Public-Private Partnerships in China’s Urban Water Sector

During the past decades, the traditional state monopoly in urban water management has been debated heavily, resulting in different forms and degrees of private sector involvement across the globe. Since the 1990s, China has also started experiments with new modes of urban water service management and governance in which the private sector is involved. It is premature to conclude whether the various forms of private sector involvement will successfully overcome the major problems (capital shortage, inefficient operation, and service quality) in China’s water sector. But at the same time, private sector involvement in water provisioning and waste water treatments seems to have become mainstream in transitional China.     

Perceiving the Environment from the Lay Perspective in Desertified Areas,Northern China

Investigating local people’s environmental perceptions can produce useful information that could be incorporated into decision making processes that help resolve environmental problems. Although China is undergoing severe desertification, the perceptions of the local people toward their degraded environment and the related issues have so far not been actively solicited. This article, which is a supplement to Lee and Zhang’s (2004, 2005) studies, seeks to further investigate the lay public’s general environmental attitudes, perceptions of desertification, interpretations of land-degrading activities, and particularly their interrelations in severely desertified areas. Minqin County in Gansu Province, northern China, was chosen to be the study area. Data was collected via a questionnaire survey (n = 1138) administered in December 2002. Major findings were: (1) Most respondents had only weak altruistic environmental attitudes, with educational level to be a significant determinant. (2) Respondents’ perceptions of desertification and interpretations of land-degrading activities were contingent on personal attributes, general environmental attitudes, and other conceptions related to desertification. It is recommended that the interrelations between the various aspects of the public’s environmental perceptions should be thoroughly examined to facilitate their participation in environmental management.     

Watershed Evapotranspiration Increased due to Changes in Vegetation Composition and Structure Under a Subtropical Climate1

Abstract: Natural forests in southern China have been severely logged due to high human demand for timber, food, and fuels during the past century, but are recovering in the past decade. The objective of this study was to investigate how vegetation cover changes in composition and structure affected the water budgets of a 9.6‐km² Dakeng watershed located in a humid subtropical mountainous region in southern China. We analyzed 27 years (i.e., 1967‐1993) of streamflow and climate data and associated vegetation cover change in the watershed. Land use/land cover census and Normalized Difference of Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from remote sensing were used to construct historic land cover change patterns. We found that over the period of record, annual streamflow (Q) and runoff/precipitation ratio did not change significantly, nor did the climatic variables, including air temperature, Hamon’s potential evapotranspiration (ET), pan evaporation, sunshine hours, and radiation. However, annual ET estimated as the differences between P and Q showed a statistically significant increasing trend. Overall, the NDVI of the watershed had a significant increasing trend in the peak spring growing season. This study concluded that watershed ecosystem ET increased as the vegetation cover shifted from low stock forests to shrub and grasslands that had higher ET rates. A conceptual model was developed for the study watershed to describe the vegetation cover‐streamflow relationships during a 50‐year time frame. This paper highlighted the importance of eco‐physiologically based studies in understanding transitory, nonstationary effects of deforestation or forestation on watershed water balances.     

2007年11-12月国内环境事件

简要统计了2007年11-12月国内发生的各种环境事件47起,包括沙尘天气2起,污染事件15起,地震22起,山体滑坡和泥石流6起,以及旱灾2起.对自然灾害进行了讨论.     

2007年中国安全生产事故与自然灾害状况

综述了2007年中国安全生产事故状况和自然灾害情况.2007年中国共发生各类安全生产事故506 376起,死亡101 480人,同比分别减少19.3%和10.1%.非煤矿山共发生伤亡事故1 861起、死亡2 188人,同比分别下降0 6%和3.9%.火灾发生15 9万起,死亡1 418人,受伤863人,直接财产损失9 9亿元.共发生森林火灾9 260起,草原火灾248起.2007年各类自然灾害共造成39 777 9万人(次)不同程度受灾,因灾死亡2 325人; 农作物受灾面积4 899万hm2,上升19 2%,其中绝收面积575万hm2,上升6.2%.因灾直接经济损失2 363亿元,比2006年下降6.5%.安徽、四川、河南、湖南、云南、重庆、浙江、陕西等地受灾较为严重.全国因气象灾害共造成经济损失约2 342亿元.2007年共发生风暴潮、海浪、海冰、赤潮和海啸等灾害性海洋过程163次,造成直接经济损失88 37亿元,死亡(含失踪)161人.地质灾害共发生25 364起,死亡598人,造成直接经济损失24 75亿元.大陆地区共发生5级以上地震17次,地震灾害造成死亡3人,直接经济损失20.19亿元.结果表明,2007年中国安全生产事故的发生较2006年有所缓和,自然灾害状况也较2006年轻.     

Accumulation of Fluoride and Aluminium Related to Different Varieties of Tea Plant

Samples of young shoot, mature leaf, twig, root, and litter were taken from four recently bred varieties Zhe-nong 113, Zhe-nong 121, Zi-sun, and Bi-feng grown at two tea plantations located at Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces. The results showed that the concentrations of F and Al in tea plants were significantly different among the four varieties. It is therefore possible that F and Al concentrations in tea products can be reduced through variety selection. The results also revealed that old leaves would be the major contribution to the high levels of F and Al in brick tea since it is produced mainly for old leaves. Therefore, in order to eliminate the hazard of over-exposure to F and Al derived from tea, younger shoot should be used for making tea products while mature leaves should be avoided.     

中国北方地区干旱化趋势与防御对策研究

利用最新的气象资料,计算并分析了中国北方地区与干旱有关的气象因素（可能蒸散量、水面蒸发量和降水量）的区域分布及其20世纪90年代的变化情况,结果表明,从总体上来看,20世纪90年代的干旱程度略轻于前30年的平均水平,但地区间存在显著差异,内蒙古东部地区,京津冀地区干旱有所缓解,山西大部分地区、陕西、宁夏南部、甘南及青海部分地区,则干旱有所发展,其它大部分地区的干旱程度几乎没有变化,最后,根据该地区的具体情况,提出了相应的防御干旱进一步发展的对策。     

论中国种子植物特有属在台湾的分布

通过对台湾产的12个中国种子植物特有属即青钱柳属Cyclocarya,通脱木属Tetrapanax,华参属Sinopanax,八角莲属Dysosma,棱果花属Barthea,棱果茜属Hayataella,银脉爵床属Kudoacanthus,异叶苣苔属Whytockia,毛药花属Bostrychanthera,泡果荠属Hilliella,悬竹属Ampelocalamus.井岗寒竹属Gelidocalamus等的地理分布分析,发现台湾产的中国种子植物特有属具有衍生性质,属于次生的成分.     

南京南湖底泥疏浚后水质演化规律调查

对疏浚后的南京南湖底泥的TP、TN和COD释放规律、补水后的水质状况以及藻类演替规律进行了调查。结果表明,上覆水中TP平均质量浓度基本不随自来水补入量的增加而发生变化,TN和COD质量浓度随自来水补入量的增加而增大;水体中的TP、TN和COD含量总体呈上升趋势;从2005年3月中旬起,出现藻类的大量繁殖,在2005年7月发生水华,藻类优势种由裸藻、隐藻和小环藻演替为裸藻、栅藻和韦斯藻,藻类总量由2005年3月的3.7×106L-1上升到2006年4月的1.5×107L-1。     

中美环境监测体制之比较

对中美环境监测体制进行对比性评述,指出了中国环境监测行业存在的分析标准滞后、体制不完善、人员匮乏等问题,提出借鉴美国经验,完善法律体系,引入市场机制,逐步培育竞争有序、监管到位的环境监测行业的建议。