National Policy Objectives Research Articles

Transforming soil phosphorus fertility management strategies to support the delivery of multiple ecosystem services from agricultural systems

Despite greater emphasis on holistic phosphorus (P) management, current nutrient advice delivered at farm-scale still focuses almost exclusively on agricultural production. This limits our ability to address national and international strategies for the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (ES). Currently there is no operational framework in place to manage P fertility for multiple ES delivery and to identify the costs of potentially sacrificing crop yield and/or quality. As soil P fertility plays a central role in ES delivery, we argue that soil test phosphorus (STP) concentration provides a suitable common unit of measure by which delivering multiple ES can be economically valued relative to maximum potential yield, in $ ha−1 yr−1 units. This value can then be traded, or payments made against one another, at spatio-temporal scales relevant for farmer and national policy objectives. Implementation of this framework into current P fertility management strategies would allow for the integration and interaction of different stakeholder interests in ES delivery on-farm and in the wider landscape. Further progress in biophysical modeling of soil P dynamics is needed to inform its adoption across diverse landscapes.

Can farming provide a way out of poverty for smallholder farmers in central Mozambique?

Given that agriculture is a key economic activity of the majority of people living in rural Africa, agricultural development is at the top of the agenda of African leaders. Intensification of agriculture is considered an entry point to improve food security and income generation in sub-Saharan African (SSA). We used a farm optimization model to perform ex-ante assessment of scenarios that could improve gross margin, a farmer's objective, and maize sales, a national policy objective to improve food security, of large and small farms in maize-based farming systems in two posts representative of rural Mozambique (Dombe and Zembe Administrative Posts in Central Province). For selling maize, farmers first had to be maize self-sufficient. We explored two options for increasing agricultural productivity: (i) extensification, to expand the current cultivated area; and (ii) intensification, to increase input use per unit of land. We considered two scenarios for each of the two options. Extensification: current situation (SC1), hired labour (SC2) and labour-saving (SC3). Intensification: land-saving (SC4) and combined improvement (SC5). For each scenario, we maximized gross margin and maize sales for large and small farms and assessed the trade-offs between the two goals. We further explored the impact of increasing labour and land availability at farm level beyond the current observed levels. SC4 substantially increased both gross margin and maize sales of large and small farms in both posts. Minor trade-offs were observed between the two goals on large farms whereas we saw synergies between the goals for small farms. In Dombe, the gross margin of large farms increased from $ 5550 to $ 7530 y-1 and maize sales from 12.4 t to 30.4 t y-1. In Zembe, the annual gross margin increased from $ 1130 up to $ 2410 per farm and annual maize sales from 5.1 t up to 9.5 t per farm. For small farms in Dombe, the gross margin increased from $ 1820 to $ 2390 y-1 and maize sales from 3.0 t to 9 t y-1. In Zembe, the annual gross margin increased from $ 260 to $ 810 and annual maize sales from 2.0 t to 3.6 t per farm. With the most optimistic scenarios and conditions of more hired labour and labour-saving technologies, both farm types substantially increased both gross margin and maize sales. We conclude that with available resources, the possibilities for increasing gross margin and maize sales are greater where agroecological conditions are more favourable and are much higher for larger farms. Without interventions that allow small farms to access more labour and land, intensification of agriculture is likely to happen only on farms of better-resourced households, indicating the need for alternative forms of on- and off-farm income generation for poorer farmers. The contribution of agriculture to national food security has to come from the large farms, requiring policy support.

Poverty as a barrier to antiretroviral therapy access for people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Understanding barriers to access to essential health services is critical for devising effective strategies to improve access and align such strategies with national health and development policy objectives. However, while considerable empirical evidence exists on correlates of HIV prevalence and populations at risk of contracting HIV, there is very little such evidence on access to antiretroviral therapy. This paper addresses this gap through a cross-sectional analysis of coverage of antiretroviral therapy and its correlates across 47 counties in Kenya. It considers health-sector and social factors, and applying instrumental variables to address error-in-variables and reverse-causality issues regarding HIV prevalence. Poverty was the most robust and — statistically and substantially — significant determinant of treatment coverage. The gap in treatment coverage between the poorest and richest counties amounted to about 40 percentage points and has not narrowed between 2012 and 2015. Health sector capacities independently played a role and exacerbated the poverty gap. For Kenya, the results suggest that policies on expanding treatment access need to be differentiated across counties to greatest effect and to align the HIV/AIDS response with national health and social policy objectives. Regarding global HIV/AIDS policies, the findings suggest a need to recognise “people left behind” owing to socio-economic and specifically poverty-related barriers to access to services.

