Large-scale Infrastructure Development Research Articles

Understanding Community Mental Health Administrators' Perspectives on Dialectical Behavior Therapy Implementation

In this study, key informant interviews were conducted with 13 administrators from nine community-based mental health agencies implementing dialectical behavior therapy in order to assess their perspectives on implementation. Four major themes were identified. They include opinions about dialectical behavior therapy and its fit with existing practices, resource concerns (for example, reimbursement issues, time commitment, and staff training), staff selection for training and staff turnover, and ongoing client referrals. Understanding agency administrators' unique perspectives and addressing their concerns is critical to treatment implementation given administrators' role in determining whether and how a treatment will be implemented. Better understanding of the fit between dialectical behavior therapy and existing service structures, the impact of staff turnover on implementation, and the resources required for implementation are all needed to ensure successful implementation and sustainability.

A problem-structuring method for complex societal decisions: Its philosophical and psychological dimensions

Abstract A novel approach to problem-structuring for decisions relating to the sustainable development of large-scale infrastructure is presented. The philosophical (a critical realist ontology and epistemology), psychological (implications of behavioural and cognitive psychology), and systems dimensions (dynamics and emergent properties) of the problem are discussed, and form the basis of the approach. The problem is structured as a system of “trilemmas” (a means of representing and criticising sets of three competing forces), representing different aspects of the problem and considered in the context of a number of problem dimensions. A case study relating to the development of a sustainable water system for a major Australian metropolis is developed to test the value of the approach.

Development of Next-Generation U.S. Infrastructure Systems

Although most of the problems of aging infrastructure systems are well understood in technical terms, the planning and organizational framework for addressing them is fractured among many well-insulated institutions and political jurisdictions with little inclination and few incentives to collaborate or coordinate services. This paper proposes that the government needs to begin its work addressing infrastructure management with a whole perspective, a clean slate of assumptions about next best steps, a diverse and inclusive set of participants, and the readiness to embrace disruptive ideas and confront tough tradeoffs in order to protect the long-term integrity of public services. A dedicated infrastructure campaign should successfully communicate a broad and compelling vision, sound investment principles and strategies, and clear evidence of shared commitment by all levels of government, the private sector and the general public. The concept of sustainability could serve as an effective organizing principle to guide large-scale infrastructure system design and development decisions.

The China−Pakistan Strategic Relationship: Trade, Investment, Energy and Infrastructure

The traditional Sino-Pakistan friendship of 55 years now has a new objective—to improve the economic content of their relationship, which comprises trade, investment and energy co-operation within a bilateral framework. The result of this determination to implement the new economic agenda is visible in the quantum of Chinese investment in Pakistan. However, there are indications that the trade agenda may be too ambitious or needs a larger restructuring of the Pakistani economy that will take time since it requires implementation of policy changes combined with participation in these initiatives from the business community of Pakistan. While investment primarily benefits Pakistan, trade provides China access to a new market for its goods. It will eventually do the same for Pakistan. Energy co-operation will benefit China as it will gain access to energy supplies through Gwadar port, an alternate route to the one through the Malacca straits, and will serve to develop its western regions. Pakistan has in turn gained from the large-scale infrastructure development that has taken place in Gwadar and will continue to do so once future plans make headway.

The role of governance in countering corruption: an African case study

The Trialogue model of governance includes relationships between three main actor clusters—government, science and society—within which the quality of the relationships between the three actor-clusters “determines the extent to which government can generate the incentives needed to develop society by allowing science to inform the decision-making process”. Corruption, in the form of the bribery of a public official, diminishes the quality of the relationship between the society cluster, usually in the form of private-sector business interests, and government. The drop in quality in this relationship has a negative impact on the quality of the government—science interface, due to increased project costs, in turn dropping the quality of the science—society interface, due to a drop in quality or increase in the price of services. Far from being purely a morally detestable action, corruption has a direct impact on the level of development of both a society and a country, undermining efforts to promote growth, equity and access to services. The asymmetries in power between some of the large corporations and developing countries has led to a situation where corruption is taken as the norm and it is assumed that there is very little that can be done about it. The case study of how Lesotho confronted corruption on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, leading to the prosecution of the Chief Executive of the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority as well as three multinational corporations, provides an example of what can be done by a developing country to promote good governance through tackling corruption. This paper investigates the impact of corruption, specifically on large-scale water infrastructure development projects, and what measures can be taken to combat it.

