Mitigating Industrial Pollution Along the Atlantic Coast of Cameroon: An Overview of Government Efforts

Summary This paper presents an overview of the initiatives that have been formulated by the government of Cameroon to address the problem of industrial pollution. It also prescribes robust recommendations that could be employed to save the Atlantic coast of Cameroon from industrial pollutants. After the participation of Cameroon in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, the government took a significant step to overhaul its institutional framework, legal framework and policy framework vis-à-vis the regulation of industrial pollution. Under the auspices of the United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Gulf of Guinea Large Marine Ecosystem Project aimed at sustaining the health of the Atlantic coast of Cameroon by ensuring treatment of industrial wastes, oil spills, sewage and heavy metals was implemented (1995–1999). Based upon careful analysis, however, the paper argues that these efforts have had little or no discernable impacts and that industrial activities along the Atlantic coast of Cameroon are still a major threat to safety, health and the environment. With a considerable number of hurdles that still persist, sufficient environmental improvement in industrial pollution along the Atlantic coast of Cameroon is far-fetched. Nevertheless, the paper concludes that marked environmental improvement can be obtained if: (i) competent personnel are appointed in ministries that play an active role in mitigating industrial pollution (ii) research partnerships are forged with local universities (iii) industrial machinery and equipment are improved (iv) inter institutional conflicts are addressed (v) a more collaborative forum between stakeholders is established (vi) adequate monitoring is instituted. The provisions of this paper form the foundation of an ongoing research being conducted by the authors at Brandenburg University of Technology, Cottbus, Germany.     

综合风险管理的梯形架构

首次提出了综合风险管理的梯形架构,它从下往上分别由风险意识块、量化分析块和优化决策块构成.风险意识块涉及文化观念、社会结构和立法等,是综合风险管理的社会基础;量化分析块涉及风险分析的所有科学和技术之研究内容,是综合风险管理的科学支撑;优化决策块涉及风险管理的决策体系和目标,是综合风险管理的终端动作部分.梯形架构是一个社会架构,属社会组织学范畴,支撑其运行的是一系列有机组成的物理结构,量化分析块内的工作质量由相关数学模型的品质来决定.     

Bhopal and its effects on the Canadian regulatory framework

Instead of legislating after the Bhopal accident, Canada choose to innovate by adopting a consultative approach. In 1987, Environment Canada set up the Major Industrial Accidents Council of Canada (MIACC), a non profit organization financed by the federal and provincial governments and industry.

MIACC was a process rather than a structure. Governments, industries, responders, trade unions, NGOs, etc. have shared their expertise. It has worked as a partnership for the development of standards, guidance documents, etc. in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

MIACC ceased to exist in 1999. Although, MIACC disappearance is unfortunate, it is not dramatic. A culture of partnership, of working together towards common objectives, is now well in place and influences the development of regulations.

Natural disasters and the 911 terrorist attack on New York triggered the publication of regulations.

The legislative process started in 2001 with the Province of Quebec adopting a new Civil Protection Act for the protection of persons and property against disasters.

Year 2003 saw major developments in the regulation of emergencies—changes that are likely to have significant influences on how companies operate in Canada. Surprisingly, however, these changes have received little attention in the media, and many companies may not be aware of their implications.

This paper will review these developments, and will examine what has already taken place. Topics include:

• The federal regulation of environmental emergencies under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act;

• Extension of the Criminal Code of Canada to allow criminal charges and possibly heavy penalties for senior officials and corporations, including an explicit legal duty to protect workers from harm;

• Quebec Civil Protection Act designed to identify and manage risks;

• Ontario‘s stepwise regulation of municipal emergency preparedness with the intended goal of NFPA 1600 compliance by 2007, and the implications for the process industries;

• Potential regulation at the municipal level.

省级生产安全应急救援体系建设方案探讨

省级生产安全应急救援体系是国家生产安全应急救援体系的重要组成部分。为了使省级生产安全应急救援体系的建设方案具有实用性、先进性、经济性和可操作性 ,笔者通过调研许多地方的经济现状、重大危险源和现有的生产安全应急救援资源 ,提出了省级应急救援体系的基本框架和体系在应急救援情况下的响应程序。要在省、市 (地区 )、县三级建立起权威的应急救援指挥机构 ,才能使应急救援体系实现高度的统一指挥 ,灵敏高效 ;充分地整合和利用现有各种救援力量和通讯系统 ,实现资源共享 ,避免重复建设 ;促进“110” ,“119” ,“12 0” ,“12 2”等通讯网络联动 ,并逐步应用GPS ,GIS等资源 ,建立先进的动态跟踪监测 ,可视的信息系统 ;应急救援队伍由3部分组成 ,即政府主办的公共应急救援队伍 (现有 )、政府资助由行业或集团公司主办的专业应急救援队伍、企业自备的应急救援队伍 ;同时对体系中各种机构的组成及其主要职责提出了设想。     

海上溢油事故应急反应系统的框架研究

一旦发生海上溢油事故,溢油事故应急反应系统将有效地组织溢油事故的各种应急处理,以确保海洋生态系统的安全和减少经济损失。文章对海上溢油事故应急反应系统的总体框架进行了分析,并详细介绍了以溢油信息收集子系统、溢油模拟子系统、环境与资源信息数据库、溢油应急指挥中心及溢油应急处理系统五大部分为主体的框架及其主要功能。该框架可作为建立海上溢油事故应急反应系统的基础。     

