Two steps forward,two steps back: The role of innovation in transforming towards community-based marine resource management in Solomon Islands

In many coastal nations, community-based arrangements for marine resource management (CBRM) are promoted by government, advocated for by non-government actors, and are seen by both as one of the most promising options to achieve sustainable use and secure inshore fisheries and aquatic resources. Although there is an abundant literature on what makes CBRM effective, is it less clear how CBRM is introduced or develops as an idea in a community, and the process of how the idea leads to the adoption of a new resource management approach with supporting institutions. Here we aim to address this gap by applying an explicit process-based approach drawing on innovation history methodology by mapping and analysing the initiation and emergence of CBRM in five fishing-dependent communities in Solomon Islands. We use insights from the literatures on diffusion of innovation and transformability to define phases of the process and help guide the inductive analysis of qualitative data. We show the CBRM institutionalisation processes were non-linear, required specific strategies to move from one phase to the next, and key elements facilitated or hindered movement. Building active support for CBRM within communities depended on the types of events that happened at the beginning of the process and actions taken to sustain this. Matching CBRM to known resource management ideas or other social problems in the community, developing legitimate institutions and decision-making processes, strong continual interactions between key actors and the rest of the community (not necessarily NGO actors), and community members witnessing benefits of CBRM, all contributed to the emergence and diffusion of CBRM in the communities, and helped to overcome barriers to transformative change.     

Drivers of successful common-pool resource management: A conjoint experiment on groundwater management in Brazil

Carefully designed common-pool resource (CPR) management systems can improve water security, but many NGOs and governments do not have the resources and logistical capacity to implement all important features of a system at once. In addition, users’ perception of management features is important to increase buy-in and adoption of a new system. Which aspects of a commons management system do users perceive to be most important? We conduct a conjoint survey experiment about groundwater management with rural residents in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil. We randomly vary five features of a water management system: 1) discussion, 2) social sanctions for overuse, 3) rules and penalties, 4) payment, 5) monitoring and dissemination of conditions to users. Each feature increases perceived likelihood of collective well management and individual water conservation. We find that features act as complements or substitutes; in particular, discussion complements monitoring, and payment substitutes for rules. Our results have implications for how to study and prioritize the features of CPR management systems to improve water security in other rural, semi-arid regions with groundwater reliance when it is infeasible to implement all recommended features.     

Modern disturbances to a long-lasting community-based resource management system: The Taos Valley acequias

Long-lasting community-based resource management systems have offered scholars important lessons in the study of human-environment relations. The examination of such systems has suffered from a sampling bias, however, in that it has focused disproportionately on successful systems. There are fewer studies that have explored the deterioration of such systems, particularly with an interdisciplinary approach. This shortfall is problematic given the increasing social and biophysical disturbances that communities are facing as they become more integrated into, and affected by, larger-scale processes.This study addresses this gap by analyzing the modern condition of a long-lasting community-based irrigation system known as the acequias in northern New Mexico. Using a mix of interview, survey, remote sensing, and census data, I examine the extent to which important indicators for the acequias have shifted in the last several decades and explore reasons for these changes. A mix of statistical and qualitative comparative techniques is used to conduct the analysis.By examining longitudinal data we find that the acequias are producing less than they have in the past and have mostly lost their common-property-based livestock pasturing system. While some of these changes can be attributed to similar declines in water availability, much of the change results from social drivers including demographic changes, regional-to-global market forces, and public policies. Overall the shift of the acequias to their current state is a result of their integration into a much larger-scale set of social and economic forces than they have experienced in the past. This shift will be very difficult to reverse, meaning the acequia farmers must adapt to the current condition. It is likely that these themes are common across many community-based resource management systems in many locations. In the future, further progress should be made in synthetically comparing such cases in ways that have already been done for long-lasting successful systems.     

