An Evaluation of the Influence of Natural Science in Regional-Scale Restoration Projects

Regional-scale restoration is a tool of growing importance in environmental management, and the number, scope, and complexity of restoration programs is increasing. Although the importance of natural science to the success of such projects generally is recognized, the actual use of natural science in these programs rarely has been evaluated. We used techniques of program evaluation to examine the use of natural science in six American and three Western European regional-scale restoration programs. Our results suggest that ensuring the technical rigor and directed application of the science is important to program development and delivery. However, the influence of science may be constrained if strategies for its integration into the broader program are lacking. Consequently, the influence of natural science in restoration programs is greatest when formal mechanisms exist for incorporating science into programs, for example, via a framework for integration of science and policy. Our evaluation proposes a model that can be used to enhance the influence of natural science in regional-scale restoration programs in the United States and elsewhere.     

Emerging conflict in collaborative mapping: Towards a deeper understanding?

In spatial planning and environmental management, maps are found very helpful in many situations, but in other situations they may also deepen conflicts or be ignored. This paper addresses the question what explains such phenomena, with particular emphasis on, and reference to, collaborative policymaking settings in the Netherlands. We have elaborated the concept of 'frames' and 'framing' to structure and analyze the function of maps in the context of deliberative policymaking. With help of discourse analysis, a method adopted from the policy sciences, we have observed ongoing multi-actor processes and focused on discussions around maps in several case studies. From the observations of both the maps themselves and the discussions and actions with the maps, we have interpreted the meaning and frames represented 'in' the map images, as well as the various perspectives of actors 'on' the collaborative use of the map. We have conceptualized three fundamentally different perspectives or frames on the function of maps in the decision-making process. The cross-frame debate over maps is illustrated with the recollection of one particular map-making example. We conclude that the conflicts observed in a number of case studies can be adequately explained with help of the three identified frames, and provide some recommendations for the profession of mapping.     

A Template for Integrated Community Sustainability Planning

This article describes a template for implementing an integrated community sustainability plan. The template emphasizes community engagement and outlines the components of a basic framework for integrating ecological, social and economic dynamics into a community plan. The framework is a series of steps that support a sustainable community development process. While it reflects the Canadian experience, the tools and techniques have applied value for a range of environmental planning contexts around the world. The research is case study based and draws from a diverse range of communities representing many types of infrastructure, demographics and ecological and geographical contexts. A critical path for moving local governments to sustainable community development is the creation and implementation of integrated planning approaches. To be effective and to be implemented, a requisite shift to sustainability requires active community engagement processes, political will, and a commitment to political and administrative accountability, and measurement.     

三工河流域油料作物的农户种植意愿影响因素分析——基于Logistic模型和240户农户微观调查数据

论文以新疆三工河流域27个行政村(连队)240户农户的调查数据为基础,通过建立农户种植油料作物意愿和各自变量的Logistic回归计量模型,从家庭特征因素、 资源禀赋因素、 家庭经济因素和其他因素四大方面分析了农户对油料作物种植意愿的影响因素。研究表明:家庭总人口、 对农业技术服务的态度与农户的种植意愿呈正相关关系,且对农业技术服务的态度标准化系数更大,影响更显著;常年从事农业劳动人数、 户主文化水平和地块位置与之呈反相关关系,且户主文化水平的标准化系数更大,影响更显著。但是反映土地投入、 种地收入以及人均收入没有通过检验,不能得出这几个变量与农户种植油料作物意愿之间的关系。文章最后探讨了兵地差异对农户种植意愿的影响及研究展望。     

基于二项分布检验法的水质达标评价方法研究

水质达标评价是流域水污染防治决策的科学基础,但水质变量的不确定性在传统的达标评价中常被忽略并由此产生决策风险.二项分布检验法可定量表征水质变量不确定性导致的决策风险,其结果更具鲁棒性.基于二项分布检验法,纳入风险偏好和利益权衡,提出了水质达标评价的决策框架.以海河流域为研究对象,对其2014年7月22日—2015年7月14日的周监测数据进行达标评价分析,对比了不同方法的决策风险,发现平均值法会导致很大的取伪错误概率,超标比例法会导致很大的弃真错误概率;二项分布检验法的2类错误概率均可控制在相对较低水平,决策风险最小,可为决策者提供较大的决策空间.案例研究表明,二项分布检验法在水质达标评价中具有适用性和灵活性.     