略论环保新热点——生态系统健康

健康的生态系统是人类赖以生存和发展的必要条件,维护与保持生态系统健康,是关系到人类前途和命运的重大课题。该文介绍了生态系统健康的概念、特征以及与生态学、社会经济和人类健康的关系,最后提出评价方法的框架。今后的目标是,在资源编目、风险评价、环境方案预测的基础上,建立生态系统健康的评价指标和相关工具,并可利用综合性方法,来预测生态系统的行为。     

Ecosystem services for water policy: Insights across Europe

In this research we explored how the concepts and approaches of ecosystem services are currently used in water management in Europe, in the application of River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) developed for the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Five case studies have been considered, located in the River Basin Districts of the Po river (Italy), Scotland (United Kingdom), Scheldt river (Belgium), Danube river (Romania), Sado and Mira rivers and Ribeiras do Algarve (Portugal). These cases represent different regional contexts of application of this EU water policy, with specific socio-economic drivers and environmental issues. Each case study has developed an operational framework to analyse ecosystem services in practice together with a group of local stakeholders. In each regional case, we examined how EU water policy and RBMPs are implemented, considered legal and planning instruments from the national to the local scale, and we analysed the use of ecosystem service terms and concepts in the relevant planning instruments. In parallel, we explored the view of local stakeholders and water managers on the topic, collecting their opinion on three major aspects: the usefulness of the concepts and approaches of ecosystem services for WFD river basin management plans, the risks and benefits of their use, and the knowledge needs to put the concepts into practice. The major drawback of the ecosystem service approach seems to be the challenge for practitioners of understanding new concepts and methodologies, while the major advantages are that it highlights all the hidden benefits of a water body in good health and promotes multi-functionality and sustainability in water management. The results of this study provide a picture across Europe of the current use of the concepts of ecosystem services in the RBMP and relevant insight on the opinion of local stakeholders and water managers.     

中国粮食安全系统脆弱性评价及其驱动机制分析

从粮食安全系统的视角出发,运用VSD的脆弱性分析框架,从暴露性、敏感性、适应能力三个层面构建了中国粮食安全脆弱性评价指标体系,采用主成分分析方法对1991-2015年中国粮食安全脆弱性的暴露性、敏感性、适应能力进行定量分析,并探究了中国粮食安全脆弱性变化的总体趋势及其驱动因子。研究结果表明：（1）暴露性指数呈现出2阶段下降特征,年均下降0.121;敏感性指数呈现出快速上升和基本稳定的两阶段变化特征;适应能力指数则一直上升,年均提高0.117。（2）1991-2015年粮食安全系统脆弱性指数整体呈现下降趋势,表明中国粮食安水平有了明显提高;其变化过程可划分为1991-1999年、2000-2003年和2004-2015年三个阶段,第一、二阶段粮食安全水平的总体提高是基于“吃饱”水平上的提高,而第三阶段是基于“吃好”水平上的提高。（3）人均GDP、城镇化水平和城乡居民人均可支配收入四个因子共同驱动中国粮食安全脆弱性的变化,2000-2015年的第二阶段四因子对粮食安全脆弱性的驱动作用明显小于1991-1999的第一阶段,且第一驱动因子由第一阶段的农村居民人均可支配收入转变为第二阶段的人均GDP和城镇居民可支配收入。     

Review of challenges and strategies for balanced urban–rural environmental protection in China

With the rise of environmentalism in China, great efforts have been devoted to environmental protection over the past several decades. Compared with urban environmental protection, rural environmental protection has not been attached enough importance in China due to the dual-track structure of socio-economic development. As a result, rural China is shouldering disproportionally heavy environmental burdens partly because of the differences and biases between urban and rural environmental protection seen in environmental policies, environmental rights and interests, environmental protection investment, and the environmental protection awareness of people. To eliminate the gap between rural and urban environmental protection, and achieve the goal of “balanced urban–rural environmental protection” (BUREP), government should consider mapping out proper policies and strategies. In this paper we put forward an innovative strategy of BUREP against the background of China’s urban-rural environmental protection. First, we review the current status of rural environmental protection status and its challenges compared with urban environmental protection in China. Secondly, we analyzed the main driving factors and reasons deeply, and then we put forward the BUREP strategy base on the unequal status between urban and rural environment. Finally, we proposed the framework of BUREP. This study may serve as a scientific reference regarding decision-making in coordinating urban and rural environmental protection and in constructing the new countryside of China.     

General overview of the disaster management framework in Cameroon

Efficient and effective disaster management will prevent many hazardous events from becoming disasters. This paper constitutes the most comprehensive document on the natural disaster management framework of Cameroon. It reviews critically disaster management in Cameroon, examining the various legislative, institutional, and administrative frameworks that help to facilitate the process. Furthermore, it illuminates the vital role that disaster managers at the national, regional, and local level play to ease the process. Using empirical data, the study analyses the efficiency and effectiveness of the actions of disaster managers. Its findings reveal inadequate disaster management policies, poor coordination between disaster management institutions at the national level, the lack of trained disaster managers, a skewed disaster management system, and a top‐down hierarchical structure within Cameroon's disaster management framework. By scrutinising the disaster management framework of the country, policy recommendations based on the research findings are made on the institutional and administrative frameworks.