Promoción de mecanismos de prevención y solución de conflictos para la eficacia en la protección de los consumidores

The present article pursues to analyze the objectives of the current national consumer protection policy and its importance as an instrument that facilitate the government’s duty to protect the consumers’ rights according to the constitutional regime in force. In such context, this paper discusses the role of the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Intellectual Property (Indecopi) regarding the accomplishment of said objectives through the promotion of mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution between suppliers and consumers.

Resistance Dynamics and Social Movement Theory: Conditions, Mechanisms, and Effects

Understanding Current ConflictsContemporary conflicts have become more transnational, protracted, irregular, and resistancecentric.1 They can be best described as protracted internal conflicts with multiple state actors and nonstate actors intervening much like the multidimensional hybrid operational environment discussed in Army Special Operations Forces (ARSOF) 2022.2This article aims to explain how to harness the emerging strategic utility of nonstate actors by utilizing well-established bodies of knowledge on resistance dynamics. This objective is based upon the observation that an increasing number of external state actors overtly or covertly intervene in intrastate conflicts by exploiting the environment's resistance potential in order to increase their respective strategic influence.3 Similarly, both internal and external nonstate actors take advantage of interstate conflicts or political instability stemming from failing states. The current conflicts in Iraq and Syria certainly meet this characterization; as do those in Ukraine, Yemen, Afghanistan, Somalia, Mali, and Libya. More state actors are supporting or sponsoring political movements in intrastate conflict, making the termination of fighting very difficult. For instance, the resilience of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is largely attributed to the protracted Syrian civil war in which regional powers such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey all sponsor local movements. In addition, external nonstate actors such as ISIL, al-Nusrah, and Hezbollah are also deeply involved in the conflict. In other words, these current conflicts represent a sample of a larger shift in warfare. As of this writing, Uppsala University's world conflict data program compiles 40 conflicts in the world for 2014. All but one of them are intrastate conflicts and 13 of them are internationalized.4 In short, state actors are actively leveraging and taking advantage of the resistance potential of groups engaged in civil conflicts.The United States must adapt to this operational environment in order to achieve national policy objectives. Key to this goal is a shared problem identification that will lead to mitigation and reduction of the fog and friction inherent in a hybrid operational environment. Problem identification begins with understanding how external groups are leveraging and harnessing the resistance potential of organic movements toward their respective strategic interests. By understanding how resistance potential is shaped toward strategic objectives, we can also better determine how to replicate the best practices of supporting and sponsoring robust organic movements.In order to fight successfully in this complex hybrid environment, a deep understanding of resistance dynamics is critical. Without understanding resistance dynamics, it becomes next to impossible to identify who is working with adversarial state actors and how their nonstate surrogates gain political support against our own strategic interests. Our recent unsuccessful attempt at building a surrogate force in Syria is a good reminder of why it matters to harness the utility of organic resistance. Instead of building a sustainable movement with an armed wing, we thought a program designed to train and equip a few dozen commandos would suffice.5 This article intends to delineate the strategic dynamics of resistance and discuss the utility of resistance as a strategic tool.I will begin with a discussion of how resistance is conceptualized in doctrinal and academic terms to distill the essential characteristics of the concept. Then I will highlight three aspects of resistance: antecedent conditions, mechanisms, and effects. I will identify what antecedent conditions facilitate resistance, followed by a variety of mechanisms employed by movements to exploit the conditions. The discussion of mechanisms accompanies a description of the effects that can be expected when movements take advantage of these conditions. …

Assessing the social and economic impact of small scale fisheries management measures in a marine protected area with limited data

The European Union requires that major legislative actions undergo an impact assessment (IA), but this methodology is often not adapted to policy measures in complex situations, as the coexistence of marine protected areas and small scale fisheries.The appropriateness of the IA methodology currently in use is tested on the example of a small scale fishery in a protected area in the German coast in the Baltic Sea (Fehmarn island). The impact of the fisheries management measures is first assessed using the available data and the results are then checked with the local fishermen and a producer organization representative using a focus group. Given the discrepancies identified in the focus group, additional methodologies are explored.By performing a literature review and a workshop with scientists, fishermen representatives, environmental organizations and managers, inputs from political science (the “wicked problem” approach) and philosophy of science (the NUSAP matrix) are applied to cope with the context of high uncertainty driven by poor ecological, economic and social data.This case study brings the opportunity to identify challenges as the assessment of biodiversity and potentially conflictive differences in national policy objectives under different EU policies (including the Common Fisheries Policy), in a way that goes beyond the contribution of other commonly used management tools as impact assessment and spatial planning. The usefulness of the approach resides both in a better identification of impacts on small scale fisheries and the unveiling of hidden governance conflicts that prevent the fulfilment of the objectives of policy measures.

