Negotiating local livelihoods: Scales of conflict in the Se San River Basin

Abstract: The Se San is an important tributary river basin of the Mekong. In 1993, Vietnam began building the Yali Falls Dam 80 kilometres upstream of the point at which this westward flowing river enters Cambodia. Ninety indigenous communities along the Se San River in two provinces of north‐eastern Cambodia have been impacted severely by flooding, and a dramatically altered hydrological regime that affects fisheries and all other aspects of livelihood, such as river bank agriculture. Since 2000, when the first turbines were commissioned, the affected communities have been increasingly vocal regarding the impacts of Yali and the plans for several more dams on upper reaches of the river. A complex set of actors including non‐governmental organisations, village, district and provincial authorities, national committees in Cambodia and Vietnam, the Mekong River Commission and a range of international players have become involved in a two‐track process, which has nevertheless allowed little space for negotiation over the Se San River on the part of those most directly affected. This case has fundamental implications for governance and conflict management in the Mekong and more widely. The Australian Mekong Resource Centre has been working with local actors to document the Se San case as part of an international project on River Basin Management: a negotiated approach, in support of six cases that involve up‐scaling of grassroots river basin initiatives in Africa, Latin America and Asia. In this article, we illustrate the significance of and problematise negotiation as a socially and politically embedded conflict management principle, with reference to the Se San case.     

‘Water war’ in the Mekong Basin?

The Mekong River system provides a crucial source of natural resources for riparian nations. However, the increasingly rapid pace of hydro‐development in the Mekong Basin is threatening the integrity of the river system, posing a real concern for Lower Basin states, which are particularly dependent on the basin. This scenario has led to warnings of armed conflict, or even ‘water war’, between riparian states. Certainly, the expanding scale of hydro‐development can be expected to continue increasing interstate tensions in the Mekong region; but are these tensions really likely to escalate to armed conflict? This paper explores this question by drawing on the water and conflict theory of Aaron Wolf. Ultimately, this paper concludes that interstate tensions over Mekong hydro‐development are unlikely to generate armed conflict. This is in part due to the strategic impracticality of such a conflict as well as the presence of a river basin management institution. Most compellingly, though, armed conflict is unlikely because the economic imperative shared by Mekong states is better served by cooperation – or at least non‐interference – than conflict, over regional hydro‐development. In closing, the paper urges that the study of water and conflict in the Mekong Basin be refocused at the intrastate level.     

Greenhouse gas implications of replacing fish protein with beef in the lower Mekong Basin

At least 88 new hydropower dams are planned between 2010 and 2030 in the lower Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia as a source of electricity with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Dams result in declines in fish populations that will need to be replaced with other sources of protein for food security. We make the first assessment of emissions should beef production substitute for lost fish in Cambodia and Laos. We assessed two sources of emissions. Replacing lost fish with beef would require as much as 12 million hectares of new pasture. Forest clearing for pastures in Cambodia and Lao PDR would initially emit between 0.859 and 3.015 giga‐tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (Gt CO₂‐eq.). Methane emissions from additional cattle would add at least 0.0013 Gt CO₂‐eq./year to Cambodia's total greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to a 20% increase. In Laos at least 0.0005 Gt CO₂‐eq./year would be released, a 4–12% increase in annual emissions. We demonstrate that activities displaced by hydropower developments could significantly increase emissions. It shows how enclosure of commons at local scales impacts upon other common pool resources at different scales, raising questions for sustainable and equitable transboundary governance.     

The unseen transboundary commons that matter for Cambodia's inland fisheries: Changing sediment flows in the Mekong hydrological flood pulse

This paper focuses on the ‘the unseen transboundary commons’ of residues, nutrients and mobile matter associated with the annual flood pulse that support Cambodia's inland fisheries. We develop the idea of biophysical geopolitics concentrating on political‐socio‐natures rather than the purely biophysical. In the context of multiple mega‐projects in the Basin, we argue the flood pulse has become increasingly compromised, which is an urgent socio‐ecological security issue facing the Mekong region. Scores of livelihoods are dependent on the hydrological flood pulse via the reproduction of the inland fisheries, and a diversity of wetlands resources. Our paper builds on cross‐comparative research focusing on a geo‐strategic mouth of the Tonle Sap (Chhnok Tru) and a transborder area along the Mekong main‐stream (Stung Treng, Cambodia – Champasak, Laos area). By viewing biophysical matter as becoming trans‐border geopolitical matter, we wish to emphasise the critical socio‐ecological character of the hydrological flood pulse, and the urgency of cumulative spatial and temporal changes affecting diverse wetlands communities. Loss of wild capture fisheries and the more unpredictable flows of the Mekong are signs of an emergent and dangerous era of increasing environmental insecurity.     

