County Region Research Articles

Opportunities for planned retreat and flexible land use in Sweden: Local, regional and national governance perspectives

As the sea level rises and the frequency of intense rains increase, so does the need for climate adaptation. Planning for a successive development of society away from current and future flood prone areas to give room for water is not seen as an alternative in Sweden today, although it could be a strategy that creates long-term security.In this study, we investigated Swedish public authorities' perceptions of planned retreat and flexible land use. This was done through an online survey and interviews directed to officials directly involved in climate adaptation work, at municipalities, County Administration Boards (CABs), Regions, national authorities (NAs), and industry organizations (IOs). The responses were analyzed through the lens of a windows of opportunity approach. The study indicates that the extent to which climate scenarios are used and how far into the future the planning horizon extends in the practical work, varies between governance level which also have impact on the perspectives on planned retreat. The openness for planned retreat and flexible strategies seemed to differ slightly between governance levels in an ascending scale from regions, IOs / NAs, municipalities, to CABs. The survey has generated insights from a large number of respondents at different governance levels sharing their perceptions of retreat and adaptation in Sweden as a main contribution of this work.Difficulties to deal with uncertainties in climate scenarios and considering long-term perspectives were identified as some reasons that close the window for planned retreat. Enabling a flexible use of the land that will gradually become more exposed to flooding and sea level rise could be an intermediate step towards retreat. This would be a way to reframe a closed window of opportunity and begin the process of turning it into something transformative. It could be where the short- and long-term planning meet and a way to reframe our way of thinking about how we live and reside in dynamic waterfront areas, and perhaps lead to a more transformative, safe, and sustainable society for future generations.

Relationship between Cost of Sugarcane Production and Cost of Maize Production among Farmers in Nyanza Region in Kenya: Application of Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract: Sugarcane is an essential crop globally due to its many dietary and commercial uses. In spite of the increased demand for sugarcane as an intermediate input for the production of animal feeds, bioethanol and food stuff, its significance on the livelihood of farmers in Kenya is mixed. There are sections of farmers uprooting this cash crop in favour of maize, a staple food, as a means to enhance their food security status. On the other hand, some policy pronouncement encourages the diversification of this cash crop by intercropping it with other staple food crops. The study was anchored on the agricultural production theory. Based on the application of correlation research design, this paper adopted the Structural Equation Modeling to analyze primary data collected from rural households in three Nyanza region counties of Homabay, Kisumu and Migori to establish the relationship between sugarcane and maize production from their corresponding cost of inputs (labor, land and capital). From the findings, as the cost of sugarcane production increases, the cost of maize production also increases significantly, though inelastic. This implies that mechanization of farm activities can act to reduce production costs. Enhancing sugarcane productivity will contribute significantly towards reducing production cost. Therefore, the government must closely monitor the spikes in cost of sugarcane production since this is bound to result in the cost of maize production also spiking exacerbating the problem of food insecurity. This paper therefore empirically contributes to understanding of the intertlinking complexity between the production structure of a cash crop (sugarcane) and food crop (maize), given their importance in food security in a developing economy.

Exploring county-level spatio-temporal patterns in opioid overdose related emergency department visits.

Opioid overdoses within the United States continue to rise and have been negatively impacting the social and economic status of the country. In order to effectively allocate resources and identify policy solutions to reduce the number of overdoses, it is important to understand the geographical differences in opioid overdose rates and their causes. In this study, we utilized data on emergency department opioid overdose (EDOOD) visits to explore the county-level spatio-temporal distribution of opioid overdose rates within the state of Virginia and their association with aggregate socio-ecological factors. The analyses were performed using a combination of techniques including Moran's I and multilevel modeling. Using data from 2016-2021, we found that Virginia counties had notable differences in their EDOOD visit rates with significant neighborhood-level associations: many counties in the southwestern region were consistently identified as the hotspots (areas with a higher concentration of EDOOD visits) whereas many counties in the northern region were consistently identified as the coldspots (areas with a lower concentration of EDOOD visits). In most Virginia counties, EDOOD visit rates declined from 2017 to 2018. In more recent years (since 2019), the visit rates showed an increasing trend. The multilevel modeling revealed that the change in clinical care factors (i.e., access to care and quality of care) and socio-economic factors (i.e., levels of education, employment, income, family and social support, and community safety) were significantly associated with the change in the EDOOD visit rates. The findings from this study have the potential to assist policymakers in proper resource planning thereby improving health outcomes.

PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN OLDER ADULTS AFTER MULTIPLE SEVERE WEATHER EVENTS

Abstract Catastrophic hurricanes and flooding threaten health and well-being, although the long-term consequences of these events for survivors are poorly understood. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the US Gulf Coast. Many lost homes in these storms and relocated permanently inland. In August of 2016, historic flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana devastated a 22-parish (county) region, resulting in widespread destruction and a second round of disaster-related losses for those who relocated to Baton Rouge after Katrina. The present research is part of a larger longitudinal study on health and well-being after multiple disasters. Cherry et al. (2021) reported that greater flood damage was associated with more symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress during the Wave 1 immediate impact phase. Here we examined symptoms of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress at Wave 2, a follow-up assessment that occurred 9 (+/- 3) months after Wave 1 testing. Three flood exposure groups were compared: non-flooded (controls), single disaster (flooded in 2016) and double disaster (flooded in 2005 and again in 2016). Results indicated that symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress, which were elevated at Wave 1 for the single and double disaster groups relative to the non-flooded controls, were reduced at Wave 2 and did not differ from the controls. Correlation analyses revealed that age was negatively associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety, consistent with the inoculation view of post disaster psychological reactions. Implications of these data for understanding older adults’ psychological health after multiple disaster exposures are discussed.

Does China’s poverty alleviation policy improve the quality of the ecological environment in poverty-stricken areas?

Poverty eradication and environmental protection as the two global goals of sustainable development. China’s poverty alleviation policy attempts to achieve green development in poverty-stricken areas by eliminating poverty while also promoting environmental protection. Since the Poverty-stricken counties on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau also have the dual attributes of ecological degradation and ecological fragility, it is of great significance to study the impact of poverty alleviation policy on their environment. In this research, taking poverty alleviation policy as the entry point, based on panel data and Remote Sensing Ecological Index for poverty-stricken counties on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from 2011 to 2019, and using the difference-in-differences (DID) method to verify the impact of policy on environmental quality. The main findings of the study were: 1) The poverty alleviation policy has a significant improvement effect on the ecological environment quality of counties in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, and this conclusion still holds in a series of robustness tests using methods including the changing sample size method and the variable replacement method. Moreover, the policy effect has a certain time lag and its effect persists in the long term; 2) It is mainly due to the increased level of government public expenditure and the easing of government financial pressure that has contributed to the improvement of environmental quality in poverty-stricken areas; 3) Policy heterogeneity suggests that industrial poverty eradication policies are more conducive to promoting synergistic economic and environmental development in poverty-stricken areas.

New indicators for delineating priority regions for ecosystem conservation based on the criterion of cost-effectiveness

Natural and semi-natural ecosystems are increasingly threatened by human activities and their conservation conflicts with the ever-increasing spatial demands of human habitation and food production. Identifying the regions in most need of specific ecosystem conservation measures is an urgent problem in order to address this sustainability issue. However, the ambiguous definitions and methods of delineating these regions have led to difficulties in decision-making. To solve this problem of identifying priority regions, we developed new indicators (the marginal profit in terms of supplied ecosystem services and the area of land required to host permitted human activities) and rules for the determination of variable thresholds. Based on the criterion of cost-effectiveness, the concept of marginal profit was introduced and two variable thresholds were determined for its delineation: (i) the largest marginal profit with the highest efficiency and (ii) a marginal profit equal to zero as the potential upper limit. Taking four counties in the water conservation region of Beijing, China as case study areas, the proposed method was applied and tested. The results showed different spatial variations in water conservation services between the four counties, demonstrating the spatially distinct importance of services, which is strongly related to their priorities for conservation. Using the variable strategy, our new indicators and method were able to quantify these spatial characteristics and select particular areas with high-value ecosystem services for delineating priority regions for conservation. Compared to the non-variable threshold with a fixed target, our variable thresholds realized differentiated targets in the four different counties with smaller areas of land conserved for more ecosystem services. The developed indicators also avoided the likelihood of unreasonable outcomes from the use of a fixed target, which, although it could use more land, it would pay for fewer ecosystem services. Our results show the effectiveness of our developed indicators and overall method, which is easily operable and provides differentiated outcomes for priority regions for ecosystem conservation, leading to more informed decision-making.

