Supporting local climate change adaptation: Where we are and where we need to go

Local governments are on the front line of efforts to address climate-related impacts. Recognizing this, there is a growing movement to develop and deliver tools, resources, and services to support local communities’ climate adaptation initiatives. There is, however, limited understanding of what specific types of resources exist and how well these resources match the needs of local practitioners. To bring clarity to these questions, we: 1) assessed the current landscape of climate-adaptation resources and services; 2) surveyed community practitioners to learn how well these resources align with their needs; and 3) convened leading service providers and local practitioners to identify strategic opportunities for moving the adaptation field forward. Findings demonstrate that existing services and resources are meeting the early phases of local adaptation efforts such as conducting vulnerability assessments and creating adaptation plans, but are failing to meet the needs associated with implementing, monitoring, and evaluating adaptation activities. Additionally, a lack of funding and staff time to support adaptation, as well as inaccessible resource formats are barriers impeding local climate adaptation efforts. The mismatch between the types and formats of services being provided and the needs of local governments means that more work is needed to ensure that climate adaptation resources are responsive to the existing and future needs of local governments. Moreover, our research finds that there is a strong and growing need to organize and streamline the climate adaptation resource and service landscape so that practitioners can easily, effectively, and efficiently access the resources they need to build more resilient local communities.     

湖泊型旅游地社区参与的去权过程及启示——以安徽省太平湖为例

增权是社区参与旅游研究的重要领域。增权对应的概念是去权,对社区去权的研究能够为增权探索提供扎实的理论基础和路径借鉴。运用文献分析、深度访谈和田野调查等方法,以安徽省太平湖为例,借助社区增权分析框架,探索湖泊型旅游地社区参与的去权过程。研究发现：（1）太平湖渔民群体在政治、经济、心理和社会四个维度上都显现出权利被削弱甚至处于无权的状态。（2）经济利益分配不公是社区居民“权能感”丧失最直接的因素,为改变利益主体之间的权力关系,对政治权益的要求常成为经济诉求的辅助手段;经济、政治和社会三方面去权共同导致了社区心理无权感。（3）太平湖社区参与的去权呈现了螺旋下降的过程。（4）相对区位条件、参与旅游程度、个人能力等因素导致对“权能感”感知明显不同,社区内部出现分化。最后,从制度、政府和社区层面探讨了湖泊型旅游地社区去权的根源。     

试析环境监测工作的基础

要搞好环境监测工作 ,必须解放和发展环境监测生产力 ,履行“政府行为” ,贯彻“稳住一片 ,放开一头”的政策。环境监测工作具有政府行为组成的三种必备要素和五个特点 ;“稳住一片 ,放开一头”是因为环境监测所具有的本质属性、社会属性和法律属性     

Development of plans to restore degraded areas in the Great Lakes

The International Joint Commission's Water Quality Board has identified 42 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes ecosystem where Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement objectives or jurisdictional standards, criteria or guidelines, established to protect uses, have been exceeded and remedial actions are necessary to restore beneficial uses. As a result of the 1985 report of the Water Quality Board, the eight Great Lakes states and the Province of Ontario committed themselves to developing a remedial action plan (RAP) to restore all uses in each Area of Concern within their political boundaries. Each RAP must identify the specific measures necessary to control existing sources of pollution, abate existing contamination (e.g., contaminated sediments), and restore all beneficial uses. Points which must be explicitly addressed in each RAP include: geographic extent of problem, beneficial uses impaired, causes of problems, remedial measures and a schedule for implementation, responsible agencies, and surveillance and monitoring activities that will be used to track effectiveness of remedial actions. The jurisdictions are responsible for developing RAPs, and the International Joint Commission is responsible for evaluating the adequacy of each RAP and tracking progress in restoring beneficial uses.     

