Assessment of the Enabling Rural Innovation (ERI) approach: Case studies from Malawi and Uganda

This paper presents lessons from applying an innovative action research approach for linking smallholder farmers to markets, in eastern and southern Africa. The Enabling Rural Innovation (ERI) approach aims to strengthen social organization and entrepreneurial capacity in rural communities. It focuses on fostering community‐based capacity for the inclusion of rural women and the poor in analyzing and accessing market opportunities. Using case studies from Malawi and Uganda the paper assesses the outcomes of ERI on rural communities with a focus on human capital, gender issues and investment in natural resource management. Results show that households are benefiting significantly from linkages to markets in terms of increasing household incomes, and accumulating assets. Skills in analyzing markets and in negotiating with traders have increased among smallholder farmers. The integration of gender in the approach has led to changes in gender decision making patterns at household and community level towards a more shared decision‐making process. The results however show a difference in skills between men and women, with women showing lower levels of skills acquisition. Farmer participatory research has increased investments in improved technologies such as fertilizer applications for soil fertility management.     

The effect of Oja-titun market effluent on the chemical quality of receiving OPA reservoir in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

The effect of market effluent from the Oja-titun market in Ile-Ife, Nigeria on the chemical quality of the Opa Reservoir located 3.5 km downstream was investigated between February and November 2000. Water samples were collected in February, May, August and November from 16 sites, four along each of the market drainage channels (MDC), market stream, tributary stream and the Opa River and Reservoir. The peak level of each variable-biochemical oxygen demand, temperature, total alkalinity, Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), PO(4)(3+), SO(4)(2+), Cl(-), NO(3)(-), Pb and Zn-occurred at the MDC, and decreased significantly downstream, except pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, which increased. Seasonal fluctuation in most variables was pronounced. Generally, there were high values in the early dry and dry seasons and low values in the rainy and early rainy seasons. Comparison of the reservoir water with international limitation standards for drinking water supply showed that the quality of the reservoir water was very low and that treatment required to achieve minimum limitation standards for drinking water would be both intensive and expensive. The study concluded that the stream borne effluent from the market impacts significantly on the chemical quality of the reservoir water although other tributaries within the Reservoir's catchment are other possible sources of pollutants in the reservoir.     

我国低碳转型进程中碳强度与电气化环境库兹涅茨倒U形关联的检验与政策启示

中国正在积极地谋求低碳化转型,政府承诺落实2030年前碳达峰的目标并努力争取2060年实现碳中和。碳强度控制是实现CO_2减排的关键制度,而电气化又与碳排放和经济增长都具有紧密的联系。因此,研究电气化与碳强度的关系对政策设计和制定碳强度控制政策具有重要意义。基于电气化与碳强度关系的现有研究,本文提出了碳排放强度随着电气化水平提高先上升后下降的环境库兹涅茨曲线(EKC)关系假设。本文以中国1997—2016年30个省份的面板数据为对象进行假设检验,并使用空间杜宾模型验证空间效应对结果的影响。结果显示,我国电气化与碳强度之间确实存在显著的倒U形的EKC关系,并且这一结论在考虑空间因素后仍然稳健。EKC曲线的拐点在不考虑空间因素的情况下位于电气化水平为10.52%的位置,在考虑了空间因素后略微后移到10.81%。截至2016年,所有省份的电气化水平均处于EKC拐点的右侧,即电气化水平的提高将对碳强度下降起到显著的促进作用。最后,针对电气化与碳强度关系的一般与空间特征,本文对电气化发展提出了政策建议。     

基于全产业链视角实施生态资产管理

生态资产是人类赖以生存的基本条件,当前研究尚未充分关注人类活动对生态资产的影响。本文从社会经济系统的全产业链视角出发,探讨产业链不同环节的生产消费活动对生态资产的影响以及所对应的不同政策内涵。分析结果表明,产业链的不同环节对应不同政策内涵,识别不同环节上的关键区域/行业能够为不同类型的政策决策指出着力点。初始投入环节的核算服务于人力资本投入行为的调控;初始生产环节的核算服务于末端控制手段,包括资源节约与污染物减排;中间生产环节和末端生产环节的核算服务于提升生产效率的政策手段;最终消费环节的核算服务于消费行为优化。最终得出应该从全产业链视角实施多环节生态资产管理的结论,并提出,为了从全产业链视角实施生态资产管理,应考虑建立一套标准化、全产业链视角的生态资产需求核算框架,建设支持全产业链视角核算生态资产需求的基础数据库,将全产业链视角管理生态资产的思维融入政策决策等建议。     

