A DSS for sustainable development and environmental protection of agricultural regions

This paper presents a decision support system (DSS) for sustainable development and environmental protection of agricultural regions developed in the framework of the Interreg-Archimed project entitled WaterMap (development and utilization of vulnerability maps for the monitoring and management of groundwater resources in the ARCHIMED areas). Its aim is to optimize the production plan of an agricultural region taking in account the available resources, the environmental parameters, and the vulnerability map of the region. The DSS is based on an optimization multicriteria model. The spatial integration of vulnerability maps in the DSS enables regional authorities to design policies for optimal agricultural development and groundwater protection from the agricultural land uses. The DSS can further be used to simulate different scenarios and policies by the local stakeholders due to changes on different social, economic, and environmental parameters. In this way, they can achieve alternative production plans and agricultural land uses as well as to estimate economic, social, and environmental impacts of different policies. The DSS is computerized and supported by a set of relational databases. The corresponding software has been developed in a Microsoft Windows XP platform, using Microsoft Visual Basic, Microsoft Access, and the LINDO library. For demonstration reasons, the paper includes an application of the DSS in a region of Northern Greece.     

Anticipatory environmental policy impediments and opportunities

It is now generally recognised that much money and environmental damage can be saved if policies and decisions are geared to forestalling adverse environmental effects before they are implemented. This article looks at the arguments in favour of a more pro-active environmental policy regime, but cautions against too much optimism that it will occur quickly. There are a number of impediments in the way, mostly to do with separate implementing agencies, jealously guarded budgets and the sheer difficulty of persuading people to act ahead of scientific proof.     

应用BPR促进环境监测管理转型的思考

对现行环境监测方案体系中存在的问题进行归纳分析,结合BPR(业务流程再造)思想以及信息化理念对环境监测工作转型进行思考,提出信息化解决方案,通过建立电子化环境监测方案,以达到业务模式优化、信息整合协同、管理精细化的转型目标。电子化环境监测方案是环境监测科学发展的时代要求,是环境监测信息化管理的标志。     

我国污染场地含水层监测现状与技术研发趋势

通过分析我国污染场地含水层监测现状和污染场地环境管理需求,指出我国污染场地含水层监测的不足之处并探讨了我国污染场地含水层监测技术研发趋势.当前,我国污染场地含水层监测主要以地下水监测为主,且监测仪器设备简陋陈旧、技术手段落后,不能满足数量日益增长的污染场地环境管理需求,急需发展一批新型、高效、经济、实用的监测技术和监测...     

Environmental Monitoring in The Netherlands: Past Developments and Future Challenges

During the past three decades environmental monitoringsystems covering an immense variety of environmentalproblems emerged rapidly throughout the world. In The Netherlands the entire spectrum of monitoring systemsis present. Their development is especially interesting because of the Dutch complex environmental landscape: a result of the combination of a natural setting with a high small-scale variation and an intense use of the available space by both industry and agriculture. This necessitates a well balanced environmental policy wherein monitoring ofboth environmental compartments and environmental policy itself plays an important role. In this article we focus on abiotic systems, whereby the development of monitoring will be related to that of environmental policy in general. Some general lines emerge: from quantity towards quality, from single pollutants towards environmentally harmful processes as a whole, and from a focus on human health and safety towards integrated environmental management. Because The Netherlands is a highly organized and highly educatedsociety, reacting fast and flexible to new problems, this progression has happened quickly. However, still much remains to be desired and flexibility not necessarily guarantees optimal routes of development. Paramount is the development of sophisticated and robust monitoring systems that truly support integrated environmental management. This asks forclear objectives based on solid scientific insights.     

