基于宜兴经验的矿山生态修复问题探析与启示

江苏省宜兴市在推进矿山生态修复工作中形成了政策制度创新、社会资本引入、多元化系统修复矿山废弃地、强化落实监管责任等方面的经验做法,为各地推进矿山生态修复治理提供了参考。基于当前我国矿山生态修复治理困境,结合宜兴市的实践经验,提出新时期统筹推进我国矿山生态修复的建议:(1)加快矿山生态修复法律法规及标准制定;(2)完善市场化运作机制,引导社会资本参与;(3)树立山水林田湖草系统修复理念,推进多元化、开发式治理;(4)完善矿山生态修复监测制度,加大监管力度。     

矿山地质环境治理恢复基金管理现状及改革探讨

为完善矿山地质环境治理恢复基金制度,发挥基金使用的最佳作用效果,采取比较研究、归纳演绎等方法,从矿山土地复垦和矿山地质环境治理恢复两方面对基金制度的建立与演进历程进行梳理总结,从资金使用方式、性质、监管手段及作用等方面对矿山土地复垦费用预存、矿山地质环境治理恢复保证金和矿山地质环境治理恢复基金进行比较分析;在生产矿山土地复垦费用预存纳入基金管理后,对基金的使用范围、账户设立要求、计提标准与依据、使用监管方式等方面的区域性差异与问题进行分析,并从管理目标和配套制度两方面对基金制度的作用进行阐释。最后,提出增强配套制度体系对矿山企业履行修复义务的约束作用和释放基金的激励作用等建议。     

区域性废弃矿山生态修复实践与思考

文章回顾了我国矿山生态修复取得的成绩及存在的主要问题,以长株潭城市群绿心区龟坡生态修复工程为例,介绍了在厚层基材喷播技术、乔灌草蔓植物系统应用技术、数字化智能管理技术的实践应用,以及工程取得的生态效益、社会效益和经济效益。基于案例工程取得的经验提出提升区域性废弃矿山生态修复效果的建议:(1)源头管控要"全方位",严把实施方案关;(2)过程管理要"精细化",严控工程质量、盯紧工作进度、严格资金支出、强化现场监管;(3)后期管护要"立体化"落实,建立完善追责机制,实行动态监管、加强信用监管;(4)行业发展要"多样化"协同。     

对我国构建矿山生态修复制度的思考

矿山生态修复制度是修复实践与管理的保障。近年来,我国土地复垦和矿山地质环境保护与恢复治理制度不断完善,但对于构建矿山生态修复制度,当前相关法律仍存在一定障碍。现行制度还存在如生态修复清账机制、二合一方案编报制度、矿山生态修复地质环境恢复治理基金制度等执行不顺畅,背景调查与对照监测制度、矿山生态替代修复制度等的建立仍缺少依据或支撑,以及法律责任约束力不足等缺陷。建议通过加快修法立法及标准制修订,并从矿山生态保护修复方案编制与实施监督、矿山生态修复基金管理、生态本底背景调查与监测、终身责任追究、替代修复等方面入手,构建我国矿山生态修复制度体系。     

经济新常态下的矿山环境制度供给问题与思考

矿山环境建设既是全面推进我国生态文明建设的迫切需要,也是实现矿业发展方式转变的有效途径。然而当前全球经济整体乏力,国内经济进入新常态,矿业经济正遭遇难熬的"寒冬"。顺应矿业市场低迷的新周期,有待加强矿山环境制度供给侧改革:(1)健全完善矿山环境法律制度;(2)完善相关配套法规的责任协调机制;(3)推进矿山生态环境恢复与治理资金管理的规范化;(4)明确矿业权属制度,落实矿山环境治理责任主体;(5)注重生态环境保护与公益性、基础性地质调查工作问题。     

湖北省地质资料汇交管理措施及有关问题探讨

湖北省地质资料汇交管理措施主要有:建立健全汇交监管平台,实行资料汇交清欠督办制度,实时更新资料验收信息,实行两个挂钩制度,举办专业技术培训,实行持证上岗制度。工作中也存在地质资料汇交范围不全、汇交不及时、汇交质量有待提高、地质资料技术标准有待细化、地质资料管理缺乏有效抓手等问题。加强湖北省地质资料汇交管理的建议:(1)保护合法权益,规范汇交范围;(2)加大宣传力度,增强汇交意识;(3)拓宽培训内容,提高汇交质量;(4)健全技术标准,统一汇交管理;(5)完善管理制度,建立责任机制。     

