A better future for the uplands — a planning critique

The Countryside Commission's report A Better Future for the Uplands puts forward a new strategy for public intervention in the uplands of England and Wales. The aim of the report is to integrate rural policies and to promote higher environmental priorities in rural areas. This paper considers the degree to which the report is successful in planning to achieve these ends. The paper is specifically concerned with the planning methodology on which the report is based. The paper argues for an approach to rural planning which permits the consideration of more radical solutions to rural problems, along with the application of a more systematic planning methodology, in order to assist in the choice of an appropriate direction for planned change.     

成都市基层环境保护管理机构与制度建设研究

随着农民的生活质量水平的日益显著提高,农村公共环境质量问题也引起了全社会普遍关注,但是农村传统的生产生活方式和落后的环保基础设施,导致农村环境形势仍然十分严峻。本文介绍了我国的农村环境保护政策法规和成都市乡镇环境保护机构建设现状,剖析了其存在的主要问题,最后提出了乡镇环保机构模式、运行机制和相关的政策建议。     

Some factors influencing effective utilization of drinking water facilities: women,income, and health in rural north Ghana

In the examination of the implementation of rural drinking water facilities, not enough attention has been paid to analyzing the socioeconomic and political relationships that affect the effective utilization of the facilities, particularly as these relate to women in rural society. This paper suggests that much of the difficulty in instituting the utilization of safe water supply sources has to do with the rather low economic status of women—the main water collectors. Poverty consigns women to long periods of work in activities or jobs that bring little reward. This makes it difficult to effectively digest the messages delivered by program staff and limits the extent of usage of the safe water facilities.     

Rural industries and water pollution in China

Water pollution from small rural industries is a serious problem throughout China. Over half of all river sections monitored for water quality are rated as being unsafe for human contact, and this pollution is estimated to cost several per cent of GDP. While China has some of the toughest environmental protection laws in the world, the implementation of these laws in rural areas is not effective. This paper explains the reasons for this implementation gap. It argues that the factors that have underpinned the economic success of rural industry are precisely the same factors that cause water pollution from rural industry to remain such a serious problem in China. This means that the control of rural water pollution is not simply a technical problem of designing a more appropriate governance system, or finding better policy instruments or more funding. Instead, solutions lie in changes in the model that underpins rural development in China.     

四川省农村面源污染问题的环境保护对策

农村面源污染主要来源于化肥、农药、畜禽养殖粪便、农村污水、生活垃圾和农作物秸秆等。“十二五”期间,国家将农业面源污染纳入了减排计划,作为农业大省的四川农业面源污染也比较严重,制定相关政策措施、采用先进技术显得尤为必要。文章综述了四川农村面源污染的现状以及对生态环境的影响,提出解决办法,最后对如何缓解目前四川农村面源污染提出了合理化建议与对策。     

农村工业化进程中的土地资源优化配置研究——以浙江永康市为例

在阐述农村工业化与土地资源优化配置关系问题的基础上，以浙江永康市为例，对当前我国农村工业化过程中土地资源优化配置问题进行了研究。研究表明，永康目前处于工业化中期阶段，工业用地扩张趋势明显，但同时也存在用地结构布局不甚合理、集约利用程度较低以及环境影响等问题。解决这些问题可通过切实保护耕地，合理安排建设用地规模与布局，提高土地集约利用率和控制环境污染等有效途径。     

Public intervention in rural housing markets

This paper is a revised version of one presented to the Regional Science Association Conference, University of Leeds, September 1983.

The extent of rural poverty is largely hidden, yet mean rural incomes are lower than in urban areas. Equally, the differential between low incomes and high minimum house prices in rural areas not always acknowledged. This paper looks at the planning response to these problems against alternative approaches including discriminatory policies against second home owners in rural areas. The paper concludes by identifying a solution restricting private development and augmenting public‐sector provision in rural areas.     