Developing a Spatial Emission Inventory of Agricultural Machinery in Croatia by Using Large-Scale Survey Data

Agricultural machinery has an essential impact on climate change. However, its emission data are often missing, which makes it harder to develop policies which could lower its emissions. An emission inventory should first be developed to understand the impact of agricultural machinery on climate change. This article presents a spatial variation of emissions from agricultural machinery in Croatia. Data on agricultural machinery for 2016 was collected via a large-scale survey with 8895 respondents and included machinery type, location data, and fuel consumption by fuel type. Data processing was conducted to optimize the survey results, and the emissions were calculated using the “EEA/EMEP Emission Inventory Guidebook” Tier 1 method. The research shows that two-axle tractors with engine power 61–100 kW had the most significant energy consumption and were responsible for most of the emissions. The highest total emissions were in counties in the Slavonia region, while counties in the Dalmatia region had the highest emissions per hectare of arable land. Results obtained this way enable policies to be developed that will target specific spatial areas and machinery types. Furthermore, this approach could allow precise spatial and temporal emission tracking. A designated institution which could conduct annual surveys and update the agricultural machinery emission data would ensure emission data continuity.

An empirical study of the key factors affecting herders' purchasing decision on weather index insurance—A case study from inner Mongolia autonomous region, China

The weather index insurance for mutton sheep (WIMS) is the first weather index insurance product that addresses the increased feeding cost-related risk of grassland animal husbandry herders in China. In 2019, the WIMS was implemented as a pilot project in 11 county regions of Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, China. Since the implementation of this product, the purchasing rate has varied from region to region, as the highest purchasing rate was 84.3%, while the lowest was only 1.8%. This research uses the double hurdle model to identify the factors affecting herders' purchasing behavior. This paper reports a survey study of 535 participants herders in the Xilin Gol League. The result indicates that herders' age, disaster risk evaluation, insurance awareness, pasture area, and neighborhood purchasing decision significantly impact herders' purchasing propensity. Disaster evaluation, insurance awareness, pasture area and location significantly impact the purchasing degree of herders. The study suggests that young herders and herders with large pasture areas should be motivated to purchase insurance. In addition, new methods should be applied for the publicity of this insurance product; Investments should be focused on the automatic weather monitoring station projects in pastoral areas to reduce the basis risk of the insurance.

Exploring Fire Station Location Analysis Methodology Through Fire Service Analysis: Focusing on the Golden Time Data

Recently, fire services have attracted considerable attention owing to issues such as the occurrence of large-scale fire accidents and the national position of firefighters. The location and establishment of fire stations is under the authority of the cities and counties (Si-Gun) governor, and local governments should provide new indicators for the provision of adequate fire service. This study was conducted to develop a methodology for enabling local governments to provide adequate fire services in the future. The number of “missed golden times” was used as the main indicator, and areas with weak fire services were identified through hotspot analysis. The city and county (Si-Gun) regions of Gyeongsangnam-do province are diversely scaled. Therefore, we analyzed three pertinent aspects: missed golden times’ “missed golden times per 1,000 people,” and “missed golden times per square kilometer.” The analysis yields hotspots for missed golden times and missed golden times per square kilometer in cities toward the east of Gyeongsangnam-do province and the hotspots for missed golden times per 1,000 people in counties of western Gyeongsangnam-do province. These indicators and methodologies, if applied, can serve as one of the major criteria for selecting the location for a new local governmental fire station in the future.

