Some consequences and impacts of port development — the Hong Kong case)

Over the past century, Hong Kong port has experienced a fascinating development process as it has become one of the world's number one container ports. This paper explores some of the major external impacts and consequences of Hong Kong's past and current port development experience, with particular reference to environmental planning and control. After a brief introduction to Hong Kong's port, the paper focuses on the planning and management lessons related to the port's development. The paper then concludes with its impact on and reference for mainland China's port and port-city development.     

Geopolitics and politics in the Arab Gulf States (GCC)

The Geopolitics of the Arab Gulf region stems out of its geographic location on world important crossroads, and is dominated by its oil wealth which is sought after world-wide. Strategically, the Gulf is in the friction zone of world power. It is also located in the shatter zone of regional power, that is, Arabia, Persia, and India. Active membership in a non-aligned organization represents the official framework of Gulf politics, i.e., the Arab League, Islamic Congress, and the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** ABI02027 00002     

Forgotten coast,forgotten people: sustainable development and disproportionate impacts from Hurricane Michael in Gulf County,Florida

Natural Hazards - A central challenge for sustainable development is how societies are to avoid, minimize or address impacts from anthropogenic climate change. However, competing perspectives on...     

Peripherality in the global container shipping network: the case of the Southern African container port system

Regional trade co-operation, economic growth and greater political stability have enabled increased container throughput and container port capacity development. Earlier academic work has indicated that the functional position of this port region in the global maritime network might be shifting from a remote region in the periphery of the network to a more intermediate position. This paper aims to analyze the changing level of peripherality and remoteness of the Southern African container port system as part of the global container shipping network. The central hypothesis is that Southern Africa has moved from a remote shipping region to a more central shipping region in the global network. The methodology consists of the calculation of network measures for Southern African ports. The changing geographical distribution of flows among the main container ports in South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius and Madagascar will also be explored in terms of their respective shipping services, port calling patterns, market structure (in terms of the number of active carriers) and the up-scaling of vessel and port capacity. The overall result is a mapped port hierarchical structure with a clear indication of the shifted maritime centrality of Southern African ports from 1996 to the present decade.     

Direct impacts of outer continental shelf activities on wetland loss in the central Gulf of Mexico

The direct impacts of outer continental shelf (OCS) development on recent wetland loss in the northern Gulf of Mexico were quantified using aerial imagery, field surveys, and literature review. The total direct impacts accounted for an estimated 25.6 percent of total net wetland loss within the Louisiana portion of the study area from 1955/56 to 1978. Of the total direct impacts of 73,905 ha, OCS-related activities accounted for 11,589-13,631 ha of the wetland loss during the same time interval. Although this is a substantial areal loss, it represents only 4.0-4.7 percent of the total Louisiana wetland loss from 1955/56 to 1978, and 15.7–18.4 percent of direct impacts.Direct impacts from OCS pipelines averaged 2.49 ha/km, lower than published guidelines, and totalled 12,012 ha. Lowest impacts are for backfilled pipelines in the Chenier Plain of western Louisiana and for small young pipelines built in clustered rights-of-way. Widening of OCS pipeline canals does not appear to be an important factor for total net wetland loss in the coastal zone because few pipelines are open to navigation and, for the examples found, the impact width was not significantly different than for open pipelines closed to navigation. Navigation channels account for a minimum of 16,902 ha of habitat change. Direct impacts per unit length of navigation channel average 20 times greater than pipelines.     

Striving for equity: Aboriginal socioeconomic transformation and development in the 1980s

Although over the last three decades some of the gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal living standards and material wealth have narrowed, change has been very gradual, has been by no means universal and, in some areas, such as unemployment levels, the Aboriginal position has actually deteriorated. It seems likely that, in socio-economic terms, Aboriginal inequality will persist for many decades to come. Inequality cannot be attributed solely to lack of Government expenditure: considerable financial resources have been devoted to the improvement of Aboriginal welfare. It is clear, however, that resources have not always been used in appropriate ways and it is argued that such misallocations will continue to occur until the underlying causes of Aboriginal disadvantage, as perceived by the Aborigines themselves, are better understood. In this understanding the land question is crucial. This paper analyses Aboriginal socioeconomic transformation in the context of control over land as a vital resource.     

Environmental impacts of groundwater overdraft: selected case studies in the southwestern United States

The southwestern United States—this papers study region—is home to large urban centers and features a thriving agro-industrial economic sector. This region is also one of the driest in North America, with highly variable seasonal and inter-annual precipitation regimes and frequent droughts. The combination of a large demand for usable water and semi-arid climate has led to groundwater overdraft in many important aquifers of the region. Groundwater overdraft develops when long-term groundwater extraction exceeds aquifer recharge, producing declining trends in aquifer storage and hydraulic head. In conjunction with overdraft, declines in surface-water levels and streamflow, reduction or elimination of vegetation, land subsidence, and seawater intrusion are well documented in many aquifers of the southwestern United States. This work reviews case studies of groundwater overdraft in this region, focusing on its causes, consequences, and remedial methods applied to counter it.     

