Development Of Environmental Policy Research Articles

Integrating spatial and social characteristics in the DPSIR framework for the sustainable management of river basins: case study of the Katari River Basin, Bolivia

ABSTRACT The drivers–pressures–state–impact–responses (DPSIR) framework has been used widely to support environmental policy developments. However, we argue that DPSIR tends to oversimplify the complexity behind socio-ecological systems. Based on the Katari River Basin in Bolivia, we explore how the incorporation of spatial and social considerations may enhance DPSIR applications. The results reveal a spatial mismatch between driving forces/pressures and policy responses, and severe impacts on the vulnerable communities. Moreover, we also show that local levels tend to be neglected. The study concludes that integrating spatial and social characteristics in the DPSIR may result in valuable implications for river basin management practitioners.

Comparing the concentrations of heavy metals on two bivalve species in Santos Bay, Brazil: Subsidies to understanding the assimilation dynamic of bivalve contaminants.

Contaminant substances consist of chemical elements that present the potential to adversely impact the ecology of the environment, thus representing a threat to local fauna and flora. In this context, heavy metals are critical agents that, depending on the nature and level, are potentially toxic to living organisms. In order to evaluate the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the Santos estuary and to determine the potential influence of salinity gradient on the heavy metal bioconcentration, the present study measured the concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Zn in two bivalve species (Crassostrea rhizophorae and Perna Perna) sampled at different sites of Santos Bay, in the southeastern region of Brazil. Throughout the study, the "sentinel species" used were effective in bioaccumulating contaminants. In oysters, based on the Brazilian legislation, critical limits were exceeded for As, Zn, Cu, and Cr. In the case of mussels, on the other hand, only for As, Zn, and Cr, the critical limits were overcome. In the present study, obtained data suggested salinity as a determinant parameter in As incorporation processes of bivalve mollusks. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The present study presents important results for the development of environmental management policies in estuarine environments. The present study points out differences between different organisms as biomonitors, providing subsidies for the decision of an effective biomonitoring program. The present study discusses values of contaminants as a danger to public health in Santos Bay, which can be extrapolated to other similar environments around the world.

Abstract 12037: Neighborhood Environmental Correlates of Physical Activity Maintenance Among Healthy People in the Seoul Metropolitan City

Introduction: Neighborhood environmental policy development to support physical activity (PA) maintenance are keys to the implementation of city-wide health promotion initiatives. These efforts may make citizens’ PA more maintainable and sustainable than any other efforts. However, there is lack of information on the identification of neighborhood environmental correlates of PA maintenance. We aimed to identify its neighborhood environmental correlates and to investigate whether the correlates would differ by PA mode, i.e., walking versus aerobic sports. Methods: Participants were 1,449 healthy citizens of the Seoul Metropolitan city. Neighborhood environment variable was perceived by respondents, as measured by the Physical Activity Neighborhood Environmental Scale (PANES). PANES can be evaluated by full- and sub-scale scores. Walking maintenance was defined as daily > 30 minutes on 5 days or more in a behavioral maintenance stage of 6 months or greater. Aerobic sports included leisure-time physical sports (e.g., hiking, bicycling, or other sports) and its maintenance was defined as either > 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises or > 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercises in a behavioral maintenance stage of 6 months or greater. Results: Both walking maintenance (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09 - 1.21) and the maintenance of aerobic sports (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.01 - 1.10) were significantly associated with the PANES full score. Specifically, walking maintenance was significantly associated with the sub-scale scores of land use mix (OR = 1.42), recreation facilities (OR = 1.56), and aesthetics (OR = 1.42). The maintenance of aerobic sports was significantly associated with bicycling infrastructures (OR = 1.22), recreation facilities (OR = 1.50) and traffic safety (OR = 0.78). Conclusions: Neighborhood environmental correlates of PA maintenance differed by walking vs. aerobic sports. Overall, city-wide neighborhood environmental policy makers should consider these differences, and prioritize the increases and improvements in availability and accessibility of public recreation exercise facilities (that is a common correlate) for PA maintenance in Seoul Metropolitan city.