碳市场和电力市场耦合研究

低碳化、清洁化是我国电力行业未来发展的方向。碳市场启动,电力作为试点行业,碳市场和电力市场面临着协调和融合问题。为研究碳市场和电力市场的耦合关系,本文首先分析了碳市场机制的成本节约效应以及与电力市场改革的互动效应;然后给出考虑碳排放价格的电力市场发电电能成本模型——LCOEe;最后以广东省为例,对广东碳市场碳价传导至电价设定情景并进行模拟分析。结果显示,碳市场和电力市场存在相互制约的关系,碳排放外部成本内部化影响电力市场出清电价,而电力市场能够缓解碳市场的减排压力,抑制碳市场的活跃度。两市场的耦合研究对于优化电源结构、促进新能源市场的发展,以及启发政策制定者重视两大市场的协同发展具有非常重要的现实意义。     

PLANNING LEVEL ESTIMATES OF THE VALUE OF RESERVOIRS FOR WATER SUPPLY AND FLOW AUGMENTATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE1

: In general, the choice among reservoirs for water supply or flow augmentation is a multiobjective problem. Choices are based in part on the yield available from water supply reservoirs or, in the case of flow augmentation reservoirs, on the increase in low flows at downstream locations. Detailed estimates of these effects may be too costly for basin planning purposes. Thus this paper presents methods for rapid estimation of those quantities for New Hampshire. For water supply reservoirs, a composite empirical relation between Y95 (the draft available 95 percent of the time) and storage ratio, S*, is developed from previous studies in the region. For flow augmentation reservoirs, empirical relations between S* and degree of regulation, R*, are applied to each upstream regulating reservoir. Values of regulation arc then summed and divided by the mean flow at the downstream reach of interest. This parameter, (ΓR)*, is then related to increase in flow available 95 percent of the time by an empirical relation.     

Reject management from a Mechanical Biological Treatment plant in Bangkok, Thailand

The potential reuse of rejects from upstream and downstream process of Mechanical-Biological-Treatment (MBT) plant for the production refuse derived fuel (RDF) was investigated in the present study. Since, the rejects were characterized with the high calorific values of approximately 21 kJ/kg for upstream process and 29.5 kJ/kg for downstream process, both can be considered for RDF production. Further, heavy metal contents were also not exceeding the European standards for using it as RDF is additional benefit. But, RDF production from upstream process rejects showed maximum energy supply of 3.20 × 10⁶ MJ/d with less ash (11.8%), chlorine (0.6%) and sulfur (0.2%) contents than the downstream process rejects. Among the three potential RDF users surveyed, the cement industries showed positive interest to burn RDF in their cement kiln with the energy supply cost of <2.1 USD/GJ. Few technical, economical and safety barriers were also identified with the RDF end users and potential suggestions were discussed for thriving RDF market in Thailand.     

我国森林碳汇市场综述与展望

在对近几年相关研究文献进行梳理的基础上,试图厘清现阶段我国森林碳汇市场的研究现状,并追溯我国森林碳汇市场研究的发展脉络.主要从构建我国森林碳汇市场的必要性、可行性与意义,森林碳汇储量测量、森林碳汇市场运行模式与运行机制等方面进行评述,并提出进一步研究展望.认为未来研究应在创新整合森林碳汇储量测量方法,从政治、法律、制度、政策、环境与市场机制方面整体考虑提升我国森林碳汇市场的选择路径,从供需视角加强对市场交易主体的微观层面研究等方面突破.     

Economic sustainability and the preservation of environmental assets

The core requirement of sustainability is that current economic activities should not result in an excessive burden on future generations. This criterion is general enough to imply different decision rules for the preservation of environmental assets. Neoclassical economics does not have a sustainability criterion for environmental assets independent of the intertemporal efficiency criterion, which allocates environmental and man-made capital based on projected monetary benefits and costs. This criterion is examined in terms of the feasibility of valuing the benefits of environmental assets, the substitution possibilities between natural and man-made capital, and the ethical grounds for using efficiency as the sole determinant of the allocation of environmental assets. An alternative ecological sustainability criterion is the preservation of safe minimum levels of environmental assets in physical terms rather than the dollar value of a composite of natural and man-made capital. Safe minimum standards for environmental assets constrain the efficiency criterion in order to ensure the sustainability of economic systems. It is argued that the ecological approach to sustainability should limit the economic approach for decisions involving the allocation of environmental assets.     

