A meta-analysis of residential water demand studies

Although widely studied, the residential water demand remains a controversial issue. The purpose of the current study is to investigate systematic variations across related studies using meta-analysis approach. Particularly, a meta-analytical regression is performed to assess the sensitivity of the price, income and household size elasticities to a number of characteristics including demand specification, data characteristics, price specification, tariff structure, functional form, estimation technique and location of demand. The empirical results of the study reveal that these characteristics have differing influence on the reported elasticities. Obviously, these findings lie in their importance for regulators and policy makers and for academics alike. Among others, two important conclusions emerge. First, water use in summer and winter seasons and water use for indoor and outdoor purposes are found to be important factors affecting the price elasticity. This suggests that peak-load water pricing may be an effective tool for managing water demand. Second, the three elasticities tend to be differently estimated across various regions of the world as well as between developed and developing countries. Therefore, decision makers in a given country would not rely on the findings of studies conducted on other countries in formulating their policies.     

The human cycle of water: water management and anthropogenic contaminant pathways in Pótam,Sonora, Mexico’s water cycle

Women are the primary decision makers regarding household water sources in many developing nations, but are often overlooked by researchers and organizations as primary water managers. This study took place in Pótam, Sonora, Mexico, during the summer of 2007, with a follow-up visit in February 2008. The study aimed at understand the human cycle of water by identifying potential exposure pathways for water contamination, as well as to understand the link between cultural beliefs, perceptions, and associated health issues. In total, sixty women were interviewed, as well as community elders and the Water Committee president. Discussions of household water use decisions, perceptions of disease causation, and treatment proved crucial in the discovery of potential pathways by which anthropogenic contaminants come into contact with the water cycle in Pótam. Most of the households (87%) believe their water sources are contaminated with biological and or chemical contaminants. Furthermore, of the sixty informants interviewed, seventy percent reported diarrhea as a common symptom. The majority of informants (76%) made a link between consumption of contaminated water and high rates of diarrhea. The study determined that the community is in need of outreach programs geared toward women as household water managers, independent lab analysis of water quality samples, and an epidemiological study to determine the causes for the most commonly reported illness and symptoms.     

我国城市居民健康状况及影响因素研究

随着中国城市化、工业化快速推进,城市居民的健康日益受到环境、外部压力等因素的影响,加上生活方式和健康观念方面的原因,城市居民健康状况的改善缓慢.利用2006年中国健康与营养调查(CHNS)截面数据,描述了我国城市居民的健康及其分布状况,利用Ordered Probit模型分析了影响城市居民的健康状况的各类因素.结果发现:家庭状况、生活习惯、就医决策、医疗保险等因素均影响城市居民的健康水平;尤其是在收入、工作等经济因素之外,健康观念、就医决策和保险覆盖等社会和制度因素亦对城市居民个人健康产生影响.同时,通过逐步回归控制相关变量的方法,检验了Grossman模型的适用性,同时也检验了影响因素作用机制的稳定性.在总结研究结论与不足的基础上,提出了应从经济,社会和制度三个层面全面促进城市居民健康的综合改革框架.     

Determination of appropriate service quality attributes for household toilets in rural settlements of India based on user perception

In many developing countries, including India, governments have implemented programs for improvement of environment and health in rural settlements through the provision of a subsidized household toilet with specifications selected and benchmarked from the experts’ perspective with only partial consideration of users’ perception. Provision of household toilets with specifications or service quality as perceived by users is a requirement for the sustainability and sustained use of toilet infrastructure. Users do not judge only the overall quality of a service but also base their judgment on a few attributes which are either perceived to be relatively more important or where there is a wider gap between expectation and perception . This paper presents a review of the service quality attributes of the household toilet as found in the relevant literature and provides a step-by-step approach for identifying appropriate attributes based on users’ perspective. While an initial list of attributes was developed based on literature review, initial selection and modifications of the attributes’ definition and units were carried out as per our judgment. This list was further modified through focus groups discussions and incorporating expert opinions. The final list of attributes is selected based on the stated importance level of attributes as perceived by users. The study finds that the attributes prioritized by the users are different from the experts. While government policies emphasize on the construction of toilet, maintenance of toilet is found an important issue for the users.     

