Interest In Environmental Management Research Articles

Exploring the current status of water governance and outcomes of community-based monitoring across the Oak Ridges Moraine, Southern Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACTCommunity-based monitoring (CBM) activities are becoming increasingly prevalent in response to multiple factors, including reduced governmental capacity and increased public interest in environmental management. This research aims to explore how CBM has evolved in the Oak Ridges Moraine (ORM), southern Ontario, including an examination of strengths and challenges. Interviews with CBM stakeholders, provincial government staff, and conservation authority staff were combined with document analysis to explore the evolution and outcomes of ORM CBM activities. Results indicate that there is active CBM on the ORM and conservation authorities play a role in the shaping of CBM activities, although significant barriers remain to civil society participation in water governance. The case study results from the ORM were also considered in light of research emerging from the Nova Scotia experience of numerous civil society organisations involved in CBM.

Habitat-Based Larval Interventions: A New Perspective for Malaria Control

Interest in environmental management of mosquito larval habitats has been rekindled due to deterioration of malaria in tropical Africa. Environmental management programs were typically implemented as "all-out" campaigns by treating all potential breeding habitats. In contrast, targeted environmental management is based on a sound understanding of the heterogeneity in mosquito productivity. However, deficiencies in field methodology for measuring productivity hamper our progress in understanding of mosquito productivity. To address these issues, we develop a framework of habitat-based interventions by adoption of a landscape approach to elucidate mechanisms underlying mosquito productivity. The importance of vigorously quantitative estimation of the productivity is highlighted. Spatial models are proposed to examine the interrelationship between mosquito productivity and oviposition of gravid mosquitoes. In our view, environmental management approaches must take into account variability in productivity, in efforts to improve feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of such approaches, particularly when implemented along with other malaria control measures.

Conflicts of interest in environmental management: estimating the costs and benefits of a tree invasion

Some alien tree species used in commercial forestry cause major problems as invaders of natural ecosystems. One such case, the black wattle tree, was introduced into South Africa from Australia in the 19th century. It is an important commercial species, as well as an aggressive invader, giving rise to significant environmental impacts and conflicts of interest. This paper provides an analysis of costs and benefits associated with this species in South Africa at a national level. The results suggest that a ‘do nothing’ scenario (with no attempts being made to control the spread of the species beyond the limits of plantations) is not sustainable, as the benefit–cost ratio is around 0.4. The most attractive control option will be to combine physical clearing and plant-attacking biological control with the continuation of the commercial growing activities. In case this is not practically feasible the next best option is a combination of seed-attacking biological control, physical control and the development of secondary industries based on wood products from clearing programmes. There is, however, a 40% loss of benefits involved with this option when compared with the first best option. The techniques used in this study, and the findings relating to the scenarios that deliver the best returns on investment, should be of broad relevance to the problem of dealing with conflicts of interest relating to invasive alien plants that have commercial value.

Environnement et processus de territorialisation : le cas du Parc naturel régional de la Chartreuse (France)/ The environment and the process of territorialisation : the case of the Chartreuse regional natural park (France)

Abstract : Using the example of the Chartreuse regional natural park (French Pre-Alps), the paper examines the development of such parks from the point of view of two territorialisation processes. The first, known as institu- tionalisation, is based on public opinion and is in favour of a collective identification focussing on the special heritage of the area. The second territorialisation process concerns a whole set of groups, the « players and mediators », and in this case is based on new types of collective action. Both processes are mutually nourishing provided that they have a common interest in environmental management. Initially used as justification for creating spatial homogeneity, the environment is gradually becoming a vector of social dynamism which finds its spatial expression in the Park. The fragile nature of such processes must, however, be underlined.