing support among people with communitarian worldviews. Residents with an agricultural occupation were more likely to support voluntary, non-governmental approaches for reducing agricultural runoff, and were also more likely to support regulation for reducing urban lawn runoff. This research highlights the dominant role of cultural worldviews and the secondary roles of water pollution concern, perceived water quality, and self-interest in explaining support for diverse policies to reduce nonpoint source pollution.     

生态农业模式的环境经济学分析及政策研究

从环境经济学角度分析生态农业模式,并以此为基础提出适当的环境经济政策调控手段促进其发展。通过案例（四川省大足县稻田养鱼生态模式）分析研究,作者试图建立一种以环境经济学分析为工具,寻求适当的生态农业发展环境经济促进政策的理论方法框架。      

The structure of gallery networks in the nests of termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cubitermes</Emphasis> spp. revealed by X-ray tomography

Recent studies have introduced computer tomography (CT) as a tool for the visualisation and characterisation of insect architectures. Here, we use CT to map the three-dimensional networks of galleries inside Cubitermes nests in order to analyse them with tools from graph theory. The structure of these networks indicates that connections inside the nest are rearranged during the whole nest life. The functional analysis reveals that the final network topology represents an excellent compromise between efficient connectivity inside the nest and defence against attacking predators. We further discuss and illustrate the usefulness of CT to disentangle environmental and specific influences on nest architecture.     

水体富营养化综合水质模型及其应用研究

针对水体富营养化问题，探讨了一种多参数水体富营养化的水质生态模型（ＷＡＳＰ４）。在阐述其原理和计算方法的基础上结合汉江武汉段１９９２年性水华事件的实例进行水质模型，其特点是，不仅能够较好地模拟浮游植物的变化过程。而且能够提供发生水华问题的原因和生态机理的解释。     

Advancing urban ecosystem governance in Rotterdam: From experimenting and evidence gathering to new ways for integrated planning

To improve quality of life as well as the adaptive capacity in the city of Rotterdam over the past 15 years there has been a lot of focus on improving green infrastructure and finding new ways for integrated planning. As many cities face similar challenges they are looking for novel approaches in urban ecosystem governance. The Rotterdam case can be an interesting example but can also reveal new questions to be researched.Before local policies and projects where developed a regional and urban green blue vision of how to improve overall quality of life using green infrastructure were developed. This provided policy frameworks for politicians, policymakers and other actors. Later on the same was done with Urban Waterplan 2, using the Rotterdam Watercity 2030 vision document as a basis. This vision was the result of a stakeholder based planning process which was made for the International Architecture Biennale 2005. Within these frameworks many interesting projects have been built and tested in the city and city region; ranging from a) a roof park over a railway yard to connect neighbourhoods to the waterfront, to b) water squares and c) digging new waterways with connected walking and biking routes. To go from projects to an overall implementation at city level required tools and approaches for better decision making. For the ‘Dakpark’ project as well as for the Zomerhofkwartier, the first climate proof neighbourhood in the city, stakeholder sessions were held and plans were drawn together with urban planners and landscape architects. To feed these processes even better and to know what would be an optimal solution for certain challenges, city data were studied and linked to scalable GIS mapping in the ‘smart city planner’. This tool gives the decision maker the possibility to quickly have an overview of an area and can be used in a stakeholder process to provide relevant additional information and to define joint projects. The tool makes it possible to do this for all 90 neighbourhoods in the city.Overall the urban ecosystem governance in the city of Rotterdam has – with trial and error- lead to a series of innovative projects. The next steps are acceleration and scaling up to city and regional level. Valuing the crucial role of green blue infrastructure for several aspects of the quality of life in cities are paramount.