Valuation of Unregistered Lands: A Policy Guide

In many developing countries, only 30 per cent of land rights are registered. This publication aims to support developing countries that have unregistered lands to be able to value these lands. It is intended for policy makers, valuation practitioners, other land professionals and various stakeholders involved in the valuation of unregistered lands. It highlights the need to address the challenges related to valuing unregistered lands. This publication provides key principles and policy guidance for people to progressively undertake valuations of unregistered lands. It is intended to assist in the achievement of professional level valuations of unregistered lands and enable users of this guide to discern when this has been achieved. Lessons learnt and solutions should be documented leading to detailed manuals on how to better value unregistered land in the future and thereby significantly contribute to sustainable development objectives. The guide serves to strengthen the implementation of the continuum of land rights a key tool to strengthening security of tenure for all. Governments, policy makers, the valuation industry, practitioners, capacity development institutions and other interested parties should use this guide to help achieve the SDG goals of conflict prevention, food security, gender equity and sustainable urban and rural development

The influence of Antarctic subglacial volcanism on the global iron cycle during the Last Glacial Maximum

Marine sediment records suggest that episodes of major atmospheric CO2 drawdown during the last glacial period were linked to iron (Fe) fertilisation of subantarctic surface waters. The principal source of this Fe is thought to be dust transported from southern mid-latitude deserts. However, uncertainty exists over contributions to CO2 sequestration from complementary Fe sources, such as the Antarctic ice sheet, due to the difficulty of locating and interrogating suitable archives that have the potential to preserve such information. Here we present petrographic, geochemical and microbial DNA evidence preserved in precisely dated subglacial calcites from close to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet margin, which together suggest that volcanically-induced drainage of Fe-rich waters during the Last Glacial Maximum could have reached the Southern Ocean (SO). Our results support a significant contribution of Antarctic volcanism to subglacial transport and delivery of nutrients with implications on ocean productivity at peak glacial conditions

Membrane separation and characterisation of lignin and its derived products obtained by a mild ethanol organosolv treatment of rice straw

ABSTRACT: An organosolv process using ethanol-water was optimized in order to recover high quality lignin from rice-straw previously pre-treated by autohydrolysis at 210 °C. The results showed a selective and appreciable removal of lignin under very mild conditions and the highest delignification yield occurred at 30 °C. The lignin extracts were characterised using capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and 31P-NMR, and two-dimensional heteronuclear single quantum correlation NMR spectroscopy (2D-HSQC NMR), which enabled the identification of low molecular weight lignins with a syringyl/guaiacyl ratio of about 0.74 containing phenolic compounds with potential bioactive properties. In order to separate the target compounds, membrane technology has been used and an enriched extract containing value-added phenolic compounds such as tricin, vanillin, ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid was obtained. High membrane efficiency (around 80%) was obtained for target compounds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Variations in water use by a mature mangrove of Avicennia germinans, French Guiana

In the tropical intertidal zones, little is known on water uptake by mangroves. Transpiration rates are generally measured at leaf level, but few studies exist on water use at tree or stand levels. The objective of this study was to measure sap flow in trees of different sizes to appreciate the range of variation in water use that may exist in a site dominated by 80% mature Avicennia germinans. The results showed that from the dry to the wet season the mean water use increased from 3.2 to 5.3 dm3 d−1 in small trees (DBH ∼ 13 cm), from 11.5 to 30.8 dm3 d−1 in medium trees (∼24 cm) and from 40.8 to 64.1 dm3 d−1 in large ones (∼45 cm). Sapwood remained active up to a depth of 8 cm with radial variations within the stem. Weak correlations were obtained with VPD and net radiation. This study confirmed that transpiration was larger under low levels of salinity. Water use at stand level (∼1900 living stems ha−1) was estimated to be in the range of 5.8 to 11.8 m3 ha−1 d−1 according to the season

Orbital reconstruction and two-dimensional electron gas at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

Conventional two-dimensional electron gases are realized by engineering the interfaces between semiconducting compounds. In 2004, Ohtomo and Hwang discovered that an electron gas can be also realized at the interface between large gap insulators made of transition metal oxides [1]. This finding has generated considerable efforts to clarify the underlying microscopic mechanism. Of particular interest is the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 system, because it features especially striking properties. High carrier mobility [1], electric field tuneable superconductivity [2] and magnetic effects [3], have been found. Here we show that an orbital reconstruction is underlying the generation of the electron gas at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 n-type interface. Our results are based on extensive investigations of the electronic properties and of the orbital structure of the interface using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. In particular we find that the degeneracy of the Ti 3d states is fully removed, and that the Ti 3dxy levels become the first available states for conducting electrons.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure