Spatial risk assessment related to abandoned mining activities: an environmental management tool

Mining activities and resulting wastes can be considered one of the most important sources of toxic metals and metalloids in the environment. To assess environmental risk in the surrounding areas of old abandoned W-Sn and Pb–Zn mines and resulting tailings and rejected materials, 333 samples were collected in stream sediments under the influence of abandoned mines. Samples were prepared and analyzed for Fe, Ba, P, Cu, Cr, Ag, B, Zn, Be, Y, Nb, Pb, Ni, V, Mn, Mo, As, W, Co, Cd, Sn and U. The inexistence of Portuguese legislation concerning parametric values for stream sediments led to the application of a quantitative index for progressive contamination on stream sediments, the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), as variables to create risk maps. A first exploratory multivariate statistical analysis, using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), applied to the obtained Igeos, shows a first factor (F1) explaining the dependence of P and B (positive correlation with the axis) and the inverse correlation of these two elements with the cluster formed by Cr, Ni and V (negative correlation with the axis); the second factor (F2) explains Ni, Fe, Zn and As; Cd and U Igeos are not explained in the new factorial space and, therefore, are characterized individually. The variographic studies showed the existence of spatial structure for the new synthesis variables (F1, F2) as well as for Cd and U Igeos. The experimental point-support data was then interpolated using ordinary kriging within a narrow search window as shown in the fitted variogram models. The obtained maps show extremely high levels of pollution in Cd and W and strongly high levels of pollution in Cr, B, Ag, Zn and Pb. The accumulation of these elements in the studied stream sediments is higher on the abandoned mining areas and in their vicinity.     

Effective environmental management through environmental knowledge management

Owing to the green revolution, environmental problems have now become some of the most important issues worldwide. Environmental knowledge management, which combines the strengths of environmental management and knowledge management, will become a popular tool for businesses in the near future. In this paper, through interviews of staff at different levels and in different departments of the business, i. e. managers and engineers and using the environmental knowledge circulation process, the authors evaluate the success of environmental knowledge management when applied to China Steel Corporation in Taiwan. From the case study, the authors found that China Steel Corporation has applied the environmental knowledge circulation process for over thirty years. The company continually improves its environmental and financial performance through environmental knowledge creation, environmental knowledge accumulation, environmental knowledge sharing, environmental knowledge utilization and environmental knowledge internalization. Water pollution and air emissions have reduced year on year and total energy consumption has reduced by 20 % from 1979 to 2006. On the other hand, China Steel Corporation also makes a profit and reduces cost through energy sold, by-products and recycling. Continuous improvement in environmental knowledge management has rendered China Steel Corporation in the most profitable steel company in Taiwan and the world’s twenty fifth largest steel producing company in 2006.     

土壤环境质量标准的制定原则与方法

土壤质量标准是土壤环境质量评价的基础依据。初步分析了西方发达国家土壤环境质量研究现状，着重论述了中国土壤环境质量标准的应用情况及存在的问题，考虑土壤污染物生物毒性的影响因素，结合当前多目标地球化学调查的成果资料，提出了研究建立区域性地方标准的基本原则。     

The role of women in environmental management: an overview of the rural Cameroonian situation

Rural Cameroonian women interact with the environment through their numerous daily chores, and so produce in each Cameroonian ecological zone specific problems which with time can no longer be managed. In cutting down and burning the vegetation so as to create farms, in fetching water, fuel wood and so on in order to satisfy the needs of each household, the Cameroonian rural woman is pushed into a situation where she devastates and accelerates environmental degradation.In any ecological, climatic, ethnic or cultural zone, in which she finds herself, she sets in motion the continuous natural resource consumption process. Unfortunately, she has no firm authority over the land, credit and decision-making where she can come in, interact and check some of these negative consequences. The men have also been identified as accomplices in this environmental degradation process since they push the women into taking much from the environment so as to satisfy men and general domestic needs.Since the rural Cameroonian women constitute a potential partner (56,6%) of the rural production force, this paper highlights the problems created in each zone with the view of awakening public opinion, and creating an awareness of the magnitude in each zone. Some proposals, through the discussion methodology are envisaged. This, through compensatory measures, exchanges in take and give, and in farm community actions to uphold any positive checks. When all these are properly focused and the women's right to land, credit, training and decision-making recognised, they can be brought to the forefront as partners in the better management of the environment.     

