Botswana: fencing out the equity issue. Cattleposts and cattle ranching in the Kalahari Desert

This paper examines the advantages of the traditional cattlepost system against the recent drive towards the fencing of Botswana's rangelands and the establishment of privatised, commercial beef ranches. Consideration of operational and environmental factors emphasise the benefits of the cattlepost system, while socio-economic and political factors explain why the current drive towards fenced ranches will continue for the foreseeable future. It is concluded that while the degradation issue on Botswana's rangelands has been overstated, alleged concern for the conservation of the grazing resource is explicitly driving Botswana's current New Agricultural Policy. By accentuating the existing marked socio-economic inequalities within the livestock sector, such misplaced policies will fuel much graver environmental problems, as the underlying equity issue remains unaddressed.     

应对草地退化的生态移民政策及牧户响应分析——基于黄河源区玛多县的牧户调查

从牧户角度,通过牧户调查、遥感数据、自然要素和社会经济要素综合分析,研究生态移民政策和牧户的响应情况及原因,对以后的人地和谐共处具有借鉴作用.以黄河源区玛多县牧户调查为例,利用1977～2004年三期草地退化数据、近28年气象数据、1988～2004年放牧压力数据、两年的PRA牧户访谈共144户的资料,通过综合分析,得出以下结果:(1)玛多县草地普遍发生退化现象,两期退化草地占总草地面积比重均在43%以上,并且退化呈加快趋势,冬春草场退化情况最为严重.(2)草地退化是气候干暖化和草地载畜超载共同造成的.(3)移民政策和牧户社会经济情况的对比利益差异,导致移出的牧户以老年牧户、无畜/少畜户为主,分别占移民户总数48.5%和68.3%,牲畜多的、中青年牧户普遍不愿移民.而且,移民户中,一证多户中的部分户移民占所有移民户54.5%.移民牧户结构的上述特征导致通过移民实现草地载畜量明显减少的目标难以实现.     

Globalisation and the pattern of inbound tourism in Australia

International tourist flows to Australia are examined from the perspective of globalisation. The factors influencing such flows are identified and their geographical impact outlined. Inbound tourism is shown to be growing quickly in both absolute and relative terms and to have a metropolitan emphasis that contrasts with the non‐metropolitan focus of domestic tourism. Tourism illustrates many of the social and cultural changes occurring in contemporary society; the nature of tourism is changing as society changes with a result that new forms of tourism are emerging. Particularly noteworthy is the shift from mass to ‘new tourism’. The nature and likely impact of these changes in Australia is assessed. The paper concludes that growth rates comparable with those achieved in the past might not be sustainable.     

Contending with unequal and privileged access to natural resources and land in the Okavango Delta, Botswana

This paper reviews how state policy and regulatory instruments, including protected area alienations and concessions, have altered or denied the access to land and natural livelihood resources of the indigenous Basarwa and minority subsistence-oriented communities in the Okavango Delta (OD) in Botswana. Drawing on field research and guided by a sustainable rural livelihoods framework, the paper provides an overview of key institutional interventions – in particular the setting up of the Moremi Game Reserve, Wildlife Conservation Policy, Tourism Policy, Agricultural Development Policy and the erection of veterinary fences – that have served to privilege a foreign-owned and dominated commercialized wildlife and nature tourism sector and the export-oriented beef industry in the OD. The officially sanctioned barriers to customary and usufructory rights and access, and the non-recognition of historically embedded traditional land uses have decimated already marginalized resource-based subsistence livelihoods, and precipitated intergroup conflicts over preferential rights and access to resources and opportunities, notably wildlife, non-timber veld products, agriculture and community-based tourism schemes. Such outcomes, moreover, will have consequences for the longer-term sustainability of the OD both as a socioeconomic resource base and as a natural ecosystem.     

Globalisation, Regionalisation and Local Voices: The Asian Development Bank and Rescaled Politics of Environment in the Mekong Region

Globalisation is manifested in the Mekong Region both through processes and discourses that reflect the ideology of a borderless world allowing easy passage of capital and commodities, and through resistance to such processes in an increasingly transnationalised civil society movement. However, more immediately significant supranational integrative agendas take the form of regionalisation, a process that has received less attention but which raises analogous concerns of re-scaled governance. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been a catalysing force for regionalisation amidst a host of regional processes and initiatives; as such it has found itself the object of critique as an institution and through the specific projects it has supported that have impacted on local communities and ecosystems. Meanwhile, local and NGO voices associated with the emergence of a vibrant civil society in Thailand and nascent civil society responses in neighbouring countries have challenged claims on resources made in the name of national development and regional integration.
This paper considers some key issues of re-scaling resource and environmental politics in the Mekong Region, and the extent to which challenges have been recast from national to regional development agendas. Politics of environment are shown to exist as a general rather than exceptional response to the region's development direction, and it is suggested that equitable and sustainable development increasingly needs to address simultaneously the re-scaling and reconfigurations of power in both environmental politics and the "infrapolitics" of environment. The paper is illustrated with case studies of dams in Laos and Thailand.     

