Transnational Area Research Articles

Assessing Environmental Sustainability in the Transnational Basin of the Tumen River Based on Remote Sensing Data and a Geographical Detector

Evaluating environmental sustainability in the transnational basin of the Tumen River (TBTR) is of great significance for promoting sustainable development in Northeast Asia. However, past research has mostly concentrated on a particular environmental element, making it impossible to thoroughly and effectively show the environmental sustainability dynamics in this transnational area. In this study, we attempted to reveal environmental sustainability trends in the TBTR from 2000 to 2021 using the Environmental Degradation Index (EDI) and analyze the driving forces using a geographical detector. It was found that the TBTR’s environmental sustainability decreased significantly, with a degraded region (13,174.75 km2) accounting for 31.01% of the whole area from 2000 to 2021. The dynamics of environmental sustainability on the three sides of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia have shown significant differences, with the most significantly improved in environmental sustainability being the subregion of China. On the Chinese side, the area that significantly improved in environmental sustainability accounted for 26.19% of the area on the Chinese side, which was 1.17 times higher than that of the DPRK’s side and 1.24 times higher than that of the Russian side. Land use intensity (LUI), land use and land cover (LULC), and population density (PD) were the most dominant driving forces for environmental sustainability dynamics on the three sides of China, the DPRK, and Russia. China, the DPRK, and Russia can improve international environmental cooperation to promote sustainable development in the TBTR and Northeast Asia.

Assessing the environmental sustainability of the transnational area of China, North Korea, and Russia using an improved environmental degradation index

Timely and effective environmental sustainability assessment is critical for promoting sustainable development in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM). However, due to the limitations of the existing environmental degradation index, the environmental sustainability in this transnational area was still not comprehensively evaluated. In this study, the main objectives were to construct a comprehensive environmental sustainability index (CESI) by integrating four environmental elements of ecological, soil, water as well as air, and evaluate the environmental sustainability of TACM from 2000 to 2020. The results indicated that the environmental sustainability of the TACM exhibited a significantly degraded trend. The area of degraded environmental sustainability (73147.16 km2) accounted for 44.35 % of the total area of TACM. In the three subregions, the environmental sustainability showed decreasing trends in the subregions of China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), whereas showed an upward trend in Russia. In particular, the DPRK’s side exhibited the most significant degradation, where the area of reduced environmental sustainability (40405.60 km2) was 1.25 times and 129.98 times larger than that on the Chinese and Russian sides, respectively. Forest loss and cropland expansion were the primary reasons for the degradation of environmental sustainability in the TACM. The major findings of this study could contribute to our understanding of environmental sustainability and will be helpful to promote the sustainable development in this transnational area as well as Northeast Asia.

Assessing the impacts of future urban expansion on multiple ecosystem services in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain

Introduction: An assessment of the potential impacts of future urban expansion on multiple ecosystem services (ESs) represents an essential contribution to the sustainable development of the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM). However, the potential ES losses attributed to future urban expansion have been assessed in few studies.Methods: In this study, we evaluated the potential ES losses attributable to urban expansion in the TACM over the period from 2015 to 2050. To achieve this objective, we initially quantified multiple ESs (namely, food production (FP), carbon storage (CS), water retention (WR), and air purification (AP)) based on 1992 data, and subsequently simulated urban expansion from 2015 to 2050 by coupling Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenarios (SSPs) with the zoned Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban model. Finally, the potential impacts of future urban expansion on ESs were evaluated on multiple scales.Results: The results indicated that during the period from 2015 to 2050, the extent of urban land will grow by between 157.59 and 517.77 km2, resulting in FP, CS, WR, and AP losses of 193.76–684.39 thousand tons, 1.47–5.24 million tons, 8.74–30.00 million tons, and 0.34–1.18 thousand tons, respectively.Discussion: The subregion falling within the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will experience the most severe future losses of ESs, with losses of FP, CS, WR, and AP being 1.06–3.77-fold, 1.15–3.46-fold, 1.10–3.54-fold, and 1.08–3.21-fold higher, respectively than those that occurred in this subregion the period of 1992–2015. Specifically, the encroachment of new urban land onto cropland and woodland will be the main contributing factor in these future declines in ESs. Furthermore, the reductions in ESs attributable to urban expansion in this subregion will have serious effects on human wellbeing. By 2050, the loss of FP will affect approximately 9.58%–30.00% of the population. Moreover, among the residents of this subregion, the loss of AP will contribute to the need for additional expenditures of 6.63–19.81 million euros on air purification measures. On the basis of these findings, we suggest that effective policies and regulations should be implemented to promote the sustainable development of the TACM.

