scholarly journals Identifying Key Knowledge Gaps to Better Protect Biodiversity and Simultaneously Secure Livelihoods in a Priority Conservation Area

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (20) ◽  
pp. 5695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anke S. K. Frank ◽  
Livia Schäffler
Keyword(s):  
Regional Scale ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Human Migration ◽  
Knowledge Gap ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
A Priority ◽  
The Impact

Global agreements like the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Achi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs) aim to secure human well-being and to protect biodiversity, but little progress has been made in reaching these aims. The key role of biodiversity in securing human well-being is rarely considered a priority – instead short-term economic profits benefiting a few are prioritized. Particularly where local livelihoods rely on resources of protected areas for immediate survival, top-down enforced biodiversity conservation often increases social inequality, hunger and poverty and thus regularly fails. Identifying key knowledge gaps helps to adjust political priority setting and investment strategies to assess conservation threats and improve natural resource management. Since acting usually occurs at a local or regional scale, we focused on a priority conservation area in one of the world’s poorest countries — the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar. We aimed to identify key knowledge gaps in this area which need to be filled to better protect biodiversity and simultaneously ensure well-being of the local poor. We consulted 51 predominantly Malagasy experts using questionnaires. These questionnaires listed 71 knowledge gaps we collated from the literature which the experts were asked to rank by importance. Experts were encouraged to list additional knowledge gaps. Averaging the scores of all experts, we identified the top 10 knowledge gaps. Two political knowledge gaps addressing the need to determine strategies which improve law enforcement and reduce corruption ranked highest, followed by an ecological one concerning appropriate restoration and a socio–economic one regarding economic benefits locals gain from biodiversity. The general knowledge gap perceived as most important addressed strategies for long-term funding. Only one additional knowledge gap was identified: the impact of climate change-driven human migration from southwestern to central western Madagascar on socio–economic problems and its impacts on natural resources We linked the identified top 10 knowledge gaps as well as the additional knowledge gap suggested by experts to the SDGs, ABTs and 2 °C target of the Paris Climate Agreement, and discussed why these gaps were considered a priority. This research highlights important ecological, socio–economic and political research priorities and provides guidelines for policy makers and funding organizations.

Il principio di precauzione: il Codice di condotta della Fao per la pesca responsabile e la politica comunitaria della pesca

2009 ◽  
pp. 87-106
Author(s):  
Elisa Fiora Belgrado
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Code Of Conduct ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Aquatic Resources ◽  
Fisheries Policy ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Second World

- "From ancient times, fishing has been a major source of food for humanity and a provider of employment and economic benefits to those engaged in this activity. The wealth of aquatic resources was assumed to be an unlimited gift of nature. However, with increased knowledge and the dynamic development of fisheries after the Second World War, this myth has faded in face of the realization that aquatic resources, although renewable, are not infinite and need to be properly managed, if their contribution to the nutritional, economic and social well-being of the growing world's population is to be sustained" (Fao Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries - Preface). Thus fishing has to be conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner because fish provides a vital source of food and, at the same time, fishing is closely connected to the environment because, if it is not properly practised can it cause irreparable damage. This work analyses the principle of precaution which was recognized as principle no. 15 in the Declaration of Rio on Environment and Development in 1992 and mentioned at the Conference on Biological Diversity. It represents one of the fundamental principles of the Fao Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and Common Fisheries Policy (Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002). States should apply a precautionary approach choosing the best measures and policy, taking into account the latest scientific evidence available. The aim is «to protect and conserve living aquatic resources, to provide for their sustainable exploitation and to minimise the impact of fishing activities on marine eco-systems.» (article 2 Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002).Parole chiave: scienza, protezione, precauzione, pesca, sviluppo.Key words: Science, Protection, Precaution, Fishing, Development.

scholarly journals Economic Perspectives on the Impact of Covid Vaccines

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 52-54
Author(s):  
A Sangamithra ◽  
S Thilagavathy
Keyword(s):  
Health Benefits ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
The Government ◽  
Economic Analyses ◽  
The Impact

Vaccination and the impact on health on the world’s people is very difficult to exaggerate. The main aim is to treat people with mental health issues and substance use of disorder. Vaccination is crucial in terms of ensuring the overall health conditions and well–being. The development of vaccines is an expensive and lengthy process. Depreciation is high and takes multiple candidates and long years to produce a licensed vaccine. The access to vaccines that prevent life-threatening infectious diseases remains not equal to all the population. The benefits of vaccination derive from health and economic benefits and the health benefits have diminishing returns as a result of high-risk individuals been vaccinated first. Economic benefits depend both on the health benefits and on how reduced risk of infection and death translates into a leading general economic activity. Department of Government is required to perform a systematic economic analyses of vaccines and to justify their given pressure on both private and public finances on a global level; provoke in the year 2008 financial crash. Mostly, the government supports charities and non-governmental organizations, where people invest in these, with the hope of improving the health conditions.

