Local adaptation for livelihood resilience in Albay,Philippines

Local adaptation to climate change is essential for vulnerable coastal communities faced with increasing threats to livelihood and safety. This paper seeks to understand the micro-level enabling conditions for climate change adaptation through a livelihood lens in a study of six coastal villages in Bacacay in the province of Albay, Philippines. Albay is a high-risk province due to hydro-meteorological and geophysical hazards. The analysis of livelihood resilience utilizing the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach shows that a soft adaptation strategy focusing on enhancing human and social capital needs to be undertaken to increase adaptive capacity and build resilience in the study area. Moreover, the micro-level variations in the villages suggest that the understanding of local conditions is indispensable in planning and formulation of appropriate adaptation strategies and actions at local level.     

Social dimensions of science–humanitarian collaboration: lessons from Padang,Sumatra, Indonesia

This paper contains a critical exploration of the social dimensions of the science–humanitarian relationship. Drawing on literature on the social role of science and on the social dimensions of humanitarian practice, it analyses a science–humanitarian partnership for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia, an area threatened by tsunamigenic earthquakes. The paper draws on findings from case study research that was conducted between 2010 and 2011. The case study illustrates the social processes that enabled and hindered collaboration between the two spheres, including the informal partnership of local people and scientists that led to the co‐production of earthquake and tsunami DRR and limited organisational capacity and support in relation to knowledge exchange. The paper reflects on the implications of these findings for science–humanitarian partnering in general, and it assesses the value of using a social dimensions approach to understand scientific and humanitarian dialogue.     

重大道路交通事故救援“任务—职责—履责”探讨

突发事件应对中因救援任务不明确、应对主体职责不清、履责路径不通畅而导致事态扩大和严重问责的情况时有发生,这已成为应急绩效评估中常见的、亟需解决的问题。以某次特别重大道路交通事故应急为切入点,借助高速公路特殊路段典型交通事故救援演练实践,梳理了道路交通事故救援任务单元,匹配了各任务单元的责任主体和应急职责,并析出基于各责任主体应急角色交互的履责路径。该研究对提升当地道路交通事故应急救援整体水平具有借鉴价值。     

An enhanced environmental multimedia modeling system based on fuzzy-set approach: I. Theoretical framework and model development

Multimedia environmental modeling is extremely complex due to the intricacy of the systems with the consideration of many related factors. Traditional environmental multimedia models (EMMs) are usually based on one-dimensional and first-order assumptions, which may cause numerical errors in the simulation results. In this study, a new user-friendly fuzzy-set enhanced environmental multimedia modeling system (FEEMMS) is developed, and includes four key modules: an air dispersion module, a polluting source module, an unsaturated zone module, and a groundwater module. Many improvements over previous EMMs have been achieved through dynamically quantifying the intermedia mass flux; incorporating fuzzy-set approach into environmental multimedia modeling system (EMMS); and designing a user-friendly graphic user interface (GUI). The developed FEEMMS can be a useful tool in estimating the time-varying and spatial-varying chemical concentrations in air, soil, and groundwater; characterizing the potential risk to human health presented by contaminants released from a contaminated site; and quantifying the uncertainties associated with modeling systems and subsequently providing robustness and flexibility for the remediation-related decision making.     

基于两种耦合方法的模拟-优化模型在地下水污染源识别中的对比

采用一种基于模拟-优化模型的方法对地下水污染源进行识别研究.模拟-优化模型分别采用响应矩阵法和状态转移方程法进行耦合,并利用遗传算法求解,经过多次迭代,使得模拟结果与观测数据的误差达到最小.最后,通过一个假想例子评估模拟-优化模型的性能,同时比较应用不同耦合方法的计算结果.研究表明:应用响应矩阵法耦合模拟-优化模型所得结果的绝对误差范围为0.1~1.6g/L,应用状态转移方程法时,绝对误差范围为0~5.2g/L,因此,采用遗传算法求解模拟-优化模型能够有效且准确地得到地下水污染源的释放量,可以应用于地下水污染源识别问题,并且采用响应矩阵法耦合模拟-优化模型优于状态转移方程法.     

