Showing papers in "International Journal of Environmental Studies in 2009"

Taming the Anarchy: Groundwater Governance in South Asia

Abstract: by Tushaar Shah, Resources for the Future, Washington, DC/International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2009, x + 310 pp., cloth, $49.95 (ISBN 978‐1‐933‐115‐60‐3). Shah begins by sa...

The Retreat of the Elephants: An Environmental History of China

Abstract: by Mark Elvin, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT and London, 2004, pages xxviii + 564, ISBN: 9780300101119 There has sadly become established a habit of public praise by those who know an author...

Coastal Planning and Management

Abstract: 2nd edn, by Robert Kay and Jacqueline Alder, 2005, Taylor and Francis Group, Abingdon, UK, 380 pp., £29.99 (ISBN 0415317738). This presents the important link between coastal planning and managemen...

Environmental and socio‐economic impacts of dust storms in Sistan Region, Iran

Abstract: Sustained drought and reduced precipitation for more than four years in the Sistan region, has dried the Hamoun Lake and local vegetation, significantly reducing ground cover. These conditions have permitted strong wind erosion on already susceptible land. Data analysis revealed that instead of the normal 120 days of strong winds, dust storms occurred for 338 days in the region during 2000–2004. This included 18 days of intensive dust storms and 51 days of moderate dust storms in Zabol. An attempt has been made to quantify the damage costs using an analytical‐descriptive method based on questionnaires completed by the local community and organizations. The cumulative losses in terms of physical damage and loss of productive man‐hours have been estimated at US$124.85 million, over a four‐year period between 2000 and 2005.

When the Rivers Run Dry. Water‐The Defining Crisis of the Twenty‐First Century

Abstract: Taylor and Francis GENV_A_401239.sgm 10.1080/002 7 0903010670 International Journal of Environmental Studies 0 20-7233 (pri t)/1 29-0400 (online) Book Reviews 2 09 & Francis 00 F temehZaf nejad z ejad@hotm il.com When the Rivers Run Dry. Water-The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century, by Fred Pearce, Beacon Press, Boston, MA, 2006, 324 pp., US$16.00, pbk. alk. paper (ISBN 13: 978 0 8070 85738).

Environmental Health Criteria 235: Dermal Absorption

Abstract: edited by M. Sheffer, Ottawa, Canada, Wissenchaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Stuttgart, Germany, 2006, 197 pp., under patronage of World Health Organization. The first draft was prepared by Drs ...

Western Siberia wetlands as indicator and regulator of climate change on the global scale

Abstract: Western Siberia is a unique bog region. Siberian peatlands have been a major sink of atmospheric carbon since the last deglaciation and, on the other hand, in some epochs – like the present – they are the most powerful source of methane emission. About 104 Mha of Russian peatlands are located in Western Siberia, which consists almost completely of pristine peatland ecosystems. This paper considers the role of the Western Siberian peatlands in a global carbon balance and their possible influence on the formation of Earth’s climate.

The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning

Abstract: by James Lovelock, with a foreword by Martin Rees, Allen Lane, Penguin, London, 2009, hardback (ISBN 978 1846141850) Lovelock notes at the outset that ‘icons are important to us’ and that for some ...

Plastic wastes recovery using free-fall triboelectric separator

Abstract: Among the separation techniques used in industry, the triboelectric separation of insulating particles using rotary tube is an efficient technology employed in waste recovery and mineral industries. This process, also called free‐fall triboelectric separation, is widely used for the sorting and the purification of granular materials resulting from industrial plastic wastes. This paper offers a comprehensive description of a laboratory triboelectric separator build by the authors, and its use for an experimental study carried out on granular samples containing particles of PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) and PE (Polyethylene). Thus, among the variable factors of the process, we analysed the influence of the most important ones, that is, the rotational speed of the cylinder n(rpm), the applied high voltage U(kV), the charging time of the particles t(s), the mass of the sample m(g) and the composition percentage of the sample Cp (%).

Climate change as reported in the press of Finland: From screaming headlines to penetrating background noise

Abstract: News coverage of climate change has increased in the English‐speaking industrialised countries since 2005. The development of news coverage, especially in the United States, has been widely studied. Knowledge of the development and contents of climate debate in other languages than English is sparse. This paper presents the development on the press news coverage on climate change in Finland during the period 1990–2009 and discusses different social, economic and ecological factors influencing the news coverage.

