Environmental values and attitudes among farmers in China – a case study in the watershed of Yuqiao reservoir of Tianjin Municipality,China

Failure to curb water pollution in China brings to the fore the issue of environmental values and attitudes among Chinese farmers. Applying the New Ecological Paradigm Scale this study finds that the pro-environmental value of New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Worldview has a stronger standing among the studied Chinese farmers than the Dominant Social Paradigm (DSP) Worldview.     

Measuring world city formation – The case of Shanghai

One of the important issues related to world cities studies is the lack of systematic measurement of the formation of world cities. Such a measurement technique would be a useful tool for cities aspiring to attain world city status, especially those cities in Pacific Asia, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and Shanghai. This paper approaches this task by devising a measurement methodology based on quantifiable indicators to generate a World City Index and then uses Shanghai as a case study to test how the city stands compared to 32 current and potential world cities. This paper is a part of the result of the research projects sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation of China with project numbers KZCX2-307 and 40171036.     

Electrocoagulation as a key technique in the integrated urban water cycle – A case study in the centre of Spain

Electrocoagulation (EC) presents operational advantages over chemical coagulation, including no requirement for the addition of chemicals. This work compares the performance of electrocoagulation in two stages of the urban water cycle: drinking water production and wastewater regeneration. A case study focussed on the treatment of actual effluents from different locations in the centre of Spain is performed. It was observed that electrocoagulation with aluminium anodes is an efficient technique to remove turbidity and total organic carbon (TOC) from surface water and to deplete turbidity and Escherichia coli (E. coli) from urban treated wastewater (taken from the outlet of an urban wastewater treatment facility, WWTF). Although electrocoagulation can be applied to the treatment of both effluents, the technique is more efficient in the case of the production of drinking water from surface sources. This behaviour is related to the nature of the natural organic matters (NOM) present in both effluents.     

Experiences of TBM operation in gas bearing water condition – A case study in Iran

The Nowsud tunnel (Lot 2B) project is a 25.7 km length water conveyance tunnel which was bored with a 6.73 m diameter double shield TBM. The tunnel consisting of 6.0 m inside diameter which lined with 25 cm thick, 4 pieces honeycomb precast segments. The geology is consisted of limestone, limy shale, black shale and Shally limestone of Cretaceous Garu and Pliocene Gurpi formations. During heading of tunnel, it was encountered with CH₄ gas emission and H₂S bearing water inrushes, up to 890 l/s. A source which could not be plugged with grouting and the heading had to be stopped for several days and months. As far as the author is aware, this condition has not been seen in double shield TBM tunneling.This case study attempts to discuss firstly the quality and origin of poison gases and water ingress into the excavations. Then, the destructive effects of the poison gases and water ingress on different parts of TBM, concrete corrosion, considerable delay in tunnel progresses and negative impact on tunnel personals productivity have been evaluated.Finally, with respect to restricted space in TBM and back up, a executable solution methods have been pursued to abatement and prevention of the poison gases and water ingress into the excavations, while the construction is in progress by double shield TBM.     

Modelling the phase change of salt dissolved in pore water – Equilibrium and non-equilibrium approach

Salts strongly influence the durability of porous building materials. There are two main processes, which are responsible for the damage of the materials related with salt presence in the pore system. The first one is the corrosion of steel bars triggered by chlorides. Chlorides exist in two forms: free chlorides dissolved in pore water and bound chlorides. It is believed that only free chlorides are responsible for the corrosion. Therefore it is very important to define and model properly the chloride binding isotherm and its influence on free chloride transport. The linear, Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were tested. Another adverse phenomenon is the salt crystallisation, which is associated with the supersaturation. This phenomenon is modelled using the kinetics of salt crystallisation. The model and its numerical solution describing the salt and moisture transport including the equilibrium and non-equilibrium phase change of salt in non-isothermal condition is proposed. To model the kinetics of salt crystallisation the simple approach proposed by Espinosa et al. was utilised. The drying, cooling and warming of cement mortar sample, during which the salt phase change occurs, were simulated using the developed software. The changes of salt concentration and the amount of precipitated salt due to variation of boundary conditions are presented. The model including kinetics of salt phase change is found to be reliable.     

