Studying common-pool resources over time: A longitudinal case study of the Buen Hombre fishery in the Dominican Republic

Like many small-scale fishing communities around the world, the community of Buen Hombre in the Dominican Republic is dealing with a set of challenges to reconcile its fishing activities with the ecology on which it depends. Also like many such communities, this case has been examined at a particular period in time by a group of social scientists, but not over substantial lengths of time in order to examine the longitudinal validity of the conclusions made during this period. In this paper we combine data from previous anthropological work with our own primary social and ecological data to conduct a longitudinal case study of the Buen Hombre fishery. Our over-time comparison focuses on a suite of mostly social and institutional variables to explain what we find to be a continued degradation of the fishery, and we conclude the analysis by presenting a causal-loop diagram, summarizing our inferences regarding the complex interactions among these variables. We find that a mix of factors, notably changes in gear and fishing sites used, the number of fishermen and their livelihood diversity, as well as an increased connectivity between Buen Hombre and its external environment, have contributed to the decline of the condition of Buen Hombre coral reef fishery. We conclude with a discussion of what may lie ahead for this particular case and others like it.     

Stigmatisation and rejection of survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

Studies report that between 6 per cent and 29 per cent of survivors of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are rejected by their families and communities. This research project was designed to provide insights into survivors' experiences of stigmatisation and rejection. Surveys were conducted with 310 women as they sought psychosocial services in eastern DRC. In total, 44.3 per cent of women reported suffering rejection after sexual violence. The majority of women felt that their status in the household (58.0 per cent) and community (54.9 per cent) diminished after rape. The odds of rejection were greater among women reporting ongoing displacement, pregnancy owing to sexual violence, worsening family relations, and diminished community status. This work highlights the extremely high levels of loss associated with the war in eastern DRC, particularly among survivors of sexual violence. The rejection of a survivor of rape has concrete and devastating psychosocial consequences.     

UNCCD与《中华人民共和国防沙治沙法》比较研究

文章选取了《联合国防治荒漠化公约》和《中华人民共和国防沙治沙法》作为比较对象,从立法背景、性质、基本结构、基本内容等角度对二者进行了比较,并指出了二者的特有之处。从而分析国内法律和国际法律的不同,并提供了我国防治沙漠化中如何借鉴好的做法,并结合自身的实际情况加以吸收的途径。     

论民国时期河南灾荒的社会成因

民国年间河南灾荒现象异常突出,虽与当时整体气候背景及河南特殊的地理特征相关,但灾荒背后的社会原因更应引起我们的关注。其主要表现为:一、社会经济乏力,百姓抗灾能力低;二、政治腐败,体现在政府的赋税名目繁多、政府官员失职渎职以及挪用、贪污河防公款等几个方面;三、战争与灾荒;四、帝国主义列强对中国的残酷掠夺。     

The creation of vulnerability to natural disaster: Case studies from the Dominican Republic*

This paper argues that natural disasters are not a category of events which can be separated from the broader Issues of development, since economic change can create vulnerability to natural disaster. The analysis of case studies from the Dominican Republic shows how the development of large scale commercialized agricultural production has created such vulnerability by reducing or restricting the resource base of certain sectors of the population. It b suggested that the vulnerable state of a population should be considered as much a cause of natural disaster as the extreme physical phenomena Involved. Therefore there Is a need both for a broader framework for analysis of disasters and for strategies to reduce such vulnerability to be an Integral part of long term development planning.     

民国前期荆江两岸地区洪水灾害若干特征分析

“万里长江,险在荆江”,民国前期(1912—1927)荆江两岸地区水灾频仍。在荆江两岸地区1912—1927年洪水灾害相关资料的基础上,运用一般统计方法和理论分析了这一时期洪水灾害的若干特征,即普遍性、连续性、积累性和区域性四个特征。对洪水灾害基本特征及其规律的探讨至今对于有效的进行水患治理与防治仍有着深远的影响。     

