Managing logging compensation payment conflicts in Ghana: Understanding actor-empowerment and implications for policy intervention

Forest resources outside permanent forest reserves form a substantial part of the overall natural forest biodiversity resources in Ghana. However, timber exploitation in off-reserve areas has been problematic as loggers and farmers have often been involved in conflicts over payment of crop-damage compensation. The paper examines 81 cases of this conflict which were reconstructed chronologically to investigate patterns of actors’ use of power resources and strategies and their effectiveness. The study employed an actor-empowerment conceptualisation of power and used a two-actor game model for the reconstruction of the conflicts. While several strategies and resources were mobilised and employed by the actors, their effectiveness were context-bound. The paper makes a case for areas where actors’ conflict capabilities could be built, why mediated bargaining can be more effective for managing such local conflict constellations and the need to interlock actor interests for mutual interaction by institutionalising mediated bargaining.     

Social involvement in environmental governance: The relevance of quality assurance processes in forest planning

Socio-environmental policy issues are characterized by inherent scientific uncertainty, ignorance and frequently by social discrepancies. Lack of recognition of the complexity and uncertainty of environmental issues has given rise to problems that have cast doubt on the adequacy of the science for policy model and traditionally employed evidence-based policy, thus leading to a crisis in science. In this context, there is a need for quality assurance procedures to assess policies and measures resulting from decision-making in environmental governance issues.Involving quality assurance in decision-making processes recognizes the different types of uncertainty related to an issue and the limits of problem-solving analysis. This approach requires participatory methodological frameworks in which stakeholders analyze the robustness of the assessment process used as well as the validity of assessment results. The approach considers governance as being a relative term depending on the historical, social, economic, political, environmental and cultural context in which it is developed.A participatory methodology is applied to an assessment of forest track alternatives on the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands). In this study, a social sensitivity analysis explores the social validity of this assessment through the concept of quality understood as ‘fitness for use’. Such a methodology facilitates processes of dialogue and consensus needed in decision-making in conflictive situations. As a result this methodology should serve as a reference for other places with similar situations.     

Agreement based land consolidation – In perspective of new modes of governance

A comparative study on the performance of new modes of governance in selected Central and Eastern European countries stated the problem that the emergence of new modes of governance in environmental policy is impaired by weak governance capacities in state and civil society and lack of mutual trust among stakeholders (Börzel, 2009a). The purpose of this article is to draw attention to agreement based land consolidation for implementation of area based environmental policies. The article contends that land consolidation exclusively based on agreements can cope with capacity constraints in state and civil society and at the same time apply the principles of new modes of governance. The research questions are: (i) how are principles of new modes of governance applied in agreement based land consolidation? (ii) what are the incentives and the technique in agreement based land consolidation? and (iii) what are the capacity building requirements for an agreement based land consolidation approach? The Danish land consolidation procedure is used as an example of an agreement based approach. Transaction technique, planning technique, and incentives are exposed with reference to transaction cost theory. The impact on trust is illuminated with reference to theory on social capital. The wetland projects serve as an example of area based environmental projects and is illustrated by a case. Data, however incomplete, indicate that agreement based land consolidation has been and is used as an important implementation tool in land related environmental policies in Denmark. The article concludes that the agreement based approach displays key features of new modes of governance. The principle of voluntary agreements grants the affected non-state actors a strong position to influence the final policy outcome and they contribute with local knowledge and mediation. The approach avoids conventional enforcement. Agreement based land consolidation is possible but relies on demanding preconditions. The investment in incentives and capacity building can be justified by a broad range of benefits.     

Public participation and local environmental planning: Testing factors influencing decision quality and implementation in four case studies from Germany

Public and stakeholder participation in environmental planning is often assumed to enhance effectiveness through improving the environmental quality of decisions and enhancing implementation. We draw on the literature on participatory environmental governance in order to derive key participation-related factors that are hypothesized to impact on decision quality and implementation. We then outline four cases of decision-making processes in local environmental planning in Germany, representing a variety of forms of public participation, and what we suggest can be seen as four different pathways to ‘success’ in participatory planning. The case studies, recounted on the basis of stakeholder interviews and secondary research, are subjected to a cross-case analysis in order to examine the influence of participation in each case. We consider how key participation-related factors played out across the cases, and assess both decision quality and implementation against counterfactual non-participatory, or less-participatory, scenarios. In moving beyond accounts of ‘what happened’, and considering how participation changed the order of things relative to ‘what would have happened’ under different scenarios, the research highlights how very different pathways may lead to ‘success’ in participatory environmental planning from the viewpoint of process organizers and planners sympathetic to environmental issues. We conclude that, given the significance of context and surprises, planners and process organizers must be open to different pathways to the successful conclusion of participatory planning processes.     

