Protected areas in Saudi Arabia: Sustainable use of natural resources

The present paper reviews the conservation movement in Saudi Arabia as measured against the established protected areas, as well as the basic philosophy regarding natural resource management. The degree of representation of the biophysical diversity of Saudi Arabia in the established protected areas is discussed by using three areas as case studies: Harrat Al-Harrah (lava field), Urug Bani Mu'arid (Cuesta and Sand), and Raydah Escarpment (High Mountain).     

The importance of applied Quaternary geology for planning of land use and natural resources

Book reviewed in this article:
De Mulder, F. J. & Hageman, B. P. (eds.) 1989: Applied Quaternary Research     

地质环境质量评价的态势分析法

探讨了将SWOT态势分析法应用于地质环境质量评价中的具体步骤。通过长江江苏段过江隧道工程的地质环境质量等级评价的实例,从地质体本身的优势、劣势,外部条件的有利(机会)、不利(威胁)等4个方面对评价对象进行全面、系统、准确的研究,最后得出地质环境质量的评价等级。     

地质环境容量评价指标初步研究

首先分析了地质环境的特殊性以及它与人类活动相互作用的关系,指出地质环境具有三个基本要素,讨论了地质环境容量的涵义,它可以由三个指标进行评定,即：地质环境的地质结构与状态改变的最大忍受程度（临界值）、地质资源阈限量、有害物的阈限值。     

Romania's water resources and their use

In relation to population Romania's water supplies are quite modest. They are provided by the rivers, which meet 89% of the present demand (48% from the Danube and 41% from the interior rivers), and by the underground sources which account for 11%. Mean specific runoff is 4.57 1/sec. km² but there are significant variations through both space and time. The factors responsible for both maximum and minimum runoff are discussed and particular reference is made to the floods of 1970. Load and turbidity levels are also discussed. Underground water sources are described and a review of demand gives particular attention to hydroelectricity and water transport. Principles for future management of water supplies are summarised in conclusion.     

The natural resources development debate in Canada

The current debate concerning natural resources developed in Canadais examined against the background of population distribution, electoral distribution, variations in regional economies, foreign investment, federal versus provincial jurisdiction over resources, and the demands for constitutional reform. These have resulted in an essential division between the resource producing regions of the west and, to a lesser extent the extreme east, and the resource consuming region in the centre. After establishing the context for resource development, the paper goes on to assess the debate as it has evolved with respect to offshore fishery resources on the Atlantic Coast, potash in Saskatchewan and petroleum and natural gas in the western provinces.     

Integrated, watershed-based management for sustainable water resources

Water scarcity is a becoming a critical issue globally, driven largely by the demands of an exponentially growing human population and complicated by the impacts of climate change on the amounts and distribution of precipitation. It is also due to mismanagement as scarce water resources are being used simultaneously for irrigation, power generation, public and industrial water supply, flood reduction, and wastewater disposal without consideration of the cumulative impacts to the water resources themselves. This paper outlines eight ecologically based principles and associated guidelines as the basis for integrated and watershed-based management of the world’s water resources.     

Regional geologic environs and natural resources of Badia Sector, Jordan

 This paper summarizes the information on the geology and natural resources of the Jordan Badia Research and Development Programme. The research focused on the issue of the environment in arid lands as an aid to provide practical options for sustainable development. This paper presents results of field studies in the following areas related to the sustainable development of the Safawi area in the northern Jordan Badia; geomorphology, including landform, soil, lands, processes and hazards, geology and physical resources and surface water hydrology. Tertiary-Quaternary continental basalt flows and tuffs cover approximately 11 000 km², the majority of the Safawi area. In addition to extensive basalt lava flows, the programme area includes a variety of geological outcrops and potential sources of economic products that include the following: Tuff/Scoria, Zeolite/Olivine, Porcellanite, potential sources of aggregate/construction materials, ornamental stone, building stone, basalt for manufacturing of rock wool, and materials suitable for producing lightweight aggregate. The whole of the eastern Badia exhibits major fault systems, many of which were identified from Landsat TM images. The system of wadis which drains the Badia is extensive, with the general flow from the north to the south and south-west. A noticeable geomorphic surficial deposit occuring throughout much of the Badia is fine-grained, water-lain sediments that vary in size and character. The local designation for the fine sediment deposits is Qaa. An MSS scene for the area under consideration has been studied. Twelve major geomorphic subdivisions or zones can be identified. Individual land system units have been identified by traversing the programme area. Key sites have been visited based on Landsat TM image interpretation. To a large extent, key areas were subdivided after their initial identification on the Landsat scene and corroboration in the field. The surface drainage of the Badia region can be broadly divided into wadi systems, areas of distinct channelized flow, and Qaa, predominantly fine-grained sedimentary basins of low relief. Spatial variability in infiltration rates across the wadi-Qaa system were determined from field experiments. Infiltration rates were found to be medium-high in the wadi channels but decrease rapidly for the Qaa materials. Apparently runoff from wadi side slopes will be high, and water storage occurs along the wadi channels while ponding occurs in the Qaa areas. Received: 13 March 1997 · Accepted: 13 January 1998     

Electrical imaging of the geoenvironment around water infrastructures in Istanbul city

Subsurface structures from two different districts of Istanbul, hosting waste and freshwater transmission lines, were imaged by geoelectrical method. The environmental impact on Ka??thane-Terkos freshwater transmission line is one of the issues. That waterline underwent a substantial landslide damage. The previous site selection of Ka??thane-Terkos line was only based on surface geological observations. Even though the pipeline was positioned away from the surface scarps of landslides, the pipes were damaged. To find out the reason, we made some vertical electrical sounding measurements using Schlumberger array in the region. We inverted the electrical sounding data using 2D inversion technique. The final geoelectrical images show main landslide failures, at about 10–30 m depth, which are overlain by debris with a resistivity value of with <6 Ω m. The geoelectrical findings reveal that a buried major failure surrounds the surface landslides behind. Consequently, the water infrastructure remains under the influence of landslide. Our second application site was the area of the Sazl?dere tunnel, which will transfer wastewater, polluting Sazl?dere dam, to the treatment plant. The geoelectrical images along Sazl?dere tunnel route show resistive (<100 Ω m) and moderately conductive (≤50 Ω m) structures along the tunnel axis, representing unaltered to highly weathered rocks, respectively. Furthermore, consecutive hidden fault zones which severely affect the construction process of the tunnel are detected and located.     

