Academic literature on the topic 'World Network of Biosphere Reserves'

On the basis of the results of the First International Biosphere Reserve Congress, jointly convened in Minsk in 1983 by UNESCO and UNEP in cooperation with FAO and IUCN, at the invitation of the USSR, and of consultations with conservation specialists and scientists which have since taken place, an Action Plan for Biosphere Reserves was adopted by the International Coordinating Council of the Programme on Man and the Biosphere at its eighth session (Paris, 3–8 December 1984) and is presented in this document as a programme framework. This framework identifies a range of actions for consideration by Governments and concerned international organizations in developing the multiple functions of Biosphere Reserves within the overall context of the MAB Programme. Those actions concretely serve the implementation of the World Conservation Strategy. While a number of actions are of a permanent nature, the stress is placed on activities which can be carried out in the period 1985–89—see the following Table.In summary, Governments and international organizations are invited to undertake activities which will improve and expand the international Biosphere Reserve network, to develop basic knowledge for conserving ecosystems and biological diversity, and to make Biosphere Reserves more effective in linking conservation and development in fulfilling the broad objectives of MAB.

The participation of local communities in the governance of protected areas in the Democratic Republic of Congo is challenged by several external and local factors. This article aims to understand the representation of local communities and factors that influence their participation in the governance of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve. Three principal sources of information (archival records, focus group and semi-structured interviews) were used to collect data. The results indicate a top-down participatory approach. The cumulative failure of several projects in the context of local development has led to different perceptions by local communities of their role in the participative governance of Yangambi Biosphere Reserve. Initiatives in participatory management and local development only function during the lifetime of externally-funded projects when initiators are present in the intervention area. The results call into question formal claims made by both conservation projects and the Congolese government regarding the actual participation of local communities in the governance of Biosphere Reserves. Furthermore, although Biosphere Reserves in DRC are recognized as part of the national network of protected areas since 2002, their management is still not aligned to either the Seville Strategy or the statutory framework of the world network of Biosphere Reserves. To achieve this, local development initiatives need to focus on poverty alleviation (through the diversification of income sources, entrepreneurship, farmer training and the creation of employment opportunities) and a better understanding of local practices and cultures in the design of such projects.

SUMMARYBiodiversity management has traditionally followed two contradictory approaches. One champions ecosystem protection through rigorous law enforcement and exclusion of humans. The other promotes community-based sustainable use of natural resources. Participatory conservation, a major paradigm shift, nowadays strongly guides the concept of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs). In this paper, the rationale for community participation, and the perception of its effectiveness among BR managers are analysed. Within the World Network of BRs (553 sites in 107 countries) diverse participatory approaches are being tried to advance community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). Data from two parallel surveys, involving managers from 276 BRs worldwide, reveal how far this participation paradigm shift has really occurred, and its influence on managers’ self-evaluated effectiveness. There is substantial regional disparity, although in general BR managers endorse inclusive conservation, despite critical implementation hurdles. The process of participatory conservation carries new dangers for effective biosphere reserve management, when the aspirations of communities and other stakeholders do not ‘fit’ with a predetermined interpretation of sustainable development.

We developed distributional models for 90 threatened bird species in China, and used heuristic complementarity algorithms to prioritize areas for conservation. The pixel-based area selection prioritized 20 areas for protection, which covered all species analysed. Area selecting for endangered species based on the existing biosphere reserve system included only 37-62 species in eleven reserves, leaving 28-53 species unprotected. We employed algorithms for area selection based on species richness and rarity and obtained two views of a most efficient reserve network. We used the distributional hypotheses to identify additions to the reserve system that would improve its effectiveness substantially. The pixel-based area selection approach includes species much more efficiently on a per-area basis, and thus offers exciting perspectives for improved protection of the country's endangered avifauna.