Regulation of pesticide discharge into surface and groundwater under uncertainty: A model for environmental risk‐profitability tradeoffs and policy selection

The presence of contaminants in environmental media as well as the desire to maintain a high level of economic activity has led to an important and difficult decision‐making problem for both public policy decision makers and the general public. In one sense, all of the interested parties are likely to be concerned about the potential health risks posed by the presence of contaminants in environmental media and the need to design/implement policies for their mitigation and/or removal. At the same time, however, there also appear to be concerns about the cost of these policies. These costs could be measured in terms of the potential losses in economic activity that are likely to occur when a policy is adopted. The policy can be selected from a range of alternatives, with the choice being driven in part by the stakeholders represented in the policy decision problem. In this case, two general goals might be considered: minimizing environmental risk and minimizing the economic impact of the policy considered. These two objectives are likely to be viewed as conflicting goals, and the nature of the tradeoffs between them must be taken into account in the policy selection process. This paper presents the development of a zero–one weighted goal programming model that can be used to select a preferred policy that minimizes surface and groundwater contamination as well as the economic costs of environmental policy selection. A safety rule model is developed first and then extended to the zero–one weighted goal programming formulation. The stochastic aspects of these structures are emphasized throughout. The paper also addresses a number of issues related to implementation of the model.     

地下水环境智慧监管技术集成与平台应用研究

针对"双源"地下水(地下水污染源和集中式地下水型饮用水源)环境监管需求,研发了一套集地下水污染在线监测预警、评价溯源、预测应急于一体的可视化技术集成与应用平台。该平台将物联网、地下水数值模拟、大数据、云计算等技术集成应用于环境监管,实现了工业园区地下水环境实时动态监测评价及预警、地下水污染路径溯源计算、地下水事故污染预测及应急支撑等网络服务与计算功能,并通过地下空间三维数字化处理,构建了"所见即所得"的三维虚拟现实界面,实现了对地下水环境的便捷、高效监管与决策。该平台兼容手机、平板电脑、台式计算机等固定和移动设备,可为"双源"地下水污染监控、管理和应急提供实时、高效的科技支撑。     

主体功能区环境政策导向研究

环境政策是主体功能区区域政策的重要组成部分,从环境准入政策、环境管理政策和环境经济政策3个方面研究提出了不同主体功能区域的环境政策导向,以推动主体功能区分类别环境政策框架体系的形成。     

国家地下水环境质量考核监测体系构建与应用

为支撑国家地下水环境管理与污染防治,在系统梳理我国地下水环境监测发展历程的基础上,分析了当前地下水环境监测的技术特点,从支撑国家地下水环境质量考核的角度出发,研究构建了涵盖点位布设、监测指标选取、样品采集与保存、样品分析测试、质量保证与质量控制、质量评价等全流程的监测技术体系和质量管理体系,建立了"十四五"国家地下水环境质量考核监测网络建设及业务运行模式。基于覆盖全国所有地级及以上城市、主要水文地质单元、典型规模以上地下水型饮用水水源地与重点污染源的考核监测网络,建立了完善的地下水环境监测技术与质量管理体系,有效支撑了国家地下水环境质量考核,有助于各级管理部门掌握地下水环境质量状况,有针对性地开展地下水污染防治,为逐步改善地下水环境质量提供基础保障。     

Composite use of numerical groundwater flow modeling and geoinformatics techniques for monitoring Indus Basin aquifer, Pakistan

The integration of the Geographic Information System (GIS) with groundwater modeling and satellite remote sensing capabilities has provided an efficient way of analyzing and monitoring groundwater behavior and its associated land conditions. A 3-dimensional finite element model (Feflow) has been used for regional groundwater flow modeling of Upper Chaj Doab in Indus Basin, Pakistan. The approach of using GIS techniques that partially fulfill the data requirements and define the parameters of existing hydrologic models was adopted. The numerical groundwater flow model is developed to configure the groundwater equipotential surface, hydraulic head gradient, and estimation of the groundwater budget of the aquifer. GIS is used for spatial database development, integration with a remote sensing, and numerical groundwater flow modeling capabilities. The thematic layers of soils, land use, hydrology, infrastructure, and climate were developed using GIS. The Arcview GIS software is used as additive tool to develop supportive data for numerical groundwater flow modeling and integration and presentation of image processing and modeling results. The groundwater flow model was calibrated to simulate future changes in piezometric heads from the period 2006 to 2020. Different scenarios were developed to study the impact of extreme climatic conditions (drought/flood) and variable groundwater abstraction on the regional groundwater system. The model results indicated a significant response in watertable due to external influential factors. The developed model provides an effective tool for evaluating better management options for monitoring future groundwater development in the study area.     