矿山生态修复中生态产品价值实现机制探析

探索构建生态产品价值实现机制是践行“绿水青山就是金山银山”理念的重要举措,也是促进矿山生态修复高质量发展的重要路径。文章对生态产品有关概念和生态产品价值实现路径进行了梳理,基于地方在矿山生态修复中生态产品价值实现方面的探索实践和国外经验,提出进一步健全矿山生态修复中生态产品价值实现机制的政策建议：(1)加大政策供给,完善生态产品价值实现制度保障;(2)明晰产权归属,促进形成多元化价值实现机制;(3)加强市场建设,构建生态产品交易市场体系。     

矿山生态修复工程管理现状、问题与对策建议

文章以矿区土地复垦、矿山地质环境治理恢复、矿山环境综合治理等工程实施内容变化及相关政策演变为依据,总结矿山生态修复工程发展阶段,在此基础上界定当前矿山生态修复工程概念与内涵。分析生产建设矿山的责任约束全过程管理和历史遗留废弃矿山在激励政策扶持下的严格化管理方式与特点。针对矿山生态修复工程管理过程中方案编报审查存在不足、资金使用监管面临挑战、工程验收标准有待完善等方面问题,从加强方案编制和审查、规范工程实施与资金使用、严格工程验收和优化社会监督环境等方面提出对策建议。     

国外工业污染场地土壤修复治理与再利用——以德国鲁尔区为例

我国推进工业化、城镇化过程中形成了大量的工业污染场地,有待进行修复治理后再利用。对德国在该领域的法律、监管机制、治理方法及后期再利用等进行了梳理,包括土壤保护与防治的法律基础,土壤修复治理的监管部门、责任主体,土壤调查与数据库建设,土壤修复监管工作程序,土壤修复治理措施。德国鲁尔区在工业场地再开发利用方面,区域政府层面的宏观指引与推动、企业的作用以及部门间的联动协作和公众参与等几个因素起到关键作用。对我国的启示:(1)完善法律法规,亟需出台《土壤污染防治法》;(2)明确土壤修复治理责任主体和建立资金保障机制;(3)健全监管程序,强化部门协调机制;(4)完善基础调查与信息库建设;(5)加强政府和开发企业的合作机制。     

关于我国历史遗留矿山土地复垦的思考

历史遗留矿山土地复垦是国土空间生态修复的重要组成部分,也是矿山治理的重点和难点。文章分析了历史遗留矿山土地复垦对推进生态文明建设、推动经济发展、实现减排增汇的重要意义,指出当前开展历史遗留矿山土地复垦中存在监管体制不健全、财政资金保障能力有限、复垦质量有待提高等问题。针对相关问题,从自然恢复与人工修复、成本与效益、政府与市场三个方面明晰历史遗留矿山土地复垦中存在的关系,并在此基础上提出推动历史遗留矿山土地复垦有序高效开展的建议：(1)建立健全监管体制机制;(2)完善社会资本参与政策机制;(3)提升土地复垦技术和质量;(4)丰富土地复垦模式。     

Price transmission between products at different stages of manufacturing in forest industries

The theory of demand and supply implies a positive relationship, or “price transmission” between the prices of products at different stages of manufacturing. This relationship was investigated with quarterly prices of softwood stumpage in the US South, and national prices of forest products, from 1977 to 2002. All prices, net of inflation, were found to be nonstationary and there was no evidence of co-integration between prices. Vector autogressive models, augmented by Granger causality tests and multiplier analysis showed that there was a one-to-one permanent positive response of the southern sawtimber stumpage price to a permanent change in the national lumber price. There was also a one-third permanent positive response of the national paper price to a permanent change in the national pulp price. There was no relation between regional pulpwood prices and national pulp or paper prices. When price transmission was significant, the full adjustment took about 2 years.     