Reclaiming community spaces in the Mekong River transboundary commons: Shifting territorialities in Chiang Khong,Thailand

In Northern Thailand's Chiang Khong district, which lies along the banks of the Mekong River and the Thai‐Lao border, an community‐based environmental movement under the leadership of the Rak Chiang Khong conservation group emerged in response to processes that have appropriated territories traditionally used by locals for state‐led economic exploitation. The Rak Chiang Khong has put up fierce opposition to large‐scale development projects such as the China‐led navigation project, which planned to blast ecologically and culturally significant rapids, and hydropower dam development along the Mekong River. As a result, local‐level governance arrangements of the transboundary commons in Chiang Khong have shifted to counter threats both within and beyond the borders of Thailand. Through adapting fishing arrangements, engaging in community‐led research and establishing village conservation zones, overlapping forms of territorialisation have emerged in response to socio‐ecological changes to the river. These new forms of territorialisation are produced by complex configurations of political, cultural, and ecological histories, politicaleconomic changes, and transboundary dynamics. These territorial strategies have been key towards reclaiming the transboundary commons of the Mekong River for riparian communities, and providing a deeper understanding of the values that drive community involvement in the transboundary environmental governance of the Mekong River.     

Scaling the environmental commons: Broadening our frame of reference for transboundary governance in Southeast Asia

The transboundary environmental commons in Southeast Asia are normally conceived in terms of shared resources and environmental impacts that transcend national borders. The Mekong's ‘fugitive resources’ of water, fish and sediment and the issue of Indonesia's smoke haze drift into Malaysia and Singapore dominate discussion. Assumed national interests shape actors and institutional arrangements for transboundary commons governance. Failure to address the governance challenges is explained in terms of their politico‐cultural failings (e.g. the ‘ASEAN Way’ of non‐interference), the weak regulatory remit of agencies with a specific transboundary governance role (Mekong River Commission), the dominant developmental agenda of subregional cooperative arrangements (Greater Mekong Subregion) or the geopolitical dominance of China (Lancang–Mekong Cooperation). This article builds on these critiques by considering the relationship between the local commons impacted by transboundary projects and the framing of the commons at an inter‐governmental level. It shows that neglect of the local commons and the impacts on them of projects with transboundary effects is partly to be explained by the institutional scaling of the transboundary commons at a country‐to‐country level. It also argues for an expanded notion of transboundary, including investment and governance flows as well as the material environmental footprint of large‐scale investments.     

The Salween River as a transboundary commons: Fragmented collective action,hybrid governance and power

Viewing the Salween River as a transboundary commons, this paper illustrates how diverse state and non‐state actors and institutions in hybrid and multi‐scaled networks have influenced water governance in general, and large dam decision‐making processes in particular. Putting power relations at the centre of this analysis and drawing on the conceptual lenses of hybrid governance and critical institutionalism, we show the complexity of the fragmented processes through which decisions have been arrived at, and their implications. In the context of highly asymmetrical power relations throughout the basin, and the absence of an intergovernmental agreement to date, we argue that hybrid networks of state and non‐state actors could be strategically engaged to connect parallel and fragmented decision‐making landscapes with a goal of inclusively institutionalising the transboundary commons and maintaining connected local commons throughout the basin, foregrounding a concern for ecological and social justice.     

