Regional Environmental Planning Research Articles

New perspective on the recent challenges of regional environmental management plans under the background of deep-sea mining: from Northwest Pacific to global

New perspective on the recent challenges of regional environmental management plans under the background of deep-sea mining: from Northwest Pacific to global

Beijing Forest Carbon Storage Potential Capacity

Forests serve as a crucial carbon reservoir. Therefore, optimizing forest carbon storage is a pathway towards achieving carbon neutrality. In this study, the Forest Simulation Optimization System (FSOS) was used to simulate the carbon storage in Beijing forests over 250 years (2018-2268). It was found that under the no management scenario, carbon storage fluctuates with the natural growth and death of trees, with peaks of more than 90 million tons. It proves that forests have a strong capacity of carbon storage. In the management scenario, harvest trees and make them into furniture, total carbon storage is high and maintains a stable level of 108 million tons. This is almost 1.6 times higher than in the no management scenario on average. In addition, the growth rate of carbon storage is fastest in the middle-aged forest and the near-mature forest. Therefore, in order to optimize the carbon sequestration benefits of forests, the forestry sector must pay attention to the age structure of forests in the future. Based on the results of this study, recommendations were made to optimize carbon storage in Beijing forests and to integrate forest managements of Beijing forests into regional economic and environmental planning.

Changes in Vegetation NDVI and Its Response to Climate Change and Human Activities in the Ferghana Basin from 1982 to 2015

Exploring the evolution of vegetation cover and its drivers in the Ferghana Basin helps to understand the current ecological status of the Ferghana Basin and to analyze the vegetation changes and drivers, with a view to providing a scientific basis for regional ecological and environmental management and planning. Based on GIMMS NDVI3g and meteorological data, the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of NDVI were analyzed from multiple perspectives with the help of linear trend and Mann–Kendall (MK) test methods using arcgis and the R language spatial analysis module, combined with partial correlation coefficients and residual analysis methods to analyze the impacts of climate change and human activities on the regional vegetation cover of the Ferghana Basin from 1982 to 2015. NDVI driving forces. The results showed the following: (1) The growing season of vegetation NDVI in the Ferghana Basin showed an increasing trend in the 34-year period, with an increase rate of 0.0044/10a, and the spatial distribution was significantly different, which was high in the central part of the country and low in the northern and southern parts of the country. (2) Temperature and precipitation simultaneously co-influenced the vegetation NDVI growth season, with most of the temperature and precipitation contributing in the spring, most of the temperature in the summer being negatively phased and the precipitation positively correlated, and most of the temperature and precipitation in the fall inhibiting vegetation NDVI growth. (3) The combined effect of climate change and human activities was the main reason for the overall rapid increase and great spatial variations in vegetation NDVI in China, and the spatial distribution of drivers, namely human activities and climate change, contributed 44.6% to vegetation NDVI in the growing season. The contribution of climate change and human activities to vegetation NDVI in the Ferghana Basin was 62.32% and 93.29%, respectively. The study suggests that more attention should be paid to the role of human activities and climate change in vegetation restoration to inform ecosystem management and green development.

Sustainable Seabed Mining—The Phase 1 Environmental Draft Standards and Guidelines

Abstract The oceans are home to a rich diversity of plant and animal life and also provide a source of food and marine resources that drive economies. Climate change and pollution are changing ocean dynamics and the ability of the oceans to support life. Seabed mining in areas beyond national jurisdiction will add to the ocean’s stressors and could cause severe environmental damage. The International Seabed Authority (‘ISA’) is mandated to manage access to and benefits from the seabed, its subsoil, and mineral resources in areas beyond national jurisdiction (the ‘Area’). Although the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea sets out the legal framework for developing the Area and its resources, it does so in broad terms and leaves substantial gaps. These gaps include the scope of activities in the Area, the interrelationship of international obligations, the division of responsibilities between the ISA and sponsoring states, and the regulation of the mining system in situ. To partially fill these gaps, the ISA has drafted a set of ‘Phase 1’ Standards and Guidelines under the Draft Regulations on Exploitation of Mineral Resources in the Area. This paper investigates and critiques five environmental Draft Standards from a precautionary and comparative law perspective. Phase 1 standards and guidelines should adopt a more rigorous interpretation of the precautionary principle. Additional recommendations include creating enhanced governance processes and incorporating an ecosystem-based framework for regional environmental assessments and management plans not present in Draft Standards. This research will assist academics, practitioners, governments and the ISA with policies and strategies to enhance environmental and social protections from seabed mining.