Mapping divergent concepts of sustainability: lay knowledge,local practices and environmental governance

This paper examines local sustainability concepts in Connemara, a predominantly rural region in the West of Ireland (in this paper, the term “Ireland” refers to the Republic of Ireland), to show how they are (re-)constituted through people's interactions with social and biophysical environments. We argue that these interactions produce diverse forms of lay environmental knowledge and expertise that encompass cognitive and emotional aspects, a fact that is frequently ignored in environmental policy-making which prioritises rational arguments over reactions rooted in people's sense of place and community. Local people's responses to this dominance of “official” rational-technical sustainability concepts are central to recent cases of environmental controversy and lack of compliance to environmental policies that have characterised the study area but that show many parallels to conflicts and disputes elsewhere. Drawing on rich qualitative evidence from interviews and ethnographic fieldwork, this paper demonstrates how communities' responses to environmental policies depend on how well (or poorly) sustainability concepts underpinning these policies match local people's social-ecological practices and related place-specific views of what should be sustained.     

Water injustices and potential remedies in indigenous rural contexts: A water justice analysis

This paper examines Indigenous water rights in rural and remote Australia and how water justice seems to be elusive in many of these spaces. The purpose of this literature review is to link water justice theory and practices to the way different water cultures are valued in Australia while simultaneously critiquing the water justice movement. This paper situates the notion of water justice as a specific kind of environmental justice to cater for the unique qualities that define this resource. In doing so, this paper draws on Schlosberg’s (2004) conception of environmental justice with its trivalent approach that describes the following three ‘circles of concern’: recognition of difference, plurality of participation, and finally equitable distribution of resources and costs and benefits. This framework provides that if the first two ‘circles of concern’ are not in existence in a natural resource management process, then inequitable distribution of that resource is a likely outcome. This paper presents two areas where water injustices exist in the context of Indigenous rural and remote Australia. The first relates to how Indigenous rights to water have been inadequately recognized and the second presents empirical data on water supply and sanitation in rural and remote Indigenous communities that demonstrates ongoing dilemmas around securing this basic human right. The undervaluing of cultural differences relating to water is argued to be antecedent to the injustice manifest in poor water supply and sanitation provision for Indigenous rural contexts. This paper does not attempt to survey the body of ethnographic work on society-water relations in rural and remote Indigenous Australian contexts but reviews the gaps in current mainstream acknowledgement of Indigenous water cultures. In exploring water justice in rural and remote Indigenous Australia, this paper offers a novel approach to a dilemma more frequently analysed solely as a health development issue.     

韩国绿色种养循环农业发展概况与经验启示

联合国将碳中和视为当今世界最为紧迫的任务,而农业是温室气体排放最多的产业之一,各国相继出台政策积极开展农业农村减排工作。韩国自2012年开始逐渐减少海洋粪污排泄量,并大力实行绿色种养循环农业,解决本国内畜禽粪污问题。韩国作为中国的重要海上邻国,不论是从研究借鉴角度抑或生态系统共享角度,了解其环境保护政策都是十分必要的。本文从韩国实施的主要政策、各地区农地养分收支现状、代表性运营模式案例、政策关注焦点等方面介绍韩国绿色种养循环农业的发展概况,结合中国绿色种养循环农业现状开展研究。提出三点政策建议：第一,进一步完善畜禽粪污资源化利用机具补贴辅助管理系统,提高系统在农户中的普及率;第二,提高全民环保意识的同时,政府的角色不应局限自上而下的引导型,应该积极促进种植户和养殖户间的自发组织,并大力提倡吸纳社会资本,集结社会各方力量;第三,促进绿色种养循环农业产品的商品化和品牌化,从而调动农户参与绿色种养循环农业的积极性。     

农村面源污染现状分析与防治对策——以四川省南充市为例

通过走访、问卷调查及查阅文献等形式对四川省南充市农村面源污染现状进行调研,为加强农村环境质量监督监测及污染防治提供依据。结果表明:过量施用化肥和农药,畜禽废弃物、生活废水和垃圾、污水灌溉等是农村面源污染日趋严重的主要原因。为此,本文针对性地提出了推广循环农业和先进适用技术,加强基础设施建设及完善法规体制等对策。     