Climate visuals: A mixed methods investigation of public perceptions of climate images in three countries

Imagery plays a central role in climate change communication. But whereas research on the verbal communication of climate change has proliferated, far fewer studies have focused on visual communication. Correspondingly, relatively little is known about how to effectively engage the public using the visual medium. The current research is the first mixed methods, cross-national investigation of public perceptions of climate images, with a focus on photographic climate change imagery. Four structured discussion groups in the UK and Germany (N = 32) and an international survey with an embedded experiment in the UK, Germany and the US (N = 3014) were conducted to examine how different types of climate change imagery were evaluated. The qualitative research pointed to the importance of the perceived authenticity and credibility of the human subjects in climate images, as well as widespread negativity towards images depicting protests and demonstrations. Images of climate ‘solutions’ produced positive emotional responses in the survey and were less polarizing for climate change skeptics, but they were also the least motivating of action. Familiar climate images (such as a polar bear on melting ice) were easily understood in the survey (and evaluated positively as a consequence) but viewed with cynicism in discussion groups. We present a detailed discussion of these and other key findings in this paper and describe a novel application of the data through an online image library for practitioners which accompanies the research (www.climatevisuals.org).     

Longwave incoming radiation in the Tropics: results from field work in three African cities

Summary This study investigates differences in longwave incoming radiation (L↓) within and between three African cities, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), and Gaborone (Botswana), during the dry season, and evaluates the performance of a model to simulate these fluxes. In each city, direct observations of L↓, shortwave incoming radiation (K↓), air temperature, air humidity, and total suspended particle (TSP) concentration for three land uses (CBD, green residential, and traditional residential) were taken. The observed L↓ flux decreases with increasing latitude, and temperature becomes an increasingly important factor in governing L↓ variations further from the Equator. Humidity, as well as particle loading, differs significantly between the three cities. Differences between observed and modelled ɛ_sky for rural stations near all cities showed a clear diurnal variation, with maximum differences of 0.08 between day and night. This diurnal difference was incorporated in the model and, for urban areas the model overestimates L↓ by around 25 Wm⁻². However, this model performs equally well regardless of the land use considered in any of the cities. The residual (difference between observed and modelled urban L↓) did not show any correlation with particulate pollution. However, the difference between observed and calculated ɛ_sky is around 0.05 higher in Ouagadougou compared to the other cities, likely due to the heavy dust load observed here. It is concluded that tropical urban longwave radiation is not dramatically different from the mid latitudes.     

Climate and regional resource analysis: The effect of scale on resource homogeneity

General Circulation Models (GCMs) are currently used to project future climate. The output of the models is then used to evaluate the effect of a climatic change on resources such as agriculture, forestry, and water resources. The GCMs used in long-term climate studies vary widely in the geographic resolution of their predictions. The approximate matching of resource data to the geographic scale of GCMs is an important step in the evaluation of the effects of climatic change on resources. As gridcell size increases, however, the distribution of resources within cells becomes more heterogeneous, and it becomes more difficult to evaluate the regional effects of climatic change. We quantify the change in resource heterogeneity as a function of gridcell size. Four resource variables (wheat yield, percent forest cover, population density, and percent of land irrigated) are analyzed on the basis of county-averaged data, while assignment to major drainage basins is based on exact watershed boundaries. A major change in resource heterogeneity within gridcells occurs at a grid length of from 1.2° to 3°.     

Socio-economic and management implications of range-shifting species in marine systems

Climate change is leading to a redistribution of marine species, altering ecosystem dynamics as species extend or shift their geographic ranges polewards with warming waters. In marine systems, range shifts have been observed in a wide diversity of species and ecosystems and are predicted to become more prevalent as environmental conditions continue to change. Large-scale shifts in the ranges of marine species will likely have dramatic socio-economic and management implications. Australia provides a unique setting in which to examine the range of consequences of climate-induced range shifts because it encompasses a diverse range of ecosystems, spanning tropical to temperate systems, within a single nation and is home to global sea surface temperature change ‘hotspots’ (where range shifts are particularly likely to occur). We draw on global examples with a particular emphasis on Australian cases to evaluate these consequences. We show that in Australia, range shifts span a variety of ecosystem types, trophic levels, and perceived outcomes (i.e., negative versus positive). The effect(s) of range shifts on socio-economic change variables are rarely reviewed, yet have the potential to have positive and/or negative effects on economic activities, human health and ecosystem services. Even less information exists about potential management responses to range-shifting species. However, synthesis of these diverse examples provides some initial guidance for selecting effective adaptive response strategies and management tools in the face of continuing climate-mediated range shifts.     