North Korea's Military-First Policy: A Curse or a Blessing

North Korea's Military-First Policy: A Curse or a BlessingThe Songun Chongch'i or military-first politics mantra adopted by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il as a guideline for domestic governance and foreign policy has elicited mostly negative responses from Korea-watchers. Many view songun as the final phase in the deterioration of North Korea and a serious threat to neighboring states saying that an impoverished country of 24 million inhabitants supporting a military of more than 1 million soldiers is incapable of modernization and economic reform. They argue that greater military participation in politics creates a dual-pronged threat: the army may appropriate a greater share of already-dwindling state funds to increase its readiness and effectiveness; and the generals, supposedly the most militant sector of the policy-making structure, will have a louder voice in foreign policy formulation, which could lead to hostile rhetoric towards South Korea.A less alarmist interpretation of military-first politics is that Kim Jong-il is trying to maintain the existing order, to strengthen his regime based on personal authority, and consolidate control of military forces with the goal of preventing an overthrow of the state.So, is military authority a curse or a blessing? The lessons from history are ambiguous, as states ruled by the military have experienced both prosperity and hardship. But some argue that South Korea represents a relatively positive example in which it has experienced a national revival because of a period of military rule.In 1961, Park Chung-hee, a colonel in the ROK army, seized authority of South Korea in a bloodless coup and established a rigid dictatorship with his military comrades. Though politics became more repressive, the national economy grew exponentially and General Park is remembered by many as the father of the South Korean economic miracle. Few dispute that this economic growth planted the seeds for the ensuing process of democratization. So it is hardly accidental that, in recent years, Kim Jong-il has started to speak favorably of General Park and his role in the modernization of the Republic of Korea.The implementation of songun in the mid-1990s increased the role of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in daily life. The army began to participate even more in social and economic decision-making, from large-scale infrastructure development to providing its own food. While military personnel are required to serve for ten years, they spend most of their service participating in different areas of the country's socio-economic life. Thus, the army is now not as heavy an economic burden, and it serves as an important resource and catalyst for developing the national economy.The movement to the military-first policy has accompanied a gradual transformation of North Korea's planned economy to the direction of a mixed economy. The result may eventually be a network of large, less state-controlled corporations that share close ties with government agencies, similar to the chaebol that Park Chung-hee created in South Korea. …

Local Responses to Inundation and De-Farming in the Reservoir Region of the Three Gorges Project (China)

Large-scale infrastructural developments in rural areas often impose significant direct and indirect impacts on environment and people. The Three Gorges Project to dam the Yangtze River in China will create a huge reservoir, inundate farmlands and villages, and incur large-scale resettlement. The concurrent de-farming program to reforest marginal farmlands on steep slopes imposes additional stresses on local people. This study evaluates the ecological and economic adjustments in rural areas affected by both projects, and explores villagers' knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, and expectations vis-à-vis the drastic changes. Eleven villages in Yunyang County in Sichuan Province, stratified into three zones based on topography and agriculture, were assessed by field studies, questionnaire surveys, maps, satellite imagery, and census and government reports. Multiple regressions identified predictors for 17 dependent variables. Spatial variations in the difficult terrain imposed zone-differentiated agricultural constraints, ecological impacts, and human responses. The dominant farming population--mainly young adults working as migrant laborers in cities--has adopted some nonagricultural work to supplement incomes. Expected per-capita standardized farmland (SF) exceeded threshold SF, which surpasses existing SF. Motivations to reclaim more farmlands, de-farm marginal lands, and become migrant laborers were explained by different multiple-regression predictors. Reduction in farmland stock by inundation and de-farming, aggravated by unwillingness towards nonlocal resettlement, would impose ecological pressures and stimulate demands for nonfarming incomes. Common anticipation of better future income and occupation has been subdued by unfavorable feedbacks from early relocatees. Future environmental and landscape changes are hinged upon changing human responses. Government policies could be informed by research findings to match economic, ecological, and social realities.

