bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coastal issues for oceanic islands: implications for human futures
Authors: Nunn Patrick D. , Veitayaki Joeli , Ram‐Bidesi Vina , Vunisea Aliti
Published: October 2009

Compared to continental areas, most islands have exceptionally long coastlines relative to their total land area. For this reason, islands are uncommonly vulnerable to problems associated with coasts. The future of the human inhabitants of many island states depends intrinsically on the sustainable management of their coasts, a challenge which grows more pressing as island populations increase and the associated demands on island coastlines change and grow. These issues are presented and discussed in this article. The mechanics of the sustainable management of island coasts is itself an important issue. At the national or local level, management is plagued by problems of insufficient and/or imprecise data and understanding that may lead to inappropriate solutions that even exacerbate the problems they are intended to solve. At an inter‐governmental or international level, problems associated with the understanding of island environments need to be resolved before optimal management strategies can be developed. This article presents a brief explanation of the nature of coastal vulnerability on oceanic islands, followed by a discussion of several key problems associated with their sustainable development and the role of human and non‐human factors in recent environmental change. It discusses the future of oceanic island coasts in the face of both internal and external threats to their sustainable management. It concludes with a blueprint for their survival.
The role of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in the negotiation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Authors: Ashe John W. , Van Lierop Robert , Cherian Anilla
Published: October 2009

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was signed by some 153 countries at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, represented a singular triumph for the geographically dispersed group of island states and low‐lying coastal developing countries, located in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, as well as in the Caribbean, South China and Mediterranean Seas, and known as the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). This article focuses on the goals of AOSIS during the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the UNFCCC. For the first time in the history of the United Nations, a group of small states, hitherto relegated to the sidelines, was able to develop a specific negotiating agenda addressing areas which are of overriding concern to them and succeeded in having those concerns incorporated in a legally binding Convention of historic importance. As this article reveals, AOSIS set itself 12 negotiating goals during the negotiating rounds leading up to the UNFCCC, and 10 of these 12 goals were realized.

Nevertheless, AOSIS, whose member states are most vulnerable to the possible adverse effects of climate change, was particularly concerned about those provisions of the UNFCCC that were either watered‐down significantly, made largely meaningless or excluded altogether. These include: the absence of definite targets or specific timetables for the significant reduction of carbon dioxide by the industrialized countries of the North; the lack of permanent and clear financing arrangements in particular the lack of definitive financial provisions for adaptive response measures to the adverse impacts of climate change such as sea‐level rise; and the absence of a specific provision for the implementation of coastal zone management schemes for those countries most vulnerable to sea‐level rise.

As the UNFCCC moves into the implementation phase, AOSIS should and must build on its past success. To do so, it will need to develop clearly defined initiatives aimed at strengthening the commitments for financing and insurance, and to seek inclusion of a provision to develop and finance coastal zone management schemes for the most vulnerable small states. While the article covers the AOSIS negotiating period up to and including the Earth Summit in June 1992, we nevertheless postulate some possible objectives which the AOSIS group might wish to consider in what is sure to be an intensive post‐Earth Summit phase of the UNFCCC, leading up to the first Conference of the Parties of that Convention.
The challenge of sustainable development in small island developing states: case study on tourism in the Caribbean
Authors: Pantin Dennis A.
Published: October 2009

Small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean have long specialised in primary commodity exports, and traditional export sectors continue to be a major source of employment. The challenge of sustainable development for the Caribbean SIDS has two dimensions. The first is to adjust to the economic and social impact of the loss of preferential markets for traditional exports and of the dismantling of the ISI apparatus erected during the post‐World War II period. The second is to ensure that existing and new patterns of production and consumption comply with the criteria for sustainable development, which is here defined as environmental, socio‐cultural and economic sustainability.

