Socioeconomic study and economic value of living fossil,Lingula sp.in mangrove ecosystem in Trat Province,Thailand

This paper is the first recorded economic value of living fossil,an evaluation of the basic economic value of Lingula,based on the direct utilization of households for food and sale.Twenty-one local fishermen who collected Lingula in Trat Province were focused on by using interview questionnaires.The animal habitats are influenced by the encroachers’age,gender and harvest method.The total economic value in 2011 was around two million baht.Those who possess fishing gear and have more money can have greater access to the product The local communities in Nong Khunsong sub-district are successful in collecting the Lingula and in doing local business.The market channel analysis is conducted at local,provincial and national levels and short market chains are demonstrated in the form of a wholesale market in the Lingula trade.This represents significant consumption by the local communities.The study further recommends sustainable conservation and management efforts at a local scale.     

Quantitative Appraisement on Ecological Carrying Capacity in Coastal Rapid Developing Region of Hainan Province

Abstract

The ecological carrying capacity, an important indicator to evaluate the sustainable development of the ecosystem, means the potential ability of the natural ecosystem to carry socioeconomic development while the ecosystem is healthy. It is limited by the carrying capacity of natural resources and environment and the elasticity of the ecosystem. It will be greatly significant to study the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province, the first ecological province admitted by the State Environmental Protection Administration in China. Not only is the natural ecosystem reflected, but also the effects of human activities are emphasized by integrating the ecosystem health analysis into the ecological carrying capacity research. The research results, using the Factor Analysis tools of software SPSS, indicate that the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province fluctuated obviously from 1996 to 2005. The level of the ecological carrying capacity of Hainan Province was relatively high in 1996, and reached into trough from 1997 to 1999. It has steadily ascended to be above the middle level since the 21st century. The results also show that policy factors, especially the implementation of the ‘Ecological Province’ strategy, were important driving forces to influence the ecological carrying capacity. With the population rapidly increasing, the land and water resources per capita have decreased quickly. The amount of the ecological carrying capacity was promoted remarkably by socioeconomic development especially economic growth and technology applications. All of these will provide useful suggestions to establish and enact regional development policies, especially for protecting and reconstructing the ecology and environment of Hainan Province.     

Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in Kenya

Abstract

To determine the climate changes that are due to natural variability and those due to human activities is quite challenging, just like delineating the impacts. Moreover, it is equally difficult to ascertain the adaptive strategies for coping with the climate changes and in particular for developing countries like Kenya. While climate change is a global phenomenon, the impacts are more or less specific to local areas such as observed in Kenyan case. Therefore climate change impacts adaptation strategies are appropriately applicable to a given local perspective. The study investigated the main indicators of climate change and effective adaptive strategies that can be employed in Kenya. Based on online questionnaire survey, the study established unpredictable rainfall patterns as the major indicator of climate change in the country, while water harvesting and change of cropping methods are the best adaptive strategies.     

Factors influencing the quality of rural human settlements in a peripheral metropolitan area based on a structural equation model: A case study from Beijing

Rural human settlement is a significant indicator of the living standards of rural residents, and its improvement can contribute to promoting the positive interaction between inhabited environment and the social, economic, and resource environment in the countryside. Based on 557 valid questionnaires of satisfaction evaluation of human settlement in the peripheral metropolitan area of Beijing, this paper analyzed the elemental characteristics and factors influencing human settlement quality using multivariate statistical analysis and a structural equation model. The result shows that, first, the rural residents in a peripheral metropolitan area of Beijing are generally satisfied with the quality of human settlement (satisfaction rate is 66.2%). Specifically, the natural and social environment of the countryside is excellent and harmonious and corresponding standard of countryside infrastructure is advanced, but the quality of public services and follow-up management of facilities are in urgent need of improvement and the imbalance between revenue and expenditure of rural households has led to a continuous increase in the pressures of life. Second, factors such as social atmosphere, appearance of the village, entertainment, living costs, fundamental public services, and production costs have significant effects on human settlement quality in this peripheral metropolitan area, with social atmosphere as the main one. Living costs and supporting services are the main constraints to improvement in the quality of human settlement.     

Analysis of the efficiency of regional tourism based on DEA window technology

In this study, data envelopment analysis is used to measure the tourism efficiency of 31 regions in China according to the panel data from the year 2000 to 2010. The conclusion shows that the efficiency of tourism industry is on the rise as a whole, while the diversity of every region becomes more and more apparent. High efficiency appears in east regions like Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai where the economy is developed, and regions like Jilin, Sichuan and Gansu in the midland and west show low efficiency.     