Applying historical ecology to natural resource management institutions: Lessons from two case studies of landscape fire management

Understanding the linkages between social and ecological systems is key to developing sustainable natural resource management (NRM) institutions. Frequently, however, insufficient attention is paid to the historical development of NRM institutions. Instead, discussion largely focuses on models of economic efficiency at the expense of the cultural, historical, and ecological contexts within which institutions develop. Here we use the research program of historical ecology to explore the development, maintenance, and change of two contemporary fire management institutions in northern Australia and Colorado, USA, to demonstrate how social institutions and ecological systems change and resist change over time and how institutions interact across scales to negotiate contrasting goals and motivations. We argue that these NRM institutions are not strictly speaking evolutionary or adaptive, and that historical context is critical when evaluating how and why particular institutions and institutional relationships develop. As with ecosystems, the present characteristics of the NRM institutions are dependent on what has happened before and their efficacy can only be evaluated retrospectively. Therefore, an understanding of history is essential to questions of the desirability and feasibility of institutional change where such shifts are required from an ecological, social, or economic perspective. We further propose that institutional conflict arises from the differing goals and motives of resource management institutions at different scales. Our cases reveal that larger-scale institutions can be successful at achieving narrowly defined goals but often fall short of achieving socially desirable sustainable outcomes. Our findings support the use of narratives of community history, place, and being in considering the resilience and sustainability of social-ecological systems. We offer that historical ecology is complementary with institutional and economic approaches to the analysis of NRM institutions, and possesses a particular strength in linking ecology to the values and norms of small social groups.     

Numerical study of the oxidation process of dimethylsulfide in the marine atmosphere

A box model, involving simple heterogeneous reaction processes associated with the production of non-sea-salt sulfate (nss-SO ₄ ^2– ) particles, is used to investigate the oxidation processes of dimethylsulfide (DMS or CH₃SCH₃) in the marine atmosphere. The model is applied to chemical reactions in the atmospheric surface mixing layer, at intervals of 15 degrees latitude between 60° N and 60° S. Given that the addition reaction of the hydroxyl radical (OH) to the sulfur atom in the DMS molecule is faster at lower temperature than at higher temperature and that it is the predominant pathway for the production of methanesulfonic acid (MSA or CH₃SO₃H), the results can well explain both the increasing tendency of the molar ratio of MSA to nss-SO ₄ ^2– toward higher latitudes and the uniform distribution with latitude of sulfur dioxide (SO₂). The predicted production rate of MSA increases with increasing latitude due to the elevated rate constant of the addition reaction at lower temperature. Since latitudinal distributions of OH concentration and DMS reaction rate with OH are opposite, a uniform production rate of SO₂ is realized over the globe. The primary sink of DMS in unpolluted air is caused by the reaction with OH. Reaction of DMS with the nitrate radical (NO₃) also reduces DMS concentration but it is less important compared with that of OH. Concentrations of SO₂, MSA, and nss-SO ₄ ^2– are almost independent of NO _x concentration and radiation field. If dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO or CH₃S(O)CH₃) is produced by the addition reaction and further converted to sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) in an aqueous solution of cloud droplets, the oxidation process of DMSO might be important for the production of aerosol particles containing nss-SO ₄ ^2– at high latitudes.     

Public policy and financial resource mobilization for wind energy in developing countries: A comparison of approaches and outcomes in China and India

We analyze and contrast how China and India mobilized financial resources to build domestic technological innovation systems in wind energy. To that end, we identify distinct stages of technology diffusion in the two countries in the period 1986–2012, and analyze the interplay between public policies and the development of the technological innovation system across the different stages. We show that the two countries’ distinct development strategies for wind energy – China developed wind energy largely through its state-owned enterprises, while India opened up wind energy investment to the private sector in the early 1990s – influenced system outcomes in terms of technology diffusion, domestic industry structure, competitiveness, and ownership. By unraveling the interplay between public policies, investment risks and returns, and actor characteristics, we explain the differences in system outcomes and identify important policy trade-offs between the two strategies. Our analysis provides novel insights about the process of financial resource mobilization in technological innovation systems, the dynamics of innovation-system growth, and the policy trade-offs that must be reconciled by countries that aim to promote the diffusion of a particular technology.     

