Regional Environmental Planning Research Articles

Investigation of groundwater potential and groundwater pollution risk using the multi-criteria method: a case study (the Alaşehir sub-basin, western Turkey)

Determination of the groundwater potential (GWP) and groundwater pollution risk (GWPR) areas is a very important tool in the semi-arid regions in the world. Like many countries in the world, most of the major settlements in the cities of Turkey are located in permeable alluvial plains. Therefore, significant groundwater pollution is encountered in an alluvial plain containing settlements and industrial sites. This study focuses on the determination of the GWP and GWPR areas in the Alasehir sub-basin, which is one of the economically important districts of the Aegean region, located in the Gediz River basin in western Turkey. In this study, the GWP and the GWPR areas were identified and a GWP index map was generated. The GWP areas in the study basin were determined using different proxies as a multi-criteria method based on geographic information system (GIS) integrated with remote sensing (RS). The result of the study indicates that the most GWP locations in the basin are seen in the west and southeast of the study region. Based on these results, it is understood that the significant GWP and GWPR areas are near the big settlement districts such as Alasehir and Salihli. In particular, the 115-ha organized industrial zone located in the Salihli district is an important factor of the potential for consuming and contaminating water resources. This study method is so important for the selection of both city and industrial areas as well as for regional environmental planning in terms of the GWPR management.

Planning of a Smart Local Energy Community: The Case of Berchidda Municipality (Italy)

Recent strategic policies and regulations dealing with market liberalization and decarbonization plans, such as the European directives contained in the recent EU Clean Energy for All Europeans Package, are seeking to promote new roles for citizens in the management of the self-produced renewable energy and the development of local energy markets. In this context, this paper aims at presenting the planning actions for the transition of the current passive distribution system of the Municipality of Berchidda (Italy) towards a smart local energy community. This planning study represents the first stage of a development action financed by the Sardinian Region, whose Regional Energetic and Environmental Plan identifies the Municipality of Berchidda as a priority area to focus the experimental actions for innovative smart grids and intelligent energy management. The project, named “Berchidda Energy 4.0”, focuses on increasing the energy efficiency of the community by boosting local renewable generation production and maximizing its self-consumption, also with the support of storage systems, as well as increasing the active involvement of the consumers that will be equipped with a smart home automation system for demand response applications.

Environmental health risks perceptions: results from cross-sectional surveys in Southeastern France

Abstract Background In accordance with commitments made as part as the European conferences on environment and health in the 90s, France has adopted national environmental health plans since 2004. These plans include regional offshoots to take local specificities into account. To guide stakeholders in defining this plan in Southeastern France, studies were carried out to document general population environmental health risks perceptions and practices. Methods Data come from the Southeastern Baromètre santé environment, random cross-sectional telephone surveys carried out in 2007 and 2017 among the population aged 18-75 years (n = 1415 and 1960 respectively). They focused on people perceptions’ about environmental health risks (e.g., air pollution) and actions to reduce them, trust in sources of information, and their practices. We performed descriptive analyses of the 2017 data, and logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic variables to test time evolutions. Results In 2017, the main environmental health risks perceived were pesticides, carbon monoxide, and air pollution (over 90% of the participants thought they carry high health risks). As in 2007, over 90 % thought the air quality had been worsening. The most efficient ways to reduce air pollution were the improvement of public transportation, of bike paths and the development of car sharing. Between 2007 and 2017, self-reported use of soft mobility and/or car sharing increased from 54% to 66%; and consumption of organic food increased from 40% to 69%. Participants perceived physicians as the most trustful source of information about environmental health. Conclusions Habitants from Southeastern France are highly concerned by environmental health risks, especially pesticides and air pollution. They call stakeholders to take actions to reduce these risks, but appear to have changed some of their own practices too. These results helped stakeholders to define priorities of the current regional environmental health plan. Key messages The general population was highly concerned by environmental health risks (especially pesticides and air pollution), and has become aware of the necessity of changing its own practices. Such results about the regional population main concerns have been used to define regional priorities for actions.

