Constitutional Development and Natural Resources in the North

2016 ◽  
pp. 180-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair Campbell ◽  
Kirk Cameron
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7956
Author(s):  
Xiangmin Zhang ◽  
Bin Yu ◽  
Hailong Yu ◽  
Zhuofan Li ◽  
Shen Luo ◽  
...  

The demand structure of resources for new economy is different from the traditional one in that its development may significantly change China’s economic location map and spatial pattern. Based on 343 administrative units of prefecture-level cities in China, this research constructs the measurement index system of terrestrial surface natural resources under the orientation of the new economic demands; this research mainly analyses the spatial distribution characteristics and geographical mechanism of natural resources by means of the spatial autocorrelation and spatial similarity calculation methods. The results show that: (1) The structure and endowment of natural resources under the orientation of the new economic demands need to be reexamined. The significance of a good environment and ecological resources has been highlighted. The coupling of resource elements better reveals the availability of natural resources. (2) The natural resources decrease from southeast to northwest, showing a pattern of “abundant in the south and east and scarce in the north and west”. Natural resources have a significant positive correlation in spatial distribution with two types of agglomeration: high-high agglomeration and low-low agglomeration, showing the local agglomeration feature of “high in the south and low in the north”. (3) Natural factors such as temperature, precipitation and altitude affect the spatial distribution of natural resources, with the temperature being the most significant. This indicates that the original natural environment and its role are the geographical mechanism for the formation and distribution of natural resources. The results could provide a reference for the development and the optimization of China’s new economy.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Rodrigue Vivien Cao Diogo ◽  
Luc Hippolyte Dossa ◽  
Sèyi Fridaïus Ulrich Vanvanhossou ◽  
Badirou Dine Abdoulaye ◽  
Kossi Hélliot Dosseh ◽  
...  

The sustainable use of rangelands in pastoral areas requires the inclusion of all stakeholders to develop sound management strategies. However, the role of these actors in the sustainable management of natural resources is still poorly understood. The present study aims to (i) assess the perception of farmers and herders of the risks and opportunities of transhumance on rangeland resource use and management, and to (ii) generate useful knowledge for the design and implementation of policies that favor the coexistence of these actors and reduce competition over rangeland resources use in Benin. To this end, interviews were conducted with 240 crop farmers and herders using a semi-structured questionnaire in two contrasting agroecological zones in the northern (Kandi) and the southern (Kétou) part of the country. Among the respondents, 64% of farmers in the North were agro-pastoralists (owning 10.6 ha of land and 10.7 cattle) and 36% were herders (keeping 45.8 cattle and cultivating about 3.7 ha of land). They perceived that communal rangelands were entirely degraded. In the South, 36% of respondents were agro-pastoralists (with 0.3 cattle and farming 4 ha of land) and 64% cattle herders (raising 45.3 cattle and farming 0.9 ha of land only). Of the herders, 50% kept cattle for more than 20 years, while agro-pastoralists had no previous experience in cattle herding. Cultivation practices among crop farmers, such as high use of mineral fertilization (23.8%) and bush fires for land clearing (22.5%), were reported in Kandi (North) and Kétou (South) as factors that might contribute to land degradation. However, these farmers perceived transhumance as a threat to the sustainable use of natural resources. In contrast, herders perceived transhumance as an opportunity to valorize unused land and increase the availability of manure to cropland. The prevalent negative attitude of crop farmers regarding transhumant herders increases the vulnerability of cattle herding in both regions. There is an urgent need of raising awareness concerning the mutual benefits provided by the coexistence of crop farmers with herders to promote participative rangeland management strategies. This may contribute towards coping with the current challenges of food insecurity and increasing climate variability as well as to reducing recurrent conflicts in the region.


Koedoe ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Brand ◽  
Pieter J. Du Preez ◽  
Leslie R. Brown

Within the Platberg area and the wider Drakensberg region, the shrinking natural resources and the threat posed to biodiversity are of concern to conservation management and require an understanding of long-term ecological processes. The vegetation of Platberg was investigated as part of an ecological survey to establish Afromontane floristic links to the Drakensberg as well as for the management of natural resources. From a TWINSPAN classification, refined by the Braun-Blanquet method, four main plant communities were identified, which were subdivided into fynbos, wetland, a woody/shrub community and grassland. A classification and description of the fynbos are presented in this article.The analysis showed the fynbos divided into two communities comprising four sub-communities and seven variants. The fynbos community had an average of 28.34 species per relevé, ranging from 14 to 54 species per sample plot. Twenty-four endemic or near-endemic Drakensberg Alpine Centre (DAC) species and 22 exotic (alien-invasive) species were recorded. Numerous floristic links with the DAC, Cape flora fynbos and grassland bioregions to the north and west were also found. The description of the fynbos plant communities can serve as a basis for the formulation of management plans for the area.