论土地善治

研究目的:探讨新时代背景下土地善治的概念、特征及体系。研究方法:归纳分析与演绎推理。研究结果:土地善治实质上是一种对管理理想状态的孜孜追求,其核心是由政府与非政府协同及多向网络化的管理模式,目标是以最小的政府和社会投入获取最大的土地管理效应;土地善治应遵循土地的基本属性、土地利用的价值准则和政策目标;现阶段实施土地善治重点需处理好土地行政管理权与国有土地所有权、政府与村民委员会及政府与农民等的关系。研究结论:土地善治是新时代土地管理的必然选择,土地资源的基本属性、土地利用的价值准则和政策目标是科学构建土地善治体系的基本逻辑依据。     

The EU Water Framework Directive: A multi-dimensional analysis of implementation and domestic impact

This paper tries to answer two questions related to the implementation of one of Europe's most influential EU-directives, the Water Framework Directive. First, it describes how three Member States, Denmark, the Netherlands and France, actually struggle and cope with this ambitious Directive. Second, it discusses existing theories of EU implementation and questions whether they are able to deal with the overwhelming diversity in national responses to this open-ended and flexible ‘new generation’ EU-directive. Denmark, the Netherlands and France were selected because they represent a fair degree of diversity. Denmark started out the implementation process with high ambitions and a relatively formal approach, whereas the Netherlands from the outset chose to follow a more pragmatic course. France is an interesting case because this country already had a mature system of river basin management in place before the WFD came into force. Compared to existing implementation theories, the paper offers a more differentiated way of describing and structuring the implementation processes that contemporary EU-directives are producing in a world coloured by multi-actor, multi-level and multi-sector governance.     

基于城市经营理念的“空心村”改造模式探析

本文从分析现行“空心村”改造模式的弊端入手,借鉴城市经营理念,提出村庄经营的概念,并以此为基础探索“空心村”改造的新模式。     

水资源治理与传统水利管理的区别

探析水资源治理的内涵及其与传统水利管理的区别。认为,治理与管理的最大区别在于：治理的客体是多方利益主体以及他们之间可能互不隶属的社会关系;而管理是针对一个封闭系统内部的,管理体系中的权力关系是自上而下的。人类治水活动系统包含两个子系统：处理水与人关系的自然子系统;协调人与人关系的社会子系统。中国水问题的实质是人的问题,水危机的根源在于协调处理社会子系统能力低下所导致的治理危机,治水的关键在于“治人”,在于提高对水资源的治理能力。由于要面对和处理横向的、互不隶属的社会关系,水资源治理与传统的水利管理从内容到目标、到手段,均不相同。     

An engineering economics approach to the estimation of forest fuel supply in North-Trøndelag county, Norway

The article reports a study performed in North-Trøndelag county in Norway, aiming at identifying the economic supply curve for forest fuels. Using an engineering economics approach, the potential forest fuel production is described as a function of the existing traditional forestry. Based on a set of energy raw materials including (i) harvesting residues, (ii) low-quality trees, (iii) thinnings and (iv) hardwoods, necessary adjustments of the existing forestry technology are described and used as a basis for the calculations. Depending on fuel market prices, a total annual amount of forest fuels close to 0.5 TWh is available in the county.     

整体性治理视角下的河长制评析

为了深入了解河长制,推进河长制顺利实施,进而提升河长制对河湖治理的效用水平,运用整体性治理理论对河长制的适用性与实用性进行论证,梳理了河长制的概况和推进进程,分析了河长制实际执行中存在的层级整合落实问责真空化、功能整合压力导向难以持久、部门整合参与主体单一化等问题,提出了构建整体责任、设计法律保障制度及提倡多元参与主体的建议。     

Developing an integrated conceptual framework to understand biodiversity conflicts

Although biodiversity-related conflicts are generally embedded into an ecological, economic and social context, reported studies often focus on only one of these aspects. The practical facilitation of such conflicts typically adopts an equally restricted view. The developing field of biodiversity conflict management is thus fragmented and, due to its generally insular case study approach, lacks theoretical underpinning.     

A multi-sector intertemporal optimization approach to assess the GHG implications of U.S. forest and agricultural biomass electricity expansion

This study applies an intertemporal partial equilibrium model of the U.S. Forest and Agricultural sectors to assess the market, land use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) implications of biomass electricity expansion. Results show how intertemporal optimization procedures can yield different biomass feedstock portfolios and GHG performance metrics at different points in time. We examine the implications of restricting feedstock eligibility, land use change, and commodity substitution to put our results in the context of previous forest-only modeling efforts. Our results highlight the importance of dynamic considerations and forest and agricultural sector interactions on projecting the GHG effects of biomass electricity expansion in the U.S.     

