The potential for combining indigenous and western knowledge in reducing vulnerability to environmental hazards in small island developing states

The benefits of indigenous knowledge within disaster risk reduction are gradually being acknowledged and identified. However, despite this acknowledgement there continues to be a gap in reaching the right people with the correct strategies for disaster risk reduction.This paper identifies the need for a specific framework identifying how indigenous and western knowledge may be combined to mitigate against the intrinsic effects of environmental processes and therefore reduce the vulnerability of rural indigenous communities in small island developing states (SIDS) to environmental hazards. This involves a review of the impacts of environmental processes and their intrinsic effects upon rural indigenous communities in SIDS and how indigenous knowledge has contributed to their coping capacity. The paper concludes that the vulnerability of indigenous communities in SIDS to environmental hazards can only be addressed through the utilisation of both indigenous and Western knowledge in a culturally compatible and sustainable manner.     

可拓法评估煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性

为了量化煤矿瓦斯爆炸的可能性,并为防治瓦斯爆炸提供量化指标,借鉴可拓学原理,对煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性进行预评估。首先,详细阐述可拓学评估原理;接着,为了验证煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性可拓评估的可行性,结合某一煤矿实例,比选煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性的评价指标,并确定煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性的分类标准,构建煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性评估的经典域、节域和物元;然后,为了避免确定指标权重的人为主观因素的影响,提出用简单关联函数确定指标权重;最后,计算煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性的关联函数值和关联度,确定瓦斯爆炸易发性的等级及其变量特征值。经计算,煤矿爆炸易发性的可拓评估结果为"很小"等级。同时,为了验证可拓评估结果的合理性,将其与模糊评估进行比较,两者所得评估结果相一致。从而表明:将可拓学应用于煤矿瓦斯爆炸易发性评估是合理可行的。     

The Impact of Uncertainty on Banking Behavior: Evidence from the US Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Allowance Trading Program

In this paper, we study empirically whether uncertainty has an influence on trade in the US sulfur dioxide allowances market. In particular, we investigate the role of uncertainty on banking behavior. To do this, we introduce a tractable, structural model of trading permits under uncertainty. The model establishes a relation between banking behavior and risk preferences, especially prudence in the Kimball (1990) sense. We then test this model using data on allowances, for utilities submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Acid Rain Program, carried over from one year to the next. Evidence is found of imprudence, namely, utilities bank permits in order to favor higher profits. Another finding is that larger utilities do not adopt behavior significantly different from that of smaller ones. This paper was presented at the “International Workshop on Uncertainty in Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Verification, Compliance & Trading” in Warsaw, Poland, September 2004, under the title “Portfolio Management of Emissions Permits and Prudence Behavior.”     

Compliance and Emissions Trading under the Kyoto Protocol: Rules for Uncertain Inventories

A solution is proposed for proving compliance with emission targets and for emissions trading in the event of uncertainties in reported emission inventories. The solution is based on the undershooting concept, from which the mathematical conditions for both proving compliance with a risk α and calculating effective emissions for trading are derived. Based on the reported emission units, the number of permits granted is reduced in proportion to the uncertainty in the inventory. A country whose inventory has higher uncertainty is thereby allotted fewer permits than a country with the same inventory but smaller uncertainty.     

模糊聚类法在大气环境质量评价中的应用

通过对2004年甘肃省5个有代表性城市的大气质量监测数据进行分析,较为详细地介绍了将模糊聚类法应用于大气环境质量综合评价的过程,从而展示了模糊聚类在环境评价和管理中的积极作用和重要意义.     

区域开发战略环境影响评价总体思路与技术要点

以内蒙古"十一五"规划战略环境影响评价为例,分析了战略环境影响评价与建设项目环境影响评价的差异,提出了战略环境影响评价是从"决策-源头-过程-末端"的全过程评价;其技术要点是突出区域环境和经济社会协调发展为核心的总体思路,重点把握战略环境影响评价6大特性即整体性、区域性、特色性、科学性、前瞻性和可操作性;其技术方法主要包括战略决策失灵分析法、战略决策灰色分析法、环境影响矩阵识别法、产业关联和物流分析等定性方法,以及GIS技术平台的图层叠置法、承载压力度分析、情景分析和模拟分析等定量方法.     

泥石流体的流变和冲淤特征及其与危险度的关系

从泥石流体流变特性的分析入手,深入地探讨了蒋家沟泥石流阵性流的淤积和冲刷特征。其冲淤变化特征与泥石流体的浓度特性和规模大小的发展过程有很大的关系。根据这些分析,可以将泥石流的危害划分为侵蚀和堆积两大类,并可能进一步完善泥石流危险度的评估。     

从印度洋地震海啸看中国的巨灾风险

2004年12月26日印度洋海啸给沿岸国家造成了严重灾难,其主要原因是缺乏必要的防范。中国历史上巨灾频发,今后仍存在比较严重的巨灾威胁。预测我国有11个巨灾高风险区,巨灾种类主要为特大洪水、大地震、强台风和特大风暴潮以及大区域持续性严重干旱。建立巨灾防御体系是今后我国减灾工作的重心。     

区域地震间接经济损失评估

对区域地震间接经济损失的研究现状进行了总结和回顾，目前主要有基于国内生产总值、基于地震震级和基于地震直接损失的3种评估计方法，对这些评估方法进行了讨论，结合地震现场的工作性质和特点，给出了现场评估的一般步骤和建议。     

石化生产装置安全现状模糊综合评价方法研究

根据石油化工生产装置安全评价存在的模糊性和随机性的特点,在建立涵盖安全管理、工艺过程、作业环境、人员素质、生产设备和安全教育等一级指标的安全现状综合评价指标体系的基础上,运用模糊数学综合评判理论,采用基于信息论中熵概念计算指标权重的方法,提出了安全现状二级模糊综合评价方法。在组织专家对评价指标打分和确定模糊等级的基础上,应用该方法对某顺丁橡胶生产装置安全现状进行了综合评价,得出其安全状况为“较好”;并分析了指标体系中一级指标的状况,为制定安全对策措施提供了指导。该方法对于提高石油化工生产装置安全现状综合评价的客观性和准确性具有理论意义和实用价值。