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© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Literature suggests a significant potential for synergies among climate change adaptation and mitigation (CCA&M) policies, especially in urban areas. However, the understanding of how best to integrate CCA&M is limited despite the fact that there is an increasing interest, particularly in Southeast Asian countries, in achieving the integration. One such synergistic approach is to improve land-use with climate change consideration. This study aims to test this idea, conducting a pilot project with four local governments in the Silang-Sta. Rosa subwatershed of the Philippines, focusing on flood prevention that has strong spatial implications. The application of participatory watershed land-use management (PWLM), a systematic process with practical tools (e.g. scenario simulation, risk assessment), indicated that planned land-use conversion and projected climate change are likely to increase the intensity of flooding in the study area. Zoning enhancement is essential as a countermeasure. As one example, runoff neutral development measures would reduce the number of flood-affected people from approximately 226,410 to 183,349 in the future (year 2025), while preserving existing vegetation would prevent up to 528,142 tons of CO2 emissions. Illustrating the PWLM approach, this paper demonstrates the concrete use of scientific knowledge (i.e. flood hazard) for local planners to design climate change action.

Specific climate adaptation and resilience measures can be efficiently designed and implemented at regional and local levels. Climate and environmental databases are critical for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and for efficiently planning and implementing appropriate adaptation measures. Available federated and distributed databases can serve as necessary starting points for municipalities to identify needs, prioritize resources, and allocate investments, taking into account often tight budget constraints. High-quality geospatial, climate, and environmental data are now broadly available and remote sensing data, e.g., Copernicus services, will be critical. There are forward-looking approaches to use these datasets to derive forecasts for optimizing urban planning processes for local governments. On the municipal level, however, the existing data have only been used to a limited extent. There are no adequate tools for urban planning with which remote sensing data can be merged and meaningfully combined with local data and further processed and applied in municipal planning and decision-making. Therefore, our project CoKLIMAx aims at the development of new digital products, advanced urban services, and procedures, such as the development of practical technical tools that capture different remote sensing and in-situ data sets for validation and further processing. CoKLIMAx will be used to develop a scalable toolbox for urban planning to increase climate resilience. Focus areas of the project will be water (e.g., soil sealing, stormwater drainage, retention, and flood protection), urban (micro)climate (e.g., heat islands and air flows), and vegetation (e.g., greening strategy, vegetation monitoring/vitality). To this end, new digital process structures will be embedded in local government to enable better policy decisions for the future.

The Nicoya Peninsula is part of the Guanacaste province of Costa Rica and is characterized by a tropical climate with a pronounced dry season marked by droughts. On 25 of July 2016, the Association of organic hillside producers Orgánicos el Cerro Negro was recognized with the first price in the first Regional Contest on Drought Adaptation Strategies in Guanacaste, organized by CIRAD and Fundacíon Nicoyagua, HIDROCEC-UNA, CATIE, ASADA de Huacas, MAG-Chorotega, UCR and La Voz de Guanacaste as part of the FuturAgua Project. Two elements are considered key in the sustainable development of Orgánicos el Cerro Negro and of the agricultural value chain for organic products: 1) the innovative water harvesting solutions that the association has developed with the Universidad Nacional (UNA), 2) Organic certification of their production. In 2012 Orgánicos el Cerro Negro started the transition towards a Participatory Guarantee System which was enabled by Costa Rican legislation in 2002. In this system the interaction with end consumers is part of a strategy to build trust, and to create feedback loops in the value chain towards a circular flow of information. This enables better production planning for the producers. Nevertheless, the association supplies a group of clients that they believe is too small, therefore they are looking for ways to increase sales and diversify products and services in order to expand their client base and reduce financial risks. We present a value chain approach that was applied to describe and quantify the route from producer to consumer for the main organic products. On that base a strategic business plan was developed in a participative process, based on CATIE methodology for the development of strategic planning for rural associations (Gottret 2011) and on modeling farms productive hydro-agro-systems. We show how this strengthens the association by securing the consumer base, and increases its autonomy relative to government and NGO aid. The application of General Algebraic Modeling System software (GAMS Development Corporation 2013) to simulate production on farm level and the use of irrigation systems is used to back discussions to evaluate the profitability of Orgánicos el Cerro under various constraints and scenarios. We take into account the short term seasonal variations in climatologic and hydrologic conditions and long term climate prognostics, and a fluctuating, but growing demand for organic products, as well as the effect of organic certification schemes. The development of a sound model business strategy based on innovative water harvest solutions that enables sustainable production by reducing climate variability – and financial risks can be shared and expanded in the wider Guanacaste region and other draught sensitive regions. (Texte intégral)

