An inquiry into the concept of SEA effectiveness: Towards criteria for Chinese practice

The importance of improving the effectiveness of Plan EIA and SEA-type evaluations in China cannot be overstated: at a time when the country's economy is being boosted by a stimulus package worth over RMB 400 trillion – largely for infrastructure – the pressure on China's already strained environment and resource base is bound to increase. The aim is to propose the criteria for plan EIA's effectiveness to raise the awareness of the need to strengthen the performance of the assessment and maximize its potential benefits. The authors first review critically the discourse on the effectiveness of the impact assessment, identifying three dimensions: substantive, procedural and incremental. The resulting conceptual framework allows them to interpret the weaknesses of the Chinese discourse on the effectiveness and of the practice of the Plan EIA to date. The result is the identification of a clear gap, both in terms of the breadth of the concept, and in terms of the quality of the existing criteria, which tend to be very generic to the point of inapplicability. The analysis also reveals a need for transitioning from formal models of the Plan EIA to more strategic approaches, in a gradual manner that is consistent with context-specificities. The proposal of a set of preliminary criteria for effectiveness is therefore structured on three levels. This framework is meant to input into the ongoing debate on how to improve the practice of PEIA and the SEA-type evaluations in China, and provide ideas for a government strategy aimed at maximizing the positive impact of PEIAs on planning, as well as on the context of application.     

促进我国环保产业发展的实证研究——对《水污染防治行动计划》的解读

基于2010年《中国投入产出表》,结合环保产业统计调查,构建环保产业外部化投入产出表,采用投入产出局部闭模型定量研究水污染防治行动计划对环保产业的促进作用,并对拉动效应的时滞特性进行分析。研究发现:行动计划的实施将直接带动水污染防治专业设备制造、环境监测专用仪器设备、环境咨询服务等相关领域发展,对环保产品和环保服务的直接贡献为1.4万亿,间接贡献约5 000亿。拉动效应的时滞特性分析表明,行动计划投资对环保产业的刺激效应在2017年达到高峰,然后逐年递减。     

《水污染防治行动计划》实施的宏观经济影响分析

基于全产业链视角,本文采用投入产出模型定量模拟了《水污染防治行动计划》(以下简称《水十条》)项目实施的社会经济影响.结果表明,《水十条》的实施:①起到了刺激经济发展、促进社会就业的作用,将拉动我国GDP 累计增加56 964 亿元,其中直接贡献占13%,间接贡献占87%;累计增加非农就业岗位398 万人,其中直接贡献占29%,间接贡献占71%.②将拉动环保装备制造、建筑安装、环保技术服务等相关行业的发展,同时通过产业链关联间接带动农林牧渔业、交通运输及仓储业、批发和零售业、专用设备制造业等行业的发展.③在我国环境保护投资仍然严重不足的情况下,加大环保投资有利于带动节能环保产业的发展,促进我国经济战略转型.     

Evaluating Areas of High Conservation Value in Western Oregon with a Decision‐Support Model

Abstract: The Northwest Forest Plan was implemented in 1994 to protect habitat for species associated with old‐growth forests, including Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentailis caurina) in Washington, Oregon, and northern California (U.S.A.). Nevertheless, 10‐year monitoring data indicate mixed success in meeting the ecological goals of the plan. We used the ecosystem management decision‐support model to evaluate terrestrial and aquatic habitats across the landscape on the basis of ecological objectives of the Northwest Forest Plan, which included maintenance of late‐successional and old‐growth forest, recovery, and maintenance of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.), and viability of Northern Spotted Owls. Areas of the landscape that contained habitat characteristics that supported these objectives were considered of high conservation value. We used the model to evaluate ecological condition of each of the 36, 180 township and range sections of the study area. Eighteen percent of the study area was identified as habitat of high conservation value. These areas were mostly on public lands. Many of the sections that contained habitat of exceptional conservation value were on Bureau of Land Management land that has been considered for management‐plan revisions to increase timber harvests. The results of our model can be used to guide future land management in the Northwest Forest Plan area, and illustrate how decision‐support models can help land managers develop strategies to better meet their goals.     

Women's Awareness of and Attitudes Towards the Flood Action Plan (FAP) of Bangladesh: A Comparative Study

/ Bangladesh has recently tested a program called the Flood Action Plan (FAP) to solve its chronic flood problem. The FAP envisages that all the major rivers of Bangladesh will eventually be embanked on both sides in order to prevent flooding. This paper reports on the responses of rural women to the possible impacts of the proposed embankment projects as outlined in the FAP. A further attempt is also made to compare their responses with the results of an earlier survey conducted among male respondents. Data for this study were collected from two rural areas of Bangladesh. It shows that almost all respondents had heard about the proposed construction and that they overwhelmingly support the embankment project of the FAP. Respondents are also aware of both positive and negative impacts of embankment construction. Similar findings were also reported by a previous study dealing with male responses to the embankment project. KEY WORDS: Flood Action Plan; Bangladesh; Women     

日本阪神大震灾在应急救灾上的几点教训

本文从防灾体制、心理准备和防灾规划等方面分析日本阪神大震灾在应急救灾行动中的教训，并结合我国的情况作了简单的讨论。     

Needs of communications with general public about the potential risk of electromagnetic fields and methods for achieving this goal

In the recent years concerns whether exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) from base station antennae can cause adverse health effects are grown. Great attention is paid on risk of EMF exposure to people living in a close proximity of base stations. In this issue, a point of interest is the personnel mounting, adjusting and maintaining base stations. Their working tasks require stay in high EMF levels’ conditions. There are only few studies concerning this specific occupational group. The results from our previous investigation (Zaryabova and Israel 2006) show that in␣many cases on performing some specific tasks operators are overexposed according to our national legislation, and ICNIRP guidelines. Here, we present an extended study covering more base stations and more precise scenario for performed tasks and working positions. Results of exposure assessment are presented. They include energetic load calculations on the basis of Bulgarian national legislation, and the corresponding SAR values. Data are used to determine permissible time duration for each particular work operation and served as a base for limiting the exposure and proposal for protective measures for the personnel.     

小区域建设规划的思考与实践

结合江苏省如皋市长青沙岛无公害农业园区暨乡村休闲旅游度假区建设规划，提出规划的指导思想和目标，并阐明规划应遵循的几项原则，尤其是规划的可操作性原则，认为规划的实施方案应当尽可能地详细具体。     

沈阳市“十五”期间环境质量变化趋势分析

首先对“十五”期间沈阳市环境质量变化趋势进行了总体描述,然后分别阐述了环境空气质量、水环境质量、生态环境质量及声环境质量的变化趋势。并对“十一五”的环境质量进行了预测。