International Migration and Human Security and Development in Mongolia

No abstract in Englis

From Conflict to Cooperation: Fishery Relations in the Sea of Japan

This article traces the postwar experiences of Japan, the most important fishing nation of the Japan Sea region, in establishing and expanding fishery relations with the Soviet Union/Russia, South Korea, and North Korea. The gradual shift from conflict to cooperation in the exploitation and management of fishery resources shows that pragmatic cooperation among the countries involved has been made possible by their willingness to accommodate mutual economic interests on an increasingly reciprocal basis. International law, particularly the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the legal norms and principles it embodies have aided the parties in arriving at mutually acceptable arrangements. These cooperative regimes, however, have often undercut the requirements of resource conservation and management, driven as they are by the short-term economic interests of the fishing and coastal states. This tendency is particularly alarming in light of the mounting economic crisis in the post-communist Russia: Russia is increasingly seeking immediate financial gain by zealously selling access to its coastal resources to equally eager foreign fishing interests. The article recommends multilateral cooperation in the conservation-oriented management of the fishery resources of the Sea of Japan

Cross-Border Migration in Northeast Asia: Implications for Mongolia

DOI: 10.5564/mjia.v0i13.7Mongolian Journal of International Affairs No.13 2006 pp.42-5

US-Japan Security Alliance Adrift?

How stable is the US-Japan security alliance in the post-Cold War era? Have the “end of history”, the “end of the Cold War”, the end of a “hegemonic world”, and the “end of geography” (or the beginning of a borderless world economy) so altered the national security needs and priorities of the United States and Japan that they no longer need or desire the security alliance they have maintained since 1952? Will the alliance remain the anchor of Japanese and US policies in the Asia-Pacific region? In the age of multilateralism, will the two countries seek multilateral alternatives that will replace the bilateral alliance? In this brief analysis, I will review the ongoing debate in Japan and in the United States concerning the future of the US-Japan security alliance in the post-Cold War era.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5564/mjia.v4i0.415 Mongolian Journal of International Affairs Vol.4 2007: 3-2

Geological Characterisation of Depleted Oil and Gas Reservoirs for Carbon Sequestration Potentials in a Field in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

The injectivity, containment and storage capacity of sandstone reservoirs in a field in the Coastal Swamp depobelt of the onshore eastern Niger Delta were evaluated using wireline logs and seismic data to assess their potentials for carbon dioxide storage and geosequestration. The reservoir formation consists of multilayered alternating beds of sandstone and shale cap rocks. Active seismicity and fracturing intensity are low and growth faults provide the reservoir sealing mechanisms. Three reservoirs were delineated at depths between 3319 m and 3539 m which will keep injected CO2 in a supercritical state. The reservoir depth of at least 800 m, porosity and permeability of more than 10 percent and 20 mD, and a caprock thickness of at least 10 m, in addition to geothermal gradients of 13.46 to 33.66oC /km are the ideal conditions for the efficacy of storage. Comparison of the derived reservoir and seal properties such as porosity, permeability, thickness and depth with the minimum recommended site selection criteria shows that the reservoirs are potential candidates for carbon  geosequestration with a total theoretical storage capacity of 147MM tons. © JASE

Groundwater Contamination and Environmental Risk Assessment of a Hydrocarbon Contaminated Site in Eastern Niger Delta, Nigeria.

This work evaluated existing and potential adverse impacts in a remediated hydrocarbon spill site impacted by an unquantified volume of petroleum hydrocarbon where  depth to groundwater level may be less than one metre during  peak rainy season.  Pre-remediation concentration of  Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon in soils was 30,000mg/kg to 160,000mg/kg while post remediation  values were below the intervention values of 5,000mg/kg, but still higher than the target values of 50mg/kg specified for the Petroleum Industry in Nigeria. Similarly, BTEX levels reduced from 5mg/kg to less than 1mg/kg in soil and from 400µg/l to ˂3µg/l in groundwater. Post-remediation Primary Aromatic Hydrocarbon concentrations  reduced from 700mg/kg to 5mg/kg in soil and from 10µg/l to ˂3µg/l in groundwater. Seasonal fluctuations of the groundwater level imprinted a hydrocarbon smear of about 3-6m within the silty and sandy  soil profile. The presence of the post-remediation  residual contaminants at these concentrations constitutes substantial risk to the environment. Keywords: Contaminants, Bioscreen, BTEX, Hydrocarbon, Remediation, TPH, Niger Delt

Stabilization of dredged spoils for pavement construction in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Natural soils underlying the East-West road are mainly clay and silt of poor quality as subgrade and subbase materials. However, dredged fine grained sandy soils stockpiled at river banks along the road as wastes may be modified for strength gain to replace the excavated natural soil during road construction. The optimum stabilization conditions of the dredged soils were determined in this study to evaluate the strength improvement for beneficial use as road construction materials in view of their large quantity and nearness to the point of use. The laboratory tests carried out on the dredged soils included particle size distribution, compaction and California Bearing Ratio. Cement stabilization was performed on the dredged spoil. Results of the particle size distribution analysis showed that about 80 % of the natural soils, but less than 2 % of the dredged spoil particles are finer than 0.075mm. The moisture content and plasticity indices of the natural soils are 37 to 57 % and 21 to 33 % respectively. They are A-7-6 to A-6-7 soils which indicate poor quality as subgrade materials. Tests on the dredged sand revealed the following range of geotechnical properties: coefficient of uniformity, 2.21 - 2.89; coefficient of gradation, 1.11 - 1.28; maximum dry density, 1.79-1.84 g/cm3; optimum moisture content, 14-15 %; and CBR of 17-20 %. To improve the engineering properties and hence suitability in pavement construction of the spoils, 4 to 7 % addition of cement for stabilization resulted in significant strength increase, with optimum results obtained on addition of 6 % cement. The natural soils constitute very poor pavement construction materials based on their index properties. They may be excavated and replaced with the dredge spoils which must be stabilized before use.Keywords: Stabilization, dredge spoil, pavement, Niger Delta, cemen