Apples, Pears and Porridge: The Origins and Impact of the Search for 'Coherence' between Humanitarian and Political Responses to Chronic Political Emergencies

During the 1990s a consensus emerged within the international humanitarian system that there was a need to enhance the 'coherence' between humanitarian and political responses to complex political emergencies. Closer integration between aid and political responses was seen to be necessary in order to address the root causes of conflict-induced crises, and to ensure that aid did not exacerbate political tensions. This paper explores the theory and practice of coherence over the past decade. It argues that, by sleight of hand, the coherence agenda has been reinterpreted such that humanitarian action has become the primary form of political action, rather than merely a substitute for it. The coherence agenda has been driven by geopolitical events, domestic policy considerations in donor countries and the more parochial concerns of aid policy, and is reflected in a number of substantive changes in the humanitarian architecture. Many of the tenets of this 'new humanitarianism' have been embraced by the majority of relief agencies, and thus legitimised it. The paper concludes that political humanitarianism, as opposed to active engagement by political and military actors, is flawed ethically and technically. It will provide neither an effective palliative for the ill effects of war, nor address its causes.     

Review of Policies and Guidelines on Infant Feeding in Emergencies: Common Ground and Gaps

Recent crises in regions where exclusive breastfeeding is not the norm have highlighted the importance of effective policies and guidelines on infant feeding in emergencies. In 1993, UNICEF compiled a collection of policy and guideline documents relating to the feeding of infants in emergency situations. In June 2000 Save the Children, UK, UNICEF and the Institute of Child Health undertook a review of those documents, updating the list and identifying the common ground that exists among the different policies. The review also analysed the consistency of the policy framework, and highlighted important areas where guidelines are missing or unclear. This article is an attempt to share more widely the main issues arising from this review. The key conclusions were that, in general, there is consensus on what constitutes best practice in infant feeding, however, the lack of clarity in the respective responsibilities of key UN agencies (in particular UNICEF, UNHCR and WFP) over issues relating to co-ordination of activities which affect infant-feeding interventions constrains the implementation of systems to support best practice. Furthermore, the weak evidence base on effective and appropriate intervention strategies for supporting optimal infant feeding in emergencies means that there is poor understanding of the practical tasks needed to support mothers and minimise infant morbidity and mortality. We, therefore, have two key recommendations: first that the operational UN agencies, primarily UNICEF, examine the options for improving co-ordination on a range of activities to uphold best practice of infant feeding in emergencies; second, that urgent attention be given to developing and supporting operational research on the promotion of optimal infant-feeding interventions.     

Assessing municipal-level governance responses to climate change in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

The 2011 Durban Adaptation Charter for Local Governments calls on local governments, worldwide, to institutionalise climate response, with the aim of minimising the impacts of climate change on local livelihoods and vulnerable communities. This paper, through the use of case studies, in-depth interviews and document review, assesses how three non-metropolitan municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal, a district municipality, and two local municipalities under its jurisdiction, are responding to this call. The results suggest that while the municipalities have adopted measures to institutionalise climate responses, the responses are relatively new and implementation is slow, complex and fraught with limitations and competing demands. Furthermore, there appears to be a lack of co-ordination of responses between the two levels of government, which has the potential to lead to duplication. Given the multi-scalar nature of climate change, emphasis on co-ordination and the inclusion of all municipal departments in the development and implementation of responses is necessary.     

基于陆海统筹视角的国土空间开发建设适宜性评价——以辽宁省为例

国土空间开发建设适宜性是优化国土空间开发格局、提升开发质量与效益的科学依据和基础保障,对实施区域协调发展战略具有重要意义。遵循城乡融合、陆海统筹原则,以东北地区唯一既沿海又沿边省份——辽宁省为例,从自然环境、经济社会、海洋功能三个维度构建适宜性评价指标体系,综合运用特尔斐法、木桶原理法则、线性加权求和法及多要素空间叠置分析等方法,对其国土空间开发建设适宜性进行评价与分析。结果表明：辽宁省国土空间开发建设适宜性空间分异明显,适宜建设区与基本适宜建设区呈明显的中心外围分布格局,沿沈大轴线、滨海轴线集聚分布;不适宜建设区以滨海线为轴带南北对称分布;基本不适宜建设区以沈大线为轴带东西对称分布。适宜、基本适宜、基本不适宜、不适宜建设区面积依次为15504.39 km²、22645.34 km²、66833.96 km²、68720.99 km²,分别占陆海国土的8.93%、13.04%、38.48%、39.56%。自然环境对区域国土空间开发建设具有基础性、决定性作用,不同等级、不同区域自然环境适宜性集聚与分散特性差异显著;经济社会对自然环境的适宜、基本适宜、基本不适宜建设区修正作用明显。海洋功能区的引入,极大拓展了辽宁省国土空间范围。但海洋功能适宜性空间分布极不均衡,由于海洋国土本身属性,其可供直接开发建设空间有限,而保护空间广阔,国土空间开发建设与生态环境保护之间的矛盾依然严峻。     

食物贸易视角下的全球食物供需平衡及其演化分析

用食物供给量与生产量分别表示食物的可及性与自给率,其差值可表示食物贸易量,以人均每天卡路里为单位进行的折算可以更好地反映膳食营养的变化。从食物贸易视角分析了28年来食物供需平衡状况,结果表明:（1）1986—2013年,全球食物贸易量增加1.5倍;食物总产量增加0.75倍,贸易量在总产量中的比例增加约8个百分点,相当于7.9×10⁸ t食物进入国际市场,这成为改善膳食结构的重要因素。（2）28年来,食物可及性与自给率呈上升趋势,全球绝大部分人口已经达到最低2200 kal的营养标准。（3）食物可及性、自给率、贸易量均存在地域差异,非洲及南亚的部分国家是低值地区。（4）总体来看,全球人均每天热量与蛋白质供给量增加。低收入国家增速最快,中等收入国家增速次之,高收入国家增速最慢。但非洲、东南亚等地的一些欠发达国家仍未达到最低的营养标准,全球仍有一部分人处于营养不良状态。     

太湖流域治理3.0路径研究

基于对太湖流域治理不同发展阶段的实践分析,对环境库茨涅兹曲线和太湖流域水质变化对应的规律性分析,指出太湖流域治理已经进入3.0时代.文章围绕十八届五中全会提出的“创新、协调、绿色、开放、共享”发展理念,结合国家和江苏省“十三五”水污染防治行动计划要求以及地方实践需求,提出太湖治理3.0阶段应该在流域治理体制机制创新、环境经济和城乡统筹协调,生产及生活方式绿色转型、公众参与和生态文明建设成果共享等五个方面的具体目标和措施建议.