Linking practices of multifunctional forestry to policy objectives: Case studies in Finland and the UK

In this paper we address the disconnection between multifunctional woodland management and current forestry policies in Europe, using a practice theory approach. Drawing on cases in the UK and Finland, we identified seven bundles forestry practices: creating an attractive place to live, pursuing forest-based leisure practices, wildlife and biodiversity preservation, heritage conservation, renewable heat production, animal husbandry and timber production. By assessing the place of these forest-based practices within larger practice ‘complexes’ (such as farming, urban employment, family recreation), we demonstrate disconnections to current incentive programmes, which are largely oriented towards professional farmers or foresters. We found that study participants were largely unopposed to achieving national policy objectives (afforestation in the UK and commercial timber production in Finland); instead, their limited active engagement reflected available competencies and the lack of resources (particularly time) available to non-commercial forest managers. We argue that using practice theory helps to identify new opportunities to influence existing practices, such as increasing competences in harvesting of continuous growth forestry in Finland and encouraging small-scale renewable heat production in the UK.

The impact of FDI in land in agriculture in developing countries on host country food security

We investigate the influence of FDI in land in agriculture in developing countries, a phenomenon also known as land grabbing, on host country food security, and suggest a differential impact depending on the investor’s country of origin. FDI in land by developed-country investors positively influence food security by expanding land used for crop production because of home institutional pressure for human rights respect and responsible farmland conduct, in addition to positive spillovers. Instead, FDI in land by developing-country investors negatively influence food security by decreasing cropland due to home institutional pressure to align to national interests and government policy objectives, in addition to negative spillovers.

Property and personal security companies as an important element of the national security system

<i>Th e author presents the results of research carried out in property and personal security companies. Th e research was carried out both on the basis of a theoretical method based on qualitative analysis of legal acts, critical analysis of scientifi c literature as well as the empirical method consisting of using research tools such as questionnaires and expert interviews. Th e research came up with a positive answer to the question: Is it possible to increase the participation of property and personal security companies in ensuring public safety in Poland?</i><br><br> <i>Th e author believes that it is necessary to create a symbiotic formal and legal system that determines the use of human resources in broadly considered state security and in the process of implementing the objectives of national security policy by all levels of government either, state, local or private.</i><br><br> <i>Th e author notes that enhancing the effi ciency of security entities is possible, inter alia, through continuous technological development and the exchange of knowledge between national security entities and the authorities responsible for managing security through regulation. According to him, the exchange of knowledge, experience and information between the public and private sectors, and the implementation of best practices in the fi eld of security for day-to-day practice, improves the eff ectiveness of security policy. One such preventive measure is the creation of a formal and legal basis for conducting a security policy based on an integrated system of exploitation of experience, in which all entities responsible for the security of the Republic of Poland participate.</i><br><br> <i>Th is publication indicates the direction of action that the author believes should be taken to make better use of the private security sector in the state security system.</i>

The triumph of Russian national security policy? Russia’s rapid rebound

ABSTRACTRussia’s return to prominence in international affairs has been in many respects surprising. Russia’s easy seizure of Crimea, its role in Syria and its ambitious pivot eastward have emboldened Moscow at a time of crisis for the liberal order. This article characterises Russian national security policy as a deliberate ‘rebound’ strategy, designed to deliver a rapid return to power and status. The author defines rebounding in respect to four characteristics: a relatively short timeline for the rebounding state to achieve its goals; a strategic (re-)emphasis on territory and hard power; the construction of alternative networks of influence via institutions; and active efforts to undermine existing normative and legal orthodoxies. The author then assesses these in terms of specific Russian national security policy objectives, including in the key domain of information operations. The article concludes that Vladimir Putin has skilfully employed conventional material capabilities and geopolitics, combined with the exploitation of contemporary information networks for instrumental purposes. Paradoxically, though, those same factors will constrain Russian national security objectives in the future.