How much is a calorie worth? A study of willingness to pay for calorie labels in restaurant menus

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
SANA RAFIQ
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Caloric Consumption ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWe asked individuals about their willingness to pay (WTP) either: (1) for a mandate requiring restaurants to post calorie information on their menus; or (2) to avoid such a mandate. On average, more people were in in favor of the mandate and were willing to pay four times more than those who were against it, thereby leading to a Kaldor–Hicks improvement from this policy. To ensure robustness, we tested the impact of providing three types of information during individuals’ WTP determinations: (1) visual examples of the proposed calorie labels; (2) data on their effectiveness at the individual level; and (3) data on their wider social and economic benefits. For those in favor, providing a simple visual of the label had no impact on WTP. Data on the individual effectiveness of the labels increased the WTP, while evidence on broader obesity reduction and economic benefits reduced it. For opponents, WTP did not change with provision of additional information except when provided with information on social and economic benefits. Under this condition, the opponents increased their WTP 12-fold to avoid a mandate of this policy. Finally, we measured individual well-being under this policy and found directionally similar results, confirming a net improvement in aggregate welfare. Our results suggest that messaging that focuses on private benefits (providing calorie information so that individuals can effectively choose to reduce excessive caloric consumption) rather than wider public benefits (reduction in overall health-related costs and obesity) is more likely to be effective.

EcoFire: regional-scale prescribed burning increases the annual carrying capacity of livestock on pastoral properties by reducing pasture loss from wildfire

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Skroblin ◽  
Sarah Legge ◽  
Terry Webb ◽  
Leigh P. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Fire Scar ◽  
The Impact

Prescribed burning is an important management tool in the extensive pastoral lands in northern Australia. It can be used to influence grazing patterns, increase the nutritive value of pastures, reduce the density of woody shrubs and reduce the risk of damaging wildfires. The consequences of regional-scale prescribed burning on pasture availability and annual carrying capacities of pastoral properties in northern Australia were examined using EcoFire, a fire management program in the Kimberley Region of north-west Australia, as an example. Theoretical long-term carrying capacities of land systems, and fire scar imagery from years before (2004–06) and during EcoFire (2007–11) were used to model the impact of the program on the seasonality and extent of fire-induced losses in annual carrying capacity, and the likelihood of properties experiencing catastrophic losses in a given year. Over the 5 years that EcoFire has been running, it has resulted in a progressive reduction in the loss of annual carrying capacity caused by the burning of pasture, and shifted the season that annual carrying capacity is lost to fire from predominantly the late to the early dry season. Most notably, the established program has reduced the probability of experiencing catastrophic loss (defined here as >50% of annual carrying capacity removed due to fire) from 18 incidences to three incidences within a 3-year period. These outcomes have the potential to deliver economic benefits to pastoralists via increased annual carrying capacity and by improvements in pasture condition, provided stocking rates and pasture utilisation are managed carefully.

scholarly journals Older People, Mobility and Transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Review of the Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Gorman ◽  
Sion Jones ◽  
Jeffrey Turner
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Middle Income Countries ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Low And Middle Income

Older populations are rising globally, which in high-income countries has helped to generate a growing literature on the impact of ageing on travel requirements and transport policy. This article aims to provide an initial assessment of the state of knowledge on the impact on transportation policy and usage of the increasing numbers of older people in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs), through a review of the literature relating to older people and transportation. As both the academic and policy/practice-related literature specifically addressing ageing and transport in LAMICs is limited, the study looks beyond transportation to assess the state of knowledge regarding the ways in which older people’s mobility is affected by issues, such as health, well-being, social (dis)engagement and gender. We find significant knowledge gaps, resulting in an evidence base to support the implementation of policy is lacking. Most research in low-income countries (LICs) is either broad quantitative analysis based on national survey data or small-scale qualitative studies. We conclude that, although study of the differing contexts of ageing in LAMICs as they relate to older people’s mobilities and transport use has barely begun, institutions which both make and influence policymaking recognise the existence of significant knowledge gaps. This should provide the context in which research agendas can be established.

