Who owns the land owns the wind? Land and citizenship in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec,Mexico

Wind energy expansion across rural areas interacts with various interests at the local level, generating multiple reactions within communities. The Eólica del Sur wind farm implementation pathway in Mexico is a paragon of different positions vis-à-vis this industry after trying to install 132 wind turbines in other towns since 2006. This paper argues that there is a bias in studies of the politics of wind energy development in favour of oppositional voices, as opposed to groups that endorse wind energy expansion or that have stakes in the sector but neither support nor oppose wind projects per se. Based on fieldwork conducted over three years and semi-structured interviews with Eólica del Sur stakeholders, the paper argues that different responses to wind energy are linked to contrasting ownership claims over land in the region and competing notions of the institutions that should legitimize these claims.     

流域蓄洪区运用风险预警信息传递联动研究——基于蒙洼蓄洪区利益相关者分析视角

以淮河干流蒙洼蓄洪区为例,分析行蓄洪区内各利益主体的利益诉求框架。运用实地考察法和关键信息人访谈法确定灾情预警信息依据,结合各利益主体的信息需求,提出相应的预警信息传递联动路径。以行蓄洪区预警决策层、管理层以及实施层为切入点,提出多层次、多主体共同参与的信息传递预警模式,以最大限度保障利益相关者的利益,进而实现蓄洪区灾情预警信息传递的价值最大化。     

基于Citespace的“水—能源—粮食”纽带关系研究进展

［目的］分析“水—能源—粮食”纽带关系有利于制定融合多学科多领域的综合性解决措施,为区域生态文明建设提供科学依据与决策参考。［方法］文章基于信息可视化软件CiteSpace,以Web of Science为数据源,从国家合作、核心作者、重要期刊、文献共被引、关键词以及突变词分析等方面,对1990—2019年“水—能源—粮食”纽带关系的研究进展进行可视化分析。［结果］自2011年波恩会议以来文献数量不断增长,以美国为中心的欧美国家研究较多,美国、英国、中国为位居前三的国家; Hoff H、Bazilian M和Fao等3位作者是该领域的奠基者,发表文献最多的期刊是Energy Policy,Environmental Science & Policy和Science,期刊分布较为均匀; 文献的突变点主要是Hellegers P（2008）、Rockstrom J（2009）、Waughray D（2011）、Scott CA（2011）、Hussey K（2012）、Bath H（2012）、Bizikova L（2013）和Rasul G（2014）。最近引用较多的主题是各部门协作的跨学科整合研究与提高应对全球复杂变化适应力; 研究前沿有城市地区、发展解释结构模型、因子分析、政策角度、整合角度、东南亚、南亚、可持续发展目标、作物生产、环境正义、流域、山脉研究、食物安全、能源安全,新兴前沿为可持续性; 能源与食物消耗、多元模型分离、全球变化、跨流域、东南亚、新水文视角是近几年学者们最关注的问题。［结论］应进一步构建共同支持性的概念框架和定义共识,探讨有效的量化方法和多元化的风险表征指标,加强纽带内部关系及其与气候与生态之间的关系研究。     

Institutional stakeholder participation in urban redevelopment in Tehran: An evaluation of decisions and actions

Experimentation with citizen participation in urban redevelopments is increasing worldwide. This paper aims to scrutinise this trend through an in-depth case study of the decisions and actions taken by the institutional stakeholders involved in participatory urban redevelopment in Tehran, Iran. The discussion is based around two contrasting urban redevelopment areas which set out to adopt a participatory approach involving various stakeholders including institutions (the Municipality of Tehran and the Heritage Organisation) and local owner-occupiers, developing new knowledge, understanding, and clarity about the concept and application of participation in urban redevelopments in developing countries. In both areas, the institutions invited owners to participate in the physical and economic improvements of their places through land assemblage or sharing redevelopment costs. In this study a range of qualitative methods are used including photo-elicitation techniques (PEI) and semi-structured interviews with locals, officials and professionals.The results show the vulnerability of the process. This was revealed when one institution did not maintain their role and when some owner-occupiers acted as free-riders. This highlights the challenge of building an enduring collaboration between institutional stakeholders from the planning to in-use stages, in particular the difficulties that arise as different institutions become involved in the process. This issue is more problematic when resources are limited and/or intermittent. As the results show, the institutional collaboration was smoother when fewer stakeholders were involved in decision making. In the commercial case, there were more complaints about overdue completion in the projects due to poor institutional collaboration. We recommend the need for an agreed mechanism prior to such initiatives where the role of the various stakeholders and their responsibilities are clearly cited, and where all different impact scenarios from the planning to in-use stage are set out.     

