Combining internal and external motivations in multi-actor governance arrangements for biodiversity and ecosystem services

This paper analyses the possibility of building a mutually supportive dynamics between internally and externally motivated behaviour for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provision. To this purpose a face to face survey amongst 169 key actors of 34 highly successful and prominent biodiversity arrangements in seven EU countries was conducted. The main finding of the paper is the feasibility of combining inherently intrinsically motivated behaviours (providing enjoyment, pleasure from experimentation and learning, aesthetic satisfaction) and internalized extrinsic motivations (related to the identification with the collective goals of conservation policy) through a common set of governance features. Successful initiatives that combine internal and external motivations share the following features: inclusive decision making processes, a broad monitoring by “peers” beyond the core staff of the initiatives, and a context that is supportive for the building of autonomous actor competences. These findings are in line with the psycho-sociological theory of motivation, which shows the importance of a psycho-social context leading to a subjective perception of autonomy and a sense of competence of the actors.     

舟山市渔农村水污染治理法律机制研究——以社会协同治理为视角

舟山目前正处在治理渔农村水污染的关键时期.政府与普通民众积极协同,各自发挥自己的优势是打赢渔农村水污染治理这场战役的关键.然而,在这场战役中,出现了“政府干,群众看”、“政府热,群众冷”这一尴尬局面.所以,亟需建立起政府主导,民众积极参与,协同参加水污染治理的法律机制,重点要建立起政府水污染治理源头控制制度、公众充分参与水污染治理的保障制度、社会监督制度、社会教育制度.     

River Chief System (RCS): An experiment on cross-sectoral coordination of watershed governance

The trans-regional characteristics of watershed governance produce more problems beyond the capacity of each individual water-related department, leading to the fragmentation of watershed management. The River Chief System (RCS) has experienced swift developments over the past decade in China by appointing the local government heads as river chiefs. RCS works efficiently in the short-term due to its superiority in the inclusion of clear responsibility, authority, and multi-sectoral collaboration. However, the characteristics of the authority-based vertical coordination of the hierarchical system remain unchanged, and therefore the problems of organizational logic and the responsibility dilemma still exist. Tasks including perfecting of laws, integrated watershed management, and public participation still need to be completed. RCS reflects the routine and characteristics of the migration of national governance, and as such provides new insights for other developing countries in the design of river management systems.     

The future of disasters studies: new disasters and the case of the Horn of Africa

Past disasters have been well studied, but the challenge of using the findings to improve the management of future events remains a daunting task. This paper argues that there are new and complex disasters of which the state itself has become the main source, as reflected in the Horn of Africa. This region is characterised by increasing vulnerability owing to the alarming decline of democracy and the rise of authoritarianism. These new disasters are less researched because of the hazard of conducting fieldwork in such environments. However, there is mounting evidence to highlight the possibility of performing research in these settings, but not by employing traditional methods; rather, these tools may need to be customised for use. One key policy implication here is that donors may need to invest more money in analysing these new disasters and they may need to consider building and strengthening genuine partnerships between Northern and Southern research institutions     

基于系统水平的湖泊流域生态风险评估

为实现流域范围内的生态环境管理和生态风险控制,在生态风险评估框架基础上,基于相对风险模型构建了系统水平的湖泊流域生态风险评估模型. 模型分析了社会经济系统与生态系统的耦合方式,将生态系统整体作为风险受体、生态系统服务作为评估终点,通过风险组分及其关系的分析量化实现了区域相对生态风险水平的表征,并以太湖流域上游区域为例进行了试算. 结果表明:研究区内无锡-江阴区域(沿江水系)生态风险最高,溧阳-宜兴、常州-金坛、湖州-德清和长兴-安吉区域风险值分别为无锡-江阴区域的73.2%、78.8%、74.4%和59.9%;长兴-安吉区域(西苕溪水系)生态风险最低. 不同区域风险主要来源不同,湖州-德清区域主要受水利设施影响,长兴-安吉区域各风险源贡献率较为均衡,其他区域主要风险源为工业、种植业和水产养殖业,其风险贡献率分别为13%~18%、12%~19%和8%~15%;研究区域内,水产品、水质净化等生态系统服务的产出受到较大影响.      

太湖流域稻麦轮作系统实际施氮量及其多重效应——基于农户调研的实证分析

研究运用分层随机抽样法,在常州市武进区开展农户问卷调查,并利用统计软件对问卷信息进行整理和分析,得到主要结论如下:①太湖流域稻麦轮作系统稻季平均施氮量为310.91 kg·hm^-2,麦季平均施氮量为202.18 kg·hm^-2,一年两季作物平均施氮量为513.09 kg·hm^-2,氮肥过量施用现象主要存在于稻季;②施氮肥对水稻和冬小麦都具有较好的增产作用,但是当施氮量达到一定值后,水稻和冬小麦的产量、氮素累积量、氮肥农学利用率和氮肥吸收利用率都出现下降的趋势;③太湖流域稻麦轮作系统土地氮剩余量和面源氮排放量随着施氮量的增加而持续增加,在目前的氮肥施入水平下一年两季作物的氮素流失量约为41.26 kg·hm^-2。     

Coastal protected area management and multi-tiered governance: the Cape Cod Model