In 2011, the Government of Uzbekistan established the Lower Amu Darya State Biosphere Reserve (LABR). This reserve aims to conserve the Tugay, an endangered riparian forest ecosystem straddling the main rivers of Central Asia’s drylands, which is under extreme anthropogenic pressure. The LABR has reintroduced Bukhara red deer (Cervus hanglu bactrianus), a subspecies endemic to Asia whose numbers declined severely over the 20th century. The LABR development project aims to provide operational support to the Uzbek authorities for their application to join the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) requested CIRAD to provide a science-based estimate of the deer population in the LABR, using an internationally recognized method, and to issue recommendations to ensure ecologically and socio-economically sustainable management. The survey of the Bukhara red deer population began in October 2019. The study area covered 88 km2. The survey design consisted of 12 parallel straight lines 1400 m apart; the total transect length was 65 km. During the count, 127 observations of individuals or herds were made and a total of 336 individuals were observed. The data were analysed using DISTANCE 7.3 software. The encounter rates were 1.95 obs./km and 5.17 animals/km. The estimated density was 24 deer/km2 and the estimated total population was 2,112 deer [1,320 - 3,344, 95% CI]. The proportion of dead, dying or severely affected trees was roughly estimated at 10%, and the proportion of trees affected but with a good chance of survival at 15%. In the southern core area of the LABR, a very high proportion of seedlings and suckers was being eaten and the forest is no longer regenerating. Maintaining a population of 24 deer/km2 in the southern core area of LABR clearly seems incompatible with either the conservation of the Tugay forest ecosystem or the peaceful coexistence of deer with human populations adjacent to the LABR. Options to mitigate deer pressure include translocation to the northern core area of the LABR or other areas, and regulation of the deer population. The density is too high to ensure effective preservation of the species locally, although the deer population is under severe pressure in Asia as a whole.

This is a case study on a small mountainous island in the Aegean Sea with the policy goal of preparing it to become member of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. While the local community opted for such an identity very early on, there are a number of obstacles to be overcome. The multidisciplinary research is based upon a sociometabolic approach and focuses on two issues: The transformation of agriculture, mainly herding of sheep and goats, and the shift to tourism. The degradation of the landscape caused by extensive roaming of goats and sheep constitute one of the major sustainability challenges of the island. We analyze farmers’ opportunities and describe new initiatives to get out of this deadlock. The impacts of the transition to tourism are addressed from an infrastructural perspective: A shift from traditional stone buildings to bricks and concrete, the establishment of new roads and ports, and the challenges to water supply and wastewater removal, also with reference to the quality and amounts of wastes generated that need to be dealt with. The island has so far escaped mass tourism and attracts mainly eco-tourists who value its remoteness and wilderness. We discuss how to serve this clientele best in the future, and increase local job opportunities and income while maintaining environmental quality. Finally, we reflect upon emerging new forms of local collaboration and the impact of our research efforts on a sustainability transition that might be on its way.

