Discount Rates and Environmental Conservation

1975 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Helliwell

The use of current money-lending rates as the basis for economic calculations involving long-term assets such as growing timber, agricultural land, or species of wildlife, is unrealistic and can be very damaging to the interests of the environment. An alternative method, using an assessment of risks together with an assessment of the expected ratio of investment: income, is proposed.

2018 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 688-692
Author(s):  
Lucian Nita ◽  
Dorin Tarau ◽  
Gheorghe Rogobete ◽  
Simona Nita ◽  
Radu Bertici ◽  
...  

The issue addressed relates to an area of 1891694 ha of which 1183343 ha are agricultural land (62, 56) located in the south-west of Romania and refer to the use of soil chemical and physical properties as an acceptor for certain crop systems, with minimal undesirable effects both for plants to be grown, as well as soil characteristics and groundwater surface quality. It is therefore necessary on a case-by-case basis, measure stoc or rect the acidic reaction by periodic or alkaline calculations, the improvement of plant nutrition conditions through ameliorative fertilization and the application of measures to improve the physical state, sufficient justification for the need to develop short and long term strategies for the protection and conservation of edifying factors and the need to respect the frequency of field and laboratory investigations at all 8x8 km grids of the National Soil-Grounds Monitoring System (organized by I.C.P.A.) and completing it with the relevant pedological and agrochemical studies.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Tharani Gopalakrishnan ◽  
Lalit Kumar

Soil salinity is a serious threat to coastal agriculture and has resulted in a significant reduction in agricultural output in many regions. Jaffna Peninsula, a semi-arid region located in the northern-most part of Sri Lanka, is also a victim of the adverse effects of coastal salinity. This study investigated long-term soil salinity changes and their link with agricultural land use changes, especially paddy land. Two Landsat images from 1988 and 2019 were used to map soil salinity distribution and changes. Another set of images was analyzed at four temporal periods to map abandoned paddy lands. A comparison of changes in soil salinity with abandoned paddy lands showed that abandoned paddy lands had significantly higher salinity than active paddy lands, confirming that increasing salts owing to the high levels of sea water intrusion in the soils, as well as higher water salinity in wells used for irrigation, could be the major drivers of degradation of paddy lands. The results also showed that there was a dramatic increase in soil salinity (1.4-fold) in the coastal lowlands of Jaffna Peninsula. 64.6% of the salinity-affected land was identified as being in the extreme saline category. In addition to reducing net arable lands, soil salinization has serious implications for food security and the livelihoods of farmers, potentially impacting the regional and national economy.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randolph Thaman

Our ability to conserve biodiversity and to adapt to climate, environmental and economic change in the Pacific Islands will be greatly dependent on the conservation, restoration and enrichment of biodiversity within traditional multispecies agricultural land use systems. “Agrobiodiversity” is the most well-known, culturally-useful and accessible biodiversity on most islands and constitutes the most important foundation for ecosystem goods and services that support food, health, energy and livelihood security. This rich Pacific agrobiodiversity heritage, including associated ethnobiodiversity is highly threatened and deserves more prominence in mainstream conservation initiatives as a foundation for long-term sustainability. Such action is in line with Aichi Biodiversity Targets 7 and 13 which set goals for sustainable management of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, and the maintenance of genetic diversity as critical for successful biodiversity conservation globally. It is also supported by the findings of the Japan Satoyama-Satoumi Assessment, which stresses the critical importance of biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services provided by traditional agricultural and village landscapes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 54-56
Author(s):  
Pranav Acharya

The Three Gorges Dam Project (TGDP) on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province is touted as the long term solution to China’s increasing energy and agricultural needs. TGDP, with a 1084 km2 reservoir of 39.3 billion m3 capacity, will be the largest multipurpose water conservancy project ever built in the world. The main structures of the project are dam, hydropower stations and navigation facilities. After studying fifteen alternative sites and approval of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in February 1992, the construction of the dam began in 1994 with an expected duration of 17 years. Annual reduction of 40-50 million tons of coal consumption by providing 85 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, protection of 1.6 million hectares of agricultural land from floods and considerable improvement of navigation and tourism sector are the major anticipated benefits of TGDP. However, the proposed benefits put significant pressure on ecological and socio-cultural environment of the TGDP area. Relocation and resettlement of over 1.3 million local populations, inundation of several sites of historical importance, deforestation and loss of biodiversity including several endangered species of flora and fauna across a region of 58,000 km2, increased sedimentation, water pollution and potential earthquake risks are the major adverse consequences of TGDP. Key words: Three Gorges Dam Project (TGDP), environmental impacts, alternatives, resettlement, biodiversity, ecology, China Hydro Nepal: Journal of Water, Energy and Environment Vol. I, Issue No. 1 (2007) pp. 54-56


Author(s):  
В. В. Коваль ◽  
В. О. Наталочка ◽  
С. К. Ткаченко ◽  
О. В. Міненко

