Land Implementation Research Articles

The Role of Regional Revenue Agency in Increasing Land and Building Tax Revenue (Pbb) Case Study nn Maulafa District, Kupang City

This research aims to determine the role of the Regional Revenue Agency of Kupang City in increasing land and building tax revenue in Maulafa District, Kupang City, and to identify factors that are obstacles to increasing PBB revenue. The type of approach used in this research is descriptive research using a qualitative approach. The research informants were nine people, and purposive sampling was used to take informants. In this research, there are four focuses to look at the role of the Regional Revenue Agency of Kupang City in increasing Land and Building Tax Revenue in Maulafa District, Kupang City, namely planning, determining targets for determining Land and Building Tax at the Regional Revenue Agency of Kupang City does not involve lower-level employees in this case officers in the field. First, distributing and billing are carried out in 9 sub-districts for three months starting from the issuance of the PBB SPPT. Second, the PBB and BPHTB sectors formed collection groups for several sub-districts to collect receivables and PBB for the current year. Third, the implementation of Land and Building Tax Services Role Model Week. Fourth, Bapenda collaborates with Law Enforcement Officials (APH), namely Satpol PP and the Prosecutor's Office. Several inhibiting factors that are often faced in efforts to increase Land and Building Tax revenues in Maulafa District, Kupang City, are Double-printing of PBB Tax Payable Letters, Unclear Taxpayer Addresses who are domiciled outside the region and data in Payable Tax Returns that are not up to date.

Evaluation study on the coordination of marine resources, the environment and social economy: take Taizhou Bay as an example

The sea is an important aspect of development in bay areas. Coordinated development of the marine resource environment and social economy is an inevitable requirement for high-quality development of the marine economy. This paper builds an index to evaluate the coordination of marine resources, environment and social economy in bay areas from four aspects: resource and environmental effects, resource utilization compliance, socio-economic development conditions, and technological investment and development status. The model is implemented for Taizhou Bay. The results show that the overall level of coordination between its marine resource environment and social economy is poor, under 0.4. The main reasons for this situation are the decline in environmental quality of bay resources, and insufficient technological investment and development. In view of the problem of uncoordinated regional development, this paper puts forward two suggestions to provide technical support for the high-quality development of Taizhou Bay: implementation of land and sea resource control, and increased investment in environmental repair technology in the bay.

ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ВИМОГ ДО ЗАСОБІВ ПРОГНОЗУВАННЯ ФІНАНСОВИХ ВИТРАТ НА ТРАНСПОРТНІ ЛОГІСТИЧНІ ОПЕРАЦІЇ

The article identifies and analyzes the characteristic requirements that affect the calculation of the cost of freight transportation by different modes of transport. The state budget of Ukraine in terms of transport costs of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine is analyzed. The task of providing military transportation has been clarified. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of rail freight transportation of military cargo and the peculiarities of charging for them. It is emphasized that the planning of military transportation depends on the supplier and consignee. Proposals have been made on the compatibility of the NATO software product LOGFAS with the regulatory framework of Ukraine in terms of planning and implementation of land, air and water military transport. An analysis of the factors taken into account when calculating the cost of military rail transport and taking them into account in the software product LOGFAS. The organizational indicators of military railway transportation are determined and their consideration in the LOGFAS software product is analyzed. The peculiarities of the loading and unloading complex of sea and river ports defined in the LOGFAS software product have been clarified and the requirements in the existing guiding documents of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been identified. Additional airport equipment has been streamlined in the LOGFAS software product, which will improve the information aspect of future projected costs. The problems that can be encountered when planning transport costs with the help of the LOGFAS software product are highlighted. The general requirements to the system of the software product of the organization of transport operations, the requirements for the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the elements of the transport and logistics system and the requirements for the system in terms of financial and economic issues are determined.

Discussion on Function Orientation and Implementation of Land and Space Planning

In recent years, in the process of economic development and social progress in our country, land and space planning work plays a vital role. Through land and space planning, we can effectively allocate our country's public resources, and then provide impetus for the sustainable development of our country's economy and society. At the same time, it can also play a certain role in the development of market space. Based on this, this paper makes a simple analysis on the function orientation and implementation of land and space planning, hoping to enlighten the regional space order and development level in China.