Thesis (MScConEcol)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Declines in natural capital, such as the degradation of ecosystems and loss of species, are the result of threats created by anthropogenic activities. The concept of sustainable development encompasses the economic and social growth of societies, with limited impacts on the natural environment. Sustainable development initiatives are being implemented in an attempt to mitigate the global decline in natural capital. Biosphere reserves, which are designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s (UNESCO) Man and the Biosphere Programme, aim to be landscape-scale examples of sustainable development. UNESCO requires biosphere reserves to submit a periodic review every ten years to ensure they are meeting their goals. This requires that that they monitor and evaluate their progress towards their sustainable development goals. Sustainability indicators are tools used to assess progress towards ecological, social and economic goals, and can thus be useful tools for biosphere reserves to ensure they are achieving their goals. The Kogelberg and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserves are both situated within the Cape Floristic Region (CFR). The CFR, located in the South-West of South Africa, has been identified as a biodiversity hotspot owing to its high plant diversity. About a fifth of the CFR is formally protected, while about three quarters has been transformed, mainly by cultivated lands, urban areas and alien vegetation. The socio-economic dimensions of the region are also diverse. A high percentage of its inhabitants have low incomes and live in informal settlements, while a smaller percentage have high incomes and live in middle to upper-class urban areas. Biosphere reserves aim to encourage their diverse stakeholders to collaboratively develop and work towards sustainable development goals. This research project applied an action research approach. The research objectives were achieved through collaboration with biosphere reserve stakeholders. The first objective was to develop sustainability indicator sets for the Kogelberg and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserves. Following the introduction to the research provided in Chapter 1, Chapters 2, 3 and 4 of this thesis describe the stages of the research process undertaken to achieve this objective. With the aim of investigating monitoring and evaluation within biosphere reserves, Chapter 2 presents a systematic review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature and Chapter 3 presents the results of interviews with managers of South African biosphere reserves and a web-based survey of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Chapter 4 describes the collaborative process of conducting local stakeholder workshops and specialist focus groups to develop sets of sustainability indicators; one set each for the Kogelberg and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserves. The second objective was to formulate a national protocol for the development of sustainability indicators for South African biosphere reserves. This was developed through a synthesis of the results and lessons learnt in Chapters 2 to 4. This national protocol was designed to be flexible enough to be adapted to the local circumstances and needs of individual South African biosphere reserves. The global review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature revealed that monitoring and evaluation studies in biosphere reserves are mostly conducted in the developing world by authors from the developed world and many of the studies and indicators that were developed focused on ecological dimensions. These results show that biosphere reserves need to enhance their local capacity for the development and implementation of improved monitoring and evaluation methods and frameworks. The outcomes of the interviews with representatives of the management of South African biosphere reserves and a survey of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves found that many biosphere reserves identified in this survey are reportedly implementing monitoring and evaluation, but few have developed sustainability indicators. It was found that there are many similar challenges with regards to monitoring and evaluation in biosphere reserves, most notably the lack of capacity and funding Lastly, the collaborative process used to develop sustainability indicators for the Kogelberg and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserves proved to be useful and produced the desired outcomes. The local stakeholder workshops produced large sustainability indicator sets, with many indicators that were immeasurable, but most were relevant to the biosphere reserves. The specialist focus groups produced more focused and feasible indicator sets. The local stakeholder and specialist indicator sets were integrated to produce a final set for each biosphere reserve that was relevant to the social-ecological systems of the biosphere reserves, with indicators that could feasibly be implemented. The action research approach applied in this study delivered a pragmatic set of sustainability indicators that can be implemented by both biosphere reserves. The National Department of Environmental Affairs, and the Kogelberg and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve co-ordinators have encouraged and supported the development of the sustainability indicator sets and the national protocol. Supporting these with a social learning institution within each biosphere reserve will be required for ensuring their on-going utility.