Browsing by Subject "Environment"
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- ItemOpen AccessAn operational model for mainstreaming ecosystem services for implementation(2008) Cowling, R M; Egoh, B; Knight, A T; O\'Farrell, PJ; Reyers, B; Rouget, M; Roux, D J; Welz, A; Wilhelm-Rechman, AResearch on ecosystem services has grown markedly in recent years. However, few studies are embedded in a social process designed to ensure effective management of ecosystem services. Most research has focused only on biophysical and valuation assessments of putative services. As a mission-oriented discipline, ecosystem service research should be user-inspired and user-useful, which will require that researchers respond to stakeholder needs from the outset and collaborate with them in strategy development and implementation. Here we provide a pragmatic operational model for achieving the safeguarding of ecosystem services. The model comprises three phases: assessment, planning, and management. Outcomes of social, biophysical, and valuation assessments are used to identify opportunities and constraints for implementation. The latter then are transformed into user-friendly products to identify, with stakeholders, strategic objectives for implementation (the planning phase). The management phase undertakes and coordinates actions that achieve the protection of ecosystem services and ensure the flow of these services to beneficiaries. This outcome is achieved via mainstreaming, or incorporating the safeguarding of ecosystem services into the policies and practices of sectors that deal with land- and water-use planning. Management needs to be adaptive and should be institutionalized in a suite of learning organizations that are representative of the sectors that are concerned with decision-making and planning. By following the phases of our operational model, projects for safeguarding ecosystem services are likely to empower stakeholders to implement effective on-the-ground management that will achieve resilience of the corresponding social-ecological systems.
- ItemOpen AccessHelsinki by nature: The Nature Step to Respiratory Health(2019-10-30) Haahtela, Tari; von Hertzen, Leena; Anto, Josep M; Bai, Chunxue; Baigenzhin, Abay; Bateman, Eric D; Behera, Digambar; Bennoor, Kazi; Camargos, Paulo; Chavannes, Niels; de Sousa, Jaime C; Cruz, Alvaro; Do Céu Teixeira, Maria; Erhola, Marina; Furman, Eeva; Gemicioğlu, Bilun; Gonzalez Diaz, Sandra; Hellings, Peter W; Jousilahti, Pekka; Khaltaev, Nikolai; Kolek, Vitezslav; Kuna, Piotr; La Grutta, Stefania; Lan, Le T T; Maglakelidze, Tamaz; Masjedi, Mohamed R; Mihaltan, Florin; Mohammad, Yousser; Nunes, Elizabete; Nyberg, Arvid; Quel, Jorge; Rosado-Pinto, Jose; Sagara, Hironori; Samolinski, Boleslaw; Schraufnagel, Dean; Sooronbaev, Talant; Tag Eldin, Mohamed; To, Teresa; Valiulis, Arunas; Varghese, Cherian; Vasankari, Tuula; Viegi, Giovanni; Winders, Tonya; Yañez, Anahi; Yorgancioğlu, Arzu; Yusuf, Osman; Bousquet, Jean; Billo, Nils EAbstract Background The Nature Step to Respiratory Health was the overarching theme of the 12th General Meeting of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) in Helsinki, August 2018. New approaches are needed to improve respiratory health and reduce premature mortality of chronic diseases by 30% till 2030 (UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). Planetary health is defined as the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends. Planetary health and human health are interconnected, and both need to be considered by individuals and governments while addressing several SDGs. Results The concept of the Nature Step has evolved from innovative research indicating, how changed lifestyle in urban surroundings reduces contact with biodiverse environments, impoverishes microbiota, affects immune regulation and increases risk of NCDs. The Nature Step calls for strengthening connections to nature. Physical activity in natural environments should be promoted, use of fresh vegetables, fruits and water increased, and consumption of sugary drinks, tobacco and alcohol restricted. Nature relatedness should be part of everyday life and especially emphasized in the care of children and the elderly. Taking “nature” to modern cities in a controlled way is possible but a challenge for urban planning, nature conservation, housing, traffic arrangements, energy production, and importantly for supplying and distributing food. Actions against the well-known respiratory risk factors, air pollution and smoking, should be taken simultaneously. Conclusions In Finland and elsewhere in Europe, successful programmes have been implemented to reduce the burden of respiratory disorders and other NCDs. Unhealthy behaviour can be changed by well-coordinated actions involving all stakeholders. The growing public health concern caused by NCDs in urban surroundings cannot be solved by health care alone; a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory.
- ItemOpen AccessInferring Process from Pattern in Plant Invasions: A Semimechanistic Model Incorporating Propagule Pressure and Environmental Factors(2003) Rouget, Mathieu; Richardson, David MAbstract: Propagule pressure is intuitively a key factor in biological invasions: increased availability of propagules increases the chances of establishment, persistence, naturalization, and invasion. The role of propagule pressure relative to disturbance and various environmental factors is, however, difficult to quantify. We explored the relative importance of factors driving invasions using detailed data on the distribution and percentage cover of alien tree species on South Africas Agulhas Plain (2,160 km2). Classification trees based on geology, climate, land use, and topography adequately explained distribution but not abundance (canopy cover) of three widespread invasive species (Acacia cyclops, Acacia saligna, and Pinus pinaster). A semimechanistic model was then developed to quantify the roles of propagule pressure and environmental heterogeneity in structuring invasion patterns. The intensity of propagule pressure (approximated by the distance from putative invasion foci) was a much better predictor of canopy cover than any environmental factor that was considered. The influence of environmental factors was then assessed on the residuals of the first model to determine how propagule pressure interacts with environmental factors. The mediating effect of environmental factors was species specific. Models combining propagule pressure and environmental factors successfully predicted more than 70% of the variation in canopy cover for each species.