论提高健康投资效率的最优选择

我国目前正处在健康体制改革的关键时期．把有限的健康资金用于初级健康保障领域，还是继续投入到大病统筹医疗保险．将决定未来我国健康体制的投资绩效。在现行健康保障制度下．我国公共卫生支出规模小、投入结构不合理加重了城乡居民的健康负担；医疗服务可及性低、公平性差导致居民健康产出水平低、医疗服务满意度差。并造成巨大的人力资本损耗和经济损失。在我国现有财力水平下．作为卫生领域的主要参与主体，政府应该逐步提高公共卫生支出规模、改变现有卫生筹资模式．将公共健康资金更多的投入于具有广覆盖、低投入、高产出的初级健康服务领域。这是实现健康公平性、减轻民众健康负担和提高健康投资效率、提高民众健康产出的有效途径。     

A decision model for environmental R&D

In this paper, a simple decision model is formulated to investigate the optimal funding level for an environmental R&D activity. The Bayesian approach is extended to research in situations where the researchers have prior beliefs different from the ultimate decision makers. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated how the optimal level of R&D varies with assumptions about: 1) the shadow price of R&D resources, which is a measure of the scarcity of funds; 2) the technical difficulty of the research area; 3) the potential payoffs involved in the decision that may be influenced by the research outcome; and 4) the prior knowledge of the key decision makers. Among other insights, analysis of the model demonstrated that the optimal research expenditure jumped from zero to a significant amount or conversely with small changes in parameters. The jump occurred when the expected cost of an uninformed decision equals the cost of research plus the expected cost of the contingent decision. In addition, the optimal research expenditure was sensitive to the technical difficulty of the research area.     

城乡交通一体化驱动下江苏农村医疗卫生服务可达性

农村医疗卫生服务均等化是国家乡村振兴规划的主要目标。在城乡交通一体化驱动下，机动化出行已然成为广大农户交通出行的优先偏好，在此背景下，农村医疗卫生服务均等化研究具有时代紧迫性和必要性。以江苏为例，基于GIS网络分析方法分别测度步行、电动车和汽车出行方式下农村医疗卫生服务可达性水平，力图揭示城乡交通一体化驱动下农村医疗卫生服务可达性与供需匹配特征。研究表明：步行方式下农村医疗卫生可达性水平低，而电动车能保证大部分农村享受较高水平卫生站可达性，汽车则使大多数农户享受高水平的医院可达性，城乡交通一体化是促进农村医疗卫生服务均等化发展的关键因素，它能够有效地破解农村医疗服务均等化过程中农村医疗卫生服务供给不足、供需不符和利用率低下问题，为农户共享高质量医疗卫生服务创造必要条件。有鉴于此，为了实现城乡医疗卫生服务均等化目标，应继续加快城乡交通一体化步伐，探讨构建城乡交通一体化框架下医疗卫生服务体系规划方案，优化城乡医疗卫生服务设施布局。     

基于环境责任保险的动态环境侵权救济体系研究

通过对环境责任保险的定义和特点的总结,以及对其环境侵权救济功能的探讨,得出结论:社会从矫正的正义观到分配的正义观的转变,是推动环境责任保险制度发展的根本原因;赋予第三人直接请求权是环境责任保险制度的重要组成部分;公共补偿制度的建立和发展是对环境责任保险制度的必要补充。在此结论的基础上,以环境侵权受害者能够得到及时有效的救济为出发点,构建了以环境责任保险制度为核心的动态侵权救济体系:民事救济作为第一层次,通过法律程序来确认侵权行为、责任主体以及赔偿额度等事项;环境责任保险作为第二层次,用来分散被保险人的污染损害赔偿责任,补偿受害者损失;公共补偿制度作为第三层次,用来补充民事救济和环境责任保险所未能覆盖到的受害者的人身、财产损失。三个层次联动配合、相互补充,从而在我国面临日益增多的环境污染事故的情况下,为受害者、企业和国家开辟了一条新的环境侵权救济之路。     

Measurement and modelling of radioxenon plumes in the Ottawa Valley

Since 2001 a real-time radiation monitoring network of Canadian nuclear facilities and major population centres has been implemented for response to nuclear incidents including a possible terrorist attack. Unshielded NaI(Tl) spectroscopic detectors are employed to measure gamma radiation from airborne radioactivity and radioactivity deposited on the ground. These detectors are composed of a standard 3'x3' cylindrical NaI(Tl) spectrometers with data storage and integrated telemetry. Some of the detectors have been deployed in the Ottawa Valley near Chalk River Laboratories and Ottawa, which has a complex radioxenon environment due to the proximity of nuclear power reactors, and medical isotope facilities. Although not a health threat, these releases have provided an opportunity for the Canadian Meteorological Centre and the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique to validate their meteorological models. The meteorological models of the two organizations are in good agreement on the origin and the source terms of these releases.     