Implementation of land and water controlling: case study in Sriharjo Village, Bantul District, Yogyakarta

The concept of knowledge management is required to implicate the management of human resources, natural resources, and information technology to raise the consciousness of agricultural performers of the importance of knowledge-based concepts and strategies. The problem is how to increase knowledge of human resources sustainably to improve performance and competitiveness and create a decision-making process as the first step to implement agricultural management in a more focused and measurable. Knowledge management in Sriharjo Village has begun to be developed but has not been implemented and managed optimally as a knowledge asset. This research used a qualitative approach to identify knowledge gaps and a SECI model approach to determine the implementation and knowledge management strategy. This research aims to implement a knowledge management system strategy based on water and land resources in Sriharjo Village. A Collecting data with questionnaires and interviews with respondents and taking samples of respondents in the purposive sampling method. Knowledge will disappear if only stored in a tacit form, but sharing knowledge and implementing knowledge management through the transformation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge can increase understanding, a consciousness of managers and users, and minimize gaps. The application of KM is necessary to share knowledge with each member of the organization, such as organize meetings, discussions, socialization, using internet media, counseling, and training to improve the performance and sustainability of the organization.

APPRAISAL OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LAND-USE REGULATIONS ON COMMERCIAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT IN ILORIN, NIGERIA

The implementation of land use regulations on commercial property development is extremely important because of benefits abound in it for the society. Ilorin the capital of Kwara state, Nigeria is experiencing influx of many residents which gave rise to series of urban challenges. This paper appraised the implementation of land use regulations on commercial property development in Ilorin, Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design and census method was adopted for the commercial properties and Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in the study area. Questionnaires were distributed to 26 practicing Estate firms in Ilorin Kwara State, 110 and 39 selected landlords / occupiers of commercial properties in Gambari-Ipata-Emir’s road and Government Reserved Area in Ilorin, Nigeria. Out of which 24 questionnaires (92%) and 110 (100%), 36 (92 %) were returned and found useful for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of cross tabulation and inferential statistics of Independent Sample t – Test and test of hypothesis. The research revealed that the p-values were all greater than 0.01 which led to the acceptance of null hypothesis that the level of implementation of land use regulations on commercial property development does not vary in the study area. The study conclude that there were hindrances to effective implementations of land use regulations on commercial property development across the study areas, and if not corrected will continue to affect the welfare of the citizens, ease of commercial activities, will lead to falling in commercial property’s rental value, falling in urban aesthetic value, and an increase in externalities. The study recommended proper government intervention in providing better resources to improve the level of monitoring and enforcement of land use regulations on commercial property development.

Analisis Pelayanan Pemungutan Pajak Bumi dan Bangunan (PBB ) Pada Badan Pengelolaan Keuangan dan Pendapatan Daerah Kabupaten Padang Lawas Utara

<p>The objectives of this study are: 1. Determine and describe tax collection services at <br />the Regional Finance and Revenue Management Agency Office of North Padang Lawas <br />Regency. 2. Identify and describe the inhibiting factors in the implementation of land and <br />building tax (PBB) collection services at the Office of the Regional Finance and Revenue <br />Management Agency of North Padang Lawas Regency. This research is a descriptive study <br />with a qualitative approach obtained from observation and in-depth interviews. The <br />research location is in the Office of the Regional Financial and Revenue Management Agency <br />of North Padang Lawas Regency. Informants from employees at BPKPD in the Rural and <br />Urban Land and Building Tax (PBB-P2) section. In this study, the Regional Finance and <br />Revenue Management Agency of North Padang Lawas Regency is the service provider while <br />the community is the recipient of the Property Tax Collection service. Sources of data include <br />primary data and secondary data. Data collection is carried out through observation, <br />interviews, and documentation. Data analysis was carried out using qualitative descriptive <br />analysis techniques illustrating an approach that illustrates that tax collection services at <br />BPKPD PALUTA have been achieved in accordance with the needs of the community's <br />expectations as taxpayers, and there are still obstacles in Tax Collection Services at the <br />Financial and Regional Revenue Management Agency of North Padang Lawas Regency.</p>

The Design of the Trusted Traceability System of Offshore Oil's Transportation Supply Chain

Li, Y., 2020. The design of the trusted traceability system of offshore oil's transportation supply chain. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 454-456. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.Oil is one of the important energy sources of economic development, known as the economic blood, economic lifeline said. China's oil development has undergone three strategic shifts. The first shift was from northwest to east. DaQing oilfield was developed to achieve oil self-sufficiency, followed by ShengLi Oilfield and HuaBei Oilfield. The second time, tarim oilfield was developed from the east to the west. The third time is from the land to the sea, the implementation of land and sea equal development strategy. With the rapid development of China's economy, oil consumption is expanding day by day. Since 1993, China has changed from self-sufficient in oil to a net importer of oil, which has led to the gradual reform of oil price formation mechanism. On June 1, 1998, China realized the integration of domestic crude oil price and international crude oil price, which caused a series of fluctuations of oil price. Based on the ocean petroleum Oil logistics and transportation cost model, this paper analyzes the optimization and application of the ocean petroleum supply chain reliable traceability system.