Ephemeral forest regeneration limits carbon sequestration potential in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Although deforestation remains widespread in the tropics, many places are now experiencing significant forest recovery (i.e., forest transition), offering an optimistic outlook for natural ecosystem recovery and carbon sequestration. Naturally regenerated forests, however, may not persist, so a more nuanced understanding of the drivers of forest change in the tropics is critical to ensure the success of reforestation efforts and carbon sequestration targets. Here we use 35years of detailed land cover data to investigate forest trajectories in 3014municipalities in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (AF), a biodiversity and conservation hotspot. Although deforestation was evident in some regions, deforestation reversals, the typical forest transition trajectory, were the prevalent trend in the AF, accounting for 38% of municipalities. However, simultaneous reforestation reversals in the region (13% of municipalities) suggest that these short-term increases in native forest cover do not necessarily translate into persistent trends. In the absence of reversals in reforestation, forests in the region could have sequestered 1.75PgC, over three times the actual estimated carbon sequestration (0.52PgC). We also showed that failure to distinguish native and planted forests would have masked native forest cover loss in the region and overestimated reforestation by 3.2 Mha and carbon sequestration from natural forest regeneration by 0.37PgC. Deforestation reversals were prevalent in urbanized municipalities with limited forest cover and high agricultural productivity, highlighting the importance of favorable socioeconomic conditions in promoting reforestation. Successful forest restoration efforts will require development and enforcement of environmental policies that promote forest regeneration and ensure the permanence of regrowing forests. This is crucial not only for the fate and conservation of the AF, but also for other tropical nations to achieve their restoration and carbon sequestration commitments.

Ecological and economic effects of industrial and technological development

The article is devoted to topical issues of mutual influences of ecological and economic, industrial and technological development. The main purpose of the article is to study the system characteristics of the relationship between industrial and technological development and the effectiveness of the national economy. Such a relationship is based on the policy of environmental innovation, which is implemented at the junction of relations in the fields of environmental safety, industrial policy and technological development of Ukraine. The article aims to determine economic effects of the ecological component of industrial and technological development of the country. The study found that the industrial and technological growth of the national economy depends to a large extent on the ecological component. The method of taxonomy was used to carry out an integral assessment of ecological indicators of industrial and technological development in the system of ecological and economic security of Ukraine. The application of tools of multidimensional statistical analysis, the harmonization of indicators of industrial and technological development and ecological and economic security of Ukraine helped to determine the economic effects of ecological impact.

On Sustainable Consumption: The Implications of Trade in Virtual Water for the EU’s Food Security

The paper addresses the sustainability of the European Union’s food consumption through a water footprint assessment of selected vulnerable agricultural imports from a two-pronged perspective: (1) the degree of the EU’s dependence on global green water resources embedded in the apparent consumption of selected water-intensive agricultural products and (2) the degree of commitment of countries of origin to sustainability policies. The study argues that the vulnerability of the EU’s agricultural imports to water risks can be estimated based on the amount of green water consumed in producing crops in the countries of origin. The results show that the EU’s consumption of agricultural goods is highly dependent on virtual water imports for all six selected vulnerable agricultural products, from the lowest footprint for bananas (5 mil. km3) to the largest for coffee (69 mil. km3). The analysis also points to a greater concern for quality issues in the countries of origin (56.53%) relative to management (26.52%) and availability issues (16.85%), but the latter are to arise in importance for sustainable production in the years to come. Our conclusions contribute to building up a responsible commitment towards (1) development of environmental policies and the design of practical measures by providing quantitative information that makes problems more clearly defined and tangible, and (2) assessing the outcome of policies and practical measures by understanding their effects on the sustainability of food consumption.