Association between location of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, on-scene socioeconomic status, and accessibility to public automated defibrillators in two large metropolitan areas in Canada and France

AimTo compare walking access times to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) between area-level quintiles of socioeconomic status (SES) in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases occurring in 2 major urban regions of Canada and France. MethodsThis was an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort study of adult, non-traumatic OHCA cases in the metropolitan Vancouver (Canada) and Rhône County (France) regions that occurred between 2014 and 2018. We calculated area-level SES for each case, using quintiles of country-specific scores (Q5 = most deprived). We identified AED locations from local registries. The primary outcome was the simulated walking time from the OHCA location to the closest AED (continuous and dichotomized by a 3-minute 1-way threshold). We fit multivariate models to analyze the association between OHCA-to-AED walking time and outcomes (Q5 vs others). ResultsA total of 6,187 and 3,239 cases were included from the Metro Vancouver and Rhône County areas, respectively. In Metro Vancouver Q5 areas (vs Q1-Q4), areas, AEDs were farther from (79 % over 400 m from case vs 67 %, p < 0.001) and required longer walking times to (97 % above 3 min vs 91 %, p < 0.001) cases. In Rhône Q5 areas, AEDs were closer than in other areas (43 % over 400 m from case vs 50 %, p = 0.01), yet similarly poorly accessible (85 % above 3 min vs 86 %, p = 0.79). In multivariate models, AED access time ≥ 3 min was associated with decreased odds of survival at hospital discharge in Metro Vancouver (odds ratio 0.41, 95 % CI [0.23–0.74], p = 0.003). ConclusionsAccessibility of public AEDs was globally poor in Metro Vancouver and Rhône, and even poorer in Metro Vancouver’s socioeconomically deprived areas.

Assessment of the Water Resources Carrying Capacity in the Great Dunhuang Region

Water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) is an important index for assessing the coordinated development relationship between population and water resources. The quantitative evaluation of WRCC can provide an important basis for water resource regulation and sustainable economic and social development. Based on the statistical data of cities and counties in the Great Dunhuang Region (GDR), and taking counties as the basic units, this study quantitatively analyzed the WRCC and carrying status of the GDR under different water inflow conditions and policy constraints from 2010 to 2017. The study revealed three main trends. (1) From 2010 to 2017, the WRCC of the GDR increased year by year, from 343700, 315900 and 291100 people to 458700, 415400 and 375600 people in normal, dry and extremely dry years, respectively. (2) Under policy constraints, the WRCC of the GDR increased year by year from 309400 people in 2010 to 412400 people in 2017. Based on future estimates, the WRCC of the GDR are expected to be 326600 people in 2020 and 341200 people in 2030. (3) From 2010 to 2017, the water resources carrying index of the GDR was decreasing, and it decreased from 1.05, 1.14 and 1.24 to 0.80, 0.88 and 0.97 in normal, dry and extremely dry years, respectively. The carrying status changed from critical overload to balanced. Although the WRCC and the carrying status of the GDR had significantly improved by 2017, the overall upper limit of the carrying capacity is not high. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve the utilization efficiency of water resources in order to maintain the sustainable utilization of water resources in the GDR.

Does the digital economy promote "innovation and entrepreneurship" in rural tourism in China?

This paper focuses on the impact of the “Digital Economy” on rural entrepreneurship. Unlike previous literature, the perspective of this paper focuses on a specific industry—tourism—and identifies a new mediating mechanism by which the “Digital Economy” affects rural tourism entrepreneurship—the promotion of innovation. The paper further clarifies the fact that the “Rural Digital Economy Index,” which is a dimension of the Digital Economy Indicator System, is the key to the mechanism of action. Theoretically, first, through a literature review, this paper provides a rationale for the “Digital Economy” to promote innovation behavior by reducing the cost of innovation. Second, using a product matching model, this paper argues that a rural tourism market characterized by innovation can stimulate more entrepreneurship. Empirically, using a sample of 150 counties in the Yangtze River Delta region of China, this paper argues that the higher the digitalization index of a county’s rural economy, the more national model villages and towns this county has (all of which include product innovation in the selection criteria) and more tourism entrepreneurial activities. Econometric methods such as endogeneity, spatial econometric regression, and sensitivity analysis proved the findings robust. Our recommendation is that the Chinese government could focus on improving the innovation environment for rural residents in the future, so that entrepreneurial activities will be spontaneously stimulated by market mechanisms.

