Ecotourism in nature reserves in China: current situation, problems and solutions

Our presentation focuses on some important issues associated with ecotourism in nature reserves in mainland China. Conducting ecotourism in certain areas in nature reserves is important for its protection. However, some problems do exist because of special conditions in our society and in the current projects of nature reserves themselves, such as water and air pollution, unplanned construction of roads and facilities, damage of core zones and buffer zones, and confused ownership of nature reserves. These problems are discussed and solutions are proposed in detail, and we emphasize the participation of local communities in order to help residents fight against poverty.     

提高农民参训率的对策措施

分析总结了海门市现阶段农民素质与农村劳动力转移基本现状及存在问题,提出了今后一段时间开展农民培训提高农民参训率的对策措施.     

Employment

The 1990s began with unprecedented market conditions for labour: unemployment rates were reaching their highest level in over 50 years, participation in the labour market had fallen to historically low levels and net emigration was widespread across all occupations. It seemed that things could only get better. While some did benefit from the limited growth that took place in the nineties, many did not. The greater inequality generated during the 1980s was fanned by the deregulation of the labour market and remained undiminished throughout the following decade. The marked reduction in manufacturing employment in the 1980s continued into the early 1990s negatively impacting Maori and Pacific Island men and women in particular. Increasingly post‐secondary school education became necessary to gain entry into regular work and those with little formal education and few work skills fell further down the queue. These changes are closely allied to the processes of globalisation which is already exercising considerable influence on the employment opportunities of New Zealanders.     

Pondering on Public Participation in Decision - Making of Public Projects

The necessity of the public's participation in decision-making of public projects,the functions of the public's participation,and the current characteristics of the public's participation in China were discussed firstly.Then,three suggestions are brought forward to improve the public participation in decision-making of public projects: the first one is to ensure the legal status of the public's participation,the second is to detail contents of entity and process and the third is to set up the public hearing system of public projects.     

Creating space for sustainable food systems: Lessons from the field

In response to growing trendsin the current food system toward globalintegration, economic consolidation, andenvironmental degradation, communities haveinitiated alternative, more sustainable foodand agricultural systems. Lessons may now belearned about the development and maintenanceof local, sustainable food systems projects –those that attempt to integrate theenvironmental, economic, and social health oftheir food systems in particular places. Fourkinds of space need to be created and protected– social space, political space, intellectualspace, and economic space. Three importantthemes emerge from these community spaces:public participation, new partnerships, and acommitment to social, economic, andenvironmental justice principles.     

加强农民政治参与的制度建设

中国农民政治参与有很好的政治制度基础,但制度不完善、不健全,农民制度化参与少,非制度化参与多。为保证农民政治参与有序化、规范化、健康发展,须加强农民政治参与的制度建设,完善和创新各项法律制度。     

Turning back the tide of American mink invasion at an unprecedented scale through community participation and adaptive management

Successful eradications of harmful invasive species have been mostly confined to islands while control programs in mainland areas remain small, uncoordinated and vulnerable to recolonisation. To allow the recovery of threatened native species, innovative management strategies are required to remove invasives from large areas. We took an adaptive approach to achieve large scale eradication of invasive American mink in North East Scotland. The project was centred on the Cairngorms National Park (Scotland), with the primary aim of protecting endangered water vole populations. The project was initiated by scientists and supported and implemented through a partnership comprising a government agency, national park authority and local fisheries boards. Capitalising on the convergent interests of a diverse range of local stakeholders, we created a coordinated coalition of trained volunteers to detect and trap mink. Starting in montane headwaters, we systematically moved down river catchments, deploying mink rafts, an effective detection and trapping platform. Volunteers took increasing responsibility for raft monitoring and mink trapping as the project progressed. Within 3 years, the project removed 376 mink from 10570 km² with the involvement of 186 volunteers. Capture rate within sub-catchments increased with greater connectivity to mink in other sub-catchments and with proximity to the coast where there is more productive habitat. The main factor underpinning the success of this project was functional volunteer participation. The project is a reason for optimism that the tide of invasion can be rolled back on a large scale where the convergent interest of local communities can be harnessed.     

Participatory landrace selection for on-farm conservation: An example from the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

On-farm conservation is recognized as a key component of a comprehensive strategy to conserve crop genetic resources. A fundamental problem faced by any on-farm conservation project is the identification of crop populations on which efforts should be focused. This paper describes a method to identify a subset of landraces for further conservation efforts from a larger collection representing the diversity found in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Mexico is a center of origin and diversity for maize (Zea mays L.). The 17 landraces selected from an initial collection of 152 satisfy two criteria. First, they represent the diversity present in the larger collection. Second, they appear to serve the interests of farmers in the region. Data for applying the method were elicited through participatory as well as conventional techniques. They incorporate the complementary perspectives of both men and women members of farm households, and of plant breeders and social scientists.     

河西走廊水资源问题的战略选择:建立节水型社会

 河西走廊水资源开发、利用中存在的突出问题是:水资源严重不足,供需矛盾突出;水资源的开发、利用大大超过了水资源的承载力;水资源配置不合理;水资源管理不科学,浪费现象严重;水利工程建设滞后,水资源利用率低;水质污染严重。在河西走廊建立节水型社会,应主要解决以下问题:改革水资源管理体制,实行水资源的统一管理;努力探索水资源市场化管理的途径;建立农民用水者协会参与式管理模式;大力调整农业产业结构,发展节水农业;加强节水水利工程建设,提高水资源利用率;控制污水排放,防止水质污染。     

基于国外借鉴的中国大陆地区土地征收程序设计

对中国大陆地区土地征收程序演化过程进行了梳理,探讨了土地征收程序存在的问题,归纳和分析了世界典型国家土地征收程序特征及可借鉴之处,提出了从增强征地预公告环节公众质询权利,增加公共利益认定,增强征地信息公开程度,加强被征地人参与程度,强调司法救济途径5个方面完善我国大陆地区土地征收程序的政策建议。