The Mining Code for Prospecting Exploration and Exploitation in Maritime Domain: Experimenting the Regional Environmental Plans

The Seabed Mining is a growing maritime industrial field that involves the extraction of submerged minerals and deposits from the ocean and over the years, there has been a rising demand for minerals and metals in various sectors of the Maritime Industry. This led to the creation of the International Seabed Authority of 1982 which is saddled with the responsibilities of regulating human activities on the deep-sea floor and the continental shelf. Despite the existence of the regulatory body, there are challenges that are present within the organs of the International Seabed Authority. These challenges include lack of transparency and also the impact of the deep seabed mining activities on the environment that still need to be extensively researched before deep seabed mining activities can commence in the World Maritime Economy. This research adopted a doctrinal method of research to collect data through the use of Law textbooks, articles in journals, and various online resources. The aim of this paper is to discuss the benefits of deep seabed mining, the regulatory frameworks of deep seabed mining, the impacts of deep seabed mining on the environment, deep seabed mining activities in Africa and Nigeria. It was concluded in this paper that before the deep seabed mining activities can commence, it is necessary that wide and extensive research be carried out on its effect on the environment, the various organs in International Seabed Authority should be more transparent on their activities to the public and African States particularly Nigeria should organise workshops to educate the Maritime Industry of various states about the involvement and participation of African countries in the deep seabed mining activities like their counterparts in other countries of the World.

Taking Precautionary Approaches to the Governance of Commercial Deep Seabed Mining: Law-Making of International Seabed Authority and Multi-Subject Participation

Although commercial deep seabed mining could provide the international community with new sources of metals and minerals, it can potentially cause adverse effects on the marine environment and biodiversity of the Area. To date, insufficient scientific knowledge has been obtained about the complex deep seabed ecosystems and the detailed impacts of deep seabed mining. The International Seabed Authority has begun to make provisions for exploiting mineral resources and related environmental protection requirements. The draft exploitation regulations take precautionary approaches such as stipulating rules, including environmental standards and guidelines, environment impact assessment, environmental management and monitoring plan, and regional environmental management plan. However, there are still apparent differences and controversies about these rules between States. This article elaborates on the evolution and content of drafted rules and explores the manifested specific divergences and interest conflicts in formulating these rules. Implementing precautionary approaches requires balancing potential serious environmental risks, available scientific evidence, and cost-effectiveness. This article also explores the essential requirements of taking precautionary approaches for governing commercial deep seabed mining. The ISA, sponsoring States, Contractors, scientists, experts, and public all play roles in the governance of imminent commercial deep seabed mining. Strengthening multi-subject participation in the ISA’s law-making process for deep seabed environmental protection can be conducive to promoting consensus on taking precautionary approaches to govern commercial deep seabed mining.

Contaminated the Lands in Karabakh and Ways to Bail Out

The thesis contains information on the condition of organic agriculture in the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as proposals for the establishment of an integrated plant protection system. The Report states, among other things, that in order to improve the agro-ecology approach in agriculture in Azerbaijan, relevant legislative and regulatory acts must be prepared and adopted; a regulatory mechanism aimed at increasing the efficiency of farmers' environmental activities based on the "polluter pays" principle must be developed and implemented; and scientific innovations, energy and resource saving technologies, waste-free and environmentally safe technological processes must be promoted. It also casts light to measures in regional environmental plans and socioeconomic development programs targeted at supporting and growing organic agriculture; agricultural landowners and land users should implement steps to conserve and improve soil fertility, as well as other environmental activities.

