Reporting marine climate change impacts: Lessons from the science-policy interface

Climate change science can trace its origins back to the early 19th Century although interest really took off in the 1980s, when public interest and research activity proliferated as the potential negative effects of global warming became clear. The impacts of climate change on the marine environment was receiving little attention at this time, but in recent years has started to “catch up” both in terms of research activity and public and policy interest. In the UK, the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) has played a key role in transferring the emerging evidence base on marine climate change impacts to decision makers through the development of climate change report cards. Since publishing its first card back in 2006, the MCCIP cards have become established as the principal source of marine climate change impacts evidence for policy makers in the UK, and similar approaches have been adopted elsewhere. Here we broadly describe how the climate change evidence base has evolved over time, with a focus on the marine evidence base, and the approach adopted in the UK by MCCIP to rapidly transfer this evidence to end users. The SIIRMS model developed by MCCIP to ensure integrity and independence in the scientific translation process is explored, along with wider lessons learnt along the way (e.g. about communicating uncertainty) and the impact MCCIP has had on informing decision making.     

Uncertainty communication in environmental assessments: views from the Dutch science-policy interface

Scientific assessments of environmental problems, and policy responses to those problems, involve uncertainties of many sorts. Meanwhile, potential impacts of wrong decisions can be far-reaching. This article explores views on uncertainty and uncertainty communication in the Dutch science-policy interface and studies several issues concerning presentation of uncertainty information. Respondents considered uncertainty communication to be important, but it should be concise and policy relevant. Several factors influence policy relevance, including the place of an issue in the policy cycle, and its novelty, topicality and controversiality. Respondents held particular interest in explicit communication on the implications of uncertainty. Related to this, they appreciated information on different sources and types of uncertainty and qualitative aspects of uncertainty (e.g. pedigree charts). The article also studies probability terms, particularly for IPCC's 33–66% probability interval (‘about as likely as not’). Several terms worked reasonably well, with a median interpretation of 40–60%. Finally, as various target groups have different information needs and different amounts of attention for various parts of a report or communication process, it is important to progressively disclose uncertainty information throughout the communication. Improved communication of uncertainty information leads to a deeper understanding and increased awareness of the phenomenon of uncertainty and its policy implications.     

Boundary work in climate policy making in Brazil: Reflections from the frontlines of the science-policy interface

Despite challenges to the authority and legitimacy of science as a neutral representation of the world, expert advisors are playing an increasingly central role in environmental policy-making in both the Global North and South. This article explores the science-policy interface, based on the experience of the main author as a scientist and policy-maker at FEAM, a state-level environmental agency in Brazil. Contributing to the literature on boundary objects and organizations, the article details the practices necessary to manage the relationship between political and scientific norms in the development of the regional Climate and Energy Plan (CEP) for the state of Minas Gerais. To sustain the role of FEAM as a boundary organization mediating between political and scientific demands, a team of scientists and policy-makers had to perform different types of boundary work in a closely connected manner. It was necessary to actively frame climate change as an economic problem, and structure its solution in terms of mitigation mechanisms. Responding to changes in the national and international political context, FEAM reframed climate change from mitigation into largely an adaptation issue that could lead to win-win solutions as to attain saliency and avoid insurmountable political obstacles for its approval. Based on this experience, the article argues that the performance of boundary objects and organizations in the science-policy interface not only requires an ability to bring ‘truth to power’ but to also the capacity to sense, anticipate and avoid political obstacles. For this reason even though boundary organizations provide a breeding ground for institutional learning it is an unsuitable location for scientific or political revolutions.     