Policy tools that allow for the coordination of various authorities at different levels of government are important for coastal protected areas. Frequently, multiple authorities manage these areas with varied and sometimes conflicting goals. This study examines a regulatory model implemented on the Cape Cod National Seashore in the US that uses federally-approved zoning to regulate private uses for protection of natural coastal resources. Local authorities implement the zoning which is designed to support national resource protection goals making this a prime model of cross-level governance for conservation. I use case study analysis to evaluate the program’s effectiveness by focusing on implementation and compliance in the context of multi-jurisdictional (i.e., national to local) relations. The analysis and subsequent discussion highlight the difficulties associated with implementation of intergovernmental mandates. Also, theoretical perspectives on compliance give insights about the implementation challenges of this model. The model’s limitations have implications for policymakers considering similar schemes implemented by split and hierarchical authorities with different, and possibly conflicting, coastal management goals.

环境因素对密云水库上游流域土壤有机碳和全氮含量影响的通径分析

土壤是全球重要的碳库和氮库,在全球碳氮循环中具有重要地位。密云水库是华北地区最大的水库和北京市最重要的地表水水源地,其上游流域山地广布,地形复杂,气候变化明显,土壤类型和植被类型多样,影响土壤碳氮库的环境因素具有较强的变异性。为揭示环境因素对密云水库上游流域土壤有机碳（soil organic carbon,SOC）和全氮（total nitrogen,TN）含量的作用效应,采用野外采样、实验室分析与逐步回归分析和通径分析相结合的方法,研究了气候（温度和降水）、地形（海拔和坡度）、土壤理化性质（土壤容重、含水量、pH值和粘粒含量）等环境因素对流域SOC和TN含量的影响。结果表明：温度、土壤容重、含水量、pH值和粘粒含量对SOC含量的影响显著（P＆lt;0.001）,其中各因子的直接通径系数依次为：土壤含水量（0.439）＞土壤容重（-0.324）＞pH值（-0.238）＞温度（-0.209）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.092）,间接通径系数依次为：土壤容重（-0.425）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.305）＞土壤含水量（0.287）＞pH值（-0.179）＞温度（-0.043）,因此,土壤含水量、pH值和温度主要通过直接作用影响SOC含量,而土壤容重和粘粒含量则主要通过其它因子的作用间接影响SOC含量。海拔、土壤容重、含水量、pH 值和粘粒含量对 TN 含量的影响显著（P＆lt;0.001）,其中各因子的直接通径系数依次为：土壤含水量（0.456）＞海拔（0.234）＞土壤容重（-0.228）＞pH 值（-0.190）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.094）,间接通径系数依次为：土壤容重（-0.484）＞土壤粘粒含量（0.301）＞海拔（0.247）＞土壤含水量（0.257）＞pH 值（-0.202）,因此,土壤含水量主要通过直接作用影响TN含量,而土壤容重和粘粒含量主要通过土壤含水量的作用间接影响TN含量,海拔和土壤pH值的直接作用与间接作用     

The Wicked Problem of China's Disappearing Coral Reefs

We examined the development of coral reef science and the policies, institutions, and governance frameworks for management of coral reefs in China in order to highlight the wicked problem of preserving reefs while simultaneously promoting human development and nation building. China and other sovereign states in the region are experiencing unprecedented economic expansion, rapid population growth, mass migration, widespread coastal development, and loss of habitat. We analyzed a large, fragmented literature on the condition of coral reefs in China and the disputed territories of the South China Sea. We found that coral abundance has declined by at least 80% over the past 30 years on coastal fringing reefs along the Chinese mainland and adjoining Hainan Island. On offshore atolls and archipelagos claimed by 6 countries in the South China Sea, coral cover has declined from an average of >60% to around 20% within the past 10–15 years. Climate change has affected these reefs far less than coastal development, pollution, overfishing, and destructive fishing practices. Ironically, these widespread declines in the condition of reefs are unfolding as China's research and reef‐management capacity are rapidly expanding. Before the loss of corals becomes irreversible, governance of China's coastal reefs could be improved by increasing public awareness of declining ecosystem services, by providing financial support for training of reef scientists and managers, by improving monitoring of coral reef dynamics and condition to better inform policy development, and by enforcing existing regulations that could protect coral reefs. In the South China Sea, changes in policy and legal frameworks, refinement of governance structures, and cooperation among neighboring countries are urgently needed to develop cooperative management of contested offshore reefs. El Problema Malvado de la Desaparición de los Arrecifes de Coral en China     

Local‐level governance of risk and resilience in Nepal

This paper explores the circumstances in which communities may effectively reduce risks. It draws on the example of two ‘Risk and Resilience Committees’ (RRCs) that were established in Nepal as part of an action research project: one in Panchkhal in the central region, operating as a community‐based organisation (CBO); and the other in Dhankuta in the eastern region, embedded in municipal government. In‐depth interviews were conducted with RRC members. Wider community preferences for risk reduction were examined through a questionnaire survey. In Dhankuta, the RRC obtained further funding, developed strong upward and downward institutional links, and applied a ‘disaster risk reduction lens’ to existing local government responsibilities. In Panchkhal, RRC activities have been limited by funding and have focused on the strengthening of livelihoods. It may be concluded tentatively that community‐based disaster risk reduction activities are more successful when they are institutionally embedded in local government structures.