旅游公共服务市场化与政府的作用研究

旅游公共服务是我国公共服务建设的基本领域,也是一个需要逐步完善的系统。旅游公共服务市场化,是顺应旅游行政改革和建设服务型政府的内在要求。结合旅游公共服务的实践,在分析旅游公共服务市场化的内涵、可行性以及旅游公共服务市场化条件和效率的基础上,提出旅游公共服务市场化的途径选择,最后探讨了政府在旅游公共服务市场化过程中应发挥的作用。     

环评中的公众环境意识及社会心理分析

近年来由大型化工、环保项目引发的环境争议风波,已经成为中国的热门话题。本文结合近年发生的环保公众事件,从环评公众参与的角度对公众的心理因素进行了初步分析,并对如何面对公众质疑、完善公众参与和培育公众环境意识提出了建议。     

Use of Multicriteria Decision Analysis to Address Conservation Conflicts

Conservation conflicts are increasing on a global scale and instruments for reconciling competing interests are urgently needed. Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a structured, decision‐support process that can facilitate dialogue between groups with differing interests and incorporate human and environmental dimensions of conflict. MCDA is a structured and transparent method of breaking down complex problems and incorporating multiple objectives. The value of this process for addressing major challenges in conservation conflict management is that MCDA helps in setting realistic goals; entails a transparent decision‐making process; and addresses mistrust, differing world views, cross‐scale issues, patchy or contested information, and inflexible legislative tools. Overall we believe MCDA provides a valuable decision‐support tool, particularly for increasing awareness of the effects of particular values and choices for working toward negotiated compromise, although an awareness of the effect of methodological choices and the limitations of the method is vital before applying it in conflict situations. Uso de Análisis de Decisiones Multicriterio para Abordar Conflictos de Conservación     

Mediated Modeling in Water Resource Dialogues Connecting Multiple Scales

We observe a paradigm shift toward collaborative, multi‐level (from local to global) water management and suggestions for scale‐related design principles in the literature. Decision‐support tools are needed that can help achieve scale design principles. Mediated modeling (MM) refers to model building with people, rather than for people. This tool belongs to a family of participatory, systems oriented tools. This article explores their suitability for addressing challenges and principles that arise at multiple‐scales. MM can promote the understanding of cross‐level and cross‐scale links, creating salient, credible, and legitimate knowledge and encouraging boundary functions. Prerequisites for successful MM processes include an openness and willingness to collaborative learning. As new “meso‐level” institutions emerge to address complex challenges in water management collaboratively, tools like MM may play an important role in structuring dialogues, developing adaptive management capacity and advance an ecosystem services approach.     

Anaerobic digestion and community development: A case study from Hainan province,China

Connections and relationships between conservation practices and community development in relation to rural sustainability have received considerable attention in recent years, especially in developing countries. Among many sound practices around the world, anaerobic digestion (AD) technology has long been encouraged as an alternative source of energy, while contributing to resource conservation and economic development initiatives in developing rural areas. Guided by the theme of sustainable development, the study examined the current applications of AD technology in Meiwan Xincun Village (MWXCV) in Hainan Province, China. Employing a self-administered questionnaire survey, face-to-face interviews and on-site observation, the study explored the diffusion process, current operation and local impacts of AD practice. The study identifies that leadership, education, technical support and local economy are key factors affecting the diffusion of AD, and governmental financial incentives are significantly effective measures to make the technology economically viable for local residents. The technology was found to fit into the rural livelihood system of the village, with considerable environmental and socio-economic benefits. Guided by the leaders of the village, the local residents generally accept and support the practice and are willing to contribute to introducing the technology in and out of the village. Suggestions regarding the utilization and diffusion of AD elsewhere are presented to enhance the potential capacity of the practice to generate benefits across rural Hainan.     

在推进"安评"工作中要强调工作的主动性

本文介绍了在"安评"工作中要强调工作的主动性,主动勤奋学习,提高自身理论业务素质;主动协调好各部门之间的关系;主动面向市场,增强经济服务意识;主动向上汇报,增强领导"安评"意识.通过四个主动,优化"安评"工作环境,争取取得好的成效.