Reducing the Impacts of Development on Wildlife

Author(s):  
James Gleeson ◽  
Deborah Gleeson

The rapidly increasing number of threatened flora and fauna species worldwide is one of the chief problems confronting environmental professionals today. This problem is largely due to the impact humans have had on land use through development (e.g. agricultural, residential, industrial, infrastructure and mining developments). The requirement for developers to implement measures to reduce the impacts of development on wildlife is underpinned by government legislation. A variety of measures or strategies are available to reduce such impacts, including those to reduce impacts on flora and fauna during land clearance, to deter fauna from potential hazards, to facilitate the movement of fauna around and through a development site as well as those to provide additional habitat. In recent years, considerable advances have been made in the techniques used to reduce the impacts of development on wildlife in Australia and overseas. Reducing the Impacts of Development on Wildlife contains a comprehensive range of practical measures to assist others to reduce the impacts resulting from development on terrestrial flora and fauna, and promotes ecologically sustainable development. It will be very useful to environmental consultants and managers, developers, strategists, policy makers and regulators, as well as community environmental groups and students. 2012 Whitley Award Commendation for Zoological Text.

Author(s):  
Mahabub Alam Sheikh

Protection of the Environment and Sustainability goes hand in hand as one mechanism compliments the other. On the other hand, Sustainable Economic Growth can only be achieved if it is linked to Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD). Sustainability can best be described as "Living within the limit of what the environment can provide while safe guarding the environment for future generation, Understanding the many connections between environment, society and economy, and equitable distribution of resources and opportunities". Uncontrolled Green House Gas Emission has caused global warming, sea level rise, change of weather pattern (e.g severe untimely rainfall at unusual location), and alarming increase of natural disasters (Cyclone, Hurricane, Floods, Tsunamis and other natural phenomena). Third world countries are worst affected by the Green House Gas Emission and Global Warming Impact and Bangladesh is one of them. UN has taken a leading role and guiding the world to work together not only to reduce pollution but to make significant contribution in achieving pristine environmental conditions. Under the umbrella of UN, the world is now taking collective action to reduce Green House Gas Emission and Tackle Global Warming Impacts. Concerted efforts must be taken in an accelerated pace to educate at Global, Regional, National and Community level, about the benefits of the above-mentioned concepts and introduce incentive-based programs for mass participation. The environmental cleanup process should start from individual home and gradually extending to community, national and global level to achieve accelerated measurable success. An opportunity must be created to reform land use change, replacing pollution producing industries with environmentally sustainable practices. It is overdue to put through a series of EPA recommended processes to clean up the contaminated land, soil and water and secondly, introduce and adapt an Ecologically Sustainable Development program. The long-term goal should be to expedite and spread the land use change practices to relace the contaminated practices and introduce mandatory adaption of environment friendly technology for the ongoing industrial and business activities to reduce pollution while contributing improving the environment. With a global collective action this world can be transformed into a heaven on earth.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3687
Author(s):  
Vincent Smith ◽  
Justus H. H. Wesseler ◽  
David Zilberman

This perspective discusses the impact of political economy on the regulation of modern biotechnology. Modern biotechnology has contributed to sustainable development, but its potential has been underexplored and underutilized. We highlight the importance of the impacts of regulations for investments in modern biotechnology and argue that improvements are possible via international harmonization of approval processes. This development is urgently needed for improving sustainable development. Policy makers in the European Union (EU) in particular are challenged to rethink their approach to regulating modern biotechnology as their decisions have far ranging consequences beyond the boundaries of the EU and they have the power to influence international policies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Tianshi Pan ◽  
Lijun Zuo ◽  
Zengxiang Zhang ◽  
Xiaoli Zhao ◽  
Feifei Sun ◽  
...  