Environmental Protection Areas as a Strategy to Increase Flood Protection in Metropolitan Regions: A Case Study in Maricá, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In peripheral countries, the lack of adequate urban planning associated with natural dynamics intensifies the existing vulnerabilities of the environment, causing physical and material losses. Therefore, this research aims to discuss the potential use of Environmental Protection Areas as a tool to drive urban growth with a low-impact development, helping to mitigate urban floods and bringing nature into the city landscape. The municipality of Maricá, located in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is taken as a case study. The method proposed to drive the regional environmental planning and management can be described as a three-stage method coupled with the adapted SWOT Matrix, following: the diagnosis, the prognosis, and the action plan. This process points to the definition of a Hydrological Interest Area that would allow not only the restoration of local vegetation and a better interaction of the population with the watercourses, but also the recovery of areas that have been gradually impacted by the urban expansion. The method presented in this research allows its application in different urban contexts, once it has the objective of recognizing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to allow the elaboration of sustainable actions and guidelines.

Area-based management tools to protect unique hydrothermal vents from harmful effects from deep-sea mining: A review of ongoing developments

The deep seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction, or what is referred to as “the Area,” is the common heritage of humankind, safeguarded by mandating the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to protect the marine environment and to regulate all mining-related activities on the seabed in areas beyond national jurisdiction. So far, the ISA has 7 contracts for polymetallic sulfide (PMS) exploration. PMS deposits are located at and near deep-sea hydrothermal vents, one of the most remarkable ecosystems on Earth. Where hot and mineral rich vent fluids escape from the earth's crusts, minerals precipitate and are deposited, and unique biomass rich microbial and animal communities are thriving. Several intergovernmental organizations suggest that active vents classify as areas in need of conservation. The ISA is currently developing regional environmental plans for PMS and has set some first steps to protect active vents from mining impacts. We review the current regulatory and policy framework for deep-sea spatial management, and set it into the environmental context. We conclude that all current management measures of the ISA would not be suited to protect the marine environment from harmful mining impact. We recognize that ISA's area-based management tools are under development, and suggest that improvements can be achieved by studying and recognizing the ecological attributes of ecosystems and their connectivity, as well as governance connectivity, taking into account area-based management tools of different users in the same area.

Using habitat classification and large-scale spatial planning model to identify environmental areas: A case study in the area of the Northwest Pacific Ocean

The deep sea refers to the parts of the oceans with a depth of more than 200 m, and it comprises the largest habitat on earth with the most abundant and diverse marine life. Human activities, such as deep-sea mining, fishing, and shipping, can have severe impacts on deep-sea species and habitats. With the development of the related equipment and technology, interest in deep-sea mining continues to rise; therefore, protecting the unique and fragile deep-sea marine ecosystem has become a global focus. Given the fragility of the deep-sea habitats and the growing demand for deep-sea resources, the United Nations established the International Seabed Authority (the ISA) in 1972, which represents everyone worldwide, to manage the mineral resources in the international seabed area (also known as “the Area”) while fulfilling environmental protection obligations. The most important objective of the regional environmental management plan (REMP) in the Area initiated by the ISA is to balance deep-sea mining and environment protection, and the ISA has considered numerous types of area-based management tools (ABMTs) in the development of the REMPs (Table 1). Using the different ABMTs, several key environmental areas or sites have been identified in various regions, such as the areas of particular environmental interest (APEIs), sites in need of protection (SINPs), or areas in need of protection (AINPs). Additionally, deep-sea mining is prohibited in these sites/areas to avoid its irrecoverable impact on the environment in the Area. The designation these environmental areas or sites can improve the function and resilience of the ecosystem and avoid the unrecoverable impact of deep-sea mining. In this study, we selected the international areas of the Northwest Pacific Ocean for a case study. In order to protect representative species and habitats, such as cold-water corals and seamounts, we utilized environmental factors to classify the study area into eight types of habitats. We then used the appropriate criteria to identify candidate AINPs in two scenarios with a large-scale spatial planning model and analyzed the differences in the protected proportion of the eight types of habitats. The results indicate that identifying the candidate AINPs can reach the protection target of approximately 30% of the area, and each representative species and habitat can be protected. The results obtained in this study can provide technical references for the implementation of REMPs and the designation of AINPs in the study area.

Dimensional Analysis of Regional Environmental Planning Based on NPP/VIIRS Lighting Data.