This article outlines the potential contribution of sustainable tourism to the larger goal of sustainable development in the SIDS in the Caribbean. It reviews current literature on sustainable development and sustainable tourism, particularly their application to the Caribbean SIDS, and evaluates the Caribbean tourism industry from the point of view of sustainable tourism. Conclusions are drawn and proposals made for a policy‐oriented agenda in support of the quest for sustainable tourism in the SIDS in the Caribbean.
Small island developing states and sustainable development of ocean resources
Authors: Mitchell Carlyle L. , Hinds Lennox O.
Published: October 2009

Because of their economic and environmental vulnerability, small island developing states (SIDS) have peculiar developmental problems that severely affect their ability to implement the measures necessary for attaining sustainable development as recommended in UNCED's Agenda 21. Although this has been recognised by the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), and although there has been international acceptance of a SIDS Programme of Action (POA), SIDS have not been the focus of adequate attention by international and donor agencies. As a result, progress toward implementing the POA has been disappointing. This study examines the question of how sustainable management and development of ocean resources can contribute significantly to the achievement of the objectives of the SIDS POA.
Environmental regulation of exploration and mining operations in Asian countries
Authors: Otto James , Naito Koh , Pring George (Rock)
Published: October 2009

This paper offers a new perspective on the environmental laws in Asian nations affecting the exploration, mining, and reclamation activities of the mineral resource industry: the perspective of the senior government officials in those countries, whose job is to enforce these new environmental laws. The article presents the results of a 1998 survey of national environmental officials in Asia conducted by the Colorado School of Mines and the Metal Mining Agency of Japan. Officials in 10 diverse countries—Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam—responded to a detailed questionnaire covering applicable laws, agencies, protected areas, covered mineral activities, financial assurance, environmental impact assessment, public involvement, environmental standards, permit and reclamation requirements.

The survey confirms that Asian nations are part of the global trend towards national government regulatory structures that balance mineral development objectives with environmental considerations. The survey also shows developing regulatory systems (some embryonic, some more mature) utilizing a combination of mining and environmental acts, and often an ‘insider’ perspective of the national officials administering the laws. While that perspective is not without its biases (not least the rigor of enforcement), it may nevertheless be of use in company planning. The emerging regulatory picture contradicts the conventional notion that it is the ‘lower’ level of regulation in Asia that is attracting foreign direct investment in mining.
Rethinking the management of transboundary freshwater resources: a critical examination of modern international law and practice
Authors: Albert Jeffrey
Published: October 2009

Available freshwater stocks are being depleted and impaired on a widespread basis, with acute shortages an increasingly frequent condition in arid climates. In transboundary basins, water scarcity and pollution compound interstate tension and contribute to human suffering and ecological damage. This article provides theoretical perspectives on shared freshwater disputes and on the evolution of the international law of shared water resources. It argues that the UN Convention on the Non‐Navigational Uses of International Watercourses (ratified by some countries, but not yet in force) is inadequate as a framework convention in terms of providing general obligations on the future parties or an institutional framework for future action. The paper suggests that three critical concepts be considered in future management of shared water resources: (1) the unitary character of watersheds (where the absence of extra‐basin diversions allows); (2) joint or “communitarian” watershed management; and (3) the relevance of international trade to alleviating regional food stress, resulting from local water scarcity. Finally, it proposes the establishment of an international advisory body on shared water disputes, modelled after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), whose role is codified in the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Land resources potential and sustainable land management: an overview
Authors: Koohafkan A. Parviz
Published: October 2009

Land degradation continues to be a major threat to local and national food security. With limited potential to develop new land, any increase in agricultural production must be sought largely through the better use of land already under cultivation. Concerns for the global environment associated with agriculture worldwide have also increased in recent years and require more coordinated efforts at global and national levels with decentralisation of activities at the local level.

This article presents an overview of land resources potential for food production, the processes and extent of land degradation and its economic and environmental costs and impacts, and highlights some macro‐economic policies and institutional measures for the prevention of land degradation and rehabilitation of degraded lands. A people‐centred programme is presented as a basis for decentralising activities for sustainable land use and land management. Finally, the need for better coordinated efforts of concerned UN, multinational agencies and NGOs for the implementation of Agenda 21 and related conventions is stressed.
Developing sustainable agricultural systems for small farmers in Latin America
Authors: Altieri Miguel A.
Published: October 2009

The great majority of farmers in Latin America are peasants who still farm small plots of land, usually in marginal environments utilizing traditional and subsistence methods. The contribution of the 16 million peasant units to regional food security is however substantial. Research has shown that peasant systems, which mostly rely on local resources and complex cropping patterns, are reasonably productive despite their small land endowments and low use of external inputs. Moreover analysis of NGO‐led agroecological initiatives show that traditional crop and animal systems can be adapted to increase productivity by biologically re‐structuring peasant farms which in turn leads to optimization of key agroecosystem processes (nutrient cycling, organic matter accumulation, biological pest regulation, etc.) and efficient use of labour and local resources. Examples of such grassroots projects are herein described to show that agroecological approaches can offer opportunities to substantially increase food production while preserving the natural resource base and empowering rural communities.
The promising spread of sustainable agriculture in Asia
Authors: Pretty Jules , Hine Rachel
Published: October 2009