Indirect impacts of future urban expansion on ecosystem services in the transnational area of China, North Korea, and Russia

AbstractAssessing the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services is important for understanding the cascading effect of urbanization on the environment. However, few studies have assessed the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services. In this study, the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services refer to the impacts of cropland displacement on ecosystem services, which is triggered by urban expansion. Taking the transnational area of Changbai Mountain as a study area, we assessed the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services during 2015–2050. We first quantified three key ecosystem services, that is, carbon storage (CS), water retention (WR), and air purification (AP). Then, the future urban expansion and cropland displacement were simulated by using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the zoned Land Use Scenario Dynamics‐urban (LUSD‐urban) model. Finally, the indirect impacts of urban expansion on ecosystem services were assessed. The results indicated that influenced by the cropland displacement, the CS, WR, and AP will decrease by 0.03%–0.16%, 0.01%–0.06%, and 0.03%–0.16%, respectively. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) side will be the foremost region of ecosystem service indirect losses. The indirect losses of ecosystem services on the DPRK's side will be significantly higher than those on the Chinese side and Russian side. Meanwhile, on the DPRK's side, the indirect losses of CS and AP will be 1.01–1.74‐times and 1.01–1.67‐times the direct losses of these two ecosystem services, respectively. In addition, cropland displacement will cause significant trade‐offs between food provisioning services and regulation services. To promote sustainable development in this transnational area, we propose to make effective land‐use policies to optimize cropland displacement and take ecosystem services as effective tools to guide land‐use planning.

Exploring long-term building stock strategies in Switzerland in line with IPCC carbon budgets

Stringent limits and reduction strategies paths on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are being defined at different levels for long-term temperature stabilization. Given the nearly linear relationship between warming and cumulative net emissions, a carbon budget approach is required to limit global warming, as stated by the IPCC. In this setting, the built environment, as a cross-sectorial and transnational area of activity, plays a crucial role in today’s carbon emissions and future reduction potentials. Previous research showed the need for effective and aligned carbon-targets to support and guide all actors in the construction sector towards these challenging global goals. In this context, previous research compared top-down derived carbon budgets for the Swiss built environment with a preliminary estimation of future cumulative emissions of the sector. Findings showed the misalignment of current best practices and the significant magnitude of effort that would be required to comply with such objectives. Nevertheless, limitations in the preliminary work emerged, such as the lack of dynamicity of the parameters included in the model restricting the representativity of its results. The current paper brings further this previous work by integrating the dynamic evolution of the energy supply, the materials’ production, and the renovation rate. Results are then presented by mean of a parallel coordinate interactive graph. This interactive component allows the parametric exploration of the compliance with limited global budgets by varying the input parameters. This way the influence of macro-level strategies to decarbonize the Swiss building stock can easily be visualized with reference to the IPCC carbon budgets. Ultimately, the available interactive tool might support policy makers in decisions taken at the building stock level.