Aquaculture practices and potential human health risks: current knowledge and future priorities

Annual global aquaculture production has more than tripled within the past 15 years, and by 2015, aquaculture is predicted to account for 39% of total global seafood production by weight. Given that lack of adequate nutrition is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease, increased food production through aquaculture is a seemingly welcome sign. However, as production surges, aquaculture facilities increasingly rely on the heavy input of formulated feeds, antibiotics, antifungals, and agrochemicals. This review summarizes our current knowledge concerning major chemical, biological and emerging agents that are employed in modern aquaculture facilities and their potential impacts on public health. Findings from this review indicate that current aquaculture practices can lead to elevated levels of antibiotic residues, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, persistent organic pollutants, metals, parasites, and viruses in aquacultured finfish and shellfish. Specific populations at risk of exposure to these contaminants include individuals working in aquaculture facilities, populations living around these facilities, and consumers of aquacultured food products. Additional research is necessary not only to fully understand the human health risks associated with aquacultured fish versus wild-caught fish but also to develop appropriate interventions that could reduce or prevent these risks. In order to adequately understand, address and prevent these impacts at local, national and global scales, researchers, policy makers, governments, and aquaculture industries must collaborate and cooperate in exchanging critical information and developing targeted policies that are practical, effective and enforceable.     

Integrated models for environmental management: Issues of process and design

Integration has become an important element of natural resource management over recent decades, and managers are now required to consider the social, economic, ecological, and bio-physical effects of alternative management interventions. The problem of managing across many issues is sometimes tackled by putting together a number of individual models. For this approach to work effectively, attention must be paid to both the technical details of the interactions between system components and also to the processes through which these integrated models are developed. This paper explores technical and social aspects of the development of integrated models for environmental management, and discusses two cases within which open modelling and interface prototyping processes were undertaken. The results of this exploration suggest that, for models to be used and accepted widely in integrated environmental management, developers must undertake a process that involves stakeholders and potential users, that exploits the current knowledge, and that illustrates the influence of uncertainty in the technical knowledge. This requires strict attention to the social and technical process of modelling, as well as additional skills in group facilitation and shared vision exploration, so that user expectations can be developed and met in such a way that the best information available is used by decision makers.     

Traffic-related air pollution and health co-benefits of alternative transport in Adelaide,South Australia

BackgroundMotor vehicle emissions contribute nearly a quarter of the world's energy-related greenhouse gases and cause non-negligible air pollution, primarily in urban areas. Changing people's travel behaviour towards alternative transport is an efficient approach to mitigate harmful environmental impacts caused by a large number of vehicles. Such a strategy also provides an opportunity to gain health co-benefits of improved air quality and enhanced physical activities. This study aimed at quantifying co-benefit effects of alternative transport use in Adelaide, South Australia.MethodWe made projections for a business-as-usual scenario for 2030 with alternative transport scenarios. Separate models including air pollution models and comparative risk assessment health models were developed to link alternative transport scenarios with possible environmental and health benefits.ResultsIn the study region with an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2030, by shifting 40% of vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) by passenger vehicles to alternative transport, annual average urban PM_2.5 would decline by approximately 0.4 μg/m³ compared to business-as-usual, resulting in net health benefits of an estimated 13 deaths/year prevented and 118 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) prevented per year due to improved air quality. Further health benefits would be obtained from improved physical fitness through active transport (508 deaths/year prevented, 6569 DALYs/year prevented), and changes in traffic injuries (21 deaths and, 960 DALYs prevented).ConclusionAlthough uncertainties remain, our findings suggest that significant environmental and health benefits are possible if alternative transport replaces even a relatively small portion of car trips. The results may provide assistance to various government organisations and relevant service providers and promote collaboration in policy-making, city planning and infrastructure establishment.     

