Integrated hydrological modeling of the North China Plain and implications for sustainable water management

Groundwater overdraft has caused fast water level decline in the North China Plain (NCP) since the 1980s. Although many hydrological models have been developed for the NCP in the past few decades, most of them deal only with the groundwater component or only at local scales. In the present study, a coupled surface water–groundwater model using the MIKE SHE code has been developed for the entire alluvial plain of the NCP. All the major processes in the land phase of the hydrological cycle are considered in the integrated modeling approach. The most important parameters of the model are first identified by a sensitivity analysis process and then calibrated for the period 2000–2005. The calibrated model is validated for the period 2006–2008 against daily observations of groundwater heads. The simulation results compare well with the observations where acceptable values of root mean square error (RMSE) (most values lie below 4 m) and correlation coefficient (<i>R</i>) (0.36–0.97) are obtained. The simulated evapotranspiration (ET) is then compared with the remote sensing (RS)-based ET data to further validate the model simulation. The comparison result with a <i>R</i>² value of 0.93 between the monthly averaged values of simulated actual evapotranspiration (AET) and RS AET for the entire NCP shows a good performance of the model. The water balance results indicate that more than 70% of water leaving the flow system is attributed to the ET component, of which about 0.25% is taken from the saturated zone (SZ); about 29% comes from pumping, including irrigation pumping and non-irrigation pumping (net pumping). Sustainable water management analysis of the NCP is conducted using the simulation results obtained from the integrated model. An effective approach to improve water use efficiency in the NCP is by reducing the actual ET, e.g. by introducing water-saving technologies and changes in cropping

Proposal of a conceptual model to represent urban-industrial systems from the analysis of existing worldwide experiences

The adoption of Industrial Symbiosis (IS) practices within urban areas is gaining interest due to the environmental impacts entailed by the development of cities. However, there is still a lack of knowledge about how the relationships between industrial and urban areas can be modelled. In this context, this research aimed at posing a conceptual model to understand and represent Urban-Industrial Systems (UIS). To this end, a set of worldwide previous UIS experiences were overviewed to identify the agents, dynamics, and collaboration opportunities that characterize them. The multi-perspective analysis of these cases indicated that UIS are complex systems, which means that they are autonomous, self-organized, responsive, nonlinear, and willing to consolidate their resilience. As such, Agent-Based Models (ABM) were suggested to be the most suitable approach for their representation.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, grant number DPI2017-88127-R (AEI/FEDER, UE)

A Comparative Study of Non-Compete Agreements for Trade Secret Protection in the United States and China

Non-compete agreements are commonly used in both the United States and China, and are regarded as an important means for employers to prevent employees or rival companies from using valuable trade secrets for competitive purposes. Despite their popularity, however, the enforceability of non-competes in both countries can be difficult to determine. In the U.S., the level to which non-competes are fully enforced varies by jurisdiction. While some state courts apply a “rule of reason,” others, such as California, prohibit non-competes altogether. In contrast, Chinese courts tend to support non-competes. This Article provides a comparative perspective of non-competes in the U.S. and China, highlighting different factors that the two countries consider when deciding enforceability. Specifically, courts in the U.S. focus on the existence of legitimate business interests, while courts in China focus on economic compensation. In order to curb the over-enforcement of non-compete agreements in China and keep the balance between trade secret protection and employee mobility, this Article recommends that China define the protectable business interest by statute and narrowly construe the validity of non-compete agreement

Private Enforcement of Securities Fraud Law in China: A Critique of the Supreme People\u27s Court 2003 Provisions Concerning Private Securities Litigation

On January 9, 2003, China\u27s Supreme People\u27s Court issued a new ruling with detailed provisions governing private securities litigation involving disclosure of false or misleading information. The new ruling is expected to play an important role in regulating and developing China\u27s securities markets by providing a necessary judicial safeguard against infringement upon investors\u27 interests. The new ruling, however, is unlikely to achieve its expected effect due to various procedural and substantive hurdles to investor access to judicial recourse. The built-in procedural hurdles either make it very difficult for securities investors to bring private actions, or, in some circumstances, deprive them of any possibility of recovery. Such procedural hurdles are reflected in provisions relating to standing, jurisdiction, prerequisites to private actions, and class actions. In addition, causation provisions of the new ruling present a substantive hurdle to investors\u27 civil remedies and may, in effect, prevent investors who sell securities on the basis of a false representation from recovery. This Comment concludes that China\u27s Supreme People\u27s Court needs to remove the procedural and substantive hurdles if it wishes to provide necessary judicial protection for the interests of securities investors

Making the Grade: What\u27s Motivating China\u27s Educational Outreach in LAC?