Author(s):  
Christopher M. Hobza ◽  
Jared D. Abraham ◽  
James C. Cannia ◽  
Michaela R. Johnson ◽  
Steven S. Sibray

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 266
Author(s):  
Gabriela Marques Pinheiro ◽  
Javier Martin Vide

A Bacia do Alto Iguaçu/Paraná, localizada no sul do Brasil, encontra-se exposta a riscos derivados das inundações, sobretudo nos meses de verão (dezembro, janeiro e fevereiro). Durante este período a bacia experimenta precipitações convectivas associadas a sistemas frontais juntamente com o aquecimento local. Además, as precipitações convectivas estão associadas com a entrada de umidade procedente do norte do Brasil. Dada a sua concentração e seu grande volume total, o conhecimento da precipitação em escala diária é essencial para o planejamento e gestão da bacia. Em particular, a compreensão dos padrões de precipitação diária torna-se essencial para o planejamento e gestão do território, assim como para a conservação dos recursos naturais. Com base no conhecimento da área de estudo, este trabalho utiliza o índice de concentração da precipitação (CI) para determinar os potencias impactos da precipitação diária. O índice foi aplicado para 18 estações meteorológicas com dados homogeneizados de qualidade, para o período de 1980 a 2010. Os valores foram calculados considerando os totais e a sazonalidade, com o intuito de verificar possíveis variações. Os valores do índice de concentração, foram altos durante o outono e inverno, já durante a primavera e o verão, apresentaram-se moderados.ABSTRACTThe Upper Iguaçu Basin/Paraná, located in the South of Brazil, is exposed to flood risk, mainly during summer months (December, January and February). During this period, the basin undergoes convective precipitation associated with frontal systems with local heating. Besides that, the convective precipitation is related to the moisture entrance from the North of Brazil. Given its concentration at time and large total volume, the knowledge of the resolution of daily rainfall is very important. Particularly, the comprehension of the daily rainfall patterns is essential for planning and management of land and to the conservation of natural resources. Based on area knowledge, this paper uses the concentration index (IC) to determine the potential impacts of daily rainfall. The index was applied in 18 meteorological stations within homogenized quality for the period 1970-2010. The values were calculated considering the the total amount and the sazonality, with the purpose of check possible variations.The values of the Concentration Index were high during fall and winter, and during summer and spring it reveals to be moderate.


Author(s):  
Liudmila Lapochkina ◽  
Elena Vetrova

Circumpolar territories and the regions related to the Arctic are those rich with natural resources. They have a high potential for the development of mining and extractive industries. The abundance with resources makes the North increasingly attractive for investments. However, circumpolar territories are characterized by peculiar socio-economic, natural, and climatic conditions which taken together frequently pose a negative impact on people and hinder the exploration opportunities of the Arctic resources. In global, regional, and sub-regional levels, the development of the Arctic is heavily regulated by multilateral international treaties. However, the issues of monitoring and assessment of the sustainable development of the Arctic remain open, which stems from the absence of agreed criteria and indicators for assessing sustainability in the context of national, regional, and scientific approaches. It necessitates the development of a specific methodological approach to the establishment of a system to monitor and assess the sustainable development of the Arctic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 05005
Author(s):  
Norizan Esa ◽  
Salasiah Che Lah ◽  
Sakiinah Mahamad Hakimi

Local knowledge is knowledge transferred across generations by individuals or community through experience in the environment they live in. This includes the knowledge and practices that are still practiced by a community or individual. Apart from trust, the willingness and capacity to share what they know and use what they learn plays an important role for local knowledge to be transferred and managed. In Malaysia, traditional Malay massage is a form of traditional healing among the Malay society that was recorded since the 19th century through Kitab Tib manuscript. This form of healing uses natural resources, wafak (letters, numerals and diagrams), Quranic verses and doa (prayers and supplications) in the healing practice. This paper attempts to explore on how the knowledge is passed down from expert to apprentice. This study involves interviews and observation on selected Malay traditional massage practitioners. In conclusion, knowledge transfer among Malay traditional massage practitioners only happens when there is trust trust. Knowledge is passed down within their family members and learned from observation and experience. The traditional Malay massage remains only within the individual or a limited number within the family community rather than the community as a whole.


1988 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur H. Westing

The environment and natural resources of Estonia (area 45,000 km2, population c. 1.5 million) are described: Estonia is a flat country of which 40% is forested (managed on a sustained-yield basis), 20% is covered by peat bogs (widely cut for agricultural purposes and fuel), and 22% is under cultivation, often on drained land (largely growing grain for livestock). Rich deposits of oil-shale (used for fuel, etc.) and phosphorite (used for fertilizer, etc.) are exploited, especially in the north-east. Both of these resources are to a large extent strip-mined, causing enormous local surface disruption and more widespread water and air pollution— especially so in the case of the phosphorite extraction. Estonia has, however, recently been able to prevent a planned expansion of phosphorite exploitation.About 3% of Estonia is set aside as Nature reserves, including some wetlands of international importance. Environmental protection is an important item on Estonia's agenda; the prognosis is quite favourable, not only because of a commendable population density, but also in large part (as there is considerable evidence to suggest) because the population has a keenly-developed Nature ethic of long standing.


Polar Record ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 18 (113) ◽  
pp. 151-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Power

Today the north is no longer remote and insulated from the demands of modern society, and northern Quebec is no exception. Principal threats to the environment come from mining, pipeline construction and hydro-electric developments. In the negotiations that are going on today between the native peoples, who are trying to protect what is left of their culture, and the developers from the south, there is a large divergence of opinion about what is important. When the native peoples are asked to document their use of natural resources in the courts they find themselves at a great disadvantage due to the lack of written history about their activities. The value of renewable natural resources that have sustained indigenous populations for thousands of years is difficult to quantify and can easily be made to look insignificant in comparison to the often exaggerated benefits of development proposals. For this reason it is important to make available whatever factual information there is and to present it in an unbiased manner.


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