Geomorphological models as a tool for environmental studies

Relief is understood as a fundamental component of the environmental system. The structure of geomorphodynamic processes and of the relief sphere as the main energy transformation surface is a determining factor for environmental conditions of both sites and areas. Modelling is the instrument of the applied and systems analytic approach to geomorphology. Geomorphological tools are appropriate means of determining, structuring, assessing and predicting the geoecological potential of the environment. This is demonstrated by quantitative and multivariate models to describe spatial patterns of the environment (fluvial network analysis) and to evaluate and present environmentally relevant geomorphological disposition (slope stability analysis).     

Soil properties at the tree limits of the coniferous forest in response to varying environmental conditions in the Tianshan Mountains,Northwest China

The continuous coniferous forest in the Tianshan Mountains primarily consists of Picea schrenkiana. The forest forms an unbroken 1,000 km forest zone extending from west to east on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, where environmental conditions such as precipitation, temperature and terrain vary greatly. To gain insight into the differences between soil properties at the upper and lower limits of P. schrenkiana, soil underlying the forests was studied along 4 transects located at Jinghe, Manasi, Fukang, and Balikun, where the natural conditions are typical and therefore representative of western, mid-western, mid-eastern and eastern portions of the Tianshan Mountains. The soil type under the coniferous forest on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains is gray cinnamon forest soil. For each transect, soil samples were collected from three different depths (0–5, 5–30 and 30–70 cm) in the area near the upper and lower limits of P. schrenkiana. A total of 48 soil samples were collected from 16 soil profiles and analyzed in two different laboratories. The soil pH, organic matter (OM), total N, total P, CaCO₃, and electrical conductivity (EC) were analyzed using common pedological methods. The continuous distribution of P. schrenkiana on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains was caused by combined water-heat conditions and pedological factors. At the upper and lower tree limits, where differences existed in the soil parent materials, precipitation, topography, combined water-heat conditions, and local atmospheric pattern, the soil properties showed a close relationship with the local environmental conditions. Due to the presence of high precipitation over the Manasi transect, the soil was fertile and had a low CaCO₃ content. In contrast, low soil fertility with high CaCO₃ was observed in the soil along the Jinghe and Balikun transects, where there was low precipitation. Although the soil properties varied on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains due to the presence of different environmental conditions across the 1,000-km forest zone, this region was suitable for the growth of P. schrenkiana. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that soil played an important role in controlling the continuous distribution of the P. schrenkiana along the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains.     

A landslide database for Nicaragua: a tool for landslide-hazard management

A digital landslide database has been created for Nicaragua to provide the scientific community and national authorities with a tool for landslide-hazard assessment, emergency management, land-use planning, development of early warning systems, and the implementation of public and private policies. The Instituto Nicaragüense de Estudios Territoriales (Nicaraguan Geosciences Institute, INETER) began to compile the database in a digital format in 2003 as part of a comprehensive geographical information system for all types of geohazards. Landslide data have been obtained from a variety of sources including newspapers, technical reports, and landslide inventory maps. Inventory maps are largely based on fieldwork and aerial-photo analyses conducted by foreign development agencies in collaboration with INETER and other Nicaraguan institutions. This paper presents the sources of landslide information, introduces the database, and presents the first analyses of the data at national and regional scales. The database currently contains spatial information for about 17,000 landslides that occurred in mountainous and volcanic terrains. Information is mainly recorded for the period 1826–2003, with a large number of events that occurred during the disastrous Hurricane Mitch in October 1998. The oldest historical event is dated at 1570, some events are recorded as prehistorical, and other events have unknown dates of occurrence. Debris flows have been the most common types of landslides, both in volcanic and nonvolcanic areas, but other types, including rockfalls and slides, have also been identified. Intense and prolonged rainfall, often associated with tropical cyclones, and seismic and volcanic activity represent the most important landslide triggers. At a regional scale, the influence of topographic (elevation, slope angle, slope aspect) and lithologic parameters on the occurrence of landslides was analyzed. The development of the database allowed us to define the state of knowledge on landslide processes in the Nicaragua and to provide a preliminary identification of areas affected by landslides.     

