Maximizing Returns from Payments for Water‐Based Ecosystem Services: Incorporating Externality Effects of Land Management

Given the expansion of payments for water‐based ecosystem services (PWES) worldwide, two relevant issues are as follows: (1) determination of efficient allocations of payments among land managers, and (2) how this might change when paying one manager to implement a best management practice (BMP) to enhance an ecosystem service impacts the cost‐effectiveness of BMPs considered by other land managers not currently involved in PWES. Such externalities may be negative if diminishing returns dominate, or positive if mechanisms such as “social diffusion” dominate. We analyze how a planner should optimally allocate payments, depending on whether the expected externalities are negligible, negative, or positive. We employ (1) an optimal control model to gain insights on the problem’s dynamics, and (2) stochastic dynamic programming to determine optimal funding strategies using a specific application. The study contributes to the literature by identifying dynamically optimal PWES payment patterns, and illustrates how they should change when one accounts for externalities induced by the program. Because such impacts have not been addressed previously in a rigorous way, this treatment provides useful value added for PWES design and implementation.     

Importance of awareness in improving performance of emergency medical services (EMS) systems in enhancing traffic safety: A lesson from India

Objective: India has been slow in implementing a central emergency medical services (EMS) system across the country. “108 services” is one of the most popular services that is functional under the public–private partnership model. Limited available literature shows that despite access to services, many traffic crash victims are transported using private vehicles. The objective of this study is to understand the effectiveness of 108 services from a traffic safety perspective.

Method: A questionnaire survey is conducted to understand the awareness of EMS and their function. Using traffic-related fatalities as the dependent variable, a fixed effect panel data model is developed to analyze the effectiveness of the 108 services in improving the traffic safety.

Results: The results from the survey show that, in general, people are not aware of the 108 services. A majority of the population prefers taking victims to the hospital using their personal vehicles or any other vehicles available compared to calling an ambulance. Results from panel data analysis show that despite having an efficient system, these services failed to make significant improvement in the safety of road users in the states in which their services were subscribed.

Discussion: The lack of awareness of an important safety service is alarming. This could be a major reason for lower utilization of 108 services for transporting victims of traffic crashes. This article shows the importance of having efficient awareness campaigns to improve the efficiency of any similar programs that are aimed to enhance the safety of a region.     

Implementation of the ecosystem services approach in Swedish municipal planning

While ecosystem-based planning approaches are increasingly promoted through international and national policies, municipalities are still struggling with translating them into practice. Against this background, this paper aims to increase the knowledge of current advances and possible ways to support the implementation of the ecosystem services (ES) approach at the municipal level. More specifically, we analyze how ES have been integrated into comprehensive planning within the municipality of Malmö in Sweden over the last 60 years, a declared forerunner in local environmental governance. Based on a content analysis of comprehensive plans over the period 1956–2014 and interviews with municipal stakeholders, this paper demonstrates how planning has shifted over time toward a more holistic view of ES and their significance for human well-being and urban sustainability. Both explicit and implicit applications of the ES concept were found in the analyzed comprehensive plans and associated programs and projects. Our study shows how these applications reflect international, national, and local policy changes, and indicates how municipalities can gradually integrate the ES approach into comprehensive planning and facilitate the transition from implicit to more explicit knowledge use.     

基于经济普查引入EGSS统计框架的可行性分析

环境货物和服务部门(EGSS)统计框架是由欧盟统计署研究制定的、用于收集和整理环境产品与服务相关统计数据的方法,已经被联合国统计署纳入"环境经济统计体系(SEEA)"中,成为一项国际统计标准。中国的经济普查工作在数据采集方式上与EGSS具有较好的一致性,本文主要对我国的经济普查与EGSS统计框架进行比较研究,探索从经济普查表核算EGSS数据的方法和思路。结果表明:经济普查可作为常规统计口径核算EGSS数据的一个切入点,但是需要在数据连续性、行业小类划分、统计的经济指标范围方面进行衔接融合;基于经济普查数据引进EGSS统计框架可采取分阶段推进方式。     

Effects of Amazonian flying rivers on frog biodiversity and populations in the Atlantic rainforest

Given the speed at which humans are changing the climate, species with high degrees of endemism may not have time to avoid extinction through adaptation. We investigated through teleconnection analysis the origin of rainfall that determines the phylogenetic diversity of rainforest frogs and the effects of microclimate differences in shaping the morphological traits of isolated populations (which contribute to greater phylogenetic diversity and speciation). We also investigated through teleconnection analysis how deforestation in Amazonia can affect ecosystem services that are fundamental to maintaining the climate of the Atlantic rainforest biodiversity hotspot. Seasonal winds known as flying rivers carry water vapor from Amazonia to the Atlantic Forest, and the breaking of this ecosystem service could lead Atlantic Forest species to population decline and extinction in the short term. Our results suggest that the selection of morphological traits that shape Atlantic Forest frog diversity and their population dynamics are influenced by the Amazonian flying rivers. Our results also suggest that the increases of temperature anomalies in the Atlantic Ocean due to global warming and in the Amazon forest due to deforestation are already breaking this cycle and threaten the biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest hotspot.     

