Toward Improved Environmental and Social Management of Indian Shrimp Farming*

In the last decade, Indian shrimp aquaculture production tripled from 30,000 tons (1990) to 102,000 tons (1999). This fast development, combined with a lack of adequate planning and regulation, caused a number of environmental problems and social conflicts, including conversion of mangroves, water pollution, and salinization of drinking water wells. Because of the significant investments made in shrimp culture and the size of the environmental and social impacts, the formulation of a regulatory framework for shrimp aquaculture has been subject to an intensive debate between the aquaculture and the environmental lobbies. Following an order from the Supreme Court (1996), the Aquaculture Authority was established and a regulatory and institutional framework for the shrimp aquaculture sector has been set up. However, implementation of the system is still defective, and there is an urgent need for improvement. Farmers are increasingly able to prevent the devastating white spot disease in shrimps, and in the absence of proper planning and regulation, further expansion of shrimp production could result in significant additional environmental and social costs. The environmental and social management of Indian shrimp farming can be improved through a mix of policy measures, including strengthening of the license system, more effective enforcement of regulations, the use of economic incentives, and increased monitoring of environmental and social impacts.     

Setting Priorities for Research on Pollution Reduction Functions of Agricultural Buffers

The success of buffer installation initiatives and programs to reduce nonpoint source pollution of streams on agricultural lands will depend the ability of local planners to locate and design buffers for specific circumstances with substantial and predictable results. Current predictive capabilities are inadequate, and major sources of uncertainty remain. An assessment of these uncertainties cautions that there is greater risk of overestimating buffer impact than underestimating it. Priorities for future research are proposed that will lead more quickly to major advances in predictive capabilities. Highest priority is given for work on the surface runoff filtration function, which is almost universally important to the amount of pollution reduction expected from buffer installation and for which there remain major sources of uncertainty for predicting level of impact. Foremost uncertainties surround the extent and consequences of runoff flow concentration and pollutant accumulation. Other buffer functions, including filtration of groundwater nitrate and stabilization of channel erosion sources of sediments, may be important in some regions. However, uncertainty surrounds our ability to identify and quantify the extent of site conditions where buffer installation can substantially reduce stream pollution in these ways. Deficiencies in predictive models reflect gaps in experimental information as well as technology to account for spatial heterogeneity of pollutant sources, pathways, and buffer capabilities across watersheds. Since completion of a comprehensive watershed-scale buffer model is probably far off, immediate needs call for simpler techniques to gage the probable impacts of buffer installation at local scales.     

Climate- and human-induced woody vegetation changes in Botswana and their implications for human adaptation

For purposes of suggesting adaptive and policy options regarding the sustained use of forestry resources in Botswana, an analysis of the whole countrywide satellite data (showing the mean present distribution of vegetation in terms of species abundance and over all density) and the projection of vegetation cover changes using a simulation approach under different climatic scenarios were undertaken. The analysis revealed that changes in vegetation cover types due to human and natural causes have taken place since the first vegetation map was produced in 1971. In the southwest, the changes appear to be more towards an increasing prevalence of thorn trees; in the eastern part of the country where widespread bush encroachment is taking place, the higher population density suggests more human induced (agrarian-degradation) effects, while in the sparsely settled central Kalahari region, changes from tree savanna to shrubs may be indicative of the possible influence of climate with the associated effects of fires and local adaptations. Projection of future vegetation changes to about 2050 indicates degeneration of the major vegetation types due to the expected drying. Based on the projected changes in vegetation, current adaptive and policy arrangements are not adequate and as such a shift from the traditional adaptive approaches to community-based types is suggested. Defining forestry management units and adopting different management plans for the main vegetation stands that are found in Botswana are the major policy options.     

Promotion of renewable energy technologies in Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is currently facing energy problems that have seriously affected its socio-economic development and environment. To solve these problems, the country is striving to exploit its renewable energy potential, among other efforts. This publication highlights the prevailing energy situation in Tanzania and provides a short review of potential energy resources. It then discusses current institutional efforts and capabilities in research, development, diffusion and commercialization of renewable energy technologies. The paper also identifies some barriers to promotion of renewable energy technologies. Finally, it outlines the energy policy of Tanzania and actions taken by the government of Tanzania to promote renewable energy technologies.     