Despite great successes in increasing food production, Asia still faces enormous food security challenges. Most commentators agree that there will have to be increases in food production from existing agricultural land, but many are pessimistic about the future, judging likelihood of success on the basis of past performance of ‘modern’ agricultural development. Sustainable agriculture, though, offers entirely new opportunities, by emphasising the productive values of natural, social and human capital, all assets that Asian countries either have in abundance or that can be regenerated at relatively low financial cost.

This paper sets out an assets‐based model of agricultural systems, together with a typology of eight approaches for sustainable agriculture improvements. In the 16 projects/initiatives spread across eight countries that are analysed, some 2.86 million households have substantially improved total food production on 4.93 million hectares, resulting in greatly improved household food security. Proportional yield increases are greatest in rainfed systems, but irrigated systems have seen small cereal yield increases combined with added production from additional productive system components (such as fish in rice, vegetables on dykes). The additional positive impacts on natural, social and human capital are also helping to build the assets base so as to sustain these improvements in the future.

This analysis indicates that sustainable agriculture can deliver large increases in food production in Asia. But spreading these to much larger numbers of farm households will not be easy. It will require fundamental policy reform.
Land and water systems: managing the hydrological risk
Authors: Burke Jacob J.
Published: October 2009

The paper suggests that the expansion of irrigated agriculture in the 20th century has de‐coupled the water user from the inherent risk of exploiting both surface and groundwater resources. The apparent reliability of storage and conveyance infrastructure and the, relative cheapness and flexibility of groundwater exploitation offered by mechanised drilling and pumping have sheltered the end user from natural hydrological risk. The imperative for in‐field irrigation efficiency has been effectively removed since the physical and economic management of the resource is determined by command area authorities or, in the case of some groundwater pumping, by the performance of power utilities, who have no direct interest in integrated resource conservation. As a result, the resource base has been degraded, and in some cases irreparable damage has occurred. It is argued that the rigidity of the resource management in many irrigation systems is not attuned to the inherent variability of natural systems upon which they depend. Further, the paper argues that irrigation management systems can work toward sustainability by spreading risk equitably, and transparently, amongst the resource regulators, managers and users. This has to involve a much more flexible approach to natural resource management that is conditioned not only by natural parameters, but also by the socio‐economic settings. A range of examples highlights the variability and scale issues involved.
Mobilising social energy against environmental challenge: understanding the groundwater recharge movement in western India
Authors: Shah Tushaar
Published: October 2009

This paper explores a large‐scale and growing popular movement to augment groundwater recharge in the Saurashtra region of western India, an area that has been facing acute water scarcity and other associated problems. As a social phenomenon, the movement is at an early stage of its development. However, it is interesting to study it for many reasons. First, even a decade after it began, it is still growing in scale and following. Second, it is entirely spontaneous and internally driven, necessitating no public resources or support. Third, early indications are that its social and ecological impacts are beneficial and highly significant. Fourth, the movement was catalysed and spearheaded by spiritual and religious institutions, which made ingenious use of non‐economic messages and motivators in forging a new natural resource ethic based on a broad, collective rationality among movement members. It appears, however, that beyond a threshold, the movement acquired a logic and energy of its own which might fuel its future sustainability and growth. Finally, the movement has important lessons to offer because mobilising social energy on such a scale and intensity can perhaps be one of most effective responses to many of the environmental challenges the world faces today.
The small‐scale water provider in Paraguay: bringing private sector efficiency to water resource use and the provision of drinking water to the poor
Authors: Loach Peter W. , Melgarejo Silvio , Lombardo Manuel
Published: October 2009