Spatial distribution and temporal trends of rainfall and erosivity in the Eastern Africa region

AbstractSoil erosion by water is one of the main environmental concerns in the drought‐prone Eastern Africa region. Understanding factors such as rainfall and erosivity is therefore of utmost importance for soil erosion risk assessment and soil and water conservation planning. In this study, we evaluated the spatial distribution and temporal trends of rainfall and erosivity for the Eastern Africa region during the period 1981–2016. The precipitation concentration index, seasonality index, and modified Fournier index have been analysed using 5 × 5‐km resolution multisource rainfall product (Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Stations). The mean annual rainfall of the region was 810 mm ranging from less than 300 mm in the lowland areas to over 1,200 mm in the highlands being influenced by orography of the Eastern Africa region. The precipitation concentration index and seasonality index revealed a spatial pattern of rainfall seasonality dependent on latitude, with a more pronounced seasonality as we go far from the equator. The modified Fournier index showed high spatial variability with about 55% of the region subject to high to very high rainfall erosivity. The mean annual R‐factor in the study region was calculated at 3,246 ± 1,895 MJ mm ha−1 h−1 yr−1, implying a potentially high water erosion risk in the region. Moreover, both increasing and decreasing trends of annual rainfall and erosivity were observed but spatial variability of these trends was high. This study offers useful information for better soil erosion prediction as well as can support policy development to achieve sustainable regional environmental planning and management of soil and water resources.

Forest Change Detection in Incomplete Satellite Images With Deep Neural Networks

Land cover change monitoring is an important task from the perspective of regional resource monitoring, disaster management, land development, and environmental planning. In this paper, we analyze imagery data from remote sensing satellites to detect forest cover changes over a period of 29 years (1987–2015). Since the original data are severely incomplete and contaminated with artifacts, we first devise a spatiotemporal inpainting mechanism to recover the missing surface reflectance information. The spatial filling process makes use of the available data of the nearby temporal instances followed by a sparse encoding-based reconstruction. We formulate the change detection task as a region classification problem. We build a multiresolution profile (MRP) of the target area and generate a candidate set of bounding-box proposals that enclose potential change regions. In contrast to existing methods that use handcrafted features, we automatically learn region representations using a deep neural network in a data-driven fashion. Based on these highly discriminative representations, we determine forest changes and predict their onset and offset timings by labeling the candidate set of proposals. Our approach achieves the state-of-the-art average patch classification rate of 91.6% (an improvement of ~16%) and the mean onset/offset prediction error of 4.9 months (an error reduction of five months) compared with a strong baseline. We also qualitatively analyze the detected changes in the unlabeled image regions, which demonstrate that the proposed forest change detection approach is scalable to new regions.

原科幸彦編著『市民参加と合意形成-都市と環境の計画づくり』（書評）

原科幸彦編著『市民参加と合意形成-都市と環境の計画づくり』（書評）

Multidimensional analysis of environmental health capabilities in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in Colombia

To approach the multidimensional analysis of functional capacities in environmental health in the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, based on the UNDP model of interactions between central problems and functional capabilities. Individual institutional results obtained through surveys and information from secondary sources, CAR (Autonomous Regional Corporations) and environmental authorities on policies, strategies, action plans, regional environmental management plans, regulations, activities, and accountabilities related to environmental health during the period 2012-2015 were used as sources of information. The consolidation of results per corporation about core issues and functional capabilities, in terms of the level of response, shows a significant heterogeneity. Public leadership and social empowerment constitute a virtuous circle that allows strengthening capacities in projects of high social interest. Moreover, other capacities such as achieving commitments and institutional and technical capacities (policy design, implementation, evaluation, etc.) can be strengthened as well. Three alternatives for environmental health capabilities implementation have been proposed.