Heterotrophic bacterio‐plankton in thawed lakes of the northern part of Western Siberia controls the CO2 flux to the atmosphere

Abstract: This work reports on results of bacterio‐plankton characterisation in thaw lakes of the northern part of Western Siberia via measurement the number of various groups of heterotrophic bacteria and the intensity of primary production/respiration in the water column. The eutrophic systems at the beginning of lake formation (permafrost thawing) are being replaced by essentially oligotrophic systems at the final, mature stage of the lake development (khasyrey). The CO2 flux from the lake surface to the atmosphere associated with microbial degradation of organic matter (107 ± 50 t C/km2/y) is at least one order of magnitude higher than the riverine organic carbon flux. The future climate evolution in this region, consisting in rising ground temperature and precipitation increase will bring about further acceleration of dissolved organic matter degradation in the water column and amplification of CO2 release to the atmosphere.

Qanat irrigation systems as important and ingenious agricultural heritage: case study of the qanats of Kashan, Iran

Abstract: The technology related to the construction and use of qanats has been in use in Iran for at least 2000 years. Qanats in Iran are more than just a way of using groundwater; they represent a unique system illustrating use of indigenous knowledge for sustainable management of land, water, and agricultural biodiversity through strong collaborative work among sustainable agricultural communities. The paper reviews the system and focuses on Kashan.

Protecting health in Europe from climate change

Abstract: ronment in the community and children learning positive hygienic behaviour. Of course, all this depends on the response of a broad variety of school settings; although in many places, the same pattern will be present (e.g. madrasas in Pakistan). The chapter on importance of adequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene in schools which follows the Introduction, has a detailed explanation of the impact of inadequate water, sanitation, hygiene and malnutrition on individuals, community, diseases prevention and life-long skills. Chapter three concerns the implementation. This chapter clarifies the importance of the policy at local and national level, gives step by step advice on setting of standards, and highlights roles and responsibilities of stakeholders at local and national level. There is information on how to create targets for specific school settings, and how to assess achievement and plan improvements. Monitoring and review of implementation of change as well as staff training should be a part of routine performance. Chapter four contains the guidelines and includes benchmarks and indicators. Those embrace obligatory quantities of water, reliable water point requirements, the necessity of hygiene and sufficient toilet facilities. Chapter five has an assessment checklist. At the end of the pamphlet all eight recommended guidelines are summarised in the tables ‘Design and construction’ and ‘Operation and maintenance’. There are also a glossary and a bibliography. The document and in particular the guidelines are recommended for education managers, urban and rural planners, water and sanitation technicians, architects, teaching staff, school boards and local authorities and local communities.

Why did the forest conservation policy fail in the Vietnamese uplands? Forest conflicts in Ba Vi National Park in Northern Region

Abstract: This paper examines the failure of forest conservation policy in the uplands of Vietnam. A case study conducted in an upland village located in the buffer zone of the Ba Vi National Park shows that conservation policy has failed because it emphasises biodiversity conservation at the expense of local livelihoods. In addition, local officials colluded with National Park authorities to monopolise access to the land which they then used to marginalise villagers. The implementation of forest conservation policy has produced patron–client relationships in the village. Forest land has become an instrument for local officials to derive personal gain and a means to control villagers. Villagers resisted both the local officials’ land grabs and the government’s conservation policy. The Park became a site of conflict between villagers, local officials, and the government. This paper suggests that unless local interests are included in the design and implementation of policy forest conservation is unlikely to succeed.

The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World’s Greatest Challenge

Abstract: This book is a collection of presentations and experiences supported by the Ford Foundation and the Department of Anthropology at the University of Georgia. Peter Brosius is associate professor of anthropology at the University of Georgia. Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing is professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Charles Zerner is Barbara B. and Bertram J. Cohn Professor of Environmental Studies at Sarah Lawrence College. The other contributors come from different areas such as biodiversity, conservation, anthropology, sociology, law, economics and politics, geography and ecology. This is, in fact, an asset to the book, providing for a multidisciplinary survey of Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM). CBNRM rests on the assumption that local populations have a greater interest in the sustainable use of resources, when compared to the state or corporate managers; and that local communities are more cognizant of the specificities of local processes and practices, and that communities are more able to effectively manage those resources through local or traditional forms of access. The book has two parts. Part 1 is a set of chapters under ‘Mobilizations and Models’. These offer detailed examinations of histories and politics of specific CBNRM initiatives, divided into three sections. ‘Institutional Mandates’ considers the history of institutional commitments to CBNRM, ‘Defining Community in National and Transnational Contexts’ focuses on the specificity and spread of a successful model for representing communities (CAMPFIRE). ‘Empowerment or Coercion?’ recounts stories where CBNRM has gained importance in particular situations, both as part of a broader emancipatory struggle and also as a coercive instrument of state power. Part 2, is called ‘Stealing the Master’s Tools: Mapping and Law in CBNRM’. Part 2 discusses the politics of the central technologies of CBNRM that are mapping and local advocacy, as mapping and law carry some of the central dilemmas of representing communities. This part 2 is divided into two sections. ‘Mapping against Power’ examines cases where communities have challenged the spatial hegemonies of state and corporate land-use practices through countermapping projects. ‘Legal Strategies for the Disenfranchised’ covers the possibilities and the perils of legal strategies for the assertion of rights to community land. The following citation from the introduction of the book, expresses in a certain way its importance: ‘All conservation programs are necessarily projects in politics and governance. The key questions have always been what kinds of politics and what forms of governance should legitimately prevail. All the changes observed in conservation and natural-resourcemanagement regimes in the last decade make the questions raised in this volume more relevant than ever before’.

