SEQUENTIAL WATER REUSE EFFECT ON STREAM SALINITY1

ABSTRACT: Sequential water reuse by various users, i.e., municipal, industrial, agricultural, is common practice in all river systems. In the arid and semiarid western United States where streams are not large and water demands are high relative to the virgin water supply, the practice causes a reduction in stream flow and an increase in stream salinity. This paper outlines a quick and easy application of the materials balance principle to approximate the effects of increasing the level of sequential reuse on residual stream flow and salinity.     

南海海洋环境下机载电子设备的腐蚀及外场防护对策

针对南海海洋大气环境下机载电子设备腐蚀故障率较大的问题,对现役飞机机载电子设备材料体系、外场故障现象及腐蚀机理进行了系统分析。结果表明,电子设备及其元器件受到微量的腐蚀就会对其功能、性能产生较大的影响,现役飞机电子设备的三防设计无法满足南海严酷的环境适应性要求,开展综合环境加速试验技术、微腐蚀机制及电信号传输与腐蚀间的对应关系等关键技术研究,是今后的重点研究方向。最后结合腐蚀原因和特点,给出了飞机外场具体腐蚀防护对策。     

Climate change and indigenous natural resource management: a review of socio-ecological interactions in the Alinytjara Wilurara NRM region

This article examines key socio-ecological interactions identified during a climate change vulnerability assessment in the Alinytjara Wilurara natural resources management (NRM) region of South Australia. The complex local socio-ecological interactions are highlighted to guide a response to the challenge of adapting to climate change within the region. Recognising several key desert drivers which perpetuate degraded socio-ecological systems, this article recommends that a range of strategies be employed simultaneously to enhance local environmental management in association with remote indigenous communities, including: linking people and NRM more closely; tracking funding but ensuring systems can withstand periods of limited financial support; developing cross-sectoral and cross-institutional links; empowering and engaging communities; communicating effectively; and actively supporting local and traditional environmental knowledge. Unless climate change adaptation responses within the region are conceptualised and enacted within the context of complex local socio-ecological systems, NRM will not improve and social vulnerability will increase.     

Framework for Measuring Sustainable Development in Catchment Systems

Integrated catchment management represents an approach to managing the resources of a catchment by integrating environmental, economic, and social issues. It is aimed at deriving sustainable benefits for future generations, while protecting natural resources, particularly water, and minimizing possible adverse social, economic, and environmental consequences. Indicators of sustainable development, which summarize information for use in decision-making, are invaluable when trying to assess the diverse, interacting components of catchment processes and resource management actions. The Driving-Forces–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) indicator framework is useful for identifying and developing indicators of sustainable development for catchment management. Driving forces have been identified as the natural conditions occurring in a catchment and the level of development and economic activity. Pressures include the natural and anthropogenic supply of water, water demand, and water pollution. State indicators can be split into those of quantity and those of quality. Impacts include those that affect the ecosystems directly and those that impact the use value of the resource. It core indicators are identified within each of the categories given in the framework, most major catchment-based management issues can be evaluated. This framework is applied to identify key issues in catchment management in South Africa, and develop a set of indicators for evaluating catchments throughout the country.     

Surface water pollution in three urban territories of Nepal, India, and Bangladesh

In South Asian countries such as Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, pollution of rivers is more severe and critical near urban stretches due to huge amounts of pollution load discharged by urban activities. The Bagmati River in the Kathmandu valley, the Yamuna River at Delhi, and peripheral rivers (mainly Buriganga River) of Dhaka suffer from severe pollution these days. The observed dry season average of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in all these rivers is in the range of 20–30 mg/liter and total coliform are as high as 10⁴–10⁵ MPN/100 ml. Per capita pollution load discharge of urban areas has been estimated to be about 31, 19, and 25 gBOD/capita/day in Bagmati, Yamuna, and the rivers of Dhaka, respectively. Regression analysis reveals pollution loads steadily increasing nearly in step with the trend in urbanization. The dissolved oxygen (DO) level of the Bagmati and Buriganga rivers is declining at an average annual rate of nearly 0.3 mg/liter/year. Unplanned urbanization and industrialization occurring in these cities may be largely responsible for this grave situation. Inadequate sewerage, on-site sanitation, and wastewater treatment facilities in one hand, and lack of effective pollution control measures and their strict enforcement on the other are the major causes of rampant discharge of pollutants in the aquatic systems.     

