Convergence or divergence in desertification risk? Scale-based assessment and policy implications in a Mediterranean country

This paper explores changes (1990–2000) in two environmental indexes with the aim of providing empirical evidence on regional and local convergence in an increasing-impact phenomenon such as Land Degradation (LD) in Italy. Convergence analysis for ESAI (Environmental Sensitive Area Index) and LVI (Land Vulnerability Index) was developed at five different geographical scales. Results indicate that territorial disparities in land vulnerability tend to increase during the investigated period following a defined spatial pattern that depends on land quality, the environmental context and the economic performance of regional systems. Finally, the implications this process has on policy strategies aimed at mitigating desertification risk are discussed.     

基于三生空间生态服务供给和需求的国土空间规划效益评价研究

国土空间规划是统筹区域资源空间配置、开发管理和布局优化的总体方案,在引领区域协调发展上具有重要意义。国土空间规划必然导致土地利用类型及布局的改变,从而引起经济、社会、生态环境等方面的供给与需求变化。本研究从三生空间耦合协调的角度,通过生态系统服务和人类福祉需求的供需关系,揭示三生空间的供需连接与耦合关系。本研究借助 InVEST模型和生态服务价值当量法对生态系统服务供给与需求进行定量分析,同时引入耦合协调度模型与相对发展度模型,通过对生态系统服务供需变化进行耦合协调类型分析,探究国土空间用地结构调整所产生的供需间的协调关系,并用耦合协调状况对国土空间规划效益进行评价。研究发现,在规划期内宜宾市翠屏区生态系统服务供需总体耦合协调度呈现减小态势。2020-2035年耦合协调度从 0.60降低到 0.59,相对发展度由 1.05减小至 1.01。生态系统服务总体供给盈余明显,但由于供需分布空间差异,城镇地区为主要的供给赤字区域。影响生态系统服务需求的主要因素为环境净化需求,城市化指标对生态系统服务供需相对发展度具有较为普遍的负面影响。     

山东省区域经济差异趋势研究

改革开放以来,山东经济总量稳步扩大,人民生活水平显著提高,2004年以后该省GDP占全国第二,人均国民生产总值名列前茅。一个地区的区域经济发展平衡状况在很大程度上影响着总体经济的发展。从区域经济差异内涵出发,根据基尼系数和R／S分析法对山东省17个区域的经济差异进行了定量评价和趋势预测,提出了区域经济协调对策。     

Capitalizing on energy supply: Western China's opportunity for development

Two kinds of disparities pervade China and threaten its well-being. The first, regional disparities focus on levels of economic development, which vary considerably across China. The second is largely a corollary of the first, referring to mismatch in energy supply and demand, with some places suffering severe shortages while others are blessed with significant surpluses. Western China enjoys the dubious distinction of recording the country's lowest levels of economic development while, paradoxically, being blessed with plentiful reserves of energy and non-energy minerals. Turning those surplus resources to good account through transferring them to minerals and energy-hungry Eastern China is seen by policy-makers as something of a panacea. Not only will such a strategy significantly boost Western China's economic prospects, but it will eliminate the resource shortages currently constraining the East's vibrant growth. The issues of regional disparities, energy mismatches and transfers of these resources are discussed, with attention given to both spatial and time perspectives. The paper concludes with a cautious endorsement of the policy initiatives that promote the strategy of mineral transfers.     

