Northern Coastal Region Research Articles

Allocation of carbon emission quotas in Chinese provinces based on equality and efficiency principles

The allocation of carbon emission quotas is crucial to the establishment of carbon emission trading scheme (ETS) in response to China's 2030 emission reduction target. Thus, based on equality and efficiency principles, we apply a methodology combining DEA models with entropy method to analyze China's carbon quota allocation from both provincial and regional perspectives. We integrate three indicators (total population, accumulated historical carbon emissions and emission efficiency) to construct a comprehensive indicator and use the integrated weighting approach to simulate the allocation of carbon emission quotas among China's 30 provinces. Different from previous studies, we use the non-radial directional distance function based on Kuosmanen technology to calculate emission efficiency. Also, we introduce an environmental Gini coefficient to evaluate the equality level of allocation results. Our main findings are as follows: (1) In 2030, provinces with large shares of carbon emission quotas are mainly located in China's southern region (e.g. Guangdong), while most northern provinces have small shares of carbon emission quotas (e.g. Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia). (2) Due to low emission efficiency, the emission quota shares of Hebei, Xinjiang, Shandong and Inner Mongolia decrease significantly during 2015–2030, indicating that these provinces will face greater pressure to reduce carbon emissions in the future. (3) The environmental Gini coefficient is 0.3177, which proves the equality of allocation results. (4) From the regional perspective, due to the low emission efficiency and large historical emissions, the carbon quota shares of the Middle Yellow River and Northern coastal regions decrease significantly during 2015–2030. This indicates that the two regions will need to purchase emission quotas from other regions in the future. Based on the results above, provinces and regions which undertake large emission reduction obligations need to further improve emission efficiency such that the 2030 emission reduction target can be realized.

Spatial distribution of the public's risk perception for air pollution: A nationwide study in China

Severe air pollution problems have led to a rise in the Chinese public's concern. Risk perception is one of the most important indicators of the public's concern about air pollution. However, there existed few studies exploring the spatial distribution of risk perception. To fill the gap, psychometric paradigm methods was adopted to assess the public's risk perception of air pollution. A nationwide empirical study was conducted from December 2016 to February 2017 and 10,653 completed questionnaires were collected. According to a series of screening strategies, 9744 qualified questionnaires were included as a sample, which covered 31 China provinces (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan were not included in this study).We found that 45% of the respondents were dissatisfied with the current air quality, many respondents concerned a lot about air pollution (76%) and worried about the harmful consequences of being exposed to air pollution (86%). There was significant difference in the public's risk perception and attitude toward air pollution among different regions: the respondents in the northeast region, northern coastal region, eastern coastal region and Middle Yellow river region perceived higher air pollution risk and lower satisfaction with air quality than other regions; and the public's trust in the government increased from coastal regions to inland regions. In addition, the hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to explore the effects of demographic, environmental and economic factors on public risk perception and attitude toward air pollution. Based on this, the characteristics of sensitive populations regarding air pollution were identified. What's more, we found that PM2.5 has a positive influence on perceived risk factor (PR) and can strengthen the positive correlation between PR and satisfaction with air quality (SAQ). Finally, policy implications behind these results were discussed, which can provide references and lay the foundation for policymakers and subsequent researchers.

Testimonios y repertorios de memoria de Mujeres Tejiendo Sueños y Sabores de Paz de Mampuján

En este ensayo se analizan los testimonios de mujeres sobrevivientes al conflicto armado en la subregión de los Montes de María. Se discuten los repertorios de memoria que han desarrollado las integrantes de la asociación Mujeres Tejiendo Sueños y Sabores de Paz de Mampuján, frente al desplazamiento forzado y a los procesos de retorno, así como también el rol que las mujeres han venido desempeñando como sobrevivientes al conflicto armado colombiano. Se realizaron entrevistas entre junio y julio de 2016 a dos de estas mujeres, ambas afrodescendientes. Los testimonios analizados se enfocan en la historia de la comunidad en relación con la violencia y el desplazamiento, a través de los relatos recogidos y de los tejidos como repertorios simbólicos de memoria. Finalmente, se exponen varios de los repertorios de memoria trabajados por la asociación como aporte metodológico a la comprensión crítica y rigurosa del pasado traumático en la práctica de construcción de memoria colectiva para la paz.

