ASSESSMENT OF ANTHROPOGENIC LOADS ON LANDSCAPES AS A TOOL TO DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL FOR SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: CASE STUDY FROM AZERBAIJAN

In order to determine the potential for sustainable regional development of the Caspian coastal zone, a study was made for the Khachmaz–Absheron zone of Azerbaijan. An evaluation was performed to assess the anthropogenic load on landscapes. Using the 8-point scale offered by Isachenko [2001, Ecological Geography of Russia, Saint Petersburg University Press, Saint Petersburg] for the indicators of agricultural, industrial, urban and integral anthropogenic loads, we did a preliminary ranking of the provinces in the Khachmaz–Absheron zone of Azerbaijan for the each indicator taken separately. Vital statistics were used as a supplementary indicator of environmental conditions in the region. By comparing the data for provinces with each other and the data on Azerbaijan average, we have classified the provinces into 4 groups according to specific combinations of the indicators. Each group of provinces has distinctive environmental conditions and features for sustainable development. The classification makes it possible to develop certain recommendations for the regional sustainable development. Measures to be implemented within the Azerbaijan State Program on Social and Economic Development of Regions are also discussed. In the Khachmaz province, production of ecologically pure products is highly recommended. Special attention should be given to the development of tourism and recreational institutions in the Khachmaz, Khizi and Devechi provinces. Recommendations for these provinces include further development of industry on the basis of modern safe technologies. The irrigation and drainage networks should be reconstructed. The reconstruction will make it possible to reduce water loss and to increase the productivity of agriculture. In the Absheron province, Baku and Sumgait cities environmental systems are overloaded, and so the works at highly polluting enterprises must be stopped, the enterprises have to be re-equipped (old filters must be changed first of all) or relocated from the area (a decrease of environmental risk should be in the focus of attention). For improving of air quality, green areas should increase. There is a need to reduce urban traffic density and to reconstruct highways. Use of old vehicles must be forbidden or restricted, and transition to environmentally friendly fuel should be supported in every way possible. It is necessary to bring the waste management system and sanitary landfills up to international standards, and to improve the water supply and sewerage systems.     

Ocean Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development in the Region around Bohai Sea

1IntroductionBohai is the only inland sea in China.It has the highest resource density of all the fourcontinental seas in China.Since the end of the1 970 's,the marine economy around Bohai has seengreat development and the growth rate of the marine industry is up to 2 0 % .It is much higherthan the growth rate of the GDP of this region.The marine economy has greatly contributed tothe development of the economy and society around Bohai.However,since Bohai is an inlandsea,it has the natural …     

A “measurable” definition of sustainable development based on closed cycles of resources and its application to energy systems

Human society consumes resources that it is not able to reproduce. Human activities are still based on “open cycles,” starting from a condition of natural environmental balance and reaching an environmental imbalance. The challenging scope of scientific and technological research towards sustainability appears clear if it is based on this analysis: to find development systems based on “closed cycles” of resources. The challenging objective of realizing closed cycles leads to a definition of sustainability that indicates the path to sustainable development, as well as stating the general principle. It also provides a key to the qualitative measurement of sustainability. This means that the sustainability level of a system can be measured by measuring its capacity to avoid the consumption of resources. Zero consumption is a necessary condition for sustainability, and brings about as a side effect the highly desired “zero-waste” result. Materials entering the proposed endless scheme pass through the process of usefulness without losing their capacity to feed the system again after being used. Thus, the concept of “consumption” itself is replaced by one of “use” when resources are inserted into closed loops capable of feeding human development. The application of the closed cycle sustainability criterion particularly displays its feasibility, and a theoretical guiding role, in the energy sector. Energy vectors such as hydrogen and electricity enable the closure of the energy resources loop by effectively approaching the objective of “zero consumption” (and the side result of “zero waste”) through already demonstrated technological solutions.     

