68 research outputs found
Wetlands management in Vietnam's Mekong Delta: an overview of the pressures and responses
This paper introduces the characteristics of the Delta and outlines the pressures that are impinging on the sustainability of the Delta's wetlands. Although these pressures are non-linear and interacting, three are considered prominent. These pressures stem largely from rice production and the associated large scale water control infrastructures, shrimp aquaculture, and the inadequacy of the current institutional arrangements. Responses to these pressures are discussed noting the diverse interventions made in the past and the present. Key points raised by authors in the succeeding chapters in this volume are highlighted and a short description of the WorldFish Center project is provided.Wetlands, Resource management, Rice, Shrimp culture, Vietnam, Mekong Delta,
Management of wetland resources in the lower Mekong Basin: issues and future directions
The Lower Mekong Basin has extensive wetlands and these are being threatened by numerous problems. Most of these problems are interdependent and interact with one another. The lack of an appropriate definition of wetlands applicable to the region, pervasive inefficiencies and chronic lack of funds among riparian governments, and the poor appreciation of the true economic importance of wetlands and its resources are among the most prominent. The current definition, based on the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971), is too broad when compared to the understanding of wetlands as being swamps, marshes and the like, and was developed specifically for wetlands with international importance as waterfowl habitats. Furthermore, wetlands are composed of different types of resources, which require different modes of management. Often, institutional competition, overlapping mandates and sometimes jealousies occur between government departments when they try to assert their authority on a particular wetland resource and use, and put forward their development plans without considering how these may conflict with other wetlands uses. Finally, effective wetland management requires reliable statistics or information on rate of harvest of natural resources such as fish and others, fishing/harvesting methods over time in order to determine the level of exploitation, and the status of the natural resources. This information is needed to identify opportunities for expansion, to establish historical trends, and to determine when management interventions are necessary to protect the resources from being overused by other developments. In order to address these issues, ICLARM - The World Fish Center has launched a project, the aim of objectives of which are described in this paper
Institutional issues and perspectives in the management of fisheries and coastal resources in southeast Asia
In developing countries, institutional weaknesses and constraints are pervasive in the fisheries and coastal resources management sector. Legal, policy and institutional frameworks are not crafted to suit the unique features of fisheries and other coastal resources and this has resulted in mismatches and overlaps. This volume highlights the important institutional demands and challenges in fisheries and coastal resources management through case studies in four countries in Southeast Asia û Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. The main focus is on the fisheries sector, a major resource in the coastal zone. Since issues in this sector cannot be divorced from issues affecting the integrated management of coastal resources, both are addressed in the discussion. This volume provides an introduction to the institutional milieu of coastal and fishery resources management in Southeast Asia.Fishery management, Marine resources, Institutional resources, Legal aspects, Governments, Southeast Asia,
Wetlands management in Cambodia: socioeconomic, ecological, and policy perspectives
The papers in this volume were initially prepared for a workshop organized in April 2001 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, under the auspices of the project, " Legal and institutional framework and economic valuation of resources and environment in the Mekong River Region- a wetlands approach." The first three papers provide an essential survey of the importance of wetlands, trends affecting their health and propductivity, and priority actions in response. The next three papers focus on the social, institutional, and legal challenges of wetlands management in the country. The final three papers address the problems of assessing and enhancing the value of wetlands.Wetlands, Resource management, Socioeconomic aspects, Policies, Environment management, Cambodia,
Wetlands management in Vietnam: issues and perspectives
Wetlands, Resource management, Resource conservation, WorldFish Center Contrib. No. 1692, Viet Nam, Mekong Delta,
The cost of action: CRM investment in the Philippines
Knowing the cost of investment in coastal resources management (CRM) is important especially in understanding the cost of undertaking one and ascertaining whether the outcomes are worth the money spent. In the Philippines, various CRM projects have already been initiated and no studies have tried to account for the total level of investment. This paper provides an estimate of money spent or invested on CRM in the Philippines and examines the investment per km2 of coral reefs
Induction of hepatic aminolevulinate acid synthetase activity by isoflurane in a genetic model for erythropoietic protoporphyria
Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP) is an inherited deficiency of ferrochelatase, the last enzyme of the heme pathway. Under general anaesthesia, some patients develop neurological dysfunction suggesting upregulation in heme biosynthesis similar to that described for acute porphyrias after xenobiotic administration. Our aim has been to evaluate whether Isoflurane induces alterations in the heme pathway in a mouse model for EPP. Administration of Isoflurane (a single dose of 2 ml/kg, i.p) to wild-type (+/+), heterozygous (+/Fechm1Pas) and homozygous (Fechm1Pas/Fech m1Pas) mice, was evaluated by measuring the activity of δ-Aminolevulinic acid synthetase (ALA-S) and Porphobilinogen-deaminase (PBG-D) in different tissues, as well as Heme oxygenase (HO), cytochrome P-450, CYP2E1 and glutathione levels in liver. Porphyrin precursors were measured in 24h-urine samples. Fechm1Pas/Fechm1Pas mice receiving anaesthesia show enhanced ALA-S and CYP2E1 activities in the liver and increased urinary excretion of porphyrin precursors. No alterations were found in either PBG-D or HO activities. Diminished glutathione levels suggest that anaesthesia may produce oxidative stress in these animals. In conclusion, Isoflurane induces ALA-S activity and increased excretion of porphyrin precursors in EPP mice. These findings appear to confirm our previous hypothesis and indicate that Isoflurane may be an unsafe anaesthetic not only for patients with acute porphyrias but also for individuals with non acute porphyrias. Copyright © 2009 C.M.B. Edition.Fil:Buzaleh, A.M. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil:Batlle, A.M.D.C. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina
Measuring transaction costs of fisheries co-management in San Salvador Island, Philippines
It is generally accepted that co-management systems are more cost-effective than centralized management of natural resources. However, no attempts have been made to empirically verify the transaction costs involved in fisheries co-management. Some estimates of transaction costs of fisheries co-management in San Salvador Island, Philippines, are presented in this paper. These estimates are used to compare the various transaction costs in co-managed and in centrally managed fisheries in San Salvador Island
Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries
Background
Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres.
Methods
This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries.
Results
In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia.
Conclusion
This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries
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