Climate change adaptation at different levels of government: Characteristics and conditions of policy change

Climate change adaptation strategies that aim to minimize harm and maximize benefits related to climate change impacts have mushroomed at all levels of government in recent years. While many studies have explored barriers that stand in the way of their implementation, the factors determining their potential to mainstream adaptation into various sectors are less clear. In the present paper, we aim to address this gap for two international, six national, and six local adaptation strategies. Based on document analyses and 35 semi‐structured interviews, the 14 case studies also explore in how far the factors facilitating climate change adaptation are similar across levels of government or level‐specific. Although located at three different levels of government, we find that the 14 adaptation strategies analyzed here represent “one‐size‐fits‐all governance arrangements” that are characterized by voluntariness and a lack institutionalization. Since adaptation strategies are relatively weak coordination hubs that are unable to force adaptation onto sectoral policy agendas, they rely mainly on sectoral self‐interest in adapting to climate change, largely determined by problem pressure. We conclude that one‐size‐fits‐all governance arrangements are rarely adequate responses to complex challenges, such as climate change. Although climate change adaptation depends more on framework conditions such as problem pressure than on administrative or governance features, the findings presented here can help to understand under what circumstances adaptation is likely to make progress.     

低碳生态城市建设效应评估方法构建及在深圳市的应用

在推进生态文明建设、应对气候变化和解决环境问题的背景下,低碳生态城市已经成为未来城市发展转型的必然趋势.为了指导实现城市有序健康的发展,初步提出了一种低碳生态城市建设效应评估模型.在基于"压力-状态-响应"综合评估模型、系统动力学模拟模型和调控潜力分析的基础上,构建现状水平和未来演变趋势相结合的认知框架,综合考虑当地自然资源安全,定量表达社会活动、低碳经济和生态环境之间的相互依赖、相互制约的关系,确定指标调控方向和潜力.最后,基于该模型对深圳市进行了案例研究,结果表明:深圳市评估指数从2009年"IV级:较低"提升到2013年"III级:中等",在维持现状规模和高速发展速度下,2020年达到"II级:较高"水平(61.7),尽管保持增长趋势,但呈现增长缓慢甚至"饱和"状态.因此,依旧有必要优化调控深圳市低碳生态城市建设中社会经济发展的方向和模式,进一步落实和强化深圳市低碳生态产业结构调整和"海洋强市"等措施.     

农村污水治理政府组织实施模式创新研究——以县域为基本单元

目前,中国农村污水治理面临体制机制障碍和政府组织实施等诸多难题.县域是具备财政统筹和政策制定能力的最基本行政区划,以县域为基本单元组织实施农村污水治理具有必要性和可行性.为此,需要厘清县级政府及其职能部门组织实施责任,注重农村污水处理工程设计管理、工程施工管理、工程资金管理以及农村污水处理工程的长效运行管理.这种“过程管理”,能够解决农村污水治理的组织实施难题,改善农村地区水环境和卫生状况,促进农村经济和社会可持续发展.     

基于调节聚焦理论的生物农药推广有效性研究

化学农药在提高单位耕地面积农产品产量和效益的同时,由于过量施用、利用效率低下等污染了生态环境、危害农产品安全和损害消费者健康等问题,而具有低残留、低污染和环境友好性优势的生物农药逐渐得到公共部门和业界的重视。但生物农药能否得到大范围推广和施用,关键在于能否改变农户的农药施用行为和农药生产企业的积极参与。由于生物农药施用涉及农户的当前利益和长期利益、个人利益和社会利益等相关因素,使农户的农药施用决策具有突出的心理距离属性。本文引入调节聚焦理论,建立了心理距离与农户农药施用决策和心理动机的关系,实证研究生物农药推广对农户农药施用决策、支付愿意(WTP)、农药生产企业态度和再次施用意愿的影响。结论如下:1施用生物农药给农户带来的收益是长期的、全社会的和不确定的,而多数农户农药施用决策所考虑的利益是当前的、私人的。因此,二者在心理距离、调节聚焦以及利益追求方面是不匹配的,这揭示了当前生物农药推广过程中出现的"叫好不叫座"的原因;2农药生产企业能够从生物农药推广中获利。如果生物农药推广得当,将会提高农户对生物农药以及农药生产企业的积极评价,其对生物农药的愿意支付价格和再次施用意愿也会提升;3调节聚集信息诉求和心理距离的匹配,对农户生物农药施用决策存在显著影响。当预防(或促进)聚焦信息诉求与近(或远)心理距离匹配时,农户对生物农药信息诉求的认同度较高,施用意愿也更高。因此,要提高生物农药的推广效果,针对农户农药施用决策具有近心理距离的特点,公共部门及农药生产企业在推广生物农药时应该强化预防聚焦信息,而弱化促进聚焦信息;此外,生物农药推广过程中,公共部门及农药生产企业也可以通过宣传策略,延长农户农药施用决策时的心理距离与改善生态环境的促进聚焦目标相匹配,从而提高农户施用生物农药的积极性。     

