Who shapes local climate policy? Unpicking governance arrangements in English and German cities

A new framework for analysing subnational policymaking is applied to climate governance in the ‘twin towns’ of Newcastle upon Tyne and Gelsenkirchen. Low levels of resource interdependence between central and local government in England mean that Newcastle Council has to rely heavily on other horizontal actors to achieve its climate objectives. In contrast, Gelsenkirchen Council receives substantial support from higher tiers of government, which gives it greater control over policymaking within the locality. Greater independence between tiers of government can make it more difficult for subnational bodies to adopt the kind of ambitious policies that may be necessary to combat wicked and/or significant policy challenges such as climate change. Instead, interdependent ‘joint-decision’ systems, which facilitate mutual support across tiers of government, may be better equipped to ensure that subnational public bodies have the capacity to act appropriately.     

基于GIS的县域经济差异与协调发展研究——以陕北地区为例

改革开放以来,陕北地区经济有了突飞猛进的发展,尤其是矿产资源的开发创造了巨大的经济效益。但近几年来,县域经济发展水平的空间差异逐渐扩大,已成为制约该区域经济发展的一大障碍。选取了人均GDP、地均GDP、人均地方财政收入、人均社会消费品零售总额、城镇化水平、在岗职工平均工资和农民人均纯收入7项指标,采用ArcGIS的IDW法模拟和分析了陕北地区经济空间格局,再采用量图分析法将陕北地区25个县级行政区分为先进、中等和落后3种类型,从县域的角度进一步分析经济水平的空间差异,最后对缩小县域经济空间差异和实现县域经济协调发展提出几点建议。     

长江中游城市群县域城镇化水平空间格局演变及驱动因子分析

在通过可达性方法确定长江中游城市群县域范围的基础上,运用熵值法从人口、经济及社会3个子系统对长江中游城市群县域2001、2006及2011年3个时期城镇化发展水平进行综合测度,运用空间自相关对综合城镇化水平的空间演变进行分析并分类,利用回归分析对各类型县域进行驱动因子分析。结果表明:(1)长江中游城市群县域综合城镇化水平持续提升,但各地区间的发展速度差异明显;在子系统演化过程中,以经济城镇化的快速演进为主要特征,其次为社会城镇化,最后为人口城镇化过程。(2)综合城镇化水平及其变化率与城市等级规模、交通及产业结构转型密切相关;各子系统在空间格局演变进程中有着不同的特点,但子系统变化率间具有明显的正相关性。(3)长江中游城市群县域城镇化依据关联性可以划分为"耦合聚集"型、"中心洼地"型、"拮抗聚集"型及"核心边缘"型,各类型县域空间格局演变明显。(4)內源力在"耦合聚集"型县域及"拮抗聚集"县域城镇化进程中具有促进作用,投资力对"中心洼地"型县域影响作用明显,而"核心边缘"型县域主要驱动因子为行政力和內源力;根据各类型县域主要驱动因子提出促进城镇化发展的相应措施,以做到因地制宜地指导各地区城镇化健康发展。     

长江经济带开发构想与发展态势

长江经济带是我国国土开发和经济建设中极其重要的开发轴线,近年来已经上升为新一轮的国家战略,肩负着参与国际竞争、协调东中西3大区域、推进双向开放、建设生态文明的使命。在国际国内经济社会发展新形势下,长江经济带发展机遇与挑战并存。以流域经济发展为视角,从长江经济带提出的背景出发,回顾了长江经济带战略构想及20世纪80年代以来开发历程,从经济地位、产业集聚、航运建设、岸线开发、沿江交通等5个方面分析了长江经济带发展态势,并重点分析了长江经济带重化工业发展与布局、生态环境影响、港口建设与发展、城市群培育等方面面临的主要问题,最后从改革考核机制、破除行政壁垒、强化流域协调机构与建立流域管理法律法规等方面提出了对策思路,以期为新时期长江经济带开发建设提供参考借鉴。     

CHANGING RAINFALL-RUNOFF RELATIONSHIPS IN THE URBANIZING PEACHTREE CREEK WATERSHED,ATLANTA, GEORGIA1

ABSTRACT: Peachtree Creek is a gaged watershed that has experienced a substantial increase in urbanization. The relationships of runoff to rainfall were studied for total annual flows, low flows, and peak flows. For each type of flow the relationship in the later, more urbanized period was compared to that in the earlier, less urbanized period. An increase in total runoff in wet years was observed as urbanization increased, but a decrease occurred during dry years. For low flows a similar decrease of runoff in dry years was found. An increase in peak runoff was observed over most of the range of precipitation. Increasing peak flows and declining low flows can be adequately explained by urban hydrologic theoryshed. which focuses on the effects of urban impervious surfaces upon direct runoff and infiltration. However, a decline of total runoff in dry years can be explained only by taking into account evapotranspiration as well. The concept of advectively assisted urban evapotranspiration, previously discovered by climatologists, is needed to explain such a loss of total runoff. Urban hydrologic theory must take into account vegetation and evapotranspiration, as well as impervious surfaces and their direct runoff, to explain the magnitude of total annual flows and low flows. Urban stormwater management should address the restoration of low flows, as well as the control of floods.     