安徽省区域经济空间差异分析

在各地经济发展的过程中,由于各种因素相互作用,区域经济差异普遍存在。这种差异对促进地方经济的合作发展具有一定的积极作用,但若增长级发展到一定程度,势必扩大地区贫富差距,阻碍区域共同发展。正确认识区域经济差异,准确定位和疏导是当前学术界乃至地方政府普遍关注的问题。以县为单位,对安徽省的区域经济空间差异进行了定量分析,得出安徽区域经济空间差异的特征,并在此基础上提出了安徽省经济实现跨越式发展的途径。     

Assessing ecological risk on a regional scale

Society needs a quantitative and systematic way to estimate and compare the impacts of environmental problems that affect large geographic areas. This paper presents an approach for regional risk assessment that combines regional assessment methods and landscape ecology theory with an existing framework for ecological risk assessment. Risk assessment evaluates the effects of an environmental change on a valued natural resource and interprets the significance of those effects in light of the uncertainties identified in each component of the assessment process. Unique and important issues for regional risk assessment are emphasized; these include the definition of the disturbance scenario, the assessment boundary definition, and the spatial heterogeneity of the landscape. Although the research described in this article has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through Interagency Agreement Number DW89932112-01-2 to the U.S. Department of Energy, it has not been subjected to EPA review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of EPA and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Integrating emergy evaluation and geographic information systems for monitoring resource use in the Abruzzo region (Italy)

This paper presents an application of an environmental accounting method, namely emergy evaluation, developed for the monitoring and assessment of environmental resource use by local communities in the Abruzzo Region (Italy). Once quantified and classified according to their origin (renewable or non-renewable, local or external), emergy flows were elaborated through a geographic information system (GIS) that allowed us to represent their spatial distribution throughout the region. Outcomes took the form of patterns in which different emergy intensities, namely empower (unit: seJ yr^?1), were represented through a graduated grey-scale and visualized on a cartographic basis. The concentration of emergy flows, depending on the activity of local communities, showed variable levels of environmental load in different areas. In particular, spatial zones with homogeneous values of empower density (unit: seJ yr^?1 km^?2) – high, medium and low – were detected in order to identify areas with a similar “thermodynamic” nature, emergy being a thermodynamics based function. This allowed for the representation, at a glance, of a kind of geography that mirrors the behavior of a population settled in an area as additional information for investigating the effects of the use of urban structures and functions and improving our understanding of regional systems. A combined use of emergy evaluation and GIS could thus provide a complementary view of a territorial system and inform policy makers for planning specific strategies of future development.     

The dynamics of landfill diversion: Economic drivers, policy factors and spatial issues: Evidence from Italy using provincial panel data

Waste disposal is an issue that is becoming increasingly important in policy terms in the European Union, and in Italy, a country showing strong geographical heterogeneity in waste management. This paper analyses the process of decoupling/delinking between economic growth and landfilling trends in a framework where economic, policy, geographical elements and spatial issues are all considered as drivers behind the phenomenon. We exploit an original and very rich provincial panel dataset over 1999–2005 for the 103 Italian provinces. Evidence shows that the observed ‘absolute’ decoupling between economic growth and landfilling is driven by a mix of structural factors. Among the main factors, population density, more than the provincial income level, emerges as a crucial driver: local opportunity costs and landfill externalities matter in shaping waste policies and local commitment to a transition away from landfilling of waste (landfill diversion). However, not only structural factors are relevant. If on the one hand landfill taxes are not a significant driver of the phenomenon, waste management tools, such as separated collection for recycling, and the tariff system connected to waste services, bring about significant effect on the amount of landfilled waste. Moreover, regarding the analysis of spatial interrelations across provinces, we note that the presence of incinerators in nearby provinces increases landfill diversion, due probably to free riding behaviour or intra-provinces ‘agreements’ on waste management; this is not true for nearby landfill sites, that cause for a given province a strong lock in effect. Future research could strengthen the analysis of policy effectiveness at regional level, focusing on policy endogeneity, and the full investigation of spatial correlations in waste disposal performances.     