极化区功能识别与评价指标研究

城市密集化地区中具有国家战略和拥有重要国际竞争力功能的区域被称之为极化区。在经济全球化、国家之间经济合作与竞争越来越加剧的背景下,各国都把加强极化区建设作为提高本国国际竞争力的重要途径。首先,介绍并评述了德国评价极化区功能的指标体系,包括决策和控制功能、创新和竞争力功能,以及门户功能;其次,针对我国发展阶段和特色,构建了识别我国极化区功能的指标体系;并以极化区理论为指导,分别对长江三角洲、珠江三角洲和京津冀区域规划的功能定位进行比较和评述。当前,为提高我国城市化水平、区域协调发展能力与国际竞争力,国务院批准了多个具有国家战略意义的区域规划,是从我国东中西和各省之间经济协调发展或作为新经济增长点、生态保护与建设的角度有国家意义的区域。通过比照极化区的功能含义,认为其中有的战略区功能定位与极化区的功能相一致,有的可作为新极化区培育,有可能发展为具有较强国际竞争力的极化区,这两种是今后我国极化区研究的主要区域     

基于能值分析的滨海湿地生态系统服务价值定量化研究进展

在滨海湿地生态系统服务价值评价中,能值方法克服了传统经济学方法的一些不足,对评价沿海地区发展的可持续性具有重要意义,并成为近十年来环境经济学和生态经济学研究的热点问题。综合国内外滨海湿地生态系统服务价值能值评价的研究进展,就滨海湿地生态系统的供给、调节、文化和支持服务价值的能值估算方法进行了分析。在此基础上,指出了目前该方法应用于滨海湿地生态系统服务价值评价主要存在能值转换率的选用不一致、生态系统服务价值的能值估算方法需要完善、能值分析所应用的滨海湿地类型较少、缺少对人类活动引起的生态系统服务能值变化的评价及检验评价结论正确性的标准等不足,并提出了进一步的研究方向。     

南方重金属矿区重金属的污染特征及评价

 采用全面踏查和典型调查相结合的方法,对福建主要重金属矿区的尤溪铅锌矿、连城铅锌矿和连城锰矿不同片区重金属污染状况进行调查。结果表明：福建重金属矿区重金属污染极其严重,矿区中Mn、Zn、Pb、Cd最高含量分别达92 546、27 454、23 792和248 mg/kg,是对照区的几倍至上百倍。根据国家土壤环境质量三级标准,按照重金属单项污染指数标准进行的污染评价表明：南方重金属矿区Zn、Pb、Cd均达到重度污染标准,污染程度表现为尤溪铅锌矿区>连城铅锌矿区>连城锰矿区。按照综合污染指数评价标准,福建连城铅锌矿、连城锰矿和尤溪铅锌矿的综合污染指数也达到重度污染标准,分别是重度污染临界标准的16.5、10.6和53.6倍,不同矿区的重金属污染程度大小排序为尤溪铅锌矿区>连城铅锌矿区>连城锰矿矿区。     

中国银行业环境风险控制体系构建现状分析

银行投资行为导致的环境破坏问题可能给银行带来环境风险。环境风险控制是实现我国金融可持续发展的必然选择。我国银行业环境风险控制体系由四部分组成,其中环境信息收集和传递是环境风险控制的基础,环境风险管理部门建设是环境风险控制业务的保障,环境风险动态评估和管理是环境风险控制的关键,借鉴国际经验和加入国际准则是提升环境风险控制水平的有效途径。本文通过对我国全国性商业银行在环境风险控制领域的举措进行分析,总结我国银行业环境风险控制体系构建的现状和问题。     

用参评因子动态排序法评价环境综合质量

评价环境综合质量常用的方法是计算加权平均的综合指数,其中权重的确定又多用层次分析法（AHP）。设计以实际监测数据为依据计算两个参数yi1和yi2,并据此对各因子进行分类并排序,由此可定性确定各因子对环境总体污染的相对重要性,并判识环境污染中的关键因子、预警因子、趋好转的因子及可不必特别关注的因子;为定量确定各因子在综合评价中的权重,再依排序位次对其赋值,然后利用所赋之值进行因子间的两两比较以克服AHP法一般应用中因各人掌握标准有异而造成比较结果的不确定性,使权重确定完全建立在监测数据的客观基础上。此外,因环境污染状况随时空改变,若需对不同时段或不同区域的环境综合质量进行评价,给各因子赋予不变的权重显然不妥,而用上述思路和方法可依据实测值的差别对不同时段或不同区域的环境评价因子进行有根据的差异排序,然后再用AHP法定权,这就使不同时空环境质量的比较更为客观合理。