Monitoring Urban Copper Flows in Stockholm, Sweden: Implications of Changes Over Time

SummaryIn this study, a substance flow analysis (SFA) for copper (Cu) was conducted, in which the inflow, stock, and outflow (in the form of diffuse emissions to soil and water) for Stockholm were estimated for 2013 and compared with a previous study from 1995, hence allowing a discussion on changes over time. A large number of applications containing Cu were analyzed (including power cables, copper alloys, heavy electrical equipment, tap water systems, roofs, cars, various consumer electronics, wood preservatives, and contact cables for the railroad). The results show that the inflow of Cu to Stockholm has increased between 1995 and 2013, both in total and per person, mainly as the result of an increase in heavy electrical equipment, power cables, and cars. The stock remains relatively unchanged, whereas the outflow has increased. For the outflow, the emission increase from brake linings is of greatest quantitative importance, with an estimated 5.8 tonnes annual emission of Cu to the environment of Stockholm in 2013 compared to 3.9 tonnes in 1995. Given that increasing inflows of limited resources drive the global demand, continuous monitoring of flows through society and management of outflow routes are crucial, including improvement of national legislation and regional environmental plans as well as efforts to increase resource‐use efficiency and recycling.

Vulnerabilidade ambiental da planície costeira de Caravelas (BA) como subsídio ao ordenamento ambiental

RESUMO A pressão de uso sobre as zonas costeiras e os seus efeitos sobre o equilíbrio dos ecossistemas têm sido um assunto, frequentemente, abordado na literatura científica. Tal situação leva os planejadores a procurarem sintetizar a informação científica para desenvolver modelos de estudos costeiros integrados. A partir destes estudos, objetivar-se-á neste trabalho analisar a vulnerabilidade ambiental da Planície Costeira de Caravelas, no Estado da Bahia (Brasil), por meio de técnicas de geoprocessamento, com o intuito de subsidiar o ordenamento ambiental. Nesta pesquisa foram elaborados índices de vulnerabilidade ambiental a partir da integração das características geológicas, pedológicas, clinográficas e de uso e ocupação da terra. As classes que apresentam vulnerabilidade muito alta e alta incluem os manguezais, os ambientes flúviolagunares e a linha de costa. Na classe que apresenta vulnerabilidade ambiental média estão incluídas áreas da planície costeira e as encostas dos tabuleiros. As classes de baixa e muito baixa vulnerabilidade abrangem os topos dos tabuleiros costeiros situados no trecho noroeste da área em estudo. Os resultados encontrados permitiram a compreensão dos diferentes graus de vulnerabilidade de cada unidade frente a determinadas pressões antrópicas, podendo ser utilizado como instrumento de ordenamento ambiental local e regional.

Principles of GIS support of geoenvironmental mapping at a regional level

The basic principles of the geoenvironmental mapping of a region are discussed. These include: (i) the informational software must comply with the intended purpose of geoenvironmental maps for territory-management and planning organizations; (ii) the mapping represents a sequential process—the result of each previous step is the input for the next step, and the result of the work is a set of maps. The database structure is proposed for the input and output mapping and statistical data. The geoenvironmental mapping is based on GIS software packages, which are used for assessing geosystems conditions and regional environmental planning.

A Schematic Framework to Assess Mini Hydro Potentials in the Italian Regional Energy and Environmental Plans

In compliance with EU legislation (Directive 2009/28/EC, that establishes for each Member State a target calculated according to the share of energy from renewable sources in its gross final consumption to 2020) and Italian regulatory framework (DM 15/03/12- Burden Sharing, that defines the regional objectives regarding renewable sources), each Italian Region must develop its own Regional Energy and Environmental Plan (PEAR). In order to promote the renewable energy sources (RES) production and to achieve a better energy efficiency use, the PEARS should propose to adopt a distributed multi generation (DMG) strategy.The main aim of this paper is a preliminary assessment of mini hydro potential and perspectives (P <1 MW) in Italian PEARS. Mini hydro is a mature and developed technology in Italy, and it represents a valiant opportunity for both local territories and the whole national system. Furthermore, thanks to its small size (low economic investment and environmental impact) and its versatility, it has the characteristics for a long-term development with direct industrial implications (i.e. energy cooperative and short supply chain). Specifically, the PEARS of four Regions were analysed, identifying the different information about mini hydro and comparing characteristics and potential.The results obtained are summarized in a schematic framework useful to draw a preliminary PEARS guideline that indicates strategies and policies, harmonizing public and private initiatives and structuring a local-scale economy through a mini hydro based DMG.

