Hunting Down the Chimera of Multiple Disciplinarity in Conservation Science

The consensus is that both ecological and social factors are essential dimensions of conservation research and practice. However, much of the literature on multiple disciplinary collaboration focuses on the difficulties of undertaking it. This review of the challenges of conducting multiple disciplinary collaboration offers a framework for thinking about the diversity and complexity of this endeavor. We focused on conceptual challenges, of which 5 main categories emerged: methodological challenges, value judgments, theories of knowledge, disciplinary prejudices, and interdisciplinary communication. The major problems identified in these areas have proved remarkably persistent in the literature surveyed (c.1960–2012). Reasons for these failures to learn from past experience include the pressure to produce positive outcomes and gloss over disagreements, the ephemeral nature of many such projects and resulting lack of institutional memory, and the apparent complexity and incoherence of the endeavor. We suggest that multiple disciplinary collaboration requires conceptual integration among carefully selected multiple disciplinary team members united in investigating a shared problem or question. We outline a 9‐point sequence of steps for setting up a successful multiple disciplinary project. This encompasses points on recruitment, involving stakeholders, developing research questions, negotiating power dynamics and hidden values and conceptual differences, explaining and choosing appropriate methods, developing a shared language, facilitating on‐going communications, and discussing data integration and project outcomes. Although numerous solutions to the challenges of multiple disciplinary research have been proposed, lessons learned are often lost when projects end or experienced individuals move on. We urge multiple disciplinary teams to capture the challenges recognized, and solutions proposed, by their researchers while projects are in process. A database of well‐documented case studies would showcase theories and methods from a variety of disciplines and their interactions, enable better comparative study and evaluation, and provide a useful resource for developing future projects and training multiple disciplinary researchers. Cazando la Quimera de la Multidisciplina en la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Characterizing and Contextualizing the Water Challenges of Megacities

We characterize and compare water challenges confronting the 28 megacities of the world in 2014. Relying on existing literature and diverse primary data sources, we present a unique portrait at a global scale of the water implications of the rapid growth in megacities. We find that differentiating and analyzing the complexity of megacities' water problems based on geographic contexts, historical development trajectories, urban population growth rates, and forms of urban expansion helps explain the nature of the various water management problems they confront. Two governance features also shed light on megacity water challenges: fragmentation resulting from forms of megacity urban expansion; and, urban dualism resulting from contradictions between historical and cultural legacies and the rise of global engineering and technological norms for water management. The increasing vulnerability of megacities to climate change poses risks as well as opportunities for a more collective response to address this global phenomenon. Our analysis raises important questions and offers guidance about the future trajectories of many more large cities around the world that are on their way to becoming megacities.     

Governance innovations for climate change adaptation in urban Denmark

Urban areas worldwide are challenged by climate change and urban flooding. Within the academic literature, adaptive measures that can be integrated into other issues such as recreation, nature reserves, and social issues are considered the way forward. Adaptation has recently become a mandatory planning theme for Danish municipalities, which in the absence of established practices are struggling to find the best institutional set-up to address adaptation as an integrated issue. Based on a case study of an integrated project organised as a partnership, this article identifies and discusses governance challenges that must be addressed if municipalities are to benefit from synergies through integrated projects. The municipality in question has established a partnership with housing organisations, foundations, and a utility company as well as facilitated a dialogue with citizens and institutions to address flooding threats and social issues at the neighbourhood scale. Because of strong political and leadership support, funding from partners, and good project facilitation both partners and politicians are enthusiastic about the project and its potential. Several challenges, however, needed to be addressed, particularly in relation to clashing norms from different governance paradigms. This is an issue requiring more attention both in research and practice.     

Planning Environmental Impact Assessment Orienting Sustainable Development: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Strategic Environmental Assessment is a frontier subject in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment. In the past two decades, especially in recent years, much more importance has been attached to Strategic Environmental Assessment. The Environmental Impact Assessment Law of the P.R. China which was promulgated provides a great opportunity for the development of Planning Environmental Impact Assessment and brings great challenges for the development of traditional Project Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning Environmental Impact Assessment at the same time. In order to promote the implementation of “The EIA Law”, the inherent limitations of Project Environmental Impact Assessment must be identified sufficiently and the theory research and practice of Planning Environmental Impact Assessment should be strengthened as well. Measures should be taken currently to enforce the operation system. The authors wish to offer a few references to the progress and implementation of Planning Environmental Impact Assessment in China.     

