Environmental education,community mobilization and sustainable development in Hong Kong: a comparative perspective

SUMMARY

This paper focuses on efforts to promote environmental education and community mobilization around environmental issues in Hong Kong. It is primarily concerned with efforts directed at the broader community (i.e. the population as a whole) rather than with environmental education through formal school and college curricula. The paper draws on a recently completed study commissioned by the Environmental Campaign Committee, the principal source of financial support for such efforts undertaken by environmental NGOs, community groups and educational institutions in Hong Kong. The study examined how and to what effect the Committee had used its financial resources between 1994–1999. It also examined international experience with a view to recommending changes in the overall approach to environmental education and community mobilization initiatives and their funding in Hong Kong.

The paper suggests that the existing approach to community-wide environmental education and its funding in Hong Kong have suffered from various weaknesses, most notably the absence of an integrated and goal-oriented strategy, an over-reliance on a ‘top-down’ campaign-based approach, a failure to establish explicit linkages with the concept of sustainable development and to ground initiatives at the local neighbourhood and community levels, and a preoccupation with the financial inputs provided to support this work at the expense of effective monitoring and auditing of project outputs and benefits.     

Are indigenous forest reserves sustainable? An analysis of present and future land-use trends in Bosawas,Nicaragua

SUMMARY

In recent years, indigenous tenure over forest lands has emerged as a means to conserve forests while recognizing indigenous rights. There is concern, however, that indigenous reserves may not be an appropriate policy tool for sustained forest conservation. Our research examined how recognition of indigenous common-property rights has controlled agricultural expansion and conserved forests in Bosawas Biosphere Reserve, Nicaragua. We used satellite imagery with empirical data gathered in the field on land-use institutions, population pressures, and land-use practices to compare whether indigenous communities under territorial management or public management are better able to (1) control the ‘fast threat’ of frontier expansion and (2) address the long-term ecological threats posed by indigenous land-use practices and institutional changes in the region. Our findings are that indigenous residents who share common-property rights over their territories are better able to control agricultural expansion than are indigenous residents living on public lands. With respect to the long-term threats to the region, a series of simulations of possible land-use pressures demonstrate that the enforcement of territorial boundaries and further development of indigenous forest management rules will prove crucial in determining land-use capacity and deforestation over the next 50 years.     

Facilitating resilient rural-to-urban sustainable agriculture and rural communities

ABSTRACT

This article contributes to efforts to validate a common set of parameters and principles of sustainable agriculture. Comparisons between alternative forms of sustainable agriculture and rural-to-urban community resilience are investigated. Conclusions are drawn between multiple sustainable/alternative agriculture systems and evaluated. A set of common baseline parameters and principles is proposed as a method of evolving a common structural framework for strengthening sustainability of agriculture and rural contexts. Concepts of rural-to-urban community sustainability are proposed, supporting sustainable agriculture contexts as rural and urban. In the twenty-first century, agriculture is becoming more diversified and less typified as a rural occupation. Urban agriculture is expanding as the need for fresh, affordable, accessible agriculture produce increases in urban areas. Evidence supports symbiotic relationships between sustainable agriculture and rural/urban communities, although some claim this relationship has not been clearly defined.

This article investigates sustainable agriculture from two perspectives. We ask ‘what are common parameters and principles of the various forms of sustainable agriculture,’ and ‘why urban-to-rural context.’ Organic agriculture parameters and principles are proposed as a conceptual framework toward establishing baseline parameters and principles for sustainable agriculture. Best management parameters of urban and rural sustainable agriculture in the United States and the United Kingdom are examined for their potential to develop a strengthening framework of parameters and principles of agriculture and rural-to-urban sustainability. These results are compared and evaluated for their effectiveness in redefining current sustainable agriculture practices, and their value in strengthening sustainable agriculture symbiosis with rural-to-urban community systems.     

Rehabilitation of degraded community lands for sustainable development in Himalaya: a case study in Garhwal Himalaya,India

SUMMARY

An approach to the rehabilitation of degraded community lands built on people's perceptions and traditional knowledge was developed, implemented on a small scale (6 ha plot), and evaluated in terms of economic and ecological costs and benefits over a period of 5 years in a mid-altitude (1200 m) village of Garhwal Himalaya. Rehabilitation comprised establishment of water harvesting tanks, organic management of soil, agroforestry (native multipurpose trees t traditional crops), and decision making by the whole village community. Costs and benefits under irrigated and unirrigated conditions were compared. The total cost of establishing the irrigated agroforestry system was 1.23 fold that of the unirrigated one, whereas the total benefit was 2.09 fold. The average standing above-ground biomass of the 4-year-old plantation in the irrigated agroforestry system was 11.69 t/ha compared to 8.34 t/ha in the unirrigated system. Improvement in soil properties was more pronounced in the irrigated system than in the unirrigated one. Nutrient input, an input derived largely from forest biomass, in the unirrigated system was nearly 3 times higher than that in the irrigated system. It is concluded that, considering the local and national/regional/global interests in an integrated manner, agroforestry incorporating water management would be a more effective option for rehabilitating degraded community lands than the afforestation currently being attempted by the government in the mid-altitudes of Indian Himalaya.     