烟台四十里湾海域营养盐和沉积物-水界面交换通量

利用2009年5月、7月、10月和2010年1月4个航次对烟台四十里湾养殖海域的调查资料,分析了该海域营养盐分布、季节变化、主要控制过程以及沉积物-水界面交换通量。结果表明,四十里湾海域营养盐的分布整体趋势是近岸高,由近岸向外部海域递减;受到陆源输入的影响,高值区出现在调查海域东部。DIN的季节变化表现出冬高、秋低、春夏居中的趋势,整体上变化不大;SiO3-Si和PO4-P浓度均为春季最低。在春秋季P为四十里湾浮游植物生长的限制性因素,在夏季,N/P>30,P也是一个潜在的限制因素。四个季度培养结果表明DIN总体上由上覆水交换到沉积物中;近岸区沉积物是PO4-P的汇;调查区域SiO3-Si的扩散方向均是从沉积物到上覆水中。四十里湾沉积物释放的SiO3-Si对初级生产力的贡献较小;与其他浅海环境相比,四十里湾沉积物-水界面的营养盐通量处于较低水平。     

Policing and polluting: The role of practices in contemporary urban environmental pollution governance

Over the past 30 years, urban environmental pollution governance has been increasingly influenced by ideas of New Public Management. However, there is increasing evidence that it is failing in its promise to deliver efficient and effective regulation. The critiques are mounting of risk-based approaches, where regulators are increasingly accountable for the costs (and benefits) of their interventions upon firms.There is a particular lack of research on the role of conduct and practices involved on the ‘front line’ of regulation. This constrains our ability to understand how more efficient effective urban environmental pollution control might develop. This paper focuses on the regulator field officers and business duty holders of environmental compliance, who have direct contact in the processes and administration of regulation. Applying theories of social practice to environmental regulation, the paper provides new insights into compliance and enforcement practices, as these workers seek to prevent pollution, remediate sites and manage waste. The analysis reveals disconnects between expectations of enforcing and managing compliance; and between practices of policing and polluting.Using an ethnographic-informed approach to understand the social practices of regulation has not been attempted in this way before. It reveals new insights into limitations of current approaches to regulation, and indicates interventions that could lead to improved compliance outcomes in a post-New Public Management era in urban pollution governance.     

Evolution of urban black and odorous water: The characteristics of microbial community and driving-factors

Urban black blooms that are primarily caused by organic carbon are deleterious environmental problems. However, detailed studies on the microbial characteristics that form urban black blooms are lacking. In this study, we observed the composition, diversity, and function of bacterial community in the overlying water and sediments during the occurrence and remediation of urban black blooms using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis. First, we found that pivotal consortia in ...     

德国城镇水事管理法律的发展——供水保障和污水处理

关于饮用水供应和污水处理的法律规范,属于市政水管理的核心领域,是水管理法的重要组成部分。特别在国际和欧盟层面,以长期保障饮用水供应为核心内容的“涉水人权”成为关注热点。首先对德国水事管理法律的发展做一概览,《水法》确保一种公法上的监管秩序。尽管受到欧盟《水框架指令》影响,德国水事管理在向水环境质量达标转型,但饮用水供应与污水处理仍是《水法》的核心内容。在欧盟层面上,除了《水框架指令》外,《市政污水指令》和《饮用水指令》分别对供水保障和污水处理2个领域做了具体规定。在德国法律层面上,首先对供水保障和污水处理领域的组织体系,从集中式和分散式的发展趋势以及保障效率的私营化趋势加以评析;其次对《水法》在联邦制改革下的发展和作为水事监管核心的许可制度进行介绍;然后在污水监管领域,分别就污水排放许可的先进技术水准、直接与间接排放、污水收费和污泥处理进行分析;最后就饮用水供应领域,从水源地保护和饮用水供应2个方面加以介绍,指出了德国在水事监管领域的挑战。     

Influence of combustion-originated dioxins in atmospheric deposition on water quality of an urban river in Japan