Наведено результати багаторічних досліджень і узагальнено сучасний стан родючості земель сіль-ськогосподарського призначення Полтавської області. Проаналізовано динаміку забезпечення ґрунтів ґумусом (органічною речовиною) й надані рекомендації щодо подальшого їх призупинення деградації та відновленню. Лабораторними дослі-дженнями протягом 2001–2010 років визначено, що інтенсивна, науково необґрунтована система землеробства призводить до більш високих темпів втрат ґумусу. Вміст ґумусу в області за два останні тури обстеження знизився. За даними VIII туру обстеження, середній вміст його стано-вить 3,39 %, проти 3,26 % у IX турі, тобто змен-шився на 0,13 абсолютних відсотка. Визначено, що навіть за комплексного підходу внесення органіч-них речовин баланс рівноваги елементів живлення в ґрунті порушується. І тільки застосування ком-плексу органічних і мінеральних добрив та наси-чення сівозміни бобовими культурами (соя, горох, багаторічні трави), дотримання науково обґрун-тованої системи землеробства дає змогу підвищити якість земель. The publication presents the results of long-term studies and summarizes the current condition of soil fertility of agricultural land in Poltava Region.  The dynamics of providing soils of the Poltava area with the boron is analyzed and the recommendations in relation to their further stopping degradation and to renewal is given. During 2001–2010 laboratory researches detected, that content of the boron in soils of area for two last rounds of inspection did not change. According to the information of the VIII round of inspection, the average content of the boron is made by 1,05 mgs/kg of soil, against a 1,11 mg/kg in the IX round.


Author(s):  
Smaranda BICA ◽  
Diana BELCI

Urban sprawl has been plaguing Western European and American cities for the last 70 years. One has fought against this phenomenon all over the world with a combination of strategic planning and urban regulations, focusing on growth management, sustainable development and preservation of farmland. East European cities, Romanian cities included, have been rapaciously consuming the free natural and agricultural land around them, without long-term development policies. The aim of this paper is analyzing urban sprawl around Timișoara and finding efficient ways of economizing urban and rural land. The article is based on several urban studies, statistical and traffic data showing the magnitude of the phenomenon and its dramatic effects on the environment.The European Union required to recent members to follow the path set by the developed countries, even if their economies have a system more or less centralized inherited from communism. It is still unclear who should be responsible for urban planning; the rules and regulations are made along the way, while the investors’ pressure is huge. Meanwhile extended rural and agricultural land might be destroyed. Most politicians do not acknowledge this problem as they approve further expansion into farmland without any previous planning. This paper might be just tackling this subject, but its target should be making urban sprawl more visible, understanding its dimension and dramatic effects around Romanian cities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 5518-5525
Author(s):  
M Chairul Basrun Umanailo Et al.

The phenomenon of changing the function of agricultural land in Namlea District becomes a problem when the amount of productive land decreases and has an impact on the availability of land for agricultural production and affects the supply chain of agricultural products to the community. The research was conducted to describe the conversion of agricultural land and its utilization in the Namlea subdistrict. The research site focuses on Namlea District Buru Regency with consideration of the availability of the number of agricultural lands that are less than other districts in the Buru Regency. The number of informants interviewed as many as 40 people consisting of landowners, farmers, business owners, and village apparatus. Analytical techniques used to follow the concept of Miles and Huberman where activities in the analysis of qualitative data are conducted interactively and continuously to find saturation in the data processing. The results showed that the reduction of farmland in Namlea district was due to the conversion of land for various activities including housing and development of the Trade Center. Besides, the use of converted land is caused by the system of personal ownership that is secured by the Government through the right to building or proprietary rights but has not fully set the long-term oriented land utilization pattern.  


Author(s):  
S. I. Urba

The article examines the importance of the existing potential of the agrarian sector of the Ukrainian economy, the use of which is insufficient, given the results of its functioning in the system of economic relations. The basic preconditions, which complicate the processes of effective realization of the potential of the domestic agrarian sector in the system of providing economic security, are determined. Particular attention is paid to the problematic issues that form the destabilizing impacts on the development of the potential of the agrarian sector. It is noted that the incompleteness of agrarian reform and long-term transformation processes in the agrarian sector of the economy, the absence of a rationally organized market of agricultural land in Ukraine, the lack of development of vertically-integrated structures of the formation of value added connecting chains, complicate the processes of effective realization of the potential of the domestic agrarian sector. It is argued that in order to increase the economic, social and environmental efficiency of the functioning of the agrarian sector and the realization of its potential, it is expedient to adhere to certain strategic priorities that will ensure the strengthening of economic security. The article proposes a comprehensive implementation of the measures and the expected effect of the implementation of priority directions of development of the potential of the agrarian sector in the system of ensuring economic security of Ukraine.


Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Alice Biedzicki de Marques ◽  
Carlos A. Peres

AbstractBrazil safeguards a vast network of parks and reserves, termed conservation units. The creation of conservation units follows a rigorous legal protocol that grants them long-term stability under varying degrees of formal protection against land-use change. Degazettement, downsizing or downgrading any conservation unit requires a law to be passed. Recent shifts in Brazilian conservation policy have, however, favoured infrastructure projects and agricultural land conversion, even when these initiatives are in direct conflict with established conservation units. Several bills have been proposed by the National Congress, threatening 27 conservation units and bringing the long-term political stability and legal immunity of hitherto sacrosanct reserves into serious question.


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