Existing Indicator Systems Research Articles

Standardized Reading of Sustainable Tourism Indicators for Ultraperipheral Regions

Sustainable development raises various challenges in terms of UPR for putting public policies into effect, and the concept, namely about the definition of metrics, is adapted to small parcels of territory. The objective of the present study is to introduce an alphanumeric reading scale for the tourism sustainability indicators in UPR, to be precise, Madeira and the Azores to allow a better interpretation and understanding. A total of 25 indicators were compared in the last 5 years and with the COVID-19 pandemic, although there are positive performances, a lack of data was observed for some indicators, and some lack of information in the last 2 years or more. During the last 5 years, the pillar of environmental sustainability has maintained its ideal form, but in comparison with the last 2 years, it has moved to critical status, which is in part a consequence of the lack of recorded data. There are indicators that are not registered on the UPR and some data from Turismo de Portugal refer only to the mainland zone. The major implication is raised in terms of the existing indicator systems, which are not all provided periodically, influencing the interpretation of the indicators of Portuguese UPR. Consequently, assertive, sustainable decisions are difficult to be taken based on non-existent or insufficient data.

Developing an Enterprise Diagnostic Index System Based on Interval-Valued Hesitant Fuzzy Clustering

Global economic integration drives the development of dynamic competition. In a dynamic competitive environment, the ever-changing customer demands and technology directly affect the leadership of the core competence of enterprises. Therefore, assessing the performance of enterprises in a timely manner is necessary to adjust business activities and completely adapt to new changes. Enterprise diagnosis is a scientific tool for judging the development status of enterprises, and building a scientific and rational index system is the key to enterprise diagnosis. Considering the large number of enterprise diagnostic indicators and the high similarity among indicators, this study proposes a selection method for enterprise diagnostic indicators based on interval-valued hesitant fuzzy clustering by comparing the existing indicator systems. First, enterprise organizations are considered as the starting point. Through the key analysis of relevant indicators of domestic and foreign enterprise diagnosis, enterprise diagnosis candidate indicators are constructed from three aspects, namely enterprise performance, employee health, and social benefit. In view of the ambiguity and inconsistency of expert judgment, this study proposes an interval-valued hesitant fuzzy set based on the characteristics of hesitant fuzzy sets and interval-valued evaluation. For improving the interval-valued hesitant fuzzy entropy function, an interval-valued hesitant fuzzy similarity measurement formula considering information features is designed to avoid the problem of data length and improve the degree of identification among indicators. Then, the similarity, equivalence, and truncation matrices are constructed, and the interval-valued hesitant fuzzy clustering method is used to eliminate redundant indicators with repeated information. The availability of the proposed method is illustrated via an example, and the key indicators in the enterprise diagnostic index system are found. Finally, the advantages of the proposed method are discussed using comparative analysis with existing methods. A rational and comprehensive enterprise diagnostic index system was constructed. The system can be used as a scientific basis for diagnosing the development of enterprises and providing an objective and effective reference.

The Framework of Technical Evaluation Indicators for Constructing Low-Carbon Communities in China

In recent years, in order to promote the construction of low-carbon communities (LCCs) in China, many scholars have proposed an evaluation indicator system of LCC. The existing indicator systems are mostly established from the macro perspective of environmental impact and resource conservation, but few are from the micro technical perspective. Thus, the aim of this study is to construct a micro technical evaluation indicator system for LCCs. Firstly, the index system was divided into three categories: low-carbon building, low-carbon transportation, and low-carbon environment. Then, the technical indicators were selected through empirical analysis. The indicator weights were assigned by the improved analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was used as the evaluation method of the indicators. Finally, in order to examine the practicality of the indicator system, two typical communities in Tianjin and Shanghai were selected as case studies. The results showed that the indicator system gave a reasonable low-carbon level for the two communities, which was in line with the actual low-carbon construction status of each community. In addition, the evaluation results pointed out that the low-carbon community (LCC) in Tianjin needs to further strengthen the construction of the low-carbon environment, including community compactness, rainwater collection and utilization, and waste recycling. For the LCC in Shanghai, it was pointed out that the construction of the low-carbon building and low-carbon transportation needs to be strengthened. The indicator system can be used as a tool for urban planning and construction personnel to evaluate the construction progress and low-carbon degree of LCC.

Sustainable tourism indicators: what’s new within the smart city/destination approach?