Deposit of Compensation in Land Acquisition for the Construction of the Padang-Pekanbaru Toll Road in Public Interest

Deposit of compensation at the Court which is carried out in land acquisition for the public interest is one of the solutions to accelerate the development process. The disagreement of the parties regarding compensation has made the agency managing the project use a consignment mechanism to solve this compensation problem. Therefore, this research is focused on 3 (three) main problems. First, what is the process of assessing and determining compensation for land acquisition for the construction of the Padang-Pekanbaru toll road on Jalan Padang-Sicincin? Second, what is the process of filing an objection to the determination of the form and / or amount of compensation at the Pariaman District Court? Third, how is the implementation of deposit for compensation in land acquisition for the construction of the Padang-Pekanbaru toll road on the Padang-Sicincin road? This type of research is empirical juridical legal research and to answer the above problems, this study uses primary data and secondary data. Primary data is obtained through field research, while secondary data is obtained from tracing laws and regulations and decisions of Constitutional Court judges. The data analysis was conducted in a descriptive qualitative manner. The results showed that the process of appraising and determining compensation for land acquisition was carried out starting from the process of appointing the appraisal team, the assessment of compensation by the appraisal team, deliberation, and the process of determining the compensation. The appointment of an appraisal team is determined by the Chief Executive of Land Acquisition using the direct procurement method. The appraiser makes an appraisal using the Fair Replacement Value and refers to the SPI 306 Technical Guidelines. The results of the appraisal are used as the basis for deliberations to determine compensation. The fact is that the deliberations are carried out as it should be, but the price set by the Appraiser (Appraisal) is as if only a final price that must be agreed upon by the entitled Party, even though the price recommended by the Appraisal is a price that is the price for negotiating with the community land owner. The process for filing an objection to the determination of the form and / or amount of compensation at the Pariaman District Court is in accordance with the Supreme Court Regulation No.3 of 2016 and is a form of legal protection for land rights owners. The implementation of land’s deposit compensation at the Pariaman District Court is carried out in accordance with the Supreme Court Regulation Number 3 of 2016 and in the Compensation of the Damages awaits a court process that has permanent legal force so that the money can be given to the party entitled to receive it

A geometry-dependent surface Lambertian-equivalent reflectivity product for UV–Vis retrievals – Part 1: Evaluation over land surfaces using measurements from OMI at 466 nm

Abstract. The anisotropy of the Earth's surface reflection has implications for satellite-based retrieval algorithms that utilize climatological surface reflectivity databases that do not depend upon the observation geometry. This is the case for most of the current ultraviolet and visible (UV–Vis) cloud, aerosol, and trace-gas algorithms. The illumination–observation dependence of surface reflection is described by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). To account for the BRDF effect, we use the concept of geometry-dependent surface Lambertian-equivalent reflectivity (GLER), which is derived from the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiance computed with Rayleigh scattering and surface BRDF for the exact geometry of a satellite-based pixel. We present details on the implementation of land and water surface BRDF models, and we evaluate our GLER product over land surfaces using observed Sun-normalized radiances at 466 nm. The input surface BRDF parameters for computing TOA radiance are derived from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite observations. The observed TOA radiance for comparison is from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI). The comparison shows good agreement between observed and calculated OMI reflectivity in 2006 in typical geographical regions, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.8 for some regions. Seasonal variations of clear-sky OMI reflectivity (i.e., with minimum clouds and aerosols) closely follow those computed using MODIS-derived GLER over land. GLER also captures the cross-track dependence of OMI-derived LER, though the latter is slightly higher than the former presumably owing to residual cloud and aerosol (nonabsorbing) contamination, particularly over dark surfaces (heavily vegetated regions such as mixed forest, croplands, and grasslands). Calibration differences between OMI and MODIS may also be responsible for some of this bias. The standard OMI climatological surface reflectivity database predicts higher radiances than GLER and OMI observations with different seasonal variation over most regions and does not have any angular-dependent variation. Overall, our evaluation demonstrates that the GLER product adequately accounts for surface BRDF effects while at the same time simplifying the surface BRDF implementation within the existing OMI retrieval infrastructure; use of our GLER product requires changes only to the input surface reflectivity database.