The potential benefits of on-farm mitigation scenarios for reducing multiple pollutant loadings in prioritised agri-environment areas across England

Mitigation of diffuse water pollution from agriculture is a key national environmental policy objective in England. With the recent introduction of the new agri-environment scheme, Countryside Stewardship, there is an increased emphasis on the macro-spatial targeting of on-farm mitigation measures to reduce pollutant pressures, and a concomitant need to forecast the technically feasible impacts of on-farm measures detailed in current policy and their associated costs and benefits. This paper reports the results of a modelling application to test these limits in the context of the associated costs and benefits for the reduction of diffuse water pollution from agriculture for each Water Framework Directive (WFD) water management catchment (WMC) and nationally. Four mitigation scenarios were modelled, including pollutant source control measures only (SC), mobilisation control measures only (MC), delivery control measures only (DC) and measures for source, mobilisation and delivery control (SMDC) combined. Projected impacts on nitrate, phosphorus and sediment export to water, ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide emissions to the atmosphere, together with the associated costs to the agricultural sector were estimated for each WFD WMC and nationally. Median WMC-scale reductions (with uncertainty ranges represented by 5th–95th percentiles) in current agricultural emissions, were predicted to be highest for the SMDC scenario; nitrate (18%, 11–23%), phosphorus (28%, 22–37%), sediment (25%, 18–43%), ammonia (26%, 17–32%), methane (13%, 7–18%) and nitrous oxide (18%, 16–20%). The median benefit-to-cost ratios (with uncertainty ranges represented by 5th–95th percentiles) were predicted to be in the following order; DC (0.15, 0.09–0.65), MC (0.19, 0.09–0.95), SMDC (0.31, 0.20–1.39) and SC (0.44, 0.19–2.48). Of the four scenarios simulated, the SC and SMDC suites of measures have the greatest potential to deliver reductions in BAU emissions from agriculture, and the best benefit:cost ratio.

Business model for cross-border interconnections in the Mediterranean basin

Given the complementarity of electricity systems in the north and south Mediterranean basin, a greater integration and trade can help achieving national and regional energy policy objectives of security of supply, cost optimisation and sustainability. However, the issues such as different electricity market structures, regulatory and institutional diversity and disparate level of political stability make interconnection investment between north and south a risky undertaking. Due to high perceived risk, delivery of interconnection projects through the EU regulated model is less likely, or only possible at prohibitively high rate of returns. The merchant transmission initiative (MTI), on the other hand, seen as an exception under the EU laws, can be approved only if the project meets a set of strict conditions. Here we show that a hybrid business model in which the main benefits of a merchant model are maintained within a regulated structure, that involves minimal regulatory changes to national electricity markets, offers an appropriate response to the existing investment challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean basin. We highlight the main components of the proposed model and show how it addresses the key features of a viable business model regarding investment incentives, risks, governance and compatibility with the region's energy scenario.

Strengthening health systems for universal health coverage and sustainable development.

The 2030 agenda for sustainable development is an opportunity for governments and the international community to renew their commitment to improving health as a central component of development. (1) The accompanying 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) define the priority areas of action. (2) Goal 3 (to ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages), with Target 3.8 on universal health coverage (UHC), emphasize the importance of all people and communities having access to quality health services without risking financial hardship. (2) These health services include those targeting individuals, such as curative care and population-based services, such as health promotion. (3) Achieving UHC is an important objective for all countries to attain equitable and sustainable health outcomes and improve the well-being of individuals and communities. (4,5) Health system strengthening is a means to progress towards UHC. A functioning health system is organized around the people, institutions and resources that are mandated to improve, maintain or restore the health of a given population. Health system strengthening refers to significant and purposeful effort to improve the system's performance. (6) Strengthening is one way to ensure that the system's performance embodies the intermediary objectives of most national health policies, plans and strategies--quality, equity, efficiency, accountability, resilience and sustainability (Box 1). We argue that UHC contributes to the SDGs in several ways. The impact of health system strengthening on UHC, and how health system strengthening, through UHC, contributes to different sustainable development goals is illustrated in Fig. 1. One way UHC contributes to the SDGs is by promoting global public health security and it does so by increasing the resilience of health systems to respond to health threats that spread within as well as across national borders. (6,11) The 2012 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, the 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease and 2015 Zika virus outbreaks prompted the international community of the financial aftermath many countries faced as a result of protracted health emergencies. The impact of humanitarian and natural disasters is exacerbated by weak health systems. (12) These recent outbreaks showed that resilience is an important feature of a health system and its effect on health workers' ability to adapt and effectively address complex challenges when responding to emergencies. Resilience should be envisaged as a critical objective of contemporary health system reforms. (13) When compared to resources spent on emergency responses, it is cost-efficient and in the long-term sustainable to invest in building resilient and functioning health systems. We claim that progress towards UHC will be essential to four specific SDG goals and the pledge to leave no one behind. First, as adults in poor health are more likely to be unemployed, when investments are made in improving health outcomes for the entire population, this can also contribute to SDG 1 (end poverty in all its forms everywhere). In addition, implementation of social protection systems to address out-of-pocket health expenditure reduces the incidence of catastrophic or impoverishing household health spending. Second, given that children anckadolescents with good health have better educational outcomes, health has an important role to play in advancing SDG 4 (ensure inclusive and equitable education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all). Third, as women comprise over 75% of the health workforce in many countries, (14) the health system can contribute to advancing SDG 5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls). Fourth, through the development of health systems that create fair, trustworthy and responsive social institutions, health system strengthening directly contributes to SDG 16 (promote inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions for all). …