羊啃食动力学模拟与内蒙古西部气候变化适应

将定性分析、民主参与式评估和定量数值模拟方法结合起来,对阿拉善气候变化适应问题进行了简要评估并重点分析了土地退化、放牧和草原管理策略之间的关系。阿拉善主要的适应政策是禁牧和生态移民。禁牧后荒漠草原植被得到恢复,但移民增加了绿洲压力,过度开垦又造成周边土地沙化;过度抽取地下水致使水位下降并伴随咸水入侵和地表盐碱化。禁牧的另一个副作用是造成草原鼠害加重及火灾风险增加,生物多样性也呈现先升后降趋势。一些灌木因缺乏啃食出现退化迹象等,说明一定程度的啃食有利于维持草原生态平衡。因此,动物是草原生态系统不可或缺的成员之一。我们用一个包含动物啃食等的森林生态动力模式模拟了啃食动力学,结果表明,有限的放牧有利于草场更新并能充分利用草原资源;过度放牧导致草场退化并伴随羊群死亡。因此,需要将圈养和限制性放牧结合起来,制定可持续性适应政策。     

The Rangeland Livestock Carrying Capacity and Stocking Rate in the Kailash Sacred Landscape in China

Maintaining the health and productivity of rangelands by controlling the livestock stocking rate to remain within carrying capacity is of significance to ensure sustainable management of rangeland ecosystems. But we know little about the safe carrying capacity in particular rangeland landscapes. This has hampered efforts to use rangelands in a risk-averse manner in fluctuating rainfall environments, and especially in arid and semiarid areas. To address this lack of information, we took Kailash Sacred Landscape in China (KSL-China) as our study site and used remote sensing data, meteorological data and statistical data from 2000 to 2015 to analyze rangeland carrying capacity, stocking rate, and major influencing factors. Rangeland carrying capacity presented an increasing trend, while stocking rate was gradually decreasing, resulting in an increase of carrying rate in the study area. The increased carrying capacity was closely related to increased rainfall. Stocking rate declined owing to government regulations, particularly implementation in 2004 of the national policy of Returning Grazing Land to Grassland. There was a sharp reduction of livestock number below 200 000 standard sheep units (SU) after 2005. The decrease of stocking rate had a stronger effect on rangeland carrying rate than did the increase of carrying capacity. Ecosystem restoration programs have provided subsidies to pastoralists to encourage them to reduce livestock numbers. Our findings suggest that a safe rangeland carrying capacity is ca. 170 000 SU in KSL-China. There is a carrying capacity surplus of ca. 50 000 SU for safe animal husbandry development in the study area. More importantly, future climate warming and increases in grazing may jointly play a key role in affecting rangeland carrying capacity.     

Changes in the Indonesian Clothing Industry: Trade and Regulation

Policy frameworks at national and international levels have significant influence on the growth performance and industrialisation of developing economies. This paper aims to explore the influence of such regulatory policy frameworks on the development of the Indonesian clothing industry since the mid‐1980s based on an analysis of national clothing trade statistics provided by the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics. Although the Indonesian policy framework had a general export‐orientation, protectionist measures for the domestic market proved to be important in facilitating the growth of the Indonesian clothing industry. This paper also shows how the existing international clothing trade regulatory framework of the Multi‐Fibre Arrangement (MFA) influenced the integration of Indonesian clothing firms into global production and trade networks. Finally, the future policy changes and potential impacts for Indonesian clothing firms are discussed.     

江河源区的草地资源特征与草地生态变化

通过对江河源区草地生态类型与分布、草地资源特征及其利用现状的研究和生产力的评价，并根据70年代以来3期遥感资料和区域调查结果，分析了江河源区草地生态变化态势，结果表明：现状江河源区草地以高寒草原化草甸为主要草地类型，其分布面积占江河源区总草地面积的53.78%。组成草地牧草的主要植物种类的粗蛋白含量超过10%，粗脂肪含量在2%以上，能值储量在9.34KJ.g^-1以上；自70年代以来，由于区域畜牧业的迅速发展，江河源区冷季草场严重过牧，超载牲畜量达理论载畜量的1-5倍，大部分地区夏季草场亦超载，导致江河源区草地生态严重退化，年退化速度达6.64%-34.35%。合理利用草地资源，保护该区域脆弱生态环境已迫在眉睫。     

Globalisation,contest and paradox in a continuing cultural landscape: Land reform in the New Zealand High Country

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 109(2):161–179, 2009

A key feature of globalization is the way that local landscapes are progressively opened up to the influence of global markets, consumers and capital. The transformations that result are frequently politically contested, and can profoundly and quickly affect cultural landscapes that have evolved slowly over long periods. The contests over policy direction may draw upon long established ideals of occupancy and ownership, and such ‘policy myths’ may paradoxically serve to undermine the very landscapes from which they are drawn. The New Zealand South Island High Country is a distinctive continuing cultural landscape that is currently undergoing radical change as a result of land tenure reform. The unarticle demonstrates the way that cultural and political narratives and ideals are critical factors in mediating the relationship between globalization and local landscape change in this iconic landscape.     