Impacts of land use on water quality and the viability of bivalve shellfish mariculture in the UK: A case study and review for SW England

This paper examines how land use affects water quality and how this impacts the viability of shellfish mariculture (marine aquaculture) in the UK through a synthesis of the current literature, stakeholder workshops and targeted engagement of cross-sector organisations across a case study in South West England. We examine the importance of water quality as a constraint for shellfish mariculture in South West England and explore how current and projected future land uses are likely to influence ongoing viability. Currently, faecal material from agricultural runoff and municipal wastewater discharges is the main water quality issue affecting the viability of shellfish mariculture. Most UK Shellfish Waters, including those in SW England (~90%), do not consistently meet regulatory standards for faecal indicator organisms (FIOs) in shellfish, designed to ensure they are safe for direct human consumption. Other pollutants currently impacting shellfish mariculture include persistent organic pollutants and metals, suspended solids and excess nutrient inputs. Emerging pollutants with the potential to impact on mariculture include a range of consumer- industrial- and agri- chemicals, including biocides, pesticides, veterinary and human medicines. We evaluated possible changes in water quality conditions through deriving and exploring a range of future scenarios, considering policies and trends in land use including regenerative and intensive agriculture, renewable energy generation, afforestation, urban development and climate change. Our findings highlight possible trade-offs and synergies between land and water-based food production systems, applicable in SW England and across other regions of the UK and internationally, for helping to inform environmental policy development and implementation.

Environmental Counterclaims in Investment Treaty Arbitration

Abstract Through design of international investment agreements, foreign investors may bring international claims against the States in which they invest, challenging domestic executive and regulatory measures, including those related to the environment and sustainable development. In contrast, host States are usually limited to defending claims brought against them. The capacity for a host State to bring an independent counterclaim has been tested in only a handful of cases, some of which involved environmental considerations. This article considers those cases and the potential for counterclaims to help enforce national and international objectives related to the environment. It does so by setting out the legal framework for counterclaims by host States, analyzing how jurisdiction, admissibility and causes of action involving environmental obligations under domestic and international law may be satisfied, and the attendant consequences for liability and compensation. It then considers the implications of counterclaims for future investment disputes, given the rapid development of international and domestic environmental law and policy, especially in the context of corporate governance, climate change and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Environmental and legal policy: modern approaches to formation

The article considers environmental law policy as a component, an independent type of national legal policy, as well as state and sectoral environmental policy. The existence of correlative, mutual influence of ecological and legal doctrine on formation of the corresponding policy is proved. It is substantiated that the ecological and legal legal doctrine significantly influences the current state of the state ecological policy (and this influence is mutual), formation of the ecological legislation and integration of Ukraine into the European legal space. It was stated that Ukraine first of all needs to intensify law-making, modernize the provisions of the environmental and legal doctrine, based on the concepts of which will be revised, updated provisions of public policy, legal understanding, and hence law enforcement. Further institutionalization of the basic provisions of the ecological and legal doctrine in the legislation becomes a necessary condition for the further development of law-making and statehood.
 It is emphasized that the use of environmental and legal doctrine will speed up the law-making process, in particular due to the adaptation of regulations to European standards; formulate legislative definitions that will gradually become an important part of environmental regulations; develop a "road map" for the development of environmental policy and legislation, etc.
 It is emphasized that the current state of the legal system requires a fuller use of the law-making potential of environmental law doctrine and the implementation of its main functions - stabilizing, guiding, heuristic, rule-making, evaluative and prognostic. Therefore, it is expedient to apply the ecological and legal doctrine as a methodological platform of the ecological and legal policy. The necessity of developing concepts of systematization of the ecological legislation, and also legal policy is proved.

Considering subnational support of climate change policy in the United States and the implications of symbolic policy acts

ABSTRACT While existing literature points to a number of factors that shape subnational support for climate policy, the extant scholarship has struggled to illustrate a clear and convincing explanation for subnational support of climate policy efforts and whether that support is meaningful. By looking to the United States, where subnational actors have an important role in environmental policy development and implementation, we find that legislators’ ideology and membership in the minority party determines sponsorship of climate bills. Specifically, liberal legislators with the fewest opportunities to signal efficacy to their constituents are the most likely to support subnational climate change policy efforts. Given that the individuals most likely to support climate policy efforts are those without capacity, many support efforts may be more symbolic than substantive.

