The Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: seeking linkages for global environmental governance

ABSTRACT

Global environmental cooperation serves as an important part in the Chinese ideal of building a Community with a Shared Future for all Human Beings. The report of 19th CPC National Congress indicates that China is committed to proactive mitigation under the Paris Agreement and further participating in global environmental governance under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and both of which are largely integrated to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). BRI are also closely linked with South–South environmental and climate cooperation proposed by China from previous UN summits. Based on shared ideas, intersected agendas, and compatible governance approaches, BRI and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development grow increasingly relevant and they might form synergies based on increasingly interactive relations. In sum, seeking and intensifying the linkages between BRI and 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs) could address global environmental governance deficits and enhance cooperation among nations.     

突发事件区域应急联动影响因素的实证研究

在界定突发事件区域应急联动内涵的基础上,采用Delphi法,识别出突发事件区域应急联动的9个主要影响因素,即应急联动组织机构、应急联动法律法规、应急物资协同调配、应急队伍协同调配、应急预案动态协同、应急信息实时沟通、区域地理位置、区域灾害特征和区域合作基础。同时,运用ISM技术,确定区域应急联动9个影响因素的关联性,计算和分解可达性矩阵,绘制4级递阶有向图,得出区域应急联动影响因素的内在层次性,即划分出"基础层"、"过渡层"和"直接层",为有效构建突发事件区域应急联动机制提供了理论支持与科学依据。     

基于红色旅游的国土空间规划层级传导与冲突协调研究

以跨行政区域线状分布且多与自然资源相伴而生的红色旅游资源为切入点,针对区域红色旅游与国土空间规划拟合错位、红色旅游与三条控制线相互交织等问题,围绕国土空间规划层级传导和冲突协调展开探讨：以纵横传导双向引擎的方式构建分层次有传导的红色旅游空间体系,从而打破红色旅游区域协调和用地管制的问题;科学合理地协调红色旅游与三条控制线的冲突,当红色旅游与生态保护红线和永久基本农田红线冲突时应强调在保护中发展,在城镇开发边界内的红色文化资源应强调在发展中保护。本文旨在为红色旅游在国土空间规划体系下探索一条高质量发展路径,同时提高国土空间规划编制和三条控制线划定的科学性和可操作性。     

Using a novel data linkage approach to investigate potential reductions in motor vehicle crash severity – An evaluation of strategic highway safety plan emphasis areas

Introduction: With the significant number of motor-vehicle fatalities occurring on the nation’s roadways in recent years, there exists a need to integrate a more complete range of data sources, available at a regional or statewide level, to effectively evaluate existing safety concerns and quantify their impacts. Crash data alone does not provide ample crash-associated citation, injury, and roadway characteristics; therefore, a more cohesive dataset is required to accurately and completely analyze the true impacts of motor-vehicle crashes. Previously developed strategies linked crash data with citation and roadway inventory data to enhance the identification and optimization of highway safety strategies. Method: The main objective of this research focused on developing a new deterministic linkage between crash and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data, by utilizing the Massachusetts Crash Data System (CDS) and the Massachusetts Ambulance Trip Record Information System (MATRIS). Results: After several iterations of match criterion, the validated linkage successfully matched 58.3% of MATRIS records (containing an Injury Cause of Motor Vehicle Crash) to a CDS person record (55011 linked pairs, between 2014 and 2016). The data linkage provided significant insight into injury trends in several highway safety emphasis areas such as roadway departure, speeding-related, and distraction-affected crashes. The findings from this research are twofold: (1) an established process for linking previously separate data sets, and (2) a mechanism for analysis that provides decision-makers and safety professionals with a better measure of crash outcomes.     

Undercounting of large trucks in federal and state crash databases: Extent of problem and how to improve accuracy of truck classifications

Objective: Prior research suggested that single-unit trucks are undercounted when using vehicle body codes in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This study explored the extent of the misclassification and undercounting problem for crashes in FARS and state crash databases.

Methods: Truck misclassifications for fatal crashes were explored by comparing the Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) database with FARS. TIFA used vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and survey information to classify large trucks. This study used VINs to improve the accuracy of large truck classifications in state crash databases from 5 states (Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Utah).

Results: The vehicle body type codes resulted in a 19% undercount of single-unit trucks in FARS and a 23% undercount of single-unit trucks in state databases. Tractor-trailers were misclassified less often. Misclassifications occurred most frequently among single-unit trucks in the weight classes of 10,001–14,000 pounds.

Conclusions: The amount of misclassification of large trucks is large enough to potentially affect federal and state decisions on traffic safety. Using information from VINs results in more complete and accurate counts of large trucks involved in crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended actions to improve federal and state crash data.     

