How does eliminating mercury from artisanal and small-scale gold mining lead to achieving sustainable development goals?

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the principal anthropogenic activity that globally contributes to overloading our environment with mercury. Although the Minamata Convention, led by the United Nations, is a crucial instrument to eliminate its use progressively, novel approaches to accelerate this difficult transition are welcome. This article proposes a framework for policy-making or improvement, fostering the enforcement of mercury elimination through the lens of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the excluded artisanal and small-scale gold miners and their dependents. We move forward with a literature review of the Artisanal and Small Mining topic, taking each SDG as a unit of analysis. Understanding the problem as a puzzle of four sets of pieces, namely: (1) social, (2) environmental, (3) economic, and (4) institutional, the paper offers potential opportunities for the decision-makers and practitioners to accelerate the substitution of this heavy metal and develop sustainable futures for the ASGM communities. We conclude by proposing a pragmatic framework that synthesizes the means, actions, and ends to accelerate a sustainable transition.     

Co-development of an integrated assessment framework to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of selected nature-based water treatment technologies in Sri Lanka,The Philippines,and Vietnam

Water quality is a critical challenge in Asia in the context of growing industrialization, urbanization, and climate change. Nature-based solutions (NbS) could play an important role in reducing urban water pollution, while generating multiple co-benefits that could make cities more liveable and resilient. In this regard, a number of pilot and demonstration projects have been set up to explore their potential across cities in Asia. Their effectiveness and impacts, however, have not been adequately documented, thus how they can be sustained, replicated and up-scaled remain poorly understood. This study aims to contribute to addressing this challenge by co-developing an integrated assessment framework and employing it to understand how existing evaluations of NbS in the region can be improved. It focuses specifically on a set of nature-based solutions that have been employed for water treatment across six cities in Southeast Asia (two in each Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Vietnam), namely, floating wetlands, constructed wetlands and maturation ponds. The study also suggests specific methodologies for capturing a set of core indicators considered relevant for assessing the effectiveness and capturing the multi-faceted impacts of the examined NbS.     

基于DPSIRM概念框架模型的岩溶区水资源安全评价

针对目前水资源安全评价中存在的评价指标片面性、单个指标隶属信息遗漏及权重确定主观性问题,以岩溶典型区-贵州省为例,结合岩溶地区水资源的特点,构建基于驱动力-压力-状态-影响-响应-管理(DPSIRM)概念框架的岩溶区水资源安全DPSIRM评价指标体系,借助灰色-集对模型对贵州省2005~2012年水资源安全进行定量评价,研究结果表明: 2005和2006年整个贵州省水资源安全处于临界安全状态,2007~2012年处于较安全状态,贵州省水资源安全呈现整体转好的态势.水资源的状态和水资源管理是目前影响贵州省水资源安全的重要因素;因此,在继续调整经济结构转变增长方式同时,提高水资源的利用效率,加大水资源基础设施建设的投入,加强水资源管理制度建设和提高水资源管理制度的落实情况,是贵州省水资源安全的根本保障;该评价模型和指标体系适用性较强,评价结果较为客观,为岩溶地区水资源安全评价提供了一个新视角和新方法.     

基于火灾场景的大型浮顶储罐区全过程风险防范体系研究

针对大型浮顶罐区火灾事故风险特征,通过对火灾场景辨识及其火灾风险影响因素分析,结合预防初期火灾场景风险要素和消防系统有效性,提出了罐区火灾事故现实风险的评估框架及确定方法。在此基础上,构建了基于火灾场景的全过程风险防范体系,包括库区评估规划、罐体本质安全化设计、库区火灾预防、罐区火灾扑救、园区火灾事故管理等5个方面,并给出相应的对策措施。大型浮顶罐区全过程火灾风险防范是一个持续改进的结构化过程风险管理体系,有助于实现罐区火灾风险的过程安全管理,进而提高仓储型园区的整体消防安全保障能力和风险防控水平。     