湖北省农地资源正外部性价值量估算——基于对农地社会与生态之功能和价值分类的分析

农地资源的正外部性直接或间接对人类福利产生影响，但由于市场机制的自身缺陷导致人们对其价值缺乏定量认识，致使农地资源得不到应有的保护，造成向城市的过度流转。以湖北省为例，在将农地资源正外部性划分为提供社会保障、保证粮食安全以及提供生态服务3个方面的基础上，以2006年为评估期日，尝试用市场价格评估的方法对其年价值和无限年期的总价值进行了估算。结果显示：2006年湖北省农地资源在提供社会保障方面的年价值及无限年期价值分别为87460元/hm2·a和34 70635元/hm2；粮食安全保障功能的年价值及无限年期价值分别为32209元/hm2·a和12 78135元/hm2；生态服务功能的年价值及无限年期价值分别为4 34855元/hm2·a和172 56151元/hm2。最终核算出湖北省正外部性的年价值总量及无限年期价值总量分别为5 54524元/hm2·a和220 04921元/hm2，这部分无法通过市场价格表现的价值大致与湖北省农地经济产出价值相当，甚至略高出5%~38%，无疑是农地价值中不容忽视的重要组成部分，应当引起土地管理者和社会决策者的充分重视。农地城市流转的失控和对农地保护的忽视实质上就是对农地正外部效用的抛弃和破坏，最终将阻碍社会经济的可持续发展。     

Policy options to promote Chinese new energy vehicles consumption

Inspired by the green revolution, new energy vehicles (NEVs) provide a fresh, alternative mode of transportation for Chinese consumers that reduce their reliance on traditional, gasoline/diesel-based cars. However, despite strong government support for NEVs in China, the level of uptake by consumers remains slow. Using Shanghai as a case study, this article provides a much-needed insight into local consumers’ motivations to invest in NEVs through a survey of 100 Shanghai residents. Results indicate that current NEV promotion policies do not have a significant impact on the cognitive trade-off of NEV consumption under the “Integrated Consumer Behavior Model,” mainly due to inconvenient charging facilities, technical concerns regarding battery, higher prices, and wait-and-see attitudes regarding the pilot policy environment. Drawing on experiences from Sweden and New Zealand, this research serves to enhance knowledge on consumer attitudes towards NEVs and assist policy makers in developing more effective green consumption promotion campaigns in the future.     

Pharmaceutical management through environmental product labeling in Sweden

There is an increased awareness that medicinal products for human use may cause negative effects in the environment. In Sweden a voluntary environmental classification system for drugs has been established in collaboration between producers, authorities and the public health care, and used for five years. The idea is to enhance the market demand for medicines with less environmental impact, which in turn will stimulate the producers to design future medicines to be more environmentally friendly. The system is open to the public and based on assessment of the active ingredient in the medicinal product into several classes of risk and hazard, respectively. It is closely related to the EMEA guidelines. Risk is expressed as the ratio between the predicted environmental concentration (PEC) of the active ingredient (AI) and its predicted no effect concentration (PNEC). The hazard is expressed in terms of the AI's persistence, potential to bioaccumulation, and eco-toxicity. Drug data for the classification are delivered by the respective producers.Hitherto more than 300 AI, representing more than 50% of the Swedish volume of drug use, have been classified. Data for risk assessment were missing in 47% of AI. Among drugs with data 7% had a PEC/PNEC ratio > 1, and another 7% had a ratio between 0.1 and 1. The AIs with highest ratio (> 10) were two estrogens. Data for hazard assessment were lacking in 16% of the AI. Among drugs with environmental data 92% were not ready biodegradable, 23% had potential to bioaccumulation, and 61% were toxic to aquatic organisms at a concentration below 1 mg/l. These data are utilized by regional pharmaceutical expert groups when selecting substances to be recommended in public health care in Sweden. They may also be used by prescribing doctors who want to identify the environmentally most favourable substance among several with equivalent medical effect.We conclude that environmental data on human medicinal products are often missing, or reveal unfavourable environmental properties. A proper judgement of the environmental impact of an AI requires a joint evaluation of its risk and hazard. We suggest that the pharmaceutical producers should highlight environmental precaution when designing new AIs, and that the environmental data should be transparent to the general public.     