Implementation of the “sponge city” development plan in China: An evaluation of public willingness to pay for the life-cycle maintenance of its facilities

Urban stream syndrome, including urban waterlogging, flood risk, water shortage, water pollution and ecological restoration, are major challenges that cause potential risks to human beings. Recently, the sponge city construction (SCC) initiative in China has received extensive attention because it aims to systematically solve all of these urban water-related issues for a city. To date, little research has focused on the life-cycle operations, maintenance requirements and low public awareness of sponge city facilities (SCFs; e.g., rain gardens, green roofs, grass swales, and pavement greenbelts), which are challenges facing the development and sustainability of the SCC initiative. The aim of this study is to explore (i) the willingness to pay (WTP) for the life-cycle maintenance of SCFs and its determinants and (ii) the public's perceptions and attitudes towards the SCC initiative. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey combined with contingent valuation in three pilot sponge cities and then applied a two-phase logistic model and Tobit model to estimate the WTP of the respondents and the factors influencing the WTP. The results show that 76% of the respondents agreed to pay for life-cycle maintenance of SCFs, and the median amount of WTP was 16.57 CNY (2.53 USD) per month. Important factors influencing WTP include respondents' perceptions of the efficacy of the SCFs, concerns regarding the waterlogging risk and support for the SCF construction plans. The findings of this research extend our knowledge of the public's perceptions of and attitudes towards the SCC initiative and suggest that public contributions could serve as a crucial and feasible funding source for the life-cycle maintenance of SCFs.     

Fluorescence monitoring at a recycled water treatment plant and associated dual distribution system – Implications for cross-connection detection

Dual distribution systems are becoming increasingly common in greenfield housing developments in Australia for the redistribution of recycled water to households for non-potable use. Within such schemes there exists the potential for cross-connections between recycled and drinking water systems. Due to the high level of recycled water treatment, these events are unlikely to lead to outbreaks of illness in the community. Nonetheless, they do represent a breach of the recycled water risk management strategy and therefore an elevated level of risk to consumers. Furthermore, cross-connection events have the potential to undermine public confidence in these types of water recycling. A rapid, highly sensitive method of cross-connection detection may therefore provide an additional level of confidence in these schemes. The aim of this research was to determine the potential for using fluorescence spectroscopy as a monitoring tool in water treatment plants and dual distribution systems. Samples from both the water recycling plant and dual distribution system were collected on a weekly basis over 12 weeks. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectra and water quality parameters including dissolved organic carbon, UV₂₅₄, pH, conductivity, free chlorine and turbidity were obtained for each sample. The fluorescence EEM spectra of recycled and drinking water were distinctly different and exhibited low variability throughout the course of the sampling program, indicating a degree of stability of the fluorescent components within the organic matter. A ten-fold difference in mean fluorescence intensity was observed for recycled water compared to drinking water, which was greater than the difference observed for the other measured water quality parameters. Probabilistic analysis was used to determine the reliable detection limit of recycled water contamination of drinking water. Accounting for the inherent variability of both recycled water and drinking water, a 45% contamination of recycled water in drinking water could be detected with a signal-to-noise ratio greater than 3 for more than 95% of individual random sample pairs. Greater sensitivity can be assured by averaging numerous samples. In comparison, a 70% contamination of recycled water in drinking water was required for the same detection using conductivity.     

Empirical investigation of owner-occupiers’ reinvestments in housing: the case of Ankara,Turkey

In Turkey, reinvestments in the existing housing stock are entirely dependent on households’ decisions in the free market. There are no policies to consider reinvestment processes, and the body of knowledge on households’ reinvestment decisions is scant. Understanding how individual reinvestment decisions are determined is vital to devise policy measures to improve the condition of the existing housing stock and neighbourhoods. In this study, an attempt is made to identify the basic motivations and factors underpinning the owner-occupants’ performed and planned reinvestments in the apartment flats of Ankara. The results display that consumption considerations, particularly circumstances of necessity and urgency, are the basic motivation for undertaking reinvestment works among the surveyed owner-occupants. Higher household head age, shorter duration of occupancy, higher house value and maintained installations and infrastructure in common parts of the apartment blocks are displayed to increase the probability of having undertaken reinvestment works. Also, perception of the dwelling to be in disrepair and landscaped common outdoor space of the apartment are identified to increase the probability of having reinvestment plans for the future. The analysis suggests that policy measures are required both to trigger reinvestment capacities of households and to monitor the tendencies of reinvestments.     

