Resilience in the context of tsunami early warning systems and community disaster preparedness in the Indian Ocean Region

This paper discusses insights from post-tsunami early warning system (EWS) development in Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia by analysing selected elements of resilience, based on the Coastal Community Resilience (CCR) framework, and by distinguishing between the cognitive, normative and procedural dimensions of EWSs. The findings indicate that (1) recent calls to develop participatory and people-centred EWSs as promoted by the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005—2015 have not been sufficiently translated into action in the implementation of national policies and strategies for early warning; (2) policy and guidance places significantly more emphasis on the procedural compared to the normative and cognitive dimensions of EWSs; (3) practitioners engaged in early warning and disaster risk reduction operate in contexts shaped by multiple stakeholder agendas and face considerable challenges in negotiating diverse needs and priorities; and (4) few platforms currently exist that enable stakeholders to coordinate and reconcile agendas, negotiate joint targets, share knowledge and critically reflect on lessons learnt, and to improve the integration of early warning with other priorities such as livelihoods improvement, natural resource management and community development.     

THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN WATER USE IN THE TUCSON BASIN,ARIZONA1

ABSTRACT: The ground water in the Tucson basin is being drawn faster than it is replenished by nature. The water table is falling, giving rise to several conflicts between water users in the basin. At present, several lawsuits are in progress, including an action by the Papago Tribe against some of the major water users in the basin. Largely because of these difficulties, the State Legislature has established a commission to make proposals for the reform of Arizona's ground water law. The pattern of water use in the basin will undoubtedly be changed by the outcome of the present litigation and the coming reform of Arizona's ground water law. This paper describes how water use in the basin might be affected by changes in the availability of water and gives an account of the effects that these changes in water use could have on the region's economy. The paper concludes that the water problems of the Tucson basin will have little effect on the region at large and that these problems are simply a matter for the Indians and the other water users in the basin to sort out amongst themselves.     

中国东部海域发生海啸的可能性分析

由强地震引发的印度洋大海啸在短短几个小时内就演变成了一场巨大的人间惨剧。这样的2004年12月26日自然灾害,人类能不能预防?它的形成机制是什么?我国历史上发生过海啸吗?在未来我国哪些地区会发生海啸?就上述问题,作了可能性分析。印度洋海啸的发生可以说既是天灾,也是人祸。人类虽说还不能控制地震、海啸等天灾的发生,但可以通过预报等措施来减轻它们造成的损失。我国历史时期曾发生过多次海啸,台湾周围海域是海啸的高发区域,其次是大陆架区域,渤海是低发区域。在未来,东海、南海,特别是台湾岛附近海域具备产生海啸的条件,即海南、台湾存在成灾条件;其次是上海,广州,也存在潜在的海啸危险;沿海其它城市亦应居安思危。     

印度洋中南部长鳍金枪鱼繁殖栖息的适应性

根据2009年3～4月在印度洋中南部水域作业的中国金枪鱼延绳钓渔船上收集数据,基于反映鱼类繁殖能力的重要指标—性腺指数(GSI)及其影响因素—表温(SST)、100 m水层的水温(TEMP)及200 m水层的溶解氧浓度(DO),对长鳍金枪鱼繁殖栖息地适应性进行分析。结果表明,表温、表层盐度、100 m水层的水温及200 m水层的DO与印度洋中南部长鳍金枪鱼GSI的最佳上界分位数回归方程分别为pGSISST0.55=159.47-12.20SST0.55+0.24SST20.55,pGSISSS0.70=527.22-28.51 SSS0.70+0.39SSS20.70,pGSITEMP0.55=2.25-0.23TEMP0.55-0.01TEMP20.55和pGSIDO0.70=53.71-17.66DO0.70+1.49DO20.70。调查区域长鳍金枪鱼繁殖栖息地指数分布在0.52～0.97之间。自北向南,繁殖栖息地指数有逐渐增加的趋势,25°S以南水域,繁殖栖息地指数基本上维持在0.65以下。本研究为阐明印度洋长鳍金枪鱼的繁殖空间分布提供了一条新的思路。     

树轮氢同位素气候学:现状与方向

树木年轮硝化纤维素的氢同位素组成被广泛地用于重建过去气候变化。文章介绍了树轮氢同位素气候学在技术、理论以及应用于重建气候变化等方面的进展以及存在的问题,着重阐述了用树木年轮硝化纤维素氢同位素组成来研究东亚季风的进展和今后需要解决的问题。     

增江流域河流颗粒有机碳的来源、含量变化及输出通量

对华南增江径流进行了 1个水文年度的 1 5次等时段采样 ,分析了河流悬移质中主要生源元素 (C、N、H)的含量 ,并估算了不同物源的贡献 .结果表明 ,增江悬移质中的有机碳以水生藻类的贡献为主 ,土壤侵蚀来源的有机碳在悬移质粗粒组中的份额平均为 37 2 4 % ,在细粒组中仅占 1 1 1 1 % 增江流域颗粒有机碳的输出通量为 0 83× 1 0 6g·km-2 ·a-1 ,其中来自土壤的颗粒有机碳通量为 0 2 2× 1 0 6g·km-2 ·a-1 .     

