Environment and the federal government in Malaysia

The human impact on the natural systems of Malaysia has proceeded apace in recent decades. Rapid rural development at the expense of the rainforest, selective logging of hardwoods, processing of agricultural products and urbanization are among the processes that account for environmental change. The federal government has responded to the widening circle of environmental problems by introducing new legislation, creating a Department of Environment, including environmental considerations in certain of its national development plans and adopting certain kinds of stances in environmental disputes. Following a discussion of these responses, it is argued that the government has given insufficient attention to the relations between environmental change on the one hand and population growth and poverty, pace and scale of rural development, role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), indigenous knowledge systems and institutional arrangements on the other. It is concluded that the federal government should cooperate with NGOs, consider adopting a new fiscal relationship with the states and, in certain cases, place greater reliance on its constitutional powers.     

Serving the Service Sector: Gendering Regional (Un)Employment in Geelong,Australia1

This paper will briefly examine employment trends in regional Australia before focusing on one manufacturing, coastal region ‐ Geelong, Victoria –over the 1990s. It will consider the experience of a differentiated sample of women as they enter (and re‐enter) the one sphere of economic activity seen by many as the economic future of cities and regions ‐the service sector. Interviews detailed women's employment histories and experiences but despite the complexity of their multiple locations, this paper will argue that it is their disadvantaged positions as women workers that is fundamental in shaping that experience, regardless of how it is complicated by age, ethnicity or disability.     

从市区到市郊:二战后联邦政府主导下的美国郊区化运动

二战后,为解决严重的住房短缺问题,美国联邦政府一方面继续鼓励发展郊区住宅,如为退伍军人制定优惠贷款政策、修建州际高速公路,另一方面发起了城市更新运动,试图通过拆除城市中心衰败社区来改善居住环境,为城市中心的发展注入新的活力。然而,这些政策在推动郊区化的同时,也加剧了城市中心的衰落。这些政策的实施,既塑造了战后美国城市面貌,也对诸如城市暴乱、社会分化等问题负有责任。     

The shifting territory of government: some insights from the Rural White Paper

Summary In this paper it is proposed that the territory of governance is currently being reconfigured by the state. The state is pulling back from a universalist, welfare role, which entailed comprehensive governance of the whole national territory. Now a much more selective form of government is coming into being, concerned with 'community', 'diversity' and 'locality'. This is not, however, simply a belated recognition by the state that these are ever more important features of socio-spatial life: rather, it is part of the reconfiguration of the territory of government as the state invokes these characteristics in order to modify its ways of governing. Using Foucault's concept of governmentality–that is the means used by the state to 'problematise' life within its territorial borders and then act on the basis of these problematisations—the recent case of the Rural White Paper is examined. It is proposed that this is a very clear example of a governmental retreat from a comprehensive role in the governance of rural areas and shows how the state now seeks to govern 'through communities'.     

Responding to Negative Public Attitudes towards Immigration through Analysis and Policy: regional and unemployment dimensions

ABSTRACT

This paper examines two key dimensions of the impact of immigration for Australia and related policy aspects. One is sub-national and the other is national. They are, first, the regional location aspects of immigration and, second, the aggregate unemployment implications of immigration. These are chosen so as to focus on two important issues that condition public attitudes towards immigration. In relation to the first, there is a common positive view that channelling migration towards regional areas assists regional development and reduces pressure on metropolitan areas. The paper reviews regional concepts embodied in Australian immigration policy and the ways in which visa arrangements have implemented policies geared towards the regional dispersal of immigrants. Using official data, it discusses the demographic impacts of these policies and, in particular, considers the extent to which immigrants to regional Australia remain there over the longer term. In relation to unemployment, a common concern is that immigrants take jobs from local workers. The paper examines—using statistical regression methodology—the relationship between immigration and national aggregate unemployment in Australia. It evaluates the net consequences of immigration for both existing residents and new arrivals together. The paper concludes that, with good policy design in each case, regional location encouragement can be effective for immigrants and that immigrants need not take more jobs than they create. The analysis demonstrates that mixed-methods approaches to important social science issues can be productive, and helpful also for policy. Evidence, such as that presented in this paper, offers a powerful basis from which to counter negative public and political discourses surrounding immigration in contemporary Australia.     

