Protection Of Natural Resources Research Articles

PROBLEMS OF LAND RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MEASURES TO SOLVE THEM

The article highlights the main problems of China's land management in the context of sustainable development. Land resources on the planet are limited, and therefore the implementation of sustainable land use practices is the key to reducing land degradation and ensuring food security. Among the main problems of land management, we have identified the following: lack of a reliable land management system, lack of legal awareness and environmental awareness, lack of advanced land management technologies. Analyzing the main problems of land management in the context of sustainable development, we propose effective measures to address them. It is noted that these are: creation of a reliable land management system; regulation of the land use structure and high-quality land planning; strengthening of land supervision to promote efficient use of land resources. The rationalization of management for environmental protection and efficient use of natural resources can also be realized through the development of information technologies that set clear requirements for the production process. The proposed measures to increase the level of land use can be used as a guide.

How financial mechanisms can incentivize provision of ecosystem services from land restoration: A systematic review protocol.

The current food chain both contributes to, and is affected by, climate change. While GHG emissions and emissions to water and soil are a problem for the whole food chain, the majority of such emissions and the major solutions to them can be found in the farming and land use sector. The farming system needs to reduce its greenhouse-gas emissions and adapt its supply chain to cope with climate change. A broad variety of payment tools have been proposed to motivate farmers and landowners to take certain actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encourage the protection or restoration of natural resources. The protocol described here (OSF preregistration https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/STGQ6) outlines the methodology for a systematic review to explore how financial mechanisms such as green bonds can provide incentives to agri-food sector to support environmental sustainability and ecosystem service delivery through land-use change. Our primary research question is: how do financial mechanisms incentivize land restoration? Studies will be categorized according to the types of financial mechanisms, their characteristics, methods of land restoration and their impact on mitigating agri-food footprint. The results are expected to increase our understanding about the design of financing tools currently used to accelerate nature restoration. Moreover, they will inform us about the effectiveness of deploying such tools on rural communities, food companies and landowners.

TO THE RULE OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

In the 1988 Charter, environmental protection expresses constituent commands that are not optional and compel all governmentstructures, as well as society, to assume postures in accordance with the dictates of environmental protection, belonging to the core of constitutional identity. The competition of political, social and economic interests, also safeguarded by the constitutional text, with the protection of natural resources aimed at a dignified existence and the development of present and future generations, contextualizes deficiencies and omissions in the provision of environmental policies that require a reaction from the constituted powers so that the unconstitutional fault is not perpetuated. Jurisdiction represents one of the ways to implement the Environmental Constitution, formally and substantially legitimized by the principles of judicial review, as illustrated by recent Brazilian courts’ approaches to the silence or default by the Brazilian legislator or Executive Power. The change in traditional paradigms, however, affects legal relationships and is not immune to criticism, which requires reflection and analysis by the legal community. The study uses the deductive method, proposing to examine the problem in the light of the neoconstitutional guidelines of environmental protection, and carries out exploratory, bibliographical and documental research to appreciate recent jurisdictional constructions based on the effectiveness of environmental protection in Brazil.

Green IT in small and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic literature review

Digital transformation is increasingly necessary for SMEs to take advantage of Information Technologies (IT) to innovate and keep up in the globalized market. In addition, environmental contextualization due to technology is of increasing concern to organizations. Consequently, pollution and climate change are forcing SMEs to incorporate ecological policies, strategies, and practices ranging from the protection of natural resources to renewable energy initiatives for maximum efficiency to the awareness of all stakeholders. Green IT initiatives refer to the need to reduce the impact of technology on the environment. However, the policies, strategies, practices, and models of Green IT applied in SMEs over time has to be explored to know their level of implementation. This research aims to conduct a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to determine the practices, strategies, policies, and models of Green IT for SMEs. Several studies have been raised regarding Green IT during the last few years and are now compiled in this study. The methodology used was Kitchenham’s, which allowed the extraction of 38 articles from the scientific databases IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Web of Science. The results revealed practices, strategies, policies, and models promoting Green IT compliance in SMEs, reducing costs in companies by optimizing technological resources to environmental sustainability.