Carbon emission spillover and feedback effects in China based on a multiregional input-output model

The interregional emission spillover and feedback effects arising from interregional trade are playing more and more important roles in regional emission growth and interregional carbon transfer. It is necessary to measure these effects at regional and sectoral level considering that carbon emissions are closely related to economic development, especially in a vast developing country like China. Based on the three-region model of spillover and feedback effects proposed by Round, an improved multiregional method was proposed to analyze the emission spillover and feedback effects among the eight regions of China. The intraregional effects were revealed to be larger than the spillover effects, and the spillover effects were larger than the feedback effects on the emissions of each region. The proportions of emission spillover effects caused by other regions in the northwestern region, the southwestern region and the northeastern region ranked the top. Each one of the eastern coastal region, the northern coastal region and the southern coastal region caused a large number of emissions in other regions via spillover effects. Moreover, the closer regions were geographically, the stronger spillover effects showed among them. The emission feedback effects are mainly caused the regions themselves. At the regional sectoral level, the production and distribution of electricity and heavy industry released large amounts of emissions caused by spillover and feedback effects. The three coastal regions caused more than half of emission spillover effects in the northwestern region, the central region and the southwestern region in the production and distribution of electricity, heat, gas and water.

Large eddy simulation of the Ekman transport in a stratified coastal sea: A case study of the Persian Gulf

Ekman transport is a key factor in the coastal upwelling regimes in the northern coastal region of the Persian Gulf. In this paper, the Ocean Module of Parallelized Large-Eddy Simulation Model (PALM) was utilized so as to investigate the Ekman layer and estimate the water mass transport in the Persian Gulf for the first time. In order to take into account the effect of the topography on the Ekman transport, three experiments with the same initial and boundary conditions and different topographies were carried out. The results indicated that, in the vicinity of the shoreline and in shallow waters Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) is 10 times stronger than in the offshore area. It was concluded that in the presence of the shoreline the vertical velocity increases and in the onshore area, the upwelling speed is 3–4 times larger than in the offshore area. It was revealed that the Ekman transport reached a steady state at the end of the simulation, and reached a constant value of about 250 kg/ms.

Seasonal and interannual variability of the mixed layer heat budget in the Caribbean Sea

Abstract The long-term mean annual cycle and interannual variability of the mixed layer heat budget in the Caribbean Sea are quantified by using high resolution oceanic and atmospheric reanalysis products (the GLobal Ocean ReanalYsis and Simulations, GLORYS2V4, and ERA-Interim) for the period spanning from January 1993 to December 2015. In this region the mixed layer depth (MLD) is relatively shallow, oscillating spatially from 10 to 90 m, with maximum values observed during the dry season (December to March), and minimum values during the main rainy season (September to November). The highest MLD values are found in the northwestern part of the basin and the lowest in the Central and northern South American coastal region. The strength and location of greater MLD oscillations over the Caribbean Sea depend on the intensity of the zonal winds and the location of the Caribbean-Low Level Jet (CLLJ). At interannual timescales, reanalysis data shows that the MLD anomalies are associated with extreme phases of the El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO); however, low statistical correlation suggests that other factors, such as a Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), or a weak ENSO cycle with a 2-year periodicity, could influence this region, and induce changes in the depth of the mixed layer and in the heat budget within it. The seasonal ocean heat balance within the mixed layer ranges between −315 and 393 W m−2 in the Caribbean region (monthly means around ±60 W m−2 averaged over the entire domain). The net air-sea heat flux varies seasonally around ±60 W m−2. Analysis of this term shows that during the dry season (rainy season), when the MLD is deep (shallow) the region loses (gains) heat, with net short wave radiation being the main gain, and the latent heat the main loss at seasonal and interannual timescales. The advection term is an order of magnitude less (monthly means from −2 to 7.5 W m−2) but has the highest values during the dry season in the northwest Caribbean Sea, when the winds and surface currents are intense. This term tends to provide small interannual heat variability (up to ±2 W m−2). The entrainment is almost negligible in its contribution to the budget. At interannual timescales this flux reduces the stored heat by up to ±1 W m−2. It is noted that although the MLD is not so clearly related with ENSO, the heat stored in this layer is significantly modulated by El Nino/La Nina remote forcing, especially during the period spanning from 1992 to 2001 when intense ENSO events occurred and affected the air-sea fluxes, and the advection. The CLLJ influences both the MLD and the heat budget in the Caribbean Sea. This jet is being modulated by ENSO and other long-term oscillations.

