Long-term changes in microbial water quality indicators in a hydro-power plant reservoir: The role of natural factors and socio-economic changes

Long-term changes, from 1984 to 2010, in the indicators of microbial pollution (total viable count, coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci, and Clostridium perfringens) are analysed in the Riga Hydropower Plant Reservoir, an essential source of drinking water for Riga, the capital of Latvia. Counts in microbial indicators fluctuated seasonally and were related to physicochemical parameters (nitrogen compounds, turbidity, temperature, and pH). The changes in microbial pollution were brought about by two major socio-economic developments. Firstly, Latvia’s independence from the USSR in 1991 which facilitated a distinct reduction in most microorganism counts due to a sharp decline in industrial and agricultural production. This resulted in a significant drop in point and nonpoint pollution in the river basin. A further development was Latvia joining the European Union in 2004. The corresponding focus on water management, including wastewater treatment, was a major priority of environmental investment and lead to improvements in microbial water quality.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01470-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

农垦系统污水处理政策机制探讨——以黑龙江垦区为例

基于农垦系统工农业生产水资源紧张而水需求与污水排放量大和集中的特点,结合黑龙江垦区污水处理项目建设与运营的客观实际,采用比较分析、归纳演绎、逻辑推理等方法,在论证垦区污水处理项目建设必要性与可行性基础上,剖析了垦区污水处理政策体系残缺不全的状况,并架构了一套同农垦系统污水处理回用项目建设需求相适应的政策机制。     

巢湖流域水资源可持续性评价方法研究

水资源可持续性评价模型(WRSEM,Water Resource Sustainability Evaluation Model)能够定量地评价流域水资源的可持续性,是流域水资源管理的一个有效工具。本文为了科学地衡量巢湖流域水资源开发、利用和管理的可持续性,构建了巢湖流域水资源可持续性评价模型和评价指标体系。巢湖流域水资源可持续性评价指标体系由4个一级指标(经济效率、社会公平、环境保护和保障能力)和20个二级指标构成。最后根据相对权重综合计算得到流域水资源可持续性指数。评价结果表明了巢湖流域水资源可持续性的程度,同时研究结果为巢湖流域水资源管理及其相关政策制定提供了科学依据。     

中国火山地区预警政策研究

本文主要介绍了我国的活火山、火山灾害情况及国内外的火山预警政策。在此基础上讨论了我国火山地区预警政策的组成结构,认为完整的火山地区预警政策应该包括活火山识别、火山风险评价与灾害区划图、制定火山应急预案、火山防灾减灾知识宣传、火山监测和灾害预报、火山灾害预警等级划分、火山减灾工程措施以及预警响应措施等方面,并对火山预警政...     

建设项目环境影响评价中面临的政策性制约因素及对策研究

本文系统地分析了建设项目环境影响评价中面临的政策性制约因素,提出相应的解决方案与对策,包括建设项目筛选优化、编制规划环评、落实主要污染物总量控制指标、项目选址(线)努力避开环境敏感区,等等,从而有序、高效推进建设项目环评审批工作.     

废弃产品回收处理企业环境绩效评价初探

近年来,废弃产品回收处理行业日益受到政府和社会各界的关注,而回收处理企业是实施回收处理活动的主体,相关法律、法规的出台对回收处理企业提出了更高的要求。本文在概括梳理相关法律、法规的基础上,初步建立了废弃产品回收处理企业环境绩效评价指标体系,为回收处理企业采用先进的技术工艺、降低环境负荷、加强职业健康监护和企业环境管理提供参考,以适应国家政策要求和行业发展的需要。     