The economic dimensions of integrating flood management and agri-environment through washland creation: a case from Somerset, England

In many river floodplains in the UK, there has been a long history of flood defence, land reclamation and water regime management for farming. In recent years, however, changing European and national policies with respect to farming, environment and flood management are encouraging a re-appraisal of land use in rural areas. In particular, there is scope to develop, through the use of appropriate promotional mechanisms, washland areas, which will simultaneously accommodate winter inundation, support extensive farming methods, deliver environmental benefits, and do this in a way which can underpin the rural economy. This paper explores the likely economic impacts of the development of flood storage and washland creation. In doing so, consideration is given to feasibility of this type of development, the environmental implications for a variety of habitats and species, and the financial and institutional mechanisms required to achieve implementation.     

Contemporary Western Rural USA Economic Composition: Potential Implications for Environmental Policy and Research

/ The rural West of the United States is considered strongly antienvironment. The traditional economic reliance of the area on natural resources has long explained this antienvironment stance. The region consistently elects federal officials who as a group consistently vote against environmental bills and seek to undo existing federal environmental regulation. These politicians defend their antienvironment actions based on their perception of the economic composition and interests of the region. Recent studies, however, have suggested that rural residents are increasingly concerned about environmental issues. These studies, however, lack a consistent theoretical basis. This article uses an alternative economic typing system to examine the economic composition of rural Idaho and suggests that the results found using the alternative typing system might provide a theoretical basis to explain why some studies are finding increased rural environmental support. The results show that rural Idaho is much more economically diverse using this alternative typing methodology compared to the outcomes of traditional USDA economic methodologies. The policy and research implications of these findings are examined.KEY WORDS: Rural; Environmental policy; Economic composition     

Perceptions towards solar mini‐grid systems in India: A multi‐stakeholder analysis

This study identifies and assesses the perspectives of four key stakeholder groups towards solar minigrids in rural India. The stakeholders considered are policymakers, minigrid developers and operators, development organizations, and national grid representatives. Recent state and national policies in India have increased the focus on minigrids and their services. In this study, stakeholder interviews were employed to identify the attitudes towards the recent electricity policy, the underlying context for minigrid development, the role of minigrids in rural electrification, and the inclusion of minigrid systems within the larger framework of electricity sector policies by the recent government minigrid policies. Results indicate that stakeholders agree that minigrids, as a rural electricity service, are currently viable to complement the national grid due to their high reliability, performance in remote regions, and diminishing cost per unit. However, stakeholders disagree on the future outcomes, with diverging views on the priority of minigrids as an electrification tool in the face of the expanding central grid, the ideal implementation strategy for minigrids, and the potential for grid‐minigrid interaction. Based on stakeholder feedback, the growth of minigrids in India is likely to be constrained by the confidence in recent policies, necessitating more frequent dialogue among decision makers and a solidified relationship to the national electricity grid.     

污染场地风险管控环境经济政策体系：国外经验与本土实践

快速城市化和工业化给我国带来了大量的场地污染问题,污染场地修复和风险管控成为国土资源可持续利用的重要领域,创新土壤污染防治经济政策,充分发挥市场调节作用是土壤污染防治的内在要求,是破解土壤生态环境问题、推进土壤污染防治管理转型的重要支撑。本文从经济政策的体系、投融资模式与机制等方面展开,对美国、德国、荷兰等发达国家的污染场地风险管控环境经济政策进行了梳理分析,总结其可借鉴的成功经验;介绍了我国污染场地风险管控环境经济政策实施现状,最终从完善调控体系、明晰权责归属、拓宽资金来源、规范资金运营、丰富投融资模式、探索费用效益分析机制等方面提出我国污染场地风险管控环境经济政策体系的改进建议。     