Ecological communication in Asia-Pacific: A comparative analysis of social adaptation to maritime disaster in Indonesia and Fiji

This article is of a comparative study of social adaptation in the Cyclone Winston disaster case in Fiji and rob flooding in Semarang, Indonesia. In February 2016, the largest tropical storm in the Southern Hemisphere, Cyclone Winston, struck Fiji and caused severe damage and loss of life. Meanwhile, in the last two decades flooding has become an increasingly acute disaster situation in Semarang and the northern coastal region of Java, Indonesia. Communities in the path of both these disasters are the ones who suffer most. Social adaptation is important to consider in these two cases to encourage improved future mitigation and adaptation efforts. Data was collected from interviews and documents in the form of news media articles and previous research reports relevant to tropical disasters and the impact of climate change. The results show that social adaptation to both types of disasters is not identical due to the characteristics of the two different disasters and the different social, economic, political and cultural contexts in Fiji and Indonesia.

Investigation and Evaluation of the Ecological and Geological Environment Quality of High-Efficiency Ecological Economic Zone (HEEEZ) Coastal Regions within the Yellow River Delta

Wang, K.F., 2018. Investigation and evaluation of the ecological and geological environment quality of high-efficiency ecological economic zone (HEEEZ) coastal regions within the Yellow River Delta. In: Wang, D. and Guido-Aldana, P.A. (eds.), Select Proceedings from the 3rd International Conference on Water Resource and Environment (WRE2017). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 84, pp. 169–180. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The high-efficiency ecological economic zone (HEEEZ) in the Yellow River Delta is an economic area that comprises the alluvial plain of the Yellow River, the northern coastal regions of Shandong Province, China. Of all delta-based economic zones in China, the HEEEZ boasts the greatest development potential. It plays a central role in driving the economic development in the Bohai rim area and the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Due to its location along the land–sea transition and the young age of the land, this zone's ecological and geological environment (EGE) appears to be changeable, unstable, and vulnerable. This study investigated the coastal EGE of the HEEEZ. Based on the investigation results, an ecological and geological environment quality (EGEQ) evaluation system was developed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). This system consists of 18 indicators, which are organized into 7 dominant factors, including water and soil environments, geological environment and hazards, coastal geological resources, coastal landform and ocean dynamics, coastline change, coastal wetland change, and engineering and economic activities. Grading criteria for these indicators were provided. Then the coastal EGEQ of the HEEEZ was evaluated using a weighted aggregate index (WAI), with each county-level administrative division being an evaluation unit. The results show that the coastal EGEQ of different evaluation divisions can be rated on a scale of excellent, good, fair, and poor. Kenli County is the only county with an excellent coastal EGEQ. Wudi and Changyi counties are rated as good. Zhanhua County, Hekou District of Dongying City, and Laizhou City have a fair coastal EGEQ. Regions rated as poor include Dongying District of Dongying City, Guangrao County, Shouguang County, and Hanting District of Weifang City. The findings prove reliable and can offer a helpful guide on how to improve the coastal EGE of these regions.

Wave Profiles of a Virtual Extreme Tsunami in the Northern Region of South China Sea

Tsunami wave profile is one of the important inputs for evaluating impacts of the tsunami on coastal and offshore structures. To understand the tsunami wave patterns along the northern coastal regions of South China Sea, we simulate the tsunami propagation in the South China Sea generated by a hypothetical earthquake of magnitude [Formula: see text] in Manila trench. The Boussinesq equations are adopted to account for the nonlinear and dispersive effects on the propagation and deformation of tsunami wave propagating over the continental shelf. Focusing on several locations in the northern region of South China Sea, the nested grids with gradually higher spatial resolution are used to ensure computational accuracy. Numerical results reveal that undular bores and several soliton-like waves may develop in shallow water in regions where water depth is less than 100[Formula: see text]m. The shallow continental shelf length and the steepness of wavefront are the two dominant variables that determine the development of undulation.

Recent climate variations in Chile: constraints from borehole temperature profiles

Abstract. We have compiled, collected, and analyzed 31 temperature–depth profiles from boreholes in the Atacama Desert in central and northern Chile. After screening these profiles, we found that only nine profiles at four different sites were suitable to invert for ground temperature history. For all the sites, no surface temperature variations could be resolved for the period 1500–1800. In the northern coastal region of Chile, there is no perceptible temperature variation at all from 1500 to present. In the northern central Chile region, between 26 and 28∘ S, the data suggest a cooling from ≈ 1850 to ≈ 1980 followed by a 1.9 K warming starting ≈ 20–40 years BP. This result is consistent with the ground surface temperature histories for Peru and the semiarid regions of South America. The duration of the cooling trend is poorly resolved and it may coincide with a marked short cooling interval in the 1960s that is found in meteorological records. The total warming is greater than that inferred from proxy climate reconstructions for central Chile and southern South America, and by the PMIP3-CMIP5 surface temperature simulations for the north-central Chile grid points. The differences among different climate reconstructions, meteorological records, and models are likely due to differences in spatial and temporal resolution among the various data sets and the models.