我国当前城乡建设用地置换的实践探索及问题剖析

当前我国城乡建设用地利用存在着城市建设用地指标紧缺、农村建设用地低效利用和城乡建设用地"双增"大量侵占耕地等问题。城乡建设用地增减挂钩政策推动下的城乡建设用地置换有望成为破解该问题的综合途径。2004年开始,伴随相关政策陆续出台,城乡建设用地置换实践在多个省市试点推进,其中江苏省万顷良田建设工程、天津市宅基地换房、山东省农村社区化、重庆市地票交易市场的实践较为典型。基于上述典型案例和系统要素分析,总结了实践的问题、根源与演进,认为目前系统中的要素与相应的操作环节中存在问题隐患且部分问题表现突出;实践中主要以涉及"非自愿"置换、补偿与保障不足、生产生活方式改变等的农民利益受损问题较为突出;问题的根源集中在三个方面,即国家层面的约束性的法律、法规、政策尚不健全,地方政府操作不合理和缺乏科学研究支撑。今后的实践中,应该建立统一的城乡土地市场并逐步完善政府主导下的城乡土地市场运行机制,建立科学合理的征地补偿机制,深入开展相关科学研究,遵循集约型用地增长模式,同小城镇建设紧密结合,注重保护村落景观风貌。     

餐厨垃圾国家政策及地方法规研究和思考

文章介绍了餐厨垃圾的产生和危害,以及目前国家及地方在餐厨垃圾处理方面颁布和制定的指导性文件、政策性法规、及行业标准。通过总结苏州、宁波、西宁、乌鲁木齐等城市在治理餐厨垃圾过程中的经验,结合这些地区在餐厨垃圾处理方面的地方法规、收集运输系统、无害化处理体系的建立过程,通过分析思考,提出了适用于一般城市的关于餐厨垃圾收集、运输、处理过程系统性的工作框架。指出了餐厨垃圾处理目前面临的主要问题,并对未来如何推进和完善餐厨垃圾处理工作提出了合理化建议,对政府未来的决策具有一定程度的参考意义。     

The role of coalitions in disaster policymaking

Disasters have the potential to act as focusing events, which can increase the amount of attention on disaster‐related problems and encourage policy action. Understanding of the political characteristics of disaster policymaking is underdeveloped, yet it is known that these features may be dissimilar to those of non‐disaster policy areas, especially concerning the coalitions of policy actors engaged in the disaster policy process. Coalitions in the realm of disaster policy processes may be less likely to form, may look very different, and may have different goals than those in non‐disaster domains. Knowledge of the emergence, composition, and purpose of coalitions in disaster policy is lacking. This paper draws on prior theory and case observations to define and describe the characteristics of a disaster policy subsystem and to build a typology of coalitions that may appear within such a subsystem, providing a foundation upon which scholars can work to study coalition dynamics in disaster policy subsystems.     

Critical environmental indicators: performance indices and assessment models for sustainable rural development planning

Sustainable development planning must be based on environmental and biophysical baseline indices that effectively define comparative development potential and environmental constraints. As such, indices must define the comparative advantage of the natural resource base and measure the fundamental capacity to sustain production rates of natural resource goods and services used to create societal well being. Complex biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics affect the identification and selection of sustainable development strategies. When derived from effective baseline indicators, indices may be used to define the spatial and temporal distribution of economically viable production opportunities and may be expressed in derived indices that realistically describe basic production opportunities and guide the selection of feasible, long-term development strategies. Specifically, representative indices are critical in the identification of development goals and realistic objectives and can be used to evaluate, select and implement sustainable development strategies and plans. It is stressed that the relevancy and effectiveness of public policies depend on the identification of representative evaluation models and baseline indices to define development strategies that are both environmentally sustainable and economically viable. In this context, the role of baseline indicators that define natural resource production capacities is discussed. This includes potential resource uses, derived benefits and their economic and environmental impacts. Key thematic indicators are suggested that may be especially useful in identifying development alternatives and impacts. This suggested that clearly defined environmental pollution limits or impact standards be used to define public risk tolerance limits and carrying capacity constraints. It is argued that these measures may be more effective in directing policy choices than economic valuation of non market goods and services that represent environmental externalities associated with resource exploitation options and economic development strategies. To this end, examples of thematic indicators and derived indices are introduced that may prove effective in resource assessment, economic evaluation and strategic development planning.