Analyse du parcours de dépistage prénatal des femmes ayant donné naissance en France à un enfant atteint de trisomie 21

ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to screen the prenatal follow-up of women with live birth trisomy 21 child in order to evaluate the proportion of prenatal screening failure versus cases where the women refused either the screening or the prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. This study covers the period of time from 2009 to 2012 when the national prenatal screening policy changed from second to first trimester and allows for a comparative assessment of the nationwide efficiency of the various maternal serum marker based strategies. MethodAll authorized cytogenetic laboratories sent required data for all cases of trisomy 21 diagnosed in FRANCE in new-borns (less than 1-year-old) from January 2010 to July 2013. ResultsA total of 1253 cases of trisomy 21 were diagnosed before 1 year of age whose mother did not had prenatal diagnosis. For 861 of them, information on the prenatal follow-up was available, with 72% of cases where a prenatal screening was organized either by maternal serum marker or by ultrasound. Results of the screening strategy was positive with maternal serum marker in 28% of cases (calculated risk≥1/250), positive because of abnormal ultrasound in 5% and negative with maternal marker screening (whatever the strategy used) in 67% of cases. Detection rate over the period of the study was 82%, with similar efficiency of first and second trimester strategies (83%) but significantly lower with sequential association of first trimester Nuchal translucency measurement and second trimester serum screening (70%). ConclusionSwitching from second trimester to first trimester screening strategy, with as many trisomy 21 foetuses diagnosed with half invasive procedures fulfilled national health policy objectives. Analysis of these data gives useful insights to elaborate a future screening policy involving cell-free foetal DNA sequencing.

SPACE ASYMMETRIES OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

The objective preconditions of regionalization in the global space are considered in the article. The consequences and challenges of regional economic integration processes for the countries are revealed. The importance of coordinating the objectives of regional economic integration and national economic policy is substantiated. The role of integration in the liberalization of trade through the reduction of tariff barriers is argued. The regional asymmetries of global economic development are outlined. The state of development of regional trade agreements in the last decades is analysed. This analysis has made it possible to determine the difficulties of functioning of integration associations in modern conditions and to substantiate that each region has its own peculiarities, as shown by the example of the European Union, the member countries of NAFTA, integration in the countries of Latin America . The index of regional integration in Africa has been estimated. It allowed revealing significant differences among the groups of countries. The peculiarities of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the conditions of cooperation of the countries have been clarified.

PRICING, REIMBURSEMENT, AND HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT OF MEDICINAL PRODUCTS IN BULGARIA.

The aim of this study was to investigate the analysis, discussion, and challenges of the price and reimbursement process of medicinal products in Bulgaria in the period 2000-15 and health technology assessment (HTA) role in these processes. The dynamics of the reform, with respect to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors, are tracked by documentary review of regulations, articles, and reports in the European Union (EU), as well as analytical and historical analysis. Pricing and reimbursement processes have passed through a variety of committees between 2003 and 2012. Separate units for pricing and reimbursement of medicinal products were established in Bulgaria for the first time, in 2013, when an independent body, the National Council at Prices and Reimbursement of Medicinal Products, was set up to approve medicinal products with new international nonproprietary names (INN) for reimbursement in Bulgaria. Over the course of 2 years (2013-14), thirty-three new INNs were approved for reimbursement. In December 2015, a new HTA body was introduced, and assigned to the National Centre for Public Health and Analyses. Although Bulgaria has current legislation on pricing and reimbursement which is in accordance with the EU rules, there is no mechanism for reporting and monitoring these processes or the financial resources annually, so as to provide an overall objective assessment and analysis by year. Therefore, this financial assessment should become a national policy objective for the future.