The impact of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme in Sangzhi County,Hunan Province

In August 2011,the Sangzhi County government,Hunan Province,adopted a series of new health care policies as a national pilot of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme(referred to as 2011 NCMS).These policies were designed to further resolve illness-led poverty and the poor state of health care in the local area.The program had a positive impact and spread to other regions in Hunan Province.This paper will discuss the progress made as a result of the policies and several issues that challenge the scheme in practice.A total sample of 1212 individuals and 303 households were included in the analysis,and98 interviews were conducted with people related to the scheme.Our major findings indicate that the 201!NCMS has significantly reduced the out-of-pocket medical payment of rural residents,and also increased the township hospitals’patient flow.However,the medical scheme still faces many challenging issues during the implementation.With the increasing interest among the Chinese policy makers in strengthening and promoting the Sangzhi Model,the impacts of the scheme deserve greater attention in practice so as to further improve NCMS in rural China.     

Economic potential for conversion to organic farming: a net present value analysis in the East Mau Catchment,Nakuru, Kenya

This paper discusses the economic potential in terms of income changes that may result from conversion to low-external-input agriculture (LEIA) organic farming in a Kenya’s catchment area. A spreadsheet model applying the gross margin and net present value analysis was developed to estimate economic returns to labour and land of alternative smallholder cropping systems in the East Mau Catchment. The income and costs over a 10-year horizon associated with current cropping practices of a typical farm household cultivating 1.12 hectares of maize–bean intercrop, Irish potato, carrots, tomatoes, cabbages and kales mix were characterized based on field work conducted in 2008–2010. An “average” smallholder LEIA organic farm was simulated based on the conventional one, and its income discounted. A comparison was then made of the two farm types. Results indicate annual net present value returns to cropped land average Ksh 21,878/ha ($ 267/ha) and Kshs 22,561/ha (€ 275/ha) in 2010 values for conventional and prototype LEIA organic farming systems, respectively. Net returns are particularly sensitive to crop yields and price and cost of fertilizers and seeds. Further efforts should be made to provide an economic analysis of other LEIA organic farming practices such as composting, double digging and agroforestry in terms of additional labour costs resultant. The model can be extended to build more scenarios on the role of price premiums. Additionally, further research should be done to exploit the socio-demographic factors affecting the adoption of low-external-input systems.     

Non-timber forest product dependency in the Central Himalayan foot hills

Rural households throughout the Himalayas are regarded as dependent on non-timber forest products (NTFPs), but very few studies have quantified this dependency. This case study, undertaken in two villages in the Central Himalayan foot hills in Nepal, documents the absolute and relative importance of commercial NTFPs to rural household economies. Data were collected in a one-year period and included interviews with 250 households using a semi-structured questionnaire and monthly interviews with four sub-local NTFP traders, two local traders and two central wholesalers. The conservative estimate of NTFP-derived cash income showed this to be a cornerstone in poorer household livelihood strategies and thus in poverty prevention. An annual average of 578 kg of commercial NTFPs was collected in the wild per household, providing poorer households with a cash income share of 44–78%. Better off households are not NTFP dependent but rely on income from crop production and livestock. Based on a net marketing margin analysis, showing that harvesters capture a large share of the Indian wholesaler price, it is argued that there is scope for pursuing NTFP-based strategies for poverty reduction through leasehold forestry and agroforestry. Both these options are compatible with conserving forest cover and forest corridor functions and may thus present a win–win scenario for livelihood improvement and conservation.     

城镇化进程中的农民生活用水研究

目前,我国有关农村居民生活用水的系统研究相当缺乏。对地处上海市浦东快速城市化区域的8个村庄进行随机入户调查。在对调查数据进行整理和统计分析的基础上,系统研究当地农民的生活用水行为和影响因素。研究表明：（1）被访农民普遍认为自来水价格过高。家庭收入水平是决定被访农民对水价态度的主要影响因素。（2）自来水价格主要对农户的洗衣行为产生显著影响。认为自来水价格高的农户更倾向于用井水洗衣。（3）影响农户自来水用水量的显著变量包括：农户家庭常住人口、自来水价格、洗衣水源和洗澡方式。（4）被访农民普遍具有节水意识,但大都局限于“节约使用自来水,减少自来水水费”这个层面。提高农民的水污染控制和水资源保护意识,正确引导其井水抽取和生活污水排放行为,促进农村污水收集和治理项目的普及和正常运行,以及完善地下水资源的保护和管理机制是现阶段当地保障农村生活用水安全的工作重点