Environmental Management最新文献

Mining policy reforms in Ethiopia have led to increased investments in mineral-rich regions. However, there has been inadequate evaluation of environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) practices related to these mining projects, particularly in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region (BGR). This study aims to assess the ESIA practices for mining investments in the BGR by examining public participation in the ESIA process, the mechanisms for ESIA implementation and monitoring, and the strategies employed by mining companies for environmental and social mitigation and enhancement plans (ESMEP). Utilizing a cross-sectional research design, we collected primary data from 162 households affected by mining activities through systematic random sampling. Additionally, qualitative data were gathered through four focus group discussions (FGDs) and twelve key informant interviews (KIIs). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data underwent narrative analysis. The findings indicate low levels of public involvement in land allocation, ESIA processes, and decision-making related to mining investments. Furthermore, weak institutional monitoring has hindered effective implementation of ESMEP by mining companies. Consequently, affected communities face significant risks of adverse social and environmental impacts that threaten their sustainable development. To address these issues, the study recommends that the regional government establish robust institutions for monitoring and evaluating ESIA and ESMEP implementation, thereby ensuring accountability among mining companies and fostering sustainable development within host communities.

In Canada, clean growth has been viewed as an essential strategy for achieving net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. However, clean growth initiatives can create cumulative effects. Moreover, such initiatives are evolving rapidly and it is unclear if conventional environmental assessments are sufficient. The assessment of cumulative effects of clean growth remains a relatively novel activity, yet is seemingly important given that some of the emerging actions and technologies could themselves yield a variety of unanticipated environment impacts. To support evidence-based policy development for clean growth, we conducted a policy scan at subnational and national levels in Canada supported by targeted scans in other jurisdictions to assess the scope at which cumulative effects are assessed for renewable clean growth projects, and to identify best practices, approaches, and/or methods for assessing the cumulative effects of clean growth. Our policy scan revealed that approaches for assessing cumulative effects of renewable clean growth activities are inadequately developed across Canada. Though we confirmed few existing cumulative effects frameworks in practice, we found a diverse set of cases where cumulative effects have been effectively identified and managed (in Canada and afar) for projects predominately in the natural resource sector. Four policy insights were generated for assessing cumulative effects of renewable clean growth in Canada; (1) adopt a regional approach that considers local context, (2) support the development of valued ecosystem components, (3) conduct rigorous and comprehensive baseline monitoring, and (4) prioritize collaborative governance including with Indigenous governments and communities. Failure to consider cumulative effects during the early phases of renewable clean growth could impede the ability to meet targets and yield the environmental and socio-economic benefits that are promised by the clean growth movement.

The Nature Futures Framework (NFF) is a novel approach for the development of positive scenarios centered on the relationship of nature and people, emphasizing biodiversity as part of the solution to environmental challenges across various spatial and temporal scales, explicitly addressing a plurality of values for nature. In this work, we describe the process that has led to the formulation of continental-scale positive narratives for conservation in Europe based on the NFF and its value perspectives (Nature for Nature; Nature for Society; Nature as Culture), through an expert group elicitation. We focused on 6 topics in the narratives: Nature Protection and Restoration; Forest Ecosystems; Freshwater Ecosystems; Urban Systems; Agriculture, and Energy. We analyze differences and similarities among the narratives across these topics. We develop three novel Nature Futures narratives for Europe with contrasting perspectives and priorities for the six topics. Within the EU socioeconomic trends and policy framework, common solutions that simultaneously tackle biodiversity conservation and instrumental and cultural Nature's Contributions to People (NCP) provision emerged. This set of narratives may integrate preferences concerning EU-level conservation targets and plausible socio-ecological development pathways, supporting the modeling of positive scenarios for nature that can be crucial in guiding policy decisions towards recovery of nature.

