Measuring and enhancing the value of agricultural water in irrigated river basins

This paper provides an overview of the issues in and approaches to measuring and enhancing the value of agricultural water in large irrigated river basins. It develops a framework and a set of indicators for valuing agricultural water by looking into various dimensions and underlying key factors that influence the value of water at micro, meso and macro levels. The indicators are applied to recent, primary- and secondary-level empirical data from the Indus basin Irrigation system of Pakistan. In addition, the paper compiles recent estimates of the value of agricultural water from 40 settings in 23 countries. Finally, the paper outlines measures for enhancing the value of agricultural water. The paper makes four main points: (1) The popular productivity indicators based on crop output do not capture the full range of benefits and costs associated with agricultural water use. (2) The value of agricultural water may not be as low as it is generally perceived or estimated when all major uses and direct and indirect benefits of water at various levels are properly accounted for. (3) The value of water varies across time and space, and the value to stakeholders at various scales (farmer, system manager, basin planner and national policy maker) could be quite different. For example, the estimate of agricultural water value in the upper Indus basin in Pakistan varies from US$0.04/m³ at the farm scale to US$0.22/m³ at the national scale. The farm-scale value is more relevant, e.g., for agricultural water charging policies, but for water-sector investments and allocation decisions, the national-scale value is important. The decision-making processes related to water sector investments, allocations, management, and charging/cost recovery schemes could be potentially misguided if key dimensions of water value that are related to water availability and use, benefits/costs, and temporal and spatial aspects are not properly accounted for in valuation. (4) Efforts should be directed not only at increasing the productivity of water in terms of mass of output per unit of water, but also the overall benefits or value of water at various levels for larger growth and poverty alleviation impacts, considering the sustainability of the systems.

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Assessing the utility of stakeholder analysis to Protected Areas management: The case of Corbett National Park, India

This study tests the potential utility of Stakeholder Analysis to Protected Area management. Using Corbett National Park (CNP), India, as a case study, Stakeholder Analysis (SA) was used to identify important stakeholder groups and assess their relationships, relative power and importance. This exercise was undertaken to assist the managers of CNP with future strategy formulation and implementation. The results demonstrate SA to be a simple, yet effective, method that can help PA managers understand the social dimensions of their undertaking, without waiting for long-term policy changes. The results reveal possible stakeholder alliances, and those that may need strengthening to guarantee the welfare of CNP. Divergent opinions on the same issue were also discovered. This underlines that addressing low levels of knowledge and misplaced information may be of strategic importance in reducing conflict against a PA. This research also helps theorize previously unexplored relationships among stakeholders in India, using the framework of Stakeholder Theory. Repeating the exercise on a regular basis could help PA managers monitor stakeholder interactions and political positions over time.     

亮腹釉小蜂产品的质量标准

本文对工厂化生产的亮腹釉小蜂Tamarixia radiata (Waterston)成虫产品进行了一系列检测,检测物种形态及分子特征、外观(体色暗淡率、残肢残翅率)、产品数量、雌蜂率、寄生率及不同温度下(15℃、25℃及30℃)亮腹釉小蜂贮存死亡率共7个质量指标,并根据检测结果提出了亮腹釉小蜂产品的质量标准。结果表明,亮腹釉小蜂规模化生产的产品应符合以下标准:形态特征吻合,分子序列(COI、ITS-1和ITS-2)相似度 ≥ 97%,体色暗淡率 ≤ 2%、残肢残翅率 ≤ 1%、实际数量占标识数量的比率 ≥ 95%、雌蜂率 ≥ 70%、不同温度下贮存死亡率均 ≤ 5%、寄生率 ≥ 90%。本标准各项指标的准确性和专属性强、灵敏度高,具有较高可行性,可用于亮腹釉小蜂质量控制和质量管理。