Environmental degradation in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain based on multiple remote sensing data

AbstractRapid and effective assessment of environmental degradation is essential for promoting regional sustainable development in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM). However, a comprehensive understanding of environmental degradation in the TACM remains inadequate. In this study, we developed an environmental degradation index (EDI) using multiple remote sensing data, including the enhanced vegetation index, gross primary productivity, land surface temperature, and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) surface reflectance products. We then evaluated the performance of the developed index in comparison with that of the remote sensing ecological index and assessed environmental degradation across the entire TACM, in the subregions of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia from 2000 to 2019. The results indicate that the EDI has various advantages, such as speed, flexibility, and simplicity, and can be used to effectively identify and evaluate the environmental degradation dynamics caused by urban expansion and cropland loss. The TACM experienced a downward trend in environmental change from 2000 to 2019. Degraded environment areas (49,329.50 km2) accounted for 30.09% of the entire TACM. The largest area of the degraded environment was in the DPRK subregion (i.e., 25,395.00 km2), which was 5.6‐times and 1.3‐times larger than that in the Russian and Chinese subregions, respectively. Hotspot areas that experienced significant environmental degradation covered only 17.69% of the land area of the TACM, within which the area of environmental degradation accounted for 33.89% of the total degraded environment across the entire TACM. We suggest that international cooperation policies and measures be enacted to promote sustainable regional development.

Nacionalismo en una Nación Colonizada: El Partido Nacionalista y Puerto Rico

This article discusses the Nationalist Party of Puerto Rico’s understanding of nationalism. It located the nation both in the geographical entity of Puerto Rico and in the larger transnational political-cultural area of Latin America. To establish that Puerto Rico was a nation, the party drew on the culture, history, language, and religion that Puerto Rico shared with Latin America. Nationalists also linked the island to Latin America to convince Puerto Ricans that their history and their future lay with Iberoamérica. This article also establishes that the Nationalist Party believed that both men and women made up the nation and had an essential role to play in achieving its liberation. Pedro Albizu Campos, the leader of the Nationalist Party, strongly encouraged women to join the party and many women did.

Nature Is Healing

Nature Is Healing

Integrated Coastal Zone Management on a transnational area: The Gulf of Honduras

In the geographical area of the Gulf of Honduras (GoH) shared by Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, ecosystems, cultures and diverse economic activities converge. In this space, there is evidence of growing impacts and threats, which must be addressed from a joint working perspective. This research was based on an interdisciplinary analysis of the problems and public policies related to Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the GoH. The DAPSI(W)R(M) method was applied to understand the coastal-marine problems, where the Response section was complemented using the Decalogue of Integrated Coastal Zone Management. This was followed by an analysis of the common initiatives of the three countries. Emphasis is placed on the proper harmonisation of national public policy responses and the design and implementation of supranational instruments aimed at the sustainability of the GoH. It is a supranational space that currently has no common public policy initiative on Integrated Coastal Zone Management.

Insights on Eastern Hellenistic Historical and Archaeological Material Culture of the Oikoumene: Globalisation and Local Socio-Cultural Identities

This paper focuses on the Hellenistic Middle East, especially the age of Ptolemaic Alexandrian and Syrian Seleucid influence. It investigates and clarifies some of the Hellenistic-age historical and archaeological material culture within the Hellenisation and globalisation conceptions. Furthermore, it suggests that by reviewing the context of the local socio-cultural identities in the Hellenistic Oikoumene, mainly based on the lingua franca about local identity and how the local identity was expressed on coinage during Hellenistic times, many related insights issues can be revealed. In addition, it also attempts to discuss and reveal aspects of the cultural sharing achievements in Hellenistic art, architecture, and urban built environment planning. Finally, how did Eastern Hellenistic cities manage to benefit from the process of Hellenistic globalisation and localisation/globalisation while minimising identity risks? The focus is on the transnational socio-cultural and economic area of Ptolemaic Alexandria, the centre of the post-Classical Greek world, and the Syrian Seleucid influence. As an investment, mass migration and the transfer of goods, culture, and ideas increasingly transformed these Middle Eastern cities and shaped their translocal culture conception, local socio-cultural identities, cultural sharing, art and architecture edifice forms, and spatial patterns in the Hellenistic period. One of the main contributions and significance of this study is to continue the dialogue of how non-Greek influence in Hellenistic times impacted an area that has been traditionally seen as unaffected or minimally affected by years under foreign rule. This also sheds new light on some Greco-Macedonian topics not sufficiently debated in the Oikoumene discussion dialogue. These two aspects would furthermore contribute to better understanding and accepting the neglected role of the contribution of non-Greek culture to Greek achievements, as well as how the local non-Greek customs of the indigenous peoples of the Ptolemy and Seleucid kingdoms would affect how they assimilated Greco-Macedonian practices, and how the vision of Alexander the Great and Hellenisation worked in the different territories of these two kingdoms.