Property-rights regime in transition: Understanding the urban regeneration process in China – A case study of Jinhuajie,Guangzhou

A variety of stakeholders have proposed different models of urban regeneration of China, and indicate an institutional arrangement that is more complex than a model dominated by the government or neoliberal interests. This study argues that the path to an effective property-rights regime for urban regeneration has become circuitous as it has needed to follow the trial-and-error process of institutional transition in China. Operational-level rights originally assigned to different actors have been gradually reclaimed by the land users and by the effect of market forces through ‘property-rights regime in transition’. Four rounds of regeneration were observed in Jinhuajie, Guangzhou over the past three decades, indicating the adoption of four property-rights regimes that have evolved sequentially, namely, a semi-open market for neighbourhood redevelopment, a semi-open market for land occupied by state-owned enterprises, an open market for redevelopment and an open market for both redevelopment and refurbishment. Each property-rights regime only reassigns one or two bundles of operational-level property rights from one actor to another to provide opportunities for older organisations to adapt to the new system. This inevitably led to an interweaving urban fabric and sub-optimal results of urban regeneration. This research suggests greater attention should be paid to cases of regeneration in different contexts as well as the interactions among the various stakeholders.     

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Planning Profession in China

China, as a developing nation, has therare success of maintaining the balance be-tween its rural and urban population toabout 80% and 20%, although the urbanpopulation has actually increased 130%since 1949, which is greater than the increaseof the national population (Zou, 1986).With its modernization effort and theliberalization of the economy, there aregreat demands for additional and improvedproduction space and efficient productionconditions, as well as demands for a betterliving environment which includes housing     

Cost recovery in the water supply and sanitation sector: A case of competing policy objectives?

According to Article 9 of the European Water Framework Directive, water-pricing policies have to provide adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently by 2010. In this paper, we investigate some of the conflicts that may arise when introducing the polluter pays principle for the recovery of costs of water supply and sanitation services. We argue that conceptually, there are no a priori reasons to question the co-existence of the polluter pays principle with other principles of environmental policy, although the latter do influence its practical implementation. There also seem to be no major formal conflicts with the rules that govern services of economic interest. This, however, does not mean that it is easy to implement the polluter pays principle in the water sector. Rather, it is a consequence of the fact that the Water Framework Directive does not reflect a strong commitment to a very stringent implementation of the principle that the polluter should pay. This does not imply that the ideas that lie behind the polluter pays principle should therefore be abandoned, but the neoclassical motive of cost-efficiency might not be the main argument to recommend its use in the context of water supply and sanitation services.     

Prospects for the Compositions of City Planning System in China——Initiated from the development and puzzlement in modern western city planning

This essay is intended to draw up anoutline for the study of this subject,thougha big one,since the present development ofcity planning in China can provide the neces-     

How should urban water be priced? – An empirical analysis for the city of Mekelle,Ethiopia

Urban water utilities have focused on setting water prices to cover average costs, usually using increasing block rate designs. In an attempt to contribute to the use of efficient, equitable, and revenue-sufficient pricing, this paper estimates the long-run marginal and average social costs of water supply in Mekelle city using a multi-product translog cost function that incorporates the shadow price of natural water. Findings show that the marginal social costs of providing one m³ of residential and non-residential water are Birr 5.33 and 7.71 (Birr = Ethiopian currency: 1 Euro ≈ 23 Birr), respectively, while the average current prices are Birr 4.46 and 6.10/m³. On the other hand, the average social costs of residential and non-residential water are estimated at Birr 14.34 and 16.36/m³, respectively, implying that marginal social cost-based prices would still lead to a revenue deficit of approximately Birr 9/m³.     