Previous work showed that animals have demonstrated remarkable adaptability by actively integrating into urban environments. However, there is no essential difference between urban and rural areas but food availability. The behavioral mechanisms and processes by which animals adapt to cities still require further experimental validation. In this study, field surveys of the flight initiation distance (FID) of black-headed gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) were performed at three scenic sites in Kunming City, Yunnan, southwest China. Our results showed that, within the same area, the FID of black-headed gulls was significantly shorter in areas with increased human activity. Moreover, in areas with earlier human contact, black-headed gulls showed shorter FID. The FID data were further analyzed by a multilayer perceptron regression model with a neural network (ANN-MLP) approach to delineate FID thresholds for black-headed gulls in different human disturbance spots. The analysis revealed that black-headed gulls exhibit a high degree of behavioral flexibility in cities, with food availability playing a key role in increasing the birds' tolerance to humans. These findings highlight the significant impact of human behaviors, such as feeding, on wildlife behavior patterns. Understanding this mechanism is essential for understanding the coexistence of humans and wildlife. The establishment of FID models for black-headed gulls will provide new possibilities and tools for animal behavior research.

Clear limits for cumulative effects are needed to safeguard the ecological structures, functions, and processes on which society depends in a rapidly changing world. However, ecological thresholds are difficult to discern and even more challenging to integrate meaningfully into cumulative effects assessments (CEA). It has been suggested that establishing a safe operating space for cumulative effects could move the dial forward in this respect. Yet, there remains little guidance on how to achieve this. Here, we propose a schema for measuring cumulative effects relative to a safe operating space grounded in ecological resilience. We then explore practical considerations for implementing this schema in CEA based on six attributes of a resilient ecosystem: diversity, connectivity, modularity, memory, openness, and feedbacks. We posit that a safe operating space may serve as a powerful tool to understand how our collective footprint may be undermining the ability of ecosystems to adapt and respond to future disturbances. By assessing cumulative effects against a safe operating space, society can better understand when systems are pushed to the edge of their safe zone and manage our interactions so as to avoid a catastrophic shift in the conditions needed for ecological and societal prosperity.

The misuse of antibiotics has led to frequent detection of antibiotics in the environment and triggered a series of environmental pollution problems. As the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, Sichuan Province has a large population, and the safety of its drinking water is of great importance to the local and even downstream areas. In this study, ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was used for targeted screening 41 antibiotics from 4 categories including tetracyclines, sulfonamides, macrolides, and quinolones in 35 water sources in Sichuan Province, China. Results showed that 30 antibiotics existed in the water samples. The total concentration of antibiotics (∑₃₀ antibiotics) was 0.03-33.09 ng·L^-1, with sulfonamide antibiotics exhibiting the highest concentration. In terms of different types of water sources, the concentration of ∑₃₀ antibiotics showed the trend of in the river type (8.15 ± 10.18 ng·L^-1) > the lake and reservoir type (2.62 ± 1.60 ng·L^-1) > the groundwater type (0.33 ± 0.31 ng·L^-1). Veterinary antibiotics predominated in the groundwater and river type sources, while veterinary-agricultural antibiotics dominated in the lake and reservoir type sources. The order of ∑₃₀ antibiotics concentration of in water sources from different economic zones showed that in the South Sichuan Economic Zone > Chengdu Plain Economic Zone > Northeast Sichuan Economic Zone > Panxi Economic Zone > Northwest Sichuan Ecological Demonstration Zone. Cluster analysis showed that antibiotics in water sources mainly originated from human medical treatment, breeding and agricultural use. The risk evaluation indicated that there were no high-risk points in the study area, and most of the points were at the no-risk to low-risk levels. The results supplied data and a scientific foundation for implementing a tiered and zoned water resource management strategy for controlling antibiotic pollution.

Public understanding of the construction of radioactive waste disposal sites, including those for decontamination waste derived from a nuclear accident, is particularly difficult when the disposal site is far from the location in which the waste was generated. Radioactively contaminated soil from the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident is planned for final disposal outside of Fukushima Prefecture by 2045. The purpose of the current study was to identify underlying values influencing public perceptions regarding the final disposal. A total of 40 people were interviewed, including both supporters and opponents of the final disposal policy. The results of quantitative text analysis showed that the opinions of supporters were characterized by perspectives that reflected the Rawlsian maximin principle of sharing the burden of Fukushima and considering the most disadvantaged, while the opinions of opponents were characterized by distrust of the government. Statements of utilitarian perspectives on optimizing the safety and economic aspects of disposal were mentioned regardless of participants' opinions on the disposal policy. The study clarified the relationship between these underlying values and perception of the disposal policy. The results suggested several considerations for the government regarding final disposal: prioritizing public trust, valuing a fair process, and delivering messages that reflect burden of Fukushima. These findings provided valuable insights into public acceptance and stakeholder involvement in cases where a disposal site is far from the location in which the waste is generated.