中国农村妇女土地权益维护困境及协同治理模式探究

研究目的:剖析当前中国农村基层治理结构下农村妇女土地权益维护过程中存在的治理困境,利用协同治理理论探究维护农村妇女土地权益的有效治理模式。研究方法:文献研究法、逻辑分析法。研究结果:农村妇女土地权益面临着来自制度、法律、政策、文化、性别等方面的多重威胁,在农村妇女土地权益维护过程中,基层政府、村组织及农村妇女分别面临着治理缺位、失位、\"失语\"的现实困境,亟待构建多元主体参与的协同治理结构。在协同治理网络结构中,村组织发挥主导主体作用,基层政府承担制度法律保障及引导督察的职能,农村妇女需扮演好权利主体的参与及监督角色,大众传媒则需注重舆论监督及文化宣传。SFIC模型为协同治理程序提供了较好的演绎框架,应以构建参与主体间的信任机制为起点,在激励机制、监督机制、利益调解及表达机制的共同运行下,促进协同治理目标的实现。研究结论:为解决基层政府、村级组织及农村妇女等参与主体的治理失灵问题,构建多元主体参与的协同治理模式是创新农村治理体制、有效维护农村妇女土地权益的有益选择。     

海绵城市建设“碎片化”问题及其治理

加快推进海绵城市建设,实现城市建设模式转型,缓解城市建设中的各种水问题,是当前我国城市建设的主要方向。海绵城市建设由此成为城市建设治理领域的热点而备受关注。目前,我国海绵城市建设存在着不同参与主体间难以协调、政策制度不成体系、建设手段落后等\"碎片化\"问题,无法有效解决复杂的城市水问题。在分析当前海绵城市建设\"碎片化\"问题主要表现和成因的基础上,结合镇江市海绵城市建设经验,从建设管理体制、治理机制、法律法规体系等方面,提出了破解海绵城市建设\"碎片化\"问题的对策建议。     

土地整治项目协同治理：理论框架与案例研究

研究目的:归纳土地整治项目实施实践中的困境,研究土地整治项目协同治理的理论框架和典型案例,为土地整治提供理论指引和案例参考。研究方法:田野调查、访谈、问卷调查、演绎归纳法。研究结果:(1)土地整治项目实施中存在\"管理困境\"和\"放权忧虑\"两个困境,是土地整治项目协同治理分析框架的逻辑起点;(2)土地整治项目协同治理分析框架既包括内部的项目管理,也包括外部的项目治理,并且是项目管理与项目治理的内外有机系统;(3)案例研究表明在项目管理与项目治理两者协同作用下,土地整治项目能够有效实施和运作。研究结论:(1)土地整治项目协同治理的理论框架是对土地整治项目管理中的困境有效回应;(2)理论框架与案例研究表明土地整治项目协同治理能有效提高项目管理效率。     

人工湿地植物能源化利用的机遇、挑战与展望

综合概述了利用人工湿地植物进行能源化再生产的方式、优势、存在问题和发展趋势。人工湿地植物具有生长不需额外施肥、较高的生物量、物种多样化等优势,是一种较好的生物质资源,可通过生物质固体成型燃料技术、沼气技术和燃料乙醇技术加以利用,进而建立人工湿地植物生物质能源化利用模式,实现应对能源挑战、进行污水处理和强化环境保护三者的有机统一。     

多中心治理下高标准农田建设监督管理机制研究

目的 在国家机构重组,农田建设职责整合的背景下,高标准农田建设面临着“多头管理”、公众参与不足、建设成效不佳以及“重建设、轻管护”等问题,因此亟需对高标准农田建设监督管理机制展开更系统的研究,提出高标准农田建设监督管理体系优化模式。方法 文章采用实地调研和文献分析相结合的研究方法归纳出高标准农田建设监督管理机制困境,并基于多中心治理理论提出完善和重构农田建设监督管理机制思路及破解现有困境的对策建议。结果 （1）当前我国高标准农田建设面临政府部门监督管理机制不完善、社会公众参与不足、建后管护机制缺失等困境。（2）多中心治理理论在高标准农田建设监督管理机制的构建中具有适用性。（3）构建高标准农田建设政府、市场、社会多主体的监督管理体系,要明确政府机构各自的监管职责,搭建公众参与平台;要发挥市场主体作用,完善市场监管机制;要充分发挥社会群体的监管作用,完善建后管护机制。结论 针对高标准农田建设监管主体单一、机制缺失等问题,应用多中心治理理论尝试构建高标准农田建设政府、市场、社会多主体的监督管理体系,对完善高标准农田监督机制具有借鉴价值。