Application of an ecosystem function framework to perceptions of community woodlands

Owners, local residents, government, and conservation organisations can express divergent preferences in the development and management of local woodlands. The perceptions of these four groups were examined, in the context of three community woodlands in Eastern England, using an ecosystem function framework. In a pilot study, residents were able to allocate a relative importance to woodland ecosystem services which were then related to “regulation”, “habitat”, and “production” or “information” functions. However residents also placed importance on negative services or “dis-services” associated with the woodland ecosystem. Therefore a fifth category of “dis-services” was included in the main survey which included 84 local residents, three woodland owners, three government institutions, and six representatives from conservation groups. Each of the four groups placed greatest importance on services associated with habitat (16–39% of the total importance) and information (30–50%) functions suggesting, in this example, mutual interest in the use of woodlands as a habitat or recreational resource. By contrast a potential area of difference was the particularly high importance placed by one owner on dis-services such as fly tipping. In addition the woodland owners placed higher importance (10–20%), than local residents and conservation groups (7–9%), on the productive services of the wood. This suggests a need for communication when production-related operations affect recreation. The ecosystem function framework appears to be a useful approach for highlighting potential tensions and areas of mutual interest in the management of semi-natural ecosystems.     

In Vino ‘No’ Veritas: impacts of fraud on wine imports in China

China is one of the largest wine importing countries in the world and is poised for continued import growth in the future. Increased wine purchases throughout China have given rise to persistent fraud where fake wines are packaged and sold with counterfeit contents and labels. For exporting countries like France, counterfeit wines displace market share, damage foreign brand reputation, and cause distrust in consumers who are aware of counterfeiting problems throughout the country. We examine the impact of fraudulent wine events (as measured by negative media reports) on Chinese wine demand differentiated by supplying country. We employ the Rotterdam demand system and a switching regression procedure to estimate import demand and compare results across different media variable specifications. Results consistently show that negative reports disproportionately affect French wine regardless of how the media variable is specified. This is not surprising because most fraudulent events involve French wine counterfeits.     

An evaluation framework for earthquake-responsive land administration

In recent years earthquakes and their secondary hazards have claimed the largest number of lives of all large natural disasters. Some of the world’s most earthquake-prone zones are also areas of high population density. The impact is magnified by vulnerability factors including non-enforcement of building codes, knowledge gaps, urban poverty and poor governance capacity to manage and reduce earthquake risks. Poor security of land tenure and property rights increases the vulnerability of people and affects their ability to respond to natural disasters.Earthquake recovery and reconstruction provides very significant challenges for land agencies, with these challenges differing from one country to the next due to differences in the local context. Drawing on contrasting case studies in Haiti, Nepal and New Zealand this paper identifies the common post-earthquake land administration functions and challenges that may apply to many contexts. These lessons provide land agencies and other key stakeholders with a summary of the challenges an earthquake poses for land administration at different post-disaster stages. We also discuss the policy and regulatory, institutional, operational and preparedness lessons for land administration. From these lessons we propose a framework for evaluating the earthquake-responsiveness of a land administration system. This framework can be used by a land agency in an earthquake prone region, or where an earthquake has recently occurred, to assess what challenges to land administration might occur in the event of an earthquake, and the preparedness of their land administration system.     

Agrarian Poverty,Nutrition and Economic Class – A Study of Gujarat,India

This paper analyses poverty and calorific undernourishment in the Indian state of Gujarat, where high and market‐led industrial growth has resulted in rapid economic improvement. The study is carried out through a combination of secondary and survey‐based data. We conclude that the neoliberal agenda of uncontrolled, outward‐looking growth has not resulted in significant reduction of poverty or malnourishment in rural areas. Furthermore, while land ownership is officially used as a proxy for wealth distribution, class position appears a better predictor of poverty status in the rural areas than landownership per se. At the policy level, there is a need to revive the agrarian economy and create new non‐agricultural assets, and the primary focus in the state must shift to the distribution of created assets rather than a single‐minded focus on growth.     

Does sustainable agricultural growth require a system of innovation? Evidence from Ghana and Burkina Faso

This paper tests the ‘systems of innovation’ hypothesis for a selection of crops in Ghana and Burkina Faso that have shown significant growth in production over an approximately 20-year period. The question is whether such growth can only occur if supported by a system of innovation. Using two indicators (a common understanding on objectives and priorities, and a high level of interactivity), we find little evidence for the existence of anything that might be considered a high functioning system of innovation.     