The futility of rights‐based humanitarian aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories

A rights‐based approach (RBA) to humanitarian aid is intrinsic to Norwegian policy and should inform Norwegian aid to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, one of the main receivers of Norwegian aid. However, this is the case only to a limited extent. While Norwegian humanitarian non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) take RBA seriously, and design their projects in accordance with its principles, they are unable to pursue a programme of long‐term structural change. This is because the main duty‐bearer, Israel, is indifferent or hostile to their work, while Norway's foreign policy is given higher priority than following through a rights‐based agenda. The result of this situation is a large, long‐standing aid effort that is unable to provide more than temporary relief in a steadily deteriorating situation. The Palestinian case suggests that RBA in humanitarianism may lead to frustration rather than human liberation when not backed up by political power.     

川滇黔地区突发性自然灾害的系统分析

本文从灾害链的角度闸述了该区的灾害类型及活动模式。在系统分析灾害对社会经济的影响后,得出因灾造成的损失,其比重是很大的。本区灾害具有强度大、突发性强、分布广、区域性强,以及同步迭加交替出现和周期性特点。在此基础上对灾害发展趋势作了预测,提出了相应的防治对策。     

Using Ecological Risk Assessment to Identify the Major Anthropogenic Stressor in the Waquoit Bay Watershed,Cape Cod,Massachusetts

The Waquoit Bay Watershed ecological risk assessment was performed by an interdisciplinary and interagency workgroup. This paper focuses on the steps taken to formulate the analysis plan for this watershed assessment. The workgroup initially conducted a series of meetings with the general public and local and state managers to determine environmental management objectives for the watershed. The workgroup then decided that more information was needed on the impacts of six stressors: nutrient enrichment, physical alteration of habitat, altered freshwater flow, toxic chemicals, pathogens, and fisheries harvesting. Assessment endpoints were selected to establish the link between environmental management objectives, impacts of stressors, and scientifically measurable endpoints. The following assessment endpoints were selected: estuarine eelgrass cover, scallop abundance, finfish diversity and abundance, wetland bird distribution and abundance, piping plover distribution and abundance, tissue contaminant levels, and brook trout distribution and abundance in streams. A conceptual model was developed to show the pathways between human activities, stressors, and ecological effects. The workgroup analyzed comparative risks, by first ranking stressors in terms of their potential risk to biotic resources in the watershed. Then stressors were evaluated by considering the components of stressors (e.g., the stressor chemical pollution included both heavy metals and chlorinated solvents components) in terms of intensity and extensiveness. The workgroup identified nutrient enrichment as the major stressor. Nutrient enrichment comprised both phosphorus enrichment in freshwater ponds and nitrogen enrichment within estuaries. Because phosphorus impacts were being analyzed and mitigated by the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, this assessment focused on nitrogen. The process followed to identify the predominant stressor and focus the analyses on nitrogen impacts on eelgrass and scallops will serve as an example of how to increase the use of the findings of a watershed assessment in decision making.     

Turbidity and nitrate transfer in karstic aquifers in rural areas: the Brionne Basin case-study

The degradation of water quality in many groundwaters of Europe is a major source of concern. Rises in turbidity and nitrate concentrations represent present or potential threats for the quality of drinking water in rural areas. They are for the most part a consequence of agricultural intensification which has considerably affected land cover and land use in recent decades. In our case-study (a karstic catchment) the mechanisms which explain changes in water quality, as far as turbidity and nitrate are concerned, result from a strong continuity between surface and underground waters. The karstic system of the Brionne Basin can be considered as both the focus of rapid horizontal flows (runoff, a rapid process in which rainwater reaches the spring directly through sinkholes) and slow vertical flows (leaching, in which rainwater filters through the soil to the spring). A hierarchical approach to the water pollution problem of the basin suggests that turbidity or nitrate concentrations peak during heavy rain episodes and are short-term events. In terms of management, this implies that the solution to water pollution caused by such events is also short-term and can therefore be addressed at a local scale. The rise of nitrate concentrations during the past twenty years is the main concern. The solution can only be found at a global scale (all the catchment area must be taken in account: land plots and their spatial configuration), and by taking a long-term approach.