Natural Resources Forum

Lestrelin, Guillaume; Vigiak, Olga; Pelletreau, Aurélie; Keohavong, Bounmy; Valentin, Christian

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2011.01438.xpmid: N/A

The official environmental discourse in Laos describes a “chain of degradation” stretching from upland shifting cultivation, increased runoff and soil erosion to the siltation of wetlands and reservoirs. This perspective has had wide‐ranging impacts on rural development policy which, in the uplands, has long favoured forest conservation over agriculture. Integrating soil erosion and water sediment data with local perceptions of land degradation in an upland village of northern Laos, this study tests the validity of the official environmental discourse. Biophysical measurements made in a small agricultural catchment indicate a significant correlation between the spatial extent of cultivation and soil erosion rates. However, sediment yields recorded at the outlet of the catchment highlight relatively low levels of off‐site sediment exportation. Furthermore, farmers' perceptions suggest that local land degradation issues and crop yield declines could be less related to soil erosion than to agricultural land shortage, increased weed competition, and fertility losses resulting from the intensification of shifting cultivation. The study concludes that a better understanding and management of land degradation issues can be achieved by developing more inclusive and scientifically‐informed approaches to environmental perceptions and narratives.

Lautze, Jonathan; Manthrithilake, Herath

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.01448.xpmid: N/A

“Water security” has come to infiltrate prominent discourse in the international water and development community, and achieving it is often viewed as a new water sector target. Despite the elevated status that the concept has increasingly acquired, understandings of the term are murky and quantification is rare. To promote a more tangible understanding of the concept, this paper develops an index for evaluating water security at a country level. The index is comprised of indicators in five components considered to be critical to the concept: (i) basic needs; (ii) agricultural production; (iii) the environment; (iv) risk management; and (v) independence. Achieving water security in these components can be considered necessary but insufficient criteria to measure the achievement of security in related areas such as health, livelihoods, and industry. After populating indicators with data from Asia‐Pacific countries, results are interpreted and the viability of methods is discussed. This effort comprises an important first step for quantifying and assessing water security across countries, which should spur more concrete understanding of the term and discussion of its added value.

Klerkx, Laurens; Villalobos, Pablo; Engler, Alejandra

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.01440.xpmid: N/A

As in many sectors in emerging economies, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become important for exporting agri‐food firms in view of their integration in global supply chains. The purpose of this research was to assess the implementation by Chilean fruit exporters of CSR practices that go beyond minimum legal requirements. The principal results are that, although socio‐economic components of CSR such as poverty reduction and socially just working conditions receive much attention, firms consider comprehensive environmental practices as less important. The results also indicate a slightly higher implementation of comprehensive CSR practices by large firms as compared to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The main conclusion is that, although CSR is increasingly considered by Chilean firms, among SMEs in particular, more attention needs to be paid to raising awareness among managers about CSR practices and to providing assistance in their implementation. This supports findings on CSR implementation in other emerging economies that an active role of civil society and industry organizations is key and that targeted support strategies are needed to install a holistic awareness of CSR and help firms to improve on those aspects of CSR that are relatively underdeveloped.

Lyytimäki, Jari

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.01447.xpmid: N/A

Indicators are commonly used as tools to identify and highlight socio‐economic and ecological trends and to assess progress towards sustainability. Different quality criteria can be considered for indicators. This paper focuses on the timeliness of indicators used in the evaluation of sustainable development strategies. The analysis is based on indicators included in four assessment reports of the sustainable development strategy of the European Union and three assessment reports of the national strategy of Finland. Furthermore, a web‐based national level indicator portal is analysed. The results show that the timeliness of indicators has generally not improved during the past decade and that indicators used in strategy evaluations have a time lag of approximately two years. It is suggested that more attention should be given to efforts to improve the timeliness of indicators in order to increase the effectiveness of the evaluations. More generally, it is suggested that greater emphasis should be put on the empirical research on actual use of indicators.

Ngwenya, Barbara Ntombi; Mosepele, Ketlhatlogile Keta; Magole, Lapologang

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.001450.xpmid: N/A

Fish is a major source of livelihood for the majority of people living around the Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana. Gender dynamics and governance regimes determine differential access to, and control of, resources between women and men in the area. The purpose of this case study is to critically assess the embeddedness of gendered inequities in the governance of Okavango Delta fishery. Primary data was collected through focus group discussions and face‐to‐face interviews of 96 basket fishers from five villages along the Panhandle area of the Okavango River. The study found that past and present Okavango Delta fishery policy and programme interventions tended to entrench rather than minimize gendered disparities between women and men fishers' access to and control over fish resources, asset accumulation and employment opportunities. Basket fishers have intimate knowledge of flood variability, fish migration and habitat and use this knowledge to make decisions about when and where to harvest what fish species. Women fishers' ecological knowledge, interests and concerns however, have been excluded from current zoning and closed season regulations and co‐management structures. The paper concludes that past and current development interventions as well as the regulatory framework continue to entrench pre‐existing gender relations in the fishery sector which excludes, disempowers and marginalizes women fishers. We recommend innovative co‐management and local based structures which recognize the diversity of interests and interest groups.

Liu, Chia‐Hao; Lenzen, Manfred; Murray, Joy

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.01439.xpmid: N/A

This paper reports on a life‐cycle analysis (LCA) of Taiwan's “agriculture and forestry”, “crude petroleum, coal and natural gas extraction” and “electricity generation” sectors, revealing for the first time Taiwan's CO2 and CH4 emissions inventories and matching Taiwan's input‐output sectors. Integrated hybrid input‐output life cycle analysis is used to disaggregate the electricity generation sector into nuclear, hydro, gas, oil and coal, and cogeneration. Results show that the fossil‐fuel‐related electricity sub‐sectors have higher CO2 emissions intensity than the remaining sectors in the economy and that the “paddy rice” sector is Taiwan's most CH4‐intensive sector, making rice cultivation an important source of CH4 emissions. This work is vital to sound policy decisions concerning power generation, coal, and agriculture and forestry at the national level.

Agbeyegbe, Terence D.

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.01449.xpmid: N/A

doi: 10.1111/j.1477-8947.2012.01446.xpmid: N/A