大数据与安全可视化

IT技术的飞速发展开启了大数据时代。海量的数据信息带来更多的数据价值的同时,各类安全问题也随之而来。通过数据可视化技术能够帮助充分全面并且及时地找出系统中可能存在的安全威胁,评估系统安全,保证基础设施的安全。研究从数据角度出发,结合大数据的特征对安全数据进行分类,并对当前已存在的针对不同安全数据进行可视化的工具及技术进行总结,使得能够将已成熟的数据安全可视化技术用于大数据安全的研究,最后对未来的发展趋势进行了展望。     

Who are the future farmers? Media representations of youth in agriculture,food security and ‘modern’ farming in Indonesia

In Indonesia, state and non-state actors frame youth attrition from agriculture as a food security concern and propose policy solutions focused on ‘modern’ farming techniques. Using a critical framing analysis of five national Indonesian news media sources from 2010 to 2020, we examine how government, development and private sector actors portray youth in agriculture, and the underlying assumptions that inform related policy and development agendas. Our analysis reveals contrasting portrayals of youth in agriculture. Youth are often depicted as averse to farming, while also being innovative adopters of modern farming techniques, equipment, and digital technologies. We argue that media frames reflect and reinforce the dominant discourses of state and non-state actors, which have a productivist orientation, proposing technical, capital-intensive agricultural solutions to food insecurity and related issues. News media pays comparatively less attention to structural barriers to youth entry and success in agriculture, such as limited access to land and finance and unfavourable terms of trade.     

食品安全及其与施肥的关系

“民以食为天”,食品安全关系到个人、家庭、社会及国家的发展。本文综述了有关食品安全的概念、危害等方面的研究成果,着重概述和分析了引起食品安全的原因及其与施肥的关系,并提出相应的观点和对策。文中指出：目前我国食品数量安全和食品质量安全问题并存;食品安全事件频繁发生最根本的原因是利益的驱动,要减少食品安全问题的出现,就必须严厉打击违规违法行为;科学施肥对食品安全的影响利大于弊,如何提高化肥的利用率是施用化肥重点关心的方面。     

中国耕地资源安全问题及其对策研究

耕地资源作为农业最主要的生产资料和农民最直接的劳动对象,是构成粮食综合生产能力的最基本要素之一和实现中国粮食安全的基础和保证。在研究中国耕地资源的数量安全、质量安全和生态安全现状的基础上,提出了保护和提高中国耕地资源安全的4个对策建议。     

The State‐by‐State Economic Impacts of the 2002 Shutdown of the Los Angeles–Long Beach Ports

In previous research, the economic impacts of temporary shutdowns of the Los Angeles–Long Beach harbors were simulated after a hypothetical terrorist attack, applying the National Interstate Economic Model to estimate state‐by‐state as well as interindustry impacts. However, the unpredictable characteristic of terrorist attacks might not be applicable to the case of a ports shutdown such as the one caused by the lockout of September–October 2002. Market participants can be expected to have contingency plans based on anticipations of a strike or shutdown. Can we identify any of these in terms of the use of alternate ports, in terms of alternate modes or even alternate time periods? The purpose of this study is to examine these questions. The approach is elaborated by testing for the possible effects of trade diversion to other West Coast ports, transportation modes, and intertemporal substitutions. We use data from WISERTrade describing commodity‐specific trade for the major West Coast ports before, during, and after the 11‐day shutdown of the fall of 2002. Shippers’ ability to divert trade is a key ingredient in the economy's ability to withstand attacks and disruptions. The work estimates the impacts on 47 industrial sectors across 50 states (and the District of Columbia).     

Resources,representation, and authority in Jharkhand,India

Abstract: Jharkhand is at the centre of India's struggles to define ‘the environment’ and ‘economically relevant natural resources’. Although cultural labels are applied by leaders who seek influence in these struggles as well as by many of those people who listen, an ethnonational analytic frame does not help answer the questions: How, why and when has the political idea of environment changed in India? When and why has the Jharkhand movement chosen violent tactics? When and why has the Jharkhand statehood movement realised electoral success? Or, why was Jharkhand state formed? To address such questions, a long range historical‐institutional approach is much more fruitful.     

The Spatial Impact of Reaganomics: A Test of Six Models

Recent analyses of the Reagan budget reallocations suggest that the spatial distribution of public expenditures among the American states have undergone a major change. What remains unclear, however, is why the Reagan budget reallocations generated these clearly defined spatial effects. In trying to answer this question, we identify five explanations of the spatial impacts, explanations focusing on electoral, partisan, wealth, urban-rural, and expenditure base effects. Along with controls for regional effects, these explanations are tested by OLS regression analysis of data on the state allocations of federal expenditures from the last Carter to the first Reagan budgets.     