Validity of Digital Signature as Evidence in Electronic Commerce

Trade is a way to promote economy, recognized that trade is important, urge the emergence of new trading concept. Electronic Commerce is the succumbed attendance of faceless trading. Alongside the development of technology, crimes also develop rapidly. Cyber crime is the type of crime in the virtual world. Recognized this problem, the appearance of security system in cryptography is well developed. Digital Signature is the manifestation of cryptography in asymmetric cryptosystem. Ironically well problem solving of this condition is not entails with its position as evidence in electronic contract. In evidence law, the presence of digital signature is approved as evidence in electronic commerce. It based on the equality of hash function. The validity of digital signature also approved as evidence in electronic commerce based on the approval of art. 11 Law No 11/2008 on Information and Electronic Transaction, which emphasize the legal position of digital signature as valid evidence in electronic commerce. Considering the constraints that arise in digital signature verification divided into Non juridical consist of technology and cultural obstacle. In case a dispute occurs either in transnational area, the jurisdiction that used in cyberspace area need precise principles rooted from the principle of international law. These principles are: subjective, objective territoriality, passive nationality, protective principle and universality interest jurisdiction, theory of the law of the server and theory of international space.

The Greater Mekong's Climate‐Water‐Energy Nexus: How ENSO‐Triggered Regional Droughts Affect Power Supply and CO2 Emissions

AbstractThe Greater Mekong Subregion is a transnational area bound together by the Mekong River basin and its immense hydropower resources, historically seen as the backbone of regional economic development. The basin is now punctuated by several dams, successful in attracting both international investors and fierce criticisms for their environmental and societal impacts. Surprisingly, no attention has been paid so far to the actual performance of these infrastructures: is hydropower supply robust with respect to the hydroclimatic variability characterizing Southeast Asia? When water availability is altered, what are the implications for power production costs and CO2 emissions? To answer these questions, we focus on the Laotian–Thai grid—the first international power‐trade infrastructure developed in the region—and use a power system model driven by a spatially distributed hydrological‐water management model. Simulation results over a 30‐year period show that production costs and carbon footprint are significantly affected by droughts, which reduce hydropower availability and increase reliance on thermoelectric resources. Regional droughts across the Mekong basin are of particular concern, as they reduce the export of cheap hydropower from Laos to Thailand. To put the analysis into a broader climate‐water‐energy context, we show that the El Niño Southern Oscillation modulates not only the summer monsoon, but also the power system behavior, shaping the relationship between hydroclimatological conditions, power production costs, and CO2 emissions. Overall, our results and models provide a knowledge basis for informing robust management strategies at the water‐energy scale and designing more sustainable power plans in the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Direct and indirect losses of natural habitat caused by future urban expansion in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain

Assessing the potential natural habitat losses caused by future urban expansion is important for understanding the cascading effect of urbanization on the environment and improving urban landscape sustainability. However, few studies have assessed the indirect loss of natural habitat resulting from urban expansion. Taking the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM) as study area, we evaluated the potential loss of natural habitat caused by urban expansion during 2015–2050. We first quantified the spatial pattern of natural habitat. Second, urban expansion was simulated by using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the zoned Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban (LUSD-urban) model. Finally, direct and indirect losses of natural habitat were calculated and compared. The results indicated that 56.97–153.90 km² of natural habitat will be lost directly caused by urban expansion during 2015–2050, while 77.76–318.78 km² will be lost resulting from cropland displacement. The indirect loss will be 1.36–2.12 times higher than the direct loss. Furthermore, the indirect loss of natural habitat will be 2.21–3.15 times greater than the direct loss on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) side. To promote regional sustainable development, effective policies and measures should be enacted to balance urban expansion, cropland displacement, and natural habitat conservation.