Corporate social responsibility, partnerships, and institutional change: The case of mining companies in South Africa

Internationally and in South Africa, mining companies are increasingly referring to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and partnerships in terms of the business case, or the expectation that being responsible and collaborating with stakeholders is good for profits. Based on a case study of platinum and chrome mining in South Africa, this article argues that the business case is circumscribed by companies’ institutional context. In the past, mining companies’ dominant interpretation of CSR has been in terms of charitable donations and support to good causes. These efforts have not alleviated the contribution of mining companies to growing social problems around the mines, primarily because they have not impacted on core business practices and have not contributed to necessary cross‐sectoral collaboration. Recently, however, there has been an important transition involving the broadening of the interpretation of CSR and increasing commitment to these issues amongst corporate leadership. Though market‐based incentives have contributed to this, the key driver has been the State's legislated transformation programme premised on State sovereignty over mineral resources. Hence, while the interrelationship between companies and their institutional context has, in the past, brought about a vicious cycle of irresponsibility and minimal collaboration, this cycle may be reversed into a virtuous one, driven in particular by the State. The broader implication is that references to a business case for CSR and partnerships cannot be relied upon independently of continued efforts at shaping the public sector context of companies.     

南黄海6.1级地震地磁异常的识别与研究

1996年11月9日南黄海发生MS6.1级地震.本文研究了上海佘山、武昌、安徽蒙城地磁台资料.上海佘山台的地磁总强度F、垂直分量Z,在南黄海MS6.1级地震前(1996年5～7月)存在明显地磁前兆异常.     

华南板块的内部结构和原生金刚石的地质意义

华南板块的构造格局与太平洋板块和印度板块的共同作用相关.华南板块中,由于绍兴-鹰潭-藤县-北海断裂带内中元古代蛇绿混杂岩的确认并恢复为消减的大洋,其两侧古老的扬子地块和华夏地块及其演化历史的追溯也日见清晰.它们是在两个克拉通地块基础上发展起来的.1998年在浙江省龙游首次发现的原生金刚石,产于这条深断裂旁侧白垩纪盆地中的似金伯利岩岩管内,含矿岩管生成深度大,构造部位有利;金刚石呈八面体外形、纯度高;类似的岩管有100多个,但研究程度较低,因而具有良好的找矿前景.     

The importance of assessment tools in promoting cleaner production in the metal finishing industry

Various cleaner production (CP) audits have been conducted in the South African metal finishing industry. These studies have been successful in effecting changes to the general status of the local metal finishing industry. In this paper, the initiatives undertaken by a Danish government sponsored project are detailed. The project included the conducting of in-plant assessments, using a tailor-made tool for CP benchmarking. Details on this tool's operations and typical results are presented. Typical assessments indicated potential water savings of 78%, with chemical savings of approximately 30%. The plant modifications undertaken in order to achieve the CP objectives, are described. The affects of these initiatives on local municipal wastewater treatment works are detailed with specific reference to significant reductions in incoming wastewater-borne heavy metals. The main challenge for companies has been data retrieval for the tool and overcoming social barriers for implementing the improvement options. Recommendations include redesigning the assessment tool.     

Population dynamics and the physical and financial impacts to cereal crops of the Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus on the Agulhas Plain, Western Cape, South Africa

Cereal crop farmers in the Western Cape province of South Africa regard the Egyptian Goose as a serious pest. The Agulhas Plain, in particular, attracts thousands of geese annually primarily because of the abundance and availability of nutritious crops such as wheat Triticum spp. and barley Hordeum spp. for food and permanent water bodies for roosting, moulting and breeding. Therefore, this paper investigates the population dynamics and physical and financial impacts to cereal crops of the Egyptian Goose on the Agulhas Plain, Western Cape. Egyptian Geese inflict damage during three main periods, viz. soon after sowing (surface seeds); young, developing plants (growing plants); and cut plants stacked in windrows (long, linear piles) to dry. The largest numbers of geese were recorded during June and July when they foraged on growing plants less than 25 cm tall. Overall, the mean yield loss was 65.6% in 1997 and 63.5% in 1998. Fields suffering greatest yield loss in 1997 and 1998 were generally those within 600 m of the roosting sites and had about 300 geese grazing on them on areas of around 2 ha in size for about 2 months. By August, geese moved from croplands on to pastures. During October and November, geese once again fed primarily on barley seeds in harvested crops stacked in windrows. Damage by geese to farmers was estimated to be >2.5 and 7% of annual revenue received from barley and wheat farming, in 1997 and 1998, respectively. There are many variables that need to be considered when attempting to quantify and explain damage to cereal crops by Egyptian Geese.