Incentive-Based Conservation Programs in Developing Countries: A Review of Some Key Issues and Suggestions for Improvements

Biodiversity conservation in developing countries has been a challenge because of the combination of rising human populations, rapid technological advances, severe social hardships, and extreme poverty. To address the social, economic, and ecological limitations of people-free parks and reserves, incentives have been incorporated into conservation programs in the hopes of making conservation meaningful to local people. However, such incentive-based programs have been implemented with little consideration for their ability to fulfill promises of greater protection of biodiversity. Evaluations of incentive-based conservation programs indicate that the approach continually falls short of the rhetoric. This article provides an overview of the problems associated with incentive-based conservation approaches in developing countries. It argues that existing incentive-based programs (IBPs) have yet to realize that benefits vary greatly at different “community” scales and that a holistic conceptualization of a community is essential to incorporate the complexities of a heterogeneous community when designing and implementing the IBPs. The spatial complexities involved in correctly identifying the beneficiaries in a community and the short-term focus of IBPs are two major challenges for sustaining conservation efforts. The article suggests improvements in three key areas: accurate identification of “target” beneficiaries, greater inclusion of marginal communities, and efforts to enhance community aptitudes.     

Vulnerability of Rehabilitated Agricultural Production Systems to Invasion by Nontarget Plant Species

Vast areas of arable land have been retired from crop production and “rehabilitated” to improved system states through landowner incentive programs in the United States (e.g., Conservation and Wetland Reserve Programs), as well as Europe (i.e., Agri-Environment Schemes). Our review of studies conducted on invasion of rehabilitated agricultural production systems by nontarget species elucidates several factors that may increase the vulnerability of these systems to invasion. These systems often exist in highly fragmented and agriculturally dominated landscapes, where propagule sources of target species for colonization may be limited, and are established under conditions where legacies of past disturbance persist and prevent target species from persisting. Furthermore, rehabilitation approaches often do not include or successfully attain all target species or historical ecological processes (e.g., hydrology, grazing, and/or fire cycles) key to resisting invasion. Uncertainty surrounds ways in which nontarget species may compromise long term goals of improving biodiversity and ecosystem services through rehabilitation efforts on former agricultural production lands. This review demonstrates that more studies are needed on the extent and ecological impacts of nontarget species as related to the goals of rehabilitation efforts to secure current and future environmental benefits arising from this widespread conservation practice.     

构建大学生的心理安全屏障——层次分析法在大学生心理安全影响因素分析中的应用

应用层次分析法分析当代大学生心理安全影响因素,首先要把问题条理化、层次化,弄清问题的范围,所包含的因素,因素之间的相互关联、隶属关系,最终确定所要解决的问题等。它对大学生心理问题产生的各方面原因进行综合评价,找出其中3个最重要的因子——恋爱方面的困扰、对学校教育方式的不适应以及严重的躯体疾病。针对大学生心理安全问题形成的原因,试图提出解决问题的对策和建议,为提高当代大学生的社会适应能力,开发心理潜能,探索大学生心理健康教育的模式,提供理论依据。     

京津冀产业碳排放强度变化及驱动因素研究

为探讨京津冀地区温室气体排放强度变化的影响因素,采用对数平均迪式分解模型及归因分析(LMDI-Attribution)方法,基于1996—2014年数据从细分行业角度进行研究。针对温室气体排放强度作产业结构、能源强度和排放因子三因素LMDI乘法分解,对温室气体排放强度变化的影响效应作归因分析,量化4个行业对分解因素影响效应的贡献,得到以下主要结论:1996—2014年京津冀地区温室气体排放强度主要呈现下降趋势,累计下降23.05%。其中,能源强度是温室气体排放强度下降的主导因素,其影响效应为-61.18%,对这一影响效应贡献最大的是工业,并且四大经济部门均通过能源强度在不同程度上使得温室气体排放强度有所减小,可见"阶梯电价"、"千家企业节能项目"、"十大重点节能项目"等相关政策在工业发展中对提高能源效率的作用明显。产业结构使得温室气体排放强度增加23.53%,其主要贡献者是工业,说明"工业产品出口退税率调整"等一系列政策的效果不明显;然而农业则使得温室气体排放强度降低,贡献值为3.09%。碳排放因子在1996—2014年间对温室气体排放强度的影响为60.47%,是京津冀地区温室气体排放强度增加的主要因素,说明京津冀地区的能源结构不合理。工业对这一效应的贡献最大为55.97%。可见,工业在京津冀地区的温室气体减排工作中起到最为关键的作用。     