Spatial-Temporal Hotspot Pattern Analysis of Provincial Environmental Pollution Incidents and Related Regional Sustainable Management in China in the Period 1995–2012

Spatial-temporal hotspot pattern analysis of environmental pollution incidents provides an indispensable source of information for the further development of incident prevention measures. In this study, the spatial-temporal patterns of environmental pollution incidents in China in the period of 1995–2012 were analyzed, using the Spatial Getis-Ord statistic and an Improved Prediction Accuracy Index (IAPI). The results show that, in this period, the occurrence of environmental incidents exhibited a dynamic growth pattern but then dropped and continued to drop after the year 2006, which was considered a crucial turning point. Not coincidentally, this corresponds to the year when the State Council issued its National Environmental Emergency Plan, and following the examination of major incidents, special actions were taken to strengthen the control of incidents and emergency responses. The results from Getis-Ord General G statistical analysis show that the spatial agglomeration phenomenon was statistically significant after 1999 and that the level of spatial agglomeration was rising, while the Getis-Ord Gi* statistical analysis reveals that environmental pollution incidents were mainly agglomerated in the Pan Yangtze River Delta and Pan Pearl River Delta regions. Accordingly, the spatial-temporal hotspot pattern based on the IAPI values at the provincial scale could be categorized into: stable hotspots, unstable hotspots, and cold-spot areas. The stable hotspots category was further divided into three subtypes: industrial distribution type, industrial transfer type, and extensive economic growth type. Finally, the corresponding measures for sustainable management were proposed: stable hotspots were classified as essential regions requiring the immediate prevention and control of environmental pollution incidents; unstable hotspots were characterized by their need for ongoing and continual prevention measures, and cold-spots were those areas that required strengthened environmental monitoring. Meanwhile, it was identified that a multi-level environmental pollution incident emergency response and regional (incident) joint control plan needed to be well prepared and carried out effectively. To prevent environmental pollution and the regional transfer of pollution from incidents, measures towards achieving regional environmental planning, environmental risk prevention, environmental emergency monitoring and adequate emergency responses must be efficiently implemented.

A Ramsar-wetland in suburbia: wetland management in an urbanised, industrialised area

Wetlands provide crucial services to support human populations and intrinsic environmental functioning. They are, therefore, recognised at higher-level global conservation treaties down to regional and local environmental management plans. Palaeorecords to understand preimpact conditions and ranges of natural variability are critical, alongside ongoing monitoring of ecosystem health for understanding important wetlands and determining long-term conservation strategies. They also enable effective analysis of human impacts. Towra Point Nature Reserve is an internationally significant wetland complex listed under multiple international conservation agreements, including the 1971 Ramsar Convention. It faces similar challenges to other coastal wetlands globally: sea level rise, changing shoreline conditions, and anthropogenic impacts. Its location within Sydney’s Botany Bay results in high potential for pollutants to enter the wetland complex. This makes ongoing monitoring of the ecosystem critically important. This study has found that arsenic, lead and zinc are relatively elevated in the southern part of the embayment, adjacent to an urban area, where concentrations are near to, or exceeding trigger levels (ANZECC/ARMCANZ 2000). In contrast, in the western part of the embayment contaminant levels are well below trigger values. We propose that these trigger levels should be adopted and incorporated into the Towra Point Plan of Management.

