Formulating and implementing climate change laws and policies in the Philippines,Mexico (Chiapas), and South Africa: a local government perspective

Faced with the prospects of a changing climate, a small but increasing number of countries are developing legal and regulatory frameworks that explicitly address climate change. Moreover at least some of these laws and policies carve out substantial roles for local governments. The present paper surveys three countries from different regions in the Global South that have developed or are developing such laws and policies: the Philippines (Asia-Pacific), Mexico and more specifically its State of Chiapas (Latin America), and South Africa (Africa). It examines those experiences through two different lenses. The paper first reviews the steps by which those laws or policies were developed. For this review, criteria for effective consultative processes are proposed. The study then examines the three climate change laws or policies per se. To this end, a framework including four modes of multi-level urban climate governance (governing by regulation, governing through enabling, governing by provision, governing with representation and consultation) is utilised. The paper ends with synthetic conclusions as to which experiences represent promising practices, and what other lessons are relevant for countries embarking on such processes.     

Seeking knowledge of traditional Indigenous burning practices to inform regional bushfire management

ABSTRACT

A transdisciplinary review of the current academic knowledge of Indigenous traditional fire management is presented for the Mt Lofty Ranges in South Australia. For a long time, the roles of Indigenous management of the landscape have either been overlooked or discounted within environmental studies. That situation is beginning to change in many parts of Australia. However, this review of knowledge of traditional Indigenous burning practices specifically for the Mt Lofty Ranges suggests that there is very little formalised, academic knowledge available that could be utilised to inform prescribed burning practices in the region. Perhaps Indigenous peoples’ use of fire was strongly governed by individual choices, or perhaps established regimes demarcated roles across groups; perhaps some areas were burnt regularly and others were left unaltered – there is still no clear evidence from the academic literature to provide even limited understandings of such elements of pre-colonial fire regimes. That gap in knowledge will become increasingly problematic as the need for appropriate, sophisticated burning practices to respond to risk in peri-urban Adelaide increases with a changing climate. To learn from traditional Indigenous land management: (a) formal knowledge needs to be generated on past regional burning practices; and (b) understanding needs to be developed as to whether past burning practices could lead to effective hazard management and biodiversity outcomes within contemporary landscapes. Such an integration of Indigenous knowledge for effective environmental management will only be possible if the injustices of past exclusions of the importance of Indigenous biocultural practices are recognised.     

The emperor's new clothes — Reflections on strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practice in South Africa

This paper presents the results of research which evaluated the performance of strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practice in South Africa in order to develop understanding of how SEA functions within a developing country with a voluntary SEA system. The research applied a combination of methods in a mixed research strategy, including a macro level survey of the SEA system together with case study reviews exploring micro level application. Three main ‘system features’ emerged, namely expansion of voluntary practice, diversity in practice and general ineffectiveness. The results also highlight a number of ‘application features’ such as a lack of focus due to an inability to deal with the concepts of ‘sustainability’ and ‘significance’, as well as poor understanding and integration with decision-making processes. Moreover, it emerged that none of the case studies seem to have conducted an ‘assessment’ per se, but rather provided a framework for strategic decision-making. The paper puts forward a number of interrelated explanations for these system and application features. In a parallel to the fable of the ‘emperor's new clothes’, SEA in South Africa appears to be regarded as the answer to all environmental problems, whilst being ineffective in practice.     

Science as a “fixed point”? Quantification and boundary objects in international climate politics

Our understanding of climate change is dominated by quantified scientific knowledge, with science and politics usually seen as operating separately and autonomously from one another. By investigating a particular fact box in the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), this paper challenges the assumption that science and policy can be clearly delineated. The so-called “Bali Box” gained a prominent role in negotiations leading up to the Copenhagen Conference in 2009, as it was widely seen as providing a “fixed point” – a quantified scientific answer to the question of equitable effort-sharing between North and South. This understanding of the Bali Box triggered a backlash, however, when the hybrid character of the box as an assemblage of science, political considerations and moral judgements became evident to actors in the negotiations. The paper employs the notion of boundary objects to analyse the history of the Bali Box, and argues that climate politics will benefit from a richer understanding of the interplay between science and policy. Moving beyond characterizations that place the Bali Box on either side of a clear boundary between the scientific and the political, we suggest focusing instead on what the Box as a hybrid product is doing, i.e. how it simplifies and quantifies, what it covers and what it leaves outside.     