This paper considers the multiple motivations for China’s educational outreach in the region, drawing from Chinese policy and analysis and many dozens of examples of academic linkages forged between China and Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years. Whether initiated by Chinese or LAC institutions, these programs are an increasingly central feature of China-LAC relations, a part of the extension of China’s BRI to LAC, and a useful measure of China’s varied and evolving interests throughout the region.https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/jgi_research/1049/thumbnail.jp

GIS - based land suitability analysis using AHP for public parks planning in Kota Bharu, Kelantan / Khalilah Hassan, Izrahayu Che Hashim and Siti Syamimi Omar

Optimal locations for public facilities, such as public parks, are significant issues in the urban planning of Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Therefore, specifically, Kota Bharu, Kelantan was selected as the study area where the land suitability model was applied to determine suitable land for public parks. This study was carried out within the framework of an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a multi-criteria evaluation approach by integrating it with the Geographic Information System (GIS). The IDRISI GIS package was used to calculate the weights based on four alternative scenarios. Computed composite weights were inserted into the spatial analysis function of the GIS and produced four scenarios of suitability maps, i.e.: (a) population density, (b) existing public parks, (c) industrial area and, (d) land availability. Hence, based on the analysis and findings made in this research, finding suitable locations using the land suitability model for future park development is highly helpful. The results can be useful in the planning of public facilities and future land use planning in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Household operational energy consumption in urban China : a multilevel analysis on Jinan

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2012.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-138).With decades of economic growth and socio-economic transformation, China's residential sector has seen rapid expansion in energy consumption, and is now the second largest energy consuming sector in the country. Faced with challenges of energy resource depletion and natural environment deterioration, China has been intensifying its efforts on energy conservation and emissions reductions in the residential sector. In this thesis, I present an analysis of household operational energy consumption in urban China through empirical evidence from Jinan, the capital city of eastern China's Shandong Province. With data from a survey of approximately 4,000 households and spatial analysis of 23 urban neighborhoods, I summarize key household socio-economic and demographic characteristics, dwelling unit physical attributes, appliance ownership, and usage control, as well as neighborhood characteristics of density, mixed use, solar gain, and wind flow. Based on a multilevel regression model, I examine the household, neighborhood, and cross-level interaction effects on in-home operational energy consumption. The research reveals that operational usage accounts for a predominantly large portion of total residential energy consumption in Jinan, and operational energy consumption patterns vary greatly across households in different neighborhood typologies. The multilevel analysis shows that six household characteristics are identified as having a positive, statistically significant relationship with greater energy usage: higher household income, presence of three or more adults and/or a child, larger dwelling unit area, and ownership of one or more air conditioners. Among neighborhood characteristics, higher floor area ratio is found to associate with lower operational energy consumption. In cross-level interaction effects, higher building function mix may weaken the positive effect of household income on operational energy consumption, and higher neighborhood porosity is correlated with higher energy consumption for households living on top floors and/or with electric heating.by Dong Wang.M.C.P

Consumer preferences for cultural heritage and tourism e-services: a case study of three European cities

This paper reports the results of a marketing study aimed at discovering consumer preferences for the e-services in European cultural destinations. Our results are central to eliciting potential consumers’ preferences for tourism and cultural heritage-related e-services. The paper is based on the analysis of user surveys conducted by the authors within the ISAAC EU-funded project in Amsterdam, Genoa and Leipzig in 2007-2009. Three types of consumers were contacted: residents, visitors and (cultural heritage) service providers. Our results provide a number of important recommendations for the design of e-tourism ICT platforms in European cities. The ICT platforms constitute a new market product, representing a novel approach to increasing the revenues from incoming tourism. The recommendations suggest priorities to ensure that the information system will most readily meet potential consumers’ needs