海洋碳汇渔业绿色发展空间外溢效应评价研究

海洋碳汇渔业绿色发展空间关联性及其外溢效应对于海水养殖业的有效协调和区域海洋环境的有效保护具有重要意义,科学估算沿海各省(自治区)海水养殖渔业碳汇量并探讨其空间相关性特征是制定差异化渔业碳汇发展政策的重要基础。根据2006—2016年中国大陆沿海9个省(自治区)的碳汇渔业资源清查数据,在检验和比较省域空间渔业碳汇总量相关性特征的基础上,运用空间计量模型分析了渔业碳汇的外溢效应及其影响因素。结果表明:①中国海水养殖渔业碳汇量整体上呈现上升趋势,但各省渔业碳汇量也存在明显差异。②研究期内的Moran's I指数整体呈现为"V"型的波动变化特征,渔业碳汇在省域空间分布上的差异性并不是随机的,而是具备显著的空间相关性。③海水养殖渔业碳汇存在明显的空间外溢效应,通过随机效应的杜宾模型分解后得出渔业产值、劳动力投入的直接效应为正,而渔业受灾面积和科研项目经费投入的直接效应为负;从间接效应来看,渔业产值在各省域间存在竞争与依存关系,海水养殖业劳动力投入和渔业技术推广的项目经费投入在各省域间存在互补关系。因此,中国沿海各省份在发挥海洋水产养殖业生态功能时,应当考虑省域区位因素,合理制定兼具差异化和协调性的海洋碳汇渔业发展政策。     

应对地震灾害山谷型城市空间布局的对策

应对地震灾害时山谷型城市空间布局表现出很大的局限性,而合理完善的城市空间布局对生命财产的安全以及震后救援是相当重要的。依据山谷型城市面对灾害时的空间特点,以生命安全为根本目的,依据系统观从微观空间、中观空间、宏观空间3个层面进行了探讨,提出山谷型城市空间布局一些对策来应对地震灾害。微观空间层面的对策重点在于逃生,中观空间层面的对策重点在于安全转移和避难,宏观空间层面的对策重点在于对外联系。     

USE OF STAGE DATA TO CHARACTERIZE HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS IN AN URBANIZING ENVIRONMENT1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the results of a study on the use of continuous stage data to describe the relation between urban development and three aspects of hydrologic condition that are thought to influence stream ecosystems—overall stage variability, stream flashiness, and the duration of extreme‐stage conditions. This relation is examined using data from more than 70 watersheds in three contrasting environmental settings—the humid Northeast (the metropolitan Boston, Massachusetts, area); the very humid Southeast (the metropolitan Birmingham, Alabama, area); and the semiarid West (the metropolitan Salt Lake City, Utah, area). Results from the Birmingham and Boston studies provide evidence linking increased urbanization with stream flashiness. Fragmentation of developed land cover patches appears to ameliorate the effects of urbanization on overall variability and flashiness. There was less success in relating urbanization and streamflow conditions in the Salt Lake City study. A related investigation of six North Carolina sites with long term discharge and stage data indicated that hydrologic condition metrics developed using continuous stage data are comparable to flow based metrics, particularly for stream flashiness measures.     

MODELING THE BUILDUP AND WASHOFF OF POLLUTANTS ON URBAN WATERSHEDS1

ABSTRACT: A model for urban stormwater quality was developed in this study. The basis for the model is the process by which pollutants build up on the watershed surface. For the wet climate of the study site, it was assumed that there exists an interval of time over which the pollutant buildup equals the pollutant washoff (no accumulation of pollutant). The buildup model was represented by a linear function of the antecedent dry time. The buildup function was then linked with a pollutant washoff model represented by a power function of the storm runoff volume. Various time intervals for no net accumulation were tested to calibrate the model. The model was calibrated to observed data for two small urban basins in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and model results were used to analyze the behavior of phosphorus concentrations in storm runoff from these basins over a long period of time.     

A HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL RESEARCH PROGRAM1

ABSTRACT: An extensive research program in hydrometeorology was recently initiated in the Chicago region. Major objectives are to 1) develop a real-time, prediction-monitoring system for storm rainfall using a combination of weather radar and telemetered raingage data, 2) determine precipitation measurement requirements for hydrologic design, operation, and modeling purposes, 3) define the time-space characteristics of heavy rainstorms in the Chicago urban area, and 4) establish methods for applying the Chicago findings in other cities. Basic components of the field measurement program are a network of over 300 recording raingages in 4000 mi² in and around Chicago, plus two sophisticated weather radar systems for obtaining real-time information on storm parameters pertinent to optimizing operation of urban water resources systems. The raingage networks are to be used to compile information relevant to both design and operational aspects of urban hydrology. Radars are to be used primarily in developing the real-time operational techniques. Testing and evaluation of the real-time operational system will be done in cooperation with the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Chicago, operator of one of the most complex urban water control systems among major metropolitan areas.