American viticultural areas: A problem in regional geography

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine a particular type of formal geographic region—the viticultural region—to promote an understanding of the geographical bases of wine production. The authors have found that the viticultural area is an excellent vehicle for teaching students how geographers construct and analyze regions. Although the wine industry in the United States is concentrated overwhelmingly in California and secondarily in a belt running from New York across Pennsylvania and into Ohio, most of the lower 48 states have at least one officially recognized viticultural area. The following problem has been developed to be used “as is” or to be modified for any state or region in the country. By the end of the problem, students have gained hands-on experience in defining regions, correlating physical geography with human activities, and thinking about the importance of place names and scale.     

Benefiting from the regional problem: The politics of 60 years of regional development

The New Zealand government approach to regional development and the economy more broadly has oscillated from the 1970s economic growth and investment focus to 1980s neoliberal neglect, followed by the more recent rediscovery of the regions' importance in national economies, all with tenuous outcomes. This paper explores the changing scope of regional development initiatives by successive New Zealand governments over the last 60 years to show a pattern of opportunism and neglect that suggests regional development is more aligned to electoral priorities than regional success.     

The PBRM (perception-based regional mapping): A spatial method to support regional development initiatives

This paper examines the relevance of a perception-based regional level mapping tool in rural Niger. Two regions in Niger are examined. Results permit to assume that such a tool helped to fill several gaps: (i) a scale gap between local and nation wide studies; (ii) a scientific gap between biophysical and socio-anthropological sciences; and (iii) a methodological gap of integration between data sources. Moreover, this method is fast, cheap and action-oriented. Data are easily understandable and usable both by rural communities and development agencies. It provides information about human dynamics at a regional level, which cannot be achieved by other methods.     

Coordinated changes of sea ice over the Beaufort and Chukchi seas: regional and seasonal perspectives

One outstanding feature of the recent Arctic climate is the contrast of the changes of sea ice concentration and thickness between the Beaufort Sea and the Chukchi Sea. Since the Arctic Oscillation (AO) plays a critical role in driving Arctic sea ice changes and the Beaufort and Chukchi seas have been hypothesized as a region in which sea ice anomalies originate, we employed a coupled sea ice-ocean model and carried out simulations forced by the AO signal to examine sea ice changes in these regions, focusing on seasonality. With the AO phase transition from negative to positive, anticyclonic windstress weakens broadly in both winter and summer; however, the surface air temperature response shows remarkable seasonal dependence. Positive temperature anomalies spread over the entire domain in winter, while negative anomalies occur in the shelf seas in summer, although positive anomalies remain in the deep-water portion. The simulated sea ice concentration resembles the observed concentration. The strong seasonality of sea ice concentration changes suggests that accumulation of sea ice concentration in the Beaufort Sea and reduction in the Chukchi Sea are mainly produced in summer. Changes of ice thickness are robust through the seasonal cycle. Generally, sea ice dynamics play a critical role in creating the anomalous sea ice pattern and sea ice thermodynamics partially compensate the dynamically-driven changes. However, considerable seasonal differences occur.     

Environmental controls on lambing rate in Patagonia (Argentina): A regional approach

Sheep herd sustainability in Patagonia is limited by reproductive efficiency. As the herds graze on natural vegetation year round, efficiency is constrained by biophysical factors. Our aim was to characterize the environmental controls over effective lambing rate in northwest Patagonia. We related remotely sensed data [surface temperatures and Normal Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), a surrogate for forage availability] and climatic information to lambing rates. A spatial model explained 63% of the variability in mean lambing rate, based on mean annual NDVI and mean spring surface temperature. The relative inter-annual variability in lambing rates was of similar magnitude to that of annual NDVI. Both lambing rate and NDVI were less variable than climatic factors. Two regional temporal models explained approximately 25% of the variability, based on NDVI values representative of ewes’ nutrition during late gestation and lambing. These models predicted, with 65% and 76% accuracy respectively, the occurrence of better-than-average and worse-than-average yearly lambing rates. These results provided insights into the factors limiting reproduction, and they form the basis for important decision tools for ranch managers. Prediction of lambing rates based on remotely sensed data will reduce the uncertainty and risk in sheep production, increasing the economic sustainability of sheep production.     