Local impacts of industrial tree plantations: An empirical analysis in Indonesia across plantation types

The values ascribed to industrial tree plantations are often controversial. Hence knowledge of their perceived impacts is important for improving their integration in rural landscapes. In 2016 we conducted household surveys with 606 respondents living in villages adjacent to acacia, teak and pine plantations across three islands in Indonesia (Java, Borneo, Sumatra). Results show that perceptions toward pine and teak plantations tend to differ from those toward acacia pulpwood plantations in several ways. Pine and teak plantations are perceived to have a higher number and variety of benefits and services, a higher number of positive impacts, a better environmental record, and to present more opportunities to local people for use of plantation land and products for improving rural livelihoods. In addition, we find that villagers around acacia pulpwood plantations tend to seek economic development and infrastructure to open up remote areas, yet their expectations were often only partially met. Recommendations from our analysis include: the role of the State in plantations must be clarified and potentially reinforced; the role of institutions as intermediaries is fundamental; and contributions by communities to design of management plans should be accommodated.     

Upstream demand for water use by new tree plantations imposes externalities on downstream irrigated agriculture and wetlands*

Large‐scale tree plantations in high rainfall upstream areas can reduce fresh water inflows to river systems, thereby imposing external costs on downstream irrigation, stock and domestic water users and wetland interests. We take the novel approach of expressing all benefits and costs of establishing plantations in terms of $ per gigalitre (GL) of water removed annually from river flows, setting upstream demands on the same basis as downstream demands. For the Macquarie Valley, a New South Wales sub‐catchment of Australia’s Murray‐Darling Basin, we project changes in land and water use and changes in economic surpluses under two policy settings: without and with a policy requiring permanent water entitlements to be purchased from downstream parties, before plantation establishment. Without the policy, and given a high stumpage value for trees ($70/m³), upstream gains in economic surplus projected from expanding plantations are $639 million; balanced against $233 million in economic losses by downstream irrigators and stock and domestic water users for a net gain of $406 million, but 345 GL lower mean annual environmental flows. With the policy, smaller gains in upstream economic surplus from trees ($192 million), added to net downstream gains ($138 million) from sale of water, result in gains of $330 million with no reduction in environmental flows. Sustaining the 345 GL flow for a $76 million (406–330) reduction in gains to economic surplus may be seen to cost only $0.22 million/GL; but this is much lower than the market value of the first units of that water to agriculture and forestry.     

Underpayment of Small Producers of Coffee and Cocoa in Sierra Leone

Fieldwork shows that many Sierra Leonean producers do not receive the official producer price for their coffee and cocoa, due to the concentration of buying stations, credit relations, the small quantities offered for sale, and the lack of marketing knowledge of the numerous and unorganized farmers. To the traders underpayment may seem economically justifiable to a certain extent, but to the farmers it means poverty and debt. A new village marketing centre project aims at remedying this situation and has already led to higher prices. Although no longer allowed to take their "just" share from the producers, traders are still willing to deal with the new centres.     

Malaria incidence and agricultural efficiency in Uganda

The cost of accessing healthcare can be a major determinant of disease prevalence, which in turn has short‐ and long‐term welfare implications on poor households. In response, governments in developing countries often resort to subsidizing the cost of drugs, which, while perhaps easier to administer, may not always be the most effective way of addressing healthcare cost. In this regard, we analyze the impact of different types of household level health expenses on disease incidence and agricultural production efficiency. We use data from the 2006 Uganda National Household Survey, which covered approximately 7,400 households. The results suggest that a 10% increase in consultation, medicine, and hospitalization expenses would reduce malaria incidence respectively by 35.6%, 20.5%, and 21.3 %, which translates into a 1.1%, 0.6%, and 0.6 % decrease in agricultural inefficiency, respectively. The results indicate that helping poor households meet expenses for consultation through subsidies or eliminating consultation fees has a larger impact on malaria incidence and agricultural productivity among poor rural households than subsidizing the cost of medical drugs, the most common avenue chosen by developing country governments in the fight against the disease.