Ecological and economic aspects of forestry in Ukraine in the context of sustainable land using

Over the last half a century, the total area of forests in the world has decreased significantly. Ukraine belongs to countries with low quantity of forests and deficient of woods, because the level of forest cover is 15.9% with the required optimal value of 25-30%. Steppe areas are characterized by 1.9–4.8% of forest cover. The current total area of forest land belonging to the forest fund of Ukraine is 10.4 million hectares, including 9.6 million hectares of forested vegetation, about 3.5 million hectares of forests have restrictions in forest management. In 2008–2017, 4.03 million hectares of forests were cut down in Ukraine and additionally destroyed by fire, pests, storms, and by poachers about 170.7 thousand hectares, only 16.3% of this area was recovered. In order to ensure optimal forest cover, it is necessary to differentially restore the forest area in Ukraine by 6.0–9.2 million hectares. The average field protective forest cover in some physical-geographical zones of Ukraine varies within 1.3–1.5%, the optimal should be 3.0–4.5%. In particular, about 76.0% of the territory of the steppe zone of Ukraine has insufficient forest cover, which causes systematic negative manifestations of water and wind erosion. This situation is complicated by the high level of agricultural development of the southern regions - up to 97%, which causes a low degree of environmental sustainability of landscapes to preserve soil fertility. Retrospective analysis showed a significant decrease in the area of forest protection strips over the past 60 years by 1.9–2.3 times. The total loss of protective forest strips in Ukraine over the last 10 years is 10 071 hectares, which has weakened the nature protection function of the forest plantation and caused the scale of water and wind erosion. The survey uses data from the State Statistics Service and the State Geo-cadastre of Ukraine during 2008–2017. Decryption of Earth remote sensing data and use of a series of correctly calibrated MODIS satellite images (geometric resolution 230 × 230 m) made it possible to determine the ratio of the spatial distribution of the forest fund to the agricultural land on the territory of Ukraine. Using the Zonal Statistics of Spatial Analyst Tools module, of the ArcGIS program was determined forested and plowed lands within separate administrative and territorial units. The difficult situation in Ukraine, in which the state of forest ecosystems does not meet the ecological and economic requirements, is caused by the complexity of management decisions in the field of forestry. The obtained results make it possible to substantiate the need for spatial-differential measures of forest restoration and implementation of land and water preservation measures for optimization of the land fund on the basis of adaptive-landscape principles, which allows to create preconditions for rational use and rehabilitation of forest and land resources of Ukraine. Keywords: ecological and economic aspects, forest fund, protective forest strips, forest cover, plowing, ecological sustainability, sustainable land use, Ukraine, geomodeling.

Legislative Based Analysis on the Implementation of Rural Land Laws in Oromia Region: Bale Zone in Focus

The article has explored the legislative analysis on the implementation of rural land laws of Oromia region state with special focus on Bale Zone, Ethiopia. Assessing the implementation of Oromia rural land proclamation and identifying possible challenges have been the main objective of this research. In order to achieve this objective, qualitative research methods were employed. Land administration head and experts, Judges, Kebele administrators, Kebele land administration committees and legal attorneys were used as the key informants. Observation, interview and focus group discussions were also utilized for the success of the study. Relevant rural land proclamations and literatures of most highly qualified scholars on the area were deeply examined. Finally, the research article has found that rural land law of region is not fully implementing in the study area. Absence of specific rural land implementation guidelines, weak and understaffed institutions, lack of effective dispute resolutions system, inadequate financial sources, land grabbing, existence of double holding certificates, d land sale and absence of legal knowledge are identified as the main challenges for the implementation of rural land laws in Oromia Region.

Evaluating the trade-offs between alternative coastal policies: Evidence from Xiamen's ICM programme

We develop a systematic approach for evaluating the trade-offs between different policies governing coastal land and sea area uses under an integrated coastal management (ICM) programme. The analytical framework includes multiple marine industry sectors (e.g., port, shipping and coastal tourism) as well as social and environmental sectors (e.g., employment and ecosystem services). The net benefit measure captures social, economic and environmental effects. We apply our analytical model to Xiamen, China, using empirical data from 2011 to 2015. Results of the case study show that the implementation of land and sea use policies under the ICM framework has led to a significant increase (over 7%) in annual net benefit. Thus, the Xiamen ICM programme has improved the efficiency of marine resource use. As an adaptive management approach, the introduction of revised marine function zoning scheme under an ICM framework may help to achieve sustainable development.