This article provides a case study of small‐scale private sector provision of water supply in Paraguay, where the Government has sought sector policy reforms that would encourage private investment in drinking water supply. Ironically, while the Government has focused almost entirely on garnering the interest of large private international water companies, much smaller local firms have already made significant investments in drinking water services for the poor, all without any participation or encouragement from the Government. Outside Paraguay's two major cities, Asunción and Ciudad del Este, large numbers of aguateros currently provide piped potable water to lower‐income people. Though the aguateros have little legal footing — they are in many respects informal and unregulated —they have constructed as much as one third of all the new drinking water connections in these two cities over the past 20 years. The small‐scale water systems in Paraguay offer a model of financial, economic, and water‐use efficiency. This article asserts that an abundance of groundwater resources, cheap access to electricity for pumping, and a spirit of informal investment, among other variables, has spawned widespread use of this approach. This article documents and analyzes the features of these independent small‐scale water providers in Paraguay and the efficiency they bring to the use of water resources in meeting drinking water demands among the poor. It also cautions against policies that may trample on such entrepreneurial spirit in the name of State‐managed privatization.
Collective action: an alternative institutional arrangement for reducing water pollution in an industrial estate in India
Authors: Misra Smita
Published: October 2009

This study explores the possibility of collective action as an alternative option for reducing water pollution for a cluster of small‐scale industries. A case study of the Nandesari Industrial Estate in Gujarat, India, demonstrates the roles played by different agents, such as affected parties, polluters, non‐governmental organizations, regulators and the court. The study empirically estimates the ‘benefits’ and ‘costs’ of water pollution abatement for a cluster of 250 small‐scale industries at Nandesari, and uses these estimates for a social cost‐benefit analysis. Benefits are estimated using the contingent valuation method, with a ‘willingness to accept’ format for the rural areas, and a ‘willingness to pay’ format for the urban area of the nearby Vadodara city. The article considers costs of command and control, market‐based solutions and the option of common effluent treatment as alternative scenarios. It discusses how collective action and joint abatement at a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) by the 250 industries efficiently comply with the State Pollution Control Board norms, which had not been possible for the factories acting individually over the last 20 years. Finally, a detailed social cost‐benefit analysis has been undertaken to estimate the net present social benefits with and without CETP. The cost‐benefit analysis shows the economic advantage and social desirability of ‘collective action’ (joint treatment with CETP institutional arrangement) for water pollution abatement with respect to all possible scenarios comprising shadow prices of investment, foreign exchange, unskilled labour and equity considerations.
Water rights and legal pluralism: four contexts for negotiation
Authors: Bruns Bryan Randolph , Meinzen‐Dick Ruth S.
Published: October 2009

Increasing water scarcity is increasing pressure on water management institutions, particularly in the area of water rights. A common response is to formalise water tenure, one of several options for securing access and resolving conflicts concerning water allocation. This article looks at four contexts where negotiation, self‐governance and concepts of legal pluralism may help improve water resource management. Existing users and potential new users need to negotiate before water resources are developed. Users can participate in forums with authority to solve basin management problems through self‐governance. Negotiated water transfers offer an alternative to water acquisition by expropriation.
The role of economic invisibility in development: veiling women's work in rural Pakistan
Authors: Carpenter Carol
Published: October 2009

The thesis in this article is that both women's work and its invisibility are essential to development, and at two levels: to the economy of rural households and to the wider development process. For rural households, the case of Pakistan suggests that the veils that conceal women's work shield a portion of household production from the risks and extractions inherent in their involvement with development. This shielded production depends on off‐farm natural resources of which the use is also veiled. For States and other development interests, the author suggests that women's work constitutes a subsidy which is intentionally invisible. The subsidy of women's labour is linked to a forest‐to‐farm subsidy. Women's invisible work, in other words, is not invisible because it is not seen, but because the process of economic development—for both rural households and States and other development actors—requires that it be hidden.
Wind energy technology development and diffusion: a case study of Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Zhang Xiliang , Gu Shuhua , Liu Wenqiang , Gan Lin
Published: October 2009

This article reviews the spread of small household wind generators and the development of wind farms in Inner Mongolia, China with emphasis on policy and institutional perspectives. It analyzes the patterns of wind technology dissemination within social, economic, and environmental contexts. It also discusses international investment and technology transfer relating to wind energy technology. The economics of windfarm development are examined and the role of alternative policy instruments analyzed. Major constraints to wind technology development are identified and relevant policy recommendations suggested.
Designing tools to track health and well‐being in mining regions of India
Authors: Noronha Ligía
Published: October 2009

