Ground water pollution by pesticides at the watershed‐soil catena scale: Lindane at the lower Colorado river basin (Argentina)

The movement of Lindane from application points at the surface soil towards the underground water and further transport within this compartment at the watershed‐soil catena scale, was inspected by measurements of the pesticide concentration in soil water at a controlled experiment where it was applied at a usual label dose. The concentrations of Lindane in soil water and the upper phreatic level were also measured at successive dates in samples obtained from a net of phreatimeter probes distributed over the area (1,500 km²) of the lower Colorado River basin (Bs. Aires, Argentina). The location of cultivated‐irrigated areas within the watershed was inferred from NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)‐1 km‐10 day AVHRR images obtained at successive dates during the irrigation season. Feasible paths of underground gravitational water flows were computed by means of a GIS‐simulation model on the basis of local terrain slopes and aspects. The pattern of Lindane distribution over the basin was explained on the basis of the distribution of diffuse sources, the patterns of percolation and groundwater flows and the thermodynamic characteristics of the pesticide.     

Organotin pollution in Malta coastal zone

The speciation of organotins in seawater, surface microlayer and sediments in the marine environment of Malta is described. Concentrations of tributyltin (TBT) in bulk seawater inside the harbours were as high as 0.3 μg Sn L^‐1 but were below detection limits (5 ng Sn L^‐1) in open sea, 1.6 km offshore. In sediments, TBT levels were highest for the yacht marinas and ranged between 0.03 and 1.5 ug Sn g^‐1. Dibutyltin is more common in the surface microlayer than TBT. Diphenyl and monophenyltin were found infrequently in bulk seawater and in sediments. Tetrasubstituted organotins, namely, Me_nBu₍₄__n)Sn, where n = 1, 2, and 3, were found frequently in TBT‐contaminated sediments (0.1–9μg Sng^‐1), in seawater and in the microlayer where concentrations as high as 140 μg Sn L^‐1 (Me₃BuSn) were measured. Direct environmental methylation of TBT and that of its debutylated analogues may play a significant role in the geochemical cycling of tin under certain environmental conditions.     

Preliminary toxicity evaluation of water from rice fields using cost‐effective microbiotests

A study was performed in a Protected Area (Natural Reserve of Sado Estuary) in 1996, to evaluate the acute toxicity for aquatic life of surface water from rice fields treated with pesticides, particularly with molinate and quinclorac. As a preliminary assessment, the following rapid toxicity tests were used: “Rotoxkit F”;, “Thamnotoxkit F”; and the recently introduced “Daphtoxkit F magna”; and “Algaltoxkit F”;. Water samples were collected from: a water source for irrigating the rice fields, two rice plots, a drainage channel and from Sado river in which the water is discharged. The results showed that samples from the rice plot treated with molinate were more toxic than those obtained from rice plot treated with quinclorac. Water samples from the river were the most toxic, causing 100% of immobility in all organisms and a substantial inhibition in the algal growth. Water collected from the drainage channel in late July, was also found to be quite toxic. The results obtained until now indicate that some characteristics of these microbiotests, like their rapidity, simplicity and relatively low cost, make them a practical tool to evaluate acute effects of pesticides in freshwater ecosystems. They may also contribute to suggest some changes in pesticides use to promote agricultural practices with lower impact to aquatic life.     

Human resilience and environmental degradation: The eco-cultural link in the Sahel

The relationship between human resilience and environmental degradation was studied in the Sahel. The strongest predictors of human resilience were rate of environmental degradation, avoidance, problem solving and locus of control. Compared to pastoralists, agriculturalists were more stressed and marginalized. Women in all groups scored higher on marginalization and stress than men.     

Urban planning and sustainable development under transitional economy: a case study of Guangzhou

There are always conflicts between the need for conservation and economic growth in the developing countries. Planning plays a primary role in balancing these conflicts. This is particularly obvious in Chinese cities since China adopted its open door policy in 1978. Foreign investment has been a major driving force for rapid growth of the Chinese economy. Planners in China have been facing the dilemma of protecting the natural environment on the one hand while, on the other hand, supporting the overall national goal of attracting foreign investment to maintain continuous economic growth. The planning system in China, which has been largely based on a planned economy, soon found itself handicapped in safeguarding the environment from rapid industrialization and urbanization fostered by market forces. This paper takes Guangzhou as an example to study challenges to the planning system in Chinese cities in the past two decades of rapid economic growth and urbanization. By means of a case study on an industrial development within a protected orchard area in Guangzhou, this study illustrates the conflict between the need for rural conservation and the pressure for economic development in the Chinese cities. In particular, it analyzes the pressures on the present urban planning system in China in terms of the following categories: the emergence of private investors in urban development; the goal of pursuing a high economic growth rate; the implications of a transitional economy for urban planning; and the weakness of the present urban planning system. It concludes that the role of urban planning in China should change from simply providing guidelines on board land-use strategy, to a combination of a strategic plan with specific development control laws at the operational level. Finally, some recommendations are suggested as to how to improve the planning system in China.     

