Outcomes of Collaborative Water Policy Making: Applying Complexity Thinking to Evaluation

Collaborative policy making has become increasingly significant in environmental management, but it is often evaluated by whether or not agreement is reached and implemented. The most important outcomes of such policy dialogues are often invisible or undervalued when seen through the lens of a traditional, modernist paradigm of government and accountability. These dialogues represent a new paradigm of governance that can be best understood in the light of a complex adaptive system model of society. From this perspective collaborative policy making is a way of making a system more flexible, adaptive and intelligent. The authors document such outcomes in three cases of water policy making in California, including the San Francisco Estuary Project, the CALFED Bay-Delta Program and the Sacramento Area Water Forum. The outcomes include social and political capital, agreed-on information, the end of stalemates, high-quality agreements, learning and change, innovation and new practices involving networks and flexibility.     

Aerosol chemical characteristics of an island site in the Bay of Bengal (Bhola-Bangladesh)

Aerosol constituents (elemental carbon, organic carbon, soluble ions including organic acids, and selected trace metals) were investigated from samples of a field campaign taking place at Bhola Island in the Bay of Bengal (Bangladesh). The campaign took place in the pre-monsoon season (May 2001) using low volume samplers. Carbonaceous material comprised the majority of the analysed components. The average concentrations of EC and OC were 2.8 and 4.6 microg m(-3), respectively. Oxalic acid was the most abundant dicarboxylic acid (average 268 ng m(-3)) followed by malonic and malic acid. The contribution of carboxylic acids-carbon to organic carbon was 2.0%. Average concentrations observed for sulfate and nitrate were 3.7 microg m(-3) and 1.5 microg m(-3). Two different types of aerosol were identified at the rural background site on Bhola Island during southerly synoptic flow by means of trajectory analysis: air masses were transported from the Bay of Bengal to the sampling site in all cases. However, during "Period 1" they experienced longer residence times over the Indian Ocean, while the "Period 2" trajectories came along the Indian coast or passed over the Indian continent. During Period 1 the concentration levels of soluble ions were a factor of 4-6 lower than during Period 2. The concentrations of EC, OC and K differed less than a factor of 1.5 between the two periods. The Period 1 aerosol showed similarities to the haze layers observed during winter-monsoon conditions south of India during the INDOEX experiment. Based on EC/TC and K/EC ratios we find that around 80% of the carbonaceous aerosol from Period 1 in Bhola is from fossil fuel and only around 50% from Period 2. Absolute concentrations of carbonaceous species, soluble ions and trace metals indicate that the background site on Bhola Island is affected by emissions from urbanized regions of Southeast Asia.     

Immunity in children with exposure to environmental lead: II. Effects on humoral immunity

Lead has been found to depress the immune system in animal studies at levels far below those responsible for overt toxicity. Literature studies in animal systems most clearly showed an effect of lead on response to a specific immunogenic stimulus. Data are sparse concerning the effects of lead on the immune system in the human population at greatest risk for exposure-children up to six years of age. This portion of the Phase I study reports concentrations of IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE, as well as antibody titers to the specific antigenic stimuli provided by the vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, and Rubella. The study population consisted of a group of 193 children, ages 9 months to 6 years, who participate in the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) and Lead Poisoning Prevention Programs in the urban area of Springfield-Greene County Missouri. Blood lead levels ranged from 1 to 50 g dL^–1. Total Ig levels were determined and the data were analysed. No consistent significant differences were observed among the risk categories in the five age groups examined. A single Ig class in each of three age groups showed apparent significant differences among the various risk categories, but these differences were not correlated with blood lead. An analysis of specific antibody titers to diphtheria, tetanus, and Rubella was performed. Regression analyses of current data in Phase I of this study suggest a detrimental effect of lead on the antibody titres to diphtheria and Rubella.