Environmental impacts of shrimp farming with special reference to the situation in the continental United States

Shrimp culture technology has resulted in development of a major shrimp farming industry worldwide. Without the shrimp farming industry, increasing demands for shrimp by consumers could not be met, resulting in increased pressure on wild shrimp resources. Unfortunately, there are realized and potential adverse environmental effects on estuarine ecosystems as a result of shrimp farming. The effects can be categorized as wetland destruction for construction of shrimp farms, hypernutrification of estuarine ecosystems by shrim pond effluent, “biological pollution” of native shrimp stocks through escapement of aquaculture stocks, water use and entrainment of estuarine biota, and impacts of shrimp farm chemicals on estuarine systems. While the shrimp farming industry in the United States is small, the United States is effectively addressing all the realized and potential environmental impacts through regulation and research at the federal and state levels. Areas of regulation and research include stringent prohibitions on wetland destruction, regulation of effluents and support of research to eliminate and/or reduce effluents, escapement prevention technology and development of high-health stocks, minimizing entrainment of estuarine biota through water conservation and screening technology, and regulation of chemical use in the shrimp farming industry and support of research on shrimp pathology and environmentally safe disease control. Work is still in progress and not all problems have been resolved to the complete satisfaction of shrimp farmers and estuarine conservationists. However, the situation in the United States should serve as a model of how to encourage sustainable economic development through commercial shrimp farming while abating adverse environmental impacts on estuarine systems. To further improve the situation, the development and adoption of “best management practices” for shrimp aquaculture are recommended.     

Accumulation and distribution of Hg and 210Pb in superficial sediments from a coastal lagoon in the SE Gulf of California associated with urban-industrial and port activities

The Estero de Urías Lagoon (EUL) is an inner shelf barrier coastal lagoon, located in the Mexican Pacific Coast (SE Gulf of California). It is surrounded by Mazatlán City, one of the most important international tourist areas of Mexico. To provide a comprehensive reassessment of the concentration levels and spatial variability of Hg and ²¹⁰Pb in the EUL, 40 surface sediment samples were analyzed for several geochemical variables (e.g. grain size distribution, organic matter and reference element concentrations) that could explain the observed variability of Hg and ²¹⁰Pb. The Hg concentrations ranged from 23 to 214 ng g^?1, whereas ²¹⁰Pb activities varied from 20 to 56 Bq kg^?1. No defined distribution pattern was observed for Hg and ²¹⁰Pb concentrations in the lagoon and no evidence of a common atmospheric delivery route was observed. The sediments from EUL were found contaminated by Hg, and according to international guidelines 48 % of the sampling sites have concentrations that could be harmful to biota.     

基于突变级数法的页岩气探采综合环境影响评价研究

为缓解能源紧张,页岩气作为储量丰富的非常规能源在我国正大力开发,而我国页岩气开发起步较晚,受管理与技术限制,页岩气开发造成的综合环境影响问题还得不到有效解决。针对页岩气开发存在的环境问题,本文基于我国页岩气开发现状,借鉴美国页岩气开发的成功经验,从自然环境与人文环境两方面对页岩气开发综合环境影响因素进行分析,建立了页岩气开发综合环境影响评价指标体系;同时为降低评价过程主观因素的影响,简化评估过程,本文引入突变级数法建立了页岩气开发综合环境影响评估模型,运用数值替换方法区分页岩气开发综合环境影响等级。最后将评价体系与评估模型应用到实际案例中,得到的评价结果与实际情况基本符合,为页岩气开发项目的综合环境评价提供了很好的理论依据。     

Evolution of isotopic compositions in groundwater of the area between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Gulf

The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen have been implemented to assess the recharge mechanisms in an area in the UAE bounded to the northwestern part of the Gulf of Oman and the southeastern part of the Arabian Gulf. The conversion of stable isotopes to deuterium excess was utilized as a supportive tool to understand the process of groundwater recharge. The concluding results of this study showed that the origin of moisture is the Mediterranean Sea. The precipitation is the main source of recharge, in which the precipitation having undergone evaporation before recharge occurs. The comparison between regression line for data collected in 1996 and regression line for samples collected in 2006 suggests that the precipitation water which recharged the groundwater, was diluted with groundwater and this dilution is observed from decreasing of the deuterium excess of collected groundwater samples with increasing isotopes of oxygen. The dilution of groundwater with the recharge water suggests modern-day recharge as it is seen from high deuterium excess that exceeded the deuterium excess of LMWL and was close to MMWL.