试论提升我国环保服务业运行机制的策略

对环保服务业及其运行机制的涵义进行了科学的界定,论述了环保服务业运行机制的合理化发展是环保服务业稳定快速发展的关键和全面建设我国"两型"社会的重要内容。结合我国环保服务业发展运行机制存在的问题,探讨了提升我国环保服务业运行机制的策略和建议。     

黄河流域近十五年生态系统服务价值变化特征及影响因素研究

黄河流域生态系统服务变化的定量评估有利于考核流域生态综合治理效果。本研究构建了基于能值的生态系统服务价值核算方法体系,核算了黄河流域2000—2015年省级及地市级尺度生态系统服务价值变化及导致变化的原因。结果表明:(1)近15年,黄河流域生态状况有明显好转,除河南和山东外,增幅主要集中在黄河流域的中上游(7%～27%),增幅最大的为甘肃;(2)黄河流域的117个地级市(地区、自治州、盟)中,有77个地级市(地区、自治州、盟)生态系统服务价值有不同增幅(0.46%～210%);(3)黄河流域"源""过程""汇"区位不同保护重点不同,要根据其所提供生态服务的能力及改善情况动态制定分区分类保护策略;(4)近15年的林地面积增加对所提供的服务提升效果明显,湿地(湖泊、沼泽地)的减少变成黄河流域上、中、下游省份服务下降的最大驱动因素。本研究能够为黄河流域生态治理及城市绿色发展提供基础性依据。     

GEP核算：理论内涵与现实挑战

当前学术界对于GEP的概念内涵和核算方法仍在探索之中,而地方实践已然走在理论研究之前。GEP核算是生态服务价值的货币化评价,主要是为了科学认识生态系统服务的潜在价值,不等同于生态服务价值的市场显现;核算的出发点是为了更好保护自然资本,而非生态产品价值转化。GEP核算通过货币化评价生态服务价值,将自然资本保护更好地纳入经济社会发展决策,为完善生态补偿机制、进行生态文明绩效考核、引导人造资本和人力资本进入生态产业化提供重要参考依据。GEP和GDP都是流量,将GEP直接转化为GDP在逻辑上不成立。如何使GEP核算更好地服务于生态产品价值实现,需要在理论上厘清逻辑关联,在实践中明晰政策边界。     

重庆市重要生态功能区生态系统服务动态变化

借助遥感数据和GIS空间分析技术,选取生物多样性维持、土壤保持、水源涵养和固碳4种生态系统服务建立评估模型,对2000—2010年重庆市域内3个重要生态功能区——三峡库区水源涵养重要区(下称三峡重要区)、秦巴山区水源涵养重要区(下称秦巴重要区)和都市区“四山”生态屏障重要区(下称“四山”重要区)生态系统服务的时空变异特征进行综合研究. 结果表明:①2000—2010年,三峡重要区4种生态系统服务均呈增强趋势. ②秦巴重要区内,生物多样性维持和水源涵养功能总体较好,并且持续增强;固碳功能有所减弱,该时段内固碳功能高等级面积减少了931.90 km2. ③“四山”重要区土壤保持和水源涵养功能有所增强,生物多样性维持和固碳功能略有减弱. ④重庆市重要生态功能区生态系统服务以中和较高等级分布为主,空间差异较大,异质性明显. 生态系统服务较好区域主要分布在渝东北秦巴山区以及中西部植被覆盖较好的山脊;市域中部长寿、垫江、涪陵等区县生态系统服务相对较弱. 10 a间,重庆市重要生态功能区生态系统服务总体呈变好趋势,但局部地区有所减弱,主要表现为秦巴和“四山”重要区固碳功能的降低.      

生活必需品现场保障数据系统的设计与实现

生活必需品现场保障数据系统是面向我国重特大灾害事件应急救灾物资保障的重大需求,以水、食品、生活用品等生活必需品应急物资为研究对象,针对生活必需品应急保障装备和技术平台支撑不足的问题,开发了生活必需品保障专用系统。该系统基于ASP.Net、RFID、二维条形码、ANDROID终端开发平台等多种信息化和网络化技术手段,实现了生活必需品出入库管理、库存信息统计分析、补给物资物流信息跟踪、需求信息辅助生成、保障对象管理和物资分配模型管理、物资分配方案辅助生成等功能。该系统在物资库存管理的基础上,通过对库存信息进行统计、对预计消耗信息进行基于模型的分析、对预计货物补充信息进行跟踪,对需求报送信息进行辅助生成,实现了对生活必需品库存变化的全过程进行跟踪,并可以通过在一定范围内动态调整物资分配模型,动态调整需求报送数量实现了对生活必需品库存的优化管理。生活必需品现场保障数据系统面向灾害现场的生活必需品物资存储与分配管理,并且与商务部门的后台物资调度系统无缝整合,成为全国应急生活必需品物资保障大平台的重要组件。