长江经济带城市生态环境协同发展能力评价

生态优先、绿色发展是长江经济带国家战略的核心要求,城市生态协同发展是落实"共抓大保护、不搞大开发"的关键。城市生态协同发展主要体现为特定地方对全流域生态环境质量的贡献度,体现了特定地方对流域性生态公共物品和服务的供给能力。长江经济带110个地级以上城市生态环境协同发展能力差异悬殊。协同发展水平较高的城市主要集中在经济发展水平较高、能耗和污染排放较少的城市以及经济发展水平不高、工业污染较少的城市。而生态协同发展能力较差的城市多集中在那些能耗和污染严重的地区。这些城市形成了三大一级城市群和八大二级城市子群的空间分异格局。该格局表明,区域经济发展水平与生态协同发展能力之间在现阶段并非存在着严格的对应关系。长江经济带生态协同发展需要切实体现一体化治理(流域性)、中央集中性治理(国家战略性)和经济、社会、生态、环境统筹性治理(复合地域生态系统)三大内在需求。从长江流域整个生态系统恢复与地方生态环境保护的分工协作入手,处理好中央与地方政府在流域生态环境治理中的责权利关系,实现上下游之间、中央与地方政府之间在生态环境治理实践中的战略协同。     

基于GIS技术的大连旅顺口区地形起伏度测算研究

依据地形起伏度研究的理论和方法,充分运用地理信息系统软件的分析功能和制图技术,以1∶50000DEM数据为基础,利用0.01km2的动态格网以街道为评价单元进行空间信息的处理和分析,计算大连旅顺口区的地形起伏度,制成地形起伏度专题地图,划分相应起伏区,分析得出旅顺口区局部地区地形起伏度较大,起伏度指数以中低值为主,并测算出各街道实际用地情况,为本区域经济发展和城市建设提供参考,也为区域制定科学的发展规划提供依据.     

Regional economic disparities in Belgium and regional,national and supra‐national policies: an analysis of collective failure

Two kinds of regional disparities can be distinguished in Belgium. First there is the internationally well‐known dispute between Flanders and Wallonia. Secondly, there are large disparities within the regions. Three policy levels deal with these disparities: the (Flemish) regional level, the national government level and the EEC level. The purpose of this paper is to sketch the regional problems in Belgium, to analyse the policies that deal with them, to consider the co‐ordination problems between them and to shed some light on the public choice aspects of government interventions. It is concluded that regional policy in Belgium is a highly politicised affair. Furthermore public attention paid to regional policies has outgrown the importance of our regional disparities. Even other forms of micro‐economic policy are jeopardised by regional disparities and the resulting pressure.     

Integration of Environmental Assessment into the Regional Development Planning Process of the Galilee

/ The Galilee region on the northern edge of Israel constitutes more than 15% of the state's territory, supplies more than half of its drinking water needs, and is an important recreational resource and destination for Israelis. One of the main objectives of the plan for the Galilee was to devise a regional physical and economic development strategy for the years 1992-2007 that would arrest the trend of emigration of its residents, attract newly arrived immigrants to the region, and at the same time protect natural resources and environmental quality. This paper is limited to discussion of the environmental aspects of the plan. It analyzes spatial concepts for distribution of projected population growth, evaluates environmental impacts of alternative plans, and proposes a decision-making framework and tools for minimizing natural resources loss from development at the local level. Assessment of potential environmental impacts generated quantitative data of natural resources areas. Application of the data in the plan evaluation stage showed that the alternative that concentrated most of the new development in central Galilee was the second-best choice environmentally, but was preferred as the best choice for overall qualities. The planning study offers an alternative environmental impact assessment (EIA) process to the one presently used in Israel by incorporating environmental considerations at the initial plan-making stage and not at the plan-approval stage. It demonstrated that in order to be effective, environmental assessment and land-use planning should be seen as one effort that is integrated from the start and in each stage of the plan-making process.KEY WORDS: Environmental assessment; Development planning; Galilee     