基于正态分布假设检验的湖泊营养盐浓度分级评价方法研究

目前湖泊营养盐浓度级别评价常采用的平均值法忽视了变量的不确定性.本文据此提出一种基于正态分布总体均值假设检验的级别评价方法,并结合我国地表水环境质量标准(GB3838—2002)对营养盐浓度的分类,提出了简便快捷的图示法.结果发现,该方法能体现营养盐浓度变量的不确定性,融合先验级别假设,将决策风险定量化,可提供较为广阔的决策空间.同时,采用该方法对滇池外海观音山监测断面氨氮浓度的水质级别进行评价,发现先验级别假设、样本容量和决策偏好对评价结果有显著影响;与平均值法的比较发现,假设检验法具有更小的错误概率(例如,样本容量13时,风险0.21),评价结果具有更高的可信度,验证了假设检验法的适用性.     

突发事件应急决策模拟演练设计理论框架与技术要点

突发事件应急决策模拟演练是提升参演主体应急处置能力的重要途径，该类演练的设计开发需要系统性的理论与技术进行规范和引导。从实践归纳的角度，将该类演练的设计划分为演练内容设计和演练形式开发2部分，详尽地分析演练内容设计中的4个核心要素（主题与目标、演练情景、演练任务和目标能力）和演练形式开发中的3项关键技术（控制流程、任务导入与方案输出、信息技术平台）。此外，着重介绍了突发事件应急决策模拟演练设计开发过程中容易混淆的几组概念关系，即“情景构建与应急演练的关系”、“应急预案与应急演练的关系”、“演练内容与演练形式的关系”、“演练中‘演’与‘练’的关系”。     

An economic evaluation of a participatory ergonomics process in an auto parts manufacturer

Problem

We assess the costs and consequences of a participatory ergonomics process at a Canadian car parts manufacturer from the perspective of the firm.

Method

Regression modeling was used with interrupted time series data to assess the impact of the process on several health measures. Consequences were kept in natural units for cost-effectiveness analysis, and translated into monetary units for cost-benefit analysis.

Results

The duration of disability insurance claims and the number of denied workers' compensation claims was significantly reduced. The cost-effectiveness ratio is $12.06 per disability day averted. The net present value is $244,416 for a 23-month period with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 10.6, suggesting that the process was worth undertaking (monetary units in 2001 Canadian dollars).

Discussion

Our findings emphasize the importance of considering a range of outcomes when evaluating an occupational health and safety intervention.

Impact on industry

Participatory ergonomics process can be cost-effective for a firm.     

基于“流变-突变”理论的安全投入决策

运用"流变-突变"理论分析煤矿安全投入的效果,发现其随着时间的推移也表现出"安全流变-突变"的特征。笔者指出,安全投入应该是持续的、不断进行的,不能靠期初一次性安全投入解决,而且后续安全投入应该选择在最佳时段(即不安全度加速发展阶段)进行,最晚不能超过安全突变的预警点,这样才能使系统的安全流变阶段能够尽量延长,从而最大限度地发挥所有安全投入的效果,缓解我国煤矿安全投入需求增长与安全投入不足的矛盾。     

Multicriteria decision-making for efficient water and land resources allocation in irrigated agriculture

The irrational use of water in agriculture is often responsible for several problems concerning the depletion and/or the pollution of water resources. In these cases specific policy measures should be taken to protect water resources from harmful agricultural activities, mitigating at the same time their potential impact on farmers’ welfare. To this end, a multicriteria decision-making model is formulated that aims at allocating efficiently water and land resources in a rural area of Greece, by optimizing a set of important socio-economic and environmental objectives. According to the model’s output, past and current decisions on irrigated agriculture turned out to be oriented towards meeting exclusively the socio-economic objectives. Yet, there are several other possible allocations schemes that could be applied in order to improve the performance of environmental indicators and to contribute to a more sustainable use of natural resources. Moreover, the decision-making model can be further employed to assess a number of additional policy measures in irrigated agriculture. In this framework, the outcome of imposing various water pricing policies was evaluated. The efficiency of these policies was found tightly connected to the elasticity of water demand. Namely, higher elasticity seems to enhance the flexibility in resource allocation and the movement towards environmental objectives. Readers should send their comments on this paper to: BhaskarNath@aol.com within 3 months of publication of this issue.