Notion and Scope of the Concept of Green Economy in National Jurisdictions (in Terms of the Russian Federation)

The article deals with the notion and scope of the concept of green economy widely discussed in legal science. The authors substantiate its relationship with the concept of sustainable development and identify the distinctive features of its implementation at the national level. With respect to Russian conditions, they prove the following main areas of building a green economy: waste management; construction, transport, industry; renewable energy sources; agriculture; use and protection of natural resources. The authors suggest the concept of guarantees of building a green economy, which is a list of conditions for its implementation and protection means, and substantiate three of these conditions (with respect to Russia): environmental digitalization; development of environmental entrepreneurship; preparation of the doctrinal (and in theory regulatorily approved) Concept of Russia’s Transition to a Green Economy, which should define the goals and objectives of this transition, criteria and indicators of the achievement of the goals of a green economy, stages of the transition, budgetary and other financing sources and amounts as well as a list of laws and bylaws ensuring this transition.

Green GDP integrating economic growth with ecological sustainability

By integrating economic expansion with ecological sustainability, Green GDP signifies a paradigm change in economic analysis. It acknowledges the necessity of taking into account both conventional economic indicators and how economic activity affects the environment. The succinct summary of Green GDP in this abstract emphasizes its importance and ramifications. To address urgent environmental issues, ecological sustainability must be incorporated into economic appraisal. A comprehensive framework known as "Green GDP" acknowledges the connection between economic growth and the protection of ecosystems and natural resources. Green GDP gives policymakers a more precise grasp of the true costs and benefits of economic activity by considering environmental effects. The implementation of Green GDP will have a significant impact on how decisions and policies are made. It makes it possible to create and put into practice efficient environmental policies, directing resource allocation in the direction of sustainable activities. In addition, Green GDP encourages innovation, environmentally friendly technologies, and the creation of green jobs. Achieving a healthy balance between economic growth and ecological sustainability is difficult, but Green GDP offers a promising way forward. One problem is precisely assessing environmental impacts. To better methodology and data gathering, more study and cooperation are required. Incorporating ecological sustainability along with economic progress, Green GDP represents a substantial improvement in economic assessment. Its adoption can direct decision-makers toward well-informed choices that give equal weight to economic success and environmental protection, creating the foundation for a more sustainable future.

Methodology for determining the suitability of soils for afforestation in plain part of Ukraine

Purpose. To develop a methodology for assessing forest suitability for certain varieties of unproductive soils. Methods. There are used the classical methods of soil science, agrochemistry, forest science, forest management, typology and mathematical statistics. Results. The principles of forest typology are the basis for determining the suitability of soils for forestation. Its essence lies in a comprehensive study of soil properties (soil morphometry, chemical composition) and forestry characteristics of forest stands, as well as an analysis of the grass-shrub layer by ecomorphs. The results of studies of the combined study of the productivity of forest stands and the properties of the main varieties of unproductive soils (sandy, eroded and skeletal) in different natural zones of the plain part of Ukraine are presented. Determination of the suitability of soils for forestation was assessed according to three categories: 1) unsuitable for forestation and conditionally suitable for forestation (very dry, very poor, toxic, with a limited rhizosphere zone, inaccessible or hardly accessible for cultivation); 2) limited suitability for forestation (dry and poor soils); 3) suitable for forestation. Packages of markers have been developed, on the basis of which it is possible to assess both their forest suitability and determine the type of forest growth conditions of non-forest lands. When compiling markers, preference was given to such soil indicators, which, along with informativeness in relation to soil quality, did not require complex methods of determination. The composition of markers includes morphological, physical, agrochemical parameters and depends on the type of soil. Conclusions. The developed packages of markers are the basis for the scientifically based creation of forests on unproductive lands, on which forest vegetation did not grow before. Their use in afforestation increases its efficiency and makes forests more resistant to adverse environmental factors. The Methodology is intended for forestry specialists, it can be used at enterprises, institutions of the forest sector, forest design organizations, as well as in related industries concerned with the protection and rational use of natural resources. The methodological developments can be included in the curricula of secondary and higher forestry-oriented education institutions.

