Recognizing Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in the post-2020 Biodiversity Agenda

The Convention on Biological Diversity is defining the goals that will frame future global biodiversity policy in a context of rapid biodiversity decline and under pressure to make transformative change. Drawing on the work of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, we argue that transformative change requires the foregrounding of Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ rights and agency in biodiversity policy. We support this argument with four key points. First, Indigenous peoples and local communities hold knowledge essential for setting realistic and effective biodiversity targets that simultaneously improve local livelihoods. Second, Indigenous peoples’ conceptualizations of nature sustain and manifest CBD’s 2050 vision of “Living in harmony with nature.” Third, Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ participation in biodiversity policy contributes to the recognition of human and Indigenous peoples’ rights. And fourth, engagement in biodiversity policy is essential for Indigenous peoples and local communities to be able to exercise their recognized rights to territories and resources.     

Evaluation of bisphenol A levels in Nigerian thermal receipts and estimation of daily dermal exposure

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Bisphenol A (BPA) is a high production volume chemical that has wide industrial applications, especially as a color developer in thermal papers. The...     

Bioreactor treatment of municipal solid waste landfill leachates: characterization of organic fractions

Quantitative and qualitative changes in organic matter were studied at different stages of treatment in a bioreactor designed to process leachates from a municipal solid waste landfill. The particulate matter (PM) and macromolecular fractions of the dissolved organic matter with solubility properties comparable to humic (acid-insoluble) and fulvic (acid-soluble) acid fractions (AI, AS, respectively) from the incoming black liquid, the bioreactor content, and the final processed effluent were isolated, quantified, and characterized by visible and infrared (IR) spectroscopies. The macromolecular signature either aliphatic (glycopeptides, carbohydrates) or aromatic (coinciding with infrared patterns of lignin, tannins etc.) enabled us to characterize the different organic fractions during the course of microbial transformation. The results reveal significant changes in the nitrogen speciation patterns within the different organic fractions isolated from the wastewater. The final increase in the relative proportions of nitrogen in the least aromatic AS fraction during microbial transformation could be related to protein formation inside the bioreactor. After biological treatment and ultrafiltration, the amount of organic matter was reduced by approximately 70%, whereas aromaticity increased in all fractions, indicating preferential elimination of aliphatic wastewater compounds. Most of the remaining fractions at the end of the process consisted of a yellow residue rich in low molecular weight AS fractions.     

Nest-maintenance effort and health status in chinstrap penguins, Pygoscelis antarctica: the functional significance of stone-provisioning behaviour

Stone provisioning is a nest-maintenance activity accomplished by pygoscelid penguins after reliefs during the incubation/brooding period. The functional significance of this behaviour has been mainly explained as a parental strategy preventing nest flooding under detrimental weather conditions. In addition, and in the light of recent studies, this behaviour could also fit into the sexual selection process. In this study, we tested the first idea, that is, whether stone provisioning is a nest-maintenance behaviour to increase egg/nestling survival by lowering the risk of nest flooding, and can thus be considered a form of parental care. Additionally, we investigated if the effort invested by parents in nest maintenance is constrained by physiologically limiting resources. The effort of stone collection and the perceived risk of nest flooding were experimentally manipulated during the incubation and early brooding phases in a chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica, colony. Three groups of nests were established. After weighing, control nests were left unmanipulated. In a second group of nests (reduced group), only one-half of the initial weight of stones was returned to the nests. In a third group of nests (snow-added group), we both reduced nest weight by a half and added snow outside the nest bowl over 6 consecutive days. Ten days after manipulation, the difference in nest weight between initial and final conditions was significantly related to treatment: penguins increased stone provisioning in the reduced group (44% of half-reduced nests), but drastically more in the reduced and snow-added group (123% of half-reduced nests), while the weight of control nests was unchanged compared to premanipulation conditions. The intensity of stone provisioning was affected by nest date, peaking about hatching time and shortly after, and declining with advancing chick age. These results suggest that stone provisioning is a mechanism that has evolved to prevent egg or chick mortality by nest flooding. The haematocrit, but not leukocyte numbers as expressed by the buffy coat layer, varied with the experimental conditions. Penguins investing more time in nest maintenance had a lower haematocrit, suggesting a physiological trade-off probably mediated by competition between the time devoted to nest maintenance versus foraging activities. The amount of stones collected and the haematocrit were positively related to the number of neighbour nests, so those individuals surrounded by more nests seemed to obtain benefits in the availability of nest material and energy savings. This study indicates that stone-provisioning behaviour is a nest-maintenance activity evolved to improve thermal nest characteristics potentially increasing offspring survival, and competing in time and energy with other reproductive activities. Stone provisioning in penguins should therefore be regarded as a form of parental care and an important part of individual reproductive effort in species breeding in harsh environments. Furthermore, nest size and nest-maintenance effort should be considered reproductive traits indicative of parental quality and thus could also be involved in the post-mating sexual selection process.     

