Showing papers in "Journal of Integrative Environmental Sciences in 2016"

Farmers' perceptions of climate change and the proposed agriculture adaptation strategies in a semi arid region of south India

Abstract: Climate change is recognised as one of the leading challenges affecting the performance of agriculture and the livelihood of people. Farmers are the hardest hit as they have to continuously respond to climatic variations. In order to understand farmers' perceptions of climate change and its impacts, and to identify adaptation needs, focus group discussions and semi-structured questionnaire surveys were carried out at the end of the south-west monsoon season in 2012 (Kharif cropping season in India). This helped to gather their immediate responses soon after the poor performance of south-west monsoon 2012. Khariff cultivation is locally known as ‘Kuruvai’ and is always under the influence of the south-west monsoon rainfall. Farmers' have perceived climate variability, and identified increasing temperature, delayed onset, intermittent dry spells and decreasing soil moisture as the critical factors affecting their cultivation. Some of them have started to adapt to these changes by cultivating only short-dura...

Evolution and comparative assessment of ambient air quality standards in China

Abstract: Ambient air pollution has become one of the key issues in China because it is highly associated with economic development, energy consumption, the atmospheric environment, and public health. Ambient air quality standards are guidelines of environmental management and fundamentals of air pollution emission control. To adapt to the changing environmental situation, China’s ambient air quality standard GB 3095 was established in 1982, amended in 1996, again in 2000, and most recently in 2012. This article presents a historical analysis on the evolution of China’s ambient air quality standards focusing on the critical pollutants and their concentration thresholds, as well as a comparative analysis that illustrates the differences to important developed countries and international organizations. The results show that the ambient air quality standard in China features a progressive update in pollutant items, more stringent concentration thresholds, and more scientific planning. Although there are differ...

Impact of climate change on food security in Malaysia: economic and policy adjustments for rice industry

Abstract: Rice paddies production in Malaysia, as in other parts of the world, is extremely vulnerable to weather changes and extreme conditions such as drought and flooding. Such situations forced Malaysia to maintain a protectionist regime with respect to its rice industry to better ensure food security for the country. In this study, a crop simulation model (DSSAT) and system dynamics approach were used to assess the impact of climate change on future rice production, self-sufficiency level of rice, and farmers’ gross income in Malaysia. Results from the DSSAT model show that during the main and off growing seasons, increase in temperature and changes rainfall pattern can be expected to reduce the rice yield by 12 and 31.3%, respectively, until the year 2030. Based on the system dynamics’ results, the reduction in rice yield was expected to reduce farmers’ gross income and the rice self-sufficiency level of the country. The study suggested two different policy scenarios to overcome these adverse effects....

Key impacts of climate engineering on biodiversity and ecosystems, with priorities for future research

Abstract: Climate change has significant implications for biodiversity and ecosystems. With slow progress towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions, climate engineering (or ‘geoengineering’) is receiving increasing attention for its potential to limit anthropogenic climate change and its damaging effects. Proposed techniques, such as ocean fertilization for carbon dioxide removal or stratospheric sulfate injections to reduce incoming solar radiation, would significantly alter atmospheric, terrestrial and marine environments, yet potential side-effects of their implementation for ecosystems and biodiversity have received little attention. A literature review was carried out to identify details of the potential ecological effects of climate engineering techniques. A group of biodiversity and environmental change researchers then employed a modified Delphi expert consultation technique to evaluate this evidence and prioritize the effects based on the relative importance of, and scientific understanding about, their biodiversity and ecosystem consequences. The key issues and knowledge gaps are used to shape a discussion of the biodiversity and ecosystem implications of climate engineering, including novel climatic conditions, alterations to marine systems and substantial terrestrial habitat change. This review highlights several current research priorities in which the climate engineering context is crucial to consider, as well as identifying some novel topics for ecological investigation.

Climate action in Indian cities: an emerging new research area

Abstract: India is the fourth largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, following China, the United States, and the European Union. Although India still has a low per capita carbon level, due to its large population and growing economy, its share of global greenhouse gas emissions is rising. India is, thus, a particularly important country to examine in relation to climate change. This article investigates one particular aspect of India’s climate policy: the role its cities play within its multi-tiered climate governance system. India is still a predominantly agricultural society with two-thirds of its population (about 850 million people) living in rural areas. Urbanization is, however, progressing; estimates are that India will add over 400 million urban dwellers between 2014 and 2050 bringing the urban population to over 800 million (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division 2014). This article aims to shed light on the challenges, capabilities and limitations of India’s urban areas to deal with mitigating climate change. It complements the other articles in this special issue which focus on subnational state and provincial level climate policy. It takes as its starting point the academic multi-level climate governance debate and also looks at the role the co-benefit concept plays at the urban level. The article highlights key actors, drivers, and institutions of city climate action and considers how local climate policy and programs are enabled and constrained by India’s federal political system. Finally, the role of international city partnerships in supporting climate activities is considered. To explore the conditions shaping climate action in India’s cities this article builds on a literature review and discussions held at an Indian-German expert meeting which took place in Bangalore in April 2015.