From Communities of Practice to Smart and Connected Communities: Information Sharing Practices Among Social Service Providers

ABSTRACTTo be a smart and connected community is an aspiration and orientation. A goal of smart and connected communities is to make more effective and consistent use of data, information, and technology, and in many ways to operate at a critical junction between community members and an imagined future structured around a particular vision of the role of government, the role of participation, and often‐conflicting visions of what these might become. This paper reports findings from 32 semi‐structured interviews with stakeholders in the City of Austin Continuum of Care (CoC), a collaborative group of organizations working to end homelessness in the Austin/Travis County region, as well as critical analysis of their collaborative and siloed data resources. The key themes that emerged in this case study include the continual process of “becoming” a smart and connected community, focusing on the development and “accretion” of data and informational infrastructure, and its impact on the communities of practice related to providing services to people experiencing homelessness. The information behaviors of the stakeholders of the CoC demonstrates ongoing movement towards more collaborative resolutions of issues of data quality and interoperability, alongside a negotiation of the role of data‐intensive structuring of collaborations and work.

S294 Decline in Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Federally Qualified Health Centers in Los Angeles County From 2019 to 2020

Introduction: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to provide primary care services to low-income and underinsured individuals. Los Angeles County (LAC) is a large, diverse county with greater than 10.2 million residents and 8 distinct Service Planning Areas (SPAs) that represent specific geographic regions with variable resources. We aimed to describe colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates (CRCSR) and the screening rate change (SRCs) in LAC overall and for each SPA between 2019 and 2020 to determine where resources are most needed for CRCSR recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Our data source was the Uniform Data System (UDS), which includes quality data for the FQHCs funded by HRSA. We determined 2019 and 2020 CRCSR for LAC FQHCs overall and for each FQHC, including average-risk patients age 50-74. We then separated FQHCs into quartiles based on SRC and performed mixed-effects logistic regression to determine FQHC-level characteristics associated with the largest decline in CRCSR from 2019 to 2020 (i.e., predictors of category SRC Q1). Lastly, we determined SRC for each SPA in LAC. Results: In 2019, there were 58 FQHCs in LAC with 326,473 patients eligible for CRC screening. In 2020, there were 59 FQHCs with 350,405 eligible patients. The median 2020 CRCSR in LAC FQHCs was 37.3%, down from 48.0% in 2019 (2020 median SRC= -9.6%) (Table). In the regression model among all LAC FQHCs, those with higher proportions of patients preferring a non-English language had significantly higher odds of having the largest decline in CRCSR from 2019 to 2020 (SRC Q1) (aOR=3.25, 95% CI=1.22-8.65; data not shown). CRCSR decreased from 2019 to 2020 in all SPAs with SRC ranging from -17.0% (South Bay) to -1.4% (West LA) (Figure). Conclusion: In Los Angeles County FQHCs, CRC screening rates were higher than the national FQHC average in 2019 however declined considerably between 2019 and 2020. The decline in CRC screening rates was highest in FQHCs serving a higher proportion of patients with a preference for a non-English language and varied by county region. Our findings highlight the need for targeted measures, including language-appropriate resources, to improve CRC screening uptake in FQHCs that provide care to some of the most historically marginalized individuals.Figure 1.: A) Median CRC screening rate among adults age 50 to 74 at FQHCs in Los Angeles County in 2019, by Service Planning Area (SPA). B) Percent change in CRC screening rate (screening rate change, SRC) for adults age 50 to 74 at FQHCs in LA County between 2019 and 2020, by SPA; n=58 FQHCs Table 1. - FQHC characteristics (2020 data) and CRC screening rates (2019 and 2020) for HRSA-funded FQHCs in LA County overall and by 2020 CRC screening rate change quartiles Frequency or percent Overall (n=59) SRC Q1 (n=15) SRC Q2+Q3+Q4 (n=44) p-value Total patients eligible for CRC screening (age 50-74) 350,405 79,218 271,187 n/a CRC screening rate in 2019 (median %) 48.0 61.4 44.7 0.0001 CRC screening rate in 2020 (median %) 37.3 37.3 37.3 0.97 Change in CRC Screening Uptake between 2020 and 2019 Median -9.58 -24.49 -5.52 < 0.0001 Interquartile Range -15.2, -2.2 -31.4, -17.2 -10.0, -1.3 Sex Male (median %) 41.5 42.2 41.4 0.83 Race & Ethnicity (median %) White Non-Hispanic 8.7 6.2 10.2 0.12 Black Non-Hispanic 6.4 4.6 6.7 0.40 Hispanic/Latine 63.5 54.9 63.7 0.94 Other Non-Hispanic 2.6 1.8 2.6 0.16 Preference for non-English Language (median %) 34.1 43.4 33.3 0.01 Urban FQHCs, n (%) 59 (100%) 15 (100%) 44 (100%) n/a Experiencing homelessness (median %) 2.3 2.4 2.2 0.57 Income Level >200% FPL (median %) 2.1 1.8 2.2 0.60 Uninsured (median %) 22.6 22.7 22.6 0.72 Medicaid (median %) 41.8 40.0 42.0 0.52 Medicare/Medicaid Dually Eligible (median %) 3.0 2.8 3.0 0.64 Private Ins (median %) 7.1 10.2 6.5 0.19 Agricultural Workers (median %) 0.26 0.30 0.26 0.74

A Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis of San Diego Law Enforcement Task Forces and Agencies

The San Diego area has a long reputation as a highly networked, cooperative, and task force-oriented law enforcement region. Measuring and understanding how this region achieves its networked state could assist other regions in improving law enforcement functions. This article uses social network analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively map the network of law enforcement agency task forces in the San Diego County region. The analysis first provides an inventory and description of San Diego area law enforcement task forces and participating agencies, then analyzes the structure of the regional network. The analysis identified 33 law enforcement investigative task forces supported by 84 law enforcement and participating agencies in the San Diego area. These comprise a relatively dense network with a well-connected core of primarily federal and local agencies, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations being the most central federal agencies, and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department, as well as San Diego, National City, and Chula Vista police departments as the most central local agencies. State agencies were less central but included the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol in the top 10 agencies for centrality, depending on the metric. The network mapping in this article provides a baseline for a highly connected task force region that will allow future comparison with other regions and similarly situated cities along the US-Mexico border and beyond. Policy recommendations based on network theory are provided.

노인요양시설 화재안전성 강화를 위한 정책지원방안

The purpose of this study is to identify the cause of the low grade in the fire sector among the regional safety indexes and to suggest improvement plans in consideration of the indicators used in the regional safety index. The current state of fire accidents over the past five years was analyzed. The causes of fires by region, season, place, and age were identified. As a result, it was found that the regional imbalance of the index value of each factor and the index grade was serious. In order to improve the regional safety index level of Chungnam-do, measures to reduce fires in 7 cities and counties in the southern region, which are vulnerable areas, are needed. It is necessary to improve the manpower allocation that reflects the correlation between the number of firefighters and the fire rescue performance. Finally, the unreasonable point of the local safety index calculation method itself needs to be improved. In order to remove the risk bias of the risk index, the fatality-centered index can be shifted to include the number of property damage and the number of injured.

Mapping county-level vulnerability to the energy transition in US fossil fuel communities

The energy transition toward lower-carbon energy sources will inevitably result in socioeconomic impacts on certain communities, particularly those that have historically produced fossil fuel resources and electricity generation using fossil fuels. Such communities stand to lose jobs, tax revenues, and support for public services. Which communities are most likely to be affected, which are more susceptible to being harmed, and how to target adaptive capacity programs—such as economic development and workforce training—accordingly are pressing scholarly and policy questions. In this study, we apply a vulnerability framework to calculate, rank, and map exposure and sensitivity scores for fossil fuel producing regions in the US. We find that, while counties in most regions of the United States will be affected by the transition away from fossil fuels, counties in Appalachia, Texas and the Gulf Coast region, and the Intermountain West are likely to experience the most significant impacts, and some regions experience overlapping and significant incidence of vulnerability. These results can be used to target future adaptive capacity programs.