加强东南亚农业合作开发的战略重点与布局研究

加强农业国际合作开发是中国特色农业现代化道路的重要组成部分,东南亚与我国合作开发地缘优势明显,是我国农业海外合作开发的重要首选区域。在国家"一带一路"的全球战略格局指导下,通过区域比较优势分析等方法,立足我国对粮食等大宗战略农产品的发展需求、东南亚各国的农业资源禀赋与合作意向,从提升我国农业国际竞争力和话语权的高度,系统谋划了东南亚地区农业合作开发的战略重点领域,确定以稻谷、天然橡胶、油棕榈、木薯、甘蔗和林业六大行业为合作重点,以提升原料掌控权和贸易话语权为关键环节,根据东南亚重要交通物流通道、资源禀赋和产业基础的区域差异,提出"三线两区"的合作开发总体布局。围绕各种合作有力推进,提出设立专项基金、加强金融支持、提升政府服务等政策建议保障,为我国政府与企业在东南亚地区长远战略合作的顶层设计提供重要依据和支撑。     

我国近海捕捞业中的利益博弈研究

文章首先界定了我国近海捕捞业中的三个利益相关者——中央政府、地方政府和捕捞者;其次对各利益相关者之间的博弈分别进行了分析,认为中央政府与地方政府之间存在委托代理关系,它们的博弈形式是有限次重复博弈,地方政府与捕捞者之间的博弈是不完全信息动态博弈并存在混合战略纳什均衡,而捕捞者之间博弈则类似于"公地悲剧";最后,基于利益协调思想对各个利益相关者分别提出了近海渔业资源保护的相应措施,为我国近海渔业资源可持续利用制度的完善提供科学依据。     

Potentialities for a regional public participation framework in Asia: An environmental assessment perspective

This study attempts to investigate the potential to develop a regional framework of public participation (PP) in environmental assessments (EA) within Asia. In so-doing, this paper examines the status quo of public participation in EA within Asia from a legislative point of view. The existing situation of EA in Asia is first examined, followed by an analysis on the status and challenges of PP within the region’s environmental assessments. Eight Asian countries subject for this research have all implemented EA at different degrees, yet challenges of enforcement remain. Possible solutions to these challenges are to first improve and standardize the legal framework and implementation mechanism in each individual country, as a first step leading to a transboundary framework in Asia. PP within EA is legally defined in some countries, but it is not widely practiced. Multi-stakeholder process is suggested as a potential tool that comprehensively covers the components necessary for PP promotion. There are information gaps between countries, which could be improved by creating a regional agency governing information exchange. Limited collaboration among countries, likewise, could be improved by bilateral or multilateral environmental agreements.     

Brownfield regeneration in Europe: Identifying stakeholder perceptions,concerns, attitudes and information needs

Brownfield areas are a major concern in Europe because they are often extensive, persistent in time and compromise stakeholders’ interests. Moreover, due to their complex nature, from the decision-making point of view, the regeneration of brownfields is a challenging problem requiring the involvement of the whole range of stakeholders. Many studies, projects and organisations have recognised the importance of stakeholder involvement and have promoted public participation. However, comprehensive studies providing an overview of stakeholders’ perceptions, concerns, attitudes and information needs when dealing with brownfield regeneration are still missing.This paper presents and discusses a participatory methodology applied to stakeholders from five European countries to fill this research gap, to develop a system to support the categorisation of the needed information and to support the understanding of which typology of information is the most relevant for specific categories of stakeholders also in relation with their concerns.The engagement process consists of five phases: (i) planning and preparatory work, (ii) identification of stakeholder categories, (iii) engagement activities (e.g. focus groups and workshops), (iv) submission of a questionnaire and (v) provision of feedback to the involved stakeholders.Thanks to this process, appropriate stakeholders have been identified as well as their perceptions, concerns, attitudes and information needs. Stakeholders’ perceptions proved to be different according to the country: German and Italian stakeholders perceive brownfields as complex systems, where several issues need to be addressed, while Romanian stakeholders consider contamination as almost the only issue to be addressed; Czech and Polish stakeholders address an intermediate number of issues. Attitudes and concerns seemed to be quite similar between countries. As far as information needs are concerned, similarities between some groups of stakeholders have been noticed: site owners and problem holders are primarily interested in information on planning and financing, while authorities and services providers are interested in more technical aspects like investigation, planning and risk assessment. Some outstanding outcomes emerged from the scientific community and research group, which showed an interest for remediation strategies and options and socio-economic aspects.The research outcomes allowed to create a knowledge base for the future development of tailored and customised approaches and tools for stakeholders working in the brownfield regeneration field.     