Outline of an environmental information system

The development of an environmental information system necessitates a phased implementation approach. Phase 1 includes the elements that are traditionally viewed as comprising monitoring and assessment activities. Analysis tools for interpretive work are identified including statistics, modelling, and GIS. Phase 2 follows the information flow beyond project reporting to examine the process of decision making. The inclusion of other forms of knowledge beyond the strictly scientific is necessary where the development of multi-sectoral decisions must be made. Phase 3 extends the decision-making process to the policy development and implementation field. This is accomplished by the inclusion of expert systems as advanced decision support systems which enable the manager to test various hypotheses and policy options prior to commitment. In addressing water resource issues, the importance of setting achievable and enforceable sectoral criteria and standards for industrial, agricultural, and drinking water supplies is discussed with reference to both usage and effluent criteria. Quality assurance and control is an area which must be critically addressed in any water resource project. The implementation of quality control programs must extend from the field sampling procedures and laboratory standard methods to both inter- and intra-laboratory tests and the development and maintenance of databases.     

POLICIES FOR RESOLVING THE CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION ISSUES: ANTAGONISTIC OR RE-ENFORCING?

Unlike the past, anthropogenic activities have begun to have greaterand greater impact on the environment. Policy formulation is no longerconfined to just responding to an existing set of environmentalconditions, but involves taking into account how the decision mightaffect the original set of environmental conditions to which the originalpolicy was formulated as a response.We discuss how certain policies could be developed, using the resultsfrom two integrated scientific models which incorporate parametersreflecting two air issues: (1) climate change, and (2) stratospheric ozonedepletion. Model results suggest very clearly that these two air issuesare not scientifically independent from each other. Following asingle-issue policy would lead to inconsistencies and undesirableconsequences in other related issues. Thus, the policy decision processhas now become complex.One of the sources of this complexity is the uncertainty in the responseof the environmental system to certain policy decisions, complexityarising from the fact that the environmental system is highly nonlinearand evolving. Model results indicate that it is essential for the policyformulation process to be flexible enough to take into account thenonlinear evolutionary nature of the environmental system. A policymust reflect, and be tailored to, the dynamical history and present stateof the system, if it is to be effective in influencing the future evolution of the system.     

Linking ecosystem services to strategic environmental assessment in development policies

This paper first, introduces the concept of mainstreaming ecosystem services by showing its relevance for development planning. Second, it presents the role and importance of strategic environmental assessment in designing and implementation of development policy. Third, the paper sets-out the concept of economic valuation of ecosystem services by discussing what it means and what is at stake if valuation of ecosystem services is ignored in the process of development policy making. The methods of capturing economic contribution of ecosystem services at policy level are discussed with examples in the paper.The main focus of this paper is how ecosystem services can be used in policy scale environmental impact assessment. The paper argues that ecosystem services can be an appropriate indicator to weight developmental policies, programs and plans to ensure the consideration of environmental balancing at the policy level. The paper suggests that the roles of ecosystem services in macroeconomic policies including ecosystem accounting, poverty alleviation and employment generation can be used to link environmental policies and SEA with development policies for a successful impact assessment at policy and program levels. By building upon the various contemporary initiatives within UNEP and outside, the paper in its synthesis section, flags-up necessary knowledge gaps, challenges and lessons learned in integrating values of ecosystem services in strategic environmental assessments.     

How to improve reliability in groundwater analysis: over a decade of experience with external quality control in field campaigns on volatile halogenated compounds

The reliability in measurement results obtained during environmental monitoring is crucial for the assessment and further planning of remediation efforts on the respective contaminated sites by the responsible authorities. A case study concerned with groundwater contaminated with perchloroethylene, trichloroethylene and 1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane including their degradation products which involves private contract laboratories and an independent provider of quality assurance (QA) is presented. The experience gained with biannual monitoring campaigns over 14 years indicates that the selection of contractors on basis of accreditation status and successful performance in interlaboratory comparisons are not sufficient. Rather the auditing of the contractors by the QA provider prior to each campaign and the crosschecking of selected monitoring samples by the QA provider led to a lasting improvement of reliability in the contractors' measurement results. A mean deviation of 20% from the reference value determined by the QA provider for the crosschecked samples was reached.     