«Relative decoupling» of the growth dilemma: retrospective assessment, trends and challenges

The article discusses the challenge of achieving the economic growth necessary to rebuild the global economy from the COVID-19 pandemic and to pervasive isolation in the face of environmental constraints. Significant climatic changes taking place on Earth, associated primarily with anthropogenic impact, predetermine the need for the transformation of economic systems, as well as adaptation of the population to new conditions. The relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and the technological capabilities of a modern economy, as determined by the Kaia identity, requires the development of an integrated environmental and economic policy aimed at increasing energy efficiency and saving resources, and their growth rate should outstrip the rate of economic growth (“relative decoupling”). At the global level, many countries have already committed themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but the problem remains extremely urgent, and environmental requirements are beginning to determine the economic and political situation in the world. For our country, the urgency of the problem is determined by the importance of the extractive industry in the structure of the economy, the share of fuel and raw materials in exports, as well as a high degree of wear and tear of fixed assets. Which warn of negative trends in this area. It is concluded that the available biocapacity is insufficient to reduce the negative impact on the Russian environment; it is necessary to intensify efforts to reduce the carbon footprint in the entire economic system, to stimulate environmental investments and comprehensive environmental modernization

Urban form, land use, and cover change and their impact on carbon emissions in the Monterrey Metropolitan area, Mexico

The process of rapid and uncontrolled urbanization has a strong relation with growing carbon emissions. This study analyses the urban expansion of the Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA) Mexico from 1990 to 2019 using satellite imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine its relation to carbon emission. The analysis considers as variables: population data, urban expansion, gross domestic product, motor vehicle inventory, vegetation displacement, and energy usage from residential and commercial sectors as key variables to relate CO 2 sink loss and CO 2 emissions per period. Results show that MMA increased 2.6 times its size from 30,761 to 80,962 ha. It is estimated that 28,393 ha of vegetation was removed including scrubs, grassland, forest, and agricultural land with a potential of absorption of 373,900 T CO 2 per year. In terms of CO2 emissions, the average per urban block in 2015 was 258 TCO 2. This investigation intents to establish an historical baseline of carbon emissions for the Mexican context due to urban land change and rapid urbanization by having a consistent comparison in intervals of five years considering the variables mentioned above and identify the magnitude of association with the Pearson's statistical test. It also gives the different research lines that will serve to complement the study to achieve a complete urban carbon budget for Mexican cities by using information that is yearly available that can guide future environmental policy and complement Local Urban Development Plans.

The eco-innovation impact on economic and environmental performance of EU Member States

Development of innovation is recognised as a most powerful tool for the economic growth of countries. However, their effects on the quality of the environment are still being debated. To achieve sustainable development, eco-innovation becomes significant. EU countries expand eco-innovation activities, but it is not clear whether its development achieves the goal of economic growth and improves the quality of the environment. Purpose – to present how EU Member States perform in economic growth, environment and eco-innovation development and to evaluate eco-innovations impact on economic and environmental performance. Research methodology – the random effect regression was used for investigation relationship between eco-innovation, economic growth and environmental performance. Findings – eco-innovation development influences not only EU MS economic growth but also has a positive effect on environmental performance. Research limitations – eco-innovations development and economic growth can be interdepended, but this research investigates just one-way dependence. Granger causality test can be used for relationship assessment in the future. Practical implications – the research results can be used for both the development of environmental policy and the policy of business support for eco-innovation implementation. Originality/Value – study results confirmed previous assessment results on eco-innovation and economic growth and provided new knowledge of their effect on environmental performance.

8. Western Europe

As Austria again faced early elections in October, new developments in environmental law and policy remained limited. The revision of the Green Electricity Act and the Waste Management Act stands out, the transposition of the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) continued at the state level, and the expansion of the Vienna airport was finally approved after years of back-and-forth negotiations. Glyphosate was almost banned in Austria, and the people’s climate protection petition was opened for signature this year. The new coalition government program remains committed to the Paris Agreement on climate change. With a view to the energy transition, specific expansion targets for renewable energy sources were defined: eleven terrawatt hours for photovoltaics; ten terrawatt hours for wind; five terrawatt hours for water; and one terrawatt hour for biomass. Other envisaged measures include the creation of a...