Differences in urban and rural accident characteristics and medical service utilization for traffic fatalities in less-motorized societies

Introduction

Fatalities from traffic accidents in less-motorized societies are an important global issue. We aimed to characterize the geographic differences of fatalities in such societies to facilitate the development of targeted interventions.

Method

This study linked police reports, hospital data, and vital registration data from Taiwan with special reference to accident factors in pre-hospital deaths and medical care in hospital deaths.

Results

A higher percentage of pre-hospital deaths were observed following rural as compared to urban traffic accidents. The deaths due to rural accidents can be attributed to lower use of restraints (i.e., helmets or seat belts), lower percentage of motorcyclists, and more highway accidents. A higher percentage of victims in rural accidents were transported to distant medical centers rather than to local hospitals.

Conclusion

Specific interventions, such as intelligent emergency medical systems, campaigns for helmets and seat belt usage, enforcement of helmets and seat belt use, and speed control measures should be targeted to rural areas.

Impact on industry

Cooperation between the vehicle industry and emergency medical providers in rural traffic accident rescue teams may decrease the numbers of deaths in these regions.     

Sustainable agriculture and eradication of rural poverty in Pakistan

Poverty is rampant in the rural areas of Pakistan, where people are in a state of deprivation with regard to incomes, clothing, housing, healthcare, education, sanitary facilities and human rights. Agriculture generates nearly 20.9 percent of the country's GDP and provides employment for 43.4 percent of its workforce. Most importantly, 65.9 percent of the population living in rural areas is directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Rising population, shrinking agricultural land, increasing demand for water resources, widespread land degradation and inadequate infrastructure appear to be major concerns of the agriculture sector in Pakistan. An attempt has been made to examine the population growth–agriculture growth–poverty alleviation linkage. It is argued that agriculture will continue to be one of the most important sectors of Pakistan's economy for years to come. To alleviate poverty, it is suggested that Pakistan enhance the productivity of the agriculture sector through the provision of a series of inputs including provision of easy credit to the small farmer, availability of quality fertilizers and pesticides, tractor and harvester services, improvement in the effectiveness of the vast irrigation system and, finally, farmer education. It is concluded that the high rate of population growth needs to be curbed for increased agricultural productivity to have any significant effect on poverty in rural areas of Pakistan.     

Coupling urban 3-D information and circuit theory to advance the development of urban ecological networks

Ongoing, rapid urban growth accompanied by habitat fragmentation and loss challenges biodiversity conservation and leads to decreases in ecosystem services. Application of the concept of ecological networks in the preservation and restoration of connections among isolated patches of natural areas is a powerful conservation strategy. However, previous approaches often failed to objectively consider the impacts of complex 3-D city environments on ecological niches. We used airborne lidar-derived information on the 3-D structure of the built environment and vegetation and detailed land use and cover data to characterize habitat quality, niche diversity, and human disturbance and to predict habitat connectivity among 38 identified habitat core areas (HCAs) in Nanjing, China. We used circuit theory and Linkage Mapper to create a landscape resistance layer, simulate habitat connectivity, and identify and prioritize important corridors. We mapped 64 links by using current flow centrality to evaluate each HCA's contribution and the links that facilitate intact connectivity. Values were highest for HCA links located in the west, south, and northeast of the study area, where natural forests with complex 3-D structures predominate. Two smaller HCA areas had high centrality scores relative to their extents, which means they could act as important stepping stones in connectivity planning. The mapped pinch-point regions had narrow and fragile links among the HCAs, suggesting they require special protection. The barriers with the highest impact scores were mainly located at the HCA connections to Purple Mountain and, based on these high scores, are more likely to indicate important locations that can be restored to improve potential connections. Our novel framework allowed us to sufficiently convey spatially explicit information to identify targets for habitat restoration and potential pathways for species movement and dispersal. Such information is critical for assessing existing or potential habitats and corridors and developing strategic plans to balance habitat conservation and other land uses based on scientifically informed connectivity planning and implementation.     

基于数据挖掘法的矿井瓦斯联动监测

为解决传统矿井监测技术存在的监测效果差、数据利用率低、预警能力不足等问题,提出采用多点及多因素融合的联动监测方法。采用计算机数据挖掘、多级数据融合处理技术建立基于实际预警、规则评判、历史数据检测等方法的矿井故障分析及瓦斯浓度预警数据处理模型。该技术在临汾市尧都区5个煤矿的安全生产监控中试验应用,结果表明联动分析法有助于分析矿井故障原因、提高瓦斯浓度预警能力,且数据挖掘及多级数据融合技术的应用有助于规范样本,提高分析预警规则的稳定性、适应性。