红树植物凋落叶分解对土壤可溶性有机质的影响

研究红树林湿地土壤可溶性有机质（DOM）的来源、性质及其归宿对于揭示 DOM 在红树林湿地生物地球化学循环中的作用具有重要意义。采集了木榄（Bruguiera gymnoihiza）、秋茄（Kandelia candel）和桐花树（Aegiceras corniculatum）3种红树植物的新近落叶进行室内48 d分解实验,探讨了凋落叶分解过程对土壤可溶性有机碳（DOC）和可溶性总氮（TDN）含量、C/N比（DOC/TDN）及紫外-可见（UV-Vis）光谱特征（A280、A240/A420和A250/A365比值）的影响。在48 d分解期间,3种红树植物凋落叶的输入均明显增加了土壤DOC的含量,其变化在分解第6 d最为显著,各凋落叶添加组比对照组平均增加了149%（秋茄）~196%（桐花树）,随后各凋落叶添加组土壤DOC含量呈下降趋势。与土壤DOC的变化不同,凋落叶输入后土壤TDN的变化与对照组的差异不明显,但木榄和桐花树添加组的C/N比在分解初期（第6天）显著高于对照组（P<0.05）。凋落叶的输入亦在不同程度上增大了土壤DOM的A280值,降低了DOM的A240/A420和A250/A365比值。与土壤DOC的变化相似,凋落叶输入使DOM的UV-Vis光谱特征在分解初期（第6天）的变化最明显,其中桐花树凋落叶的影响最大,秋茄凋落叶的影响最小。结果表明：凋落叶输入使培养初期土壤DOM的含量和性质发生明显改变,DOM中大分子及芳香类组分增多、团聚化程度增加,DOM 的生物可降解性变小。然而,随着分解的进行,不同凋落叶处理组之间土壤DOM的变化差异性逐渐缩小,并在分解后期与对照组趋近。     

富营养化水体降磷对浮游植物群落结构特征的影响

浮游植物是水生态系统中物质循环和能量流动的基础,作为初级生产者,浮游植物的群落结构直接影响着水生态系统的结构和功能。在水产养殖生产中,如何根据养殖生物对生活环境的需求开展精准培水、定向培水,培养养殖生物所需要的浮游植物,在维持养殖水域生态平衡的同时又能为养殖生物提供一定的饵料资源,这一直是摆在水产科技工作者面前的重要难题和研究热点。已有的资料大都是通过添加磷的方式研究磷改变对浮游植物生长的影响,而有关富营养化水体降磷对浮游植物群落结构影响的研究尚未见报道。为此,试验通过向取自富营养化湖泊的水体中加入磷去除剂,采用Pielou均匀度指数、Mcnaughton优势度指数和Shannon多样性指数,研究自然水体中的磷被降低后水体浮游植物群落结构的变化情况。结果表明,所取富营养化水体中共检出绿藻（Chlorophyta）、硅藻（Bacillariophyta）、蓝藻（Cyanophyta）、裸藻（Euglenophyta）、隐藻（Cryptophyta）、甲藻（Pyrrophyta）6门29种（包括变种和变型）;其中绿藻、蓝藻、硅藻、隐藻、裸藻、甲藻分别有7、4、2、1、1种,分别占总种数的24.13%、13.79%、6.90%、3.45%、3.45%。富营养化水体降磷后,虽然试验组和对照组在浮游植物种类组成上没有差异,但浮游植物群落结构特征发生了很大变化,浮游植物数量明显降低,由13 238.8×104cells·L-1降低至3 997.5×104cells·L-1,下降了69.8%;浮游植物优势种从1门（蓝藻（Cyanophyta））6种增加到3门（绿藻（Chlorophyta）、硅藻（Bacillariophyta）、蓝藻（Cyanophyta））12种,优势度指数从97.29%降低至86.30%,优势种门数和优势种种数远远高于对照组,优势度明显低于对照组;同时,浮游植物多样性指数和均匀度分别从1.85和0.38升高至2.60和0.54,显示出试验组浮游植物多样性和均匀度优于对照组。研究表明富营养化水体降磷对浮游植物群落结构产生了明显影响,使群落结构处于更加复杂、完整和稳定的状态。     

