EMERGING CONCEPTS FOR THE CONDUCT OF STATE WATER RESOURES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: The development of water resources planning at the state level is discussed. Although there are significant specific differences among state planning programs, some common general principles of state water resources planning are emerging over time. In the interest of reconciling conflict over water allocation states are engaged in policy clarification, mediation of interst group conflict, and provision of baseline information.     

NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR LOCAL UNITS OF GOVERNMENT IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING: INSIGHTS FOR IMPLEMENTATION FROM RECENT WATER RESOURCES PLANNING RESEARCH1

ABSTRACT: Recent Federal and some State legislation has enlarged the scope of permitted or required actions of local units of government in water resources management and protection. Much of the legislation encourages local units of government to introduce water resources planning measures which will be preventive instead of corrective. Extensive public works measures, environmental destruction and the threat to human life can thus be eliminated or reduced. Research has developed and tested a method for identifying the elements of a water resources protection program for small urbanizing watersheds which was technically adequate and socially acceptable to the communities implementing such programs. Research results suggest that deliberate efforts will be necessary to inform and educate local units of government as to the usefulness of the legislation; and that the program must reflect local natural resource conditions and local preferences for the method of accomplishing the protection. Successful implementation could be restrained by inertia of local units of government, a lack of tradition in such programs, and hostile existing agencies.     

EMERGING STATE ROLES IN URBAN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: The technology of urban stormwater management has far outpaced its actual application in new urban development. This article documents that implementation gap, but shows that state and local governmental measures, particularly storm drainage regulations, can lead to improved performance in the private sector. Although state stormwater management programs are in their infancy, they are already having a measurable effect in stimulating the adoption of local governmental programs to manage urban storm water. Pioneering state programs in Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, described in this article, provide models for states contemplating the formulation of stormwater management programs.     

INSTITUTIONAL INTERACTION IN METROPOLITAN WATER RESOURCE PLANNING1

ABSTRACT Methods of institutional coordination derived from the applied behavioral sciences have been useful in determining the policy planning, and implementation responsibilities that must be shared between local governments, watershed districts, and a regional planning body in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area. The confines of the traditional behavioral science models of organizations and institutional change processes, and the realities of administrative systems imbedded in political processes at both the local and state levels, have created conflicts between regional planners, watershed district staff and consultants, and municipal administrators. A conceptual framework based on work by Selznick on institutions was applied to two watershed districts, and the results evaluated for other research purposes as well as policy development for the 1973 Minnesota legislative session.     

美国联邦财政环保支出经验借鉴

为应对当前环境保护工作所处的新阶段、新形势、新任务,在分析美国联邦财政环保支出特征的基础上,从加大环保专项资金投入、提高环境科技支出占比、强化重点领域环保支出、注重建立环保基金等方面,提出优化我国中央财政环保支出可供借鉴的四点经验。     

Do people have a negative impression of government on polluted days? Evidence from Chinese Cities

Chinese governments play a key role in providing environmental public goods. Urban air quality is a significant indicator with which people evaluate the effects of governments’ environmental regulations and investments. This study aims to investigate how people's impression of government varies with air pollution in Chinese cities. Using the Baidu online search index on the specific keyword ‘corruption’ to represent public attitude toward the government, our estimations show that an increase in air pollution level yields a significant increase in online searches on this word. Such an effect is more significant on heavily polluted or severely polluted days. In further estimations, we find that people will not pay more attention to the polluters themselves on polluted days. These results are consistent with previous studies that air pollution causes people to be more depressed, selfish and sensitive to fairness. We conclude that efforts on air quality improvement will create a positive impression of government.     

Institutional quality effects on separate waste collection: some evidence from Italian provinces

Separate waste collection in Italy comes under the responsibility of local authorities, provinces, while national laws set quantitative targets to be achieved over time. Overall, just a few provinces have reached the thresholds set by the latest law (Legislative Decree 152/2006) and some territorial differentiation has been detected. The aim of this paper is twofold: to verify the effectiveness of Legislative Decree 152/2006 in promoting higher levels of separate collection and to test whether institutional quality (considering the following indicators: voice and accountability, regulatory quality, rule of law and corruption) affects provinces’ efficiency in the separate collection process. For this purpose, we implement the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA). Results suggest that the effectiveness of Legislative Decree 152/2006 has been affected by provinces’ institutional quality. In particular, the presence of institutional constraints did not allow the most virtuous provinces to achieve the targets set by law.     

现阶段环境监测在市场经济中的地位浅析

环境监测是一项政府行为，如何在社会主义市场经济条件下，正确处理“政府行为”与市场经济的矛盾，已成为各级环保部门共同探讨的、需要妥善解决的问题。因此，根据经济学的有关理论，对环境监测这一领域在社会主义市场经济中所处的地位、作用作了全面论述，并对理解环境监测的“政府行为”提出看法和见解。     

政府部门建立ISO14001环境管理体系探讨

本文从城市的可持续发展战略的高度出发，论述了政府部门建立ISO14001环境管理体系的必要性和可行性，并从九个方面阐述了建立环境管理体系的重要意义。     

宁波市水资源可持续利用的经济分析

随着经济社会的快速发展,宁波水资源短缺矛盾日益突出,通过对宁波市历年的水价、人均用水量、人均可支配收入的变化的分析可以看出水价与用水量的关系,重点探讨了引进市场机制,建立水权转让制度,改革水资源价格和水资源的开发管理方式,实行水资源的有偿使用和转让,优化配置水资源,提高水资源的使用效率和效益,以水资源的可持续利用支撑经济和社会的可持续发展.