Music work: Traditional Cambodian music and state‐building under the Khmer Rouge

Recent scholarship has opened questions as to the everyday actions of the Khmer Rouge and those living under the regime which led to the Cambodian Genocide. Current work examines the critical cultural geographies of the Khmer Rouge: photography, poetry and music, for example. Music specifically has an interesting underpinning, as it was previously understood to be have been eradicated in the genocide as the standard narrative has us believe. This paper instead investigates the pieces of evidence that exist, which explain the use of music by the Khmer Rouge. I explore the geographies of music beyond the lyrics and look at the transformation and use of music in Cambodia and Democratic Kampuchea. What elements of traditional Khmer music were used during the regime? What modifications occurred to the music of Cambodia during the regime, and how did the Khmer Rouge modify existing Cambodian (and other) music to best fit their desired uses (state‐building and genocide)? This paper goes beyond traditional geographies of music, which rely on lyrical analyses, to bring an ethnomusicological perspective to the work of music and its role in shaping the idea of the Democratic Republic of Kampuchea.     

四川主要干果经济林产品安全性初步研究

摘要：从核桃、板栗、银杏主产区分别采集样品,对其砷（As）、汞（Hg）、铅（Pb）、铬（Cr）、镉（Cd）、氟（F）、乐果、杀螟硫磷等重金属、农药残留及其它有害物质进行检测,并参照国家无公害水果要求进行分析比较,结果表明四川主要干果经济林产品总体安全性好。多数地区的核桃产品安全,所检测项目均符合国家无公害产品要求,但有一个样品中（Cd）的含量为国家无公害产品标准要求上限的203.3%;板栗的氟（F）含量3个样品均超出国家标准无公害水果的最大限量要求,平均为最大限量的156%,最高为178%,但是低于四川无公害粮食产品的最大限量要求;银杏的各项检测指标均低于国家无公害产品要求。     

Influence of the Flood-Control-Projects on the Hydrodynamic State of the Rivers Confluence in Chongqing

Though the Flood-Control-Projects along Yantze River and Jialing River in Chongqing may well improve the urban traffic and construction,it may change the river hydrodynamic characters.There may be two consequences,one is to reduce the size of cross section and the other is to change the river shape,such as the curvature radius.The phenomena of the local backwater and velocity variety are obvious,which result in some problems for the navigation: sediment,transport and so on.In this paper, the study object is the Flood-Control-Projects and Yangtse River and Jialing River,and the aim is to study the influence of the Flood-Control-Projects on the hydrodynamic state of the two rivers.Using the numerical technique,with the two rivers hydrodynamic model the flow field's change of river after completion of Flood-Control-Projects is simulated and the reasons caused by the change are analyzed.     

植物保护对粮食安全的影响分析

概述了粮食安全概念的发展和演变,阐述了有害生物对粮食安全的种种危害,论述了植物保护对粮食安全的重大贡献,同时分析了以化学农药为主要防治手段的植物保护对粮食安全的各种负面影响,以及抗性转基因作物生产对粮食安全可能产生的危害,指出植物保护是影响粮食安全的重要因素。进而提出了实施可持续植保,促进粮食安全的应对之策。     

Bonding,bridging and linking social networks: A qualitative study of the emergency management of Cyclone Pam,Vanuatu

Cyclone Pam (March 2015) was an unprecedented event in Vanuatu forcing the simultaneous involvement of national and long‐term international actors, well integrated into the national disaster governance system, as well as numerous short‐term international actors, unfamiliar with the geopolitical and cultural disaster context of the country. Cooperation between these three groups of actors evolved through the three scales of bonding, bridging and linking social networking. This paper questions the different drivers and challenges within and across these scales of social networks affecting cooperation among the three different groups of actors during an emergency. Using a mixed methodology based on social network analysis, this paper utilises the case study of Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu to study the strengths and weaknesses of the disaster governance system in place based on bonding and bridging social capital to conduct disaster risk management and to prepare the integration of linking social capital when external support is needed. This paper contributes to the identification of key considerations in the development of resilience‐building strategies: the interactions of diverse actors to address disaster management needs and the reciprocal impacts of these interactions within and across the three different scales of social networks.     

浅析《食品安全法》对农村食品安全的影响

列举农村食品安全现状,浅析《中华人民共和国食品安全法》将对农村食品安全问题的改观起到的巨大影响和作用,针对常遇到的一些消费者食品安全意识模糊、维护自身权益观念薄弱等问题,结合《食品安全法》的相关条文,提出改进我国农村食品安全的一些建议和措施。