Government management and overexploitation of groundwater resources: absence of local community initiatives in Ardabil plain-Iran

Although mismanagement of groundwater resources has resulted in their destruction over centuries, climate change is speeding up this process more than ever. On the one hand, urgent action by government bodies is needed to address the challenge. On the other hand, a vast body of literature proves that bottom-up collective action, although requiring a longer time period, is a better solution to manage such resources. This research aims to address this dilemma. The groundwater resource in Ardabil plain in Iran, which has long been managed solely through government intervention, has been chosen as a case study to explore the opportunities and limitations of managing a critically endangered area from a common pool resource perspective. Our study suggests that managing Ardabil groundwater resources should be conducted on two scales. The bottom-up institutional agreements should take place at village scale while the government should stay in charge of the overall organization at plain scale.     

关于工业水环境监管研究展望——基于文献综述的思考

实施工业污水排放的有效监管是水环境保护的重要环节。为借鉴国内外相关领域的理论和实践经验,促进我国监管制度的完善。从监管理论、委托-代理框架下激励监管理论以及工业水环境监管三方面的研究进展进行综述。     

环境规制方式与环境规制效果的关系研究

结合国际环境规制的发展历程，将中国环境规制方式划分为政府立法、政府执法和公众参与。使用《中国环境统计年鉴》和《中国环境统计公布》（2001－2010年）的有关统计数据，通过建立灰色关联分析模型，计算了这三种规制方式与环境规制效果的关系。分析结果表明，对中国环境规制效果作用最大的是政府执法，其次是公众参与和政府立法。在上述分析的基础上，从优化考核机制、明确权力划分、提高公众意识等方面提出了改善建议。     

The nature and frequency of social interactions among free-living prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)

Hypotheses relating the behavior of voles to their population cycles often assume that the rate of social interaction increases with population density. To test this assumption, we examined the frequency of social interactions in a population of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) over a 7-year period. In addition, we characterized space use by resident animals, patterns of visitation by nonresidents to nests, and participants in social interactions. Social groups within the population typically displayed little overlap in their use of space, even at high population densities. Nevertheless, nonresidents, particularly wandering males, were captured as visitors at nests. The number of visits per social group did not increase in a simple linear manner with population density and was particularly variable when there were fewer than 100 animals/ha. At such times, more single females and fewer pairs received visits from males than expected based on the frequency of occurrence of these groups in the population; a similar pattern was noted during periods of high population density (≥100 animals/ha) but the comparisons failed to reach statistical significance. Furthermore, at high population density, more communal groups received visits from females than expected. Patterns of visitation to communal groups were influenced by the number of adult male residents (winter only), but not by the number of adult female residents or presence of philopatric female offspring. These data indicate that the frequency of social contact in prairie voles does not increase linearly with population density and is influenced by the spacing and possible mate-guarding behavior of resident animals. Received: 7 January 1998 / Accepted after revision: 16 May 1998     

航空污水A/O工艺影响因素的调整

首都机场污水处理厂除了处理机场地区日常的生活污水外,还负责处理航空粪便污水。由于多种原因,2004年上半年航空粪便对污水处理系统造成了冲击。在此介绍了针对负荷的冲击,如何调整工艺,恢复污水处理系统正常运行。