不同轮作制度下施肥对冬小麦田间杂草群落及小麦生长的影响

为探讨不同轮作制度下长期施肥对冬小麦Triticum aestivum L.田间杂草及小麦生长的影响,我们在三个长期田间肥效试验定位点,研究3种轮作制度下(冬小麦-大豆Glycine max (L.) Merr.(WS)、冬小麦-夏玉米Zea Mays L.(WM)、冬小麦-中稻Oryza sativa(WR))长期不同施肥模式对冬小麦田间杂草群落及小麦生长的影响.研究表明,在3种轮作制度下,平衡施加N、P、K肥或者NPK肥配施有机肥均可以显著降低冬小麦田杂草密度、地上生物量和田间光照透过率,促进冬小麦生长,并提高冬小麦产量和地上生物量;而且在冬小麦-大豆轮作和冬小麦-中稻轮作的冬小麦田中平衡施加N、P和K肥可以在控制杂草密度的同时保持一个较均一的杂草群落.3种轮作制度下各指标相对值比较发现,3种轮作制度改变施肥对冬小麦田间光照透过率影响程度的顺序与3种轮作制度改变冬小麦田中施肥对杂草密度和地上生物量影响程度的顺序相同;另外,在冬小麦-大豆轮作和冬小麦-中稻轮作制度下杂草密度与冬小麦田间光照透过率之间的相关系数也很高(R≥0.7906),说明施肥对冬小麦田间光照透过率的改变可能是施肥影响冬小麦田间杂草群落的主要途径之一.轮作制度改变冬小麦田中施肥对优势杂草种类数和杂草生物多样性影响的程度差别不大,这可能是因为轮作改变施肥对田间杂草的影响并没有达到引起田间杂草物种消亡的程度.结果表明,在3种轮作制度中施肥对冬小麦田间杂草群落及小麦生长的影响虽有差异,但都显示出施肥在抑制田间杂草发生、维持杂草生物多样性和提高作物产量上的作用.     

城市污水处理厂微生物气溶胶污染和粒径分布特征

城市污水处理厂微生物气溶胶的污染与控制逐渐成为人们关注的热点问题。为明确城市污水处理厂微生物气溶胶浓度和粒径分布特征,选择鄂尔多斯市某城市污水处理厂的格栅间、配水池、氧化沟、二沉池、污泥脱水间和厂区门口6个功能区为对象,对各功能区产生的异养细菌、真菌和放线菌气溶胶浓度分布、污染特性和微生物粒子粒径分布特性进行研究。结果表明,该污水处理厂不同功能区内异养细菌、真菌和放线菌的浓度分布存在显著性差异,其中二沉池和污泥脱水间产生的异养细菌和放线菌浓度均较高,真菌浓度较高的区域为厂门口和二沉池;根据相关微生物气溶胶污染评价标准,污泥脱水间逸散的异养细菌浓度均达到污染级,二沉池、氧化沟和厂门口逸散的异养细菌浓度达轻微污染级,格栅间和配水池未受污染,而真菌浓度在各个功能区均未受到污染;各功能区产生的异养细菌、真菌和放线菌粒子粒径分布无明显差异,异养细菌、真菌和放线菌粒子粒径分别集中在第1、4级,第3、4级和第1、2、3级,大体上均呈正态分布;各功能区均逸散出一定比例的可以直接吸入人体呼吸道的微生物粒子,可能对人体健康具有一定的潜在风险。研究结果可为城市污水处理厂运行过程中微生物气溶胶的污染控制提供科学依据。     

Foundations of community disaster resilience: well-being,identity, services,and capitals

If community disaster resilience is to mature into a robust and lasting area of research, methodologically facilitated dialogue between empirical observations and theory is necessary. However, methodological and empirical research has outpaced community disaster resilience theory. To address this gap, a theoretical framework called WISC is presented. WISC is named after four constructs of the framework: well-being, identity, services, and capitals. WISC relates the two concepts of community and infrastructure, broadly defined, to the four constructs it is named after. The 4 constructs are respectively defined by 29 variables. The broadest interpretation of WISC is that infrastructure supports and facilitates components of community within human settlements. Infrastructure is represented as combinations of capitals and services; community is represented by connections of identity and well-being. Ultimately, well-being of a community is dependent on that community's collective capital. But these two constructs are mediated by the intervening constructs of identity and services. WISC goes beyond existing frameworks by addressing essential elements of theory building that have been overlooked in the literature, while synthesizing other frameworks and areas of knowledge. WISC provides a powerful foundation for posing and evaluating hypotheses, improving data collection efforts, and, most importantly, enabling critical theory building.     

A review of coastal community vulnerabilities toward resilience benefits from disaster reduction measures

The coast has always been an area of significant hazards. In situations of community self-sufficiency, consequences of coastal hazards might be isolated to regions directly affected by the hazard. But, in the current global economy, fewer and fewer communities are isolated; damage to one location frequently has consequences around the globe and coastal community resilience can have broad-reaching benefits. Hazard responses for the built coastal environment have typically been resistance: constructing stronger buildings, enhancing natural barriers or creating artificial barriers. These approaches to hazard reduction through coastal engineering and shoreline defence efforts have been crucial to sustained coastal development. However, as coastal forces continue or magnify and resources become scarcer, resistance alone may be less effective or even unsustainable, and interest in resilience has grown. Resilience is a community's ability either to absorb destructive forces without loss of service or function, or to recover quickly from disasters. Community resilience encompasses multiple elements, ranging from governance to structural design, risk knowledge, prevention, warning systems and recovery. This paper focuses on hazards of coastal communities, and provides a review of some recent engineering efforts to improve the resilience elements of risk knowledge and disaster warnings for coastal disaster reduction.