The objective of this article is to illustrate the use of a framework to design a set of tools to assess progress towards improved well‐being in a mining region. The framework uses an ecosystem approach to assess human well‐being and is sensitive to the needs, concerns, and interests of at least the major stakeholders: government, company and community. The framework seeks to be useful to stakeholders and to be of policy relevance. The article presents the proposed framework with illustrations from a case study in Goa, India. Mining in Goa has had both positive and negative impacts on the well‐being of local people. These impacts vary depending on the age of mining. In areas where mining is well established and active, the economic impacts are more positive. The social and environmental impacts are more negative in the regions where mining is new or is closing down. These characteristics generate their own set of issues of concern to stakeholders. Based on these issues, three types of tools to assess current well‐being and progress towards improved well‐being are suggested: (i) Indicators based on identified issues using the Pressure‐State‐Response (PSR) framework; (ii) A quality of life instrument, which can be developed either as an aggregate measure of well‐being or in a more limited way to capture the satisfaction of the community with their living conditions; (iii) A regional income accounting framework to assess whether the mining region is able to continue functioning into the indefinite future without being forced into a decline through the degradation of its key natural, social, and human assets and resources. The article suggests that if these tools are used regularly, an information system will emerge that will, over time, provide markers of what mining is doing to the region and to the local communities.
Latin American busways: moving people rather than cars
Authors: Wright Lloyd
Published: October 2009

The rapid growth of Latin American urban centres beginning in the 1970s placed a heavy strain upon urban transport service providers. Facing high population growth from a citizenry dependent upon public transport and having limited financial resources to develop car‐based infrastructure, Latin American municipal planners were challenged to create a new transport paradigm. One ingenious response to this dilemma was the busway, a surface metro system that utilizes exclusive right‐of‐way bus lanes. The developers of the Latin American busways astutely observed that the ultimate objective was to swiftly, efficiently and cost‐effectively move people rather than cars.

Examples of innovative busway systems are presented from Curitiba, Bogota, Porto Alegre, Quito and Sao Paulo. The low cost, flexibility and speed of the exclusive busways all contribute to extremely high levels of customer satisfaction. Innovative approaches to the design of busway loading stations and simplified ticketing have also helped to reduce operating costs and improve customer flows. Additionally, clear system maps, colour‐coded routing, system safety and cleanliness and superior customer service have helped direct consumer preference towards the busway. The success of busways has also proved that costly subway systems or uncontrolled sprawl are not the only options available to municipal planners.

The Latin American busway corridors provide high peak capacities that permit busway corridors to serve the transit requirements of most medium‐ to large‐sized cities. When integrated with progressive land‐use policies, busways can also form the basis of more sustainable urban design by encouraging development corridors with high‐density, mixed‐use land use. The environmental benefits and calming influences afforded cities by busway systems have translated into dramatically improved levels of quality of life indicators, including improvements in health, crime reduction and poverty alleviation. The user‐friendliness and cost‐effectiveness of busway systems have convinced municipal leaders in North America, Europe and Australia to develop similar systems of their own. Latin American busways thus provide a unique example of South to North technology transfer.
Towards a grand deal on subsidies and climate change
Authors: de Moor André
Published: October 2009

Recent studies have identified public subsidies as a principal cause of unsustainable development. Worldwide, governments are spending up to $U950 billion a year on subsidies. Many of these public subsidies fail to serve their purpose and in fact, often turn out as policy failures as they further distort trade and cause environmental harm. The energy sector is among the most subsidized sectors in the world, receiving over $U240 billion per annum of public subsidies. This article highlights current energy subsidies and their implications. The article examines: (i) the global size and distribution of energy subsidies in industrialized and developing countries; (ii) the impact of these subsidies on the economy, equity and the environment and their role as barriers for sustainable development; (iii) the political economy behind public subsidies and the various political and institutional barriers and lock‐in mechanisms that cause subsidies to become entrenched in economic and public structures; and (iv) proposals for effective subsidy reform in energy policies, suggesting a global strategy to eliminate energy subsidies. OECD governments are in a position to take the lead, and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change presents an excellent opportunity of striking a political grand deal and linking the reform of energy subsidies to a meaningful participation of developing countries to the Kyoto Protocol. Moreover, if sinks are to be included in the clean development mechanism (CDM), it is crucial to include the removal of forestry subsidies in the grand deal.
Mining with communities
Authors: Veiga Marcello M. , Scoble Malcolm , McAllister Mary Louise
Published: October 2009