Resource utilization and regional planning information systems (RURPIS) in Botswana

Abstract

Problems with data organization for increasingly complex resource utilization and regional programmes have encouraged Botswana to turn to a geographical information systems approach. A major project to carry this out, based in the Department of Environmental Science, University of Botswana, is outlined in this paper. The paper documents the design of the programme and lists its modules and variables. It also reports on important considerations that have been taken into account in evaluating the programme's data sets and gives results from an illustrative pilot project that has been undertaken.     

中国中世纪气候异常期温度的多尺度变化特征及区域差异

中世纪气候异常期（MCA,约950-1250年）是地球气候变化史上距今最近的长达数百年的典型温暖气候阶段,因此常被作为研究温暖气候及其影响与适应问题的主要历史相似型而备受瞩目。综合利用近年所发表的长度超过千年的中国4个区域（东北、西北、东中、青藏高原）高分辨率气候变化重建结果,结合历史文献的冷暖记载,采用集合经验模态分解的方法,对MCA期间中国温度的年代—多年代—百年尺度波动特征及其区域差异进行了分析。结果显示：从全国总体看,尽管在12世纪中后期存在数十年的相对冷谷,但在百年尺度上,10-13世纪是过去2000年中持续时间最长的显著暖期,且这一温暖期的起讫时间和温暖程度存在区域差异。各个区域温度变化序列的集合经验模态分解表明：在准30年尺度上,950-1130年间中国区域的温度波动位相基本同步;但在其后的1130-1250年,各区温度波动幅度变小,也存在位相差异。在准百年尺度上,各个区域均自10世纪前期起显著转暖,在MCA期间总体温暖背景下,出现2次冷波动;但除西北与东中部在整个MCA期间的百年尺度温度变化基本同步外,东北和青藏高原地区在MCA期间与其他区域存在显著的波动位相差异,且其温暖气候结束时间也较西北与东中部早40~50年。在百年以上尺度的趋势变化上,东北部和东中部2个区域均显示MCA和其后出现的小冰期（LIA）2个阶段温度差别较显著,而西北、青藏高原2个区域则均显示MCA和LIA的阶段温度差别不大。综合各种尺度的波动特征显示：MCA温暖程度在东中部与20世纪相当,在东北部较20世纪略低,在西北和青藏高原则显著低于20世纪。     

Food energy requirements of the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) population in the Barents and White Seas

The harp seal ( Phoca groenlandica ) population of the Barents and White Seas has probably decreased from about one million individuals to half this size the last few years. Energy requirements of the population have been estimated by use of the simulation model SEAERG. In this model the energy requirements of an individual seal from each age group is multiplied with the group size and summed to provide the requirements of the population. In addition to population size and age structure the total food and energy requirement is sensitive to individual activity levels as well as metabolic levels and other specified physiological functions. The interactions between the seal population and fisheries depends on the caloric density of the prey species which varies with season and location. Realistic simulations of interactions between seals and fisheries require more information about spatial and temporal variations in the prey selection of harp seals than is available today.
Present estimates indicate average maintenance requirements of about 13,600 and ll,150kcal/day for adult female and male harp seals respectively. The high value for the females is due to the costs of pregnancy and lactation. With a mean energy density of prey of 1500 kcal/kg, the corresponding food consumption is 9 kg/day for females and 7.4 kg/day for males.     

Black gold to green gold: regional energy policy and the rehabilitation of coal in response to climate change

Energy production has come under increasing scrutiny as concerns about energy security and climate change have risen. In the UK changes in government structure and privatisation of the electricity industry have led to the emergence of multi-level governance. This means that decisions on how to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity-generating sector should no longer be solely a national policy decision. Previous studies have sought to explore how renewable energy may develop under multi-level governance, but this paper pays attention to a traditional fossil fuel source, coal, which is still an important means of electricity generation. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel and advocates argue that carbon capture and storage techniques could make coal 'clean', paving the way for a long-term, secure and low emission way to produce energy. This study focuses on the Yorkshire and Humber Region, which has had a long association with coal mining and looks at the implications of this as the region seeks to develop a climate change action plan and an energy strategy within the new regional governance structures. The paper argues that the regional networks developed to address climate change are influenced by existing social power structures and alliances. The region as a territorial structure becomes a useful device in promoting national priorities.     