- ItemRestrictedKinetic analysis of biological sulphate reduction using lactate as carbon source and electron donor across a range of sulphate concentrations(Elsevier, 2010) Oyekola, O O; van Hille, R P; Harrison, S T LThis study investigated the effect of feed sulphate concentration on the kinetics of anaerobic sulphate reduction by a mixed SRB culture, using lactate as the sole carbon source and electron donor. Chemostat cultures were operated across a range of residence times (0.5–5 d) and feed sulphate concentrations (1.0–10.0 g l−1). Similar phenomena were observed at feed sulphate concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 g l−1 with the volumetric sulphate reduction rate increasing linearly with increasing volumetric sulphate loading rate. These reactors were characterised by higher specific volumetric sulphate reduction rates with maximum values of 0.24 and 0.20 g h−1 g−1. Contrastingly, the reactors fed with sulphate concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 g l−1 showed distinctly different trends in which the volumetric sulphate reduction rate passed through a maximum at the dilution rates of 0.014 and 0.021 h−1, respectively, followed by a decline with further increase in sulphate loading rate. The maximum specific volumetric sulphate reduction rates observed were 2–6-fold lower than those observed at 1.0 and 10.0 g l−1 feed sulphate concentrations. Profiles of specific volumetric sulphate reduction rate and biomass concentration suggested a shift in lactate utilisation from oxidation to fermentation at high dilution rates, implying a change in the dominant components of the microbial consortium. The data suggest that population structure was influenced by lactate affinity and dissolved sulphide concentration. The trends observed were attributed to the greater ability of lactate oxidisers to scavenge lactate under limiting concentrations of the substrate and their greater resilience to dissolved sulphide species in comparison to lactate fermenters.
- ItemRestrictedKinetic analysis of biological sulphate reduction using lactate as carbon source and electron donor: Effect of sulphate concentration.(Elsevier, 2010) Oyekola, Oluwaseun O; van Hille, Robert P; Harrison, Susan T LThis study investigated the effect of feed sulphate concentration on the kinetics of anaerobic sulphate reduction by a mixed SRB culture, using lactate as the sole carbon source and electron donor. Chemostat cultures were operated across a range of residence times (0.5–5 d) and feed sulphate concentrations (1.0–10.0 g l1 ). Similar phenomena were observed at feed sulphate concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 g l1 with the volumetric sulphate reduction rate increasing linearly with increasing volumetric sulphate loading rate. These reactors were characterised by higher specific volumetric sulphate reduction rates with maximum values of 0.24 and 0.20 g h1 g1 . Contrastingly, the reactors fed with sulphate concentrations of 2.5 and 5.0 g l1 showed distinctly different trends in which the volumetric sulphate reduction rate passed through a maximum at the dilution rates of 0.014 and 0.021 h1 , respectively, followed by a decline with further increase in sulphate loading rate. The maximum specific volumetric sulphate reduction rates observed were 2–6-fold lower than those observed at 1.0 and 10.0 g l1 feed sulphate concentrations. Profiles of specific volumetric sulphate reduction rate and biomass concentration suggested a shift in lactate utilisation from oxidation to fermentation at high dilution rates, implying a change in the dominant components of the microbial consortium. The data suggest that population structure was influenced by lactate affinity and dissolved sulphide concentration. The trends observed were attributed to the greater ability of lactate oxidisers to scavenge lactate under limiting concentrations of the substrate and their greater resilience to dissolved sulphide species in comparison to lactate fermenters.
- ItemOpen AccessMonitoring occupational and environmental health as part of the right to the highest attainable standard of health(2022) Chitsa, Ndakapara; London, Leslie; Forman, LisaBackground: Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) is a major contributor to global Burden of Diseases (BoD). State Parties (SPs) to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) are obligated to implement the Right to Health (RtH); which includes improving environmental and industrial hygiene, prevention, treatment and control of epidemic and occupational disease etc. Research shows that Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) owing to EOH, and associated risk factors are the leading cause of death globally. Yet, ICESCR has a Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) responsible for monitoring the implementation of the RtH. Also, Civil Society Organizations (CSO)'s role, acting as watchdogs, is to ensure that SPs comply with their obligation to realise the RtH. So far, little is known whether SPs, CESCR and CSOs are paying attention to EOH factors as one of conditions necessary for the realisation of the RtH. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how attention is given to EOH issues in implementing the RtH Methods: A mixed method study design was used for this study. From State Parties (SPs) to the Convention, stratified random sampling was used to select 3 countries per each World Health Organisation (WHO) epidemiological region (N=18). For each country, we collected State Party (SP) reports, Concluding Observations (CO), and CSO reports published on UN OHCHR website between 2009 and 2018. Data was analysed using word frequency and thematic analysis for SPs (n=21), COs (n=18) and CSOs (n=22) reports, in total 61 reports. Results: The attention given to EOH issues is limited. Where EOH factors were given attention, either the CESCR failed to adequately acknowledge their importance in the realisation of the RtH leading to the SPs reducing their focus and failing to report on EOH issues in their follow-up reports. Alternatively, the SP and CESCR did not follow through on issues previously raised leaving these concerns unaddressed. SPs appear to have no one to hold them accountable for RtH rights since neither CSOs nor the CSECR were effectively doing so. Conclusions: Addressing EOH health risks is required of governments to protect, fulfil, and respect the RtH. In this study, a minority of SPs addressed EOH. In addition, those who addressed EOH have largely focused on addressing consequences of rather than preventing the EOH burden. There is an urgent need for governments to address the root causes of failure to provide the conditions necessary for realisation of RtH – and specifically EOH factors - within the UN system. Further work needs to be done by the CESCR in strict monitoring of SPs' obligations in terms of EOH factors as described in its General Comment 14 (GC 14).