Development measures for slums of Dhaka city

Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh is extremely populated, unhygienic and environmentally degraded city. The growing number of population and environmental degradation are due to natural disaster and economic depression. As a result, the rate of urban poor is and producing huge pressure on urban lands, housing and infrastructure. Due to limited resources these poor people encroached open spaces, wetlands, vacant plots or even footpath for shelter. They don’t have any access to proper job market, healthcare facilities, education and sanitation either. These constraints are mostly resulted from the failures of the government in initiation proper policies and measures. Past policies of slum clearance, modernist apartment projects, housing provision, self-help, sites and services, and in-situ upgrading have not been effective at solving the crisis. This is now prime time to established planning and environmental management policy and sustainable development of the city area. Urban land management, rehabilitation and socio-economic development of the slum dwellers are also very important issues. The key focus of this paper is to find out sustainable development process for urban slum dwellers and build sustainable living place for them which are free from eviction, criminals, rent seekers and other miscreants.

Changes in Selected Aspects of Environmental Management: The Case of Natura 2000 in South-Eastern Poland

Purpose: The aim of the study was to check whether in recent years there have been changes affecting selected, important aspects of managing Natura 2000 areas at the local level towards their more effective protection, and whether the attitude of local authorities to these forms of protection as a potential factor stimulating the socio-economic development of communes is changing. Design/Methodology/Approach: The panel study included a group of people managing the work of local governments in 87 municipalities located in the Lublin Voivodeship in south-eastern Poland. All these administrative units are characterized by the presence of Natura 2000 areas. The method of a diagnostic survey based on a questionnaire was used. The form contained closed-ended questions, one of the proposed options had to be selected at each point. The answers were assigned an appropriate score and statistically tested using the signs test based on the Bernoulli binomial distribution. Findings: As a result, positive changes from the point of view of nature conservation were found, such as: an increase in the number of officials with appropriate education and substantive preparation, possession by local governments of newer documentation in the field of nature inventory, increasing the frequency of carrying out environmental impact assessments and a more favorable attitude of commune mayors to the presence of Natura 2000 areas in the context of its impact on local development. At the same time, there has been a deterioration in the timeliness of spatial development studies on which local development plans are based. Practical Implications: The conclusions of the study can be used primarily by institutions responsible for the development and implementation of environmental policy. In particular, mechanisms should be taken to encourage local self-government authorities to even greater involvement in various activities for the protection of natural resources. Originality/Value: The article indicates the trends of changes in the management of protected natural values at the lowest local government level. These changes will gain in importance with the implementation of formal Natura 2000 protection plans.

Estimating monthly concentrations of ambient key air pollutants in Japan during 2010–2015 for a national-scale birth cohort

Exposure to ambient air pollution is associated with maternal and child health. Some air pollutants exhibit similar behavior in the atmosphere, and some interact with each other; thus, comprehensive assessments of individual air pollutants are required. In this study, we developed national-scale monthly models for six air pollutants (NO, NO2, SO2, O3, PM2.5, and suspended particulate matter (SPM)) to obtain accurate estimates of pollutant concentrations at 1 km × 1 km resolution from 2010 through 2015 for application to the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), which is a large-scale birth cohort study. We developed our models in the land use regression framework using random forests in conjunction with kriging. We evaluated the model performance via 5-fold location-based cross-validation. We successfully predicted monthly NO (r2 = 0.65), NO2 (r2 = 0.84), O3 (r2 = 0.86), PM2.5 (r2 = 0.79), and SPM (r2 = 0.64) concentrations. For SO2, a satisfactory model could not be developed (r2 = 0.45) because of the low SO2 concentrations in Japan. The performance of our models is comparable to those reported in previous studies at similar temporal and spatial scales. The model predictions in conjunction with the JECS will reveal the critical windows of prenatal and infancy exposure to ambient air pollutants, thus contributing to the development of environmental policies on air pollution.