Hydrology and water resources variation and its response to regional climate change in Xinjiang

Based on the surface runoff, temperature and precipitation data over the last 50 years from eight representative rivers in Xinjiang, using Mann-Kendall trend and jump detection method, the paper investigated the long-term trend and jump point of time series, the surface runoff, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Meanwhile, the paper analyzed the relationship between runoff and temperature and precipitation, and the flood frequency and peak flow. Results showed that climate of all parts of Xinjiang conformably has experienced an increase in temperature and precipitation since the mid-1980s. Northern Xinjiang was the area that changed most significantly followed by southern and eastern Xinjiang. Affected by temperature and precipitation variation, river runoff had changed both inter- annually and intra-annually. The surface runoff of most rivers has increased significantly since the early 1990s, and some of them have even witnessed the earlier spring floods, later summer floods and increasing flood peaks. The variation characteristics were closely related with the replenishment types of rivers. Flood frequency and peak flow increased all over Xinjiang. Climate warming has had an effect on the regional hydrological cycle.     

新疆水文水资源变化及对区域气候变化的响应

Based on the surface runoff, temperature and precipitation data over the last 50 years from eight representative rivers in Xinjiang, using Mann-Kendall trend and jump detection method, the paper investigated the long-term trend and jump point of time series, the surface runoff, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Meanwhile, the paper analyzed the relationship between runoff and temperature and precipitation, and the flood frequency and peak flow. Results showed that climate of all parts of Xinjiang conformably has experienced an increase in temperature and precipitation since the mid-1980s. Northern Xinjiang was the area that changed most significantly followed by southern and eastern Xinjiang. Affected by temperature and precipitation variation, river runoff had changed both inter-annually and intra-annually. The surface runoff of most rivers has increased significantly since the early 1990s, and some of them have even witnessed the earlier spring floods, later summer floods and increasing flood peaks. The variation characteristics were closely related with the replenishment types of rivers. Flood frequency and peak flow increased all over Xinjiang. Climate warming has had an effect on the regional hydrological cycle.     

自然地域系统研究的回顾与展望

本文在回顾国内外自然地域系统研究的基础上 ,分析了自然地域系统研究不同历史阶段的特点 ,自然地域系统研究中存在的若干问题与争论 ,如对于地带性学说的不同理解、自然地域划分原则、生态地理区域划分的性质、划分指标体系的选择、中国自然地域系统若干重要界线的划分、考虑人类活动的影响以及关于山地的划分与归属等。指出了自然地域系统研究在理论方法、研究和考虑人类活动可能产生的影响及其反馈以及研究手段等方面的发展趋势。     

An improved ant colony optimization (I-ACO) method for the quasi travelling salesman problem (Quasi-TSP)

Traveling salesman problem (TSP) and its quasi problem (Quasi-TSP) are typical problems in path optimization, and ant colony optimization (ACO) algorithm is considered as an effective way to solve TSP. However, when the problems come to high dimensions, the classic algorithm works with low efficiency and accuracy, and usually cannot obtain an ideal solution. To overcome the shortcoming of the classic algorithm, this paper proposes an improved ant colony optimization (I-ACO) algorithm which combines swarm intelligence with local search to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm. Experiments are carried out to verify the availability and analyze the performance of I-ACO algorithm, which cites a Quasi-TSP based on a practical problem in a tourist area. The results illustrate the higher accuracy and efficiency of the I-ACO algorithm to solve Quasi-TSP, comparing with greedy algorithm, simulated annealing, classic ant colony algorithm and particle swarm optimization algorithm, and prove that the I-ACO algorithm is a positive effective way to tackle Quasi-TSP.