The uneven distribution of environmental burdens and benefits in Silicon Valley's backyard

Inequalities in the exposure to environmental burdens and access to environmental benefits are an environmental justice concern for urban and regional environmental planning. Recent studies have assessed the exposure of different populations to a combination of environmental hazards through GIS-based Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessments (CEIA). The contribution of this study is the development of a CEIA, which incorporates the distance-based impact of transportation, the cumulative impact of environmental hazards, and access to environmental benefits for Santa Clara County (SCC), a highly diverse and rapidly developing region also known as ‘Silicon Valley’. Our results show that social vulnerability, cumulative environmental hazards, and environmental benefits exhibit distinct spatial patterns in SCC. High environmental hazard values are found along freeway and railroad corridors with substantial industrial legacies, while environmental benefit scores are generally higher in the suburban periphery. Correlations indicate that socially vulnerable populations in SCC are predominantly hispanic and are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards, while white and wealthier populations are more likely to have access to environmental benefits. The results from this study may serve to develop community-based initiatives for neighborhood improvement and environmental-justice-based regional planning and public health policy reform.

The Prediction of Nitrogen Dioxide from Atmosphere in Changsha City Based on Grey Model

Taking nitrogen dioxide from atmosphere samples in Changsha as research object, GM (1, 1) dynamic prediction model of pollutants was built based on grey system theory and automatic monitoring data (nitrogen dioxide) of 2011. Pollution status of the next year was predicted by the model. Through model testing, the model can meet actual demands with its precision level is at the second and the third rank. Comparison between the predicted data and the measured ones shows that the higher the precision level is, the more accurate the model prediction will be. It is also obtained that the GM (1, 1) dynamic prediction model not only possesses potential value for further application, but also can provide the basis of the formulation of the local regional environmental planning and implementing measures related to atmospheric pollution control.

Revisiting the knowledge exchange train: scaling up dialogue and partnering for participatory regional planning

In an integrated world, knowledge exchange is becoming more important for empowerment to participate in planning processes. This is particularly the case in areas undergoing rapid change and with unequal stakeholder constituencies. The ‘knowledge exchange train’ (KET) model was designed to address knowledge inequalities and large-scale change by disseminating the results of new research rapidly and on a large scale. The KET involves two-way dissemination of knowledge as a means to support the formation of partnerships and participation in regional environmental planning. We compare three KET experiences in the southwestern Amazon: comparisons of KET I and II highlight adjustments in the model to amplify two-way exchange and to focus on key planning issues, and comparisons of KET II to III show how KET fosters partnerships for downstream environmental planning and management activities. KETs thus address knowledge inequalities and catalyse follow-on environmental management activities, both of which facilitate public participation in regional environmental planning.

Reduced complexity model for assessing patterns of rainfall erosivity in Africa

Multivariate geostatistical modeling can be used to generate spatial patterns of hydro-climate data over ungauged regions, but these models may be unsuitable when the hydro-climatological data available over large and remote areas are sparse and show different scales of resolution. In these cases, reduced complexity modeling can be better used in order to increase understanding of hydrological extremes at spatial scales and over time periods not covered by rainfall records. In this study we present and evaluate the African Rainfall Erosivity Subregional Empirical Downscaling (ARESED) model which has been developed based on hydro-climatological and geotopographic data from 46 stations across Africa with very varied climates and elevations. We spatially downscale the 85th percentile of monthly precipitation, based on several decades of data, from 50km to 10km grid squares in order to predict values of rainfall erosivity across Africa. This yields inputs comparable to values based on the standard Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The 46 African stations were chosen for model development because they are also sites for which there are RUSLE-based erosivity values. Once parameterized to capture mean rainfall erosivity over several decades, the ARESED model was run as a validation tool, comparing the output with actual erosivity data. On a continental scale and over decadal time scales, the ARESED model captures most of the important processes within the hydro-climatological system. Its reduced complexity structure also makes it suitable for application to regional management and environmental planning.