The implementation of ecological projects can largely change regional land use patterns, in turn altering the local hydrological process. Articulating these changes and their effects on ecosystem services, such as water conservation, is critical to understanding the impacts of land use activities and in directing future land planning toward regional sustainable development. Taking Zhangjiakou City of the Yongding River as the study area—a region with implementation of various ecological projects—the impact of land use changes on various hydrological components and water conservation capacity from 2000 to 2015 was simulated based on a soil and water assessment tool model (SWAT). An empirical regression model based on partial least squares was established to explore the contribution of different land use changes on water conservation. With special focus on the forest having the most complex effects on the hydrological process, the impacts of forest type and age on the water conservation capacity are discussed on different scales. Results show that between 2000 and 2015, the area of forest, grassland and cultivated land decreased by 0.05%, 0.98% and 1.64%, respectively, which reduces the regional evapotranspiration (0.48%) and soil water content (0.72%). The increase in settlement area (42.23%) is the main reason for the increase in water yield (14.52%). Most land use covered by vegetation has strong water conservation capacity, and the water conservation capacity of the forest is particularly outstanding. Farmland and settlements tend to have a negative effect on water conservation. The water conservation capacity of forest at all scales decreased significantly with the growth of forest (p < 0.05), while the water conservation capacity of different tree species had no significant difference. For the study area, increasing the forest area will be an effective way to improve the water conservation function, planting evergreen conifers can rapidly improve the regional water conservation capacity, while planting deciduous conifers is of great benefit to long-term sustainable development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramona Pîrvu ◽  
Cristian Drăgan ◽  
Gheorghe Axinte ◽  
Sorin Dinulescu ◽  
Mihaela Lupăncescu ◽  
...  

The impact of implementation of cohesion policy on the sustainable development of EU countries is of great interest and presents a number of actual challenges. This research aims to evaluate the impact and the effects of the cohesion policy among the Member States using hierarchical clustering analysis in order to identify how the selected variables affect the sustainable development adopted models. The variables used in the analysis were selected on the basis of official data provided by the European Commission, SDG Index and Dashboards Reports and the EU Cohesion Monitor. The results of the research have led to the grouping of the 28 Member States in a number of six clusters, identifying performers but also those countries that have a high potential for sustainable development or which require increased attention to be sustained in recovering existing gaps. The results of the study can be a starting point for policy makers and other stakeholders involved in their efforts to support sustainable development through effective and effective policies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-89
Author(s):  
Lachlan Penninkilampi

Urbanization is arguably the most severe and irreversible driver of environmental change, particularly with respect to biodiversity. This is the case even in Australia, a megadiverse country with a sophisticated federal regime of biodiversity governance. Yet, life persists in urban worlds. In the context of global climate and ecological crises, this article endeavours to illustrate how law and policy can grapple with the complexities of urban biodiversity and enable it to flourish. First, the article outlines the current approaches to urban biodiversity: what is it, what is it like, why does it matter and how do humans think of it? Second, the article analyses the current state of biodiversity governance in Australia, focusing particularly on the laws and policies of the Commonwealth, New South Wales, and local governments in Greater Sydney. Finally, the article details a program of reform which revisits the original guiding principles of ecologically sustainable development, illustrating how they could be unleashed for the better governance of urban biodiversity with respect to decision-making, the administration of law, issues at scale, the economy, valuation techniques and community participation. The program includes not only systemic and multi-scalar reforms, but also local-level reforms which have significant yet often overlooked potential to encourage pro-biodiversity behaviours in everyday life. The aim is to reveal just some of the many ways in which hope can be creatively transformed into action for a biodiverse urban future – that is, to reveal the possibilities of law and policy to enable urban biodiversity to be better recognized, understood, valued, protected and enhanced as Australia develops in the twenty-first century.


2013 ◽  
Vol 864-867 ◽  
pp. 328-332
Author(s):  
Lai Zhang

In the urban ecosystems , the greening as a subsystem in the beautiful urban environment , it plays an active role of maintaining urban ecological balance and sustainable development. On the basis of surveying the greening in Anshun city of Guizhou, the ccological effect of 16 typical plants of them, releasing oxygen and declining temperature were studied. The results showed that the species less, structure only, species evenness low; the ability of releasing oxygen is different for different plants in different months, but the similar law is rising in June and August, declining in July and September; in August, the law of declining temperature is consistent with releasing oxygen, but the most obvious were Platanas acerifolia (0.32°C), Ligusttrum quiuoni (0.26°C), Parthenocissus trcuspidata (0.46°C) in arbors, shrubs and climbing plants. The results provide some basis informations and valuable suggestions for Anshun city ecological construction, improving the living environment and ecologically sustainable development.


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