Environmental regulation of exploration and mining operations in Asian countries

This paper offers a new perspective on the environmental laws in Asian nations affecting the exploration, mining, and reclamation activities of the mineral resource industry: the perspective of the senior government officials in those countries, whose job is to enforce these new environmental laws. The article presents the results of a 1998 survey of national environmental officials in Asia conducted by the Colorado School of Mines and the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. Officials in 10 diverse countries—Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—responded to a detailed questionnaire covering applicable laws, agencies, protected areas, covered mineral activities, financial assurance, environmental impact assessment, public involvement, environmental standards, permit and reclamation requirements.
The survey confirms that Asian nations are part of the global trend towards national government regulatory structures that balance mineral development objectives with environmental considerations. The survey also shows developing regulatory systems (some embryonic, some more mature) utilizing a combination of mining and environmental acts, and often an 'insider' perspective of the national officials administering the laws. While that perspective is not without its biases (not least the rigor of enforcement), it may nevertheless be of use in company planning. The emerging regulatory picture contradicts the conventional notion that it is the 'lower' level of regulation in Asia that is attracting foreign direct investment in mining.     

LANDCARE AND COMMUNITY-LED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN VICTORIA,AUSTRALIA1

ABSTRACT: Australia's ‘Landcare’ program is a community-based participatory program established by government to tackle the problem of land degradation. Landcare involves thousands of Australians working together in locally based groups, tackling problems of common concern. Government and community are now looking to ‘scale up’ the Landcare idea to a regional level. State and territory governments have moved to create regional (often watershed-based) frameworks for land management planning and resource conservation, in accordance with the concept of integrated watershed management. Growing out of the success of community involvement in Landcare, many of these approaches involve the community. However scaling up of the Landcare idea introduces problems of both time and space. There have been a number of problems experienced in the implementation of Landcare and integrated watershed management. These problems include the equitable delineation of membership on decision-making bodies; the raising of sufficient funds for program implementation; and the coordination of a diversity of governmental layers, planning processes and management programs. This paper reviews how the State of Victoria has responded to these challenges and suggests what challenges remain.     

国际水法对长江流域立法的启示和意义

随着长江经济带建设的推进,长江流域治理亟待法治化。由于调整对象、事项和目标方面的相似性,国际水法的理论、原则、规则和实践对于长江流域立法具有重要且有益的参考价值。长江流域立法面临着利益主体多元、生态环境和资源保护任务艰巨以及治理体制机制很不合理三个方面的巨大挑战。国际水法关于生态整体性路径、公平合理利用原则以及流域治理体制机制三个基本方面的理论、法律和指南以及实践,对于长江流域立法有效应对这些挑战具有重要启示。其意义体现在:直接促进长江流域治理的法治化,间接推进中国流域立法与国际水法之间的兼容性;直接示范国内其他流域,间接助推实现我国成为全球生态文明建设重要参与者、贡献者和引领者的战略。     

科学立法制止餐饮浪费的若干问题——“食物节约立法”专家笔谈

食物浪费问题受到全球广泛关注。国外已有不少国家通过法律加以全面调整。食物浪费现象产生的原因有科学技术、行为人主观因素、传统所有权制度固有缺陷等方面。我国食物浪费主要以大众餐饮食物浪费为主,在全社会必须形成节约光荣、浪费可耻的法律氛围。发生餐饮食物浪费的领域主要包括婚宴、"事件性宴聚"、商务宴请、朋友聚餐。我国虽有法律涉及食物浪费问题,但现行规定较为原则、分散,缺乏系统性、可操作性。对食物浪费行为进行法律规制是保障粮食安全、履行国际义务、节约资源、保护生态环境、升级整合法律规范的需要。应该制定一部专门性法律,将资源社会性理念和绿色发展理念融入立法,通过直接禁止、税收调整、消费引导等方式综合规制公共主体、公民个人这两类主要行为主体在食物生产、加工和消费各环节的食物浪费行为。立法调整的重点应该是食物和浪费食物的行为。     

论地方环境立法中的若干问题

地方环境立法是我国环境法体系的重要组成部分,分析了地方环境立法过程中暴露出的若干问题,提出相应对策,并具体论述了如何加强我国地方环境法的体系建设。     

我国土壤污染防治立法探究

随着土壤污染防治专门立法的启动,我国土壤污染防治的相关制度也将逐步建立,这对于指导土壤污染防治的实践工作具有重要意义。然而在立法过程中各方争议较大且亟待解决的几个关键问题有必要深入探究,主要涉及立法模式的选择、土壤环境管理模式的选择、污染土壤修复目标的确定及特殊污染土壤责任主体的认定。通过探析各争议问题对立法的核心价值及其背景和实质,并基于国情和我国土壤污染的现状,得出结论即应坚持防治并重,建立综合性土壤立法。采取风险管控的方式进行土壤管理。对受污染土壤的修复目标应结合未来土地用途具体分析。特殊历史遗留污染土壤责任主体的认定,则要坚持污染者负担为基本原则,其他相关原则为补充。     

中国国际河流水资源利用立法略论

我国的国际河流数量众多,分布广泛。国际河流的利用主要分为国际河流的航行利用和国际河流的水资源利用2个方面。我国对国际河流的利用主要表现为对国际河流水资源的利用。完善我国国际河流水资源利用立法非常重要。它可以确保我国既充分、合理,又合法、有据地利用国际河流水资源,消除国际舆论中“中国水威胁论”的不良影响;缓解国内水资源日益紧张的局面;发展流域经济;保护当地生态环境。运用综合分析和实证研究的方法,对我国国际河流水资源利用立法情况和对外谈判进行探讨。检视我国国际河流水资源利用立法存在诸多问题。国际河流水资源利用立法理念不协调;国际河流水资源污染防治立法视野狭隘;双边或多边区域性专项水协定缺失等问题表现得尤为突出。应采取调整国际河流水资源利用立法理念;坚持“公平利用”原则,维护我国权益;健全双边或多边的区域性专项水协定体系;拓宽立法视野,兼顾国际河流水资源利用和保育;保护国际河流水环境等措施,规制国际河流水资源的利用。     

Reinforcing the rules or integrating behavioural responses into road planning

Road planning is based on technical rules, know-how acquired from experience and professional expertise. A more ergonomics approach to road planning and safety analyses the psychological procedures used by the drivers. Every intervention on road network has an influence on safety. Increasing the coherency of all the interventions in the same area is the only possible way of producing areas with a better level of security. This paper deals with safety procedures, diagnostics and tools which can be used at different levels of intervention.     

Linking Chemistry to Law in Environmental Forensics

The right to a healthy environment is of capital importance, which is why this matter calls for a detailed study, taking into account implications of both chemistry and law. The present study describes the current level of environmental protection, significant pieces of legislation, and five case studies regarding human rights violations. It reveals reports concerning air quality in Romania and in Europe. A large body of evidence emphasizes that permanent legislation revisions and new legal implementations place Europe on the right track, but plenty of issues remain to be solved until main pollutant emissions drop and the environmental situation becomes at least satisfactory.     

关于《中华人民共和国刑法》环境犯罪规定的思考

《刑法》修订后，在环境犯罪的立法体例、犯罪主体、定罪处罚等方面取得了很大的进步。但是《刑法》在立法模式构成、犯罪客观要件、处罚和可操作性以及与环境资源法规中的刑法规范相协调等问题上还存有诸多缺陷。因此有必要从上述几方面入手，完善环境犯罪的刑事立法。