Challenging the obsession with local level institutions in country ownership of climate change adaptation

Working with local level actors to enable country ownership is applauded within the multilateral climate finance landscape. However, are emerging adaptation interventions equitable by reflecting the priorities of local level vulnerable populations? This research sought to find out whether the engagement of local institutions in projects that seek to achieve country ownership enabled local level vulnerable groups to participate in and influence adaptation decision-making processes and outcomes, thereby enabling them to have a voice in local level adaptation. It used a case study of a Global Environmental Facility-managed coastal adaptation project in Tanzania, which sought to restore and protect mangroves to enable adaptation to sea level rise. Data was generated from 13 Focus Group Discussions and survey questionnaires administered to 629 individuals in three locations on the mainland of Tanzania and in Zanzibar. The findings indicate that community-based organizations were used to facilitate the implementation of project activities at the community level. However, participation spaces created in the project and facilitated by these local institutions were exclusionary and failed to enable vulnerable community groups to have a voice on mangrove restoration and protection. Use of these local institutions altered local level power relations and disempowered other pre-existing and (in)formal local resource management institutions. Community members questioned legitimacy of actions implemented by these local institutions. These findings suggest that working with local level stakeholders to generate country ownership does not automatically guarantee that actions will address the needs of local vulnerable groups. Multilateral climate finance institutions should acknowledge these risks and implement measures to address them.     

Stakeholder planning of the institutionalization of the volunteer farmer-trainer approach in dairy producer organizations in Kenya: key steps and supporting mechanisms*

The effectiveness of community-based extension approaches has been widely documented, however their sustainability remains weak. Institutionalization has been proposed as a way of achieving sustainability. This paper shares experiences of the learning and planning phase of the institutionalization of the volunteer farmer-trainer (VFT) approach in three dairy producer organizations (POs) in Kenya. The paper builds a detailed understanding of the key steps and social processes involved and the wider lessons that might be learned regarding institutionalization in the context of local institutions such POs. We draw on data from key informant interviews, focus groups discussions and workshops. The first phase of the process which spanned one year involved engagements with stakeholders at different levels; from VFTs, dairy cooperative management, government extension and local NGOs. The process involved awareness creation, joint learning at the individual, group and organization level, a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis of producer organizations and identifying opportunities for harnessing resources for support functions. We highlight the important supporting social and institutional processes that are required for this to happen. These include getting acceptance and support from key stakeholders, developing a shared understanding, stakeholder ownership of the process, commitment from top leadership of POs and institutional structures to support the process. For the process to be actualized, we discuss mechanisms that need to be put in place.     

自然保护区旅游开发与周边社区利益协调研究——以广西龙虎山自然保护区为例

国内自然保护区旅游开发成为趋势,对"靠山吃山、靠水吃水"的周边社区产生直接而重大的影响。本文通过在广西龙虎山自然风景区和周边社区的实地调研,经Q形聚类和指标分项分析,得到自然保护区旅游从业人员、周边社区居民两方的关键性需求;在此基础上提出"农民转型旅游从业者"这一创新策略,以利益互补的方式来实现这两大类高活力利益相关者与开发商之间的协调。本文旨在对国内资源型欠发达地区的旅游业开发形成借鉴。     

Innovative concepts towards sustainability in organic horticulture: testing a participatory technology design