Bulk (wet and dry) deposition samples were collected in Saitama Prefecture, Japan throughout a year (February 8, 2012 to February 7, 2013) to estimate the influence of dioxins emitting from waste incinerators on river water quality. The annual deposition flux of dioxins was 3.3 ng-toxic equivalent (TEQ)/m²/year. Source identification using indicative congeners estimated that 82% of dioxin TEQ in the bulk deposition (2.7 ng-TEQ/m²/year) was combustion-originated, indicating that most of the dioxins in the deposition were derived from waste incinerators. In Saitama prefecture the annual flux of combustion-originated dioxins in depositions was apparently consistent with that of dioxin emission into the air from waste incinerators. The TEQ of combustion-originated dioxins in the deposition per rainfall was 2.4 pg-TEQ/L on annual average, exceeding the environmental quality standard (EQS) for water in Japan of 1 pg-TEQ/L. This suggests there is a possibility that dioxins in atmospheric deposition have a significant influence on the water quality of urban rivers which rainwater directly flows into because of many paved areas in the basins. The influence of combustion-originated dioxin in the deposition on the water quality of Ayase River, an urban river heavily polluted with dioxins, was estimated at 0.29 pg-TEQ/L on annual average in 2015. It seems that dioxins in atmospheric deposition from waste incinerators have a significant influence on water quality of some urban rivers via rainwater though the dioxins in the ambient air have achieved the EQS for atmosphere at all monitoring sites in Japan.     

Microbiological quality of roof tank water in an urban village in southeastern China

Urban villages are unique residential neighborhoods in urban areas in China. Roof tanks are their main form of water supply, and water quality deterioration might occur in this system because of poor hygienic conditions and maintenance. In this study, water samples were seasonally collected from an urban village to investigate the influence of roof tanks as an additional water storage device on the variation in the microbial community structure and pathogenic gene markers. Water stagnation in th...     

Perfluoroalkyl acids(PFAAs) in urban surface water of Shijiazhuang,China: Occurrence,distribution,sources and ecological risks

It is extremely important to analyze the contaminative behaviors of Perfluoroalkyl acids(PFAAs) due to their serious threats to urban environments which are closely related to humans. Current study aimed to explore the distribution, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of PFAAs in surface water from Shijiazhuang, China. The concentrations of ΣPFAAs ranged from 19.5 to 125.9 ng/L in the investigation area. Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid(PFBS) and perfluoropentanoic acid(PFPeA) were t...     

The role of fish and fisheries in recovering from natural hazards: Lessons learned from Vanuatu

Coastal fisheries provide staple food and sources of livelihood in Pacific Island countries, and securing a sustainable supply is recognised as a critical priority for nutrition security. This study sought to better understand the role of fish for Pacific Island communities during disasters and in disaster recovery. To evaluate community impacts and responses after natural disasters, focus group discussions were held with men and women groups at ten sites across Shefa, Tafea, Malampa and Sanma provinces in Vanuatu. The combined impacts of category 5 Tropical Cyclone Pam (TC-Pam) in March 2015 and prolonged El-Niño induced drought have had a profound impact across much of Vanuatu. Terrestrial systems had been disproportionately impacted with substantial shortages in drinking water, garden crops, cash crops and damage to infrastructure. Localized impacts were noted on marine environments from TC-Pam and the drought, along with an earthquake that uplifted reef and destroyed fishing grounds in Malampa province. Communities in Malampa and Shefa provinces also noted a crown-of-thorns outbreak that caused coral mortality. The significant reduction in terrestrial-based food and income generation capacity generally led to increased reliance on marine resources to cope and a shift in diets from local garden food to rice. However, limited market access, lack of fishing skills and technology in many sectors of the community reduced the capacity for marine resources to support recovery. A flexible management approach allowed protected areas and species to be utilized as reservoirs of food and income when temporarily opened to assist recovery. These findings illustrate that fish and fisheries management is at the center of disaster preparedness and relief strategies in remote Pacific Island communities. High physical capital (e.g. infrastructure, water tanks and strong dwellings) is key for disaster preparedness, but supporting community social capital for the purpose of natural resource management and human capital for diverse adaptation skills can also improve community resilience. Recognizing the humanitarian value that well managed fisheries resources and skilled fishers can play to disaster relief adds another dimension to the imperative of improving management of coastal fisheries and aligning policies across sectors.     