Large-scale GIS-based hydrogeological modeling of Flanders: a tool for groundwater management

For the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD), technological and scientific support are required. This paper presents a methodology to support a first step of the implementation of WFD, which is the delineation of groundwater bodies. The methodology consists of (1) the development of a complete and generally-accepted hydrogeological classification system for Flanders, named the HCOV code, (2) the development of a geographic information systems (GIS)-managed borehole database, and (3) the development of aquifer and aquitard models by means of a solid modeling approach. For each unit of the hydrogeological classification code for Flanders unit, GIS maps are generated for the three basic characteristics of hydrogeological layers: extent, base level and thickness, such that combined, the volume and extent of a hydrogeological layer is unambiguously defined. This GIS-based hydrogeological database has become a useful tool for groundwater management purposes and to provide the input for groundwater modeling.     

LusTRE: a framework of linked environmental thesauri for metadata management

The paper illustrates a Linked Thesaurus Framework for the Environment, named LusTRE, to facilitate data sharing across different environmental disciplines. It provides a knowledge infrastructure of multilingual thesauri and code lists, interlinking them so that they can be used as one integrated linked data source. This multilingual thesaurus is published according to the Linked Data Best Practices and supports metadata compilation and data discovery for describing and finding Environmental geodata. A human readable web interface is provided for the exploitation of LusTRE as well as a set of web services for programmatic access to the knowledge infrastructure. LusTRE has been exploited within the European directive INSPIRE and SEIS piloting testbeds implemented within the EU project eENVplus in order to support cross-border and cross-domain data sharing. It is aimed at supporting multilingual data search and query refinement. In order to show how interlinked content can help users to more easily express metadata within Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI), LusTRE web services have been integrated within existing metadata editors and geoportals.     

Geological and environmental management of ceramic clay quarries: a review

This paper shows a contribution to the knowledge of the geological management of ceramic raw material. We have mainly focussed on the clays with a ceramic interest. The article begins with an introduction to the mineralogical determining factor of the ceramic sector. Then, it shows a development of the main steps that take place in the geological prospecting and it concludes with the criteria that must be followed when selecting the outcrops: geographical and environmental conditions, (1) legislation, (2) market and technology, (3) mineralogical and technological characterisation and (4) geological and mining characterisation.     

Tracing environmental narratives: a web-based tool for the analysis and visualization of georeferenced narratives

A growing number of studies have used standalone GPS or smartphones to track where people move and the environment to which they expose. In the same time, questionnaire, survey, and travel diaries have been used to capture people’s perception, emotions, and interactions with the nearby environment. The growing volume of qualitative data together with locational information calls for new ways to conveniently, intuitively, and visually convey georeferenced narratives. In this study, we developed a web-based tool that automatically processes GPS trajectories and narratives, displays information regarding travel routes and georeferenced environmental perception. Our georeferenced word-cloud approach provides an innovative way to visualize qualitative information. The developed platform can be widely used in community engagement and participatory planning processes to empower the local communities.     

Coral reefs as a tool for monitoring environmental and radiation hazards

Analysis of coral reef species enables characterization of the coral reefs and the degree to which human activities influence the reef composition. Geochemical characteristics, X-ray diffraction, and natural radionuclides analyses of four common coral reef species representing the branching and massive forms were conducted at the three areas under threat (Quseir Harbor, Safaga Harbor, and El-Esh area) along the Red Sea coast. Branching recorded higher carbonates and lower organic matter than the massive forms. Stylophora pistillata at Safaga Harbor and El-Esh area and Acropora humilis at Qusier Harbor recorded the highest carbonate percentages (96.88, 96.24, and 96.89%, respectively) meanwhile Platygyra daedalea at Safaga Harbor recorded the highest organic matter contents (5.07 and 4.91%). The highest Ca contents were observed in S. pistillata and Porites solida (65.87 and 64.87%), the highest Mg was in Acropora humilis and P. daedalea (1.06 and 0.88%) at Qusier Harbor, whilst the highest Sr was in S. pistillata and P. daedalea at Safaga Harbor. Then highest value of ²²⁶Ra recorded in A. humilis and P. solida (71 ± 3.5 Bq/kg and 63 ± 3.1 Bq/k) and ²³²Th in S. pistillata at El-Esh area may attribute to petroleum exploration activities. A. humilis and P. daedalea at Safaga Harbor recorded significant high ⁴⁰K values (505 ± 30 and 472 ± 13 Bq/kg, respectively) relative to the other localities. The low Ca and High Sr as well as the highest averages of ²³²Th and ⁴⁰K at Safaga Harbor indicated that the coral reef communities were highly affected by the terrestrial inputs from phosphate shipments.     