依托清洁生产促进环保产业良性发展

清洁生产作为一种全新的发展战略,借助各种相关理论和技术,在产品的整个生命周期的各个环节采取预防措施,通过将生产技术、生产过程、经营管理及产品等方面与物流、能量、信息等要素有机结合起来,优化运行凡事,实现最小的环境影响、最少的资源、能源使用,最佳的管理模式以及最优化的经济增长水平。结合现代环保意识的源起与企业实施清洁生产的成功案例,阐述人类要保护赖以生存的地球环境,推动环保产业良性健康发展,为社会经济活动提供必要的资源和能源,实现可持续发展,实施清洁生产是必由之路。     

全面落实新《安全生产法》强化焦化企业安全管理

新《安全生产法》的颁布和实施,对焦化企业提出了更高的要求。焦化企业可以通过完善安全仪表系统、开展危险与可操作分析、建立企业安全生产预警体系、贯彻执行焦化行业安全生产标准和建立现代企业安全管理制度来更好地促进其安全生产。     

黄河三角洲海岸带生态承载力综合评价

为全面、深入认识黄河三角洲海岸带的海洋资源和生态环境特征、海洋产业结构及海洋经济发展的优势、劣势条件,选取工业废水排放量、固体废渣排放量、万元GDP能耗、岸线利用率、人均可开发海域面积、人均海岸线长度、海洋初级生产力、污染海域占海域总面积的比例、生物多样性指数、人口密度、人均海洋经济产值、GDP年均增速、科研与开发投入和环境保护支出等压力、状态、响应3类14个指标,采用压力-状态-响应模型对黄河三角洲海岸带生态承载力进行了综合量化评价.结果表明,2006-2010年黄河三角洲海岸带的承载指数和压力指数呈下降趋势,承压比则总体上呈上升趋势.根据评价结果,提出了构建高效生态产业体系、优化黄河三角洲产业空间布局、对传统产业进行生态化改造、发展新兴生态产业、保护黄河三角洲海岸带生态环境、对黄河三角洲海岸带海洋资源进行高效集约利用等提高黄河三角洲海岸带生态承载力的对策.     

The global partnership for sustainable development

This paper examines whether foreign aid, together with other economic, social and environmental factors, contributes to sustainable development. It starts with an illustrative theoretical growth model where foreign aid promotes sustainable development by protecting the environment. Using factor analysis and newly developed estimation methods for a dynamic panel data model with endogenous regressors, the empirical section of the paper finds evidence that foreign aid has had a significantly positive influence on sustainable development in aid recipient countries. This effect is very likely to go through channels related to growth and resources as well as a technology channel with respect to energy intensity. This research has important implications for a post‐2015 development framework on international collective action with regard to a sustainable future.     

Developing an eco-industrial park in Puducherry region,India ‒ a SWOT analysis

Over the past few years, the eco-industrial park (EIP) concept has been emerging as a significant driving force for sustainable industrialisation. Accumulating evidence indicates that the transition of existing industries into eco-industrial networking through industrial ecology (IE) principles would provide an excellent opportunity for facilitating such innovative industrialisation. A SWOT analysis was carried out to identify the potential and constraints for the successful implementation of an eco-industrial park in the ecologically fragile coastal zone of Puducherry. The results indicated significant potential for EIP development with few challenges. The lessons learnt can be used to provide broad guidelines for facilitating EIP development in the Puducherry region and similar scenarios found elsewhere across the world, especially in developing countries.     

Rider preferences and economic values for equestrian trails

Recreational horseback riding is an important, but less studied, component of human interaction with the natural environment and often occurs alongside other outdoor recreational activities. Using choice experiment data collected from a survey conducted in Kentucky, this study assesses rider preferences and economic values associated with various equestrian trail attributes for daylong horseback riding trips in rural trail systems. Results indicate that while individuals have different opinions, trail attributes such as length of trail, scenic views, and travel distance from home all have significant economic implications. In addition, riders prefer trails that are restricted for horse riding only. Willingness to pay estimates of all attributes increase substantially when the travel cost to reach the trail is also considered. Policy implications on maintaining current and creating new trails in a multi-user setting are given, such as the opportunities for separating horseback riders from other users while still providing other beneficial attributes like options for longer trails and scenic views to all groups.     

Spatial allocation of material flow analysis in residential developments: a case study of Kildare County,Ireland

Studies of urban metabolism provide important insights for environmental management of cities, but are not widely used in planning practice due to a mismatch of data scale and coverage. This paper introduces the Spatial Allocation of Material Flow Analysis (SAMFA) model as a potential decision support tool aimed as a contribution to overcome some of these difficulties and describes its pilot use at the county level in the Republic of Ireland. The results suggest that SAMFA is capable of identifying hotspots of higher material and energy use to support targeted planning initiatives, while its ability to visualise different policy scenarios supports more effective multi-stakeholder engagement. The paper evaluates this pilot use and sets out how this model can act as an analytical platform for the industrial ecology–spatial planning nexus.