Financing of wasteland afforestation in India

India has vast tracts of wastelands, which have been lying barren for ages. Most such lands are physically suitable for growing trees and thus could be put to socially productive uses. However, although usually economically viable, afforestation requires massive initial investment, generally beyond the means of the landowners. Also, government budgetary allocations do not cover current needs. In this situation, institutional credit is required. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of India has recognized this need and has devised a number of different schemes to provide refinance facilities to individuals and organisations. Although the number of forestry schemes refinanced by NABARD has increased rapidly in the past, they currently constitute only about 1% of the total number of loans sanctioned, and only about 2% of NABARD's cumulative loan disbursement to date. In fact, since 1992, the share of afforestation schemes has declined. A number of factors have been identified as major constraints, including time-consuming and complicated procedures for accessing land; restrictions on harvesting and selling trees; delays in sanctioning and disbursement of bank credit; non-remunerative prices for tree products; and flawed public policies and programmes. This article argues that unless these constraints are overcome, NABARD will not be able to play an effective role in speeding up development programmes in the forestry sector. It further argues that most of the current constraints on institutional credit for wasteland afforestation can be removed or relaxed. Practical strategies are suggested to mobilize more funds and channel more institutional credit for wasteland afforestation in India.     

任意点置镜测量既有曲线方法的研究

整正既有曲线是既有线提速改造和工务设计大修中的主要工作之一。传统的整正既有曲线的现场测量工作是将测量仪器置镜在曲线的钢轨上进行。这种方法既不安全 ,又容易引发交通事故 ,且工作效率极低。为改进传统的整正既有曲线的现场测量工作 ,满足火车提速和铁路建设的需要 ,提出采用置镜任意点的测量方法 ,对减少交通事故的发生和提高工作效率均具有十分重要的现实意义     

铁路危险品货站工人健康监护指标探讨

对铁路危险品货站空气污染状况 ,工人健康体检指标进行了研究 ,针对铁路承运危险品种类多、数量大特点 ,探讨了危险品作业场所空气污染综合监测评价指标 ,作业人员医学检查特异指标。提出空气耗氧量适宜作为危险品货站空气监测评价指标。血清前白蛋白、血清唾液酸、周围神经传导速度、外周血淋巴细胞微核、尿液致突变试验可作为危险品作业人员健康筛检特异检查指标。     

我国公共场所卫生监督监测中存在的主要问题与对策分析

公共场所的卫生状况自非典型性肺炎的爆发以来，受到人们的普遍关注。而提高公共场所的卫生质量还应依赖于对公共场所的卫生监督。该文通过文献复习与现场定性调查对我国公共场所卫生监督监测存在的主要问题作综合分析，并提出对策建议。以期使公共场所的卫生监督工作更有成效。     

职业人群健康监护信息管理系统的研究

健康监护信息管理系统可以对尘肺发生、发展情况进行跟踪与监视。也反映了对这一职业人群职业病监测的信息从收集、贮存到处理、利用,建立一个完整的反馈系统的重要意义。该系统结构合理、功能性强、程序设计简洁清晰、运行可靠,达到了规范化、标准化的要求。通过对这一职业人群的医学监护,可以及时分析全省工业中尘肺发展动态,从而为防治尘肺的科学决策提供可靠依据,并为深入开展尘肺病因学、流行病学、卫生学科研工作奠定基础。     

Natural fire management in National Parks

An evolving understanding of ecological processes, together with ambiguities in National Park Service policy, have led to multiple interpretations of the role of management in our large natural area National Parks. National Park Service management policies must be dynamic and responsive to changes in scientific knowledge and societal values. We propose that the principal aim of NPS resource management in natural areas is the unimpeded interaction of native ecosystem processes and structural elements. The case of the changing role of natural fire management is used as an example in developing this rationale.     

Cardiovascular risk under electromagnetic exposure in physiotherapy

The aim of the study was to assess the long-term effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on cardiovascular system of medical staff in physiotherapy. A number of 52 exposed subjects (4 male and 48 female; aged 47.3 ± 8.7 years), and a control group of 52 subjects, matched by sex and age, with similar job characteristics without EMR exposure were studied. The EMR exposure from devices emitting at 50 Hz, 150 kHz, 27.12 MHz, 2.45 GHz, and optical radiation was assessed. The relative values of EMR for the whole frequency range in each physiotherapy were calculated and the obtained quota was much larger than 1. The workload and psychosocial factors were evaluated, too. The cardiovascular risk factors arterial pressure, lipid profile, body mass index, waist/hip ratio, smoking, alcohol consumption, nutrition, family history of cardiovascular disease were studied. The incidence of hypertension was moderate with the studied physiotherapists (26.9% v.s. 23.8% control group). The total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly higher in the exposed group. The odds ratios indicate higher possibility of becoming dyslipidemic for the exposed to EMR subjects [for TC OR (95% CI) = 1.570 (1.048–2.351) and for LDL-C OR (95% CI) = 1.840 (1.158–2.924)]. In conclusion, our data show that the EMR exposure of the medical staff in physiotherapy could be associated with the adverse effects on cardiovascular system.     

Biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) management strategy in Ireland: A comparison with some key issues in the BMW strategy being adopted in England

Due to increasing pressure from the European Union to meet recycling and recovery targets, (e.g. the packaging waste, waste electronic equipment and landfill directives), both the Irish and England's governments’ policy on waste management is changing to meet these pressures, with major emphasis upon the management of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). In particular, the EU landfill directive requires reductions in the rate of biodegradable waste going to landfill to 35% by 2016. The objective of this paper is to examine how Ireland plans to meet this challenge and to compare the Irish strategy to that being adopted in England. The approach in England is driven by a clear understanding that the practice in the late 1990s was unlikely to ensure compliance with EU targets by the set dates. England has therefore developed a discrete, programme (Waste Implementation Programme) to drive a new approach, based on rigorous science and international best practice, which includes a Demonstrator Programme for new technologies. The dynamic, high cost, large scale programme in England stands in sharp contrast to that for Ireland and only future, detailed analysis of outcomes will be able to evaluate the cost effectiveness of each.     

Saint Lucia's experience with formulating a national sustainable development strategy

In response to domestic development challenges and calls from the international community for countries to develop and begin the implementation of national sustainable development strategies by 2005, the Government of Saint Lucia initiated a project named Integrated Planning for Sustainable National Development in 2002. Under this initiative, it was intended to articulate a vision for the country's development and use this as the basis for identifying a set of development imperatives through a process that will superimpose identified national development goals and targets on the international sustainable development agenda to arrive at a national strategy and plan for sustainable development. The plan also called for institutional and structural adjustments to move the country away from current sectoral‐based development planning to an environment of dialogue, cooperation and collaboration among development partners in the articulation of development policies, plans and projects. The initiative did not evolve as planned mainly due to inadequate political and financial support and the inability of key institutions to see the bigger picture this initiative tried to paint for the nation.