scholarly journals Industrial Symbiosis for Optimal Bio-Waste Management and Production of a Higher Value-Added Product

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 2228
Author(s):  
Edgaras Stunžėnas ◽  
Irina Kliopova ◽  
Daina Kliaugaitė ◽  
Rimas Pranas Budrys
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Food Waste ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Soluble Nitrogen ◽  
The Impact ◽  
By Products

A considerable amount of food waste ends up in centralized treatment plants due to the lack of preventive measures, resulting in significant environmental impacts. Hospitality food waste management is even more resource-intensive because of animal by-products regulation. According to this regulation, companies must store and then consign waste to specific waste managers. The extensive need for transportation of high-moisture-content materials is the leading cause of the impact. Moreover, the management of category III animal by-products is costly for companies. A previous study has shown the economic benefits of decentralized animal by-product treatment by intensive composting in catering companies. Although the produced compost was characterized by exceptional quality parameters, it was phytotoxic. The investigation of hospitality waste management is scarcely discussed among scholars, and waste management on a regional scale is nearly absent. This study examines the regional management of hospitality food waste by exploiting the municipal waste management infrastructure and intensive composting at the source. The co-maturation experiment with animal by-products and municipal green waste primary composts showed that the phytotoxicity parameters of the cured compost were in the optimal range or below the thresholds (conductivity (1.1 mS cm−1), dissolved organic carbon (82 mg kg−1), and NH4+/NO3− ratio (0.0027)). Additionally, the amounts of total nitrogen, water-soluble nitrogen, and water-soluble phosphorus in the compost were rated as very high. Finally, inventory and environmental impact analysis of the current and planned management approaches showed a reduction in 12 of 18 impact categories.

scholarly journals Protection of National Interests of the State as an Imperative of Geostrategy of Ukraine

2019 ◽  
pp. 167-175
Author(s):  
Inna Shevchuk
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
National Economy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sole Source ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Economic Security ◽  
The State ◽  
State Sovereignty ◽  
National Interests ◽  
The Impact

The article is devoted to the actual issues of determining the role of national interests in ensuring the economic security of the state. Established in the field of economic security, the priority national interest is the development of the national economy and the growth of the welfare of citizens. The researchers' views on the definition of the concept of «national interests» are researched and generalized that national interests are a systemic, synergetic concept that reflects the vital values of the Ukrainian people as the bearer of sovereignty and the sole source of power in Ukraine, the defining needs of society and the state, the realization of which guarantees state sovereignty of Ukraine and its progressive development. It is noted that national interests are realized through state interests, where the population of the country acts as the subject of interests, and the state through the state institutions implements and protects these interests. The main components of national interests include the provision of military-political sovereignty, economic well-being and cultural needs of the population. The military-political, socio-economic situation in Ukraine and the impact of globalization processes have made it possible to formulate a number of national interests, including: protection of state sovereignty; ensuring economic stability through self-sufficiency, stability and competitiveness of the national economy; polyvectorality of the country's foreign policy and the establishment of Ukraine as a reliable international partner; creation of conditions for the development of the spirituality of the population, improvement of the physical health of the nation; preservation of intellectual and scientific potential of the country, regulation of the issue of youth mobility. It has been proved that democratization processes require the involvement of citizens and civil society institutions in this process in order to form national interests through the maximum coverage of all spheres of society's life for the protection of human rights and citizen and acceleration of socio-economic development and modernization of the national economy. The most acute threats to national interests in the field of national and economic security are formulated. It is summarized that in the field of economic security, national interests reflect the vector of economic development of the state, its aspirations for economic independence and the effective use of economic benefits.

scholarly journals Methods for Assessing the Impact of Temporary Labour Emigration

1992 ◽  
Vol 31 (4II) ◽  
pp. 1207-1239
Author(s):  
Beatrice Knerr
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Labour Migration ◽  
Computable General Equilibrium Models ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
The Impact

