Modeling Flow,Nutrient, and Sediment Delivery from a Large International Watershed Using a Field‐Scale SWAT Model

A large international watershed, the St. Clair‐Detroit River System, containing both extensive urban and agricultural areas, was modeled using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The watershed, located in southeastern Michigan, United States, and southwestern Ontario, Canada, encompasses the St. Clair, Clinton, Detroit (DT), Sydenham (SY), Upper, and Lower Thames subwatersheds. The SWAT input data and model resolution (i.e., hydrologic response units, HRUs), were established to mimic farm boundaries, the first time this has been done for a watershed of this size. The model was calibrated (2007–2015) and validated (2001–2006) with a mix of manual and automatic methods at six locations for flow and water quality at various time scales. The model was evaluated using Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency and percent bias and was used to explore major water quality issues. We showed the importance of allowing key parameters to vary among subwatersheds to improve goodness of fit, and the resulting parameters were consistent with subwatershed characteristics. Agricultural sources in the Thames and SY subwatersheds and point sources from DT subwatershed were major contributors of phosphorus. Spatial distribution of phosphorus yields at HRU and subbasin levels identified locations for potential management targeting for both point and nonpoint sources and revealed that in some subwatersheds nonpoint sources are dominated by urban sources.     

Understanding the synchronisms and anachronisms of the Columbia River Treaty in relation to the principles of international water law

Based on the theory of the politics of international law and the hermeneutic theory for international relations, this paper aims to demonstrate how the history and contextual changes within the Columbia River Basin have affected the underlying principles of the Columbia River Treaty with those of international water law.     

Two Major Relative Comparative Advantages of China in International Trade

Sustainable development requires enriching and developing the traditional international trade theory, especially integrating the environmental elements into the current analysis framework of relative comparative advantages. These relationships among labor, capital, and environmental resources are analyzed in this study, using the relative comparative advantages method. As indicated in the analysis, the ever-increasing international trading volume in China relies not only on the relative comparative advantage of labor but also on the environmental one; these are the two major advantages in China. However, the two advantages will experience serious challenge in the future along with a rising cost on labor and environmental pollution.     

基于模糊数学和灰色理论的城市生态环境竞争力评价

在综合分析了国内外有关城市竞争力理论研究的基础上,对城市生态环境竞争力的概念和内涵进行了界定,构建了面向生态环境竞争力的评价体系,并以山东省17城市为例,采用灰色系统理论确定各指标的权重,利用模糊综合评价法对各市进行综合评价,研究结果表明,生态环境竞争力排名前三的地市为临沂(0.1894)、日照(0.1705)和烟台(0.1676),而德州(0.1191)、济南(0.1232)、枣庄(0.1274)、滨州(0.1285)和淄博(0.1289)表现相对较差,其他地市处于中游水平.分别从资源禀赋竞争力、污染物减量排放竞争力、环境治理竞争力和能耗竞争力4个子维度对典型城市进行分析,指出了存在的问题,并给出了相应的对策建议.     

Planning and implementing sustainability in higher education institutions: an overview of the difficulties and potentials

Planning in sustainable development is believed to be an important element in allowing higher education institutions to set their goals and to commit themselves towards undertaking concrete actions and measures at all levels in order to implement sustainability. Yet, there is a paucity of research that has looked at the extent to which planning can support institutions of higher education to assess their performances and to determine whether the set aims have been met. This research gap needs to be met to allow a better understanding of how planning can help to promote the integration of the three components of sustainable development – economic development, social development and environmental protection in higher education. This paper explores the challenges for planning the sustainable development in higher education, also outlining the potentials lessons learned that could assist in improving Education for Sustainable Development efforts in Higher Education Institutions. Among its main results are the fact that many universities wish to pursue sustainable development, but their efforts are hindered by lack of institutional support and planning and limited emphasis on approaches, such as problem-based learning. The universities that are engaged in the field have to face many problems, varying from limited resources to lack of trained staff. As a result, integrated approaches to sustainability become difficult to implement. Finally, the paper has identified the fact that many opportunities offered mainstream developments, such as the UN Declaration ‘The World we Want’ or the UN Sustainable Development Goals are not being put to full use.     