The use of the GARP genetic algorithm and Internet grid computing in the Lifemapper world atlas of species biodiversity

Lifemapper ( http://www.lifemapper.org) is a predictive electronic atlas of the Earth's biological biodiversity. Using a screensaver version of the GARP genetic algorithm for modelling species distributions, Lifemapper harnesses vast computing resources through volunteers PCs similar to SETI@home, to develop models of the distribution of the world's fauna and flora. The Lifemapper project's primary goal is to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive database of species maps and predictive models (i.e. a fauna and flora of the world) using available data on species’ locations. The models are developed using specimen data from distributed museum collections and an archive of geospatial environmental correlates. A central server maintains a dynamic archive of species maps and models for research, outreach to the general community and feedback to museum data providers. This paper is a case study in the role, use and justification of a genetic algorithm in development of large-scale environmental informatics infrastructure.

IMPACTS OF REGION-WIDE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ON BIODIVERSITY IN STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

In urbanising regions, urban sprawl and infrastructure cause profound alterations of natural habitats. Initial decisions on urban expansion and major infrastructure investments are often made on a strategic level where the long-term development of a region is determined. For these types of decisions a strategic environmental assessment can be prepared. However, the lack of an adequate conceptual and methodological framework can pose a major problem for the prediction of impacts, not least concerning biodiversity. This paper will highlight the need for effective methods for biodiversity analysis at landscape and regional levels, with reference to the long-term urban development of the Stockholm and Mälaren regions. Problems of habitat loss, fragmentation and other impacts related to large-scale urbanisation and infrastructure developments will be addressed. GIS-based methods focusing on predictive ecological modelling will be discussed in a scenario context. The implementation of such methodologies in the strategic environmental assessment process would allow a better integration of biodiversity in planning and decision-making, further promoting a sustainable planning system.

Study on the Evolution of River Networks during Urbanization since the Development and Opening of Pudong New Area, Shanghai

Abstract Pudong New Area of Shanghai, as a reform and opening front of China, holds the balance in economic development of Yangtze Delta and even of China. After a large-scale infrastructure and function development in the past decade, it has become “the miniature of modernization construction in Shanghai” and “the symbol of reform and opening in China”. But, due to the rapid urbanization and associated environmental issues, rivers in the studied area remain seriously polluted and are also diminishing. Consequently this damages the features of the water village and investment setting in the Pudong New Area. On the basis of analyzing the aero photographs (1989, 1994 and 1999) and land use data by Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System, this paper illustrated that: 1) The river density of the studied area has declined by 1/3 from 1989 to 1999; 2) Since the development and opening of Pudong, the river system has experienced two declining phases: rapid declining (1989–1994) and slow declining (1994–...

Grassroots Participation for Infrastructural Provisioning in Northwest Cameroon: Are Village Development Associations the Panacea?

ABSTRACT Local communities are the loci of spatial development initiatives as they wrestle with the problem of resource scarcity and to fill the void left by the reduction in state services. This paper explores the gender dimension of grassroots participation in community development in selected localities of the Northwest Province of Cameroon. It outlines the gender roles and biases of grassroots participation through Village Development Associations (VDAs), which have become the prevalent vehicles for the galvanization of indigenous resource and building of social and human capital for project execution. Projects successfully executed include the construction of bridges and community halls, renovation of school buildings and health centres, digging and maintenance of earth roads, and the provision of pipe-borne water. In spite of communitarian efforts, VDAs are finding it difficult to embark on large-scale infrastructural development projects such as rural electrification, road construction, water supply and health centres, all of which require huge capital investments and a high degree of technical expertise. Participation is also affected by a litany of gender-based inequalities, mismanagement, ambiguous and vested interests of the elite, and complex operational structures of VDAs coupled with a politicized institutional environment. The paper concludes that although VDAs are not the cure-all, if revitalized, they can determine the local development agenda and become conduits for direct efforts at poverty reduction.

Community health outreach program of the Chad-Cameroon petroleum development and pipeline project.

