Capitalizing property rights insecurity in natural resource assets

Property rights are commonly touted as a solution to common pool resource problems. In practice, however, the security of property rights over natural resources varies substantially; this may affect returns to ownership and asset values. We use an analytical model to examine the effects of insecure property rights to natural resources on the market value of assets. We then use a unique dataset of fisheries from three countries to examine empirically how differences in property rights affect market outcomes. We find significant asset market capitalization of insecurity arising from (1) ownership disputes, (2) illegal extraction from resource stocks, and (3) the possibility of government revocation of rights.     

On risk-based maintenance: A comprehensive review of three approaches to track the impact of consequence modelling for predicting maintenance actions

Since gas plants are progressively increasing near urban areas, a comprehensive tool to plan maintenance and reduce the risk arising from their operations is required. To this end, a comparison of three Risk-Based Maintenance methodologies able to point out maintenance priorities for the most critical components, is presented in this paper. Moreover, while the literature is mostly focused on probabilistic analysis, a particular attention is directed towards consequence analysis throughout this study. The first developed technique is characterized by a Hierarchical Bayesian Network to perform the occurrence analysis and a Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis to assess the magnitude of the adverse outcomes. The second approach is a Quantitative Risk Analysis carried out via a software named Safeti. Finally, another software called Synergi Plant is adopted for the third methodology, which provides a Risk-Based Inspection plan, through a semiquantitative risk analysis. The proposed study can assist asset manager in adopting the most appropriate methodology to their context, while highlighting priority components. To demonstrate the applicability of the approaches and compare their rankings, a Natural Gas Regulating and Measuring Station is considered as case study. The results showed that the most suited method strongly depends on the available data.     

The value, limitations, and challenges of employing local experts in conservation research

Abstract: Evidence suggests that the involvement of local people in conservation work increases a project's chances of success. Involving citizen scientists in research, however, raises questions about data quality. As a tool to better assess potential participants for conservation projects, we developed a knowledge gradient, K, along which community members occupy different positions on the basis of their experience with and knowledge of a research subject. This gradient can be used to refine the citizen–science concept and allow researchers to differentiate between community members with expert knowledge and those with little knowledge. We propose that work would benefit from the inclusion of select local experts because it would allow researchers to harness the benefits of local involvement while maintaining or improving data quality. We used a case study from the DeHoop Nature Preserve, South Africa, in which we conducted multiple interviews, identified and employed a local expert animal tracker, evaluated the expert's knowledge, and analyzed the data collected by the expert. The expert animal tracker J.J. created his own sampling design and gathered data on mammals. He patrolled 4653 km in 214 days and recorded 4684 mammals. He worked from a central location, and his patrols formed overlapping loops; however, his data proved neither spatially nor temporally autocorrelated. The distinctive data collected by J.J. are consistent with the notion that involving local experts can produce reliable data. We developed a conceptual model to help identify the appropriate participants for a given project on the basis of research budget, knowledge or skills needed, technical literacy requirements, and scope of the project.     

灾害经济损失概念及产业关联型间接经济损失计量

从三个方面拓展了对自然灾害经济的理解，它们是：承灾体，经济损失中的价格与价值，间接经济损失类型。评述了国内迄今提出的关于自然灾害产业关联型间接经济损失的计算方法，同时提出了作者对这一问题的处理，并以中国９０年代的水旱灾害为例，计算了这一期间的平均年度产业关联型间接经济损失及经济损失总值。     

近40年来中国自然灾害的时空统计特征

利用约2000个中国自然灾害记录,我们计算分析得到了中国自然灾害的统计规律,它们可总结为:1.中国的灾害可以以胡焕庸线和34°N为界划分为西域、北域、南域三个区,并且沿胡线可能存在过渡带区域;2.中国自然灾害的月特征是旱灾主要发生于3-10月,洪涝主要发生于6-9月;3.灾害的最频发区位于黄淮海地区。     

全球和中国变暖特征及未来趋势

自小冰期在上世纪末结束以来，全球气温波动上升，至本世纪８０年代全球平均上升了０．４５±０．１５℃。２０～３０年代的强烈升温（＞０．３℃）归因于自然回暖，６０年代至７０年代初出现北半球为主的一度降温，８０年代又强烈升温至今未息，这次升温以冬季和夜间变暖为主，高纬度地区又大于中低纬度地区，可认为是人为的ＣＯ２等温室气体增加起了重要作用。中国２０～３０年代升温，６０年代降温和８０年代北部地区升温均大于全球平均值。全球降水变化远比温度变化复杂，总趋势略有上升，中国基本处在中纬度降水减少带中，呈现暖干化趋势。在２０年代和６０年代有两次变旱的气候跃变，相伴着旱灾的加重，但降水变率很大，洪涝灾害更为严重。未来气候主要取决于ＣＯ２及其它微量气体增加所加犟的温度效应，全球继续并持久变暖。根据政府间气候变化委员会（ＩＰＣＣ）预测的下世纪温室气体排放，Ｈｕｌｍｅ等（１９９２）综合新近若干模式研究结果，预期全球平均升温最佳估计值到２０５０年为１．２℃（低限与高限范围为０．８℃和１．８℃），而到２１００年为２．５℃（变化范围１．６～３．８℃），中国到２０５０年升温值在东部和东南部为１．０～１．５℃，在东北、华北和西部为１．５～２     

中国沿海地区的自然灾害类型及综合区划

作者利用中国沿海地区近４０年或更长时期主导灾害的资料分析其时空特征，特别是空间分布规律。根据综合灾害灾次图的分析指出，中国沿海地区共有３个灾害多发中心，最后将中国沿海地区划分为６个灾害类型区     

自然灾害风险评价初步研究

自然灾害风险评价是减灾研究的重要组成部分，可为风险区土地的合理利用与投资、灾害预防与管理、灾害保险制度的建立以及灾期的快速评估和辅助决策提供科学依据。本文在分析自然灾害风险评价发展历史的基础上，提出了自然灾害风险评价不仅应包括自然灾害发生的可能性，而且还应包括由此而引起的可能的后果的风险分析概念，并且探讨了将自然灾害与风险区价值及抗灾性能作为整体进行风险评价的理论和方法。     

山东省莱州湾地区海水入侵对社会与经济的影响

海水入侵是近代出现在我国沿海的一种灾害，它的发生与发展已严重影响了沿海地区的社会与经济的持续稳定发展。表现在农业水土资源遭受破坏，粮食大幅度减产；工业用水紧张，设备锈蚀严重，成本显著升高；地方病增加，人类生存受到威胁；社会不安定因素增加。本文以莱州湾地区为例分析了这种影响     

Growth and green income: evidence from mining in Chile

This paper estimates the true economic income for the Chilean mining sector, using the welfare foundations for the usual net domestic product (NDP) income measure of the traditional National Accounts System (NAS) provided by [Weitzman, M., 1976. On the welfare significance of national product in a dynamic economy. Quarterly Journal of Economics. 90, 156–162; Weitzman, M., 2000. The linearised Hamiltonian as comprehensible NDP. Environment and Development Economics. 5, 55–68]. The total depletion of natural capital caused by mining is calculated by estimating, on the one hand, the depreciation of resources (using the net price approach) and, on the other, the environmental costs provoked by mining activity. The results show that, correcting the usual GDP measure for man-made capital depreciation plus the total loss of natural capital, the standard mining GDP measure of the NAS overestimates by 31–36% the economic income generated by Chile's mining sector during the period 1985–1996.