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Dalings in natuurlike kapitaal, soos die degradasie van ekosisteme en die verlies van spesies, is die gevolg van die bedreigings wat geskep word deur menslike aktiwiteite. Die konsep van volhoubare ontwikkeling behels die ekonomiese en sosiale ontwikkeling van samelewings, met beperkte impak op die natuurlike omgewing. Volhoubare ontwikkelings inisiatiewe word geïmplementeer in 'n poging om die afname in natuurlike kapitaal te verminder. Die doel van biosfeerreservate, wat aangewys is deur die Verenigde Nasies se Opvoedkundige, Wetenskaplike en Kulturele Organisasie (UNESCO) se Man en die Biosfeer-program, is om landskap-skaal voorbeelde van volhoubare ontwikkeling te wees. UNESCO vereis dat biosfeerreservate 'n periodieke hersiening elke tien jaar voor te lê om te verseker dat hulle op pad is om hul doelwitte te bereik. Dit vereis dat hulle moet hul vordering monitor en evalueer teenoor hul volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelwitte. Volhoubaarheid aanwysers word gebruik om vordering ten opsigte van ekologiese, sosiale en ekonomiese doelwitte te bepaal, en kan dus nuttig wees vir biosfeerreservate om te verseker dat hulle hul doelwitte bereik. Die Kogelberg en Kaapse Weskus Biosfeerreservate is beide in die Kaapse Floristiese Omgewing (KFO) geleë. Die KFO, wat in die Suid-Wes van Suid-Afrika geleë is, is geïdentifiseer as 'n biodiversiteit-brandpunt as gevolg van sy hoë plant diversiteit. Oor 1/5 van die KFO is formeel beskerm terwyl ongeveer 3/4 omskep is, hoofsaaklik deur bewerkte landerye, stedelike gebiede en uitheemse plantegroei. Die sosio-ekonomiese aspekte van die omgewing is ook uiteenlopend. 'n Hoë persentasie van die bevolking het 'n lae inkomste en woon in informele nedersettings, terwyl 'n kleiner persentasie het 'n hoë inkomste en woon in middel tot bo-klas stedelike gebiede. Biosfeerreservate streef daarna om hul diverse rolspelers aan te moedig om saam volhoubare ontwikkelingsdoelwitte te ontwikkel. Hierdie navorsingsprojek het 'n aksie-navorsing nadering toegepas. Die navorsing doelwitte is bereik deur middel van samewerking met biosfeerreservaat rolspelers. Die eerste doelwit was om volhoubaarheid aanwyser stelle vir die Kogelberg en Kaapse Weskus Biosfeerreservate te ontwikkel. Na aanleiding van die Inleiding tot die navorsing wat in Hoofstuk 1, Hoofstuk 2, 3 en 4 van hierdie tesis beskryf die fases van die navorsing wat onderneem is om hierdie doelwit te bereik. Met die doel van die ondersoek van monitering en evaluering binne biosfeerreservate, Hoofstuk 2 bied 'n sistematiese hersiening van die eweknie-geëvalueerde en grys literatuur aan en Hoofstuk 3 bied die resultate van onderhoude met bestuurders van Suid-Afrikaanse biosfeerreservate en 'n web-gebaseerde ondersoek van die wêreld Netwerk van Biosfeerreservate aan. Hoofstuk 4 beskryf die saamwerkende proses van die uitvoer van plaaslike rolspeler werkswinkels en spesialis fokusgroepe stelle van volhoubaarheid aanwysers te ontwikkel; een stel elk vir die Kogelberg en Kaapse Weskus Biosfeerreservate. Die tweede doelwit is om 'n nasionale protokol vir die ontwikkeling van volhoubaarheid aanwysers vir Suid-Afrikaanse biosfeerreservate te formuleer. Dit is ontwikkel deur middel van 'n sintese van die resultate en lesse wat geleer is in Hoofstukke 2 tot 4. Hierdie nasionale protokol is ontwerp om buigsaam genoeg te wees om aangepas te word by die plaaslike omstandighede en behoeftes van individuele Suid-Afrikaanse biosfeerreservate. Die globale oorsig van die eweknie-geëvalueerde en grys literatuur het gewys dat monitering en evaluering studies in biosfeerreservate word meestal in die ontwikkelende wêreld uitgevoer deur die skrywers van die ontwikkelde wêreld en baie van die studies en aanwysers wat ontwikkel word is gefokus op ekologiese dimensies. Hierdie resultate dui aan dat biosfeerreservate hul plaaslike kapasiteit vir die ontwikkeling en implementering van monitering en evaluering metodes en raamwerke moet verbeter. Die uitkomste van die onderhoude met verteenwoordigers van die bestuur van die Suid-Afrikaanse biosfeerreservate en 'n ondersoek van die Wêreld Netwerk van Biosfeerreservate dui aan dat baie van die biosfeerreservate wat in hierdie ondersoek na berig word implementeer monitering en evaluering, maar min het volhoubaarheid aanwysers ontwikkel. Daar is gevind dat daar baie soortgelyke uitdagings met betrekking tot monitering en evaluering in biosfeerreservate, veral die gebrek aan kapasiteit en befondsing Ten slotte, die gesamentlike proses wat gebruik is om die volhoubaarheid aanwysers vir die Kogelberg en Kaapse Weskus Biosfeerreservate te ontwikkel het bewys om nuttig te wees en het die verlangde uitkomste gelewer. Die plaaslike rolspeler werkswinkels het groot volhoubaarheid aanwyser stelle geproduseer, met baie onmeetbare aanwysers, maar meeste van die aanysers was relevant tot die biosfeer-reservate. Die spesialis fokusgroepe het meer gefokusde en uitvoerbaar aanwyser stelle geproduseer. Die plaaslike rolspeler en spesialis aanwyser stelle is geïntegreer in 'n finale stel vir elke biosfeerreservaat wat relevant is tot die sosiaal-ekologiese stelsels van die biosfeer-reservate, met aanwysers wat uitvoerbaar is. Die aksie-navorsing benadering wat in hierdie studie toegepas is het 'n pragmatiese stel van volhoubaarheid aanwysers afgelewer wat sal deur beide biosfeerreservate geïmplementeer word. Die Nasionale Departement van Omgewingsake, en die Kogelberg en Kaapse Weskus Biosfeer Reservaat koördineerders het die ontwikkeling van die volhoubaarheid aanwyser stelle en die Nasionale Protokol aangemoedig en ondersteun. Ondersteuning van hierdie uitsette met 'n sosiale leer instelling binne elke biosfeerreservaat sal vereis wees om hul deurlopende nut te verseker.