To be considered as sustainable, a mining community needs to adhere to the principles of ecological sustainability, economic vitality and social equity. These principles apply over a long time span, covering both the life of the mine and post‐mining closure. The legacy left by a mine to the community after its closure is emerging as a significant aspect of its planning. Progress towards sustainability is made when value is added to a community with respect to these principles by the mining operation during its life cycle. This article presents a series of cases to demonstrate the diverse potential challenges to achieving a sustainable mining community. These case studies of both new and old mining communities are drawn mainly from Canada and from locations abroad where Canadian companies are now building mines. The article concludes by considering various approaches that can foster sustainable mining communities and the role of community consultation and capacity building.
Sustaining appearances: sustainable development and the fisheries of Lake Victoria
Authors: Crean Kevin , Geheb Kim
Published: October 2009

The fisheries of Lake Victoria have undergone a major transformation over the last three decades. The character of the lake has been subject to the influence of many powerful factors including: substantial increases in fishing effort; growing integration into the global fish market; acceleration of anthropogenic activities in the catchment area; demographic change; the influence of adverse shifts in the climate; and introduction of exotic plant and animal species. The task of managing the lake's resources, therefore, has never been more daunting. This article argues that, in most cases, the authorities charged with achieving the goal of sustainable development for the fishery, have failed to address the symptoms—let alone the origins—of the current unsustainable tendencies embedded in the social, economic and political fabric of Lake Victoria's riparian States. It is these factors that directly impinge upon the success of management initiatives for the lake. The article argues that if sustainable development is to be achieved, then stakeholders must act in concert, eliminate unsustainable practices and reprogramme development plans to focus on realistic goals. A possible way forward will be to develop a participatory management system.
Monitoring and adaptive management: resolving social and organisational issues to improve information sharing in natural resource management
Authors: Allen Will , Bosch Ockie , Kilvington Margaret , Harley Don , Brown Ian
Published: October 2009

Adaptive, or ‘learning by doing’, approaches are often advocated as a means of providing increased understanding within natural resource management. However, a number of organisational and social issues need to be resolved if these approaches are to be used successfully. A case study in the South Island high country of New Zealand is used to review what is needed to support an ongoing community‐based monitoring and adaptive management programme. First, the case study is described, paying attention to the social context of the resource management problem. The results of a workshop that explored this problem are then outlined, along with a proposed information flow suggested by participants. Requirements for future steps to resolve these problems (such as information protocols and a multi‐stakeholder information system) are discussed. Finally, some broad lessons are drawn from this exercise that could help others developing similar approaches.
Conflicting perspectives of forest management in Bastar, Central India
Authors: Ramnath Madhu
Published: October 2009

This article enters the debate on shifting cultivation and tropical forests, and the role of the State forest departments in managing these regions. The article focuses on the adivasi (indigenous) people and their use of forests in the Bastar region of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. It examines the different landscapes, resulting from human interaction, in order to observe the vegetative changes and progressions in their characteristics; in particular, the author challenges the view that adivasi forest use has been detrimental to the ecology of the forest. A botanical comparison is made between three sites that allow us to note specific characteristics of a fallow, a secondary forest and a primary sal (Shorea robusta) forest. The wider aspects of the adivasi manner of forest use are also discussed.

A major portion of the Bastar region is legally under the authority of the Madhya Pradesh State Forest Department. However, the official policies and laws, pertaining to the conservation of forests and the generation of revenue, are often insensitive to the adivasi perceptions and use of the various vegetative zones within the forest. The effect of a standardised form of demarcation, coupled with the State legislation, has overlooked the adivasi people's needs and their ecologically sound way of relating to the forest. The paper concludes with a few recommendations.
Economic and financial aspects of mine closure
Authors: Kahn James R. , Franceschi Dina , Curi Adilson , Vale Eduardo
Published: October 2009

Today, mine reclamation is a key component to a successful mine plan. Most of the industrialized nations have recognized the need to make mining activities relatively environmentally friendly, if they want to continue to benefit from the economic gains from mineral resource development. Countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa are leaders in the field and have implemented relatively sophisticated legislation to ensure environmentally correct mine closure. These countries rely on a combination of strict control strategies and economic penalties to ensure compliance.

Yet, from the firm's perspective, reclamation activities are counterproductive as they cut into profits. In order to attract economic development and earn much needed economic capital, most of the rest of the world, particularly the developing countries, lack effective mine closure legislation. The traditional command and control type of legislation that is sometimes used is either vague and therefore avoided, or not enforced appropriately, resulting in an undesirable level of environmental degradation.