A critical appraisal has been presented of the CHOP for a large-scale energy infrastructure development project that was implemented in two of the world's poorest countries. The project is under close scrutiny from various independent monitoring groups, civil society organizations, and human rights groups. Reviewing the achievements and shortcomings permits the extraction of important lessons that will be critical for the future adoption of the CHOP in the current setting and for the implementation of additional CHOPs elsewhere in the developing world. The authors believe that the design must be flexible, efficient, and innovative so that a CHOP promptly can address pressing public health issues as they arise (eg, epidemic outbreak) and include the needs and demands of the concerned communities. An innovative feature of the current project is the high degree and mix of public-private partnerships. The project's CHOP also relies on partnerships. As elaborated elsewhere, public-private partnerships should be seen as a social experiment--they reveal promise but are not the solution for every problem. For this CHOP, the focus is on partnerships between a multinational consortium, government agencies, and international organizations. The partnerships also include civil society organizations for monitoring and evaluation and local NGOs designated for the implementation of the selected public health interventions within the CHOP. The governments and their respective health policies often form the umbrella under which the partnerships operate. With the increase in globalization, however, the importance and capacities of governments have diminished, and there is growing private-sector involvement. Private enterprise is seen as an efficient, innovative, pragmatic, and powerful means to achieve environmental and social sustainability. Experiences with the partnership configurations in the current CHOP are of importance for tackling grand challenges in global health by applying a systemic approach. Other innovations of the project in general, and the CHOP in particular, are the strong emphases on institutional-capacity building, integration, and sustainability. In countries like Chad and Cameroon, there are serious shortages of well-qualified health personnel. The CHOP described in this article provides leverage for initiating better healthcare that will reduce the high burden of disease in the developing world. Reducing mortality rates for infants and children younger than 5 years in sub-Saharan Africa requires massive scaling-up of malaria-control interventions (eg, large-scale distribution of ITNs to protect millions of African children), thereby approaching the Abuja targets (see Armstrong Schellenberg et al). The local NGOs that took a lead within the framework of the CHOP in the distribution of ITNs and accompanying health education messages can extend these activities to communities living outside the vicinity of the project area. Serious shortcomings of the current CHOP, consistently identified by the external monitoring groups, include the lack of a regional health plan, cumulative impact assessment, and provision of clean water and sanitation outside the narrowly defined project area. This point is of central importance, particularly for Chad, where access to clean water and improved sanitation facilities is low. Another limitation of the current CHOP is the insufficient amount of significance addressed to tuberculosis and the apparent lack of concerted control efforts against HIV infection, AIDS, and tuberculosis. These criticisms, however, must be balanced against the lack of clarity in international discourse about the proper extent of responsibility of the corporate sector for dealing with the health problems of countries in which they do business. In an elegant analysis, the environmental risk factor "unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene" was shown to be one of the major contributors to loss of healthy life, particularly in the developing world. Provision of clean water and sanitation is a key factor for sustainable control of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths. Reduction of helminth infections might have a beneficial effect on the HIV and AIDS pandemic. The question still remains: What is, or should be, the scope and limits of responsibility of the corporate sector in solving these problems? There is a critical need for the monitoring and evaluation of the long-term impact of a CHOP that develops in parallel with a large development project, emphasizing the broadest possible determinants of health and well-being. To become operational, it requires the establishment and running of a longitudinal demographic surveillance system in the area and in adjacent areas that are unlikely to be affected by the project. This approach, coupled with regular household surveys for in-depth appraisal of health-seeking and asset indices, is the most promising source of data for impact measurement of health, poverty, and equity-related issues. It will facilitate subtle monitoring and surveillance activities, fostering a truly systemic approach by inclusion of all stake holders on the basis of the existing but constantly evolving system.