An evaluation of farmers’ willingness to pay for efficient irrigation for sustainable usage of resources: the GAP-Harran Plain case, Turkey

Abstract: We evaluated farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for efficient irrigation and improved water productivity with the economic benefits of sustainable use of resources in the long-run, while reducing irrigation-related problems in the GAP-Harran Plain, Turkey. The data come from a sample of 21,094 farmers; 461 of them were chosen via simple random sampling method and interviewed face to face. The Tobit regression model was used for analysis. The results indicate that the average WTP value is $133.7 per hectares comprising 8.87% of net income of farmers, whilst the total amount derived from the WTP was around 20.05 million for Harran Plain. Explanatory factors such as primary school graduates, users of modern irrigation technologies, a crop pattern involving large areas of cotton and wheat increase the WTP by 4.4, 4.3 and 3.8%, respectively. On the other hand, married farmers, property owners, gravity irrigation users and one of the index variables (indexb, measuring farmers’ perceptions about natural r...

Strifes of the frontier: an assessment of Acacia mearnsii related park-community conflicts in the Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa

Abstract: This study coins the “reality-worldview” framework to examine park-community conflicts arising from the expediency to protect the environmental integrity of a South African national park from bio-invasion. The study used remote sensing data to investigate the state of vegetation cover along the northern fringes of the park and an adjacent communal grazing area to determine differences in plant based resource endowments between the two areas. The study also involved the discriminant analysis of survey responses from park officials and local communities regarding perceptions about the environmental impacts of Acacia mearnsii invasion, as well as how the species spreads and how the species can be controlled. The objective of the study was to assess park-community conflicts arising from initiatives to limit community access to park resources on the justification of the need to prevent the invasion of the park by A. mearnsii. The study concludes that even though uncontrolled movement of people and live...

Challenging economic development: the case study of teaching alternative cultural values in business education

Abstract: Environmental educators distinguish between normative, instrumental and liberal approaches. This article offers anthropological insights into environmental education (EE) involving all three perspectives based on the discussion of indigenous culture within sustainable business course in The Netherlands. The case study described here uses ethnographic insights to illustrate the evolution of thought when western students are presented with philosophies and information that allow them to reflect upon their own cultural positions and ideologies. A combination of normative and instrumental instructional approaches, as well as open and reflexive pedagogical engagement has helped students to learn to appreciate the value of cultural and natural diversity beyond the writing assignments’ requirements and socially acceptable or lecturer-desired views.

Constructing a new tool for assessing environmental worldviews of individuals and organizations – case environmental worldview analysis of seven political parties in Finland

Abstract: Environmental disputes often encompass both a conflict over the practical issue itself and, more fundamentally, a conflict over environmental worldviews (EWVs). In this study, a new two-dimensional tool has been created for measuring prevailing EWVs in individuals and organizations. Respondent’s place on the horizontal axis shows preference on an institutional scale where environmental issues should be handled. Therefore, the x-axis shows the relationship between social greens (highlighting local communities) and institutionalists (believing in strong global cooperation and institutions). The vertical axis describes focus on sustainability/nature vs. market/economy, thus showing preference between bioenvironmentalists and market liberals. EWVs were measured in Finnish political parties, actors in environmental administration, many non-environmental organizations and public innovation funders. Principal component analysis showed that the two-dimensional analysis fits well to the EWV analysis. Data ...

A conceptual framework for linking urban green lands ecosystem services with planning and design tools for amelioration of micro-climate

Abstract: Urban plannings and design processes, through land management, are important factors that significantly influence the distribution of urban green lands (UGLs), and thus, the provision of ecosystem services (ESs), thereby providing opportunities for managing climate adaptation processes at the local level. However, planning for UGLs is often secondary to other planning categories, and they often remain underutilized. Through an analysis of Master Plans of major urban centres in Serbia and Bulgaria, this paper discusses the conceptualization of UGLs and the integration of ESs in planning and design processes. Based on findings obtained through an Analytical Hierarchy Process, this paper develops a conceptual framework for linking ESs with different UGL types in the course of urban planning, in order to achieve a better application of UGLs in strategies for the amelioration of micro-climatic conditions in urban areas. This paper proposes framework for an ecosystem sensitive conceptualization of UGLs ...