ВЛАДНІ ПОВНОВАЖЕННЯ ОРГАНІВ МІСЦЕВОГО САМОВРЯДУВАННЯ ЯК СУБ’ЄКТІВ ЗЕМЕЛЬНИХ ПРАВОВІДНОСИН У СТОЛИЦІ УКРАЇНИ – МІСТІ-ГЕРОЇ КИЄВІ

The problems of the study are conditioned by the need to combine in Kyiv among the powers of bodies whose competence includes the disposal of land within the city, taking into account in the process of such disposal the need for the city to perform the functions of capital and at the same time prevent narrowing of land rights. The capital of Ukraine - the city of Kyiv, is a special administrative-territorial unit within which local governments perform not only the powers provided by the Law of Ukraine "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine", but also the Law of Ukraine "On the capital of Ukraine - the hero city of Kyiv". state executive power is exercised by the executive body of the Kyiv City Council - the Kyiv City State Administration, and has double subordination. The article aims to investigate the impact of the dual legal regime of the city as the capital of the state and as the territory of the city community on the implementation of land powers of local governments. Local governments on behalf of and in the interests of territorial communities under current law, endowed with the competence to transfer objects of communal property for permanent or temporary use to legal entities and individuals, rent them, sell and buy, use as collateral, resolve their alienation, to determine in agreements and contracts the conditions of use and financing of objects that are privatized and transferred for use and lease. Land powers of local governments in the city - the heroes of Kiev provide a combination of powers of owner and manager, so the classic model of the owner, who at his discretion disposes of property, is affected by the administrative and legal status of such bodies, which causes action against such property only within, on the basis and in the manner prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.

Prioritization of Sub-Watersheds for Conservation Measures in a Semi Arid Watershed Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Abstract: Land and water resources development plans are generally adopted at watershed level. Delineation of watersheds and their prioritization within large river basins requires host of terrain parameters to be studied and analysed. Chopan watershed in Central India has been studied for sub-watershed delineation and prioritization based on drainage morphometry, land use/land cover and sediment yield index analysis using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The watershed was demarcated into five sub-watersheds on the basis of drainage flow directions, contour value, slope, elevation. Geocoded satellite data of 1989 and 2001 on 1:50 000 scale were visually interpreted to prepare land use/land cover and drainage maps which were later digitized using Arcview/ArcGIS. Linear and shape aspects of the sub-watersheds were computed and used for prioritization. The results show widespread variation in drainage characteristics, land cover changes and sediment yield rates across sub-watersheds. On the basis of morphometric, land use/land cover change and sediment yield index, sub-watersheds were grouped into low, medium and high priority. A correlation of results show that SW1 and SW5 are common sub-watersheds falling under high and low priority based on morphometric, land use change analysis and SYI. The priority list of sub-watersheds will be crucial for decision making and implementation of land and water resource conservation projects.

Prioritization of Sub Watershed Based on Morphometric Characteristics Using Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and Geographical Information System – A Study of Kallar Watershed, Tamil Nadu

Watershed prioritization has gained importance in natural resources management, especially in the context of watershed management. Delineation of watersheds within a large drainage basin and their prioritization is required for proper planning and management of natural resources for sustainable development. Delineation of potential zones for implementation of conservation measures above the entire watershed at similar occurrence is inaccessible as well as uneconomical; therefore it is a prerequisite to apply viable technique for prioritization of sub watersheds (SW). The present research attempted to study various morphological characteristics and to implement Geographical Information System (GIS) and Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) through Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) techniques for identification of critical sub watersheds situated in transaction zone between mountainous and water scarcity region of kallar watershed, Tamil Nadu. The morphometric characterization was obtained through the measurement of three distinct linear, areal and relief aspects over the eleven sub-watersheds. The morphometric characterization showed vital role in distinguishing the topographical and hydrological behavior of the watershed. Each morphometric parameters were ranked with respect to the value and weightings obtained by deriving the relationships between the morphometric parameters obtained through classification of the SW by associating the strength of Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Processes (FAHP). Based on FAHP approach, sub watersheds were evaluated and divided into five prioritization zones: very less, less, medium, high and very high classes. The FAHP techniques is a practical approach for identification of the sensitive priority zones and is useful for better management practices such as implementation of land and water resource management, conservation and sustainable agricultural development.