Use of artificial neural network black-box modeling for the prediction of wastewater treatment plants performance

A reliable model for any wastewater treatment plant is essential in order to provide a tool for predicting its performance and to form a basis for controlling the operation of the process. This would minimize the operation costs and assess the stability of environmental balance. This process is complex and attains a high degree of nonlinearity due to the presence of bio-organic constituents that are difficult to model using mechanistic approaches. Predicting the plant operational parameters using conventional experimental techniques is also a time consuming step and is an obstacle in the way of efficient control of such processes. In this work, an artificial neural network (ANN) black-box modeling approach was used to acquire the knowledge base of a real wastewater plant and then used as a process model. The study signifies that the ANNs are capable of capturing the plant operation characteristics with a good degree of accuracy. A computer model is developed that incorporates the trained ANN plant model. The developed program is implemented and validated using plant-scale data obtained from a local wastewater treatment plant, namely the Doha West wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). It is used as a valuable performance assessment tool for plant operators and decision makers. The ANN model provided accurate predictions of the effluent stream, in terms of biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS) when using COD as an input in the crude supply stream. It can be said that the ANN predictions based on three crude supply inputs together, namely BOD, COD and TSS, resulted in better ANN predictions when using only one crude supply input. Graphical user interface representation of the ANN for the Doha West WWTP data is performed and presented.     

Assessing the long-term supply risks for mineral raw materials—a combined evaluation of past and future trends

This paper develops a method for identifying and assessing long-term supply risks for mineral raw materials. The method is based on a combined evaluation of past and future supply and demand trends. By analysing raw material boom and bust cycles over the past 50 years, we have quantified indicators and defined benchmarks for identifying critical market situations. By applying the method, risks for supply shortage may be identified at an early stage. In addition, a numerical evaluation model has been developed for better comparison between various mineral raw materials. Compared to other assessment methods this method uses specific benchmarks for each raw material to better assess supply risks. The method is embedded within a systematic and comprehensive analytical approach.     

Factors Influencing Local Communities’ Satisfaction Levels with Different Forest Management Approaches of Kakamega Forest, Kenya

Satisfaction of communities living close to forests with forest management authorities is essential for ensuring continued support for conservation efforts. However, more often than not, community satisfaction is not systematically elicited, analyzed, and incorporated in conservation decisions. This study attempts to elicit levels of community satisfaction with three management approaches of Kakamega forest in Kenya and analyze factors influencing them. Three distinct management approaches are applied by three different authorities: an incentive-based approach of the Forest Department (FD), a protectionist approach of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), and a quasi-private incentive-based approach of Quakers Church Mission (QCM). Data was obtained from a random sample of about 360 households living within a 10-km radius around the forest margin. The protectionist approach was ranked highest overall for its performance in forest management. Results indicate that households are influenced by different factors in their ranking of management approaches. Educated households and those located far from market centers are likely to be dissatisfied with all the three management approaches. The location of the households from the forest margin influences negatively the satisfaction with the protectionist approach, whereas land size, a proxy for durable assets, has a similar effect on the private incentive based approach of the QCM. In conclusion, this article indicates a number of policy implications that can enable the different authorities and their management approaches to gain approval of the local communities.     

基于价值创造视角的公司水风险管理研究

随着全球水资源供应不确定性与需求竞争性的加剧,水资源问题已从单纯的环境问题转化为经济问题,水风险逐渐与商业风险挂钩,公司面临的水风险不断上升。公司面临着物理风险、监管风险和声誉风险等水风险,公司水价值体现在业务连续性、经营牌照、声誉与品牌价值和创新价值等无形资产中。水风险与水价值二者相互联系又相互影响,通过公司水价值与水风险评估框架,了解区分水价值的不同方法,明确风险和不确定性如何影响水的价值,并利用水工具评估和管理公司所面临的水风险以及水对公司价值的影响,帮助公司化解其所面临的水风险,实现从公司水风险管理到价值创造的转变。     

Industry to Industry By-products Exchange Network towards zero waste in palm oil refining processes

This paper presents a systematic framework for optimal utilization of by-products generated during crude palm oil refining processes. Three by-products are considered in the supply chain network: soapstock, palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) and spent bleaching earth (SBE). These by-products, generated from neutralization, deodorization and bleaching processes, are viable feedstocks to other commercial industries such as animal feed, biodiesel, lubricant and soap. The case study is formulated as Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and integrated into the framework with the objective to maximize the refinery's profit as well as moving towards a conscious mindset of zero waste. This is the first time that such framework is developed and applied for the palm oil industry. The framework is called as Industry to Industry By-products Exchange Network (I2IBEN). An illustrative case study demonstrates a significant potential profit of MYR182, 893 per month.     