Visual diagnosis of solid waste contamination of a tourist beach: Pernambuco, Brazil

The solid waste accumulation patterns on Tamandaré beach, Pernambuco State (Brazil), was assessed from February 2001 to July 2002. This beach is easily accessible, frequently used, and there is a public cleaning service. The beach is under the influence of three small coastal drainage basins. The study visually divided the beach into 15 segments according to the level of solid waste contamination into absent (A), trace (B), unacceptable (C) and objectionable (D). The lowest levels of contamination were found at the middle part of the study area, the most vulnerable in respect to coastal erosion presenting numerous interventions on the beach, absence of native vegetation and lesser width. The highest levels of contamination were at the northern and southern ends of the area, where there are no developments, the beach morphology favours deposition of sediments, there is native vegetation and the beach is wider. The D level did not occur within the area.     

The environmental geochemical baseline,background and sources of metal and metalloids present in urban,peri-urban and rural soils in the O´Higgins region,Chile

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - The importance of environmental geochemistry baseline in soils of O´Higgins Region, Chile, since it hosts in its eastern area one of the major Cu-Mo...     

Approaches on the Complex Crystallization in PLA/Babassu Based on Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry Analyses

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and PLA/5% Babassu compounds were molten mixed, afterwards aged at temperatures ranging from 50 to 90 °C during 15 to...     

Web-based GIS for collaborative planning and public participation: an application to the strategic planning of wind farm sites

Spatial planning typically involves multiple stakeholders. To any specific planning problem, stakeholders often bring different levels of knowledge about the components of the problem and make assumptions, reflecting their individual experiences, that yield conflicting views about desirable planning outcomes. Consequently, stakeholders need to learn about the likely outcomes that result from their stated preferences; this learning can be supported through enhanced access to information, increased public participation in spatial decision-making and support for distributed collaboration amongst planners, stakeholders and the public. This paper presents a conceptual system framework for web-based GIS that supports public participation in collaborative planning. The framework combines an information area, a Multi-Criteria Spatial Decision Support System (MC-SDSS) and an argumentation map to support distributed and asynchronous collaboration in spatial planning. After analysing the novel aspects of this framework, the paper describes its implementation, as a proof of concept, in a system for Web-based Participatory Wind Energy Planning (WePWEP). Details are provided on the specific implementation of each of WePWEP's four tiers, including technical and structural aspects. Throughout the paper, particular emphasis is placed on the need to support user learning throughout the planning process.     

Supporting waste and water management with proactive legal instruments

This study addresses the means local administrators and legislators in emerging economies dispose of to implement directives passed down to them by international environmental agreements. Specific reference is made to agreements and policies dealing with fresh water supply and waste management. Although the Johannesburg Summit asked that the proportion of people without access to drinking water and basic sanitation be halved by 2015, actions need to be developed on a local scale to reach the target. They need to consider the existence of supply limits for water and the subtle difference between sanitation and waste collection. The concepts of reactive and proactive legislation are confronted. Proactive legislation, already used in the industrialized World, is proposed to introduce new patterns of behavior into emerging economy communities. The proposed legal texts have the capacity to be self-fulfilling in the quest for local compliance with international targets.