Residential outdoor schools are multi-day learning camps that provide unique settings in which to deliver environmental education. However, such schools are also very complex to develop and difficult to maintain and operate. Within Canada though, there are many examples of successful outdoor school operations, three of which are considered here: the North Vancouver Outdoor School, the Olympic Park Institute and the Golden Ears Learning Centre. From these case studies lessons can be learned regarding issues such as: land tenureship, program design, staffing options, administrative systems, facility requirements, finance options and abilities to attract students. The discussion of these factors can then be applied to the development of a nation wide network of residential outdoor schools within the framework of Canadian Biosphere Reserves.
Currently there are ten Biosphere Reserves in Canada which, when analyzed, prove to be very adequate sites for environmental education from both physical and social stand points. The Canadian Biosphere Reserve Association is the coordinating body which fosters communication and cooperation between individual Reserves. If a network of residential outdoor schools were to be developed within this association framework, it would serve, both to fulfill the Canadian Biosphere Reserve Associations mandate to support environmental education and would help partially alleviate the lack of adequate environmental education facilities in Canada today.

A descriptive case study approach and 34 indicators was used to examine the socio-economic impacts of whale watching tourism in the Laguna San Ignacio (LSI) World Heritage Site - located within the El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur, Mexico. The framework measured both the socio-economic changes, and the economic viability of the local and regional operators. This approach led to a detailed understanding of the underlying, and often complex, inter-related factors that shaped the ecotourism development in LSI between 1994 and 2002. It identified strengths and weaknesses of current ecotourism development making it a valid tool for evaluating and improving these activities in any biosphere reserve. More specifically the objectives were to examine: 1. How existing ecotourism operations and their activities in the LSI have changed since 1994; 2. Whether these changes have made ecotourism a more viable socio-economic development alternative for the local communities; and 3. Which strategies may be useful in overcoming identified barriers to further socio-economic benefits both from existing and future ecotourism activities. The results strongly suggested that the benefits from ecotourism improved significantly between 1994 and 2002. Economically this was reflected in growth of visitor numbers (50%), employment (100%) and local and regional revenue approximately 70% (or 55% in real terms adjusting for inflation). Social benefits were seen in more cooperation among previous antagonistic stakeholders; a wider distribution of ecotourism benefits; some improvement in living standards and increasing local support for the Reserve. Politically, local stakeholders became more empowered through involvement in tourism related management activities. The viability of the local and regional operators also improved significantly as they became more sophisticated in their product offerings, enhanced their facilities and gained a market share of ecotourism relative to the foreign operators. These improvements were particular true for the operators that sold package tours. However, the analyses also revealed a number of barriers with the most important ones being: • Unresolved historic land use conflicts over rights to land with ecotourism possibilities; • Lack of activities diversification possibilities outside the tourism season; • Stagnating visitor numbers; • Uneven business skills among operators; • Poor marketing and promotional efforts; • Insufficient ecotourism infrastructure; • A proposed ecotourism tax; • Low profit margin of the ecotourism operators; and • Lack of funding for further investments To alleviate these threats and barriers 13 general strategies were identified. An elaboration of these resulted in 39 concrete operational strategies on how potentially to implement them.

Biodiversity loss is a current major environmental problem at a global level. However, given the complexity and interdependency between social-ecological systems, integrated strategies, that combine biodiversity conservation with other environmental and socio-economic goals, are necessary. Biosphere reserves are multifunctional landscapes, designated by UNESCO, that are ideally managed in a participatory way to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. However, despite there are biosphere reserves designated all over the world, their realization has been limited. Research effectiveness has been mainly focused in investigating specific processes or only include the perspectives of experts. This work uses a more holistic approach to investigate the factors that are important for the success of biosphere reserves. Building on a systematic literature review of the scientific literature, I found that factors related with categories context, inputs, processes and outcomes that interact at different scales. Relationships between subcategories were analysed using multivariate statistics, and three groups of papers identified, which are associated with the goals of biosphere reserves: biodiversity conservation, sustainable development and capacity building. There were also identified gaps in the literature, which limit a more comprehensive understanding. In order to determine what lessons for the success of biosphere reserves can be drawn from the implementation of grassroot approaches, a multiple case-study research with 35 semi-structured interviews was conducted in the Paul do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve, the Janas Ecovillage and Minga Multisector Cooperative. The analysis of how the initiatives started, their governance, management and outcomes allowed to conclude that the initiatives represent different sustainability pathways and to draw recommendations to increase the success of the biosphere reserve. This research provides important contributions for the management of social-ecological systems, including the conservation of biodiversity, and for the success of biosphere reserves: (1) at a conceptual level, the multi-dimensional framework developed allows to identify the trade-offs, synergies and conflicts associated with the management of social-ecological systems; (2) recommendations were developed for the implementation of the MAB Programme, the Paul do Boquilobo Biosphere Reserve, Janas Ecovillage and Minga Multisector Cooperative; and (3) a research agenda is proposed, to contribute to advance inquiry