The actual status of the current regional environmental planning is difficult to obtain through traditional statistical methods, and it is necessary to use remote-sensing identification technology to collect information. Based on the NPP/VIIRS technology, this study uses the NPP/VIIRS technology to identify and analyze China's regional environment. Moreover, on this basis, this study conducts a dimensional analysis of regional environmental planning, verifies the feasibility of the technology, and promotes the development of the technology in environmental planning. In addition, this study links light intensity and carbon emissions based on night-light data and traditional energy consumption data. Finally, from the perspective of time and space continuity, new solutions and research methods are provided for many problems existing in traditional carbon emission research, which in turn provides a solid scientific foundation and theoretical basis for the formulation and implementation of carbon emission reduction strategies. The research results show that the method proposed in this study has certain effects.

Mapping the functional connectivity of ecosystem services supply across a regional landscape.

Sustainably managing multifunctional landscapes for production of multiple ecosystem services (ES) requires thorough understanding of the interactions between ES and the ecological processes that drive them. We build upon landscape connectivity theory to present a spatial approach for assessing functional connections between multiple ES at the landscape scale, and take a closer look at the concept of ES interactions by explicitly representing the mechanisms behind the relationships between ES. We demonstrate application of the approach using existing ES supply mapping data for plant agriculture, waterflow regulation, and landscape aesthetics and map the functional connectivity between them. We find that, when weights of all linkages were amalgamated, areas of high-value connectivity are revealed that are not present on any individual ES supply area or pairwise link maps, which suggests that the spatial focus of planning for optimal service provisioning may shift when functional relationships between several ES are considered. From water flow supply areas, our modeling maps several functional connections that operate over both short and long distances, which highlights the importance of managing ES flows both locally and across jurisdictions. We also found that different land use and land cover types than those associated with ES supply areas may be serving as critical corridors connecting interdependent ES. By providing spatial information on ES connectivity, our approach enables local and regional environmental planning and management to take full consideration of the complex, multi-scale interactions between ecological processes, land use and land cover, and ecosystem service supply on a landscape.

People, Projects, Organizations, and Products: Designing a Knowledge Graph to Support Multi-Stakeholder Environmental Planning and Design

As the need for more broad-scale solutions to environmental problems is increasingly recognized, traditional hierarchical, government-led models of coordination are being supplemented by or transformed into more collaborative inter-organizational networks (i.e., collaboratives, coalitions, partnerships). As diffuse networks, such regional environmental planning and design (REPD) efforts often face challenges in sharing and using spatial and other types of information. Recent advances in semantic knowledge management technologies, such as knowledge graphs, have the potential to address these challenges. In this paper, we first describe the information needs of three multi-stakeholder REPD initiatives in the western USA using a list of 80 need-to-know questions and concerns. The top needs expressed were for help in tracking the participants, institutions, and information products relevant to the REDP’s focus. To address these needs, we developed a prototype knowledge graph based on RDF and GeoSPARQL standards. This semantic approach provided a more flexible data structure than traditional relational databases and also functionality to query information across different providers; however, the lack of semantic data expertise, the complexity of existing software solutions, and limited online hosting options are significant barriers to adoption. These same barriers are more acute for geospatial data, which also faces the added challenge of maintaining and synchronizing both semantic and traditional geospatial datastores.

Impacts of Human Activities on Ecosystem Service Value in Arid and Semi-Arid Ecological Regions of China.