Research on natural resource accounting issues from the perspective of ecological civilization

The systematic thought of "mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, grass ice is a community of life" requires us to set up an overall view of ecological governance. To evaluate the effectiveness of natural resource protection and management and respond to the public's concern about the shortage of resources, it is necessary to carry out the accounting work of natural resources. However, the accounting work of natural resources under the background of ecological civilization construction is still in the stage of groping forward. This paper creatively analyzes the classification of natural resources assets, the determination of natural assets value, the confirmation and measurement of resource liabilities and net assets through accounting, and explores the system and method of compiling the balance sheet of natural resources, which has certain reference value to realize the sustainable development of natural resources ecological civilization construction. This paper calculates the original ownership and use rights of land, mineral resources and water resources in a city of China. The results show that land transfer fees increased by 127,996.24 million yuan, the ending balance of natural resources taxes and land resources reserves in storage at the end of the year was 27,956 million yuan, the loss of coal resources was 300 tons, and water resources decreased by 85,062 million cubic meters.

PROMOTING THE STRENGTH OF THE GREAT UNITY BLOC OF ETHNIC MINORITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN A SUSTAINABLE AND COMPREHENSIVE MANNER IN THE CURRENT INTEGRATION CONTEXT

The Central Highlands is an important strategic region in terms of socio-economic, national defense and security, foreign affairs and ecological environment of our country. The rapid and sustainable development of the Central Highlands region is one of the major undertakings of the Party, State, National Assembly and Government, at the same time to be an important task of the whole country in the current integration context, first of all, the provinces in the region. In particular, especially the construction and development of the Central Highlands region, it is necessary to harmoniously combine economic, socio-cultural development, protection of natural resources and environment in general and ethnic minority areas in particular… This is the basis and premise for making an important contribution to the successful implementation of political tasks, socio-economic development, building a strong Party and political system, maintaining political stability, promoting the great national unity bloc, social order and safety in the Central Highlands provinces in the current integration context.

Landscape conservation in the natural-rural interface. A social-ecological approach in Natural Parks of Andalusia (Spain)

ContextMultifunctional rural landscapes are social-ecological systems that represent a link between nature and culture. They are characterized by the conservation and protection of ecological processes, natural resources and biocultural diversity. The conservation of these landscapes is mainly based on the establishment of Protected Natural Areas (PAs) whose regulatory schemes have often promoted their degradation.ObjectivesWe evaluate the effectiveness of the conservation strategies of the Natural Park category in the protection and maintenance of rural cultural landscapes. We analyse at a regional and local scale both the dynamics of land-uses and the socioeconomic structure of the local populations involved, identifying the main social-ecological indicators of change in the protected landscape.MethodsWe apply a methodological approach, based on geoprocessing tools and multivariate analysis, to examine social-ecological changes in rural cultural landscapes after the establishment of a network of PAs. The designed method allows us to infer the ecological and socioeconomic resilience of protected landscapes.ResultsConservation efforts have tended to underestimate rural landscapes in favour of natural ones, mainly forest systems, and have not been able to prevent the processes of abandonment and degradation of protected landscapes. A simplification of the land-use systems dependent on traditional farming practices is observed. This implies the loss of both the multifunctionality of rural landscapes and their resilience to environmental changes. The key socioeconomic indicators identified highlight the deterioration of the rurality of protected landscapes.ConclusionsOur social-ecological approach is a useful tool to evaluate the effectiveness of PAs. Protection of landscape is related to the decline of traditional agricultural systems and rewilding through land abandonment. Culturalness is necessary to promote the management and conservation of rural landscapes from a holistic perspective.