Spatial Patterns of LULC and Driving Forces in the Transnational Area of Tumen River: A Comparative Analysis of the Sub-regions of China, the DPRK, and Russia

Understanding the spatial patterns of land-use and land-cover (LULC) and their driving forces in transnational areas is important for the sustainable development of these regions. However, the spatial patterns of LULC and their driving forces across multiple scales are poorly understood in transnational areas. In this study, we analyzed the spatial patterns of LULC and driving forces in the transnational area of Tumen River (TATR) in 2016 across two scales: the entire region and the sub-regions of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), and Russia. Results showed that the LULC was dominated by broadleaf forest and dry farmland in the TATR in 2016, which accounted for 66.86% and 13.60% of the entire region, respectively. Meanwhile, the LULC in the three sub-regions exhibited noticeable differences. In the Chinese and the DPRK’s sub-regions, the area of broadleaf forest was greater than those for the other LULC types, while the Russian sub-region was dominated by broadleaf forest and grassland. The spatial patterns of LULC were mainly influenced by topography, climate, soil properties, and human activities. In addition, the driving forces of the spatial patterns of LULC in the TATR had an obvious scaling effect. Therefore, we suggest that effective policies and regulations with cooperation among China, the DPRK, and Russia are needed to plan the spatial patterns of LULC and improve the sustainable development of the TATR.

The ‘Alpine region’ and political change: Lessons from Bavaria and South Tyrol (1946–2018)

ABSTRACT Bavaria and South Tyrol belong to the so-called ‘Alpine (Macro-)Region’, a transnational area located in the heart of Europe, where geopolitical, cultural and socio-economic peculiarities have resulted in distinctive democratic dynamics. The key question that this article aims to answer is whether these two regions can still be regarded as exceptional cases of political stability. It is shown that, since 2008, their political systems have experienced significant change. While transformations have also occurred at the national level in Germany and Italy, they seem even more dramatic in Bavaria and South Tyrol, particularly after decades of political continuity. It is argued that this unprecedented shift is due to the combined effect of regional and state-wide challengers and is linked to the multi-level character of party competition at the regional level. Generally, these two cases add a territorial dimension to the study of political stability and change in Western Europe.

Serial migrants and one-time migrants

Europe is home to a globally unique area, where it is possible for the majority of Europeans to study, work, or retire in a wide geographical area. Based on two consecutive online surveys and 18 biographical interviews, the article examines the experiences of young, highly educated Finns living abroad in 12 EU countries. The article focuses on two types of migrants: one-time migrants with limited previous international experience and serial migrants with mobility capital accumulated during previous international experiences. The article concludes that this mobility capital, is a major factor influencing the likelihood of onward migration. The article also contributes to the understanding of Europe as a transnational area where various forms of mobility coexist as mobile Europeans look for study and career opportunities and suitable lifestyles abroad.

Spatial patterns of net primary productivity and its driving forces: a multi-scale analysis in the transnational area of the Tumen River