Evaluating environmental planning and management: the case of the Shetland Islands

The development of offshore hydrocarbon resources has frequently been characterised by considerable negative environmental, economic and social impacts. The Shetland Islands have been noted as a successful example of how a small local authority can successfully plan and manage such impacts. This paper focuses on the strategies and institutional arrangements utilised by the local authority in order to reduce and control impacts from the development of hydrocarbon resources in the Shetland Basin in the decade beginning in 1970. It provides a hindsight evaluation of the measures taken to achieve the authority's goal of only accepting essential development which would not put at risk the traditional economic activities and social patterns of the Shetland community. The consistent application of the policy of insulation and containment of the major aspects of development proved appropriate in achieving this goal. This paper discusses the monitoring procedures established to record changes in environmental and socio-economic conditions over the last two decades, and the dimensions of the changes which have occurred during this period. This paper concludes that the Shetland situation does indeed stand as a successful example of impact management and control, and, while Shetland has not emerged unchanged from two decades of oil-related development, it has managed to shield the traditional activities and way of life from much of the effects of that development. The wreck of the tanker Braer in January 1993 serves as a reminder, however, of the vulnerability of areas such as Shetland to external circumstances beyond their control.     

Using the SyNaRMa system as a disaster management tool

Natural disasters have a considerable effect in human, infrastructure and economy. In the case of a, e.g., catastrophic earthquake that happens and affects the urban environment, immediate and efficient actions are required that ensure the minimization of the damage and loss of human lives. Local and national authorities should respond in order to meet the above objective. Nowadays, one of the most appropriate tools for this purpose is the web-based geographic information systems (GIS). Such a system, named SyNaRMa (Information System for Natural Risk Management in the Mediterranean), has been developed in the frame of an INTERREG IIIB ArchiMED project (2006?C2008). The present paper aims at addressing the role of the SyNaRMa system as a tool for facilitating disaster management. It is argued that the development of a web-based GIS can assist disaster management agencies to improve the quality of their decision making and increase efficiency and effectiveness in all levels of disaster management activities. This research is primarily based on the findings of the abovementioned project that resulted in the development of an information system for natural risk management in the Mediterranean that can facilitate sharing, access and usage of spatial data in disaster management, i.e., preparedness, response and recovery activities.     

Natural disaster management mechanisms for probabilistic earthquake loss

High rates of urbanization, environmental degradation, and industrial development have affected all nations worldwide, but in disaster-prone areas, the impact is even greater serving to increase the extent of damage from natural catastrophes. As a result of the global nature of environmental change, modern economies have had to adapt, and sustainability is an extremely important issue. Clearly, natural disasters will affect the competitiveness of an enterprise. This study focuses on natural disaster management in an area in which the direct risks are posed by the physical effects of natural disasters such as floods, droughts, tsunamis, and rising sea levels. On a local level, the potential impact of a disaster on a company and how much damage (loss) it causes to facilities and future business are of concern. Each company must make plans to mitigate predictable risk. Risk assessments must be completed in a timely manner. Disaster management is also very important to national policy. Natural disaster management mechanisms can include strategies for disaster prevention, early warning (prediction) systems, disaster mitigation, preparedness and response, and human resource development. Both governmental administration (public) and private organizations should participate in these programs. Participation of the local community is especially important for successful disaster mitigation, preparation for, and the implementations of such measures. Our focus in this study is a preliminary proposal for developing an efficient probabilistic approach to facilitate design optimization that involves probabilistic constraints.     

Web-GIS tool for the management of rural land markets

Land abandonment and stagnation of rural markets in the last few years have become one of the main concerns of rural administrations. The use of Web and GIS (Geographic Information System) technologies can help to mitigate the effects of these problems. This paper pro-poses a novel Web-GIS tool with spatial capabilities for the dynamization of rural land markets by encouraging the transfer of land from owners to farmers through the leasing of plots. The system, based on open source software, offers information about the properties, their environment and their owners. It uses standards for handling the geographic information and for communicating with external data sources. This system was used as the basis for the development of SITEGAL, the tool for the management of the Land Bank of Galicia (www.bantegal.com/sitegal). SITEGAL has been operational since 2007 obtaining benefits for both administration and users (farmers and land owners), and promoting the e-Government.