Abrupt changes of thermokarst lakes in Western Siberia: impacts of climatic warming on permafrost melting

Abstract: Peatlands situated in a permafrost zone and consisting of thin layers of frozen peat, especially palsas in the sub‐arctic region of Western Siberia, are a very sensitive indicator of climatic changes, such that any changes of climate in the direction of warming lead to increased activity in a thermokarst process over extensive areas. Thermokarst lakes as an invariable element of the palsa mire complex are the most convenient object for distant monitoring of the global warming influence on the state of the permafrost rocks.

The contribution of dams to Iran's desertification

Abstract: There has been dam building in Iran since Achaemenian times (2500 years ago) as a means to control water streams. While dam building was stopped for a time, other indigenous approaches to water management, such as qanats (known for more than 3,000 years), surface ponds and underground small ponds for rain harvesting have been continuously used by farmers to date. The new era of dam building was begun in Iran in the mid 50s by international companies and has since remained the major approach to water supply. Yet dam building has affected the quantity and quality of water in watersheds, rivers and other water bodies, leading to noticeable destruction of natural habitats and species. Dam building has inundated forests in reservoirs, helped in timber smuggling upstream, and decreased forests downstream, thus accelerating desertification. The actual benefits of dams do not offset even a part of the costs incurred for construction, and their operation and maintenance.

Dynamics of Coastal Systems

Abstract: Dronkers, J. (2005). Dynamics of coastal systems. Advanced Series on Ocean Engineering , 25. World Scientific: Hackensack. ISBN 981-256-349-0. XIX, 519 pp. Part of: Liu, P.L.-F. (Ed.) Advanced Series on Ocean Engineering. World Scientific: Singapore. ISSN 1793-074X, more log in WL staff | Curriculum WL | Publications | Projects | Events | Maps new search [ report an error in this record ] basket (1): add | show

An analysis of Australia’s carbon pollution reduction scheme

Abstract: The authors review the decision‐making since the Labour Government came into office (November 2007). The Australian Government’s ‘Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme’ White Paper (15 December 2008) proposes that an Australian Emissions Trading Scheme (AETS) be implemented in mid‐2010. Acknowledging that the scheme is comprehensive, the paper finds that in many cases, Australia will take a softer approach to climate change through the AETS than the European Union ETS (EUETS). The paper assesses key issues in the White Paper such as emissions reduction targets, GHG coverage, sectoral coverage, inclusion of unlimited quantities of offsets from Kyoto international markets and exclusion of deforestation activities.

Environmental consequences of dioxin from the war in Vietnam: what has been done and what else could be done?

Abstract: At the climax of the war in Vietnam, about 77 million litres of defoliants (Agent Orange herbicide) contaminated with the highly toxic class of chlorinated dioxin chemicals was sprayed over approximately one‐fifth of the total land area of South Vietnam. For various reasons, the environmental impacts of this massive toxic contamination remained largely unknown and neglected for almost four decades. This paper reviews the slow progress in dealing with this war legacy in the light of other significant advances Vietnam has made on the post‐war development front. Suggested solutions for a long‐term interdisciplinary Comprehensive National Policy on Dioxin (CNPD) based on the concepts of common property, international cooperation, and economic equity are discussed.