Horticulture in the Netherlands is an economically strong sector. However, current organic horticulture does not comply with the standards for sustainability, because of its contribution to environmental pollution and exhaustion of natural resources. Transition towards more sustainable agro-ecosystems is inevitable for horticulture in the Netherlands to maintain its international competitive position. In this paper, we describe a study commissioned by the Dutch government aimed at testing an approach for participatory technology design and at generating commitment of stakeholders. In brainstorming sessions with representatives from research, extension and the horticultural sector, three draft scenarios were defined, based on political, societal and scientific goals for sustainable production systems. However, these draft scenarios were mainly formulated in a ‘top-down’ approach and within the sector no shared problem perception existed. So, strong identification with the sector was necessary to formulate more appealing scenarios. In interviews, various stakeholders, selected from the primary sector, the retail sector and other interested organizations were asked for their opinions about the scenarios, possible perspectives of the approach and their interest in participating in further development. In response to their interests in a participatory process, reformulation of the scenarios involved profound adaptation of both, objectives and pathways, and resulted in two modified scenarios, an economically driven organic production system and a socially driven organic city greenhouse. It is concluded that the approach of participatory technology design, the model of iterative learning and practice change, worked well. We learned that entrepreneurs are not inspired by long-term perspectives without clear short-term gains. Hence, the long-term aims of the government were translated into a series of steps, each in the short term resulting in partial realization of the goals. So, we experienced that we can affect the adoption behaviour of the entrepreneur by matching long-term aims with short-term interests.     

Welfare Impacts of Cross-Country Spillovers in Agricultural Research

The welfare implications of intellectual property protection (IPP) for private sector agricultural research are analyzed, focusing on the realistic cases where countries provide different IPP levels, technology spills over across countries, and the public sector is involved in research. A model is developed to determine who benefits from, and who should pay for, the associated research. The article contains some interesting results on the implications of a harmonization of IPP policies through multilateral agreements or via technology that allows research firms to prevent the copying of plants and animals that express traits that have emerged from their research.     

Cashing in or driving development? Cross-border traders and maize contract farming in northeast Laos

Contract farming is receiving renewed attention in research and policy in the Mekong region of Southeast Asia, as countries continue to undergo varied agrarian transitions and agri-food production has become increasingly regionalized. In northeast Laos, previously isolated upland communities have experienced rapid transformations resulting from contract production of hybrid maize, mainly for industrial feed processing and livestock in Vietnam. Based on extensive qualitative fieldwork in the Lao-Vietnamese borderlands, this article explores the quasi-“developmental” functions assumed by cross-border traders, in the context of unfulfilled rural policy objectives, in which these “micro-investors” provide informal extension and infrastructure to enable agricultural commercialization. The article examines the extent to which this dynamic is adequately captured by notions of patronage, or whether subtle mutual dependencies are at work, as livelihoods are rebalanced between subsistence and commodity crops in remote border landscapes.     

基于SNA的特大型工程投资项目关键利益主体识别与博弈分析

特大型工程投资项目在建设过程中涉及众多利益主体,解决不同行为主体之间的利益冲突、关键利益主体的利益博弈问题对于项目的成功实施至关重要。首先构建特大型工程投资项目利益相关者矩阵,通过社会网络分析测算出项目的关键利益主体:施工方、项目法人、地方政府及移民;然后基于博弈理论,对关键利益主体利益冲突进行博弈分析,以找出影响博弈均衡的关键因素,并讨论复制动态演化点;提出了完善监督管理制度、加大投机行为处罚力度、建立合理的移民管理制度的对策。     

农业水价综合改革的利益相关者分析

通过对我国农业水价改革的历程进行梳理,并基于利益相关者理论,将农业水价综合改革中所涉及的利益主体划分为农业水价影响者、农业水价承担者、农业水价执行者以及农田水利设施管理者四类,并分析四者的权力与利益,从而理清农业水价综合改革相关利益者之间的内在关系。提出农业水价影响者通过改善改革环境可以提高农业水价承担者缴费的配合度,双方的合作有助于实现双方利益的优化。农业水价执行者以及农田水利设施管理者的运营效率对农业水价影响者与农业水价承担者的利益具有重要的调节作用,但二者的运营效率均需要一定的资金支撑。最后就我国农业水价综合改革提出合理建议。     