Информационное обеспечение мониторинга земель на примере Тюменской области

Currently, among the most important priorities of any state is to ensure safety and favorable conditions for human life, limit the negative impact of economic and other activities on the environment and provide the protection and rational use of natural resources in the interests of present and future generations, as well as increasing the attractiveness of urbanized areas. In order to ensure and maintain a favorable environmental situation in the built-up and development areas and to improve the quality of life, there is a need for monitoring the lands of urbanized locations, as well as unique natural complexes and objects using modern technologies and geographic information systems. The authors propose the crowdsourcing platform “EcoZemNavigator” and the geoinformation system “Monitoring of lands of specially protected natural areas ofthe Tyumen region” for information support, exchanging up-to-date data, creating a regional monitoring system for the spatial development of the Tyumen oblast territory based on information technologies.

Securing State’s Asset: Legal Protection of Natural Resources of Oil and Gas

The legal framework for oil and natural gas activities in Indonesia is established by Law Number 22 of 2001 concerning Oil and Natural Gas, which was officially published in the State Gazette in 2001. SKK Migas, which replaced BP Migas, is responsible for the management of upstream oil and gas activities based on Cooperation Contracts (KKS). The upstream activities are conducted through Cooperation Contracts (KKS) as specified in Article 6 of the Oil and Gas Law. According to Article 1, number 19 of the Oil and Gas Law, a Production Sharing Contract (PSC) refers to a cooperative arrangement that aims to maximize the benefits from exploration and exploitation activities for the state and ensure the welfare of the people.

Environmental and Legal Support for the Implementation of a Pilot Project for the Creation of Carbon Landfills and Carbon Farms

The article is devoted to the analysis and evaluation of the prospects for the formation and development of the legislation of the Russian Federation in the field of creation and operation of carbon landfills and carbon farms. According to the results of the study of regulatory legal acts and methodological documents in the field under consideration, legal problems have been identified that could potentially affect the provision of the strategic goal set in the documents of state strategic planning to achieve carbon neutrality of the Russian Federation by 2050.The conclusion is proved, according to which completely different areas of the natural environment are provided and currently used for the implementation of a pilot project for the creation of carbon polygons, while the current environmental legislation does not establish the specifics of the use and protection of natural resources and objects during the creation and operation of carbon polygons. At the same time, the legal regime for the use and protection of natural resources within the boundaries of the carbon landfill has not yet been created, nor has a unified legal model for the use of carbon polygons been formed.Based on the results of the study, the main directions for improving the current legislation on environmental and legal support for the creation and functioning of carbon polygons are proposed. Also, based on the results of the study, the conclusion is substantiated that there is a need for a separate comprehensive intersectoral regulatory legal regulation of the creation and operation of carbon farms created on the basis of existing carbon landfills, including regulation of the procedure for the creation, production and subsequent circulation of carbon units, the creation of a carbon unit trading market, a system for monitoring the circulation of carbon units, etc.

Floristic research at the Forest Research Institute of the Karelian Research Centre RAS: traditions of studying the species diversity of plants and fungi

Employees of the Forest Research Institute (FRI) KarRC RAS have contributed greatly to the study of the biodiversity of vascular plants, aphyllophoroid, sac and basidial fungi and lichens of the Republic of Karelia. Studies of vascular plants and various groups of fungi have been carried out since the FRI foundation in 1957 and are continuing successfully at present, with new tasks being set and the geographic range of interests expanding to cover the entire Northwest Russia. The lichenofloristic research component appeared at FRI later (in 1985) and is also developing. Prominent scientists such as V. I. Krutov, M. L. Ramenskaya, and V. I. Shubin, Doctors of Biological Sciences who worked at the FRI, made a huge contribution to the study of the biodiversity of Karelia, Eastern Fennoscandia, and the forest zone of European Russia as a whole. The role of these scientists and their students or successors is great not only in advancing the knowledge of the species diversity of Karelia and adjacent regions, but also in treating various issues of nature protection and sustainable use of natural resources, especially forest resources. The Institute’s employees have played a leading role in building the system of protected areas (PAs) in Karelia, especially considering that the republic’s first PA, Kivach Strict Nature Reserve, used to be a FRI unit for quite long. Botanists and mycologists from FRI participated in compiling the inventory of the flora and mycobiota and in preparing scientific substantiation papers for many planned PAs. Research continues in the PAs after their designation. Employees of the FRI prepared the first (unofficial) edition of the regional Red Data Book and then participated as leading authors in the preparation of three official editions of the Red Data Book. At present, many direct students (postgraduates) or successors of the pioneers in the study of the species diversity of vascular plants and fungi V. I. Krutov, M. L. Ramenskaya, and V. I. Shubin continue to work productively at the Institute.