基于SML指数的环境回弹效应分析：模型与测算

本文通过搭建环境回弹效应理论框架,采用熵权法构造各地区综合环境污染指数,利用Sequential Malmquist-Luenberger指数全要素生产率模型测度技术进步对经济增长的贡献率,定量评估了1999—2017年我国30个省份的环境回弹效应,识别了环境回弹效应时序演变和区域差异,并进一步利用空间分析技术探究环境回弹效应的空间分布特征。研究表明:样本期内各省份环境回弹效应均值集中在-13.23%~29.63%,全国平均环境回弹效应为10.42%,实际减污率仅为65.74%;时序特征上,环境回弹效应与技术进步有部分相关性,但存在滞后作用,经济发展水平和技术溢出效应是主要的异质性来源;空间特征上,环境回弹效应的区域差异显著,但具有空间相关性,地理因素在解释环境回弹效应的影响因素中不容忽视;全局自相关检验表明2006—2011年各省份环境回弹效应呈显著的正自相关,空间集聚特征明显。建议进一步挖掘环境降污空间,加快经济增长与环境污染的脱钩,关注区域协同减排,是改善污染治理的有效措施。     

经济集聚、收入差距对水污染影响的时空分析——基于中介效应和动态空间门槛效应检验

本研究将经济集聚、收入差距和化学需氧量（COD）排放强度纳入统一框架下，构建时空双向固定效应的动态空间杜宾模型（DSDM）和门槛空间动态面板模型（SDPTM），通过中国2011-2020年省级面板数据实证检验，考察经济集聚和收入差距对COD排放强度的影响机制。研究发现：①经济集聚呈“先促排、后减排”的倒“U”形特征，具有本地空间减排效应和空间溢出减排效应；②收入差距呈非线性的倒“N”形特征，具有本地空间减排效应，经济集聚在收入差距对COD排放的影响中存在门槛效应，当经济集聚超过门槛值1.1164时，收入差距的促排和减排效应均明显增强；③收入差距呈倒“N”形特征，具有空间溢出减排效应，且收入差距的长期空间溢出减排效应明显减弱；④收入差距在经济集聚时对COD排放强度的影响中起部分中介效应；⑤COD排放强度具有显著的时间和空间路径依赖性，经济集聚对COD排放的空间依赖特征的影响具有显著的区域异质性。     

Towards an Integrated Approach to Natural Hazards Risk Assessment Using GIS: With Reference to Bushfires

This paper develops a GIS-based integrated approach to risk assessment in natural hazards, with reference to bushfires. The challenges for undertaking this approach have three components: data integration, risk assessment tasks, and risk decision-making. First, data integration in GIS is a fundamental step for subsequent risk assessment tasks and risk decision-making. A series of spatial data integration issues within GIS such as geographical scales and data models are addressed. Particularly, the integration of both physical environmental data and socioeconomic data is examined with an example linking remotely sensed data and areal census data in GIS. Second, specific risk assessment tasks, such as hazard behavior simulation and vulnerability assessment, should be undertaken in order to understand complex hazard risks and provide support for risk decision-making. For risk assessment tasks involving heterogeneous data sources, the selection of spatial analysis units is important. Third, risk decision-making concerns spatial preferences and/or patterns, and a multicriteria evaluation (MCE)-GIS typology for risk decision-making is presented that incorporates three perspectives: spatial data types, data models, and methods development. Both conventional MCE methods and artificial intelligence-based methods with GIS are identified to facilitate spatial risk decision-making in a rational and interpretable way. Finally, the paper concludes that the integrated approach can be used to assist risk management of natural hazards, in theory and in practice.     

The territorial dimension of environmental sustainability in Italy along the urban–rural continuum

Single territories contribute in different ways to the transition towards a more environmentally sustainable development (SD), according to their structural features. This study returns a multi-dimensional picture of the territorial divides of environmental sustainability across Italy, analysing how it correlates with rurality, with a focus on the urban–rural continuum. Italy represents an interesting case study because of its peculiar territorial urban–rural structure. We first assess the environmental sustainability targets across Italian NUTS 3 regions and their capital cities using two composite sustainability indexes, by referring to both standard values (i.e. conforming to legislation) and optimum values (i.e. desired values). Then, we investigate the relationship between environmental sustainability and rurality. Results suggest that a positive link between the two exists, being stronger at city level. Among major policy implications, the environmental dimensions of territorial cohesion should be integrated more strongly in key European policies to reach a more balanced SD.     