The investment climate for climate investment: Joint Implementation in transition countries

Transition countries are expected to become important players in the emerging market for greenhouse gas emission reductions, as they can cut emissions at a relatively low cost. However, the attractiveness of the region as a supplier of emission reductions will not only depend on its cost advantage. It will also depend on the business climate offered to carbon investors—factors like a well-functioning legal and regulatory system, economic and political stability and the capacity to process emission reduction projects efficiently. This paper looks at the carbon investment climate in the transition countries eligible for Joint Implementation (JI)—Russia, Ukraine, Croatia and the EU accession countries. It concludes that JI investors will face a clear trade-off between the scope for cheap JI on the one hand, and the quality of the business environment and JI institutions on the other. The countries with the highest potential for cheap emission reductions also tend to be the countries with the most difficult business climate and the least institutional capacity for JI. The most attractive JI locations may be median countries with a reasonable JI potential and an acceptable business climate, such as Bulgaria, Romania and the Slovak Republic.     

The investment climate for climate investment: Joint Implementation in transition countries

Transition countries are expected to become important players in the emerging market for greenhouse gas emission reductions, as they can cut emissions at a relatively low cost. However, the attractiveness of the region as a supplier of emission reductions will not only depend on its cost advantage. It will also depend on the business climate offered to carbon investors—factors like a well-functioning legal and regulatory system, economic and political stability and the capacity to process emission reduction projects efficiently. This paper looks at the carbon investment climate in the transition countries eligible for Joint Implementation (JI)—Russia, Ukraine, Croatia and the EU accession countries. It concludes that JI investors will face a clear trade-off between the scope for cheap JI on the one hand, and the quality of the business environment and JI institutions on the other. The countries with the highest potential for cheap emission reductions also tend to be the countries with the most difficult business climate and the least institutional capacity for JI. The most attractive JI locations may be median countries with a reasonable JI potential and an acceptable business climate, such as Bulgaria, Romania and the Slovak Republic.     

Urban greenspace as a climate change adaptation strategy for subtropical Asian cities: A comparative study across cities in three countries

Interest in nature-based approaches for climate change adaptation in cities is growing. Whilst there is a growing field of scholarship in a European and North America setting, research on the policy and governance of urban greenspace for climate adaptation in subtropical Asia is limited. Given the different development patterns, environmental characteristics and governance arrangements in subtropical cities, plus their comparatively large population and high climate risk, this is a significant knowledge gap. In response, this paper evaluates competences – skill sets, capabilities, and supporting policy and legislation – to enact adaptation through greenspace across different governance contexts; and assesses how international rhetoric on nature-based adaptation becomes localised to subtropical Asian city settings. We conduct interviews with stakeholders, plus review of relevant policy and city-specific research, for three cities with different governance and development contexts: Hanoi (Vietnam); Taipei (Taiwan); and Fukuoka (Japan). Across all three cases, we find that institutional structures and processes for connecting different remits and knowledge systems are a bigger challenge than a lack of appropriate policy or individuals with the required technical knowledge. However, opportunities for civil society participation and consideration of justice issues vary between the cities according to the socio-political context. These findings illustrate the value of individuals and organisations able to work across institutional boundaries in linking greenspace and adaptation agendas for subtropical Asian cities; and the importance of competence in collaboration with developers and civil society so that the rapid development or regeneration seen in subtropical Asian contexts does not tend towards green climate gentrification. More broadly, our findings show that the diverse nature of subtropical Asian cities means the role of greenspace in climate adaptation is likely to be context-specific, and thus that caution must be exercised against uncritically importing best practices from exemplar cases elsewhere.     

