Sustainability and Sahelian soils: evidence from Niger

It is difficult to produce systems for judging sustainability, despite general enthusiasm for the concept. Here we evaluate the 'capitals' formulation for sustainability, which attempts to bring together the social and the environmental dimensions of the issue, and which has gained wide currency. We concentrate our attention on the 'natural capital' element in this framework, which has apparently been seen as its least problematical component. We use data on soil erosion from a Sahelian agricultural community in Niger. Despite apparently high rates of erosion, we find it difficult to decide whether the system is sustainable (using the capitals or any other framework). It is even dubious whether sustainability is an urgent concern. We caution against imposing yet another poorly formulated set of concepts on this and similar systems.     

气候变化对石羊河流域农户生计资本的影响

气候变化是全球变化的核心问题,其影响已经深入到人类生活的各个领域,引起了国际社会的广泛关注。明确气候变化对农户生计的影响以及农户适应气候变化的策略及其需求,是区域可持续发展中急需解决的关键问题。本文基于石羊河流域1963-2012年气候变化和493个农户的入户调查数据,分析了气候变化对石羊河流域不同福利水平农户生计资本的影响及农户适应气候变化的策略和需求。结果表明:(1)流域上游气候呈显著的暖湿化趋势,中游和下游气候暖湿化趋势不显著。(2)气候变化对中游和下游农户生计资本的影响均大于上游农户,其中,对中等福利群体的生计资本影响最显著,对高福利群体的影响次之,对低福利群体的影响最小。农户自然资本受气候变化的影响最强,物质资本和社会资本受气候变化的影响最弱。(3)流域内农户均倾向选择减少消费和外出务工来适应气候变化,其中,选择减少消费的农户比重最高,选择外出务工和向亲属或政府求助的比重次之。高福利群体中选择减少消费和外出务工策略的比重较高,中等福利群体中选择求助亲属或政府策略的比重较高。(4)流域内农户对信息和资金的需求均较显著,其中,对信息的需求最强烈,对资金、技术和劳动力素质的需求次之。高福利群体和低福利群体在就业信息方面的需求最强烈,中等福利群体在农牧业市场信息方面的需求最强烈。     

Choosing a site for the capital of Europe

The European Union has achieved internal cohesion and international economic recognition, but economics alone has not yet led to a united Europe. Although this cohesiveness strongly influence regions and cities, and cities have started to refer to their European background, the member nations continue to hold regional and urban planning power. Forced to take unanimous decisions, the European Council of Ministers maintained the doctrine of a unique capital for 40 years, provoking numerous urban and architectural visions while simultaneously accepting the existence of three provisional headquarters, Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. The host nations, Belgium, France and Luxembourg meanwhile oriented these cities to both European economic considerations and local needs.This article analyzes the logic that led to decentralization of the capital city functions, the reasons why cities were interested in hosting the European Communities, what individual cities and nations suggested and why the most obvious solutions were not adopted. The Maastricht Treaty, the ongoing strengthening of European and regional institutions, and the choice of the provisional headquarters as definite capitals in 1992 gives cause for hope that concepts based on European and regional necessities beyond the nation-state will now be elaborated. A European network of cities and regions including the three political capitals of Europe, as revealed by their infrastructures and buildings, seems to be the best expression of the meaning of European unity.     

上海市风险投资企业的空间分布与“技术—资本”地理邻近性

风险投资企业与“标的”产业、金融行业存在紧密关联,表现为“技术—资本”的耦合性联系。该特征如何映射在空间上,尤其是经济密度较高的城市内部空间,对于理解区位的重要性及其空间尺度一致性具有启示。以上海市街区为基本研究单元,选取2005年和2015年两个时间截面,运用核密度估计、时序稳定性“热点”和空间Tobit模型分析方法,从中外资比较视角探讨风险投资企业的空间分布与“技术—资本”地理邻近性。研究表明：① 中外资企业分别呈现单中心和多中心集聚格局,以及“面域扩散”和“点域扩散”趋势,并均表现出邻近“技术”与“资本”的分布特征;② 风险投资企业的“资本”地理邻近性超越“技术”地理邻近性,并在“技术”地理邻近性中,风险投资企业与高科技产业的地理邻近关系超越新创企业。同时,中外资企业的“技术—资本”地理邻近性差异主要体现在,中资企业的“资本”地理邻近性强于外资企业,外资企业的“技术”地理邻近性偏重于“技术”中的创业层面,而中资企业则偏重于“技术”中的高科技产业层面。③ 随时间的变化,中外资企业具有不同的区位模式偏好及时间演变特征,但“资本”地理邻近型、“技术”地理邻近型、“技术—资本”地理邻近型和自身集聚型这四类典型区位模式始终稳定存在。研究认为促进区位内部企业间的多维邻近性和互动联系,对基于“知识和风险资本”的创新集群和创新空间发展具有重要的实践意义。     