Impact of Urbanization on Landuse/Landcover Change in Old Cuttack and Sikharpur Zone of Cuttack Municipal Corporation

Land use mapping is fundamental for assessment, managing and protection of natural resources of a region . • The information on the existing land use is one of the prime pre-requisites for suggesting better use of terrain. • Land use maps are valuable tools for agricultural and natural resources studies. , With the growth of population and socio-economic activities, natural land cover is being modified for various development purposes. • Land use mapping is an important tool for land management and monitoring. • The rapid expansion of urban areas due to rise in population and economic growth is increasing additional demand on natural resources thereby causing land-use changes especially in megacities. • Therefore, serious problems associated with rapid development such as additional infrastructure, informal settlements, environmental pollution, destruction of ecological structure and scarcity of natural resources has been studied carefully using remote sensing and GIS technologies for a rapidly grown city

О правовом режиме Каспийского моря и направлениях совершенствования российского экологического законодательства

Introduction. The article discusses the measures taken in Russia and other Caspian littoral states to protect the environment of the Caspian Sea. Theoretical analysis. The author explores measures to develop an eco-network approach to the protection of water and biological resources of the Caspian Sea, problems of biodiversity conservation, the importance of protecting the Caspian ecosystems in the strategy of transition to sustainable development, as well as environmental threats due to sea level changes. Results. The conducted research proves that environmental protection of the Caspian Sea can only be of a complex nature, which requires further development of the doctrinal and normative eco-network approach, which is now at the beginning of its formation and implementation. This approach involves taking comprehensive measures to protect the aquatic ecosystems of the Caspian Sea together with the protection of other natural resources (mainly aquatic bioresources), as well as measures to improve the ecological condition of the land (coastal) territories and water bodies adjacent to the Caspian Sea, including improving the ecological condition of the Volga. The development and implementation of such measures will make it possible to take another step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in Russia, which presuppose the balance of economic, environmental and social interests, including in local territories.

Sustainable Tourism Management and Ecotourism as a Tool to Evaluate Tourism's Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals and Local Community

Ecotourism and other forms of sustainable tourism management are being recognized as important means to an end—the attainment of sustainable development goals to the mutual benefit of local communities and visitors. However, assessing how well these methods work in various settings is essential. The purpose of this research is to investigate how different factors in the growth of ecotourism in Kurdistan, Iraq, affect sustainability, community involvement, and the protection of natural resources. A total of 109 people were polled using a quantitative methodology, and their responses were examined with descriptive statistics, checks for validity and reliability, correlations, and a hierarchical regression model. Ecotourism growth, sustainability, community involvement, and environmental protection all appear to have positive effects on one another and be interconnected. Using a hierarchical regression model, we find that local involvement greatly moderates the connection between ecotourism growth and long-term viability. The results can be used to manage sustainable tourism in Kurdistan and to theorize about ecotourism's role in advancing sustainable development. The research suggests that ecotourism's positive effects on the environment and local people can be increased by more community involvement in the industry's growth.