Problems resulting from misinterpretations of natural resources and natural hazards in tropical countries. The example of Peru

Natural resources in a tropical country like Peru are often overestimated. Peru is characterized by a wide range of regional differences, varied physical settings, and numerous natural hazards. Some climatical and hydrological conditions are examined and the factors causing instability in agricultural and nonagricultural production are discussed. Natural resources must be evaluated in the framework of internal political, social, and economic circumstances. Several points are recommended to foster economic development when considering the constraints of the physical environment.     

Popular and official appraisals of natural resources: some evidence from Australia

European occupation of the Australian continent from 1788 onwards has provided evidence of both officially designed land settlement schemes and independent privately organized activities. Both settlement processes required the resources of the continent to be appraised in some detail. Over the years those appraisals, of the arid and semi-arid lands in particular, can be seen to have varied not only within but also between government and the private sector. The variations have reflected not only the changing technological context but also the changing philosophical context of resource management. The resultant changing roles of the various colonial, state and Commonwealth governments have been parallelled by changing popular concepts of what constitute resources, how they should be managed and by whom. The conflicts which resulted and which still occur pose wider questions of resource management for not only these arid and semi-arid lands.     

青藏高原天然气水合物资源预测

青藏高原分布着中国规模最大的多年冻土带,发育有良好的中、新生代海相地层及海相、陆相盆地,为高原天然气水合物矿藏的形成创造了有利条件。本文根据陆上天然气水合物的形成条件,从多方面讨论了水合物形成的可能性及其矿藏有利的分布位置,认为青藏高原完全有条件形成天然气水合物矿藏,最有利的分布区是藏北地区含油气盆地储集层的露头区。对水合物矿藏的研究不但具有资源意义,而且还有潜在的环境意义。     

Defining geologic Hazards for natural resources management using tree-ring analysis

Landslides, avalanches, floods, and other geologic hazards impair natural resources management by jeopardizing public safety, damaging or restricting resource utilization, and necessitating expenditures for corrective measures The negative impact of geologic hazard events can be reduced by tailoring resources management to hazard potential of an area This requires assessment of where and how frequently the events occur National forests and other managed wildlands often lack monitoring or historical records to compute frequency of hazard occurrence Tree-ring analysis, based on internal growth response to external events such as tilting and abrasion, can provide frequency data Two examples of the use of tree-ring analysis to date landslide activity illustrate advantages and limitations of the technique An example from the Fishlake National Forest in central Utah illustrates assessment for planning purposes An example from the Sierra National Forest in east-central California shows assessment applied to project design Many geologic hazards in addition to landslides are suited to tree-ring analysis to establish frequency of occurrence Hazard reduction efforts in natural resources management could be enhanced by careful application of tree-ring analysis     

Institutional change and natural resource use in coastal Vietnam

Vietnam is currently undergoing a rapid economic and social transition involving the dismantling of the co-operative system and the official embracing of a market economy. The paper uses an institutional approach to examine adaptation to such changes in two coastal communes in mangrove forest areas. Having provided the historical and policy context of reforms which have taken place in Vietnam in the area of resource management, the paper goes on to discuss changes currently taking place in access to resources. The complexity of property rights regimes are then examined in the light of such changes, with particular focus on the effects of privatisation and the increased effects of integration with external markets. Using livelihood diversification as a key concept for understanding local adaptation to such changes, the paper concludes with discussion of the socially differentiated impacts of the process and the implications for future livelihoods. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Integrated natural resource management — a question of property institutions?

Natural resource management is commonly described as a means to achieving environmental conservation. Integrated management, as a process which extends across recource disciplines and sectors, within and between government and private organizations, and with aims set for social and economic change, has been difficult to achieve. Several reasons are possible; however, property institutions appear to be of foremost influence. Drawing upon a field study during which the Inuvialuit's (a Canadian Inuit society) common property system, the Canadian government's state property regime, and the private property of citizens were evaluated, a conclusions is reached: prevailing property systems greatly influence the achievement of integrated natural resource management. The common property system of the Inuvialuit fosters an integrated approach, one which is less likely to emerge under state or private property regimes. Whether integrated natural resource management leads to what is popularly termed environmetal conservation is beyond the scope of this paper. However, it seems that the aims of environmental conservation are likely to be achieved under any one of the three property institutions: common, private, or state.     

A general model for promoting the integration of national natural resources management

A model is put forward to prescribe the processes and steps whereby governments can and should integrate their natural resources policies across the many different sectors involved. The model has developed from the analysis of policies for water resources, coastal zones and soil resources in OECD countries. Such a model can never be comprehensive but the one developed does help to pinpoint some of the reasons for the adverse impacts that occur where the appropriate institutional arrangements to promote policy integration are lacking. By stressing the links – or otherwise – between national policies and management practices on the ground it also highlights both the importance of having the appropriate data available to monitor policy integration, and the narrow range of policy instruments currently being deployed to minimise inter-sectoral conflict and thus to promote sustainable resources management.