Green reconstruction of the tsunami-affected areas in India using the integrated coastal zone management concept

A tsunami, triggered by a massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra in Indonesia, greatly devastated the lives, property and infrastructure of coastal communities in the coastal states of India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Thailand. This event attracted the attention of environmental managers at all levels, local, national, regional and global. It also shifted the focus from the impact of human activities on the environment to the impacts of natural hazards. Recovery/reconstruction of these areas is highly challenging. A clear understanding of the complex dynamics of the coast and the types of challenges faced by the several stakeholders of the coast is required. Issues such as sustainability, equity and community participation assume importance. The concept of ICZM (integrated coastal zone management) has been effectively used in most parts of the world. This concept emphasizes the holistic assessment of the coast and a multidisciplinary analysis using participatory processes. It integrates anthropocentric and eco-centric approaches. This paper documents several issues involved in the recovery of tsunami-affected areas and recommends the application of the ICZM concept to the reconstruction efforts.     

Sediment and carbon accumulation in a small tidal basin: Yuehu,Shandong Peninsula,China

A small sedimentary basin (the Yuehu lagoon), located at the eastern tip of Shandong Peninsula, China, was selected to study its filling by sediment and the vertical flux of particulate organic carbon in response to natural/anthropogenic processes. Surficial and short core sediment samples were collected and analyzed to obtain data sets of grain size, organic carbon content, deposition rates and vertical fluxes of sediment and organic carbon. The analytical results show that the lagoon is covered mainly with fine-grained sediments with high deposition rate and particulate organic carbon content being found from the central part of the mud deposit. The sediment balance of the lagoon indicates high denudation rates of the catchment basin, which may be related to soil erosion in response to farming and land use pattern changes. Furthermore, preliminary analysis of the organic carbon fluxes of the Yuehu lagoon and other embayments of the region shows that these coastal systems make an important contribution to the regional shallow sea carbon burial.     

Photodegradation of 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-P) in coastal seawaters: Important role of DOM

Benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BT-UVs) have attracted concerns due to their ubiquitous occurrence in the aquatic environment, and their bioaccumulative and toxic properties. However, little is known about their aquatic environmental degradation behavior. In this study, photodegradation of a representative of BT-UVs, 2-(2-hydroxy-5-methylphenyl)benzotriazole (UV-P), was investigated under simulated sunlight irradiation. Results show that UV-P photodegrades slower under neutral conditions (neutral form) than under acidic or alkaline conditions (cationic and anionic forms). Indirect photodegradation is a dominant elimination pathway of UV-P in coastal seawaters. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) from seawaters accelerate the photodegradation rates mainly through excited triplet DOM (³DOM^?), and the roles of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical are negligible in the matrixes. DOM from seawaters impacted by mariculture exhibits higher steady-state concentration of ³DOM^? ([³DOM^?]) relative to those from pristine seawaters, leading to higher photosensitizing effects on the photodegradation. Halide ions inhibit the DOM-sensitized photodegradation of UV-P by decreasing [³DOM^?]. Photodegradation half-lives of UV-P are estimated to range from 24.38 to 49.66?hr in field water bodies of the Yellow River estuary. These results are of importance for assessing environmental fate and risk UV-P in coastal water bodies.     

海平面上升,海岸带灾害与海岸防护问题

全球变暖导致海平面上升。近百年来中国海平面以１．４～２．０ｍｍ／ａ的平均速率上升，预计下世纪还将加速，几个大河三角洲沿岸因受地面下沉影响，２０５０年相对海平面上升幅度可能高出ＩＰＣＣ（１９９０）最佳估计值的１倍左右。海平面上升会加剧多种海岸带灾害，尤其是台风风暴潮的发生数和成灾数增加。近２０年来由于沿海人口、资产密度剧增以及海堤标准偏低，致使风暴潮灾损失逐年增大，预计下世纪海岸带灾害损失还将大幅度提高。面对海平面上升和海岸带灾害的不断发展以及越来越多的低滩围垦情况，必须认识加强海岸防护对发展区域经济的重要性。增加投入，采取护坡与保滩相结合、工程措施与生物措施相结合等综合防护对策，争取在较短时间内将我国大部分海韩的标准在现有基础上普遍提高一个等级。     

