Transboundary conservation: Development implications for communities in KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Conservation is increasingly promoted as a sustainable development instrument in Southern Africa, particularly for remote rural communities. Conservation and development schemes are marketed as community-based projects providing local empowerment through the creation of jobs and cash stemming from protected areas, as well as increased biodiversity protection by local communities whose jobs are dependent on the resource. Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), mega Peace Parks that cross international borders, are one of the latest conservation and development paradigms in Southern Africa. TFCAs have gained broad support, including government recognition as a development tool. However, there has been minimal research on the impact of TFCAs on local communities. This paper seeks to provide an empirical case study of a South African community bordering the Lubombo TFCA (South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique). Results are presented that indicate the Mbangweni community in KwaZulu-Natal could experience decreased access to social, natural, and economic resources as a result of the Peace Park.     

Local use of agricultural lands and natural resources as the commons in Gunung Halimun National Park,West Java,Indonesia

The theory of the commons encompasses two interpretations: one based on 'manifest customs', whilst the other relates to 'latent customs'. The former asserts that individuals behave as rational economic units, pursuing their own profit based on economic mechanisms, whilst social restrictions relating to the use of resources within communities act to prevent the total destruction of the natural environment. In contrast, the latter holds that people behave according to the morality or ethics embedded within the society, and that this contributes to sustainable resource management.

A field survey conducted in West Java as part of the present study revealed that a system of communal ownership of lands and resources is widely practiced on land that is strictly private property, including paddy fields, cultivated swiddens, gardens and so forth, facilitated by the distribution of land, lending and borrowing of land and collaborative labour systems. This customary management system is considered a prime example of the commons resource management. Furthermore, communal lands were also seen to play a significant role in the distribution of land and resources amongst community members to supplement daily needs. In addition, these customary land-use systems, as the commons, are considered to contribute towards mitigating the gap between rich and poor.     

The effectiveness of incentives in protected area management: An empirical analysis

Incentive approaches are believed to be indispensable for effective conservation and successful management in protected areas. However, the actual effectiveness of these approaches is still debatable. We carried out a case study in Wolong Biosphere Reserve (WBR), the largest reserve for the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), to evaluate the effectiveness of incentives. We obtained data from government documents and statistics, interviews and surveys on the employment status of public sector and industries. Results indicated that government-paid community-based conservation projects provided the most widespread and direct economic incentives. The conservation sector and several industries including hotels, hydropower and tourism have directly raised the employment level of local communities. The hotel industry, driven by the development of tourism, has been the most effective means of increasing local employment. However, the problem of immigrants attracted by the improved economic situation in WBR should be considered in the management plans. Suggestions for WBR management include development of quality ecotourism, vocational education for local young adults and new policies encouraging employment of local labour, both in the reserve and outside. Lessons learned from this research are constructive for the management of other protected areas.     

A study of the Kazdagi (Mt. Ida) National Park: an ecological approach to the management of tourism

In the field of tourism, where environmental resources are the primary attraction, ecotourism is one of the sustainable approaches now considered as an alternative when considering today's increasing environmental problems. Indeed, according to the World Tourism Organisation, ecotourism is the fastest growing market within the tourist industry. The purpose of this study is to determine tourism activities sensitive to the environment, to help tourism in Turkey and neighbouring countries, and to help spread ecotourism by protecting biological species. The Kazdagi (Mt. Ida) area in Turkey is used as an example and case study.     

Designing for nature and sustainability

Humankind is now using natural resources more rapidly than natural systems can replace them and has been doing so for approximately two and a half decades. Moreover, both natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides are being diminished at an unprecedented rate. Finally, the human population is expected to increase by three billion by 2050. This situation is clearly unsustainable, but it can be made less so by redesigning societal wastes so that they benefit the biospheric life-support system. Nature initiates and maintains a system of energy and nutrient cycling and, if the system integrity is maintained, provides alternative and redundant means that help stabilize functional capacity. The system is composed of opportunistic individuals that compete with other individuals to acquire the resources essential to their survival. The interrelationships within this aggregation of individuals (i.e. system components) are based on energy flow. This self-organizing and self-maintaining system is increasingly stressed by human activities. Humans are a part of, not apart from, this system and are governed by the same laws of nature. In short, an ecologically-based economic system is essential to sustainable use of the planet. The planet's life-support system has been a superb model of sustainability, which humans should emulate and become a part of more than they now are. When the biospheric life-support system is stressed to the point of disequilibrium, the results are disastrous for societies, individuals and ecosystems. Evolutionary processes have produced replacement systems following the five great biological extinctions. However, the probability is high that the next replacement system will not be as suitable for humankind as the present system. Sustainable practices are intended to prevent biospheric disequilibrium and maintain the present environmental conditions so favorable to humankind, including posterity.     