Valuing the Environment in Developing Countries: Case Studies

Abstract: management courses, students at any level on conservation science or conservation management courses’ is not entirely justified in my opinion, although I would accept the publishers’ claim that this book is very suitable for ‘professional conservation and countryside managers’. Even so, I was very happy to recommend this book to my undergraduate and postgraduate students as soon as I obtained a copy. This is a hands-on book, and offers an informative outline of what management planning for conservation entails in practice, including how to develop an action plan, which is a skill that standard academic texts seldom provide. One striking aspect of the book is its logical structure, and plain but authoritative tone. Not many books I have come across in this field would have chapter with titles reading ‘Why Plan?’, ‘What Do We Value?’, and ‘Ethics and Conservation Management or Why Conserve Wildlife?’ The book is organised into 17 chapters, bringing together five themes: conservation policy evaluation; habitat management; management planning; nature conservation; and species management. A significant strength of this book is its principled, but pragmatic approach to the governance of natural reserves. Recognising that nature conservation cannot be appreciated enough if it were not also experienced by society, the author dedicates significant sections of the book to issues of managing public access, tourism, recreation and rights of way. The author cites several relevant models followed in the UK and elsewhere that offer examples in the area of public access. In an age characterised by uncertainties about the future of our natural environments and the diversity of our species, Mike Alexander’s Management Planning for Nature Conservation is an especially welcome addition to the literature because it has a tremendous practical value. The book’s plain style and well informed arguments remind me of another publication that I often consult because of its enduring topicality and authority. Peter Singer’s Practical Ethics (OUP, 1979) shared similar preoccupations, which Alexander’s book translates into practical application. As Singer put it (p. 49), ‘The argument for extending the principle of equality beyond our own species is simple, so simple that it amounts to no more than a clear understanding of the nature of the principle of equal consideration of interests.’

Making Cities Work: Prospects and Policies for Urban America

Abstract: reservoirs, never got built promised irrigation systems, and forced resettlement of 10 million indigenous people’. The final report of the World Commission on Dams (appointed by the Bank to re-evaluate large dam projects), published in 2000, is a revelation in itself! Pearce quotes the Russian hydrologist Igor Shiklomanov, to the effect that every year 285 million acre feet or nearly 350 billion cu m of fresh waters of the world evaporate from the reservoirs of dams. Hydropower is not green electricity because eutrophication in dam reservoirs produces methane and greenhouse gases. Pearce quotes the findings of Dr Vincent L. St Louis, University of Alberta, that one fifth of all man-made methane in the atmosphere and 7% of the man-made greenhouse effect is produced by reservoirs. Pearce recommends rain harvesting, using cisterns on roofs, as do some 20,000 rural communities in India. Criticizing poor water recycling, Pearce proposes treatment of sewage as part of national water management strategy to maximize water use efficiency. Desalination of seawater needs huge amounts of energy but is the mainstay of Kuwait, for example. The question is to look beyond fossil fuels and to make use of the enormous solar energy possibilities of the entire region. Pearce argues that we must give up the idea that water has to be extracted from nature, and treat it as a precious resource. We have to find more efficient regimes for using the water cycle, invest in the blue revolution, manage the water cycle for maximum social benefit rather than narrow self-interest. We must harvest water where it falls, share waters rather than fighting over them, revive the use of classic qanats to maintain water tables, and reduce pumping. To refill rivers we must re-establish water ethics.

Empire and Superempire: Britain, America and the World

Abstract: many cases whether price-based measures should be preferred over norms (i.e., regulations or standards, potentially combined with a labelling policy).’ (p. 150) Pretty fundamental, no? Yet, here we are: a question to throw up into the air with numerous others as we continue sliding to the cliff edge. In Moscow, where democracy flourishes in a patriotic kind of way, what do they think of the issues revealed (p. 193) in Table 7.2 – National sustainability-attitude indicators – what, if anything? Is there any Russian company which considers such matters? Or indeed any in the many states of Africa where businesses flourish? Have they a policy on globalisation in Khartoum? Perhaps in the Sociology department of Auckland University, a glancing view could be taken of the ‘increased importance of the “third sphere” of global civil society ... described in the LSE yearbooks as civil-society based responses to globalisation.’ (p. 223) Helen Clark has made some play with ideas of the environment, but it is doubtful whether New Zealand is any better placed than Australia – or Malaysia – in regard to such needful adaptation. The point has simply not reached the thinking parts of the decision-making minds which carry on with the globalisation idea in the sense of maximum wealth for all and no big problems with the next election. And that is true for all societies with a system of representative government. How pathetic therefore to read that ‘The regulation of packaging wastes is highly decentralised in the US. The role of the federal government remains modest and virtually all policy initiatives have taken place at the local level.’ (p. 257) As for global warming. ‘Even the regulatory efforts of the most ambitious states will have little impact on global climate change in the absence of federal regulations that impose limits on carbon dioxide emissions throughout the US.’ (p. 267) I do not recall Bill Clinton referring to this small problem when he was emoting genially at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester in 2006; nor is his wife making much of this in her speeches in the run-up to her bid for the White House. It may be true that ‘In several African countries (for example, Ethiopia, Ghana), the right of people to be consulted on projects and policies relevant to them has been laid down constitutionally.’ (p. 297) But since the chief judge in Ethiopia fled for his life in 2006, one may presume he does not have much confidence in constitutional provisions either. The book offers facts and theories in abundance, and it shows how few are indeed being observed and upheld by the world’s governments. But as the penultimate paragraph says: ‘Love must always be reciprocated, and this also goes for the relationship between NGOs and consumers in their networks.’ And the final paragraph ends: ‘In any case, it is certainly conceivable for small countries like the Netherlands to take the lead in helping to bring about a better, more sustainable world by taking the indirect way of stimulating and challenging conceptualisations and public opinions; this represents ambitious, challenging policy-making.’ (p. 725) But that is only thinking about thinking. We need to get real and be changed – very fast indeed. © Michael Brett-Crowther, 2009