Indicators are a fundamental tool for destinations in their progress towards a more sustainable tourism development. However, the lack of real progress and the accelerated technological change are obliging policy makers to rethink the existing indicator systems. This paper examines the relationship between smart cities and destinations and sustainable tourism indicators by analyzing proposals at different scales. It provides a critical review of international smart city standards and the role that sustainability indicators play within them. Then, it conducts a content analysis of planning instruments applied in smart strategies in Spain, focusing on how sustainability indicators are considered under the smart paradigm. At the regional-local scale, this research compares two sets of indicators and tests the scientific validity of one of them for addressing the imbalance suffered by many indicators between their usefulness for policy makers and their academic rigor. The results show that little progress has been achieved despite the appropriation of the sustainability discourse by smart city and smart destination promoters. These findings reveal the (limited) real contribution made by smart cities/destinations to sustainable tourism development and contribute to identifying weaknesses and opportunities so as to redirect smart policies and projects. A final discussion contextualizes the findings within the novel framework of smart sustainability and highlights the need to reinforce public governance of urban and tourist spaces.

ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ОРТОФОСФАТУ У ВОДАХ МЕТОДОМ ТВЕРДОФАЗНОЇ ХЕМІЛЮМІНЕСЦЕНЦІЇ

Phosphorus is one of the most important nutrients. Excessive content of its compounds in water objects leads to eutrophication, as well as reduces water quality. Methods based on the formation of molybdophosphate heteropolyacid (HPA) in an acidic medium with its subsequent reduction and spectrophotometric detection of the formed reduced "blue" HPA are most often used to determine phosphorus compounds. These methods are unsuitable for the analysis of waters with a phosphorus content <40 μg /L. The use of the chemiluminescent method (CL) makes it possible to increase the sensitivity of the determination, but CL detection in an acidic medium under the conditions of formation of HPA is limited by the existing indicator systems. To increase the selectivity of the method for determining the microquantities of phosphate relative to metal ions, we used an approach based on the adsorption removal of analyte with next determination using the CL method. Previous removal of phosphate from an aqueous solution in the form of reduced molybdostibiumphosphate HPA was released using batch technique in optimal conditions of its formation in the solution. Silica modified with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide was used as anion exchange adsorbent. Then the concentrate was processed with alkaline lucigenin solution and registration of the CL glow resulting from the reaction. Under optimal conditions of phosphate determination, the calibration curve is linear in the range from 3.7 to 147 μg PO43–/L with a detection limit of 0.8 μg PO43–/L. Cations K+, Na+, Fe(III), Mo(VI), NH4+ and anions Cl–, F–, HCO3–, С4Н4О62–, Asc–, NO2–, SO42–, as well as EDTA, do not interfere. Silicates (SiO32–) do not interfere with the determination of phosphate, even in 100-fold excess. Nitrates at concentrations below the average content in drinking water do not interfere with the determination. The developed technique was tested on a sample of pump room water. The technique is characterized by high sensitivity and a wide range of detectable concentrations. It is not inferior in sensitivity to flow methods using fluorescent or chemiluminescent detection.

Indicator system for the sustainability assessment of the German energy system and its transition

In response to climate change, the limited availability of fossil fuels and the risks associated with nuclear energy, Germany’s energy transition aims to achieve a sustainable, environmentally sound supply of energy services. A monitoring process was established by the Federal Government to ensure that the targets defined for the transformation will be reached. The indicator system developed for that purpose mainly focuses on “classical” environmental, economic and technological indicators for which statistical time series data and political targets are available. Important socio-technical aspects of the energy system and its transition, such as affordability, participation and acceptance, remain largely neglected. This paper aims to contribute to the discussion on indicators needed for political decision-making to appropriately address sustainability aspects of the energy system and its transition, as well as to contribute to improving existing indicator systems. Therefore, the sustainability rules of the Integrative Concept of Sustainable Development were translated into indicators based on an in-depth literature review. The resulting abundance of possible indicators was then reduced using selection criteria such as comprehensiveness, possibility to determine targets and availability of data. Finally, the indicator system was adjusted based on feedback of experts from different disciplines and stakeholder interviews in the particular investigation area of southwest Thuringia. Besides classical indicators related to techno-economic and environmental aspects, the finally developed indicator system includes new sustainability indicators related to the socio-technical interface of the energy system. Thus, it is considered suitable for assessing the sustainability of the Germany energy system and its transition in an integrative and comprehensive way. The indicator system is helpful to systematically identify strengths and weaknesses of the energy system and interdependencies and conflicts of goals between different sustainability aspects. All in all, we believe that applying the indicator system appropriately can support the development of resilient political strategies for a successful energy transition.