Over the last three decades temporary emigration I of labour force has gained considerable importance for the economic development of many labour-rich and capital-short countries. As most of these countries have little influence on the volume, timing, and structure of their migrating labour· force, labour outflow, fluctuating remittances, and remigration often result in external shocks on their vulnerable economies. Given the strong influence which labour emigration bears on key macro-economic aggregates and on the well-being of the population, its integration into the overall development planning is a sine qua non for sound economic strategies of the source countries. As a rule, however, migration policy largely consists of trial and ~rror reactions to already on-going developments. Over the last years, much empirical research effort has been devoted to the impact of labour migration on sending regions. Most of it is based on micro-level surveys, and on descriptions of economic changes which have occurred over a migration boom, without exact specification of causal relationships. The deduction of macro-economic changes from observed household behaviour is difficult and implies much speculation, yet. Therefore, maximizing the economic benefits from labour migration for the source country requires the application of quantitative methods based on macro models which can be used for assessing its impact and for stimulating alternative policy strategies considered for accompanying the process. The paper presents four methods which seem appropriate for that purpose, namely partial sectoral analysis by regression computations, cost-benefit analysis, social accounting matrices, and computable general equilibrium models. It considers their respective advantages for different ends, questions, and policy goals, and explains their data requirements.

scholarly journals Assessing the Economic and Environmental Sustainability of a Regional Air Quality Plan

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudio Carnevale ◽  
Fabrizio Ferrari ◽  
Giorgio Guariso ◽  
Giuseppe Maffeis ◽  
Enrico Turrini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Pollutant Emission ◽  
Regional Air Quality ◽  
The Impact

Air quality plans must be demonstrated to be economically sustainable and environmentally effective. This paper presents a full cost–benefit and environmental analysis of a large regional air quality plan involving several different actions covering a large spectrum of fields, from domestic heating to passenger and freight transport, from electricity generation to agriculture. The impact of each action is analyzed looking at the possible energy savings, greenhouse gases (GHG) emission reductions, the improvement in air quality, and the consequent decrease in external costs, namely the reduced impact on population health. The analysis is performed by applying a flexible and fast computer tool (RIAT+) that allows for a rapid simulation of different pollutant emission scenario, to assess different air quality indices (AQIs) over a regional scale domain. The results show that, in most cases, the economic savings exceed the implementation costs and thus that these actions can be introduced in air quality plans for the domain under study. The reduced health and climate costs, though relevant in absolute terms, are, in general, only a fraction of the economic benefits of energy savings. This is not true for the measures acting on improvements in electricity generation, since a reduction in power plant emissions (generally with high stacks, far from populated areas) does not significantly impact the air quality inside the region. A shift in energy production to renewable sources can instead provide noticeable effects on GHG emissions. This research raises some interesting and general questions about the adequacy of the methodologies applied to attribute costs (and benefits) to actions, improving a variety of sectors that are different from the one in which the measures are applied here.

scholarly journals Spatiotemporal Changes in Ecosystem Services along a Urban-Rural-Natural Gradient: A Case Study of Xi’an, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxuan Li ◽  
Hongjuan Zhang ◽  
Zhicheng Zhang ◽  
Juan Feng ◽  
Kang Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Core Area ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Urban Core ◽  
Ecological Conservation ◽  
Extended Area ◽  
The Impact

Urban areas are the areas that are most strongly affected by human activities, which presents many challenges to the ecosystem and human well-being. Ecosystem services (ES) are a comprehensive indicator to measure the ecological effects of urbanization. To effectively identify and evaluate the impact of urbanization on ES, the spatial-temporal pattern of ES should be considered. According to the level of urbanization, Xi’an city is divided into four regions: the urban core area, the urban extended area, the rural area, and the ecological conservation area, then, five comprehensive ecosystem services (CES) are evaluated by In VEST model. The results showed the following: (1) There is an obvious spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of ES. The ecological conservation area is the hot spot of ES supply, and the low value is mostly distributed in the urban core area. (2) The CES in the urban extended area that has undergone the greatest change between 2000 and 2015, and the rates of change in the ecological conservation area are the smallest. (3) There is a significant correlation between urbanization and ES, and the correction between landscape urbanization and ES is the most significant. (4) The agglomeration relationship between urbanization and ES in different regions is not consistent. Regional division provides a new way to understand the interaction between urbanization and ES in time and space, so as to provide better guidance for policy makers in formulating sustainable development policies to alleviate the loss of ES caused by the process of urbanization.

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