Indicators of Sustainability: Challenges and Opportunities at the Interface of Science and Policy

Rising global interest in sustainability has triggered attention in indicators as a means of achieving a more sustainable world. Although the search for indicators has led to the development of criteria for good indicators, it has also been dominated by scientific elites. The consequences of such dominance leads to significant social and policy implications, particularly with regard to how the search for sustainability has become defined primarily as a technical/scientific exploration when it is actually a moral and ethical issue. Our discussion about sustainability and appropriate indicators centers on what constitutes the public interest, a question that requires inclusiveness and centers on the interface of science and policy. The paper reviews the rationale for selecting indicators, the functions they serve, and the implications and consequences involved when one sector—science—dominates the debate. The paper concludes with suggestions about appropriate roles of science, policy and the public in the indicator selection process.     

论中国环境保护产业的发展对策

环保产业是环境保护事业中的硬件支持，国家已将它列为优先发展的领域。如何引导和扶持这一产业健康发展是一个值得探讨的问题。本文分析了我国环保产业的现状，对其进一步发展提出了七条对策建议。     

Integration of accident scenario generation and multiobjective optimization for safety-cost decision making in chemical processes

Investment in Chemical Process Industries for improving their safety requires considering risk level, environmental effect, cost and many other aspects simultaneously. This paper focuses on a new systematic method of finding the most cost–risk–effective investment scenario set. The method uses the automatic accident scenario generation technique first to find a set of the most dangerous scenarios. Then it uses the multiobjective optimization method to decide the priority of the investment. These computations includes considering many constraints such as limited budget, environmental requirements and social demands. The Styrene Monomer plant case study proves the practical use of this integration method of accident scenario generation and multiobjective optimization.     

长江流域可持续发展基本政策研究

可持续发展是一种既满足当代人需求又不破坏后代人为满足其需求能力的一种发展模式,任何一个地区,均可以根据自身的资源优势和经济发展特点,走出一条适合于自身的可持续发展道路,实现可持续发展的途径与方式取决于区域的资源特征和经济发展水平;而能否实现可持续发展在较大程度上与地方政府部门制定的政策密切相关,研究实现可持续发展的适宜政策具有实际意义。本文在分析长江流域基本特征和影响因素的基础上,从经济、生态环境     

基于群决策的河流允许排污量公平分配博弈模型

为解决河流水质管理中允许排污量的公平分配问题,建立一个由排污者群体决策的博弈模型.其基本原理是在现有被普遍接受的公平分配准则基础上,排污者按照一定的顺序,根据个体利益最大化原则依次选择分配准则并获得相应的允许排污量,同时考虑所有排序方式,求取平均值作为最终分配结果.案例研究结果表明,模型综合考虑了多种分配准则,无需人为给定准则的权重,保证了分配依据和分配过程的公正,由排污者群体决策而得出最终结果,是一种较为公平合理的允许排污量分配方法.模型求解与博弈论的Shapley解法类似,计算量呈随排污者个数阶乘递增趋势.     

基于多属性决策方法的饮用水健康风险全面评价

分别从整体和单个指标两方面对饮用水的健康风险进行全面评价。整体评价方面,引入多属性决策方法对饮用水进行覆盖全部指标的健康风险评价。在给出指标不达标阈概念的基础上,提出了一个以指标从达标到不达标阈的敏感度为依据计算指标权重的方法。单个指标的健康风险评价方面,应用目前美国环保局推荐的健康风险评价模型对饮用水中的重金属指标进行健康风险评价,改进饮用水中污染物为有机物的健康风险评价模型达到对饮用水中的有机物指标进行健康风险合理评价。最后给出一个算例对所提方法进行了验证。结果表明,将多属性方法与目前普遍使用的健康风险评价方法结合起来使用能够实现从整体上和单个指标上对饮用水健康风险进行全面评价,从而更具实效性。