Effects of the tsunami on fisheries and coastal livelihood: a case study of tsunami-ravaged southern Sri Lanka

Beyond the death toll, the tsunami of 26 December 2004 crippled many of the livelihood assets (human, social, physical, financial and natural) available to assist those directly affected. Drawing on surveys of three villages in three districts in the south of Sri Lanka, this paper describes the livelihood asset building capacity of the fishing communities. Assessments are also made of the impact of the tsunami on coastal communities and the impact of government policy on rebuilding. A livelihood asset score was calculated for each village by comparing their strengths in capacity building. In all aspects of capital building, including human, social, financial, physical and natural capital, the fishing community in Tangalle was significantly ahead of the fishing communities in Hikkaduwa and Weligama. Experienced fishermen with better educational backgrounds had a significant influence on the capacity building of livelihood assets. Relocation and resettlement plans brought persistent uncertainty to fishermen in Hikkaduwa and Weligama and threatened to disrupt their community bonds and social networks.     

Learning from others: the scope and challenges for participatory disaster risk assessment

This paper develops a framework based on procedural, methodological and ideological elements of participatory vulnerability and risk assessment tools for placing individual approaches within the wide range of work that claims a participatory, local or community orientation. In so doing it draws on relevant experience from other areas of development practice from which the disasters field can learn. Participatory disaster risk assessments are examined for their potential to be empowering, to generate knowledge, to be scaled up, to be a vehicle for negotiating local change and as part of multiple-methods approaches to disaster risk identification and reduction. The paper is a response to an international workshop on Community Risk Assessment organised by ProVention Consortium and the Disaster Mitigation for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme, University of Cape Town. The workshop brought together practitioners and academics to review the challenges and opportunities for participatory methodologies in the field of disaster risk reduction. In conclusion the contribution made by participatory methodologies to global disaster risk reduction assessment and policy is discussed.     

On the Food Disasters in the Lower Jingjiang Reaches: Grey Prediction Model and Application

In the light of the historical substantial data (covering a 70-year period) collected in the Lower Jingjiang segment and aided by topological grey method, here we attempt to characterize the occurrence and future trend of flood calamities in the study area. Our findings indicate that overall the high-frequent flood disasters with middle to lower damage prevail at present. A series of dramatic flood waves will appear in the years of 2016, 2022, 2030and 2042, particularly a destructive flood will occur between 2041 and 2045 in the Lower Jingjiang reaches. Typical of sensitive response to flood hazards in close association with its special geographical location, the lower Jingjiang segment hereby can reflect the development trend of floods in the middle Yangtze reaches. According to the results, a good fitness was revealed between the prediction and practical values. This actually hints that the topological grey method is an effective mathematical means of resolving problems containing uncertainty and indetermination, thus providing valuable information for the flood prediction in the middle Yangtze catchment.     

地球物理灾害链研究的新进展

本文从2008岁首冰雪灾害链的自然态和人文态分析入手,通过对<地球物理灾害链>一书内容梗概的介绍,阐述了灾害链研究工作的新进展,最后试图运用地球系统科学的理论,指出了若干地球物理灾害链对策.     

长江流域湿地特点及其开发利用

湿地系一种具有多功能的土地资源类型,不仅对农业,而且对水产业均具有开发利用价值,同时还是珍禽栖息地和鱼类繁殖场所。湿地可分为自然湿地和人工湿地两大类型。长江流域湿地分布面积较大,类型较多,具有重要的开发利用价值,尤其人工湿地系我国粮、棉、油生产基地,生产水平高,但仍然具有较大的增产潜力。湿地开发利用应从多目标、多途径进行,出产丰富产品,供应城乡需求,同时为美化环境、保护区域生态环境服务。     

长江流域自然灾害若干问题探讨

长江流域是我国重要产业带,又是我国自然灾害严重区域。水灾和旱灾已成为流域常发广布灾害,年均受灾和成灾面积约占全国总受灾和成灾面积的百分之四十。流域内旱灾成灾面积大于水灾面积。常发灾害与突发重大灾害给流域社会经济造成严重危害。灾害是环境质量的一个函数。长江流域灾害的发生和发展与人类活动引起的环境退化有密切关系。对流域进行综合整治已成为迫切任务。     

Plan C： China＇s Development under the Scarcity of Natural Capital

The critical issue of China＇s modernization is whether it can free itself from the traditional modernization plan based on the relatively abundant natural capital, and innovatively create a developmental model of a large country under the scarcity of natural capital. This is why China is so keen on circular economy and economical use of resources. Focused on this issue, this paper summarizes the theoretical elements of the development under the scarcity of natural capital, points out that Plan C is the strategic choice for China＇s future development, emphasizes that China needs to enhance the new industrialization, new urbanization and new modernization based on the restriction of natural capital, and discusses the technological and mechanistic support required to realize the development under the scarcity of natural capital.     

环境和自然资源的价值评估与价值实现

围绕如何发挥价值规律作用推动自然资源合理配置的问题，构建了从价值理论到评估方法到价值实现过程的分析思路。剖析了环境和自然资源价值本质和价值形成机制的特殊性，并以价值评估问题为重点，分析各种价值度量方法所揭示的价值内容、对价值实现的支持和局限，最后从政府决策的角度讨论了通过价值评估将环境和自然资源价值纳入经济过程的动力机制。认为：自然资源价值本质和内涵的独特性，决定了价值评估和实现过程的特殊性。人类能否将环境价值完整地表达出来，受到评价方法和人类对效用和稀缺性等认知能力的局限，尽管每一种价值评价方法所揭示的价值内涵是有所差异的，但到目前为止，这些方法仍是评价环境及自然资源价值的最佳可得的方法。     

关于Ramsey模型及其改进的研究和启示

缺水已经成为我国经济发展和社会进步的重要制约因素之一．而对水价的制定到对水资源的利用效率起科十分关键的作用。本文通过对Ramsey模型及其改进的研究．得出如下启示．即实行阶梯水价既有利于实现杜会福利的优化，也可以起到节约水资源的效果。由于阶梯水价机制的设计可以为制度安排、资本进入和市场运行提供更大的弹性空间．因此．本文的政策含义是：在实施阶梯水价的背景下．政府只需对基量水价按边际成本的定价原则来严格规制．从而有效提升水务市场的运行效率。上述举措的优点在于：由于基量水价被严格规制．消费者的基本用水福利可以得到满足；超过基本用水量的水价和再生水价的相对放松规制会鼓励社会资本进入水务行业．使行业运营效率得到提高；国有资本退出水务行业使得政府财政负担减轻，同时．由于放松规制．政府的规制成本也得以降低。最终城市水务行业可以真正做到可持续的发展。     

我国世界自然遗产地旅游业环境经济核算思路

目前，各级地方政府及旅游经营者对中国世界自然遗产地旅游价值的开发力度大，自然遗产地旅游经济发展异常繁荣，同时也带来了自然遗产地环境退化、资源破坏的严重后果。而用来衡量地区经济发展状况的传统旅游业经济核算结果仅体现旅游经济的增长与否及尺度，而忽略了旅游经济增长同时的环境、资源损耗。现借用SEEA 2000框架，结合中国国情，提出中国世界自然遗产地环境经济核算的框架，经过重新整合，突出优质而独具特色的自然环境部分的环境资产类在自然遗产地旅游业中的生产性资产地位，将原SEEA 2000中拆分核算的5大部分、10大步骤整合为4大部分、9大步骤，并对其当前可操作性进行了客观分析。并指出，虽然目前详尽执行世界自然遗产地环境经济核算有一定难度，但理清核算思路具有现实指导意义。