From Resistance to Resilience: Media Discourses on Urban Flood Governance in Mexico

This article examines the continuities and changes in newspaper coverage of urban flood governance in Tabasco, southeastern Mexico, where highly destructive floods have made flood risks a socially sensitive and politically contested public issue. The analysis draws upon post-Foucauldian critical discourse analysis, paying special attention to different actors’ discursive strategies to further their agendas amid the shifting forms of environmental governance. We argue that in recent years, discourses that promote integrated flood governance, based on cultural adaptation and social resilience instead of technological control, have become prominent in the media presentation of flood governance. These discourses endorse neoliberal views of flood governance as an issue of public–private co-governance and civil self-responsibility while being reluctant to consider flood risk from the perspective of the uneven distribution of vulnerabilities or as an issue of human rights.     

农村环境治理中地方政府的职能研究

本文通过对地方政府在农村环境治理中的职能定位,以及地方政府在农村环境治理中职能失效的原因分析,依据农村环境保护的相关立法和实践,重新梳理和配置地方政府的农村环境管理职能,从而探索农村环境治理的真正出路。     

Governance models for nature-based solutions: Seventeen cases from Germany

Nature-based solutions (NBS) for mitigating climate change are gaining popularity. The number of NBS is increasing, but research gaps still exist at the governance level. The objectives of this paper are (i) to give an overview of the implemented NBS for flood risk management and mitigation in Germany, (ii) to identify governance models that are applied, and (iii) to explore the differences between these models. The results of a hierarchical clustering procedure and a qualitative analysis show that while no one-size-fits-all governance model exists, polycentricism is an important commonality between the projects. The study concludes by highlighting the need for further research on traditional governance model reconversion and paradigm changes. We expect the findings to identify what has worked in the past, as well as what is important for the implementation of NBS for flood risk management in future projects.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01412-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

区域一体化的空间涌现逻辑及其范式探新——兼论长三角一体化的复杂性空间治理

复杂空间的涌现为区域一体化空间研究及国家战略实施提供了重要理论视角。运用文献调研、逻辑推导、归纳总结等方法探究了区域一体化空间演化的涌现逻辑及其研究范式,探讨了长三角一体化的复杂性空间治理。研究表明：（1）区域一体化具有异质性组分、适应性交互、多尺度嵌套、非线性动态、自组织演化等空间复杂性特征及空间涌现本质;（2）基于空间涌现的区域一体化空间研究范式拓展包括强化空间涌现思维,建立水平—垂直—历时的分析框架,以结构—过程耦合路径揭示空间涌现动态,注重多元数据和方法手段的集成;（3）应以复杂性治理及协同性治理、试探性治理为思路,从治理主体、对象、构型、工具、效能等方面探索长三角一体化的复杂性空间治理策略。     

面向水环境现代化治理的绩效评估与优先区识别——以九龙江流域-厦门湾为例

以福建省九龙江流域-厦门湾为例,构建了水环境治理绩效评估框架进行综合评估.结果显示,2011~2018年九龙江流域-厦门湾的水环境治理经历3个阶段,治理水平逐步上升,但存在陆源氮磷输入控制有待进一步加强、自然海岸生态修复亟需统筹等问题.结合InVEST模型、克里金插值等方法,借助污染物“源-汇”空间分析手段识别治理优先区,发现厦门岛排污口为氮磷输出主要点污染源、流域东南区域为主要面污染源,而厦门湾西海域是承接污染物的主汇区.进而提出源汇空间绩效科学评估、陆海统筹社会-生态系统监测与管理、适应自然的生态工程解决方案等现代化治理对策.     