The quantitative and spatial–temporal variations in the characteristics of ecosystem value can be helpful to improve environmental protection and climate adaptation measures and adjust the balance between economic development and the ecological environment. The arid and semi-arid regions of China are undergoing the effects of climate change across the entire northern hemisphere. Their ecological environments are fragile and in conflict with anthropogenic activities, which significantly altered more ecosystems services in these regions. Therefore, estimating the effects of anthropogenic activities on ecosystem services is important for formulating ecological policy and regional environmental mitigation plans of these regions. This study employed the model of ecosystem service value (ESV) assessment and the bivariate spatial autocorrelation method to reveal the spatiotemporal variations in the characteristics of ecosystem value in the arid and semi-arid ecological regions of China and its interaction with human activities. Results showed that (1) the total value of ES of the study area increased from USD 487,807 billion in 2000 to USD 67,831,150 billion 2020; (2) the ES value provided by forest land first increased by 5.60% from 2000 to 2020; (3) the ESV provided by grassland showed an overall decline over the 20 years. Food and raw material production showed the lowest ES value, and climate regulation and soil conservation decreased from 2000 to 2020; (4) the index of human footprint patches decreased from 45.80% in 2000 to 17.63% in 2020, while the high and very high human footprint index areas increased significantly, mainly due to the rapid urbanization and improvement of railway networks in these areas. Spatially, the regions with high human footprint were mostly dispersed in the northeastern of China such as Shanxi and Gansu, whereas the regions with a low human footprint remained mainly located in the central and southwestern parts of China; (5) significant spatial dependencies between changes in ESV and the human footprint index were recorded. Our study could provide a scientific basis for ecosystem functions regulation and land development security in arid and semi-arid ecological regions.

Integrated model framework for the evaluation and prediction of the water environmental carrying capacity in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area

Rapid economic development and continuous population expansion have placed increasing pressure on the regional water environment. Maintaining a good water environment is the foundation for the sustainable development of human society. Therefore, an overall understanding of the regional water environment carrying capacity (WECC) is of great significance to promote regional sustainable development. In this study, a novel integrated model framework is proposed to comprehensively evaluate and predict the WECCs of 9 cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area by coupling the entropy weight method, multi-objective linear weighting function, cloud model and Markov chain. Furthermore, an obstacle degree model is used to explore the major factors affecting the WECC in the study area. The results indicate that the WECCs of 9 cities from 2013 to 2018 show an overall improving trend, and the highest average WECC appears in Shenzhen (0.59) with a good state, while those of the other eight cities are in a medium state. From 2021 to 2030, it is predicted that the WECCs of the 9 cities will present gradual and specific changes, with the WECC of Shenzhen developing from a good to an excellent state, the WECCs of Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Huizhou, Dongguan and Jiangmen developing from medium to good, and the WECCs of Foshan, Zhongshan and Zhaoqing maintaining medium states for a long time. The main factors obstructing the WECC in the Greater Bay Area are water resources per capita, ecological water use rate, wastewater discharge per million yuan GDP and proportion of the tertiary industry, which should give priority in future development. This framework may contribute significantly to providing an effective scientific reference for regional water environmental planning and management.

Geosites Inventory in Liguria Region (Northern Italy): A Tool for Regional Geoconservation and Environmental Management

The Liguria Region in Northern Italy is characterized by a wide geological and geomorphological variety, encompassing an important and valuable geoheritage. The Ligurian regional law (L.R. 39/2009) protects and enhances geodiversity and geosites, establishing the Regional Inventory of Geosites; however, an approved official inventory is still lacking. In this work, a first reasoned inventory of 120 geosites is proposed for the Liguria Region on the basis of field surveys and literature review. A quantitative assessment of the value and the degradation risk of geosites has been carried out: the value assessment takes into account scientific, additional and potential-for-use values; the degradation risk assessment considers geosites’ fragility and vulnerability. The results, providing knowledge on the Ligurian geoheritage, can serve as the basis for the Regional Inventory of Geosites and can be useful tools for the implementation of any regional geoconservation strategy or environmental management plan.

Impacts of land use at multiple buffer scales on seasonal water quality in a reticular river network area

The assessment and prediction of regional water quality are fundamental inputs to environmental planning and watershed ecological management. This paper explored spatiotemporal changes in the correlation of water quality parameters (WQPs) and land-use types (LUTs) in a reticular river network area. Water samples of 44 sampling sites were collected every quarter from 2016 to 2018 and evaluated for dissolved oxygen (DO), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and permanganate index (CODMn). A redundancy analysis (RDA) and stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) were applied to analyze the land-use type impacts on seasonal WQPs at five buffer scales (100, 200, 500, 800, and 1000 m). The Kruskal–Wallis test results revealed significant seasonal differences in NH3-N, TP, CODMn, and DO. The area percentages of farmland, water area and built-up land in the study area were 38.96%, 22.75% and16.20%, respectively, for a combined total area percentage of nearly 80%. Our study showed that orchard land had an especially favorable influence on WQPs. Land-use type impacts on WQPs were more significant during the dry season than the wet season. The total variation explained by LUTs regarding WQPs at the 1 km buffer scale was slightly stronger than at smaller buffer scales. Built-up land had a negative effect on WQPs, but orchard and forest-grassland had a positive effect on WQPs. The effects of water area and farmland on WQPs were complex on different buffer scales. These findings are helpful for improving regional water resource management and environmental planning.