滇南地区农业环境及其优势农产品污染物含量状况浅析

对493个农业环境及优势农产品样品进行采样检测，除个别样品中的个别参数出现轻微超标外，其余均未超标，数据超标率仅0．3％，若按每个样品中一项参数出现超标即为不合格判定，则99．1％的环境样品，97．4％的农产品样品为合格。     

Water, Workfare and Poverty: The Impact of the Working for Water Programme on Rural Poverty Reduction

In 1995, the government of the Republic of South Africa launched the Working for Water (WfW) programme that links environmental and developmental goals through the removal of high water-consuming alien plants with pro-poor rural employment opportunities. Whilst bio-physical evaluations have widely reported on the hydrological, ecological and conservation components of the programme, there exists growing uncertainty over the programme’s role as a poverty reduction mechanism. This paper evaluates three projects in the Luvuvhu catchment, Limpopo Province, against five socio-economic workfare criteria and the underlying biophysical rationale. Results show that asset creation from incremental streamflow is economically efficient and is likely to improve significantly if biodiversity benefits, community harvesting of riparian goods and services, ecological non-use values and seasonal water demand values are incorporated into the analysis. However, socio-economic benefits are more questionable: poverty targeting is weak with wage rates failing to self-select the poor; a minor proportion (0.5%) of catchment households benefit from the highly-valued employment opportunities; high variability in monthly employment causes financial difficulties for labourers; labourers are not ‘empowered’ as is evidenced by the failure of the 2-year exit strategy; and programme efficiency is high in proportional allocation of cash-flow to non-management wage labour. It is concluded that the Working for Programme is a potentially replicable model in other semi-arid contexts in developing countries if based on its core biophysical remit but is a transitory and limited poverty reduction mechanism for improving rural livelihoods.     

南洞庭湖湿地鱼类生境景观变化及其人为驱动

通过实地调查和制图分析,研究1983~2013年南洞庭湖区万子湖湿地和鱼类生境景观变化及其人为驱动,结果表明:湿地洲滩面积由1.410×104 hm2增加到2.135×104 hm2,敞水面面积由1.363×104 hm2减少到0.631×104 hm2;芦苇洲减少,但林地由0.056×104 hm2增加到0.728×104 hm2并扩展到保护区核心区;新增泥围21个、网围10个,引淤、沥水排水设施长度增加了201.71km。人为干扰对景观变化有极大影响,其中引种意大利杨及芦苇改变了地形和群落结构,挤占了自然演替条件下应有的草洲景观空间,使鱼类产卵、索饵的适宜生境减少;泥围作为有害渔法,与网围都处于建设发展阶段,占据了草洲、洼地等鱼类产卵、索饵的适宜生境;引淤渠建设使大面积湖泊快速淤积成洲,将水生生态景观转变为大多数时间干露的以陆相生态景观为主的水陆相生态景观,鱼类生境被压缩,并对南洞庭自然保护区核心区继续发挥促淤作用。     

夏季南海北部典型中尺度物理过程对营养盐及溶解氧分布特征的影响

依据2011年8月24日—9月5日对南海北部海域的现场调查,分析了涡旋这一典型中尺度物理过程对营养盐(NO-3-N,PO3-4-P,SiO2-3-Si)及溶解氧分布特征的影响.结果表明,夏季南海北部营养盐及溶解氧的分布受中尺度海洋过程的影响显著.在水平分布上,各项营养盐基本呈现近海高远海低的分布特征.东沙群岛附近海域由于受反气旋型涡旋的影响,反气旋型涡旋将珠江口水推至外海,使得东沙群岛附近海域呈现明显的高N、Si,低P的珠江口水特征.在断面分布上,位于珠江口附近海域的B、C断面营养盐浓度水平较低,表层低浓度营养盐向下扩张明显,营养盐浓度等深线也明显下移,其可能受到反气旋型涡旋中心区域的影响;而位于海南岛附近海域的D、F断面,底层低温高盐海水不断向上涌升,可能受到反气旋型涡旋边缘的影响,使得表层海水受到富含高浓度营养盐的底层海水的补充,为表层浮游植物的生长提供了丰富的物质基础.位于广东沿岸附近海域的A断面及东沙群岛附近海域的E断面则受季节性上升流的影响大于反气旋型涡旋的影响,表现出明显的低温、高盐、高P、低溶解氧的上升流特征.     