The influence of community-based resource management institutions on adaptation capacity: A large-n study of farmer responses to climate and global market disturbances

An underlying understanding among adaptation and community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) scholars is the existence of important feedbacks between local resource management institutions and individual adaptive capacity. The relationship between CBNRM and individual adaptive capacity is of global concern given the ubiquity of CBNRM worldwide, the patent impacts of global changes at local levels, and the recent calls for the integration of climate and rural development policies. So far, however, there have not been formal, large-n studies of that relationship. This study aims to fill that gap by testing whether the performance of community-based water management institutions and communal land regimes have an impact on the effectiveness of farmers’ adaptation responses to climatic and global market disturbances. For this purpose, the study relies on a unique dataset of individual and collective features obtained from water user associations (WUAs) and ejidos in Mexico. According to the regression results, well-functioning community-based water management institutions have a positive and significant impact on individual farmers’ self-reported response effectiveness. The impact of communal land property is also significant but negative. These effects, which hold only in the context of climate disturbances but not market disturbances, can be explained by looking at the support given by the associations to farmers, and issues of communal land marginalization, respectively. Policies that strengthen the autonomy and capacity for cooperation of WUAs and ameliorate structural deficits in communal land regimes shall not only guarantee a long-advocated path for rural development but also help farmers deal with some of the climatic uncertainties that increasingly threaten agriculture.     

The arrival rate of severe storms off the east coast of Canada: Research note

Abstract

Modern structural analysis techniques are heavily dependent upon statistical methods. The determination of design loads involves the calculation of long‐return period environmental parameters such as the 100‐year wind speed or the 100‐year wave height. One way in which to do this is to use the theory of compound distributions rather than the usual extreme value theory. Of critical importance, however, is the determination of which probability distributions to use. It is shown in this paper that the arrival rate of storms on Canada's East Coast is Poisson distributed and, therefore, that compound distributions may be used to calculate long return‐period environmental parameters.     

The Sahel in West Africa: countries in transition to a full market economy

A dominant image of the West African Sahel is one of periodic, and sometimes permanent crisis in terms of food production, environmental degradation, provision of public services and education, and widespread poverty. Recent research, including the West Africa Long-Term Perspective Study (WALTPS) study, offers modifications to this view. Close observation demonstrates that the Sahel, far from stagnating, is undergoing profound change, which may take the form of progress in some areas, and crisis or even regression in others. Two changes of note are the 10-fold increase of the population within the span of a century, and the opening up of the region to the world economy, as globalization advances. These two factors are radically altering West African systems of production and are forcing States and civil society to change radically and quickly. The paper argues that, as has been the case for many other developing regions of the world, intra-regional and domestic migration, urbanization and the densification of population are necessary conditions for the transformation of agriculture, and contribute to long-term regional food security and to the improvement of living standards. Encouraging free circulation of people, goods and services requires that the Sahelian nations not be considered in isolation from the rest of the continent, as it is too often the case.     

社交媒体在“21世纪海上丝绸之路”沿线国家海洋防灾减灾中的应用及借鉴

以Twitter、Facebook为代表的社交媒体在防灾减灾方面的作用越来越受到关注.中国是世界上海洋灾害最为严重的国家之一,海洋防灾减灾是目前我国面临的十分紧迫的问题.近年来,智能手机和网络的普及让中国的社交媒体进入了人们的日常生活.借鉴国外社交媒体在防灾减灾方面的经验,我们认为中国的社交媒体在海洋防灾减灾中同样拥有巨大潜力.本文首先介绍了"21世纪海上丝绸之路"沿线的几个国家利用社交媒体开展海洋防灾减灾工作的情况,随后总结了当前中国在海洋灾害预警、灾害信息传播及灾害管理等方面的实际情况.最后,借鉴国外先进的经验和做法,为进一步提升中国社交媒体在海洋防灾减灾工作中的作用提出了启示性的对策建议.     

我国东部夏季雨带类型的划分及预报

本文提出了一种划分我国东部夏季雨带类型的客观方法,并与目测分型结果进行了比较。同时也探讨了雨带类型的预报问题。