The impact of the Habitats Directive on European port operations and management

Thirteen years since the EU Habitats Directive (1992/43/EEC) became a binding legal agreement, this paper considers the implementation of this important European environmental legislation as it applies to the coastal activities of seaports and harbours. The paper examines the relationship between environmental legislation and ports policy, and seeks to provide a comprehensive assessment of the policy and science that has been developed in relation to protected areas and port management. The paper reports the results of a survey of European port professionals, and their perception of the successes and challenges of the management regimes that have been established, as well as their opinions on how these have influenced the management within ports. The paper also provides a detailed examination of the scientific and technical developments with particular regard to dredging and habitat management in European ports. Key research gaps are identified, including: practical approaches to licensing procedures; lack of baseline information, especially with regard to in-combination effects; the efficacy of techniques for mitigating the impacts of dredging; and greater understanding on how more resilient models for collaborative action can be developed. The paper will be of use to environmental planners, scientists, regulators, conservationists, and port managers, as they consider how to apply science and management to the sustainable development and environmental protection of coastal areas.     

Why rehabilitate urban river systems?

This paper addresses the philosophical question: 'why rehabilitate urban river systems?' within an Australian context. Rehabilitation of river systems has become an important objective of many local, state and national governments around the world, who allocate substantial investment into various river projects. An understanding of the various factors influencing stream condition and potential rehabilitation options is essential in order to determine how the process is undertaken, and how success is measured. This paper examines the triple bottom line (economic, social and environmental) factors that influence decisionmaking with respect to urban stream rehabilitation and management and considers their relative value and importance.     

关于完善我国防治荒漠化法律制度的思考

中国也是荒漠化问题相当严重的国家之一,估计全国土地约有27％沙化,目前我国的荒漠化防治立法工作已经取得了巨大的成就,《防沙治沙法》的出台标志着我国的荒漠化防治工作进入了法制化轨道。但是,随着经济的发展,现行立法并不能解决实际中出现的诸多问题,需要对现有的与荒漠化防治相关的环境资源保护立法加以补充、修改和完善。对此,笔者建议要从两方面加以完善和改进:一是对防治荒漠化的管理体制设置进行调整;二是要完善非政府主体的治理途径。     

浅谈城市开发建设中湿地的保护与利用

湿地是人类赖以生存的宝贵资源,具有重要的生态和社会价值。但在城市化进程中,由于不合理的开发建设行为,导致大量湿地被破坏,功能退化。因此,必须落实科学发展观,采取切实措施,有效保护和利用城市湿地。要强化全社会的环保意识,增强保护湿地的责任感和使命感,科学地搞好城市土地利用规划及城市湿地景观设计,切实加强对城市湿地的监测评估及湿地保护的法制建设,推动经济社会全面协调可持续发展。     

国际矿业政策与立法的变迁

从历史和全球的视角,以矿产资源所有权、矿业活动经营主体、政府在矿业中的作用为重点,追索矿业政策及立法的历史沿革。全球矿业政策与立法经历了第二次世界大战前矿业政策与立法萌芽期,第二次世界大战后到20世纪70年代的国有化期,20世纪80—90年代的自由开放期,21世纪理性发展期等几个阶段。     

气候资源的法律概念及其属性探讨

运用价值分析、比较分析、历史分析等方法,探讨了气候资源法律概念的内涵与外延及其属性问题,旨在为我国气候资源保护立法研究提供基础法律理论支撑。结果表明:气候资源是气候要素中可以被人类利用的那一部分自然物质和能量,是一种典型的自然资源,可以成为法律关系客体;它具备自身鲜明的特性,有必要对之提出专门的立法保护。气候资源保护法律规范属于环境保护与自然资源法律规范的范畴。     

论地质成果的权利性质

地质成果是与矿产资源紧密相关的财产权利,对它的认识不能局限于地质成果的形成具有智力投入的特点。分析地质成果的价值及维护其价值的方式,可发现它是一种商业秘密,在权利形态上是一种矿产发现权,这种发现权区别于传统理论对发现权归属于身份权的认识。在资源消耗超前的新经济时代,地质成果项下的矿产发现权是一种典型的产权。     

An evaluation of the Marine Living Resources Act and supporting legal instruments as a framework for implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries in South Africa

The Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA), which was enacted in 1998, is the primary legislation addressing South Africa's marine fisheries. In June 2012, another important instrument, the Policy for the Small Scale Fisheries Sector (SSFP) in South Africa, was adopted to rectify the exclusion of many small-scale fishers from access to resources, that had resulted from weaknesses in the MLRA. This paper assesses the MLRA, aspects of the SSFP and selected other subsidiary policies and regulations in relation to current best-practices, especially the extent to which they support an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF). The study concludes that there are some serious gaps and shortcomings in the MLRA that should be addressed. These include, among others, the need to: (i) revise the MLRA so as to incorporate requirements for open and transparent management and governance; (ii) entrench the principles of co-management, emphasised in the SSFP, for all fisheries; and (iii) include a legal requirement for detailed management plans for all fisheries. Despite these shortcomings, there has been considerable progress in implementation of EAF, at least in the country's bigger fisheries. However, this should not be seen as a justification for avoiding or delaying a revision of the MLRA to bring it into line with modern best-practices as encompassed by EAF.     

DYNAMIC SETTLEMENT PROCESSES: THE CASE OF US IMMIGRATION*

Immigration settlement patterns are examined within a pooled cross-section time-series framework. Trends in settlement patterns from 1970 to 1979 differentiate the immigration streams from various source areas. Certain “new'’immigrants show an increasing propensity to concentrate, while immigrants from traditional source areas deconcentrate in some cases. The analysis suggests that immigration is a dynamic process with characteristics and determinants that change over time.