With the use of case studies from Brazil, this article shows that direct controls are effective in some instances and not in others. It proposes that economic and financial tools may be more effective than the traditional direct controls in getting firms to comply with environmental standards, particularly in developing countries where environmental compliance is more difficult to achieve. It explains the use of performance bonding as one type of economic incentive that has proven to be an effective environmental policy in mine planning and closure.

The authors additionally push beyond the typical style of performance bonds to introduce a flexible bonding and insurance system that allows governments to maintain strict environmental standards but limits firms financial exposure during the mining process. Such a system learns from the successes of the industrialized countries that use performance bonding and is sensitive to the needs of developing nations to attract investment yet maintain environmental integrity.
Gender in integrated water management: an analysis of variation
Authors: van Koppen Barbara
Published: October 2009

Gender is an important variable in water use, policy, and intervention. This article explores this variation and its policy implications. Concepts are applied in several case studies to draw generic conclusions. Variation is related to the purpose of water use (consumptive or productive) and to the local, culture‐specific patterns of the intra‐household organization of consumption for family welfare (which includes domestic water provision) and income‐generation (for which water is an input, especially in rural areas). For domestic water use, the intra‐household sharing of unpaid domestic responsibilities is a key gender issue. Water for productive use, on the other hand, is embedded in the gendered organization of household economic activity, as elaborated for smallholder‐irrigated agriculture. In female‐managed and dual farming systems, where a high proportion of farm decision‐makers are women, irrigation agencies need to better target their support. In male‐managed farming systems, however, the majority of women lack their own farm enterprise in which water is an input. Women's access to land, markets and credits besides access to water, is at stake. To conclude, given the strong variation in water use along gender lines, gender analysis is indispensable for any concrete water policy and intervention.
From insight to action in reservoir management—lessons from Asia
Authors: Hjorth Peder
Published: October 2009

The World Commission on Dams (WCD) has now presented its final report on the problems with large dams. Many dam projects were found to be underperforming, especially those built for irrigation purposes. WCD also reports that many projects fail to meet current standards of social equity. A reallocation of costs and benefits is needed, but entrenched interests make this a difficult task. This article identifies shortcomings in large Asian irrigation projects: why the problems emerged, and what could be done to improve the performance of existing projects. The article argues that Asian irrigation agencies take mainly an engineering perspective, focusing on the dam itself. In a large number of cases, it takes over 10 years for the infrastructure to be installed and for the water to be delivered to the fields of the command area. Agencies need to improve their competence in dealing with social and environmental issues. This article argues that social and economic infrastructure is often inadequate; there is a need for an integrated view of the role of agriculture in development. Furthermore, adaptive management practices and water user participation can often be critical elements. To be successful, participation needs to be gender sensitive, and stakeholders at all income levels need to be consulted. To bridge the gulf between rhetoric and action, there is also a need for independent evaluation of dam projects.
From open access to access by all: restating challenges in designing groundwater management in Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Knegt Jan‐Willem F. , Vincent Linden F.
Published: October 2009

In a village‐based watershed in Andhra Pradesh, India, it is increasingly difficult for users to access and extract groundwater for irrigation: a ‘pumping race’ is taking place. A move from groundwater development towards groundwater management is required, with a new perspective on options for change. Through a study of borewell technology and groundwater use, and considering new local developments in electricity supply and participatory resource management, the article argues that groundwater is a resource with ‘instructions for use’. The technological dimensions of groundwater irrigation urge its study as a socio‐technical process in order to design sustainable and equitable groundwater management.
Establishment of Three‐Dimensional Tissue‐engineered Bone Constructs Under Microgravity‐simulated Conditions
Authors: Jin Fang , Zhang Yongjie , Xuan Kun , He Dongni , Deng Tianzheng , Tang Liang , Lu Wei , Duan Yinzhong
Published: October 2009