Multicriteria analysis as a tool to investigate compatibility between conservation and development on Salina Island,Aeolian Archipelago,Italy

Several multicriteria evaluation techniques have been developed since the 1970s. The need to compare different territorial policies has justified their introduction into environmental research. These methods are based on the numerical manipulation of heterogeneous information, which varies in terms of reference scale and type of measure (continuous, ordinal, qualitative, binary, etc.). During recent years, diverse investigations have focused on general conditions on Salina, the “green island” of the Aeolian archipelago. Such studies, within an interdisciplinary project, aimed to explore the possibility of implementing conservation strategies that are compatible with human needs, landscape preservation, and sustainable economic development. Three different evaluation techniques are applied, namely multicriteria weighted concordance and discordance analysis and a qualitative procedure. They are used to compare four alternative plans for the socioeconomic development of Salina Island. These plans lie between extreme alternatives: total protection of natural resources and maximizing economic development based on tourism. The plans are compared to each other on the basis of 14 criteria that reflect the socioenvironmental perception of Salina's inhabitants. The approach used in this research seems particularly fruitful because of its flexibility: it offers decision makers the chance to manage heterogeneous data and information that is not easily quantifiable. Such “soft” information helps to evaluate environmental conditions more precisely, and to make a less damaging choice among alternative development plans.     

Integrating methods for the environmental sustainability: the SPIn-Eco Project in the Province of Siena (Italy)

This paper shows how different methods can be integrated in order to provide an organic evaluation of the environmental sustainability at the territorial level. A territory is a complex, dynamic and open system where a population develops, uses resources, produces goods and services, consumes, depletes and finally obtains economic results. All these elements characterise human behaviour, which can be monitored, measured and compared to the capacity of the environment to sustain it in the long run. The SPIn-Eco Project for the Province of Siena (Italy) is described as an example of an environmental sustainability assessment of an area, and its methods (Ecological Footprint, Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Extended Exergy Analysis, Emergy Evaluation, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Remote Sensing) are briefly introduced. This Project has been proposed and funded by the most important provincial administrative and financial institutions in the territory (the Administration of the Province of Siena and the Monte dei Paschi Foundation, respectively), and was designed and realised in 4 years (2001-2004) by a research team coordinated by the University of Siena.     

辽宁省沿海经济带经济与环境协调度时空演变研究

协调度理论已成为衡量区域经济增长与环境保护协调发展的重要理论。在阐述其理论的基础上,选取了经济与环境方面的评价指标、计算方法和模型。通过对辽宁省沿海经济带及其6市2000年、2002年、2004年、2006年、2008年、2009年的17项指标进行技术处理和分析,对经济带各市的经济与环境协调发展度进行了时空演变研究。结果表明,经济带及其6市10年间协调发展度在时间维度上呈现逐年上升,其类型由中度失调衰退型和濒临失调衰退型逐渐向中级协调发展型和高级协调发展型演变;经济带经济环境协调发展度整体水平逐年升高;经济带的经济综合实力f（x）和环境承载力g（y）差距不大,经济发展与环境保护基本保持同步,在环境承载力范围内经济综合实力有进一步发展的空间。     

Evaluating regional sustainable development: Approaches,methods and the politics of analysis

One of the by-products of the culture of targets, performance and assessment, is the introduction of uniform methods for the evaluation of the success of policy interventions. Such an approach has been applied to attempts to evaluate regional sustainable development, often with unsatisfactory results. This paper reviews some of the fundamental requirements for the evaluation of regional sustainable development and provides research evidence that indicates the need for procedural and institutional innovation. The evidence in support of innovation reflects the need for assessment procedures and methods to be tailored-to-fit the environmental, social and economic conditions obtaining in an individual region. An additional consideration in analysing the evaluation of regional sustainable development is the extent of socio-political influence over the choice of procedures and methodologies.