What rights and whose responsibilities in water? Revisiting the purpose and reassessing the value of water services tariffs

Access to water and sanitation are recognized as human rights by the United Nations, reflecting their vital importance to every person's life. At a fundamental level - delivering minimum standards of water services to meet basic human needs - it is a simple equation. People are rights-holders and States are responsible under international law to provide those services. Rights-holders can claim their rights and duty-bearers must guarantee the rights to water and sanitation equally and without discrimination. This paper explores the relationship between the human rights to water and sanitation, the Sustainable Development Goals, water services and the role of water service tariffs in helping or hindering delivery of a broad range of societal objectives, including human rights and sustainability. Two key questions emerge: (i) What are the rights that apply in these circumstances and who is responsible for addressing those rights? (ii) How can the viability of the water service system be maintained without imposing dramatic price increase, and without compromising the social and human right to water in good quality and affordable conditions? In this paper we argue that human rights to water and sanitation, and the tariffs that are applied to them, should not be addressed as technical problems but rather as social and political issues of justice. We conclude that the re-politicisation of water, and of the setting of water tariffs, would help ensure that the responsibilities upon Governments for delivering human rights to water and sanitation are clear.     

Experimental evaluation of rainwater quality for non-potable applications in the city of São Paulo,Brazil

This study summarizes the evaluation of rainwater quality and its potential for non-potable applications in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. An experimental system was installed at the Centro de Técnicas de Construção Civil (Civil Construction Techniques Centre, Escola Politécnica, University of São Paulo) such that analysis of the physical, chemical and bacteriological composition of rainwater—total and faecal coliforms, Clostridium Sulphite-reducer, Enterococcus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa—could be conducted. The need for water treatment was also evaluated in order to match quality to specific uses. Rainwater samples were collected from the roof by an automatic sample collector. Samples were also collected from a rainwater storage tank. In the operation of the system, analysis of rainwater's potential use in non-potable applications, such as flushing toilet bowls, was also conducted. The results obtained did not meet recognised quality standards, leading to the conclusion that water disinfection prior to use is required.     

Underground water biological field＇s variation and geoenvironmental safety in city

In the process of city construction, as a comprised factor of city geological environment, underground water takes the most active part, and its dynamic change is fiercest. The city construction unceasingly disturbs underground water chemical, dynamical, physical and biological field. In return, the four fields＇ changes also can affect the geological environment that city lived by, in other words they affect safety and stability of geological environment. Interaction of underground water and the geoenvironment directly displays in the following two ways： The first is that the underground water and the geological body transfer the energy each other; the second is that the strength balance of geological body is broken. Underground water variation brought about by city construction is the factor which cannot be neglected. Underground water variation on the one hand changes soils or rocks＇ physical, biological, chemical and mechanical properties, then influences the deformation and strength of geological body. On the other hand it changes its own physical, chemical properties and biochemical component. At present, from mechanics aspect, interaction between chemical field and biological field variation of the underground water and the geological body lacks research. Although interaction between them is long-term, slow, but when it compared with water-soil or water-rock interaction in the entire process of formation of rocks or soils or geologic evolution history, the qualitative change of the biological and chemical action of rocks or soils brought about by city construction is remarkable, in this paper, aiming at underground water biological field factor which is easily neglected by people, it analyzes that underground water biological field affects possible mechanism and approach of properties variation of rocks or soils in city construction, brings forward further research method and development direction have been also proposed.     

Geosynthetics for waterways and flood protection structures – Controlling the interaction of water and soil

The interaction of water and soil has been both a blessing and a curse in all times within living memory. Water is the origin of life but is also threatening life when appearing unboundedly. Therefore mankind has always worked hard to benefit from water resources on one hand and to deal with the threat of flooding on the other hand. For both, to protect the land and to allow for beneficial uses like irrigation or navigation, often special measures are necessary to keep the water within certain bounds. Structures to achieve a permanently stable situation like irrigation and navigational canals, river training or flood protection measures need suitable material, carefully thought out design and accurate execution. Often a decision has to be made among competitive approaches to optimize such structures. In many cases, geosynthetics can support or improve the functionality and sometimes only with geosynthetics the desired result can be achieved.     

Hidden from the wind and enjoying the water (藏风得水): the traditional cosmology of fengshui and the shaping of Dong villages in Southwestern China

When organising their villages, the Dong interpret the natural environment from a culture-based perspective within their traditional cosmology. This paper explores the metaphorical meanings of the winds, the water of life and the awareness of life breath qi as they are integrated into the practice of fengshui. These principles are applied by the Dong people when organising their villages, monuments and vernacular architecture. This paper particularly examines several Dong communities that share similar topography but were developed in strikingly different ways. In conclusion, this paper argues that the approach of the Dong, when siting their villages, is based on their traditional cosmology and the context of local culture but also their interpretation responding to specific situations that produce different solutions.