《中国21世纪议程》:迎接挑战的战略抉择与实践探索

制定《中国21世纪议程》是中国发展必然的战略选择,是中国履行环发大会精神的重要举措。近20年来,我国立足基本国情,积极推进《中国21世纪议程》的实施,探索实践中国特色的可持续发展道路,做出了巨大努力,在发展经济、消除贫困、节约资源、保护环境等领域取得了举世瞩目的成就,对全球可持续发展做出了重要贡献。随着世情国情的深刻变化,我国进一步实施可持续发展战略面临着新的挑战,发展中不平衡、不协调、不可持续的问题依然严峻,发展的任务仍然十分艰巨。我们应该坚持以科学发展观为统领,坚定不移地走中国特色的可持续发展之路,充分把握全球绿色技术创新迸发的历史机遇,切实加快经济发展方式的转变;坚持共同但有区别责任的原则和合作共赢的理念,积极参与全球可持续发展治理,促进世界的可持续发展、和谐发展。     

Media and Climate Change: Four Long-standing Research Challenges Revisited

This paper suggests some further avenues of empirical and theoretical investigation for media research on climate change. “Old” suggestions, whose significance, as we see it, needs to be further reinforced, are included, as are “new” ones, which we hope will generate innovative research questions. In order to integrate the analysis with knowledge generated by media research at large, we revisit four research challenges that media scholars have long grappled with in the investigation of journalism: (1) the discursive challenge, i.e. the production, content and reception of media discourse; (2) the interdisciplinary challenge, i.e. how media research might engage in productive collaboration with other disciplines; (3) the international challenge, i.e. how to achieve a more diverse and complex understanding of news reporting globally; and (4) the practical challenge, i.e. how to reduce the theory–practice divide in media research.     

中国农田土壤重金属污染防治挑战与对策研究

土地是生存的根本,日趋严重的重金属污染不仅污染了地下水,对食品安全也带来了严峻的影响。文章基于此,首先从监测工作、污染源头、修复技术、质量评估四个角度分析了农田土壤重金属防治中的挑战,然后就如何应对农田土壤重金属污染提出了对策,包括健全土壤污染监测制度、加强土壤污染源头管控、创新土壤污染修复技术、完善土壤修复质量评估等。     

新时代中国自然资源研究的机遇与挑战

党的十九大报告提出建设中国特色社会主义新时代对自然资源综合研究和管理实践提出了新的需求。20世纪90年代以来在大规模的自然资源综合科学考察任务完成之后,自然资源综合研究逐渐成为资源学界的关注重点。新时代下自然资源研究面临着各种机遇和挑战。本文论述了山水林田湖草和联合国可持续发展目标（SDGs）与自然资源关联关系,重点探讨了当今国内外最为关注的四种典型关联研究主题,即资源—资产—资本关联、能源—资源—技术关联、食物—水—能源关联、能源—水—土地—碳排放关联,并结合新时代提出的政策导向,提出应对地缘政治风险、气候变化、国际贸易不确定性、重大应急事件等问题的新视角及相关建议,旨在为自然资源研究相关学科发展及创新能力建设提供新的思路。结果表明：百年未有的时代变革对自然资源的地位与作用产生了深刻影响,亟需加强自然资源的基础理论研究并尽早设立自然资源研究重大研发计划,为服务于国家自然资源战略及重大工程需求提供重要的科技支撑。     

怀化农业可持续发展面临的问题

农业可持续发展在很大程度上依赖于农业自然资源的可持续利用。利用系统分析法讨论了怀化实施农业可持续发展战略面临的一系列问题，包括观念落后、自然资源利用率低、浪费严重、农业生态环境恶化和自然灾害频繁等，提出了可行的对策，指出农业可持续发展应从自然、经济和社会再生产过程中消除影响农业可持续发展的不利因素，积极发展中国的生态农业。     

Old problems and new dilemmas: the conundrum of environmental management reform in China

ABSTRACT

Underpinning China’s severe and continuing environmental degradation is a stubborn gap between environmental regulation and regulatory enforcement at the local level. In the past, scholars have sought explanations for the causes of this implementation gap by interviewing frontline environmental officials. Due to the fact that the self-perception data used in most of those existing studies were gathered prior to 2012, the possible factors contributing to the compromised effectiveness of local environmental enforcement from 2012 onward remain largely unknown. This empirical weakness should not be overlooked, as the prevailing institutions governing China’s local environmental management practices have been experiencing many frame-breaking transformations since 2012. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with leaders of environmental law enforcement teams in all administrative districts of Guangzhou in 2017, this paper not only summarizes pervasive elements which negatively impact the current effectiveness of environmental regulatory efforts, but also provides qualitative evidence and theoretical accounts for three enforcement dilemmas stemming from reform measures taken by the central government.