Are ecosystem service hotspots located in protected areas? Results from a study in Southern Italy

Ecosystems are essential in providing multiple services to society. However, understanding ecosystem services (ESS) in terms of spatial distribution and trade-offs still remains a challenge for landscape planners and natural resource managers. In this paper, we analyzed the supply of a set of ESS – carbon storage, soil erosion protection, biodiversity, and recreation – within the landscape surrounding the city of Bari in Southern Italy. Through an analysis of this landscape, which includes natural protected areas, such as Natura 2000 Network sites, national and regional parks and nature reserves, and in view of the recent Fitness Check of the Nature Directives, we aimed to provide answers to the following questions: (i) Where are the areas of high and low supply of individual ecosystem services located?; (ii) Where do ecosystem service trade-offs (i.e., ‘hotspots’ and ‘coldspots’) occur?; and (iii) To what extent are ecosystem service hotspots and coldspots located within or outside of natural protected areas? Results show that most of the landscape in the study area supplied at least one of the selected ESS and that ESS hotspots were mostly located within forested and/or natural areas. Hotspots occupied 8.0% of the total landscape, with 23.7% located in natural protected areas. Coldspots were scarce and equal to 2.4%; they constituted only 0.1% of natural protected areas. Almost all of the landscape (89.6%) consists of intermediate areas (i.e., between hotspots and coldspots); 76.2% of natural protected areas consists of intermediate areas. This latter finding is relevant because the high intermediate classes are potentially high-performing areas, which lie mainly on the borders of protected spaces; they can positively influence ecological processes and thus enhance a wide-ranging provision of ESS. Our results highlight the importance of analyzing landscapes to facilitate the selection of priority areas where management efforts would yield maximum benefits.     

Historical analysis of U.S. onshore hazardous liquid pipeline accidents triggered by natural hazards

Incidents at U.S. onshore hazardous liquid pipeline systems were analyzed with an emphasis on natural hazards. Incidents triggered by natural hazards (natechs) were identified by keyword-based data mining and expert review supplemented by various data sources. The analysis covered about 7000 incidents in 1986–2012, 3800 of which were regarded as significant based on their consequences. 5.5% of all and 6.2% of the significant incidents were found to be natechs that resulted in a total hazardous substance release of 317,700 bbl. Although there is no trend in the long-term yearly occurrence of significant natechs, importance is found to be increasing due to the overall decreasing trend of the incidents. Meteorological hazards triggered 36% of the significant natechs, followed by geological and climatic hazards with 26% and 24%. While they occurred less frequently, hydrological hazards caused the highest amount of release which is about 102,000 bbl. The total economic cost of significant natechs was 597 million USD, corresponding to about 18% of all incident costs in the same period. More than 50% of this cost was due to meteorological hazards, mainly tropical cyclones. Natech vulnerabilities of the system parts vary notably with respect to natural hazard types. For some natural hazards damage is limited possibly due to implemented protection measures. The geographical distribution of the natechs indicated that they occurred more in some states, such as Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. About 50% of the releases was to the ground, followed by water bodies with 28%. Significant consequences to human health were not observed although more than 20% of the incidents resulted in fires. In general, the study indicated that natural hazards are a non-negligible threat to the onshore hazardous liquid pipeline network in the U.S. It also highlighted problems such as underreporting of natural hazards as incident causes, data completeness, and explicit data limitations.     

灾害损失及灾害等级的确定

将灾害损失划分为属性指标和经济损失，将经济损失划分为财产损失、救灾费用和效益损失，将每种经济损失划分为内部经济损失和外部经济损失，在属性指标中考虑了损失持续时间的影响，还对灾害等级的定量计算方法进行了改进和完善．     

自然灾害等级划分及灾害分级管理研究

在论述了我国目前自然灾害等级划分和灾害分级管理的几种方法基础上，对自然灾害等级划分及灾害分级管理综合因素进行了分析认为：对自然灾害等级划分要统一评判指标─－以经济损失和人员伤亡为评判指标；建议在分级管理中采用灾害分级和灾损率两项指标；在灾害管理中建立科学的查灾、计灾、报交制度，加快灾害管理立法，走以法治灾之路．     

自然灾害研究的新趋势——社会易损性分析

社会易损性分析在自然灾害及减灾中的重要性是近期才被认识到的。本文分析了自然灾害、易损性和灾难的概念，探讨了社会易损性的内容、分析评价方法及其应用。今后应充分注意社会易损性分析在自然灾害和减灾研究中的重要性，积极开展社会易损性分析和评价研究。     

近20年我国农村自然灾害救济拨款时空变化规律分析

以人均相对灾害救济强度为指标，利用ＥＯＦ方法分析了１９７８～１９９４年我国农村救灾款发放的时空分异规律，发现其５种主要空间分布形式；在东部地区，１９８４年以前华北救灾强度较东北和江南相对偏大，以后则相反。     

防灾减灾的基础研究及应用研究进展概况

人类社会是在对自然灾害的不断斗争中得到发展。近代由于全球人口的迅速增长和城市化程度的提高，自然灾害的损失也在急剧增加。防灾减灾是减轻灾害损失、保障社会可持续发展的系统工程。当前灾害监测技术、灾害的形成和发展规律、灾情评估方法、灾害管理及灾害对社会经济的影响等方面的基础研究及应用研究已有了不小的进展。本文概括地介绍了这些进展，并指出了防灾减灾工作中存在的一些问题及对策     

1994／1995全球重大自然灾害的统计分析

１９９４／１９９５年是６０年代以来全球自然灾害经济损失最大的两年。作者根据收集到的信息，对全球这两年的重大自然灾害的分布及灾情作了统计。结果表明，９０年代全球重大自然灾害的经济和保险损失存在上升趋势。最后，对其成因进行了分析     

Drought-induced resettlement: a case study from Burkina Faso

As a result of the '16-year drought' that Burkina Faso experienced from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, there has been significant movement of people from the north of the country to the south. The large numbers of people that were displaced as a result of this natural disaster put pressure on the production systems of the south and caused concern amongst development organisations that environmental degradation would follow. Through a 2-year research period, using participatory approaches, it was found that despite a doubling of the population and the introduction of foreign production systems, the process of communal land control has significantly limited environmental degradation. This paper explains how customary law has controlled the settlement of immigrants (the Mossi and Fulani) and how it has overseen land allocation in three villages. The conclusions of the study indicate that, firstly, the customary law mechanisms in the three villages are effective in addressing communal resource use and, secondly, there is an evolution in customary law systems as they respond to local change. Received: 24 February 1999 · Accepted: 15 May 1999     

自然灾害与地质勘探劳动保护

自然灾害和人密切相关,这不仅表现在自然灾害施予的客体是人,人的伤亡和财产损失是自然灾害的标志,而且表现在自然灾害的发生受人类活动的强烈影响。地质勘探活动是人类改造自然获取财富的主要活动之一。它一方面遭受自然灾害的危害,另一方面存在诱发触发自然灾害的危险,自然灾害已成了地质勘探活动的巨大障碍。自然灾害特别是地质灾害(人工诱发触发地质灾害、地方病)和气象灾害的测、报、防、治、救措施和方法研究是地质勘探劳动保护的重要课题。