Marshaling Adaptive Capacities within an Adaptive Management Framework to Enhance the Resiliency of Wastewater Systems

We assess adaptive capacity and adaptive management as measures of wastewater (WW) system resiliency using data from interviews with WW system managers (hereafter managers) impacted by past storms. Results suggest the most resilient WW systems are those with high adaptive capacities that employ an adaptive management approach to make ongoing adaptation investments over time. Greater amounts of generic adaptive capacities (i.e., skilled staff and good leadership) help smooth both day‐to‐day and emergency operations and provide a foundation for adaptive management. In turn, adaptive management helps managers both build more generic adaptive capacities, and develop and employ greater amounts and diversity of specific adaptive capacities (i.e., soft and/or hard adaptations) that are especially important for enhancing and sustaining resiliency. Adaptive management also enables managers to better understand their system's vulnerabilities, how those vulnerabilities change over time, and what specific actions may reduce those vulnerabilities. Finally, our work suggests WW system resilience critically depends on the capacities of the human systems for building resilience as much as or more so than relying only on physical infrastructure resilience. Our work contributes to filling an important gap in the literature by advancing our understanding of the human dimensions of infrastructure resilience and has practical implications for advancing resilience in the WW sector.     

Regional Study on Economical Supporting Capacity of Land Resources in Shandong Province

Abstract

Taking the land resources of 17 cities in Shandong Province as the basic data, the article studied on the economical supporting capacity of land resources in terms of the effect of land on economy. The author classified 17 cities of Shandong Province into four types according to the economical supporting capacity of land resources by quantitatively estimating the evaluation indices of the total amount of land resources, the potential of urban and other nonagricultural land, and the integrated economical supporting capacity of land resources, etc. The author proposes the questions requiring further study at the end of this article.     

Model Modification and Application on Carrying Capacity of Relative Resources

Abstract

Based on the retrospection of researches on carrying capacity, this article reviewed systematically the research progresses on carrying capacity of relative resources (CCRR). Then the viewpoint was put forward that CCRR is not an appropriate method of appraising the regional sustainability, but a sound way to obtain cognition for coordinating spatial location and flow of population and economy. However, as the most popular computing method of CCRR, the Weighting Linear Sum Model is defective in the random of weight choice and the neglect of matching among different resources. Therefore, this article established the Geometric Model on CCRR based on modifying Weighting Linear Sum Model, which can be used to appraise regions where resources are close matching. Employing the Geometric Model, the article empirically analyzed the population and economic CCRR in Hubei Province from 1978 to 2006. The result indicates that the population in Hubei Province is overloading while the economic carrying capacity is abundant compared to the whole country, and the economic insufficiency restricts the population carrying capacity. In the future, Hubei Province will become one of the core developing zones which are characterized by economic conglomeration.     

土壤对污染物的缓冲性研究进展

本文阐述了土壤对污染物的缓冲特性的概念，研究土壤对污染物缓冲性的目的和意义、历史、现状和前景，为土壤污染与防治提供了一定的理论依据。     

Comparison of Morphodynamic Models for the Lower Yellow River1

Xia, Junqiang, Zhengbing Wang, Yanping Wang, and Xin Yu, 2012. Comparison of Morphodynamic Models for the Lower Yellow River. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 1‐18. DOI: 10.1111/jawr.12002 Abstract: Significant channel adjustments often occur during flood seasons in the Lower Yellow River (LYR), and it is a challenging work to accurately simulate the morphodynamic processes in the LYR using numerical models. A comparison of two morphodynamic models (Delft3D and 2DLLCDM) for the LYR is presented herein to identify critical improvements for these models. The concepts of these models are first compared with each other. The models were then used to simulate the processes of flood routing, sediment transport, and morphological changes occurring in a braided reach of the LYR. The differences were investigated between the simulated results from these models and corresponding field measurements, and the results indicate that: (1) the hydrodynamic processes calculated by both models agree closely with the measurements if an appropriate Manning’s roughness coefficient is used; (2) the concentrations of suspended load at the downstream boundary calculated by the models agree reasonably with the observed data; and (3) the predicted cross‐sectional profiles obtained from these models do not correspond well with the measurements. Based on these findings, the weak aspects of the models are clarified, and three critical improvements are recommended, including: (1) the development of roughness predictor; (2) the refinement of graded sediment transport capacity formulation; and (3) the consideration of bank erosion module. These improvements need to be implemented in the future.     

The local governance of climate change: new tools to respond to old limitations in Esmeraldas,Ecuador

This article argues that climate change, seen as a socially constructed anticipation of natural disasters and a future-risk that plays out in present politics, is enabling the emergence of new modes of governance in cities of the global south. The article focuses on the process by which the city of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, developed a Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Strategy. Within the context of climate change adaptation, Esmeraldas mobilised new discourses, stakeholders, and planning mechanisms to address pre-existing urban planning and development limitations. This discursively enabled the municipality's ongoing governance project by leveraging resources, creating consensus, and informing practice. Climate change adaptation thus became an important mechanism for engaging with local priorities, particularly those of the most vulnerable populations, and for bridging the gap between the formal world of policymaking and the reality of life in the city, which is more often structured by informality.     

Constraints to managing urban and housing land in the context of poverty: a case of Epworth settlement in Zimbabwe

This paper makes a proposition that Epworth's current housing management policies, regulations and practices do not promote easy access to formal standard housing and secure tenure in peri-urban and urban areas for low-income groups. In constructing this paper, both qualitative and quantitative methodologies were used. The qualitative methods adopted include key informant interviews, observations of the environmental aspects of the study area and documentary analysis of secondary data housed in the local board (Epworth Local Board) offices. The major findings demonstrate the reasons for high levels of squatting in Epworth, the local board's housing and development control policy, the relationship between poverty and informal settlements, the informal settlers' capacity to meet the costs of planned and serviced stands and policy options for both the central government and the local board which can be adopted to alleviate poverty in informal settlements. Evidence on the ground points to the fact that perpetuated animosity among groups in a settlement hinders the growth and development of that place. Epworth is a victim of disharmony of the groups residing there. It is the group dynamics that are very influential in making or breaking development in a place. The government official position on Epworth in this study stands unconvincing regarding the jeopardy of bad stewardship by the so-called responsible authority.     

石家庄市水环境承载力的系统动力学研究

基于石家庄市水环境现状,建立了石家庄市水环境承载力系统动力学模型,并针对问题提出了石家庄市水环境持续发展方案。分析比较各个方案的得出一个经济和环境协调发展的综合方案,从而为石家庄市水环境的可持续发展提供了科学的决策依据。     

广州市交通环境承载力变化的相关性分析

根据广州市的统计资料,分析了广州市交通环境承载力的变化态势,应用主成分分析方法定量分析了交通环境承载力变化的宏观驱动因子。结果表明:经济发展动态和社会系统压力是影响广州市交通环境承载力变化的主要驱动因素。结合主成分分析结果构建了多元线性回归模型,预测了2010和2015年广州市交通环境承载力的变化趋势,为政府部门规划城市交通规模及实现城市交通可持续发展提供决策依据。     

烟台门楼水库水环境容量研究

根据烟台市1998年～2003年地表水环境质量监测数据,评价了门楼水库的水环境质量现状,从其水质变化趋势可知,近年来,门楼水库水质趋于好转。根据烟台市确定的水质保护目标,选用适合于门楼水库水环境特征的水质模型,分别计算COD、BOD、TN、TP的水环境容量。根据2003年门楼水库的水质监测数据,又分别计算了这四个指标的已利用环境容量和剩余环境容量。结合作者对门楼水库的相关研究,提出加强面源污染控制的建议。