Spatial distribution pattern and its optimization strategy of China’s overseas farmland investments

Overseas farmland investment is an “external program” contrary to the “internalization program” such as multiple planning integration and farmland protection, to solve the contradiction of food security and urbanization during the process of China’s development. Though overseas farmland investment being a new investment tide for decades, research on overseas farmland investment is still in its infancy, with limited research dimensions and insufficient depth. How to establish a scientific and reasonable selection model of the host country for China as well as other countries has become an urgent academic and practical issue to decrease the investment risks. This paper analyzes the spatial distribution of China’s overseas farmland investment with the investment samples from 2000 to 2017 and proposes its operational strategy. Here are the conclusions. (a) The obvious imbalance of the distribution of China’s overseas farmland investment. Further research from a global perspective finds that the existent distribution pattern of China is not optimal. (b)The correlation analysis result shows the trends of overseas farmland investment with political stability and benefits seeking. (c) Host countries most suitable for overseas farmland investment are concentrated in Southeast Asia and along the equator in Africa and Latin America. (d) The existent distribution pattern for China’s overseas farmland investment needs some proper adjustment. China should increase the scale of overseas farmland investment in non-traditional regions while strengthening the status of the core investment regions in Southeast Asia, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.     

Perceptions of public land governance from two Canadian provinces: How is the social agenda being met through sustainable forest management?

This article presents a comparative assessment of current spaces for public involvement in Crown (public) land management in the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. More specifically, it addresses the barriers to public participation by examining the agency-client relationship – specifically, through the theoretical lens of capture – as an impediment to the inclusion of values that are outside the traditional, technocratic management realm of public forest management. Without public input, the public’s needs, values, and desires are not articulated and the social side of sustainable forest management is likely to be neglected. Low levels of trust in public land management agencies in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, coupled with minimal space for public involvement, have created the perception of a policy network that is dominated by industry and/or government and provides minimal space for other interests. The primary research method is an online survey informed by forty-two interviews. The survey was administered to 89 key forestry stakeholders in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Participation observation and a document analysis are utilized to complement the survey. This research finds that (1) although survey participants come from diverse affiliations and two provinces with different forest policy and unique approaches to public participation, there is essential consensus of the need for an improvement of public involvement processes for public land; (2) trust in the forest industry and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is extremely low in both provinces. Even with recent participatory efforts in Nova Scotia, the trust level is lower than in the neighboring province of New Brunswick. Some participants connect this distrust to privileged access for certain interest groups and a closed policy network; (3) barriers to participatory processes differ between provinces, especially a fear of retribution, which is specific to New Brunswick; and (4) key stakeholders identify barriers to engagement that they perceive to be different for themselves and the general public.     

典型流域水权市场建设中利益相关者利益冲突与平衡

基于利益相关者视角,选取疏勒河流域作为研究区,探讨水权市场中各利益相关主体的行为偏好和利益诉求,由此构建利益相关者之间的关系框架。针对流域水权市场中利益相关者之间的冲突和矛盾,构建理论模型并分析多方利益相关者之间的利益平衡路径。从完善水权交易价格的市场形成机制、合理鼓励或约束交易双方行为、强调社会组织的责任和地位,以及强化政府监督力量等方面提出政策建议。     

The spatial expression of physical development controls in a fast growing Ghanaian city

This paper illustrates the fine spatial expression of regulatory controls through field visits, a survey of 364 systematically sampled homebuilders and interviews with customary land managers and key city officials in Sekondi-Takoradi. The research found that, development controls were hardly implemented and enforced, and that, public officials had largely acquiesced to the activities of chiefs and homebuilders who flout regulations without the fear of sanctions. This loss of legitimacy of planning ideals reflects the cultural dimension to the acceptance of centralized planning rooted in the experiences of the advanced world as well as the weak fragmented and poorly equipped land sector institutions. Therefore building institutional capacity and contextualizing planning ideals are key for managing rapidly growing cities in emerging economies. However, residential development initiated by state institutions on state lands was better planned than occurring on customary lands, hence suggesting the need for more innovative government interventions in the physical development process.