Exploring risk,resistance and the power of myths among coastal fishing communities in Kerala,India

This paper attempts to capture the socially constructed nature of risk by analyzing the discourses embedded in community beliefs, myths and experiential narratives regarding coastal hazards and fishworkers' livelihoods. This paper draws insights from the works of James Scott on power and resistance in the everyday life of marginalized populations. Qualitative data for the study was collected using semi‐structured interview schedules, in‐depth group interviews, oral histories and storytelling across twenty marine fishing villages in Kerala. A significant finding of the study is that the communal discourse of coastal hazards or kolu is an integral part of fishworkers' resistance against formal authority and scientific knowledge systems in coastal management. The myths and beliefs of fishworkers are expressions of their concerns about present forms of development and coastal resource management.     

海滨生态旅游区域合作发展研究——以山东沿海地区为例

作为海滨旅游和生态旅游的有机结合,海滨生态旅游不仅是对海洋资源的合理利用,也是可持续发展理念在旅游业中的实践应用.以山东沿海地区为例,运用区域合作的相关原理构建了海滨生态旅游区域合作的动力机制和合作机制,从产品开发、市场开发、信息网络建设三个方面论证了实现路径,并从加强合作保障、促进利益协调和消除地区壁垒三个方面提出了对策.     

Effect of environmental conditions on perceived psychological restorativeness of coastal parks

We investigated the hypothesis that perception of psychological restorativeness during visits to coastal parks is modified by objective and perceived environmental conditions. Visitors (n = 1153) to California beaches completed a survey on perceived weather, environmental quality, and perceived restorativeness. We used generalized ordinal logistic models to estimate the association between environmental parameters and odds of perceiving higher levels of restorativeness. Visitors perceived greater restorativeness at beaches when ambient temperatures were at or below mean monthly temperatures and during low tides. The odds of perceiving the environment as more psychologically restorative were three times greater when visiting on days defined by government policy as having good air quality (OR = 3.25; CI: 1.69–6.28). Visitors’ perception of air (OR = 1.56; CI: 1.14–2.18) and water quality (OR = 1.78; CI: 1.28–2.49) also affected perceived restorativeness; with perceived healthy days more restorative. Warmer temperatures with less space due to sea level rise and poor environmental quality will restrict restorative experiences in recreational facilities designed for urban populations.     

Characterization and seasonal distribution of microplastics in the nearshore sediments of the south-east coast of India,Bay of Bengal

• MPs in the coastal sediment of south-east coast of India are quantified. • High MPs are recorded near river mouths and nearshore regions. • Polyethylene and polypropylene are the major polymers observed. • MPs contamination is higher than the values reported elsewhere. In view of increasing Microplastics (MPs) contamination in the marine environment and dearth of baseline data, a study was conducted on the abundance, characterization, and seasonal distribution of MPs in the nearshore sediments of the south-east coast of India. Sediment samples (n = 130) were collected at a distance of 1 km and 10 km from the shore region at varying depths (8–45 m) along the Chennai to Puducherry coast (165 km stretch), representing two seasons, i.e., south-west (July 2019 and July 2020) and north-east (January 2020) monsoons. The average abundance of MPs at the 22 offshore sites along the Chennai to Puducherry coast varied from 9±4.3 to 19±12.9 particles/50 g dry weight, in July 2019 and January 2020, respectively. July 2020 had an average abundance of 10±4.5 particles/50 g dry weight. Spatially, high levels of MPs were found at 1km stations and transects in proximity to the river inlets, and temporally, the north-east month recorded the maximum concentration. The dominant morphotype was the filament, and the major polymers were polyethylene and polypropylene. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images revealed the surface irregularity and degradation of MPs due to weathering. The study highlights that high sediment contamination by MPs occurs during heavy rainfall and accumulates closer to river inlets. Eventually, this study suggests that appropriate management of plastic wastes on the landside will reduce MP contamination in the marine environment.     

中国滨海湿地的分类

滨海湿地是海平面以下６米至大潮高潮位之上与外流江河流域相连的微咸水和淡浅水湖泊，沼泽以及相应河段间的区域，分潮上带淡水湿地、潮间带滩涂湿地，潮下带近海湿地和河口沙洲离岛湿地四个子系统及若干型。对各个子系统和型进行了界定。