The environmental planning and management approach towards the development and management of the Osun natural spring project,Ibadan, Nigeria

There is a general shortage of potable water in Nigeria, partly through the lack of natural provision and partly because of rapid urban growth that has largely been unplanned. The paper describes the recent redevelopment of a public water facility in a run-down area of Ibadan which is part of the Sustainable Ibadan Project. Despite funding from national and international bodies, the development is strongly based at community level. The local inhabitants feel they have control over their own water supply through their representatives on the various planning and managing committees. This aims to reduce vandalism and to increase pride and involvement in the community. The project is a pilot for other projects around Ibadan, some of which have begun and others are being planned. This paper describes the administrative structures and management principles that have been employed. It forcefully advocates community-based planning and management which respects both the environment and the water-users, and involves a major “bottom-up” element. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Proposal of a National Mitigation Strategy Against Earthquakes in Turkey

While laboratory and analytical studies can provide valuable information about earthquake hazard mitigation, the most effective educator is the impact of a full-scale earthquake on a full-scale city. The recent earthquakes in Turkey showed that the governmental as well as individual attitudes towards earthquakes did not represent proportionate responses to the risk levels concerned. Turkey had weaknesses in preparing, planning, mitigating and responding to disasters in spite of the known seismic vulnerability of the country. Many steps have been taken after 1999 earthquakes in Turkey, however, the preparations largely concentrate on the response and recovery phases and a fundamental step to reform the current disaster management system and steps to rehabilitate the vulnerable building stock has not been undertaken until today. This would involve changing the present laws and regulations and de-centralising the disaster management system. The aim of this paper is to propose a national mitigation strategy for Turkey for a time-frame of 10 years. The model proposed is a very comprehensive model for earthquake risk reduction in Turkey and within this context, the legislative and technical aspects of mitigation will be discussed in detail. Strategies for mitigating and retrofitting the existing building stock will also be proposed.     

A macroscale analysis of coastal steepening around the coast of England and Wales

Coastal steepening potentially presents an array of management issues in the form of financial implications of sea defence degradation, increased risk posed to the hinterland as wave attenuation is reduced, 'coastal squeeze' and statutory requirements in the light of the Habitats Directive. The extent to which coastal steepening has occurred throughout England and Wales has been investigated through use of a GIS and dataset based on historical Ordnance Survey map information. Data were collected along 1084 selected profile lines, positioned so as to be geomorphologically representative of the coast. Features recorded from each map year included the positions of mean high water (MHW) and mean low water (MLW), the relative movements of which infer changing intertidal gradients. The results presented in this paper are on a subject and scale not previously published. It is revealed that 61% of the coastline studied has experienced a tendency towards steepening. Of the remainder, 33% has flattened, and 6% has experienced no rotational movement. This tendency towards steepening has been the dominant movement on each of the west, south, and east coasts.     

RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN EL HATILLO, NICARAGUA: GENDER, NEOLIBERALISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK

El Hatillo is a rural community in the Sébaco valley in Nicaragua, which suffers from an eroding resource base, high levels of poverty and malnutrition, and a high susceptibility to hazards. Structural adjustment policies have been devastating for small and subsistence farmers and have increased the level of economic, social and environmental marginalisation in rural Nicaragua. This paper explores initiatives to promote sustainable development in Nicaragua in the context of structural adjustment and environmental degradation. Drawing on qualitative research conducted in El Hatillo, it outlines the ways in which women in this community are attempting to address the multiple challenges of rural poverty and environmental risk and considers the potential of these strategies for gender equality.     

基于RS和GIS的农业土地利用污染分析

农业已被确认为地表和地下水最主要的非点源污染源，而土地利用方式又是影响非点源污染的关键性因素。大规模的土地利用与开发、化肥与农药用量的增加、规模养殖业的发展、生活垃圾的增加等，这些非点污染源严重威胁水体质量，进而影响到人们的生活。为了更好地预测和控制、管理非点源污染，必须研究其负荷定量化问题。本文从以上几方面入手，讨论了非点源污染与农业土地利用方式之间的关系，利用组件GIS技术，以网格为评价单元，实现非点源污染负荷的定量计算及可视化分析。文章最后以上海市松江区作为研究区域，对该区的污染情况进行了分析。     

一体化基础地形地籍数据库的设计思想

结合某地市级一体化基础地形地籍建设工程，主要介绍了一体化基础地形籍数据库的总体设计思想．对几个值得特别注意的关键技术问题进行了探讨，并给出了基本解决方法。     

土地利用动态管理系统研发中的若干问题研究

土地利用管理是土地管理的核心内容之一。土地利用动态变化加剧了土地管理的压力，建设具有辅助决策功能的土地利用动态信息系统是大势所趋。本文在阐述建设此系统的重要意义基础上，讨论了系统研发中几个关键问题，即“动态”管理的实现、空间数据和属性数据集成管理和决策的初步实现等。本文提出的解决方法，对于类似土地信息系统的建设具有普遍的指导意义。     

面向数字化测绘生产工作流的Web存储系统

讨论了一个面向工作流的项目管理系统中 ,各类计划、实施、监督管理、汇总报表等结构化文档及非结构化文档的存储访问系统的构造方法 ,并设计与实现了一个数字化测绘生产管理系统实例     

对工程勘察信息化的几点认识

从信息技术的角度看,工程勘察实际上是一种“信息获取、信息理解和信息应用”的过程。作为一项技术和服务,工程勘察的信息化应由工程勘察业务信息化和工程勘察管理信息化两方面组成。工程勘察信息化的作用包括信息化辅助业务和管理、信息化支撑业务和管理以及信息化提升业务和管理三个层次。当前,有必要对工程勘察企业信息化的模式、工程勘察业务信息化提升的方式和工程勘察信息化的标准化等问题做进一步研究,以推动工程勘察信息化向深度和广度发展。     

Gender and agrobiodiversity: a case study from Bangladesh

Local geography and gender are two major factors determining which crop varieties are cultivated in a case study of two rural villages in Bangladesh. This paper explores the interrelationships between gender, agrobiodiversity, and the use of, and preferences for, improved and local crop varieties. These are examined in relation to rice, minor field crops, and home garden fruits and vegetables. Reasons for both the displacement and the persistence of local varieties (LVs) are analysed in comparison to improved variety (IV) diffusion. The research evaluates agrobiodiversity through the number, types, and varieties of crops grown in fields and home gardens. The desired agroecological, economic, and cultural characteristics of crops grown document how respondents rank their variety preferences. Variety preferences and the perceived importance of LV preservation are compared with what is actually grown. The study indicates that there was little variation between villages in their approach towards the use of IV and LV rice; IVs were cultivated for their high yields and LV rice for taste and culinary uses. However, there were significant differences in relative agricultural dependence between the two villages which led to unique variety preferences. In both villages, women's preferences for IVs or LVs play a major role in crop choices, particularly as they manifest themselves in gendered domains of authority.