THE IMPACT OF SAFEGUARD MEАSURES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE POOREST COUNTRIES

The article discusses the role of international trade in promoting economic growth and socio-economic development of the poorest countries. The analysis of foreign trade statistics shows that the modality of the relationship between trade and economic development has changed, depending on a large number of factors, including tariff and non-tariff such measures. In the first part of the article the author examines the theoretical concepts that describe the impact of international trade on the socio-economic development of the poorest countries. Having analyzed a wide range of literature, the author identifies two approaches to the understanding the issue, "old" one establishing a direct link between trade, economic growth and long-term development, and the "new" one problematizing this link. The second part of the paper examines the place of protective measures for trade in developing countries. It shows that the removal of the protective measures as a result of trade liberalization does not always go for the benefit of developing countries. The last part of the article evaluates the impact of protective measures on trade and economic development in the poorest countries on the basis of total trade restrictions index. The author comes to the conclusion that international trade and the strengthening of export potential should be a tool, but not the key objective of national economic policy of the poorest countries.

The Impact of Home Ownership on Life Satisfaction in Urban China: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

China has implemented a series of socioeconomic reforms since 1978. One of the reforms allows urban residents to purchase their own houses rather than renting houses from state institutions which has resulted in a rapid increase in home ownership. This paper estimates the impact of home ownership on life satisfaction in urban China on the basis of the 2010 wave of the China General Social Survey. Special attention is paid to the methodological problem of confoundedness between the determinants of home ownership and life satisfaction. Propensity score matching (PSM) is applied to control it. The results show that PSM reduces upward estimation bias caused by confoundedness and that it is more appropriate to control confoundedness than ordered probit regression. The estimates furthermore indicate that home ownership has a significant positive impact on life satisfaction of medium- and high income urban residents. For low income urban residents, the impact is also positive, though insignificant. The outcomes connect to the objectives of national development policy and thus have several important policy implications. First, the central and local governments, especially in provinces where it is still low, may want to continue stimulating home ownership as it enhances life satisfaction. Secondly, specific programs may be designed to make home ownership financially affordable for low income groups. Thirdly, local governments may want to initiate or intensify urban (renewal) programs to improve poor public facilities including public transportation, green space and sports accommodations in the immediate vicinity of depressing low income neighborhoods.

The role of the legislative and regulatory branches in promoting the use of geothermal energy in Latvia

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> Latvia currently is self-sufficient in energy resources up to approximately 35<span class="thinspace"></span>%. Annual fossil energy prices rise and risks of security of energy supply promote the development legislation in the matter of renewable resources. One of the Latvian Ministry of Economics' recent products is a new draft law called the "Renewable Energy Law", which has been created due to one of the European Union and Latvian national energy policy objectives: to increase the share of renewable energy up to 40<span class="thinspace"></span>% by 2020 (Moore and Vanags, 2012). Currently, geothermal energy potential is assessed at 1 × 1013<span class="thinspace"></span>kWh; nevertheless, it is difficult for geothermal energy to compete with other renewable energy resources in the Latvian energy market. A great job has been done in recent years at the legislative branch to choose the right methods for supporting the use of renewable energy resources. This paper aims is analysis of current situation and assessment of Latvian legislation possibilities to promote the use of geothermal energy.</p>

Local flood risk management strategies in England: patterns of application

In England, the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 provides specific roles for Lead Local Flood Authorities in flood and coastal erosion risk management. Under Section 9 of the Act, authorities are responsible for preparing, applying, and monitoring a local flood risk management strategy that balances community input into flood management with national policy objectives. Authorities are legally obliged to consider specified requirements in strategy production, including consultation with the public. Using an evaluative framework based on legal requirements and local government guidelines, this study assesses the extent to which these requirements have been met in a sample of 43 strategies. Our findings suggest that strategies generally meet minimal legal requirements, although variance exists in approaches adopted, particularly in respect of consultation and links to other environmental management aspects. Recommendations for enhancing future practice are provided.