生物多样性与生态系统服务评估指标与方法

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 生物多样性与生态系统服务评估指标与方法 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201611092272 作者: 作者单位: 中国科学院生态环境研究中心城市与区域生态国家重点实验室,中国科学院生态环境研究中心城市与区域生态国家重点实验室,中国科学院生态环境研究中心城市与区域生态国家重点实验室 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 中国科学院科技服务网络计划项目（KFJ-EW-STS-021-01） Indicator systems and methods for evaluating biodiversity and ecosystem services Author: Affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology,Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences,State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology,Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences,State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology,Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,Chinese Academy of Sciences Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:评估、模拟和预测全球生物多样性和生态系统服务的状态、趋势及其对人类福祉的影响，是当前生物多样性和生态系统服务研究领域的重要任务。指标和数据、模型和情景是推动生物多样性与生态系统服务评估研究理论建设和方法集成的重要工具。但是，目前对生物多样性和生态系统服务评估的指标体系和技术方法的综合对比研究相对缺乏。因而，系统评述了生物多样性和生态系统服务评估的概念框架、评估指标以及各类评估模型和方法的最新进展。生物多样性-生态系统功能-生态系统服务-人类福祉的级联框架是极具逻辑性的生物多样性和生态系统服务评估框架。现有的评估指标体系和模型方法还存在很多的问题和挑战，难以充分揭示生态系统服务的形成和影响机制、服务之间的联系和作用机理，有效地指导生态系统服务管理和决策制定。然而，这些评估指标和方法可为构建生物多样性与生态系统服务综合集成模型研究的框架提供重要的切入点。基于此，提出了生物多样性与生态系统服务综合集成模型研究的核心内容：i）目的：基于自然-社会综合特征的情景分析确定所解决的科学问题，输出生态系统服务管理和决策制定方案；ii）内容：尺度、生态系统服务类型、生物多样性的层次结构、组分间相互关系、驱动要素、多源数据的综合分析；iii）方法：对现有的各类模型和模型组合进行比较和不确定性分析，建立符合区域实际需求的生物多样性与生态系统服务综合制图模型库。在此基础上，建议我国应尽快发展适合中国区域特点的标准化指标体系和综合评估模型系统，定期对生物多样性和生态系统服务进行综合评估，掌握生物多样性和生态系统服务的变化趋势，提升我国在生物多样性和生态系统服务研究领域的国际地位和话语权。 Abstract:Evaluating, simulating, and predicting the status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services, as well as their impacts on human well-being, are currently the primary goals for researchers in the field of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and indicators and data models and scenarios are major tools for the theoretical and methodological integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, few detailed studies have conducted comprehensive analyses or comparisons of indicator systems or reported methods for evaluating biodiversity and ecosystem services. In this paper, we review recent work regarding the conceptual framework, indicator systems, and various types of models and methods related to the assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The biodiversity-ecosystem function-services-human well-being cascade model is a more expressive logical framework, and owing to various problems and challenges, existing indicator systems and methods are ineffective for elucidating the mechanisms that determine the formation and impact of ecosystem services, for identifying internal connection and function mechanisms among services, or for offering guidance for ecosystem service management and policy making. However, existing indicator systems and methods provide an important entry point for constructing a synthetic evaluation model. Through a comprehensive analysis and comparison of current indicator systems and methods, we propose several core elements for studies of synthetic evaluation models, including i) Objectives, determining the scientific problems and developing schemes for ecosystem services management and decision making by scenario analysis based on the fundamental characters of interactions between nature and society; ii) Content, the comprehensive analysis of scales, service types, hierarchical nature of biodiversity, relationship among the components, drivers, and multi-source data; and iii) Methods, conducting comparison and uncertainty analyses of various types of models and model combinations, in order to establish a comprehensive map-making model base system that is suited for regional analyses. Accordingly, we propose that China should develop a standard indicator system and a synthetic evaluation model of biodiversity and ecosystem services that is suited to the nation's regional characteristics as soon as possible, in order to periodically evaluate, simulate, and predict the status and trends of biodiversity and ecosystem services and to enhance China's position and power of discourse in the international arena of this field. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

How to Measure the Elderly’s Quality of Life in European Rural Areas? A Look at Poland

The study is aimed at identifying the information gap in the field of quality of life research, with regard to the quality of life and rural development indicator systems. In addition, selected indicators particularly important for the elderly in the European Union rural areas are compared. The existing indicator systems which enable an international comparison have a wide scope. Their disadvantages are that only some of them are classified by rural and urban areas (Eurostat indicators), that they are selected and presented in accordance with the current EU policy targets (rural development indicators) and that data are aggregated up to the NUTS 3 level (subregional), which makes it difficult to use this information for strategic planning at the local level. Among the three selected measures of quality of life of the elderly in rural areas, Poland ranks well below the average in access to health care.