国际标准产业分类体系的供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的分类演化及启示

国际标准产业分类体系是目前国际上最有影响、最有权威的产业分类体系。深入了解国际标准产业分类体系中供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动分类演化,对正确收集、处理和测算供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的指标以及国际间数据比较至关重要。论文首先详细地剖析了国际标准产业分类体系的供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的分类演化,然后依据国际标准产业分类体系的最新变化,结合我国供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动现状,为我国国民经济行业分类中供水、污水处理、废物管理和补救活动的修改和调整提供改进建议。     

Sub-national level of participation in international environmental cooperation: the role of Shiga Prefecture for Lake Biwa environment in Japan

From a state-centric view, sub-national level of participation at the international level can be only feasible if it is an active part of national policy. In the case of Shiga prefectural government's initiative for international lake-environmental cooperation, however, sub-national actors came to see themselves as direct players in the absence of national policy. This study examines under what conditions and in what ways such sub-national level of participation takes place by conducting a case study of Shiga's collaboration with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) over lake-environment risk reduction. The article finds that the process of Shiga's participation in transnational governance will have less chance of being duplicated effectively in other Japanese sub-national governments. Shiga's cooperation with the UNEP was primarily driven by the ad hoc bottom-up political mobilisation of the sub-national actors. In general, without institutionalised channels for sub-national governments to participate in the regional/international level, sub-national governments need to mobilise resources on such an ad hoc basis and only pioneering sub-national actors are capable of effectively engaged on unfamiliar territory with the formation process of transnational governance.     

What are the barriers to successful community-based climate change adaptation? A review of grey literature

ABSTRACT

Across the Global South, community-based adaptation (CBA) projects are increasingly being implemented in an effort to respond effectively and sustainably to the impacts of climate change, with a particular focus on people’s livelihoods. Despite an increase in the number of CBA projects being implemented, detailed analysis and evaluation of their efficacy and the barriers faced in achieving successful outcomes is lacking. This study draws on an analysis of grey literature (i.e. project and donor reports) to explore the barriers faced in achieving effective CBA. An extensive global search of online project evaluations yielded 25 documents comprising 69 projects from which this analysis is based. This paper first presents an overview of the 69 projects and highlights any trends. Second, this paper describes the barriers to CBA according to three broad themes: socio-political, resource, and physical systems and processes. Following this is a discussion of the most prevalent barriers: cognitive and behavioural, financial, and human resources. Third, this paper discusses the key findings elucidated from this review. This includes the need for greater sharing of project reports and findings so lessons can be learned across spatial and temporal scales, and the disparity between critical academic literature on CBA and what is implemented in practice.     

Reflections on network governance in Africa's forestry sector

International forestry governance is an integral part of the global policy debates on how to prevent deforestation, illicit extraction, and unsustainable timber practices. Africa is an important producer of timber, yet the region is beset by a lack of capacity and other governance challenges in the management of its forestry sector. We employ a network governance analysis to examine the extent to which the evolution and operation of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and la Commission des Forêts d'Afrique Centrale (COMIFAC) have addressed governance challenges. We assess the strengths and weaknesses of these two leading examples of international forestry governance by introducing recent evidence and insights from Africa. We conclude with a policy‐relevant discussion of how the FSC and COMIFAC might enhance authority, legitimacy, and effectiveness and improve forestry governance in Africa and other parts of the world.     

基于动态因子分析法的四川省旅游业竞争力实证分析

运用STATA统计分析工具,将动态因子分析法应用到旅游业竞争力研究中,借助该方法从纵向和横向分析四川省旅游业竞争力情况,通过分析,重在了解四川省旅游业的发展变化及在全国的地位,为其今后制定有效的旅游业发展战略提供参考。结果表明：运用动态因子分析评价四川省旅游业竞争力客观可行,结果较切合实际。从横向来看,四川省旅游业竞争力在全国处于上游水平,说明综合实力较强;从纵向来看,2006～2010年四川省旅游业竞争力发生明显变化,主要是由于2008年汶川地震造成的影响。进一步提出四川省应注重从5个方面提升旅游业竞争力,即社会经济环境、旅游接待能力和市场、旅游资源、技术人才和生态环境