浙江省上虞市水资源分析及饮用水水源地水质现状评价研究

本文通过大量的基础数据调研,获取了浙江省上虞市水资源现状及饮用水水源地水质现状的第一手资料,对当地的水资源空间分布现状及水资源平衡进行了科学分析,并结合当地的社会经济发展趋势及城市发展中的用水需求增长趋势,提出了科学合理的水源地建设与保护建议。自2009年6月起,对汤浦水库、四明湖水库、隐潭溪、下管溪、总干渠等5个水源地进行了长期连续监测,为进一步保护优质水源地,城乡统筹一体化供水系统的建设提供科学依据。监测结果表明,作为重要备用水源地的总干渠目前呈现有机微污染特征,需要加强水源保护区内的环境管理,尽快设立水源保护区,确定合理的入河污染物的源头削减任务,以确保2010年前达到水功能区的水质目标。     

Rural environmental attitudes

Two frequent beliefs about rural environmental attitudes are examined conceptually and empirically: (1) the common conception that rural environmental concerns are expressed predominantly by wealthy community newcomers; and (2) the related position that long-time rural residents are hostile to the environmental cause. We argue conceptually, through the use of a 2×2 community matrix, that environmental attitudes are equally likely to be expressed by what we term “upper middle income newcomers,” “lower middle income newcomers,” “upper middle income locals,” and “lower middle income locals.” Empirically, we find that although wealthy newcomers express the strongest environmental attitudes in the community, their concerns represent only a small percentage of rural environmental attitudes consisting of respondents who make less than $40,000 a year in household income are over 40 years of age, possess less than a college education, and work in a nonprofessional occupation. This new category expresses environmental concerns at least equal to the rest of the community on three of four measures of environmental attitudes. The findings provide insight into the widespread and cross-sectional nature of rural environmental concern. The implication is that environmental groups will find significant sources of political support in rural communities, provided they craft their environmental message in a language consistent with rural attitudes and values. Things are gettin' bad fast. Easterners and environmentalists comin' down here from the big cities are tryin' to turn our way of life completely upside down. A western US rancher quoted in Krakauer (1991)     

Integrating environmental policies into local practices: The politics of agri-environmental and energy policies in Rural Finland

The paper focuses on the interplay between policy implementation and heterogeneous everyday social practices that, we argue, finally determine the success of environmental policies. We compare two empirical case studies to show how the targets of international climate policy and the agri-environmental policy of the EU have been achieved in energy production and agriculture in rural Finland. The focus of our analysis is on the power effects of these policies at the level of local natural resource management practices. Our analysis revealed tensions that arose during the implementation of the policies and showed that the policies modified the local actors' capacities to act. Therefore, we claim that policy practices should be analysed and appreciated as sites for the articulation of conflict and difference, as places of social and cultural contestation.     

Analysis of a rural water supply project in three communities in Mali: Participation and sustainability

This paper presents a qualitative assessment of the participatory water management strategies implemented at the community level in rural Mali through a water supply project — The West Africa Water Initiative (WAWI) — coordinated by World Vision International, a non‐governmental and humanitarian organization. Data for the study were generated through a combination of primary and secondary sources in three villages. Results of the study indicate that while community‐based rural water supply is a positive step in responding to the needs of rural Malians, the installation of boreholes with hand pumps informed merely by consultative participatory approaches and limited extension involvement will not necessarily proffer sustainable rural water supply in the region. A “platform” approach to rural water supply management that can mobilize the assets and insights of different social actors to influence decision making at all stages, including the design and choice‐of‐technology stages, in water supply interventions is instead advocated.     

新农村建设背景下的甘肃省农村居民环境意识调查与分析

通过问卷调查法对甘肃省农村居民的环境知识、环境认知、环境保护参与意愿与行为进行了调查与分析。结果表明,甘肃农村居民总体环境知识欠缺,环境意识薄弱;农村居民环境保护的支付意愿受支付额度的影响,环境行为尚有较大的改善空间;较低的文化素质是引起农村环境问题的主要原因之一。甘肃省新农村建设环境保护应做好以下工作：加大教育力度,提高农村居民的整体素质;加大资金投入,加强环境基础设施建设;改变不合理的生产生活方式,加强各方面的监督和管理。