Climate change and urban development in Africa

Abstract: This paper analyses the relationship between climate change and urban development in Africa, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa, and discusses potential adaptation policies for moderating the consequences of climatic changes on urban development in the region.

Renewable Energy. A Global Review of Technologies, Policies and Markets

Abstract: Consideration is also given to more recent public concerns such as environmental protection. The author states that despite local economic improvements due to active river management, most river engineering structures were constructed and operated at the expense of the environment; for example, particularly riparian wetlands were drained either to reclaim potential agricultural land for farmers and new settlers, or wetlands were destroyed by disconnecting them from rivers by, for example, dykes. The author offers also deep insight into the tensions among different stakeholders involved in re-shaping national river landscapes. For example, the early conflict between miners and farmers in California, as well as the later power struggle between regional and national agencies have been highlighted. In light of recent heated discussions on climate change, it is commendable that the author also refers to recent events such as the hurricane destructions at the lower Mississippi River. River engineering measures are hardly to blame for the destruction of New Orleans, but a more sustainable river management policy might have led to a reduced loss of natural habitat such as ecologically unique estuarine wetlands. Personally speaking, I would have liked to see a more technical and environmental science-based approach to river design assessment rather than a predominantly human geography-influenced approach. In fact I was disappointed that virtually none of the river design techniques have been explained to the reader nor have their corresponding benefits and shortcomings been highlighted. River engineering is not rocket science, and readers with a geography background would have had no problems in understanding the key principles of river design techniques such as velocity control and sedimentation management. There might be the opportunity for the author to team up with an engineer or scientist in the future to produce a more comprehensive and balanced further edition, which would be of great value to a much wider audience. Nevertheless, the book provides interesting reading beyond the textbook level for a competitive price.

Forest exploitation in Cameroon (1884–1994): an oxymoron of top‐down and bottom‐up forest management policy approaches

Abstract: Forest exploitation in Cameroon goes back to the pre‐colonial period when early ethnic settlers used the ‘law of status’ system to manage land and forests in the territory. With the arrival of colonial powers, beginning with the Germans in 1884, the law of status system was replaced by top‐down state‐centred management system. This top‐down management system was inherited by post‐colonial authorities and enforced until 1994 when a new forestry law was launched, based on bottom‐up management system. This paper reviews all these three systems. Communities are not benefiting from an actual bottom‐up management system. The author argues that the forests sector in Cameroon needs a new management paradigm.

The phytoindication method for mapping peatlands in the taiga zone of the West‐Siberian Plain

Abstract: Studying mires in the taiga zone of West Siberia is complicated because they are large and difficult to access. We have used a method of mapping mires using satellite images and indication characteristics of the vegetation. To map the mires the classification of plant communities has been worked out. This classification takes into account the life‐forms and growth forms of the plant communities. To map the mires of the territory we used the data of polyzonal space survey by the artificial Earth satellite Landsat 7. The ENVI system decoded the satellite images. Mapping was done with the Geographical Informational System (GIS) ArcView. The method of phytoindication can be used to map mires covering large territories. Now we are designing the map of the Great Vasyugan bog (scale 1:200,000). From this perspective it is possible to map the bog cover of the whole territory of Western Siberia.

The driest continent and the greediest water company: newspaper reporting of drought in Sydney and London

Abstract: Analysis of press reports of the onset of drought in Sydney in 2002 and London in 2006 shows different understandings of the relationship between infrastructure provision, individual behaviour and the environment. Drought is both a natural and cultural phenomenon requiring urban water managers to consider social as well as technical considerations in preparing for future droughts.