Reducing conflict over the Danube waters: equitable utilization and sustainable development

This paper develops the idea that the principle of equitable utilization must be applied in concert with sustainable water use not only in the resolution of specific disputes but in the cooperative management of water resources in general. It illustrates this point with two different cases involving the use of the Danube River. The first is the conflict over the Gabcikovo Nagymaros Dam, which now rests before the International Court of Justice. The author argues that a narrow legal ruling that fails to take into account broader issues of equitable utilization as they relate to sustainable development will not satisfactorily address the long-term questions at stake between the parties. The second involves the situation in the Danube Delta where the potential for conflict exists, but may be minimized through the convention and institutional framework developed to address the environmental degradation and pollution of the Danube River basin, which is based in part on the principle of equitable utilization and the goal of achieving more sustainable water use. The paper provides a brief overview of the geographical features of the Danube River and international water law. It then explores the principle of equitable utilization and sustainable water use in light of the two cases and discusses the implications for the resolution and management of conflicts involving internationally shared water courses.     

A Sensitivity Analysis of Nitrogen Losses from Dairy Farms

International attention has focused on agricultural production systems as non-point sources of pollution affecting the quality of streams, estuaries and ground water resources. The objective of the current study was to develop a model of nitrogen management on the dairy farm, and to perform sensitivity analyses in order to determine the relative importance of manipulating herd nutrition, manure management and crop selection in reducing nitrogen (N) losses from the farm. The importance of the method of N input to the farm (purchased feed, legume fixation, inorganic fertilizer, imported manure) was investigated, and the potential to reduce N losses from dairy farms was evaluated. Nitrogen balance equations were derived, and related efficiency coefficients were set to reference values representing common management practices. Total farm N efficiency (animal product N per N input), and N losses per product N were determined for different situations by solving the set of simultaneous equations. Improvements in animal diet and management that increase the conversion of feed N to animal product by 50% would increase total farm N efficiency by 48% and reduce N losses per product by 36 to 40%. In contrast, reducing losses from manure collection, storage and application to improve the percentage of manure N that becomes available in soil by 100% would only improve total farm N efficiency by 13% and reduce total N losses by 14%. Selecting crops and management that can use soil nutrients 50% more efficiently would improve total farm efficiency by up to 59% and reduce N losses by up to 41% depending on the predominant nitrogen sources to the farm. Legume production would reduce N losses per product compared with non-legumes. There was more than a five fold difference in N losses per animal product N between the most extreme scenarios suggesting considerable opportunity to reduce N losses from dairy farms.     

Quantitative Assessment of the Intertidal Environment of Kuwait I: Integrated Environmental Classification

Quantitative analysis of physical, chemical and biological data of the intertidal zone in Kuwait was undertaken to develop an integrated basis for assessing and protecting this sensitive coastal ecosystem. Cluster analyses were performed to determine the resemblance between the sampling stations based on the sediment composition, the benthic macrofauna and the physico-chemical characteristics of the intertidal sediment/water. Five distinct sub-environments were delineated within the intertidal zone of Kuwait. Each sub-environment was described in terms of number of taxa, mean density of organisms, sediment type, tidal level and dominant organisms. The physico-chemical parameters investigated were found to be unimportant in the distribution of the intertidal benthic macrofauna. On the other hand, sediment type was found to be a major factor in the overall composition of the benthic community. The benthic fauna and related characteristics of the sub-environments could be used as indicators to monitor changes in the intertidal ecosystem and as guides to protection and management of the different coasts. The approach described in this paper could also be adopted elsewhere to provide a sound basis for evaluating environmental impacts and for developing sustainable coastal management.     

城市可持续发展政策的取向与反思

本文对城市可持续发展进行了概述，从物理环境、经济环境和社会环境的相互作用的角度分析了城市可持续发展的政策取向，对当今的可持续发展的政策进行反思，提出了建立环境公平促进可持续发展的政策思路。     

生态足迹分析方法及其在国内的应用

生态足迹分析方法是90年代提出的可以定量的反映一个国家、地区、城市的可持续发展程度分析的计算模型。本文介绍了生态足迹模型的理论依据和计算方法，分析了生态足迹分析方法在我国的应用，并且指出了生态足迹分析方法的优缺点及其改进。     

芜湖市生态占用测度方法的分析与应用

应用Wackemagel等提出的生态占用测度方法对芜湖市2004年的生态占用和生态容量进行了分析和计算。利用生态占用分析方法从宏观上度量了芜湖市社会经济发展的可持续性以及生态状况。结果表明，计算年的人均生态赤字为3．757429226hm^2．并提出了相应的对策和措施，为芜湖市建设“生态城市”提供量化依据。     

地震的社会经济影响

在查阅前人研究成果的基础上,分析了地震造成社会灾害严重、影响地区经济发展的现象,认为地震灾害对一个地区所造成的影响程度与该地区的承灾力有关,并影响地区经济的可持续发展.     

区域REE系统的构建及其综合评价

从区域可持续发展的角度出发,提出了区域资源环境经济(REE)系统的概念,初步对区域REE系统的研究对象、系统结构进行了探讨,建立了区域REE系统可持续运行的评价指标体系,并通过实例研究论证了它对区域可持续发展的基础性和指导作用,以及评价指标体系的可用性.     

南充市农地资源可持续利用探讨

农地资源的可持续利用是实现农业可持续发展的基础.在分析南充市农地资源特点的基础上,阐述了农地利用中存在的主要问题,并就合理利用农地提出了农地资源可持续利用的主要原则、对策与措施.     

基于ANN的山东省可持续发展水平的区域差异

针对区域可持续发展系统的非线性,采用人工神经网络中较为先进的自组织特征映射网络构建模型.以山东省17个地市2001年的经济、人口、资源、环境、生活和科教状况作为带分样本,用自组织特征映射模型对山东省可持续发展区域差异进行了研究.研究结果表明,山东省可持续发展水平的区域差异可划分为4类,模拟结果比较理想.