Geospatial Analysis and Land Suitability for “FloodWise” Practices: Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Mitigation in Eastern, Rural North Carolina

As the global climate continues to change, extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heavy rainfall are becoming more frequent. Subsequently, flooding and standing water disrupt and negatively impact many communities. The use of nature-based solutions (NBS) is an innovative and sustainable approach to flood mitigation. Geospatial research and applications have developed rapidly to identify and map broad regions in the world, as well as specific locations for NBS. We conducted a geospatial analysis in ArcGIS Pro to identify areas where NBS, referred to as “FloodWise” practices in this study, could be sited in the North Carolina Coastal Plain to strategically reduce flooding and provide water quality and habitat improvement. The study provides a spatially explicit application of integrated remote sensing, scientific and professional knowledge, and extant databases to screen diverse variables and identify potential specific NBS opportunities and sites. The practices modeled in this study are wetland restoration, afforestation, agroforestry, “water farming” (which uses a combination of dry dams and berms), and stream restoration. Maps of specific areas and tracts in the county for the NBS practices in Robeson County, North Carolina were developed based on the land ownership size, biophysical characteristics, current land uses, and water management opportunities. Land suitability locations revealed in these maps can be used in future resilience planning initiatives to reduce floodwaters on North Carolina’s rural landscapes. The geospatial analysis methodologies employed in this study can be followed to model NBS locations for flood reduction and water storage opportunities in other counties in Eastern North Carolina or other regions with similar topographies and land-type characteristics.

Public perception of oilfield produced water: The case of California's Central Valley

Oilfield Produced Water (OPW) has been identified as a viable solution to mitigate water scarcity in California‘s Central Valley. However, consumer perception on the use of OPW outside of the oil and gas industry remains unknown and poses a hurdle for large-scale adoption. This paper, based on 134 randomly selected residents of Kern County (California‘s largest oil-producing county and top agricultural region), examined attitudes towards OPW reuse. In the survey, more than half (52.3%) of participants said that they have heard about oilfield-produced water and other reclaimed waters. Findings also suggest that participants mostly preferred rain and stormwater, and interestingly scored OPW higher than industrial and black waters for irrigation purposes. Around 67% of the participants supported the use of oilfield-produced water for irrigating crops. Younger people (18–29 years) expressed greater concern about using OPW compared to the older residents. Given the drought conditions in Central Valley, policymakers might need to focus on a circular economy and mandate the use of OPW in Central Valley considering that this region‘s economy lies at the nexus of the O&amp;G and agriculture industries.

Combining spatial planning and ecosystem services value to assist ecological compensation decision-making—A case study of Yangtze River Delta ecological barrier, China

China’s ecological compensation (EC) is based on the property rights structure of public ownership of natural resources, which should be based on the spatial planning, which is defined by local government as the boundary of property right management and the distribution of development power. This study combined spatial planning and ecosystem service value (ESV) accounting to design a decision-making framework of EC, which includes “Subject choice, Value accounting, Priority evaluation, Policy supply”. We selected 32 counties (districts) in the Yangtze River Delta region as the research object with the consideration of spatial planning and expert advice, and found that the implementation of EC slowed down the urbanization process and promoted the increase of ecological space. We conducted an accounting and sensitivity analysis on the spatial and temporal changes of ESV in the region from 2000 to 2019, and finally determined the amount and priority of accepting EC. The research results show that the ESV in the study area shows a general trend of increasing and then decreasing in time, and a spatial pattern of high in the south and low in the north and high in the east and low in the west. Forestland and water area are the main providers of ESV in the study area. The sensitivity coefficients of each type of ESV do not change much in each period, but the coefficients between the types have large differences. The total amount of EC in the Yangtze River Delta ecological barrier (YRDEB) is RMB 38,098.11 billion, and Shitai County is the area with the highest priority for compensation. We believe that this decision-making framework has the potential to be applied to the implementation of EC in other regions of China. At the same time, it can also be used to enrich the international views on EC research.