The crude oil market and the gold market: Evidence for cointegration,causality and price discovery

Given that the gold market and the crude oil market are the main representatives of the large commodity markets, it is of crucial practical significance to analyze their cointegration relationship and causality, and investigate their respective contribution, from the perspective of price discovery, to the common price trend so as to interpret the dynamics of the whole large commodity market and forecast the fluctuation of crude oil and gold prices.     

国有自然资源资产管理体制改革的建议与思考

自然资源产权管理和专业监管的分立可充分发挥市场作用,进一步促进简政放权,实现对山水林田湖草的综合管理,克服监管盲点,提升综合保护绩效,促进绿水青山转化为金山银山。设立专门机构开展自然资源资产管理,《生态文明体制改革总体方案》等规定了改革依据;自然资源统一确权登记试点取得积极进展,奠定了工作基础;与自然资源资产负债表、绿色GDP核算、生态文明建设目标评价考核等结合起来,促进改革的系统化和连贯化;建议在国家和省、市成立三级国有自然资源资产管理机构,在部分区域和流域派驻机构。为保障改革的实施,需界定国有自然资源资产的范围及所有权、监管权的角色和权限;改革生态补偿、排污权有偿使用、资源有偿利用等制度;明晰流域与属地的权力(利)关系;明确自然资源资产管理职责和生态环保党政同责的关系;重构环境保护税、资源税和自然资源资产使用费的关系;规定自然资源资产管理的原则、体制、制度和责任;建立自然资源资产清单、权利清单和管理信息平台;厘清各方权利边界和监管边界,建立评价考核和奖惩机制。     

推动生态环境科技成果转化的对策研究

生态环境科技成果转化是打好污染防治攻坚战的关键之举，目前我国生态环境科技成果转化水平较低，还存在着工作体系不完整、供需脱节和缺少有效的对接渠道等问题。本文分析了生态环境科技成果转化的内涵及其特点，并针对现有问题，从建设体制机制和平台、搭建成果转化评价体系、发挥政府和市场双重作用、促进多行业成果融合的角度提出了未来推动生态环境科技成果转化的对策建议。     

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.     

River systems as providers of goods and services: a basis for comparing desired and undesired effects of large dam projects

In developing countries, large dam projects continue to be launched, primarily to secure a time-stable freshwater supply and to generate hydropower. Meanwhile, calls for environmentally sustainable development put pressure on the dam-building industry to integrate ecological concerns in project planning and decision-making. Such integration requires environmental impact statements (EISs) that can communicate the societal implications of the ecological effects in terms that are understandable and useful to planners and decision-makers. The purpose of this study is to develop a basic framework for assessing the societal implications of the river ecological effects expected of a proposed large dam project. The aim is to facilitate a comparison of desired and potential undesired effects on-site and downstream. The study involves two main tasks: to identify key river goods and services that a river system may provide, and to analyze how the implementation of a large dam project may alter the on-site capacity and downstream potentials to derive river goods and services from the river system. Three river goods and six river services are identified. River goods are defined as extractable partly man-made products and river services as naturally sustained processes. By four main types of flow manipulations, a large dam project improves the on-site capacity to derive desired river goods, but simultaneously threatens the provision of desirable river goods and services downstream. However, by adjusting the site, design, and operational schedule of the proposed dam project, undesirable effects on river goods and services can be minimized.     

Measurement of market power for the environmentally regulated Korean iron and steel manufacturing industry

For industries in which where market prices of certain inputs are not available, measuring the degree of market power by using the markup over the marginal market cost may be inappropriate. With regard to the Korean iron and steel manufacturing industry, which is subject to environmental regulations, the calculation of the price of abatement capital is hindered by a lack of relevant data. To increase the reliability of market power markups, this paper estimates the restricted cost function in which abatement capital is assumed to be quasi-fixed at an optimal level and the supply relation. The degree of market power for the industry, measured as the ratio of the estimated market power markup to the supply price, was estimated to be 0.54 on average between 1982 and 2001. The results indicate that ignoring environmental regulations can overstate the degree of market power by approximately 12%.