Capacity building in tropical coastal resource monitoring in developing countries: A re-appreciation of the oldest remote sensing method

Long-term decadal retrospection in spatio-temporal imagery analyses can only be carried out using aerial photographs, which are still the most detailed remotely sensed data available. Visual interpretation of such imagery is most efficient and inexpensive in the light of ecosystem monitoring research in developing countries, which are often unable to cope with the development or the cost of acquisition of commercial space-borne imaging (e.g. IKONOS, Quickbird). In this light, the present paper explicitly analyses the methodological use of image attributes of air-borne imagery from mangrove forests, and investigates the consistency and constraints of mangrove image attributes in visually interpreted air-borne imagery. Six image attributes are analysed, and their application is illustrated using various mangrove sites in Kenya and Sri Lanka. Comparison of identification keys reveals that minor attributes such as 'ecological position' are informative, and that image attributes for a particular species or genus are apparently less plastic and more widely applicable than formerly assumed. Emphasis on compulsory fieldwork is made and constraints related to reflection and interference, amongst others, are discussed.     

Measuring and assessing indicators of sustainable development for Scotland: a pilot survey

In this paper, we review three broad classes of indicators of sustainable development. These are economic, ecological and sociopolitical indicators. We then report the results of a pilot study which measured five different indicators for Scotland: an approximate environmentally-adjusted Net National Product; the Pearce-Atkinson Measure; Net Primary Production; Appropriated Carrying Capacity; and the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare. We find that not all indicators point in the same direction, but a majority suggest that Scotland is at best only marginally sustainable. Data limitations, however, suggest a degree of caution in the interpretation of these results.     

The Declining Influence of Science On Marine Environmental Policy

Abstract

Differences between the scientific and environmental policy communities regarding marine environmental protection strategies are discussed in the context of the nature and extent of scientific influence on marine environmental policy. Public perceptions of the nature and severity of marine pollution frequently differ from scientific assessments. the thesis of this paper is that the increasing influence of public perception on marine environmental protection policy is leading to the adoption of simplistic and unnecessarily extreme approaches to marine pollution prevention and to a reduced reliance on science. This trend is illustrated by some recent international developments and some suggestions are made towards enhancing the influence of science on marine protection policy.     

Toxicological attributes of plant chemicals and their biochemical impacts on cholinesterase and protein levels in relation with conventional insecticides against mosquito larvae of Karachi city

In order to control mosquito, different chemicals were applied against the larvae of Culex fatigans (Diptera Culicidae). The tested chemicals were Lambda cyhalothrin, chlorpyrifos, Azadirachta indica (Spindales meliaceae) neem extract, and Sueda monoica extract. All chemicals were found to have significant efficacy against Culex fatigans mosquito larvae. In terms of efficacy, the biochemical effects after treatment with such chemicals were found to vary. Total protein levels and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity were the parameters examined. Chlorpyrifos, Lambda cyhalothrin, and neem elevated AChE activity levels whereas the plant extract S. monoica decreased enzymic activity. Total protein levels were decreased by Lambda cyhalothrin and chlorpyrifos whereas protein was increased by neem extract and S. monoica.     

Book reviews and notices

The aim of sustainable development is to balance social, economic, and environmental needs. In order to justify the decisions they make, stakeholders must quantify the different impacts found in the operations and developments of companies and/or projects throughout their life cycle. However, as some areas are subjective in nature, the quantification process of the different impacts and the assessment of sustainable development performance become arduous tasks of development, validation, and application of scientific and empirical methods with the intrinsic objective of finding an agreement among the involved parties (i.e., stakeholders). Several environmental and sustainability assessment tools, instruments, processes, and methodologies have been developed; rating systems stand out and have gained attention and credibility, as demonstrated by the vast number of certified projects around the world and the widely-known usefulness and advantages of their application. The Wa-Pa-Su project sustainability rating system presents an integrated approach to sustainability assessment by integrating three distinctive areas of knowledge: (1) sustainable development theory and fundamentals supports the ultimate goal of the rating system, which is to contribute to sustainability, with the aim of finding a path to balance social, economic, and environmental needs; (2) continual performance improvement becomes essential due to the duration of the projects, as it is critical to allow organizations or projects to improve performance over time; and (3) multi-criteria decision analysis assists with the assessment process through stakeholder engagement and participation, and the design and implementation of a criteria weighting system.