An alternative broad vegetation hierarchy for eastern New South Wales, with application for environmental planning and management

Many previous vegetation description and mapping programs have highlighted the need for a hierarchical classification that easily translates from regional through to international scales. Often programs have not selected appropriate levels of vegetation classification and mapping for management purposes. Here, we provide an alternative broad vegetation classification at the macrogroup level in the international vegetation classification for eastern New South Wales (NSW) that could be applied in regional and local environmental planning and management. Existing aerial photographic interpretation (API) floristic and canopy maps available for eastern NSW were collated and reclassified and incorporated into a unifying dataset of macrogroups, which also included types dominated by exotic vegetation such as exotic plantations. There we identified, in total, 71 macrogroups across eastern New South Wales (NSW) of a total of 85 identified for NSW mapped at 1:25 000 scale, or finer, in the following three sections: north-east, Sydney basin and central west, and southern coast and Snowy Mountains. These were then amalgamated into a single remnant vegetation map covering 23 525 280 ha. This alternative broad vegetation hierarchy provides a reliable and overt vegetation classification and mapping dataset that can easily incorporate future revisions as new mapping data become available.

Contribution of the Basilicata region to decarbonisation of the energy system: results of a scenario analysis

This paper investigates the energy system of the Basilicata region (southern Italy) to highlight, through a scenario analysis, its possible future development in compliance with the European Commission's long-term vision. The IEA-ETSAP methodology was utilized to model and analyse the Basilicata energy system in a business-as-usual scenario, based on the assumptions of the 2010 Regional Energy and Environmental Policy Plan, and in two low-carbon scenarios, decarbonisation and high energy efficiency, which, in line with the long-term European strategy, foresee an 85% carbon dioxide emission reduction and a 20% energy efficiency increase in 2050. The results highlight that electricity production from renewable energy sources (in particular wind energy), strongly supported by the regional policy, goes beyond the Basilicata Regional Energy-Environmental Plan forecast, with a further increase in the decarbonisation scenarios. In addition, solar thermal and highly efficient technologies are adopted in commercial and residential end-use sectors. An additional 9% reduction in energy consumption is achieved in the high energy efficiency scenario by passive houses. The proposed approach shows the usefulness of a modelling framework typically used for national and supranational analyses to support regional authorities in their decision-making process to obtain results in line with the European and national strategies. Application to the Basilicata region shows the usefulness of a consolidated framework for policy assessment at a local scale to assess regional contribution to the achievement of national climate mitigation targets that tend towards climate neutrality.

Declining trends in plan quality: A longitudinal evaluation of regional environmental plans in Queensland, Australia

Most evaluations of environmental planning consider how planning is conducted, implemented or perceived. The quality of the plans themselves has received limited attention. Plan quality is a key factor in determining planning outcomes with plans of high quality more likely to produce positive planning outcomes. Using criteria for plan quality well established in planning literature, we develop a framework of 62 indicators to measure the extent to which environmental plans are: 1) collaborative; 2) adaptive; 3) action-orientated; and 4) evidence-based. We apply this framework using a systematic methodology to evaluate the quality of a specific type of environmental plan – regional natural resource management plans - introduced in the Australian state of Queensland over a 13 year period between 2004 and 2016.We tested a number of plan quality factors, including the number of funding sources, planning experience (in terms of the numbers of plans produced) and plan format (web-based and ‘traditional’ paper format). Our analysis finds that, rather than improving over time, plan quality has declined between three distinct generations of plans in Queensland. We conclude that dedicated funding for plan development is important for plan quality, while planning experience and plan format do not guarantee higher plan quality.Our findings add to the growing literature on establishing factors of plan quality. We propose that the plan quality framework could be useful in future evaluations and plan comparisons.