城市用地扩展对长沙市水系变化的影响

为了探讨水系变化与城市用地扩展之间的联系,为未来水生态修复及城市与生态环境协调发展提供依据及经验借鉴,基于长沙市1950s、1970s、1990s、2010s和2016年五期地形图及同期城市建设用地数据,对长沙市中心城区近60年来的五期水系及城市用地扩张情况进行统计,选取河网密度、水面率、干流河流曲度、河网发育系数指标定量描述水系变化特征。同时,运用城市用地扩张特征分析方法分析同期城市扩张的强弱与快慢,并叠加各流域范围内同期水系变化指标与城市拓展强度指标,分析长沙各阶段水系变迁与城市用地扩张强度之间的关系。研究表明：（1）城市建设用地扩展对城市水系数量及形态变化有直接影响;（2）各时期城市拓展强度均与水系特征指标值衰减速度呈正相关关系;（3）在城市扩展过程中破坏水系特征将加大水系生态、自然灾害风险,而有效的水生态保护政策和保护措施不仅可以使片区水系缩减趋势放缓,还可以加快周边用地扩展速度。     

黄河济南段水资源特点与可持续利用对策

黄河济南段多年平均来水量359×10⁸m³,来水年际、年内变化大,最大年径流量是最小年径流量的21.8倍,且主要集中在汛期的7～10月份,占多年平均值的60.7%。近年来黄河济南段径流量逐年下降,断流日益加剧,1997年泺口站全年断流132天。与此同时,济南黄河水含沙量高,多年平均含沙量24.9kg/m³,且呈逐年上升之势。近年因上游来水量减小,用水量增加,水资源浪费严重,水质存在一定污染,引黄工程能力不足,水资源缺乏持续利用的调度和管理,极大地影响了济南黄河水的可持续利用。黄河济南段水资源可持续利用的主要对策有:以可持续发展战略为原则,统筹规划、统一管理、集中调度;充分发挥水利工程的枢纽作用,保证生态用水;地表水地下水联合运用;建立节水型生产体系和社会,提高水资源的有效利用率;合理调整水价,促进节水意识的增强和节水措施的落实;淤背加固黄河干堤,植树治沙防汛凌,实现黄河济南段区域可持续发展。     

Planning rural water services in Nicaragua: A systems-based analysis of impact factors using graphical modeling

The success or failure of rural water services in the developing world is a result of numerous factors that interact in a complex set of connections that are difficult to separate and identify. This research effort presented a novel means to empirically reveal the systemic interactions of factors that influence rural water service sustainability in the municipalities of Darío and Terrabona, Nicaragua. To accomplish this, the study employed graphical modeling to build and analyze factor networks. Influential factors were first identified by qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing transcribed interviews from community water committee members. Factor influences were then inferred by graphical modeling to create factor network diagrams that revealed the direct and indirect interaction of factors. Finally, network analysis measures were used to identify “impact factors” based on their relative influence within each factor network. Findings from this study elucidated the systematic nature of such factor interactions in both Darío and Terrabona, and highlighted key areas for programmatic impact on water service sustainability for both municipalities. Specifically, in Darío, the impact areas related to the current importance of water service management by community water committees, while in Terrabona, the impact areas related to the current importance of finances, viable water sources, and community capacity building by external support. Overall, this study presents a rigorous and useful means to identify impact factors as a way to facilitate the thoughtful planning and evaluation of sustainable rural water services in Nicaragua and beyond.     

Evaluation of bacterial pathogen diversity, abundance and health risks in urban recreational water by amplicon next-generation sequencing and quantitative PCR

The microbial quality of urban recreational water is of great concern to public health.The monitoring of indicator organisms and several pathogens alone is not sufficient to accurately and comprehensively identify microbial risks.To assess the levels of bacterial pathogens and health risks in urban recreational water,we analyzed pathogen diversity and quantified four pathogens in 46 water samples collected from waterbodies in Beijing Olympic Forest Park in one year.The pathogen diversity revealed by 16 S r RNA gene targeted next-generation sequencing(NGS) showed that 16 of 40 genera and 13 of 76 reference species were present.The most abundant species were Acinetobacter johnsonii,Mycobacterium avium and Aeromonas spp.Quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q PCR) of Escherichia coli(uid A),Aeromonas(aer A),M.avium(16S r RNA),Pseudomonas aeruginosa(oaa) and Salmonella(inv A) showed that the aer A genes were the most abundant,occurring in all samples with concentrations of 10~(4–6) genome copies/100 m L,followed by oaa,inv A and M.avium.In total,34.8% of the samples harbored all genes,indicating the prevalence of these pathogens in this recreational waterbody.Based on the q PCR results,a quantitative microbial risk assessment(QMRA) showed that the annual infection risks of Salmonella,M.avium and P.aeruginosa in five activities were mostly greater than the U.S.EPA risk limit for recreational contacts,and children playing with water may be exposed to the greatest infection risk.Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of bacterial pathogen diversity and pathogen abundance in urban recreational water by applying both NGS and q PCR.     