Application of urban growth boundary delineation based on a neural network approach and landscape metrics for Khulna City, Bangladesh

The rapid and unprecedented urban growth in Khulna, Bangladesh is making it difficult to implement measures to limit further expansion and define clear administrative boundaries, which is posing a significant threat to the environment and ecological sustainability. Using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based urban growth simulation model and landscape metrics, this study aims to evaluate the spatial extent and direction of urban growth and demarcate an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) by examining the future contiguous expansion of the city for implementing effective land use provision. Utilizing data on biophysical, proximity, neighborhood, and market factors over the past twenty years, the neural network with Markov chain model allocates the land demand for buildup area by 2020 and 2030, concerning twelve explanatory variables. The simulated map of the urban area is further used by landscape metrics to quantify local-level urban patch information viz. landscape pattern, size, aggregation, etc. The compact patch characteristics are mostly found under the Kotwali thana, while, fragmented and unstructured patches are prevailing between urban–rural interfaces. Finally, there has around 95 km2 gap between the existing service provided by KCC and the future demand of Khulna city, creating an imbalance between the supply and demand of urban services. Hence, restricted urban growth would make government investment in service facilities cost-effective and enable planners and decision-makers to intend a feasible trade-off between future land demand and the protection of natural resources.

Efficacy Evaluation of Organic Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Quality Parameters of French Beans, Maize and Kale in Different Counties of Kenya

Sustainable agriculture is an important global issue. Organic fertilizer application improves crop growth by supplying plant nutrients, including micronutrients, as well as improving the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil, thereby providing a better environment for root development by improving the soil structure. It has been widely reported that continuous applications of inorganic fertilizers alone resulted in deterioration of soil health in terms of physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. Understanding the nutrient variability and release pattern of organic fertilizers is crucial to supply plants with sufficient nutrients to achieve optimum productivity, while also rebuilding soil fertility and ensuring protection of environmental and natural resources. This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of Fertiplus on growth, quality and yield in Kale, Maize and French Beans in Kenya. The trial plots were 3 m×3 m arranged in a randomized complete block design and replicated 4 times. The treatments consisted Fertiplus 4-3-3 alone; Fertiplus 4-3-3+100% recommended fertilizer practice; Fertiplus 4-3-3+50% recommended fertilizer practice; Fertiplus 4-3-3+75% recommended fertilizer practice; Reference product (Permeate); recommended fertilizer practice (Conventional) and the absolute control. Application of Fertiplus plus 50% of the recommended fertilizer practice led to the highest number of pods per plant (18) and application with 75% of the recommended fertilizer practice showed a peak harvest of fresh pods with 374.3 g per plant. In an area of 1 m2, application of Fertiplus and 50% recommended fertilizer practice had 6.7 kilograms of kale with a maximum of 14 mature leave per plant in a span of 20 days. In maize, the Fertiplus and 50% recommended fertilizer treatment showed the highest cob weight per plant (480 g) and an average grain yield of 396.7 g per plant compared to the doubled level (100%) of the recommended fertilizer practice that had 401 g per plant. From the study, it was observed that the highest yield of the three study crops were under the integrated treatments of the organic fertilizer and half the rate of synthetic fertilizer program.

Behaviorally segmented audiences for managing sunscreen chemical pollution risk in protected coastal natural resource areas.

This audience segmentation of visitors at coastal parks in Hawaii and North Carolina addresses an emergent natural resource management concern and risk to aquatic ecosystems: sunscreen chemical pollution. Four audiences were identified that correspond to different behavioral profiles: sunscreen protection tourists, multimodal sun protection tourists, in-state frequent park visitors, and frequent beachgoers who skip sunscreen. The second-largest audience, sunscreen protection tourists, represents 29% of visitors at Cape Lookout National Seashore and 25% at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park. This group ranks of most concern for chemical pollution because they use sunscreen, but not typically mineral formulations or other methods such as protective clothing, and they have lower levels of sunscreen chemical issue awareness. The identification of similar audience segments across regions with differing cultural characteristics and sunscreen regulation status suggests the robustness of the model and its indicator variables, with implications for both environmental protection and public health. Further, coastal visitors' interest in enacting pro-environmental sun protection behaviors during their next park or beach visit indicates the potential for natural resource managers to holistically address risks in both domains through targeted interventions with audiences of most concern.