A descriptive case study approach and 34 indicators was used to examine the socio-economic impacts of whale watching tourism in the Laguna San Ignacio (LSI) World Heritage Site - located within the EI Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve in Baja California Sur. Mexico. The framework measured both the socioeconomic changes, and the economic viability of the local and regional operators. This approach led to a detailed understanding of the underlying, and often complex. inter-related factors that shaped the ecotourism development in LSI between 1994 and 2002. It identified strengths and weaknesses of current ecotourism development making it a valid tool for evaluating and improving these activities in any biosphere reserve. More specifically the objectives were to examine: I. How existing ecotourism operations and their activities in the LSI have changed since 1994: 2. Whether these changes have made ecotourism a more viable socio-economic development alternative for the local communities: and 3. Which strategies may be useful in overcoming identified barriers to further socio-economic benefits both from existing and future ecotourism activities The results strongly suggested that the benefits from ecotourism improved significantly between 1994 and 2002. Economically this was reflected in growth of visitor numbers (50%), employment (100%) and local and regional revenue approximately 70% (or 55% in real te011S adjusting for inflation). Social benefits were seen in more cooperation among previous antagonistic stakeholders: a wider distribution of ecotourism benefits; some improvement in living standards and increasing local support for the Reserve. Politically, local stakeholders became more empowered through involvement in tourism related management activities. The viability of the local and regional operators also improved significantly as they became more sophisticated in their product offerings, enhanced their facilities and gained a market share of ecotourism relative to the foreign operators. These improvements were particular true for the operators that sold package tours. However, the analyses also revealed a number of barriers with the most important ones being: Unresolved historic land use conflicts over rights to land with ecotourism possibilities; Lack of activities diversification possibilities outside the tourism season; Stagnating visitor numbers; Uneven business skills among operators: Poor marketing and promotional efforts; Insufficient ecotourism infrastructure: A proposed ecotourism tax; Low profit margin of the ecotourism operators: and Lack of funding for further investments To alleviate these threats and barriers 13 general strategies were identified. An elaboration of these resulted in 39 concrete operational strategies on how potentially to implement them. Keywords: ecotourism evaluation; biosphere reserves, world heritage sites: whale watching, grey whale.
Science, Faculty of
Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for
Graduate

The word Amazonia conjures up diverse images, ranging from an exotic jungle to resources for development to a vast web of ecosystems that interact with global element cycles-the focus of this book. This chapter examines the biogeochemical role of extractive reserves, a relatively new land use type within Amazonia in which nontimber forest extraction is the defining human activity. The chapter also provides examples of how participatory research with local communities can enhance the quality of the results and improve their transmission to society. Humans have been a part of the Amazon for the past several thousand years. Amerindian activities have affected forest structure in significant manners by selective planting and clearing (Balée 1989) and by increasing fire frequency, particularly during mega-El Niño events (Meggers 1994). During the last few centuries, neo-Europeans have tragically reduced native indigenous populations by several million and made wide-scale transformations in the tropics of the Americas (Crosby 1993, Ribeiro 1996). The booms in rubber extraction in the late 1800s and during World War II brought waves of nonindigenous migrants to Brazilian Amazonia (Dean 1989). More recently, large-scale implantation of cattle ranching and colonization projects, and to a lesser degree, mining activity, have accelerated change in Amazonian landscapes (Schmink and Wood 1992). In addition, the ensuing road network and infrastructure left in the wake of these recent activities increased access to primary forest, precipitating further deforestation. By 1996, about 52 million hectares, nearly the size of France, had been deforested in Brazilian Amazonia (INPE 1998). At the average rate of deforestation from 1992 to 1996 (1.9 million hectares per year), another area equivalent to this figure will be added by the year 2025, a time frame within the career of many reading this book. Continuation of the present trends will result in an increasing savannization of the Amazonian region, with pastures, secondary forests, and crop lands expanding into areas once occupied by closed-canopy forests. This phenomenon may also be called the “Africanization” of Amazonia because most of the pastures are planted with grasses imported from Africa, such as Bracharia brisanthum, which are notably different in their response to rainfall patterns and to fire than the forests that they replace.