当前我国矿业改革与发展的资本市场问题

通过对我国大型矿山企业基本情况的分析提出了推进资产重组的必要性和建议 ,认为走股份制道路是其有效途径。并充分利用现有政策、措施和两个市场 ,两种资源 ,促进企业扭亏为盈 ,对资产重组中可能出现的几个问题提出了看法。     

基于生计资产量化的农户分化研究——以重庆市沙坪坝区白林村471户农户为例

农户生计资产的配置结构及其空间分布特征决定着农户生计发展的资源优势和空间可能性,依据农户生计资产结构可以准确地识别其分化情景。研究采用＂PRA＋3S＂相结合的方法,以地理坐标为标识码,建立农户属性与地块空间数据相链接的＂农户-土地＂数据库,对农户生计资产配置结构、农户类型划分、农户空间分布特征进行了研究。结果表明：（1）农户生计资产配置结构差异明显,113户农户自然资产产值高于平均值,趋于发展农业生产;108户农户各项资产处于平均水平,主要向兼业发展;250户农户自然资产小于0.1,趋于发展非农生产;（2）依据农户生计发展趋势将其划分为农业多样化发展型（16%）、农业专业化发展型（8%）、兼业化发展型（23%）、非农多样化发展型（31%）、非农专业化发展型（22%）。     

Community and Social Capital in Upper-Income Neighborhoods: An Investigation in Metropolitan Phoenix

This study investigates how upper-income residents respond to neoliberal practices and private governance in forming unusual community relationships in landscapes seemingly devoid of traditional social capital. Based on field work in three communities in metropolitan Phoenix, it was concluded that through private groups and an intrinsic nature to know others, residents create meaningful relationships at scales other than the neighborhood or municipality and focus on nontraditional, privatized community institutions. Whereas these new relationships enhance residents' feelings of connectedness, they generally promote bonding over bridging social capital. Moreover, the draconian effects homeowners or property owners' associations have on normative landscape and behavioral constraints tend to wane considerably as the transition from the developer's idea of place and the residents' vision of place occurs temporally.     

旅游驱动下乡村转型发展的微尺度研究——以西安市上王村为例

基于多要素综合视角,论文从土地与生计2个维度构建微观尺度的乡村地域系统概念模型;融合遥感影像数据、问卷调查数据及访谈资料等多源数据,以西安市上王村为例,探究“城郊村”在旅游驱动下的土地利用和农户生计转型,并对其与“景边村”的转型发展进行案例较析。结果表明:① 伴随乡村旅游发展的规模化和专业化,上王村的土地利用日益多样化、复合化、旅游化,农户生计方式组合渐进更替,家庭就业、收入、消费与旅游的相关性不断提高,由传统农业村转型为乡村旅游目的地。② 上王村的转型发展是内外部因素综合作用的结果,优越的区位条件是其前提和基础,政府的适时调控是“稳定器”和“方向盘”,乡村旅游客源市场的壮大和农户的理性选择是外源拉动力和内在驱动力。③ “城郊村”和“景边村”因区位不同而在地形条件、依托资源、客源市场等方面存在差异,引致两者乡村旅游开发的分化,同时深刻影响了各自的转型发展进程。     

Climate variability and rural livelihoods: assessing the impact of seasonal climate forecasts in Lesotho

Climate variability acutely affects rural livelihoods and agricultural productivity, yet it is just one of many stresses that vulnerable rural households have to cope with. A livelihood approach is used to assess the potential role that seasonal climate forecasts might play in increasing adaptive capacity in response to climate variability, using Lesotho as a case study. An examination of the assets and strategies that rural households employ enables a holistic assessment of the impact seasonal forecasts could have on rural livelihoods. This research thereby bridges macro-level variability with local-level impacts and adaptation to provide insight into the dynamics of forecast use and impact among vulnerable groups.     

乡村产业发展对农户生计的影响研究——以宁夏红寺堡区为例

梳理产业选择与培育的经验,分析产业发展对农户生计的影响,对于促进生态移民区的乡村产业振兴、农户生计恢复与可持续发展具有重要意义.论文以中国最大单体移民迁入区宁夏吴忠市红寺堡区为研究区,针对4大乡村产业各选1个样本村,采用问卷调查法和半结构访谈法获取数据,在比较不同产业投入产出效益的基础上,探究不同产业发展对移民生计产出...