Potential Environmental Benefits from Increased Use of Bioenergy in China

Because of its large population and rapidly growing economy, China is confronting a serious energy shortage and daunting environmental problems. An increased use of fuels derived from biomass could relieve some demand for nonrenewable sources of energy while providing environmental benefits in terms of cleaner air and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. In 2003, China generated about 25.9 × 10⁸ metric tons of industrial waste (liquid + solid), 14.7 × 10⁸ metric tons/year (t/y) of manure (livestock + human), 7.1 × 10⁸ t/y of crop residues and food-processing byproducts, 2 × 10⁸ t/y of fuelwood and wood manufacturing residues, and 1.5 × 10⁸ t/y of municipal waste. Biofuels derived from these materials could potentially displace the use of about 4.12 × 10⁸ t/y of coal and 3.75 × 10⁶ t/y of petroleum. An increased bioenergy use of this magnitude would help to reduce the emissions of key air pollutants: SO₂ by 11.6 × 10⁶ t/y, NO_X by 1.48 × 10⁶ t/y, CO₂ by 1.07 × 10⁹ t/y, and CH₄ by 50 × 10⁶ t/y. The reduced SO₂ emissions would be equivalent to 54% of the national emissions in 2003, whereas those for CO₂ are 30%. It is important to recognize, however, that large increases in the use of biomass fuels also could result in socioeconomic and environmental problems such as less production of food and damage caused to natural habitats.     

Logging Concessions Can Extend the Conservation Estate for Central African Tropical Forests

Abstract:  The management of tropical forest in timber concessions has been proposed as a solution to prevent further biodiversity loss. The effectiveness of this strategy will likely depend on species-specific, population-level responses to logging. We conducted a survey (749 line transects over 3450 km) in logging concessions (1.2 million ha) in the northern Republic of Congo to examine the impact of logging on large mammal populations, including endangered species such as the elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), gorilla ( Gorilla gorilla ), chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes ), and bongo ( Tragelaphus eurycerus ). When we estimated species abundance without consideration of transect characteristics, species abundances in logged and unlogged forests were not different for most species. When we modeled the data with a hurdle model approach, however, analyzing species presence and conditional abundance separately with generalized additive models and then combining them to calculate the mean species abundance, species abundance varied strongly depending on transect characteristics. The mean species abundance was often related to the distance to unlogged forest, which suggests that intact forest serves as source habitat for several species. The mean species abundance responded nonlinearly to logging history, changing over 30 years as the forest recovered from logging. Finally the distance away from roads, natural forest clearings, and villages also determined the abundance of mammals. Our results suggest that logged forest can extend the conservation estate for many of Central Africa's most threatened species if managed appropriately. In addition to limiting hunting, logging concessions must be large, contain patches of unlogged forest, and include forest with different logging histories.     

Where artisanal mines and forest meet: Socio‐economic and environmental impacts in the Congo Basin

While mineral exploitation can provide significant income and employment, it may negatively impact the environment, being ultimately detrimental to livelihoods in the long term. The consequences of mining are of concern in high value forest ecosystems such as the Sangha Tri‐National (TNS) landscape covering Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Republic of the Congo. This paper captures the socio‐economic and environmental impacts of small‐scale mining in the TNS. Using structured questionnaires, consultations and observation, diamonds and gold were found to contribute directly to the livelihoods of at least 5% of the landscape's population. Although up to eight income‐generating strategies are used, mining contributes on average to 65% of total income and is used mainly to meet basic needs. A gold miner's average income is US$ 3.10 a day, and a diamond miner earns US$ 3.08, making them slightly wealthier than an average Cameroonian and three times wealthier than an average non‐miner in the TNS. Environmental impacts were temporary, low impact and of limited scale. However, with mining likely to increase in the near future, an increasing population and miners' low environmental awareness, measures are needed to ensure and reinforce the positive impact of artisanal mining on livelihoods and maintain its low environmental footprint in the TNS landscape.     

俄罗斯布里亚特共和国植被NPP对气候变化的时空响应

以遥感和气象数据为主要数据源,运用改进后的CASA模型,估算了俄罗斯布里亚特共和国2000-2008年的植被NPP,并验证了模型的精度,分析了该地区植被NPP的时空变化规律及其与气候因子的相互关系。研究结果表明:时间上,植被NPP年际上呈现为在波动中上升,月份上表现为先升后降的趋势;空间上,植被NPP随经度的增加而增大,随纬度的增加而减小,由西南到东北逐渐递增的趋势;不同植被类型的NPP也不同,从大到小依此为:草地与沼泽林>森林>森林与草原>稀树草原>高山植被。其变化主要受气温和降水量变化的作用。改进后的CASA模型运用于布里亚特共和国植被NPP估算的精度较高。该研究对中国北方植被NPP估算和生态跨境研究具有借鉴意义。