东南亚汽车生产格局的演变及其动因分析

亚洲金融危机后,东南亚的汽车生产迅速恢复并快速增加,其增长率大大高于世界平均水平。在布局上东南亚汽车生产具有如下特点：①生产高度集中于少数国家,而且集中趋势不断增强;②轿车与商用车平分秋色,但各国有所不同;③生产网络由日本跨国公司主导。形成上述格局的主要原因是由于东南亚各国汽车市场的增长,内部一体化加强,以及当地的政策保护和鼓励等。     

Sustainable Development of the Catering Industry in China: Policy and Food Waste

The catering industry is an important industry related to the growth of the national economy and the needs of daily life. After 2012, the central government has successively introduced and implemented a series of policies to limit the official consumption and catering waste. These policies have had a huge impact on China's catering industry, especially the development of high-end catering. Based on expert scoring and interviews with government managers, the catering industry organizations, catering enterprises, researchers and consumers, this paper studies the impacts of the policies before and after 2012 on the sustainable development of the catering industry. The results show that: (1) Policies after 2012 have been very strong in their strength and duration, and this can ensure that the policies can effectively perform their restraint and management functions in the long term. (2) As affected by policies after 2012, the frequency and amounts of public expenditures in China have dropped significantly, and mass consumption is developing faster. (3) The impact of policies on income is quite controversial. On the whole, the policies have continued to promote the increasing of catering income after 2012, and have played a significant role in optimizing the catering structure and reducing food waste. However, the policies have had little effect on the improvement of industry standards and environmental protection. (4) The sustainable development of the catering industry requires the efforts of the government, industry organizations, restaurants and consumers. Steady income growth, a reasonable and healthy industry structure, sound industry standards, and low food waste are important standards and goals for the sustainable development of the catering industry.     

中国工业经济转型过程中能源消费与碳排放时空特征研究

就近30 a来中国工业经济转型过程中能源消费与碳排放的关联变化进行了分析,结果表明,工业部门能源消费的持续增长是中国能源消费总量增长与碳排放量增长的主要驱动因子;工业碳排放总量增长快速,但工业碳排放密集度持续降低;工业部门中制造业碳排放量最大,平均约占工业部门碳排放总量的60%,降低传统制造业能源消费、提高能源利用效率是推动节能减排政策实施和地方行动响应的关键环节;地区工业能源高消费地区集中分布于中国环渤海地区,能源较高消费地区主要集中于中国中部地区和东部经济发达地区,能源中等消费地区主要集中于中国西部地区,而能源低消费地区集中于西部经济落后地区;中国区域工业碳排放总量除受到本地工业能源消费量的直接影响外,还受到各地能源消费结构的影响,值得注意的是,较高碳排放地区空间布局趋于"孤岛"分布格局,低碳排放地区的数量也逐渐增加。     

Competitive Adjustment and Advancement in Global Commodity Chains II: The Case of the Singapore Garment Industry

This is the second part of a contribution to the debate on the possibilities of leveraging economic globalisation — through incorporation in international production networks and global commodity chains (GCCs) — as a strategy for developing countries to industrialise and advance their position in the world economy. In the first part, we analysed the experience of the East Asian apparel industry and addressed the issues of sustaining positions, upgrading to more rewarding roles, and advancing to less dependent positions within production networks and GCCs. We developed an analytical framework at both the firm and industry levels, and subsequently identified alternative firm- and industry-level strategies and trajectories. The present paper deals with these issues in the context of the Singapore apparel industry. Based on extensive empirical research, we demonstrate that although the East Asian experience of upgrading and repositioning within the GCC is to some extent emulated in the case of the Singapore apparel industry, the outcomes have been less favourable in terms of the depth, extent and strength of these trajectories. The differing outcomes can be explained in terms of different (systemic) conditions in the Singapore business environment, including the agency of local players, the geography of sourcing networks, and the role of the state and prevailing business attitudes. Our conclusions merit continued attention in both research and policy circles on the development of capabilities at the firm level, and the role of local business and institutional environments in local industry development processes under globalisation.     

Competitive Adjustment and Advancement in Global Commodity Chains: I. Firm Strategies and Trajectories in the East Asian Apparel Industry

Globalisation discourses increasingly depart from a network‐centred view of the world, and focus on the possibilities of leveraging economic globalisation – through incorporation in international production networks and global commodity chains (GCCs)– as a strategy for less developed countries (LDCs) to industrialise and advance their position in the world economy. This article goes beyond the question of incorporation and addresses the issue of sustaining positions, upgrading to more rewarding roles, and advancing to less dependent positions within production networks and GCCs. Drawing on experiences in the East Asian apparel industry, we present a framework for analysing such processes at both the firm and industry levels. We demonstrate that the East Asian experience provides a rather positive picture, despite a decline in the region's share of world trade. The present paper is a preliminary contribution; further research, using the framework presented, would enhance insights into competitive adjustment and advancement in GCCs, specifically, the forces underlying success or failure.