Renewable energy (RE) projects are vital to achieving sustainable development in the context of the pressing challenges of climate change and the energy transition. However, despite the global consensus on their importance, RE projects often encounter significant resistance at the local level. This article investigates how territorial characteristics influence the social acceptability of RE projects and explores the concept of fertile ground as a framework for understanding the conditions that foster or hinder local support for such projects. Drawing on theories of regional path dependency and leadership agency, we identify the historical, socioeconomic, cultural and governance factors shaping local attitudes towards RE projects. By employing qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews with diverse stakeholders and the analysis of press articles, we develop a nuanced approach that incorporates key territorial dynamics. Our findings reveal the critical role of historical industrial conflicts, political leadership, place attachment and perceptions of fairness in shaping local acceptability. They also highlight the influence of habituation and saturation effects, which shows that the acceptability of RE projects is not static; rather, it evolves over time in response to local conditions and stakeholder engagement. By situating the fertile ground concept within broader frameworks of social acceptability, this study provides actionable insights to policymakers and project developers seeking to align RE initiatives with local contexts and values.

This study explores the impact of NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) sentiments on local resistance to wind power developments in Norway. With a reopening of concession processing for new onshore wind power projects in 2022, a significant number of applications await evaluation, provoking substantial local opposition. This research assesses the prevalence and impact of NIMBY attitudes among the Norwegian public and to critically examine the theoretical validity and practical utility of the NIMBY concept. Using data from an online survey, which yielded 1220 complete responses, we analyzed general attitudes toward wind power in Norway and specific attitudes toward local wind power installations. While 37% of respondents support wind power construction in Norway, only 27% favor it near their homes. Based on the relationship between these two attitudes, we identified the proportion of NIMBYs in the data using two approaches. A strict definition requires individuals to support wind power in Norway but oppose its presence in the natural areas near their own homes. A less strict definition also includes those who expressed a neutral stance toward wind power in Norway among the NIMBYs. In both cases, a relatively small segment of respondents exhibit classic NIMBY characteristics, i.e., support (or claim neutrality) to wind power in general but opposing it locally. Further analysis reveals that direct experience with wind power installations is associated with increased acceptance rather than opposition, challenging the NIMBY narrative. Our study argues that labeling local resistance as NIMBYism oversimplifies the issue and ignores other significant factors like environmental identity, place attachment, and broader environmental attitudes. Hence, the study suggests that blaming wind power opponents as "Nimbys" often is misplaced and unjust.

Prescribed burning is a key tool in land management globally used to reduce wildfire risks and achieve ecological, cultural and resource management objectives across both natural and human systems. Despite its widespread application, research on prescribed burning is marked by significant gaps. Subsequently, we posed the following research questions: (1) What are the key research topics that define international, peer-reviewed literature on prescribed burning? (2) What are the temporal and spatial trends of these topics? (3) What are the relationships between the national income of a given country and the trends in research topics? And, (4) What are the most salient knowledge gaps in peer-reviewed prescribed burning research, and how can they be addressed? We used structural topic modelling and geoparsing to conduct a detailed text analysis of 7878 peer-reviewed articles on prescribed burning. We revealed that research on prescribed burning is dominated by studies from high-income countries, particularly the United States. This highlights a geographical bias that may skew global understanding and application of prescribed burning practices. Our topic modelling revealed the most prevalent topics to be Fire Regimes and Landscape Biodiversity Management, whilst topics such as Air Pollution & Health, and Wildfire Risk Management gained prominence in recent years. Our analysis highlighted a disconnect between forestry-related research and broader landscape management topics. This finding emphasises the need for more interdisciplinary research, and research on the use and effects of prescribed burning in diverse ecosystems and underrepresented regions, particularly in the context of climate change.