中国汞污染的来源、成因及控制技术路径分析

汞是一种能长期存在于环境且具有全球迁移性的污染物.汞污染防治是一个复杂的系统工程,涉及多部门、多领域、多行业,国家需要在政策、管理和技术等方面采取综合的战略措施推进汞污染防治.本文基于汞污染的环境和社会影响,分析了中国汞污染的来源、成因并评估了中国汞管理体系,结合中国参加全球汞公约谈判的特定背景,识别出汞污染防控的优先行业,包括汞的无意排放优先控制行业:燃煤、有色金属冶炼、汞矿开采和含汞废物处理;汞的有意使用优先控制行业:电石法聚氯乙烯生产,医疗产品、荧光灯和电池生产.本文也进一步提出了汞污染控制技术路径,包括构建汞风险管理和识别平台、完善汞管理体系、加强环境技术研发、推进绿色转型、保护环境和公众健康等.     

物质代谢分析框架及其研究述评

追溯了物质代谢概念的起源和发展,剖析了不同学科视角下物质代谢内涵的共性和差异性,并将物质代谢划分为生命代谢、生态代谢和经济或社会代谢等三大类.在此基础上,根据研究重点和目标不同,将物质代谢分析划分为代谢主体分析和代谢物质分析两大类,并进一步细分为组织代谢、区域代谢、物质分析、材料分析;对主要的物质代谢分析方法的适用范围、研究对象进行了比较和界定.基于物质代谢分析框架,对国内外相关研究系统地进行了归纳和总结,客观分析和评价了当前研究存在的问题和不足,并展望了物质代谢研究的重点领域和发展方向.      

RAPID-N: Rapid natech risk assessment and mapping framework

Natech accidents at industrial plants are an emerging risk with possibly serious consequences. For the mitigation of natech risk, authorities need to identify natech prone areas in a systematic manner. In order to facilitate probabilistic natech risk mapping, a unified methodology was developed that is based on the estimation of on-site natural hazard parameters, determination of damage probabilities of plant units, and assessment of probability and severity of possibly triggered natech events. The methodology was implemented as an on-line, extensible risk assessment and mapping software framework called RAPID-N, which allows rapid local and regional natech risk assessment and mapping with minimal data input. RAPID-N features an innovative data estimation framework to complete missing input data, such as on-site natural hazard parameters and plant unit characteristics. The framework is also used for damage assessment and natech consequence analysis, and allows easy modification of input parameters, dynamic generation of consequence models according to data availability, and extension of models by adding new equations or substituting existing ones with alternatives. Results are presented as summary reports and interactive risk maps, which can be used for land-use and emergency planning purposes by using scenario hazards, or for rapid natech consequence assessment following actual disasters. As proof of concept, the framework provides a custom implementation of the U.S. EPA's RMP Guidance for Offsite Consequence Analysis methodology to perform natech consequence analysis and includes comprehensive data for earthquakes. It is readily extendible to other natural hazards and more comprehensive risk assessment methods.     

环保产业技术进步评价体系初探

在借鉴国内外技术评价理论的基础上,结合对环保技术内涵与外延的界定,提出了构建环保产业技术进步评价指标体系的设计原则及思路;按照科学性、系统性、定性指标与定量指标相结合、动态连续性的原则构建了环保产业技术进步评价指标体系,测度指标体系包括技术积累水平、技术装备支撑水平、技术开发潜力水平和技术效益水平四个主要方面。     

输变电工程在不同阶段的水土流失防治责任范围变化分析——以四川省500kV输变电工程为例

通过对四川省6个500kV输变电工程的水土保持设施验收技术评估工作,分析比较了上述工程水土流失防治责任范围在水土保持方案报告书（可研）阶段、工程建设期以及运行期的变化情况,结果表明建设期水土流失防治责任范围面积占水土保持方案报告书的50％～70％,运行期水土流失防治责任范围面积占建设期的30％～50％。     

我国水污染治理行业2012年发展综述

综述了2012年我国水污染治理行业发展状况及发展环境;阐述并评价了行业市场运营、行业骨干企业经营、行业技术创新发展的状况;分析了行业目前的市场热点及发展趋势。