Sustainability and coastal zone management in Hong Kong — the case of Mirs Bay

SUMMARY Hong Kong's coastal zone is under considerable stress as a result of continuing population growth, large-scale infrastructure developments, extensive land reclamation projects, the ineffective control of various types of pollution, and a growing problem of cross-border pollution associated with rapid development in neighbouring parts of Mainland China. Policy-related and institutional weaknesses have resulted in a failure to tackle environmental problems in a comprehensive and integrated manner, little attention has been given to sustainability issues, and Hong Kong lacks a clear framework for coastal zone planning and management. Mirs Bay, on the eastern margins of Hong Kong, remains one of the few relatively unpolluted parts of the territory's marine environment. It contains a rich and diverse marine flora and fauna, and is the location of two of Hong Kong's designated marine parks. However, even this area of high ecological value may now be under threat from future development, and increased levels of pollution from both Hong Kong and Mainland sources. The paper examines environmental conditions in Mirs Bay, reviews existing evidence regarding pollution levels and changes in marine biodiversity, evaluates threats to the Bay's environment, and discusses whether, in the context of Hong Kong's existing approaches to environmental protection, it is possible to protect this area of high quality marine environment from irreversible degradation.

Implications of economic reform in Vietnam: agrarian and environmental change in Hien Luong

Abstract Economic reform in Vietnam has been pervasive. To date, there have been few studies of the wider implications of reform outside urban and lowland agricultural areas. This study of agrarian and environmental change in a mountainous commune in north‐western Vietnam shows some of the consequences of the transitional economy for more peripheral communities and ecosystems. The study focuses on some key aspects of change, notably large scale infrastructure development, decollectivisation and the emergence of a market economy. It also investigates recent initiatives such as forest land allocation and small‐scale irrigation development within a more decentralised administrative and economic framework.

Grassroots action for resettlement planning: Brazil and beyond

Evidence from Brazilian hydropower schemes, in the São Francisco valley of the Northeast and from the Uruguai River Basin in the south of the country, is used to question the relevance for resettlement planning of linear, reductionist models of social change which maintain that outcomes can be fully predetermined by planners. It is argued, rather, that highly variable, situation-specific phenomena are critical in determining project consequences. Factors such as the rise of new social movements, combined with the intervention of key external agents such as the World Bank, the radical church and rural trades unions, suggest that an actor-oriented or action model responsive to local circumstances is far more appropriate. This is true both in terms of analyzing the process of change initiated by large-scale infrastructural developments such as hydropower schemes, as well as for dealing more effectively with the resettlement needs of affected groups.

オーストラリア奥地の地域開発 鉱山鉄道と鉱業都市を中心に

One of the most important aspects of the mining activities in remote Australia since the 1960 's is large-scale infrastructure development by mining companies. This paper studies various types of infrastructure projects associated with the mining activities, from a viewpoint of development stages in terms of remoteness.Three study areas are selected; Pilbara region, Kalgoorlie region and Central Queensland, in order of remoteness. Mining railways and mining towns in the study areas are classified into three types, according to the extent of financial contribution by the mining companies.The railways of the first type are the iron are railways in Pilbara region. They are constructed, owned, operated and exclusively used by the mining companies. The railways of the second type are the coal railways in Central Queensland. They are constructed or upgraded, owned and operated by the government as a part of the State railway system, but are fully financed and almost exclusively used by the mining companies. The railways of the third type are the nickel railways in Kalgoorlie region. They are constructed and upgraded, owned and operated by the government, but are partly financed by the mining companies.The towns of the first type are the iron are mining towns in Pilbara region. They are company towns, which are constructed and managed by the mining companies. The towns of the second type are quasi-company towns, with a minor role of the government. Dampier and Wickham in Pilbara region and Kambalda near Kalgoorlie fall into this category. The towns of the third type are open towns, which are constructed and managed mainly by the governments with financial contribution by the mining companies. Port Hedland and Karratha in Pilbara region and the coal mining towns in Central Queensland fall into this category.These different types of infrastructure development can be interpreted as a reflection of different stages of regional development; the more developed, the less involved by mining companies. The idea is tested and supported by the historical cases in Mount Isa.One of the significant modifications of the development process mentioned above is an influence of the government policies, where higher priorities are given to more local participation in order to discourage influences of overseas capital, and to more local processing for the more value-added within the State or national economy. The reversed order of railway types against the general order of remoteness between Kalgoorlie region and Central Queensland can be partly explained by this point.A case study in this paper suggests that, from a viewpoint of regional development, infrastructure should not be simply defined by physical or institutional forms, but should be identified by examining actual functions. This functional concept of infrastructure would be useful for identifying the role of mining activities in regional development, especially in remote Australia.