The geography of water conflict and cooperation: internal pressures and international manifestations

Studies on transboundary water conflict and cooperation generally consider interstate relations over shared water resources as distinct from intrastate relations. While connections have been made between international water relations and regional relationships in general, it is conceivable that international water conflict and cooperation may also be influenced by domestic water events and vice versa. This paper seeks to investigate the dynamics of water interactions across geographic scale and their relationship to broader international affairs. The research approach involves the creation of an analytical framework for assessing possible linkages between external and internal interactions over freshwater resources. The framework is applied to three case studies – the Middle East, South Asia and Southern Africa – utilizing 'event data'. To validate the findings from the quantitative analyses, the results are compared with conventional qualitative understandings of water and overall relations in the three regions. The comparison demonstrates not only the efficacy of the analytical framework in general, but also highlights, at least in terms of the specific case studies selected, the disparate water dynamics across geographic regions and the importance of considering water events, both national and international, within larger political and historical contexts.     

Water wars in the Middle East: a looming threat

This paper explains how hydropolitical dynamics and spatial variables almost triggered a water war between Israel and Lebanon because the latter was building a pump on the Wazzani Spring, a tributary of the Jordan River. The convergence of a regional drought, history of violent confrontations between the two riparians, distrust, varying development needs and territorial disputes almost culminated in a war between these east Mediterranean neighbours. While most international water disputes in the Middle East will be resolved peacefully, some are likely to trigger violent confrontations threatening political stability in the Middle East in the next few decades.     

Modeling the relationship of land use change and some geophysical indicators for the interlock area of farming and pasturing in China

This paper discusses land-use changes in the interlock area of farming and pasturing (IAFP)in northern China. It presents detailed analyses of land-use features in the IAFP, which are controlled by the macro geomorphic units and geophysical conditions-constraints or advantages. Additionally, it selects some indicators, according to the availability in acquiring and processing their quantitative data, to analyze the canonical correlations between the typical conversion of grassland and geophysical conditions. The preliminary study indicates that the physical conditions are of great advantages to the development of grassland. There exists significant correlation between land use change and some geophysical conditions.     

The relative stability of prehistorical geographic environment in China's tropics on the basis of archaeology

According to archaeological data from about sixty samples the relative stability of physical and human geographical environment in the tropical zone of China is discussed in this paper. Because of the superior natural environment, sufficient food resources and a sparse population resulting in the absence of social requirement to transform the productive forces, the advancement of economy and society was stagnated during prehistorical period in China's tropics. Compared with northern China, the appearance of ground stone tool stagnated about 3,000 years, the beginning of Bronze Age, about 1,000 years, and the agriculture, 2,500-3,000 years. The no ceramics age continued till the early Neolithic Age and the appearance of colour or white ceramics was 2,000 years later than that in northern China. The life form of migration to gather and to hunt continued till the middle Neolithic Age, and the fixed settlement based on agriculture 1,000-2,000 years stagnated. The clan commune just appeared at the end of the Neolithic Age which was 2,000-3,000 years later than that in northern China.     

Promoting social justice and conserving montane forest environments: a case study of Nepal's community forestry programme

This paper analyses participatory forest policy and the ways it has influenced the relationships between people as it relates to the forest resource management. This case study was conducted in the middle hills of Nepal, and information was collected through direct observation, individual interviews, group discussion and secondary information analysis. It substantiates a few examples of how the community forestry programme can be used as a means to promote the participation of the women, the poor and dalit (untouchables) in forest resource management, as well as enhancing social justice and improving the forest resources in their locality. However, it also demonstrates that though the community forestry programme has a positive impact, it faces several constraints and challenges. The local Forest User Group is controlled by a few élites making the poor and disadvantaged vulnerable to further marginalization. The results of the case study strongly indicate that community forestry processes must address the political, economic and social needs of the forest users, and also provide a neutral platform on which the poor can present their cases.     

Alpine medicinal plant trade and Himalayan mountain livelihood strategies

Commercial alpine medicinal plants are collected from the wild by local rural households throughout the Himalaya and sold in order to increase household incomes. Recent studies indicate that this annual trade amounts to thousands of tonnes of roots, rhizomes, tubers, leaves, etc., worth millions of US dollars. The main market is in India. Based on a national survey, including the most commonly traded species, and a village study this paper investigates the importance of the alpine medicinal plant trade at national and local levels in Nepal. The national survey included standardized open-ended interviews with 232 harvesters, 64 local traders, 66 central wholesalers, 47 regional wholesalers, and 16 production companies. The village survey is based on the daily records of household activities in 15 households in a one-year period. The annual Nepalese alpine and sub-alpine medicinal plant trade is conservatively estimated to vary from 480 to 2500 t with a total harvester value of US$0.8–3.3 million; the average harvester value is estimated at US$66.0 ± 99.0. The trade in 1997/98 amounted to 1600 t with a harvester value of US$2.3 million and an export value equivalent to 2.5% of total export from Nepal. Medicinal plant harvesting was found to constitute an integrated part of local livelihood strategies, contributing from 3 to 44% (average of 12%) of the annual household income. Importance at household level depended on land and animal holdings, and the availability of adult male labour. The validity and reliability of methods and analyses is evaluated, and issues of conservation and management of alpine medicinal plant species under the community forestry scheme are discussed.     

近、现代黄河三角洲地貌形态反演

1855年黄河改夺大清河河道后于山东利津县东北入海。至今黄河尾癌河道历经10次大的改道变迁，塑造了近、现代黄河三角洲，形成了7个主要的亚三洲堆积体。该文利用黄河尾癌河道改道资料，近、现代河口流路变迁图，近、现代黄河三角洲体系图以及1985－1986年的水文工程地质钻孔资料，在研究黄河三角洲沉积模式的基础上，对工程地质钻孔数据进行沉积层序分析，将今论古，反推近、现代黄河三角洲沉积地貌，研究结果近似展示了近、现代黄河三角洲二维平面的发育演变和其时其地的地貌形态。     

城市基准地价评估的容积率内涵及其修正系数的确定--以石家庄市为例

基淮地价评估是当前城市地价评估的主要形式。容积率既反映了土地的利用状况，同时也是影响地价的主要因素之一。该文阐述了容积率内涵，分析容积率与地价、环境的关系，探讨合理容积率的确定，以石家庄市为例，探索容积率修正系数确定的正确途径，避免在容积率概念、修正系数等问题上产生混淆。     

东莞城市化过程中若干问题研究

改革开放以来，东莞市积极吸纳海外资本与技术，通过“三来一补”企业的快速发展，带动了非农产业和小城镇的迅速发展。然而，受我国分散的工业化和农村城市化政策体制的影响，在快速城市化过程中也暴露出很多值得关注的问题。该文基于实地考察与问卷访谈，重点分析了土地利用效率低、外来人口集中以及基础设施建设与城市经济发展不相协调等问题，并提出协调城市化发展的对策。