A proposal for environmental indicators towards industrial building sustainable assessment

The construction sector carries out a very important role in the development of society. It is a basic component of economic activity, having a great influence on employment generation and country growth. The sector generates appreciable environmental changes and effects throughout the planet, leading to gradual exhaustion of natural resources and contamination of basic elements, such as air, water and soil. Recently, there have been advances in favour of more environmentally friendly buildings. Basically, sustainable construction has centred on residential and office buildings. It could be said that there is a lack of sustainability in the construction of industrial buildings, as they present characteristics which differ from other building typologies. This article aims to assess and analyze industrial building environmental effects, and considers a set of green study criteria, such as: location, materials, energy and water consumption, construction and deconstruction characteristics, and waste management in industrial building. At the same time, the studies are hierarchically structured into different assessment elements, such as: criteria, subcriteria and, finally, indicators, comprising the assessment model.     

Integrated water resource management at the industrial park level: A case of the Tianjin Economic Development Area

Water reuse and wastewater minimization are becoming increasingly important strategies for industrial parks. However, integrated industrial water management systems at an industrial park level have not yet been adequately investigated to determine synergies. This paper employs a case study of the Tianjin Economic Development Area (TEDA) to examine the importance of developing an integrated water resources management framework at the industrial park level. The paper presents a framework for effective and efficient management of water resources within an industrial park by taking a systems approach to conventional water management practices, designed to minimize industrial water use and maximize wastewater reuse among different tenants of an industrial park. The framework is composed of four elements: a management information system, policies and regulations, economic instruments and capacity building. The paper then considers how to implement such an integrated approach.     

Technological influences and abatement strategies for industrial sulphur dioxide in China

Industrial SO₂ is the most important air pollutant in China. This paper outlines the technological impacts on industrial SO₂ emissions in China in terms of: amount, intensity, structure of energy consumption and structure of energy-intensive industries. It shows that industrial SO₂ emissions have linear growth alongside increases in energy consumption, particularly the rise in coal consumption. The contribution of technological factors to decreases in the intensity of energy consumption is 25%, while the structural factor is 75%. The power industry accounts for 52.6% of total industrial SO₂. Optimisation of the structure of energy consumption can reduce SO₂ emissions by 1.98 million tonnes per year. We propose the following technological strategies for industrial SO₂ abatement: adjustment of the system and structure of thermal power generating units, acceleration of flue gas desulphurisation projects, transformation of industrial structures, development of eco-industries and a reduction in energy consumption per unit product. In addition, an effective way to abate industrial SO₂ emissions is to promote governance strategies to stricly enforce SO₂ emission standards, conduct emission trading, and formulate incentives for encouraging cleaner production and clean energy development.     

Tourism,an ecological approach in protected areas: Karagöl-Sahara National Park,Turkey

Protected areas are important potential areas from the point of view of ecological tourism because of their natural, historical and cultural richness. In this study, the environmental sustainability of protected areas has been investigated within a sample of the Karagöl-Sahara National Park in Turkey. This national park has, so far, had little exposure to recreational and tourism activities. However, an increase in the number of tourists visiting the park has been observed as a result of the demands of ecological tourism. This area was investigated with respect to ecological planning to prevent intensive usage from causing future damage, as a result of human thoughtlessness, and to protect the park. Additionally, the aim was to determine the usage potential using ecological planning and to propose variations of ecotourism thought to be helpful for the public. The Karagöl-Sahara National Park has valuable natural and cultural resources, and is an area whose recreation-tourism potential has been strongly protected. The national park also has major economic potential for ecotourism.     

Rural industrial structure and landscape diversity: Correlation research

Landscape diversity reflects the integrated natural characteristics of rural areas, to some extent, while industrial structure shows the regional social economic characteristics. Therefore, correlation research on rural industrial structure and landscape diversity may couple the natural environment and social economy, which is of great importance to rural sustainable development. In this paper, we carried through this research from two aspects. First, we made a qualitative analysis of the hierarchical correlation beween rural industrial structure and landscape diversity, and the correlation during different historical periods was also summarized. Second, taking Yongsheng County, Yunnan Province, China as a case study, we applied the method of hierarchical clustering to make a quantitative analysis of the clustering correlation between rural industrial structure and landscape diversity. The results show that there are correlations between rural industrial structure and landscape diversity. That is, different industrial structures may result in similar landscape diversity in developed rural areas; while in developing rural areas industrial structure cannot exclusively determine landscape diversity, which is also influenced by natural factors, such as landform, physiognomy and climate.