海洋-大气过程对南海气溶胶数浓度谱分布的影响

利用2012年8月28日至10月13日期间走航观测的气溶胶数据,分析了南海气溶胶数浓度时空分布和粒径谱分布特征,以及海洋-大气过程的影响.结果表明,南海气溶胶数浓度的时空分布和粒径谱分布受海洋和陆地源以及当地气象条件如风速、风向、相对湿度、云量、温度等的共同影响.陆地气团影响下的海域气溶胶数浓度较大,达2 300个·cm~(-3);受陆地影响较小的海域大气较为洁净,气溶胶数浓度在1 200个·cm~(-3)以下.观测得到的气溶胶粒径谱包括积聚模态和粗模态,峰值分别位于0.08~0.2μm和0.5~2μm附近.出现频率较高的谱型有3种:陆地型,海洋背景1型和海洋背景2型.陆地型与海洋2型的谱分布形状基本一致,但后者次微米粒子数浓度非常小,是洁净海洋背景下最常见的谱型;海洋1型在0.05~0.1μm粒径段数浓度显著高于海洋2型,并且在大于0.5μm的粗粒子段,海洋1型的气溶胶数浓度超过陆地型气溶胶数浓度,暗示了海洋源对这两个粒径段的粒子数浓度的贡献.0.05~0.12μm的积聚模态粒子数浓度与低云量有明显的正相关关系,且当相对湿度达90%~95%时,0.08μm附近的粒子数浓度增加显著.0.5~6μm的粗模态海洋气溶胶对风速的依赖性较强,相关性达0.7;0.05~0.12μm气溶胶数浓度与风速呈现弱正相关;0.12~0.5μm粒子数浓度与风速呈负相关.随着相对湿度的增大,0.08~0.12μm的粒子数浓度降低,而0.05~0.08μm和0.5~6μm的粒子数浓度增大.降水过程中,各粒径段粒子数浓度逐渐降低,但在降水初期,相对湿度达到90%~95%,0.05~0.12μm和0.5~6μm的粒子数浓度显著增大,随后逐渐减小.     

Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico from Streams in the South‐Central United States1

Rebich, Richard A., Natalie A. Houston, Scott V. Mize, Daniel K. Pearson, Patricia B. Ging, and C. Evan Hornig, 2011. Sources and Delivery of Nutrients to the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico From Streams in the South‐Central United States. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(5):1061‐1086. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00583.x Abstract: SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models were developed to estimate nutrient inputs [total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP)] to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Mexico from streams in the South‐Central United States (U.S.). This area included drainages of the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas‐White‐Red, and Texas‐Gulf hydrologic regions. The models were standardized to reflect nutrient sources and stream conditions during 2002. Model predictions of nutrient loads (mass per time) and yields (mass per area per time) generally were greatest in streams in the eastern part of the region and along reaches near the Texas and Louisiana shoreline. The Mississippi River and Atchafalaya River watersheds, which drain nearly two‐thirds of the conterminous U.S., delivered the largest nutrient loads to the Gulf of Mexico, as expected. However, the three largest delivered TN yields were from the Trinity River/Galveston Bay, Calcasieu River, and Aransas River watersheds, while the three largest delivered TP yields were from the Calcasieu River, Mermentau River, and Trinity River/Galveston Bay watersheds. Model output indicated that the three largest sources of nitrogen from the region were atmospheric deposition (42%), commercial fertilizer (20%), and livestock manure (unconfined, 17%). The three largest sources of phosphorus were commercial fertilizer (28%), urban runoff (23%), and livestock manure (confined and unconfined, 23%).