大样本水环境监测数据中异常数据的筛选方法研究

在对较长时间跨度内的大样本水环境监测数据进行具体分析的基础上,提出了在水环境中污染物组分变化不大的区域,运用散点分布边界特征曲线,结合计算机程序对大样本水环境监测数据中的异常数据进行筛选的方法。以期能在保证工作质量的基础上节省大样本监测数据中异常数据筛选所需时间,并为监测数据合理性分析方法的规范化、科学化奠定基础。     

苏州市固体废物安全自动监控系统构建与实施

通过对苏州市固体废物安全自动监控系统的建立背景、构建目标、系统概述、总体设计等方面的内容进行阐述,说明了苏州市固体废物安全自动监控系统.可以为各级环保部门提供科学、准确的基础数据和决策依据,是提升环境监测监管的必经之路.     

环境监测科研管理相关问题探讨

环境监测科研是环境监测的一项基础性工作，是环境监测事业发展的重要保障。加强环境监测科研工作，需要不断探索适合于时代发展和环境监测以及环境管理工作实际情况的环境监测科研管理模式。对环境监测科研管理的内涵和特点进行了分析；对环境监测科研管理部门的定位、环境监测科研管理的科研计划管理、环境监测科研管理中的科研队伍建设等进行了探讨。     

Canada's Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network: Where we are at and Where we are Going

Canada has established a National Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN). The Network's operating objective is to understand what changes are occurring in the ecosystems and why. Each site is designed to have long-term multidisciplinary monitoring programs in place with supporting research and manipulation experiments. About 85 sites have been incorporated into the network. A Directory of EMAN Sites is available and a list of the Goals, Objectives and Deliverables (GODs) for many sites is also available. Information can be obtained on the EMAN's website at http://www.cciw.ca/eman/. The network is operated in conjunction with a program of developing national environmental indicators, with increasing emphasis on indicators of sustainable development. A series of environmental assessments are being produced that are issue and/or area focused. The assessment are designed as support for policy decisions. The national coordinating office supports the overall program of data gathering, reporting environmental indicators and produce assessments.     

The mediation of environmental assessment's influence: What role for power?

Considerable empirical research has been conducted on why policy tools such as environmental assessment (EA) often appear to have ‘little effect’ (after Weiss) on policy decisions. This article revisits this debate but looks at a mediating factor that has received limited attention to-date in the context of EA — political power. Using a tripartite analytical framework, a comparative analysis of the influence and significance of power in mediating environmental policy integration is undertaken. Power is analysed, albeit partially, through an exploration of institutions that underpin social order. Empirically, the research examines the case of a new approach to policy-level EA (essentially a form of Strategic Environmental Assessment) developed by the World Bank and its trial application to urban environmental governance and planning in Dhaka mega-city, Bangladesh. The research results demonstrate that power was intimately involved in mediating the influence of the policy EA approach, in both positive (enabling) and negative (constraining) ways. It is suggested that the policy EA approach was ultimately a manifestation of a corporate strategy to maintain the powerful position of the World Bank as a leading authority on international development which focuses on knowledge generation. Furthermore, as constitutive of an institution and reflecting the worldviews of its proponents, the development of a new approach to EA also represents a significant power play. This leads us to, firstly, emphasise the concepts of strategy and intentionality in theorising how and why EA tools are employed, succeed and fail; and secondly, reflect on the reasons why power has received such limited attention to-date in EA scholarship.     

我国地下水环境监测现状和工作建议

基于近些年的调查和监测结果,统计分析了我国地下水环境质量基本状况及主要超标指标的地区分布情况。指出,当前我国地下水环境监测工作主要由自然资源、水利、生态环境等部门分别组织开展,存在地下水监测信息共享与整合难度较大、尚未形成全国统一的地下水环境监测体系、“双源”地下水监测现状尚未摸清、地下水监测能力明显不足、地下水监测的生态环境保护作用尚未体现等问题。提出,进一步推动部门资源共享与整〖JP2〗合、统一全国地下水监测体系、优化完善考核机制、尽快摸清地下水监测现状和逐步提升监测能力等工作建议,以期为下一阶段全国地下水环境监测工作提供借鉴。