Environmental Management最新文献

The present study aimed to investigate the environmental consequences of mining activities in boke bauxite mining areas and the Kerouane iron mining project in Guinea using a mixed-methods approach that combines quantitative and qualitative data. A reference matrix was used to evaluate the impact of the mining activities, classifying them as negligible, moderate, or significant. Data were collected from October 2022 to January 2023 by assessing their impact on water pollution, soil, noise, air quality, vegetation, fauna, and flora. These findings indicate concerns regarding the water pH, electrical conductivity, and turbidity in both the Boke and Kerouane regions. The soil composition analysis revealed the presence of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn in both the Boke and Kerouane project areas. Noise levels exceeded the guideline levels and substantial amounts of particulate matter (PM) were detected, with high levels of PM10 in mining operations. The Kerouane Iron Project resulted in the direct loss of 2929 ha of natural habitats and 466 ha of modified habitats, with the extraction of approximately 1.291 billion tons of ore anticipated over a 22-year mine lifespan. This study proposes an environmental threat assessment framework that integrates technical and human activity data to evaluate the environmental impacts of mining activities comprehensively. To promote sustainable development and minimize the negative impacts of mining, an integrated index of economic and environmental performance in the mining sector is recommended, along with collaboration between researchers and policymakers to develop effective climate-change mitigation strategies.

The continuous increase of anthropogenic activities reinforces their stress on aquatic ecosystems (from continental to marine ecosystems) that are the most altered ecosystems on Earth. To evaluate the risk of ecosystem decline toward human alterations, the concept of “ecological vulnerability” was developed to help managers to prioritize conservation actions. Various definitions of vulnerability and its components were used, but this concept is often centered on the intersection of three components: sensitivity, exposition, and adaptive capacity. The aim of this study was through a review of the scientific literature of the last 10 years, first to assess the goals of the use of the concept of vulnerability in aquatic ecology: for which pressure (e.g., climate change, predation) and organism, on which level of organization (individuals, species, …). The second objective, was to address the methods developed to assess vulnerability: which components were considered, which metrics were used, the scoring process… Fish were the organisms the most frequently concerned and the number of publications decreased with the increasing complexity of biodiversity studied (from populations to multitrophic organizations). Climate change was the main stressor for which vulnerability was assessed. Vulnerability was commonly defined as being highly sensitive, highly exposed and lowly adaptable even if adaptive capacity was rarely addressed. This study showed an interest in the concept of vulnerability to protect aquatic ecosystems. Nonetheless, to better evaluate their risk of biodiversity loss, we should consider vulnerability at a higher level of organization and encompass the adaptive capacity of the biota.

This study uses stated preference techniques to evaluate the willingness to pay for improved groundwater in PEI, which allows us to estimate the social cost of nitrogen in this region. ‘Beneficial Management Practices’ (BMPs) are often employed in PEI’s agricultural sector, to improve crop yields but also reduce adverse environmental effects such as nitrogen leaching that can affect ground and surface waters. PEI residents were surveyed to estimate a dollar value of improved water quality due to reduced nitrogen leaching due to BMPs. From the responses to a double-bounded dichotomous choice survey, models using maximum likelihood estimation showed that residents of PEI were willing to pay roughly $230 per year to see a reduction in nitrogen of either 20% or 50%, which translated to $5–13 per kg of nitrogen reduced. However, excluding ‘yeah-sayers’ and protest votes suggests that WTP is lower for the 20% reduction and increases as nitrogen reduction increases. Thus, a social cost of $13/kg should be considered an upper bound in PEI. WTP values, as well as estimates of the social cost of nitrogen are similar to values in previous literature. We find that variables such as cell phone usage, belief that farmers should pay for BMPs, and spending on water filtration have a statistically significant impact on WTP. Other variables are significant in some model specifications, however many demographic variables such as employment status and education do not affect WTP.

Despite various interventions to protect forests, many developing countries, including Ethiopia, continue to face substantial forest conservation challenges, particularly where local communities heavily rely on forests for their livelihoods. Recognizing the urgency of this issue, the government of Ethiopia introduced Participatory Forest Management (PFM) and devolved forest management responsibilities to enhance forest conservation. Therefore, this assessment examines the impacts of PFM on forest cover based on an analysis of the Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) over the last 23 years in Adaba-Dodola, and its implications for REDD+ implementation. The study involved determining the LULCC of the Adaba-Dodola forest after the introduction of PFM from 2000 to 2023. Landsat images of 2000, 2012, and 2023 were analyzed to detect LULCC. The study result showed that the Adaba-Dodola forest cover increased by 1.83% since the PFM was introduced. The decreased agricultural land by 0.87% was the main factor attributed to the increase in shrub cover, while shrubland attributed to the rise in forest cover. Net areas of about 148 ha/year of shrublands were converted into forest land owing to significant forest regeneration, while shrublands had a net gain of 110.5 ha/year from agriculture and grasslands between 2000 and 2023. The increase in forest cover is attributed to the effectiveness of PFM in halting deforestation and promoting forest conservation. Thus, the PFM approach is a tool for preserving forest ecosystems and mitigating the adverse effects of deforestation and forest degradation, therefore would be used as an umbrella for implementing REDD+.

Rapid urbanization in African metropolises like the Greater Asmara Area, Eritrea, poses numerous environmental challenges, including soil sealing, loss of vegetation cover, threats to protected natural areas, and climate change, among others. Mapping and assessing ecosystem services, particularly analyzing their spatial and temporal distribution is crucial for sustainable spatial planning. This study aims at mapping and analyzing ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots dynamics in the Greater Asmara Area to identify recent trends and opportunities for enhancing ecosystem services supply. Utilizing remote sensing images, we produced land cover maps for 2009 and 2020 and mapped six ecosystem services through a lookup table approach. The study includes provisioning, regulating and maintenance, and cultural ecosystem services. We analyzed their spatio-temporal variations, identifying ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots and their changes over time. Results show that overall ecosystem services potential in the Greater Asmara Area remains low but stable, with some improvements. By 2020, areas with no ecosystem services potential decreased in southern regions like Gala Nefhi and Berik, and new hotspots and coldspots emerged in central Gala Nefhi. This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility and key challenges of the ecosystem services hotspots and coldspots approach for sustainable spatial planning in rapidly urbanizing African metropolitan regions. Despite limitations, the study offers valuable insights into ecosystem services potentials, and related hotspots and coldspots dynamics, raising awareness and paving the way for further research and application.