Analyzing the spatial patterns of net primary productivity (NPP) and its driving forces in transnational areas provides a solid basis for understanding regional ecological processes and ecosystem services. However, the spatial patterns of NPP and its driving forces have been poorly understood on multiple scales in transnational areas. In this study, the spatial patterns of NPP in the transnational area of the Tumen River (TATR) in 2016 were simulated using the Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) model, and its driving forces were analyzed using a stepwise multiple linear regression model. We found that the total amount of NPP in the TATR in 2016 was approximately 14.53 TgC. The amount of NPP on the Chinese side (6.23 TgC) was larger than those on the other two sides, accounting for 42.88% of the total volume of the entire region. Among different land-use and land-cover (LULC) types, the amount of NPP of the broadleaf forest was the largest (11.22 TgC), while the amount of NPP of the bare land was the smallest. The NPP per unit area was about 603.21 gC/(m2·yr) across the entire region, while the NPP per unit area on the Chinese side was the largest, followed by the Russian side and the DPRK’s side. The spatial patterns of NPP were influenced by climate, topography, soil texture, and human activities. In addition, the driving forces of the spatial patterns of NPP in the TATR had an obvious scaling effect, which was mainly caused by the spatial heterogeneity of climate, topography, soil texture, and human activities. We suggest that effective land management policies with cooperation among China, the DPRK, and Russia are needed to maintain NPP and improve environmental sustainability in the TATR.

Modeling urban expansion in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain: A scenario analysis based on the zoned Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban model

Modeling urban expansion in the transnational area of Changbai Mountain (TACM) is important for regional sustainable development. Nonetheless, few studies investigated future urban expansion across the whole TACM. By using the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and the zoned Land Use Scenario Dynamics-urban (LUSD-urban) model, this study simulated urban expansion across the whole TACM during 2015–2050. We first analyzed the urban expansion across the TACM during 1992–2015. Then, urban land demands were calculated for the Chinese side, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK's) side, and the Russian side using urban population data under the SSPs, respectively. Finally, we simulated urban expansion by using the zoned LUSD-urban model. The results indicated that the urban land in the TACM will grow from 870.57 km2 to 1025.78–1386.50 km2 during 2015–2050, and the DPRK's side will become the primary region of urban expansion, where its urban land area will raise from 174.78 km2 to 232.46–357.58 km2. We also found that the urban expansion on the DPRK's side will be at the expense of cropland and natural habitats, which will cause serious consequences on the regional food security and ecological security. We recommend that urban expansion should be regulated to promote the regional sustainable development.

Challenges of transnationalism among the second generation of Serbian migrants in Switzerland

This paper presents the results of a survey conducted among members of the second generation of Serbian migrants born in Switzerland. Thanks to the data obtained through the application of qualitative research, there are presented activities of the respondents in the transnational area. Their engagement on the route between Serbia and Switzerland is reflected in four areas of transnationalism: direct/indirect contacts, transnational engagement in the receiving state, remittances and visits to the country of origin and return plans. The results indicate that children of migrants who come from a family whose members are active in a transnational space, in most cases, adopt the same norms of behavior and it plays a crucial role in the process of identity formation. However, their transnational behavior on the relationship between the two states has different form, and the transnational activities examined do not condition each other.

Impacts of Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Carbon Stocks Over the Transboundary Tumen River Basin in Northeast Asia

Understanding the effects of land cover changes on ecosystem carbon stocks is essential for ecosystem management and environmental protection, particularly in the transboundary region that has undergone marked changes. This study aimed to examine the impacts of land cover changes on ecosystem carbon stocks in the transboundary Tumen River Basin (TTRB). We extracted the spatial information from Landsat Thematic Imager (TM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) images for the years 1990 and 2015 and obtained convincing estimates of terrestrial biomass and soil carbon stocks with the InVEST model. The results showed that forestland, cropland and built-up land increased by 57.5, 429.7 and 128.9 km2, respectively, while grassland, wetland and barren land declined by 24.9, 548.0 and 43.0 km2, respectively in the TTRB from 1990 to 2015. The total carbon stocks encompassing aboveground, belowground, soil and litter layer carbon storage pools have declined from 831.48 Tg C in 1990 to 831.42 Tg C in 2015 due to land cover changes. In detail, the carbon stocks decreased by 3.13 Tg C and 0.44 Tg C in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Russia, respectively, while increased by 3.51 Tg C in China. Furthermore, economic development, and national policy accounted for most land cover changes in the TTRB. Our results imply that effective wetland and forestland protection policies among China, North Korea, and Russia are much needed for protecting the natural resources, promoting local ecosystem services and regional sustainable development in the transnational area.