浅谈大学生社会实践活动的项目化管理

结合中国环境管理干部学院"千名学生绿色行"活动的项目化管理的具体组织和实践情况,在实际工作中探索大学生社会实践活动项目化管理的科学性和有效性,将项目化管理模式应用于大学生实践活动的管理中,最大限度地利用现有的学生活动资源、规范管理行为、降低管理成本、提高工作效率,实现培养大学生综合素质和创新能力的目的。     

绿色大学评价指标体系设计初探

绿色大学的建设是贯彻环境保护基本国策和实施可持续发展战略的重要举措之一。建立一套系统全面且便于操作的指标体系对绿色大学建设具有指导意叉。“绿色大学”建设围绕教育的核心，将可持续发展和环境保护的指导思想落实到大学的各项活动中、融入到大学教育的全过程。按目标层、准则层和指标层的思路构建绿色大学的评价指标体系。准则层由绿色教育、绿色校园、绿色科研、绿色实践和绿色办学构成，反映的是绿色校园建设所应包括的5大部分。指标层包括指标和主要参数，反映准则层的具体内容。     

Domestic water conservation potential in Saudi Arabia

Domestic water conservation in arid climates can result in efficient utilization of existing water supplies. The impacts of conservation measures such as the installation of water-saving devices, water metering and pricing schemes, water rationing and public awareness programs, strict plumbing codes, penalties for wasting water, programs designed to reduce leakage from public water lines and within the home, water-efficient landscaping, economic and ethical incentives are addressed in detail. Cost savings in arid climates, with particular reference to Saudi Arabia, in relation to some conservation techniques, are presented. Water conservation technology and tentative demonstration and implementation of water conservation programs are discussed.     

New federalism and state implementation of the Clean Water Act

An important goal of the Reagan administration has been to shift responsibility for many public programs from the US federal government to the states. This New Federalism seeks to restore a proper balance to the federal system and to ensure an effective working partnership between the states and the federal government. Such a partnership is especially important for many environmental laws because these laws often give states primary responsibility for the control and abatement of pollution.This research examines the extent to which the Reagan administration has succeeded in improving intergovernmental environmental relations in terms of state implementation of the Clean Water Act. Data from a 1985 survey of directors of state water quality control programs are compared with responses to a similar survey that the US General Accounting Office conducted in 1979. The latter survey found considerable dissatisfaction on the part of state directors with the quality of their relations with the US Environmental Protection Agency. Although some improvement can be noted between 1979 and 1985, the Reagan administration's efforts to improve intergovernmental relations appear to have been of limited consequence, to the possible detriment of effective implementation of the Clean Water Act.     

The Transboundary River Nestos and Its Water Quality Assessment: Cross-Border Cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria

Transboundary water resources require the cooperation of the countries involved, not only on the various uses of the water, but also on overall water quality and the protection of ecosystems. Transboundary rivers and their management constitute a contemporary issue of great significance. Cooperation between neighboring countries is not always easy, due to different socio-economic and political conditions. Therefore, the different needs and priorities between the countries involved need to be solved first. Since pollution does not stop at a State border, it is an example of something that can be solved only at the cross-border level. This paper presents the cross-border cooperation between two transnational Institutions; the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) and the University of Sofia (Bulgaria), within the framework of Interreg programs. The first collaborated attempt was to carry out a coordinated program for monitoring the pollution of the Nestos River. The second was the protection and restoration of the ecosystem through the education of young engineers and the transfer of experiences and scientific knowledge across the borders.     

FINANCING PRIVATE WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: ANALYSIS OF A STATE LOAN PROGRAM1

ABSTRACT. A State loan program was analyzed for its effects on groundwater development in Wyoming. The analysis focused on the effects of low-interest State financing on the economic feasibility of investments in center-pivot sprinkler irrigation systems. The feasibility analysis indicated that investments in sprinkler systems for production of cash crops are highly profitable, and would frequently be carried out whether or not the State loan program were available. Investments in sprinklers for production of forage crops are perhaps frequently made attractive by the loan program. Thus, while the program appears to have accelerated the pace of private water resource development in Wyoming, it has also subsidized some investments that would have been carried out regardless of the program's existence. Further analysis indicated that sprinkler investments carried out with State financing contribute substantially to firm growth when cast crops are grown, but have less marked, and sometimes negative, effects on growth when forage crops are produced. Some positive effects of the loan program on southeast Wyoming's regional economy were noted, though a complete empirical analysis of regional impacts was beyond the scope of the study.