Integrating farmers’ adaptive knowledge into flood management and adaptation policies in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A social learning perspective

Flood management and adaptation are important elements in sustaining farming production in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). While over the past decades hydraulic development introduced by the central government has substantially benefited the rural economy, it has simultaneously caused multiple barriers to rural adaptation. We investigate the relational practices (i.e., learning interactions) taking place within and across the flood management and adaptation boundaries from the perspective of social learning. We explore whether and how adaptive knowledge (i.e., experimental and experiential knowledge) derived from farmers’ everyday adaptation practices contributes to local flood management and adaptation policies in the selected areas. We collected data through nine focus groups with farmers and thirty-three interviews with government officials, environmental scientists, and farmers. Qualitative analysis suggests that such processes are largely shaped by the institutional context where the boundary is embedded. This study found that while the highly bureaucratic operation of flood management creates constraints for feedback, the more informal arrangements set in place at the local level provide flexible platforms conducive to open communication, collaborative learning, and exchange of knowledge among the different actors. This study highlights the pivotal role of shadow systems that provide space for establishing and maintaining informal interactions and relationships between social actors (e.g., interactions between farmers and extension officials) in stimulating and influencing, from the bottom-up, the emergence of adaptive knowledge about flood management and adaptation in a local context.     

社会网络视角中世界文化遗产地旅游村寨的利益关系治理

以云南省红河州元阳县哈尼梯田核心区域2个典型的旅游村寨（大鱼塘村和普高老寨）为例,对两村寨利益相关者从网络凝聚性、网络互惠性、网络核心边缘、网络传递性、网络经纪人等5个方面展开关系数据分析,结果显示：1）大鱼塘村压力集团内部、压力集团与社区、企业与政府之间的利益关联性和联系的紧密性不足;2）两村当地政府和压力集团与社区之间的互惠性低于整体平均互惠性;3）两村利益网络中边缘结构较核心结构更加明显,这导致了利益关系的不平衡;4）两村当地政府利益集团传递性相对较低,当地社区传递性最高;5）两村中利益集团间缺少部分协调人、守门人、代理人、联络人等角色。最后提出相应建议：1）提升哈尼梯田利益关系由弱利益关系转变为强利益关系,改变利益集团间核心边缘利益关系格局;2）进一步加强各利益集团内部及之间的关联性;3）加强以企业和政府机构为顶点的组间利益传递,让利益流动逐步打破哈尼梯田利益集团之间的核心边缘关系结构;4）重点加强社区在利益关系网络中的参与机会与权力,对社区进行增权;5）利益集团内部要重点培育协调人和顾问角色,利益集团之间要重点培育企业与政府、社区、压力集团之间的守门人、代理人和联络人角色,以及社区与政府和企业之间的守门人、代理人角色。     

中国高铁网络结构特征及其组织模式

基于2018年高铁网络OD数据,运用社会网络分析方法从高铁网络、城市节点等方面探讨中国城市高铁网络结构特征及其地域组织模式,结果表明：①中国高铁网络整体较为松散,东北地区网络密度最高,东部和中部地区作为整体网络的中介作用明显;②重要高铁线路的“廊道效应”突出,中心度呈现出以京广、京沪和沪昆高铁组成的“三角旗状”空间格局并向两侧城市呈不规则递减的态势;③多层级网络识别出紧密关联高铁线路和四横四纵向八横八纵格局的转变;④高铁网络的地域组织形式表现为点-轴串珠模式、双核组团模式和极核模式,高铁网络的完善使组织模式由单核趋向于网络化转变。     

2013—2019年度海洋科学技术奖计量统计及其科研合作网络分析

文章基于2013—2019年度海洋科学技术奖,运用计量统计、社会网络分析等研究方法,探究海洋科学技术奖获奖成果计量特征、学科分布、获奖机构及其科研合作关系等,直观揭示海洋科学技术奖所构成的科研合作范式、科研合作网络结构等,以期为海洋科研管理、科技创新和学科建设等提供科学参考。研究表明：整体上,海洋科学技术奖获奖成果呈逐年递增趋势,一等奖与二等奖的获奖等级比值呈下降趋势;学科划分上,获奖成果主要隶属于“海洋科学”学科,又以海洋生物学、海洋装备与设备、海洋化学和物理海洋学为主体;获奖机构方面,海洋科学技术奖已奖励包括中国海洋大学和中国科学院海洋研究所等涉海类高校和科研院所在内的各类海洋科技创新主体285家,分布在山东、浙江、广东、上海、北京、江苏等19个省（市、自治区）;科研合作方面,海洋科学技术奖获奖核心机构所构建的科研合作关系紧密,以自然资源部第二海洋研究所的中心度最高,中国海洋大学的中间中心度最高,其控制该科研合作网络中其他机构之间沟通交流的力度最大。     

Rethinking small-scale fisheries compliance

Fisheries compliance has been identified as key to sustainable fisheries management. However, it has been widely acknowledged that the approach by many governments worldwide to achieve compliance is largely through law enforcement efforts. Although theories of normative action have expanded compliance thinking from that of rationalist approaches, this paper takes the argument further. By drawing on criminology and security discourse, and on empirical research on small-scale fisheries in South Africa, this paper argues for a new approach to our understanding of compliance. Furthermore, it argues that rather than taking law as given, the formation of law and the power dynamics influencing such processes are critical aspects that need to be acknowledged and understood in fisheries compliance theory.     

Compliance costs and the small fisher: A study of exiters from the New Zealand fishery

Over 3000 predominantly small-scale fishers have exited the New Zealand's quota management system (QMS) between its inception in 1986 and 2000. This study, based on the Ministry of Fisheries database and a questionnaire sent to the exiters, establishes that compliance costs in general, and those specifically related to the QMS, were one of the most consistent reasons for exit. Uncertainty about future QMS policy and the high cost of quota were also significant factors. It appears that the small fishers’ perception of high compliance cost can be supported by industry data.     

"政社分开"大背景下社会组织创新发展的思考与建议 ——以海洋社会组织为例

党的十九大以来,随着我国社会组织的不断发展和政府职能转变的逐步推进,社会组织面临着前所未有的机遇与挑战。文章以海洋社会组织为例,研究在"政社分开"过程中遇到的问题。研究表明,"政社分开"后,社会组织遇到的困难一是失去物质资源,难以正常开展活动;二是失去"主心骨",难以建立公信力;三是失去主要业务来源,发展内生动力不足。为新形势下社会组织如何更好地健康发展,提出了建立健全社会组织法律法规、加强对社会组织的扶持力度、拓展社会组织经费来源结构等对策建议。     

Sustainable development: Social outcomes of structural adjustments in a South Australian fishery

The assessment of sustainable development is a relatively recent advent in policy and the evaluation of industry structural adjustments. Although the elements of economic and environmental assessment have been relatively well developed and accepted, the effective inclusion of ‘social’ aspects in assessments of sustainable development are still being grappled with.     

Wildfire preparedness,community cohesion and social–ecological systems

The consequences of wildfires are felt in susceptible communities around the globe on an annual basis. Climate change predictions in places like the south-east of Australia and western United States suggest that wildfires may become more frequent and more intense with global climate change. Compounding this issue is progressive urban development at the peri-urban fringe (wildland–urban interface), where continued infrastructure development and demographic changes are likely to expose more people and property to this potentially disastrous natural hazard. Preparing well in advance of the wildfire season is seen as a fundamental behaviour that can both reduce community wildfire vulnerability and increase hazard resilience – it is an important element of adaptive capacity that allows people to coexist with the hazardous environment in which they live. We use household interviews and surveys to build and test a substantive model that illustrates how social cohesion influences the decision to prepare for wildfire. We demonstrate that social cohesion, particularly community characteristics like ‘sense of community’ and ‘collective problem solving’, are community-based resources that support both the adoption of mechanical preparations, and the development of cognitive abilities and capacities that reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience to wildfire. We use the results of this work to highlight opportunities to transfer techniques and approaches from natural hazards research to climate change adaptation research to explore how the impacts attributed to the social components of social–ecological systems can be mitigated more effectively.     

Ethanol Production: Energy and Economic Issues Related to U.S. and Brazilian Sugarcane

For a thorough and up-to-date evaluation of all the fossil energy costs of ethanol production from sugarcane in both the U.S. and Brazil, every energy input in the biomass production and ultimate conversion process must be included. In this study, more than 12 energy inputs in average U.S. and Brazilian sugarcane production are evaluated. Then in the fermentation/distillation operation, nine more fossil fuel inputs are identified and included. Some energy and economic credits are given for the bagasse to reduce the energy inputs required for steam and electricity. Based on all the fossil energy inputs in U.S. sugarcane conversion process, a total of 1.12 kcal of ethanol is produced per 1 kcal of fossil energy expended. In Brazil a total of 1.38 kcal of ethanol is produced per 1 kcal of fossil energy expended. Some pro-ethanol investigators have overlooked various energy inputs in U.S. and Brazilian sugarcane production, including farm labor, farm machinery, processing machinery, and others. In other studies, unrealistic low energy costs were attributed to such energy inputs, as nitrogen fertilizer, insecticides, and herbicides. Both the U.S. and Brazil heavily subsidize ethanol production. Thus billions of dollars are invested in subsidies and this significantly increases the costs to the consumers. The environmental costs associated with producing ethanol in the U.S. and Brazil are significant but have been generally overlooked. The negative environmental impacts on the availability of cropland and freshwater, as well as on air pollution and public health, have yet to be carefully assessed. These environmental costs in terms of energy and economics should be calculated and included in future ethanol analyses so that sound assessments can be made. In addition, the production of ethanol in the U.S. and Brazil further confirms that the mission of converting biomass into ethanol will not replace oil. This mission is impossible. General concern has been expressed about taking food crops to produce ethanol for burning in automobiles instead of using these crops as food for the many malnourished people in the world. The World Health Organization reports that more than 3.7 billion humans are currently malnourished in the world—the largest number of malnourished ever in history.