Economic growth, energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the countries of the European Union and the Western Balkans

Exploring the relationship between economic growth, energy consumption and CO2 emissions is an increasingly important research issue. The paper examines the association between gross​ domestic product per capita, CO2 emissions and energy consumption from renewable sources for the 27 countries of the European Union and the Western Balkans for the period 2008–2018. The panel vector autoregressive approach (PVAR) was used in the analysis, and the panel VAR model with three variables was evaluated based on the generalized method of moments (GMM). The main findings of the paper are that there is a relationship between the investigated variables: (1) two-way relationship between gross domestic product and CO2 emissions, (2) two-way negative relationships between CO2 emissions and energy consumption from renewable sources, (3) no causality has been established between gross domestic product and energy consumption from renewable sources (4) the sign of the relationship in the direction from gross domestic product to CO2 emissions is negative, while in the opposite direction is positive. The results indicate that most of the variations in CO2 emissions are determined by variations in GDP, so reducing CO2 emissions in the long run can be achieved by continuously increasing GDP. Increasing consumption from renewable sources will lead to a direct drop in CO2 emissions which will have desirable environmental effects. Findings obtained in this research can be important for decision makers in managing energy policy, environmental policy and economic growth and development.

Co-creating knowledge in environmental policy development. An analysis of knowledge co-creation in the review of the significant residual impact guidelines for environmental offsets in Queensland, Australia

Co-creation of knowledge in policy design and review processes is more likely to generate usable outcomes compared to a more traditional top-down approach. Despite this being a widely held view of policy makers and academics, there is limited literature articulating criteria for good knowledge co-creation or reporting on practical evaluations. This is particularly the case in environmental policy design and review. Drawing on the existing literature, we suggest that good knowledge co-creation includes a diverse stakeholder group (actors), with a shared goal but appreciation for diverse views (discourse), which interact in a well-resourced manner following explicit rules and with participants being able to reflect on and critique the process. Applying these as criteria, we evaluate the knowledge co-creation process applied to review an environmental policy in Queensland, Australia. We found that whether a co-creation process satisfies the criteria for being ‘good’ is constrained by the purpose of the process and the political and governmental frameworks in which the process occurs. Many trade-offs were made between a good knowledge co-creation and practical policy impact. Because of this, we highlight the critical role that clear rules implemented by an intermediary have in realising the potential of knowledge co-creation theory in practice.

Spatiotemporal Changes of Ecosystem Service Value Determined by National Land Space Pattern Change: A Case Study of Fengdu County in The Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China.

Exploring the spatiotemporal change characteristics of ecosystem service value (ESV) under the influence of national land space pattern (NLSP) changes is of great significance for promoting the rational use of land resources and the optimization of ecosystems. In this study, Fengdu County in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area was selected as a case study. We analyzed the changes in NLSP using land use data from 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2018. Then, we used the equivalent factor method and exploratory spatial data analysis method to explore the spatiotemporal change characteristics of the ESV of Fengdu County. The results show that: (1) From 1990 to 2018, the changes in NLSP in Fengdu County generally manifested in the transformation of agricultural space into urban space and ecological space; (2) The spatiotemporal change of ESV is a process that positively responds to the increase in ecological space and negatively responds to the expansion of urban space. From 1990 to 2018, the total ESV of Fengdu County showed a trend of continuous growth, with a total increase of CNY 11.10 × 108, and the change rate was 9.33%. The ESV gain area is mainly located along the Yangtze River and the southernmost part of the county, and the loss area is mainly located near the south bank of the Yangtze River; (3) ESV and its changes in Fengdu County have a significant positive spatial autocorrelation. The cold and hot spots of ESV change are mainly distributed along the Yangtze River and to the south of the Yangtze River. Therefore, it is suggested to integrate ESV as an important indicator into the decision-making of national land space planning. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen the intensive use of urban space and protect the important ecological space from decreasing. Our study results provide useful insights for the development of regional NLS management and environmental protection policies. However, it is worth noting that the results of this paper are more applicable to areas where the terrain is dominated by mountains.