BACKGROUND: In an effort to encourage Family Planning (FP) adoption, since 1952, the Government of India has been implementing various centrally sponsored schemes that offer financial incentives (FIs) to acceptors as well as service providers, for services related to certain FP methods. However, understanding of the role of FIs on uptake of FP services, and the quality of FP services provided, is limited and mixed. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in Chatra and Palamu districts of Jharkhand state. A total of 64 interviews involving multiple stakeholders were conducted. The stakeholders included recent FP acceptors or clients, FP service providers of public health facilities including Accredited Social Healthcare Activists (ASHAs), government health officials managing FP programs at the district and state level, and members of development partners supporting FP programs in Jharkhand. Data analysis included both inductive and deductive strategies. It was done using the software Atlas ti version 8. RESULTS: It has emerged that there is a strong felt need for FP among majority of the clients, and FIs may be a motivator for uptake of FP methods only among those belonging to the lower socio economic strata. For ASHAs, FI is the primary motivator for providing FP related services. There may be a tendency among them and the nurses to promote methods which have more financial incentives linked with them. There are mixed opinions on discontinuing FIs for clients or replacing them with non-financial incentives. Delays in payment of FIs to both clients and the ASHAs is a common issue and adversely effects the program. CONCLUSION: FIs for clients have limited influence on their decision to take up a FP method while different amounts of FIs for ASHAs and nurses, linked with different FP methods, may be influencing their service provision. More research is needed to determine the effect of discontinuing FI for FP services. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material ...

Purpose of one of the priority projects of the Arctic academy of sciences is development, based on the principles of safe and sustainable development, taking into account the experience of United Nations - HABITAT and purposes of the development of United Nations, practical recommendations regarding the guarantee of level and quality of the life of population and sustainable development of the populated areas of Russia, the creation on the basis of the development of the contemporary engineering and transport infrastructure of favorable conditions for the effective economic activity, the economical utilization of natural resources, protection of environment with the use of a contemporary system of local self-guidance to in connection with selected pilot city- models. This purpose determines the basic content of the spatial planning of Arctic regions.The special features of the geopolitical factors, which determine interregional interactions of the Arctic super-region consist in the new role of regions under the conditions of globalization. In the presentation there are geographical, political, economical, ecological, military, demographic, cultural-religious, ethnic,intellectual factors discussion. Geographical factor is defined by spatial position and natural resources. It is basic for Russia and its evolution only for the last century had an essential change of Russia and new approaches of definiting of external borders of continental shelf in Arctic regions instead of sectorial to the following from the Convention on the International marine law accepted not by all subarctic states. Political factor consists in type of statehood, organizational structure of management, division of authorities, social structure of a society, presence of a civil society, freedom of the Mass Media.Economic factor is defined by people standard of living, capacities, agrarian capacities, a transport communication infrastructure, mobilization capacities. This factor is the major, defining the maintenance and forms the inter-regional and intraregional interaction. The comment can be only one as there are interesting slogans of type «Fights for Arctic regions» which are however not unreasonable, but evolution of this factor allows to assert that the one who will provide higher quality of life in region will win fight. Here one more important thesis is pertinent: if quality of life grows in region more slowly than manufacture growth there will be colonial character of interactions.Russia has made enormous efforts in North development. Unique manufactures in the north, unique Northern sea route are created. Now all leading countries show heightened interest to Arctic regions as to a source of safe development in the XXI century. Actual are questions: What is mission of Russia in Arctic? Has Russia abilities to discharge such mission? Are other States agree and approve Russian mission in Arctic?

After every emergency exercise or actual incident, reports are circulated that usually identify lessons that have been learned from the event. This paper identifies recurring themes from the lessons learned that can be widely applied across sectors. Typically, lessons are expressed in a form that is specific to the actual event that has transpired, the sector in which it has occurred, and the aims of the reporting organization. Reports relating to seven incidents that have occurred in the United Kingdom and internationally, from a range of sectors and with varying parameters, have been reviewed. It is concluded that organizations can become wiser by looking at incidents outside their own sector and by using these recurring themes to explore the resilience of their emergency plans. Recommendations are also made for best practices to improve the learning of lessons within organizations.

AbstractDespite older adults' vulnerability to climate change, little research has investigated their preferred adaptation strategies. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into their perspective and the potential for participatory adaptation to enhance their resilience. This paper presents the results of a collaborative adaptation planning process conducted with older adults in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During two meetings, older adult participants developed recommendations following adaptation best practices. Recommendations focused on encouraging preparedness through workshops and informational materials tailored for older adults. Additional recommendations focused on enhancing community services to provide effective warning mechanisms, shelter access, ride sharing and transportation assistance, and establishing a telephone based clearinghouse for extreme weather and emergency resources for older adults. A prioritization exercise showed that the participants and city staff believed all recommendations were potentially effective and feasible. A summative evaluation showed that the participatory planning enhanced resilience by raising awareness among the older adult participants and city agencies, enhancing communication, and increasing the older adult participants' ability to self-advocate.

"BLMLVPT900041610." ; "January 29, 1990"--Transmittal letter. ; Spine title: Proposed Nellis Air Force Range resource plan/final EIS. ; Cover title: Nellis Air Force Range proposed resource plan and final environmental impact statement. ; Mode of access: Internet.