吐鲁番市历史文化遗址环境生态敏感性综合分析

针对历史文化资源保护的迫切需求利用高精度的地形数据和生态环境调查资料在GIS技术的支持下进行了历史文化遗址环境生态敏感性评价。以吐鲁番市区的历史文化遗址环境生态敏感性问题为研究对象选取高程等9个敏感性因子,利用层次分析法(AHP)确定敏感性因子权重结合GIS空间分析技术得到吐鲁番市区历史文化遗址环境生态敏感性结果。结果表明:吐鲁番市区历史文化遗址的生态敏感性总体较高,区域差异比较明显。国家级遗址和自治区级遗址都处在高度敏感状态,县市级遗址处在中度敏感状态,急需加强保护。最后提出分类保护措施为今后生态防范措施的针对性提供科学依据。     

基于3S技术的景观格局指数空间尺度效应变化研究

本文在阐述景观格局指数空间尺度效应重要意义及3S技术特点的基础上,以四川省木里县梭罗沟金矿矿区为研究区,介绍了3S技术在不同空间尺度提取景观格局指数的技术要求、数据收集和工作流程,并对研究区不同空间尺度景观格局指数的提取结果进行了效应分析,将各景观格局指数随空间尺度表现出不同变化趋势划分为五种类型,确定了该研究区域景观格局分析的最适宜空间尺度为1.0 m~5.0 m。景观格局指数空间尺度效应分析研究,有利于揭示景观格局与尺度效应相互作用的机理,进而对景观格局的尺度推演的方向、过程进行模拟、预测、分析和评价等研究提供重要的科学参考,并对遥感数据和地理信息系统的正确使用具有重要的科学意义。     

中小城市空气环境指标的多角度分析研究——以楚雄市为例

文章根据楚雄市空气污染数据,采用统计的方法从不同的角度探求中小城市空气污染指标的变化规律,并求出三种污染物的同时置信区间及它们之间的关联性。结果表明:楚雄市的空气污染主要由SO2造成,室外空气质量能达到一类地区的水平,三种污染物之间两两相关性较弱,但整体相关性较强,同时根据结论提出了相应的建议。     

Institutions for a sustainable development—experiences from EU-countries

This article is based on an international comparative study analysing innovations in national administrative institutions. Results of that research are presented and discussed here. Against the background of the institutionalising process of political institutions the study focused on innovations initiated or introduced by governments or parliaments by example of policies and politics supporting sustainable development. The countries involved in the original study were Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Three general lessons can be drawn: (1) Countries with a long tradition of integrated environmental policy-making are more open to the concept of sustainability. (2) A (institutional) “cure-all” solution does not seem to exist. It seems necessary to diffuse the concept of sustainability into all spheres of politics and society. Reaching this strategic goal requires a specific policy and polity mix. (3) Strong and well-equipped institutions result from specific policies and politics: they play a central role in promoting and intensifying sustainable development. Successful innovations integrating SD into everyday politics and policies are only a very first step though. Further improvements with regard to effective participation and public debate, global orientation of policies and the measurability of achieved progress are necessary.     

Estimating the Value of Non‐Use Benefits from Small Changes in the Provision of Ecosystem Services

Abstract: The unit of trade in ecosystem services is usually the use of a proportion of the parcels of land associated with a given service. Valuing small changes in the provision of an ecosystem service presents obstacles, particularly when the service provides non‐use benefits, as is the case with conservation of most plants and animals. Quantifying non‐use values requires stated‐preference valuations. Stated‐preference valuations can provide estimates of the public's willingness to pay for a broad conservation goal. Nevertheless, stated‐preference valuations can be expensive and do not produce consistent measures for varying levels of provision of a service. Additionally, the unit of trade, land use, is not always linearly related to the level of ecosystem services the land might provide. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a method to estimate the value of a marginal change in the provision of a non‐use ecosystem service—in this case conservation of plants or animals associated with a given land‐cover type. Our method serves as a tool for calculating transferable valuations of small changes in the provision of ecosystem services relative to the existing provision. Valuation is achieved through stated‐preference investigations, calculation of a unit value for a parcel of land, and the weighting of this parcel by its ability to provide the desired ecosystem service and its effect on the ability of the surrounding land parcels to provide the desired service. We used the water vole (Arvicola terrestris) as a case study to illustrate the method. The average present value of a meter of water vole habitat was estimated at UK£12, but the marginal value of a meter (based on our methods) could range between £0 and £40 or more.     

CONSTRAINTS IN WATER MANAGEMENT ON AGRICULTURAL LANDS1

ABSTRACT Whether the goal is minimizing water quality degradation in receiving streams or maximizing agricultural production on existing croplands; the solutions are identical - improved water management practices. Technology has succeeded in developing feasible solutions to improving irrigation water management, but the law has been slow to encourage or direct implementation. The villain of the western United States water problem is the property right concept of the appropriation doctrine. Improving water management also implies organizational improvements. Also, the so-called “human factor” involves questions of inefficiency and ineffectiveness, that when examined under the criteria of efficacy, may dictate a policy of continuing present practices in certain localities or regions with little technological intervention. The present effort for improving water quality management implies, therefore, a manyfold attack aimed at increasing project irrigation efficiency and effectiveness, under the larger rubric of efficacy and the achievement of larger social goals.     

A TREATISE ON THE USE OF EXPECTED VALUES IN WATER RESOURCE PROJECT EVALUATION1

This paper focuses on two factors that influence the acceptability of the expected value criterion as a method of handling risk or uncertainty in decision-making where damages from unusual physical occurrences such as hurricanes or floods must be considered. These are the length of time of project existence and the problem of obtaining accurate estimates of the probability of occurrence for different sizes of natural disasters. The problem of estimating accurate probabilities of occurrence for different sizes of natural disasters is not as great as it might appear and in most situations will not defeat the usefulness of the method. The time span during which the project is expected to exist has greater implications for the usefulness of the expected value approach appears highly applicable. However, it becomes less applicable for projects that are short-term in nature. The basis for distinguishing between short- and long-term projects is presented.     

Flood Risk Perceptions and Overdevelopment in the Floodplain1

ABSTRACT: There is a long standing hypothesis that overdevelopment has occurred in the nation's floodplains due to imperfect information about the potential flood hazard, an expectation of disaster relief and anticipation of future structural protection. This hypothesis is investigated with multiple regression analysis of data for a case study area. In particular the question of whether floodplain residential property values are fully discounted for expected flood damages is addressed by considering the impact of the National Flood Insurance Program on property values. The extent to which flooding risk perceptions are based on low cost information such as distance from and elevation above the river is also considered. Finally, implications for floodplain management policy are discussed.     

A VIABLE METHODOLOGY TO IMPLEMENT THE PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS1

ABSTRACT: The “principles and standards for planning water and related land resources” were made effective October 25, 1973. The document was noticeably deficient in suggestions for the necessary implementing procedures to ensure its success. Current implementing procedures are based on an incorrect premise of maximizing a single objective subject to non-quantified constraints. A successful implementation of multiple objective planning requires optimizing simultaneously several competitive goals. A system of goal programming has been developed and applied to decisionmaking situations as a test of its usefulness in planning for multiple objective water resources projects. The result is a project planning process which can be replicated for adjustments in expected resource supplies or demands to provide a tradeoff matrix between economic and environmental objectives as well as traditional functional purposes. This procedure, tested on the Cross Florida Barge Canal, is an integrated analysis of economic and environmental values which may be as effective in implementing multiple objective planning as the “Green Book” was in developing the now inappropriate benefit cost analysis.