珠江三角洲经济区可持续发展中的水环境问题

对珠江三角洲经济区水环境现状和污染源进行了分析，指出生活污染是当前最大的污染源。首次提出了用于宏观评价水资源承载力和水环境可持续性的“水资源质量损失系数”、“水资源质量修复系数”和“水资源质量损失量”的概念及计算方法，据此预算了2002、2010和2020年珠江三角注经济区水资源净损失量分别达0．95、1．41和1．70亿m^3，相当于该区的73．4、101．4和116．2万人口年生活用水总量。各市现状水环境质量优劣排序是江门、肇庆、惠州、佛山、深圳、珠海、广州、中山和东莞。     

再生水补给型城市景观水体中抗生素抗性基因的污染特征——以圆明园为例

由于抗生素抗性基因(Antibiotic Resistance Genes,ARGs)对环境和人类健康存在潜在威胁而逐渐受到人们的重视,高人口密度城市中典型景观水体是ARGs储存库和传播媒介.本研究采用实时荧光定量PCR技术,研究了圆明园不同点位的ARGs污染情况和分布特征.结果表明:园区中ARGs的绝对丰度范围在n.d.(未检出)～1.08×10~9copies·L~(-1)之间;园区进水口目标ARGs的丰度低于末端,表明封闭的水体可能为ARGs的积累提供了理想培养基.在所检测基因中,磺胺类ARGs占主导,ARGs的绝对丰度依次为:sulIIsulImefAtetQtetMermB.磺胺类ARGs与指示微生物粪大肠菌群和大肠杆菌间存在显著相关性,表明指示微生物在ARGs的传播中可能起着关键作用.     

再生水补给型城市景观水体的水生生物群落特征—以圆明园为例

为了解圆明园水环境生态和生物多样性现状,掌握圆明园生态修复区长期恢复状况,于2017年对圆明园水系末端长春园开展水质、大型水生植物、蜻蜓目(Odonata)昆虫、鱼类(Piscium)和软甲动物(Malacostraca)的调查.结果表明:圆明园经过园区内水生生物群落的净化作用,水质基本达到地表Ⅲ类～Ⅳ类水体标准,属于...     

我国城市黑臭水体综合整治:问题分析、治理思路与措施

随着城市化进程加快和污染物排放量的增大,我国很多城市水体污染负荷超出水体自净能力,水质恶化甚至出现黑臭现象,城市黑臭水体已成为当前公众反映强烈的水环境问题。国务院及相关部门高度重视,接连出台了一系列政策和文件,明确了城市黑臭水体综合整治的目标和方向。介绍了我国城市黑臭水体整治的背景和意义;从点源、面源、内源以及水动力学条件等方面,解析了水体黑臭成因和污染来源;在问题分析的基础上,结合黑臭水体“标本兼治”的目标,提出了黑臭水体整治的总体思路和技术路线;明确了统筹考虑控源截污、内源治理、生态修复、活水保质、监控与管理的黑臭水体治理措施。为加快全国范围内黑臭水体治理,实现治理目标起到重要的借鉴作用。     

再生水补给型城市景观水体中溶解性有机物的分布及特征——以圆明园为例

天然水体中的溶解性有机物(Dissolved Organic Matter,DOM)具有多样的生态意义,已被用作评价天然水体水质状况的一项重要指标.本研究运用三维荧光光谱(Excitation-Emission Matrix Spectroscopy,EEMs)测量了圆明园水体中溶解性有机物的四季变化情况,利用平行因子...