Dissolved nutrient dynamics along the southwest coastal waters of India during northeast monsoon: a case study

Dissolved nutrients, Chl-a and primary productivity were measured from seven transects along the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea during northeast monsoon. Ten major estuaries were chosen to study the influence of estuarine discharge on the nutrient dynamics in the coastal waters. The mean water discharge of the estuaries in the north (64.8?±?18?×?10⁵?m³?d^?1) was found to be higher than those in the south (30.6?±?21.4?×?10⁵?m³?d^?1), whereas the nutrient concentrations were found to be higher in the estuaries of the south. The results from the offshore waters were discussed in accordance with the depth contour classification, that is, shelf (depth?≤?30?m) and slope waters (depth?≥?30?m). Our results suggest that the estuarine discharge plays a major role in the nutrient distribution in near shore shelf waters, whereas in shelf and slope waters, it was mainly controlled by in situ biological processes. The inorganic form of N to P ratios were found to be higher than Redfield ratio in slope waters when compared with shelf waters, suggesting that PO₄^3? (<0.15?µmol?L^?1) is a limiting nutrient for primary production. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the nutrient dynamics in the coastal waters was controlled by both biological and physical processes.     

Assessment on Seasonal Variation of Groundwater Quality of Phreatic Aquifers – a River Basin System

Spatial distribution of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), fluoride and total iron content of ground water samples collected from the muvattupuzha river basin, Kerala, India, has been studied for pre monsoon and post monsoon periods of year 2001. Results showed the groundwater of the basin is acidic for which the pH values ranged between 5.5 and 8.0. Average EC was found to be less than 100 μS/cm, for most of the study region. The pre monsoon minimum and maximum TDS were found as 25.6 and 227.84 mg/L respectively, where as post monsoon values ranged between 16 and 162.56 mg/L. The relatively low EC and TDS values found both during the seasons in the lateritic terrain of the river basin signifies the lower residence time of ground water with the country rock. This makes the groundwater quality of this river basin as good. Pre monsoon season samples showed high total iron content than that during the post monsoon period. During the study period values of the fluoride contents were found to be within the permissible limits.     

The Indian perspective of utilizing fly ash in phytoremediation, phytomanagement and biomass production

Coal-based power generation is a principal source of electricity in India and many other countries. About 15–30% of the total amount of residue generated during coal combustion is fly ash (FA). FA is generally alkaline in nature and contains many toxic metals like Cr, Pb, Hg, As and Cd along with many essential elements like S, B, Ca, Na, Fe, Zn, Mn and P. Dumped FA contaminates the biosphere by mobilization of its fine particles and hazardous metals. Despite the negative environmental impact of FA, coal continues to be a major source of power production in India and therefore FA disposal is a major environmental issue. To overcome this problem, FA dumping sites have been started as a potential resource for biomass production of tree species. Phytoremediation is a strategy that uses plants to degrade, stabilize, and remove contaminants from soils, water and waste FA. Phytomanagement of FA is based on the plants' root systems, high biomass, woody nature, native nature, and resistance to pH, salinity, and toxic metals. Recently Indian researchers mostly from the National Botanical Research Institute have been working on phytoremediation and revegetation of FA dykes, inoculation of bacterial strains for reducing FA stress and biomass production from FA dykes. Many international researchers have worked on reclamation, revegetation and utilization of FA. FA utilization saves resources, mainly land (topsoil), water, coal, limestone and chemical fertilizer. Safe utilization of FA is a major concern around the world and regulatory bodies are enforcing stringent rules for the proper management of FA. This article summarizes various viable avenues in India for FA utilization and environmental management.     

Genotypic variation of nitrogen use efficiency in Indian mustard

This experiment was conducted to investigate the variation of nitrogen efficiency (NE), nitrogen uptake efficiency (UE), physiological nitrogen use efficiency (PUE) among Indian mustard genotypes, grown under N-insufficient and N-sufficient conditions. Nitrogen efficiency varied from 52.7 to 92.8. Seed yield varied from 1.14 t ha(-1) to 3.21 t ha(-1) under N-insufficient condition, while 2.14 t ha(-1)-3.33 t ha(-1) under N-sufficient condition. Physiological basis of this difference was explained in terms of nitrogen uptake efficiency and physiological nitrogen use efficiency, and their relationship with the growth and yield characteristics. While nitrogen uptake efficiency was positively correlated with plant biomass (0.793**), leaf area index (0.664*), and leaf nitrogen content (0.783**), physiological nitrogen use efficiency is positively correlated with photosynthetic rate (0.689**) and yield (0.814**). This study suggests that genotype having high nitrogen uptake efficiency and high physiological nitrogen use efficiency might help in reducing the nitrogen load on soil without any penalty on the yield.