A Regional Perspective on Urbanization and Climate-Related Disasters in the Northern Coastal Region of Central Java, Indonesia

Indonesia, as an archipelagic nation, has about 150 million people (60%) living in coastal areas. Such communities are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of change, in the form of sea level rise and stronger, more intense storms. Population growth in coastal areas will also increase the disaster risk mainly because of climate change-related effects such as flooding, droughts, and tidal floods. This study examines the dynamic changes of urban population and urban villages in three decadal periods, from 1990, 2000, to 2010. To highlight different disasters that are increasingly tied to climate change, the analysis was conducted in the northern coastal area of Central Java province using village potential (PODES) data, which are routinely collected by the government. Results show that about 41% of people in Central Java province live in the northern coastal region and 50% live in urban areas. The numbers of hazard events within a distance range of 0–40 km from the shoreline are: flooding (non-tidal)—335; tidal flooding—65; and droughts—28. Based on this study, about half of flood disasters (non-tidal) occurred within 10 km of the shoreline, while tidal flooding accounted for 80%. Most of the climate-related disasters were found in rural areas at low levels of population growth, while in urban areas the disasters were found to be associated in less than 1% and in more than 3% of population growth.

A new species of Beebeomyia Curran (Diptera: Richardiidae) from Brazil,with description of immature stages and notes on their association with Taccarum ulei (Araceae).

A new species of the genus Beebeomyia Curran found in the northern coastal region of the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil is described and illustrated, including characteristics of the male and female terminalia, third instar larva and puparium. This new species is only the second record for the genus in Brazil and broadens its occurrence to the Atlantic Forest ecoregion. Beebeomyia taccarivora sp. nov. is straightforwardly distinguishable from all other known species of Beebeomyia for exhibiting an entirely yellowish orange thorax with a central brown-colored stripe on the scutum, and a brownish orange abdomen with a central brown stripe on tergites 1-4. Similarly to what had been previously described for congenerics, female B. taccarivora flies exclusively use the inflorescences of their host plant, Taccarum ulei, as oviposition and brooding sites. Developing larvae feed on living floral tissue and pollen, and pupariation occurs within the inner surface of the spathe.

Degree of community participation in mangrove resources management as livelihood support in West Java, Indonesia

Mangrove forests in the northern coastal region of Pantai Bahagia Village, Muara Gembong, Bekasi Regency, West Java, form a crucial component of the livelihoods of coastal communities. However, mangrove systems are being degraded and lost at an alarming rate due to their conversion to aquaculture and abrasion since 1992. To overcome this problem, community of fishermen, naming themselves as Kelompok Sadar Wisata and Kelompok Bahagia Berkarya voluntarily started mangrove cultivation and began to implement Community-Based Mangrove Management (CBMM) with various approaches and outcomes. This study will examine and the participatory level of the CBMM practice within the community, analyze the achieved rehabilitation and its strategies to accomplish sustainable management of mangrove resources in the village through qualitative and descriptive statistic methods. The local data on institutions, socio-economic conditions, and mangrove resources utilization will be collected through in depth interviews with 40 key actors from 15 households. The study resulted that the degree of participatory in Pantai Bahagia Village is in the Delegated Power level, which means that citizen is given the permit to utilize the area to independently cultivate the mangrove area as long as it complies with government’s regulation.

Climatological Characteristics of Historical and Future High-Wind Events in Alaska

High winds cause waves, storm surge, erosion and physical damage to infrastructure and ecosystems. However, there have been few evaluations of wind climatologies and future changes, especially change in high-wind events, on a regional basis. This study uses Alaska as a regional case study of climatological wind speed and direction. Eleven first-order stations across different subregions of Alaska provide historical data (1975-2005) for the observational climatology and for the calibration of Coupled Model Inter comparison Project (CMIP5) simulations, which in turn provide projections of changes in winds through 2100. Historically, winds exceeding 25 and 35 knots are most common in the Bering Sea coastal region of Alaska, followed by northern Alaska coastal areas. Autumn and winter are the seasons of most frequent high-wind occurrences in the coastal sites, while there is no distinct seasonal peak at the interior stations where high-wind events are less frequent. An examination of the sea level pressure pattern associated with the highest-wind event at each station reveals the presence of a strong pressure gradient associated with an extratropical cyclone in most cases. Northern coastal regions of Alaska are projected to experience increased frequencies of high-wind events during the cold season, especially late autumn and early winter, when reduced sea ice cover in the late century will leave coastal regions increasingly vulnerable to flooding and erosion.