Selecting indicators for assessing soil quality and degradation in rangelands of Extremadura (SW Spain)

Spanish rangelands are considered to be of high nature value and a habitat of interest in the European Union due to their productivity and species diversity. However, they are fragile landscapes where farmers’ decisions, such as changes in livestock pressure, can lead to serious deterioration. Currently, no indicator system is being used in these areas to enable farmers to evaluate the condition of rangeland soils. Aiming at this, soil properties, land degradation processes, rainfall characteristics, as well as pasture and land management were analysed in order to propose a set of soil quality and degradation indicators. The study was carried out on 22 enclosures selected from 10 privately-owned farms distributed throughout the Spanish region of Extremadura. Cation exchange capacity, available potassium, soil organic matter, water content at field capacity, soil depth and the thickness of the Ah-horizon were selected as soil quality indicators, with the percentage of bare ground cover and bulk density measured from 5 to 10cm in depth selected as soil degradation indicators. All the indicators were classified into 5 categories and land units were assessed accordingly. The results revealed that 14% of cases showed very low soil quality and 18% high degradation. The reasons that motivated the selection and categorisation of each indicator are described and the proposed system is compared with other existing indicator systems.

Energetic Communities: Planning support for sustainable energy transition in small- and medium-sized communities

Energetic Communities: Planning support for sustainable energy transition in small- and medium-sized communities

Energetic Communities: Planning support for sustainable energy transition in small- and medium-sized communities

Energetic Communities: Planning support for sustainable energy transition in small- and medium-sized communities

Energetic Communities: Planning support for sustainable energy transition in small- and medium-sized communities

Energetic Communities: Planning support for sustainable energy transition in small- and medium-sized communities

Energetic Communities

Energetic Communities

Indicators to monitor the structural diversity of landscapes

An important level of biodiversity, alongside the diversity of genes and species, is the diversity of ecosystems and landscapes. In this contribution an indicator system is proposed to measure natural diversity (relief, soils, waters), cultural diversity (main land use classes, diversity of land use, ecotones, connectivity) and anthropogenic impacts (fragmentation, hemeroby, protection). The contribution gives an overview of various indicators on landscape diversity and heterogeneity currently used in Germany and Europe. Based on these indicators a complementary system, is presented. The indicators introduced here are derived from regular evaluations of the digital basis landscape model (Basic DLM) of the Authoritative Topographic-Cartographic Information System (ATKIS), the digital land cover model for Germany (LBM-DE) as well as other supplementary data such as the mapping of potential natural vegetation. With the proposed indicators it is possible to estimate cumulative land-use change and its impact on the environmental status and biodiversity, so that existing indicator systems are supplemented with meaningful additional information. Investigations have shown that indicators on forest fragmentation, hemeroby or ecotones can be derived from official geodata. As such geodata is regularly updated, trends in indicator values can be quickly identified. Large regional differences in the distribution of the proposed indicators have been confirmed, thereby revealing deficits and identifying those regions with a high potential for biodiversity. The indicators will be successively integrated into the web-based land-use monitor (http://www.ioer-monitor.de), which is freely available for public use.

Examining the effectiveness of indicators for guiding sustainable urbanization in China

The Chinese government is a promoting sustainable urbanization process to develop future cities, and various indicator systems have been introduced for guiding the sustainable urbanization practice. This paper examines the effectiveness of these existing indicator systems introduced in China. Nine sample indicator systems were collected and compared. Principal criteria selected to analyze the effectiveness of the nine samples was based on a literature review. This study reveals that the existing indicator systems have limitations for guiding sustainable urbanization practice and the differences between the various indicator systems present barriers for their effective application. It is found that no official department in China supervises the application of these indicators. The lack of a systematic method for establishing indicators is considered as a major reason for contributing to the limited effectiveness of these established indicators. There is a need to develop an effective method to supervise decision makers to establish and select effective indicators.

Evaluating the sustainable performance of an urban district: measured score or reflexive governance?

How to evaluate the sustainable performance of a complex urban system remains a much debated subject. In this sense, urban planning questions present many characteristics of the confusing decision contexts that arise with the management of sustainable development. Recent tools for assessing the sustainable performance of urban neighbourhoods have focussed on delivering a distinct score, obviously for reasons of benchmarking, communicative impact or marketing. However, these unequivocal scores partially hide or even confuse the complex quantitative–qualitative trade-offs that are needed to arrive at a judgement. This paper describes an alternative approach whereby quantitative measuring and qualitative assessments are combined. The resulting evaluation is primarily intended as a compass for refl exive governance, rather than as a sustainability label. The methodological basis for the instrument is derived from the theory of modal aspects, as formulated by the Dutch philosopher Herman Dooyeweerd. An indicator set and corresponding value functions are created, taking into account the expertise that can be found in many existing indicator systems. Performance thresholds, a new type of radar diagram and an argumentation are added to complete the assessment. Two instances of application are subsequently discussed. This allows observing the utility of the tool in a given context of both data and policy uncertainties. It appears that, even with many such uncertainties remaining, a useful strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis can be performed. The necessity of properly addressing sustainable functioning from the very early planning stages is thereby confi rmed.