Environmental suitability of a highly fragmented and heterogeneous landscape for forest bird species in south-eastern Brazil

SUMMARYAssessment of the suitability of anthropogenic landscapes for wildlife species is crucial for setting priorities for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to analyse the environmental suitability of a highly fragmented region of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, one of the world's 25 recognized biodiversity hotspots, for forest bird species. Eight forest bird species were selected for the analyses, based on point counts (n= 122) conducted in April–September 2006 and January–March 2009. Six additional variables (landscape diversity, distance from forest and streams, aspect, elevation and slope) were modelled in Maxent for (1) actual and (2) simulated land cover, based on the forest expansion required by existing Brazilian forest legislation. Models were evaluated by bootstrap or jackknife methods and their performance was assessed by AUC, omission error, binomial probability orpvalue. All predictive models were statistically significant, with high AUC values and low omission errors. A small proportion of the actual landscape (24.41 ± 6.31%) was suitable for forest bird species. The simulated landscapes lead to an increase ofc.30% in total suitable areas. In average, models predicted a small increase (23.69 ± 6.95%) in the area of suitable native forest for bird species. Being close to forest increased the environmental suitability of landscapes for all bird species; landscape diversity was also a significant factor for some species. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that species distribution modelling (SDM) successfully predicted bird distribution across a heterogeneous landscape at fine spatial resolution, as all models were biologically relevant and statistically significant. The use of landscape variables as predictors contributed significantly to the results, particularly for species distributions over small extents and at fine scales. This is the first study to evaluate the environmental suitability of the remaining Brazilian Atlantic Forest for bird species in an agricultural landscape, and provides important additional data for regional environmental planning.

Riverbanks and the law: The arbitrary nature of river boundaries in New South Wales, Australia

Key aspects of environmental management exist within a legislative framework. The Rivers and Foreshores Improvement Act 1948 (NSW) and several Regional Environmental Plans created under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) make reference to ‘the top of the bank’ for defining areas of protected land adjacent to rivers, within which development consent may be required. It is an arbitrary term and its use within the Rivers and Foreshores Improvement Act 1948 (NSW) leads to confusion. This paper examines the range of definitions of ‘the top of the bank’ in respect of natural watercourses and aims to provide a more lucid and effective definition that will clarify existing ambiguities in legal interpretation. The paper examines the historical origins of the phrase ‘top of the bank’, finding that stereotyped Eurocentric views of what a river ‘should look like’ have impaired the legal definition for Australian rivers, thereby influencing common law and the development of statutory definitions. Judicial applications of the phrase ‘top of the bank’ are examined from a geomorphological perspective, demonstrating the misconceptions of the term in a legal context. The paper identifies the existence of widespread support for the need to protect land adjacent to rivers in the interests of environmental, economic and social sustainability. It concludes by calling for legislative reform that is both tailored to the individual site and consistent with overarching goals at the catchment scale.

Biodiversity, Biosphere Reserves, and the Big Apple: A Study of the New York Metropolitan Region

The objectives of this article were to assess the dimensions of biodiversity-urban society interactions within the New York Metropolitan Region, a 31-county area with a population of 21.5 million, and to explore pathways to reconcile dysfunctional relationships between these two ever-entwined systems. The article builds on the premise that urban biodiversity exists at a crucial nexus of ecological and societal interactions, linking local, regional, and global scales, and that urban ecologies are projected to become even more dynamic in the future, particularly as a result of global climate change. The pathway proposed to reconcile the biodiversity-urban society relationships is the incorporation of biosphere reserve strategies into regional environmental planning efforts focused on the New York/New Jersey Harbor/Estuary specifically and on the greater New York Metropolitan Region in general. The concepts of the "ecological footprint" and vulnerability to global environmental change are used to analyze the current interactions between biodiversity and urban society, and to evaluate the efficacy of adopting biosphere reserve strategies in the region. New York has long been at the forefront of American environmentalism and landscape planning. Coupled with this history is a still small but growing interest in regional environmental planning efforts (e.g., the U.S. EPA Harbor Estuary Program) and green infrastructure (e.g., the 2002 Humane Metropolis Conference organized by the Ecological Cities Project). The research presented here aims to contribute to these nascent activities. As a megacity, New York may serve as a model for other major cities of the world.