Prominent alterations of wild barley leaf transcriptome in response to individual and combined drought acclimation and heat shock conditions.

Under field conditions, drought and heat stress typically happen simultaneously and their negative impact on the agricultural production is expected to increase worldwide under the climate change scenario. In this study, we performed RNA-sequencing analysis on leaves of wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) originated from the northern coastal region of Egypt following individual drought acclimation (DA) and heat shock (HS) treatments and their combination (CS, combined stresses) to distinguish the unique and shared differentially expressed genes (DEG). Results indicated that the number of unique genes that were differentially expressed following HS treatment exceeded the number of those expressed following DA. In addition, the number of genes that were uniquely differentially expressed in response to CS treatment exceeded the number of those of shared responses to individual DA and HS treatments. These results indicate a better adaptation of the Mediterranean wild barley to drought conditions when compared with heat stress. It also manifests that the wild barley response to CS tends to be unique rather than common. Annotation of DEG showed that metabolic processes were the most influenced biological function in response to the applied stresses.

Distribution and prevalence of vector-borne diseases in California chipmunks (Tamias spp.).

California, with 13 chipmunk (Tamias) species, has more than any other state or country, occupying habitats ranging from chaparral to the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada. Chipmunks host zoonotic pathogens including Yersinia pestis, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, relapsing fever (RF) Borrelia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, and spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species. Chipmunk species are often not differentiated by public health workers, yet different species utilize different ecological niches and may have intrinsically different capacities for maintaining vector-borne pathogens and infecting vectors. We surveyed over 700 individuals from nine species of chipmunks throughout California for exposure to and infection by Y. pestis, A. phagocytophilum, RF Borrelia spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, and SFG Rickettsia species. DNA of all five pathogens was found and all chipmunks except Merriam’s chipmunk (T. merriami) were PCR-positive for at least one of the pathogens. Anaplasma phagocytophilum was most common (40.0%, 2/5) in Sonoma chipmunks (T. sonomae) from Marin county and B. burgdorferi most common (37.5%, 27/72) in redwood chipmunks (T. ochrogenys) from Mendocino county. RF Borrelia spp. was detected in 2% (6/297) of redwood chipmunks in Mendocino county and 10% (1/10) of both least (T. minimus) and lodgepole (T. speciosus) chipmunks in the western Sierra. Exposure to SFG Rickettsia spp. was found in the Northern Coastal region (Del Norte, Humboldt and Mendocino counties) and in the northern and western Sierra in several species of chipmunks. Y. pestis infection was found only in the western Sierra—in a yellow-pine (T. amoenus) and a long-eared (T. quadrimaculatus) chipmunk. Though more data are needed to thoroughly understand the roles that different chipmunk species play in disease transmission, our findings suggest that some chipmunk species may be more important to the maintenance of vector-borne diseases than others within each geographic area.

Population genetic structure of Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) from the southwestern Atlantic coast of Brazil.

Sotalia guianensis is a small dolphin that is vulnerable to anthropogenic impacts. Along the Brazilian Atlantic coast, this species is threatened with extinction. A prioritized action plan for conservation strategies relies on increased knowledge of the population. The scarcity of studies about genetic diversity and assessments of population structure for this animal have precluded effective action in the region. Here, we assessed, for the first time, the genetic differentiation at 14 microsatellite loci in 90 S. guianensis specimens stranded on the southeastern Atlantic coast of the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. We estimated population parameters and structure, measured the significance of global gametic disequilibrium and the intensity of non-random multiallelic interallelic associations and constructed a provisional synteny map using Bos taurus, the closest terrestrial mammal with a reference genome available. All microsatellite loci were polymorphic, with at least three and a maximum of ten alleles each. Allele frequencies ranged from 0.01 to 0.97. Observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.061 to 0.701. The mean inbreeding coefficient was 0.103. Three loci were in Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium even when missing genotypes were inferred. Although 77 of the 91 possible two-locus associations were in global gametic equilibrium, we unveiled 13 statistically significant, sign-based, non-random multiallelic interallelic associations in 10 two-locus combinations with either coupling (D' values ranging from 0.782 to 0.353) or repulsion (D' values -0.517 to -1.000) forces. Most of the interallelic associations did not involve the major alleles. Thus, for either physically or non-physically linked loci, measuring the intensity of non-random interallelic associations is important for defining the evolutionary forces at equilibrium. We uncovered a small degree of genetic differentiation (FST = 0.010; P-value = 0.463) with a hierarchical clustering into one segment containing members from the southern and northern coastal regions. The data thus support the scenario of little genetic structure in the population of S. guianensis in this geographic area.