A simple approach for regulating saline groundwater inflows to natural streams in irrigated agricultural areas

Stream salinity management is of prime importance for ensuring environmental sustainability of rivers, streams, lakes and other water bodies. Saline groundwater inflows are the main cause of deteriorating quality of stream flows; especially during periods of low flows. The Murray-Darling Basin is a good example for reducing groundwater recharge from irrigated agricultural areas with successful implementation of land and water management plans (LWMPs). In most cases, these plans help minimize the influence of saline groundwater flows on the stream salinity, as a preventive measure. As a remedial measure, this paper introduces a simple but an innovative approach for regulating saline groundwater inflows to natural streams in irrigated agricultural areas. The approach uses the flap gate with an automatic lowering and raising mechanism. During low stream flow, this gate is kept in a raised position. Depending upon the upstream inflows, the ponding situation will develop hydraulic gradient away from the stream; groundwater inflows to the creek will become minimal. During high stream flows, the gate is kept in a lower position to let the diluted water flows through the stream uninterrupted. To install, operate and manage such gates on multiple sites along the stream(s), the individual control panels can be joined into a central control station via telemetric link up. This approach, which holds a key for successfully regulating groundwater induced salinity to natural streams, should be considered in conjunction with other LWMPs to improve stream salinity in an irrigated agricultural area.

An adaptation of local communities after the implementation of land and forest land allocation policy in Lao P.D.R

An adaptation of local communities after the implementation of land and forest land allocation policy in Lao P.D.R

Implementation of land and ecosystem accounts at the European Environment Agency

The European Environment Agency has started the implementation of a programme of land use and ecosystem accounts, following the System of Environmental and Economic Accounts (SEEA) guidelines of the United Nations. The purpose is to integrate information across the various ecosystem components and to support further assessments and modelling of these components and their interactions with economic and social developments. This programme reflects the increasing demand for environmental policy integration in Europe, both vertically through thematic policies as well as horizontally across policies in those sectors that contribute most to environmental impacts. The construction of land and ecosystem accounts is now feasible due to continuous improvements in monitoring, collecting and processing data and progress with the development of statistical methods that facilitate data assimilation and integration. The accounts are based on explicit spatial patterns provided by comprehensive land cover accounts that can be scaled up and down using a 1 km 2 grid to any type of administrative region or ecosystem zone (e.g., river basin catchments, coastal zones or bio-geographic areas). Land cover accounts have been produced for 24 countries in Europe and first results published in the European Environment State and Outlook2005 report of the EEA. 1 1 European Environment Agency, 2005. The European Environment State and Outlook 2005. Copenhagen. Detailed methodology and results are to be published in forthcoming EEA, 2006, Land Accounts for Europe, 1990–2000, Towards integrated land and ecosystem accounting. Copenhagen.

Soil and water salinity in Queensland: the prospect of ecological sustainability through the implementation of land clearing policy

In Queensland, legislation has recently been enacted that outlines minimum standards for the retention of native vegetation in bioregions and prescribes Performance Requirements for the maintenance of biodiversity and ecological processes, and the prevention of land degradation. It also details Acceptable Solutions to satisfy the Performance Requirements. It this paper we analyse the links between science and action to determine whether the legislation and associated policy are likely to lead to sound management decisions being made for prevention of land and water salinity. We also compared the requirements for biodiversity protection relative to those for salinity control. For salinity (and biodiversity) the minimum standards and Acceptable Solutions in the legislation have a sound technical basis. The main challenge in implementing the salinity Performance Requirements will be provision of information required to assess salinity risk at appropriate scales. This information is: (1) salinity hazard assessment at catchment/regional scale planning scale; (2) technical information to support a sub-catchment scale implementation; (3) guidelines, procedures and local expertise for interpretation of salinity hazard at the property scale. In the process of assessing clearing applications there is no formal role for planners or decision makers at the sub-catchment level who could play an important role in coordinating information gathering for land managers developing clearing applications. There are also limited pathways for accessing relevant scientific information and expertise at an appropriate level to provide support for land managers. We suggest that this situation is likely to limit the successful implementation of the policy for preventing land and water salinity. The minimum standard of 30% retained vegetation would provide similar protection for biodiversity and salinity control at the bioregional level. In smaller areas (e.g. an individual property) however, there could be contrasting requirements for the retention of vegetation.