Bone constructs have been grown in vitro with use of isolated cells, biodegradable polymer scaffolds, and bioreactors. In our work, the relationships between the composition and mechanical properties of engineered bone constructs were studied by culturing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on ceramic bovine bone scaffolds in different environments: static flasks and dynamic culture system in rotating vessels—which was a National Aeronautics and Space Administration‐recommended, ground‐based, microgravity‐simulating system. After 15 days of cultivation, osteogenicity was determined according to DNA and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) analysis. DNA content and ALP were higher for cells grown on dynamic culture. Subsequently, the two kinds of engineered bone constructs were selected for transplantation into Sprague‐Dawley rat cranial bone defects. After 24 weeks of in vivo implantation, the engineered bone constructs under dynamic culture were found to repair the defects better, with the engineered constructs showing histologically better bone connection. Thus, this dynamic system provides a useful in vitro model to construct the functional role and effects of osteogenesis in the proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of BMSCs. These findings suggest that the hydrodynamic microgravity conditions in tissue‐culture bioreactors can modulate the composition, morphology, and function of the engineered bone.
Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement in Children and Adolescents After Previous Repair of Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Popov Aron‐Frederik , Coskun Kasim Oguz , Tirilomis Theodor , Schmitto Jan Dieter , Hinz José , Kriebel Thomas , Schoendube Friedrich Albert , Ruschewski Wolfgang
Published: October 2009

Due to improved outcome after surgery for congenital heart defects, children, adolescents, and grown‐ups with congenital heart defects become an increasing population. In order to evaluate operative risk and early outcome after mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in this population, we reviewed patients who underwent previous repair of congenital heart defects. Between July 2002 and November 2008, 15 (10 male and 5 female) consecutive patients (mean age 14.5 ± 10.5 years) underwent mechanical AVR. Hemodynamic indications for AVR were aortic stenosis in four (27%), aortic insufficiency in eight (53%), and mixed disease in three (20%) after previous repair of congenital heart defects. All patients had undergone one or more previous cardiovascular operations due to any congenital heart disease. Concomitant cardiac procedures were performed in all of them. In addition to AVR, in two patients, a mitral valve exchange was performed. One patient received a right ventricle‐pulmonary artery conduit replacement as concomitant procedure. The mean size of implanted valves was 23 mm (range 17–29 mm). There were neither early deaths nor late mortality until December 2008. Reoperations were necessary in five (33%) and included implantation of a permanent pacemaker due to complete atrioventricular block in two (15%), mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis due to moderate to severe mitral regurgitation in one (7%), aortocoronary bypass grafting due to stenosis of a coronary artery in one (7%), and in one (7%), a redo subaortic stenosis resection was performed because of a secondary subaortic stenosis. At the latest clinical evaluation, all patients were in good clinical condition without a pathological increased gradient across the aortic valve prosthesis or paravalvular leakage in echocardiography. Mechanical AVR has excellent results in patients after previous repair of congenital heart defects in childhood, even in combination with complex concomitant procedures. Previous operations do not significantly affect postoperative outcome.
The Benefits of High‐flow Management in Children With Pulmonary Atresia
Authors: Fujii Yasuhiro , Kotani Yasuhiro , Kawabata Takuya , Ugaki Shinya , Sakurai Shigeru , Ebishima Hironori , Itoh Hideshi , Nakakura Mahito , Arai Sadahiko , Kasahara Shingo , Sano Shunji , Iwasaki Tatsuo , Toda Yuichiro
Published: October 2009

The high‐flow management of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB; ≥2.4 L/min/m2) is a standard strategy used at this institute for children with pulmonary atresia (PA) due to a fear that the blood flow may be diverted by the major/minor aortopulmonary‐collateral‐arteries and hypervascularization due to long‐term hypoxia. The purpose of this study was to describe the validity of high‐flow management in children with PA. The CPB records of 23 children with PA who underwent a definitive biventricular repair between Feb 2006 and Nov 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age at the operation was 33 ± 22 months. The blood‐pressure during bypass was controlled with the same protocol. The mean cooling‐temperature was 28.4 ± 3.7°C. The mean minimum hematocrit was 25.0 ±  3.4%. The mean maximum bypass flow index at the initiation, the mean maximum flow index during aortic cross‐clamping, the mean minimum flow index during aortic cross‐clamping, and the mean maximum flow index after rewarming were 3.1 ± 0.5, 3.1 ± 0.5, 2.6 ± 0.4, and 3.2 ±  0.4 L/min/m2, respectively. The higher bypass flow indexes significantly correlated with the lower serum lactate levels. The lowest oxygen delivery during CPB had significant influences on the urine output during bypass (R = 0.547, P = 0.007), the serum lactate levels at the end of CPB (R = −0.442, P = 0.035), and the postoperative thoracic effusion (R = −0.459, P = 0.028). A bypass flow index of 2.4 L/min/m2 may not be sufficient and the maximum requirement of bypass flow index may be 3.2 L/min/m2 or more in this patient population.