河流水质模拟及污染源归因分析

针对大连市登沙河流域水环境质量问题,采用输出系数法估算流域内工业点源、农村生活、畜禽养殖、农业种植的氨氮和总磷入河污染负荷,基于QUAL2K水质模型模拟污染物的迁移转化规律,解析各污染源在不同时、空尺度下对河流中、下游水质考核断面的污染负荷贡献.结果表明：畜禽养殖是研究区氨氮污染的主要来源,分别占中游和下游断面氨氮总负荷的56.5%和43.2%;农业种植是总磷污染的主要来源,分别占中游和下游断面总磷总负荷的50.4%和59.1%.此外,由于天然降水及人类活动的季节性特征,各污染源的负荷贡献亦呈现年内变化.基于以上分析,进一步因地制宜地提出研究区水环境治理措施建议,研究可为我国农村地区中小河流水质改善及水环境管理提供示范参考和决策依据.     

牡丹江市环境治理第三方运营对策研究

近年来,牡丹江市在城市污水和污染源在线监控两个方面引入第三方运营,取得了一定成效.从环境污染第三方治理实践来看,牡丹江市污染第三方治理存在费用补贴渠道需要完善、污染治理领域亟待拓展、相应扶持政策亟待完善等问题.在分析问题的基础上,提出了扩大污水市场化运营范围、引入多方参与环境治理第三方运营、建立完善相应的政策措施等对策,吸引社会资本投入环境治理,立足现有条件,扩大推广范围,从而引导牡丹江市环境治理第三方运营.     

Benefits, efforts and risks of participants in landscape co-management: an analytical framework and results from two case studies in Austria

Participatory processes in general and also in relation to managing landscape issues are gathering importance mostly due to arguments surrounding legitimacy and effectiveness in decision-making. The main aim of this research, based on a transaction costs perspective, is to present an integrated analytical framework in order to determine individual efforts (time, money), benefits and risks of participants in landscape co-management processes. Furthermore a reflection on the analytical approach developed and arising lessons to be learned for landscape co-management are presented. In the analytical framework benefit-components comprise of factors such as 'contributing to landscape maintenance/development and nature protection', 'representing one's interest group', 'co-deciding on relevant topics', 'providing and broadening one's knowledge' and 'building networks'. The risks of participation are related to a lack of information and agreements, missing support and actual decision-making power. The analytical framework is applied to two case studies in Austria: an EU LIFE-Nature project and a Cultural Landscape Project of the Provincial Government of Lower Austria. Analysis of the effort-benefit-relations provides an indication for a more effective design of co-management. Although the processes are rated as quite adequate, there is a low willingness of participants to commit additional time to co-management processes. In contrast to the Cultural Landscape Project, in the LIFE-Nature project, professionally involved persons participate next to partly and full volunteers. These uneven conditions of participation and an unfair distribution of transaction costs, jeopardize the promising chances co-management bears for landscape governance.     

Sustainable urban community development from the grassroots: Challenges and opportunities in a pedestrian street initiative

Abstract

A local sustainable development initiative to establish a temporary pedestrian zone within a Canadian urban community served as a research study into the efficacy of social capital in the development of a network for community action. This community-based initiative used social capital to overcome campaign obstacles and the campaign itself generated new social capital within the neighbourhood through the creation of adaptive networks of participants. The campaign succeeded in creating a part-time pedestrian-only space that serves as an educational example of change for sustainable community development that is replicable in other communities, and provides an example of alternative occupation of community space. Contrary to other literature, little evidence of “core burnout” was found although the network does continue to expend a large amount of effort and time on fundraising. While social capital is a powerful tool for local grassroots action, the availability of a critical source of economic capital may prove vital to the long-term success and sustainability of the network.     

Road Traffic Pollution Monitoring and Modelling Tools and the UK National Air Quality Strategy

This paper provides an assessment of the tools required to fulfil the air quality management role now expected of local authorities within the UK. The use of a range of pollution monitoring tools in assessing air quality is discussed and illustrated with evidence from a number of previous studies of urban background and roadside pollution monitoring in Leicester. A number of approaches to pollution modelling currently available for deployment are examined. Subsequently, the modelling and monitoring tools are assessed against the requirements of local authorities establishing air quality management areas. Whilst the paper examines UK-based policy, the study is of wider international interest.