April 2016 Ecuador Earthquake of Moment Magnitude M<sub>w</sub>7.8: Overview and Damage Report

The northern coastal region of Ecuador was affected by a moment magnitude Mw7.8 strong earthquake on April 16, 2016, with a recorded PGA of 1.41 g close to the epicenter. The earthquake was named “Pedernales” because the epicenter was near this small town located in the coastal province of Manabí, with a hypocentral depth of 21 km. Two strong aftershocks of Mw6.7 and Mw6.9 were felt a month later and they continued the destruction caused by the main event. Ecuador is located in a seismic zone with a long history of major earthquakes that have caused a lot of destruction in the last six centuries, the main seismic source comes from the subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate, but there are also crustal earthquakes and volcanism on the Andes Mountains that cross the country from north to south. In the northern coastal province of Esmeraldas a powerful earthquake of moment magnitude Mw8.8 was recorded in 1906, with a rupture area that has caused strong earthquakes in the 20th and 21st centuries. This paper describes the seismological aspects and the recorded strong ground motions, the geotechnical and infrastructure performance, site amplification and liquefaction on a few places, structural damage and collapse of buildings, extensive non-structural damage (mainly large damage to masonry walls) at high-rise buildings in cities near (100 km) and far away (270 km) from the epicenter, due to local soil conditions and flexible framed reinforced concrete structures.

Relationship Between Industrial Water Consumption and Economic Growth in China Based on Environmental Kuznets Curve

China faces a critical situation because its water resources account for merely a quarter of the global average. Balancing the relationship between economic development and industrial water consumption is an important issue for China. In this study, a reduction model is established. The model adopts the per capita industrial water consumption and GDP of the eight economic zones from 2002–2014. Unit root and co-integration tests are employed to analyze the stationarity of data, and the triple reduction model is used for the fitting of variables. Results show that the eastern coastal and middle Yangtze River regions pass the turning point of their Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) during the period of statistics. By contrast, the northern coastal region is declining, which may be attributed to the short period of statistics. At the turning point of the EKC for per capita industrial water consumption in China, the per capita GDP ranges from 18,000–30,000 Yuan (at constant prices of 2000) and that of industrial water consumption is approximately 100–240 m3. The increasing industrial water consumption in China is consistent with the characteristics of the EKC; the relationship between per capita industrial water consumption and GDP exhibits an inverted U-shape. The varying economic development of each region cause different turning points for their per capita industrial water consumption that are attributable to factors such as technical innovation and industrial structure upgrading. This research on the EKC for industrial water consumption is crucial for studies on collaborative economic development and industrial water consumption. To reach the turning point of the EKC at the soonest possible time, industrial water consumption should be addressed by adjusting industrial structure, raising water use efficiency, and developing cutting-edge technology.

Genetic characterization of spotted fever group rickettsiae in questing ixodid ticks collected in Israel and environmental risk factors for their infection.

This study aimed to genetically characterize spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) in questing ixodid ticks from Israel and to identify risk factors associated with SFGR-positive ticks using molecular techniques and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis. 1039 ticks from the genus Rhipicephalus were collected during 2014. 109/1039 (10·49%) carried SFGR-DNA of either Rickettsia massiliae (95), 'Candidatus Rickettsia barbariae' (8) or Rickettsia conorii (6). Higher prevalence of SFGR was found in Rhipicephalus turanicus (18·00%) compared with Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (3·22%). Rickettsia massiliae was the most commonly detected species and the most widely disseminated throughout Israel (87·15% of all Rickettsia-positive ticks). GIS analysis revealed that Central and Northern coastal regions are at high risk for SFGR. The presence of ticks was significantly associated with normalized difference vegetation index and temperature variation over the course of the year. The presence of rickettsiae was significantly associated with brown type soils, higher land surface temperature and higher precipitation. The latter parameters may contribute to infection of the tick with SFGR. Health care professionals should be aware of the possible exposure of local communities and travellers to R. massillae. Molecular and geographical information can help professionals to identify areas that are susceptible to SFGR-infected ticks.