Mongolia is a unique and relatively unexplored tourism and leisure travel destination. In the world tourism market, the tourism sector offers a great combination of wild natural features, a wide variety of untouched landscapes, historical heritage reserves, and nomadic life style and culture. The Protected Area Network of Mongolia cover over 14.5 percent of the country's territory and has become major destinations for rapidly growing tourism and recreational activities for its natural beauty, rare species of wildlife and historical and cultural heritage sites. Orkhon valley National Park (OVNP) is one of Mongolian main tourism destinations regarding to natural beautiful landscape and including numerous cultural and historical remains and sites. Thus, promoting sustainable tourism development to improve local livelihoods based on the nomadic lifestyle and protection of land with natural wilderness, watersheds, important biodiversity, historical and cultural heritage and rare remains is challenging in the national park.

Mongolia is a unique and relatively unexplored tourism and leisure travel destination. In the world tourism market, the tourism sector offers a great combination of wild natural features, a wide variety of untouched landscapes, historical heritage reserves, and nomadic life style and culture. The Protected Area Network of Mongolia cover over 14.5 percent of the country's territory and has become major destinations for rapidly growing tourism and recreational activities for its natural beauty, rare species of wildlife and historical and cultural heritage sites. Orkhon valley National Park (OVNP) is one of Mongolian main tourism destinations regarding to natural beautiful landscape and including numerous cultural and historical remains and sites. Thus, promoting sustainable tourism development to improve local livelihoods based on the nomadic lifestyle and protection of land with natural wilderness, watersheds, important biodiversity, historical and cultural heritage and rare remains is challenging in the national park.

In many parts of the world, the impact of renewable energy, especially from intermittent sources as wind and solar is continuously increasing. In Germany, the share of renewable energy in electricity production is believed to increase from 32.5% in 2015 to 50% in 2030. In order to operate an electrical system and control the mains frequency, the power supply must match the consumption at any time. Ancillary services like primary and secondary control are used to balance the system on a time-scale of several seconds up to 15 minutes. Those control reserves are usually provided by thermal power plants. Particularly in times of high shares of fluctuating renewable feed-in, thermal power plants are turned off or operated at minimum load to avoid electricity production at low electricity prices. However, an amount of about 3000 MW of fast responding primary control need to be provided in the European network of transmission system operators for electricity grid to maintain stable operation even in case of two simultaneous large unit outages. This requirement leads to situations, where thermal power plants are operated in minimum load below their marginal cost to provide control reserves even if there is a surplus of energy in the grid. Operation in low load while at the same time providing control reserves leads to new challenges. As the relation between energy production and the thermal storage capacities provided by the metal and fluid mass in the boiler is decreasing with the load, the ability of responding to control demands is naturally slowed down. Dynamic simulation of the thermodynamic power plant process turned out to be an efficient method to investigate such operational modes. Using comprehensive process models coupled with a control system model, equipment adaptions or control system updates can be evaluated in order to provide faster responses. By increasing the specific amount of ancillary services per unit, the number of units necessary to provide the total amount of primary and secondary control could be reduced in situations with energy surplus.

Owned by the Saudi Arabian Government, Saudi Aramco is a fully-integrated, global petroleum enterprise and a world leader in exploration and producing, refining, distribution, shipping and marketing. The company manages the largest proven reserves of conventional crude and the fourth-largest gas reserves in the world. The company runs a vast network of pipelines transporting oil, gas and refined products to processing plants, refineries, export terminals and other customers all over the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco maintains its commitment to supply gas to the continuously growing local markets by implementing latest technologies and state of the art engineering solutions. Since 2009, and as a result of launching an Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) In-Line Inspection (ILI) Program, Saudi Aramco has discovered Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) defects in a number of its pipelines. Saudi Aramco built on ASME B31.8S criteria for identifying SCC susceptible segments to prioritize its network to manage the utilization of the EMAT technology. The criteria were based on pipeline operating parameters, environment, age and condition. An Extensive Field Verification program was put in action that illustrated the capabilities of the EMAT ILI tools. (Saudi Aramco’s ILI program included a few additional runs of Ultrasound Crack Detection Tool, UTCD, as well). This paper discusses in more detail how the Study Team enhanced the ASME B31.8S prioritization criteria and the major findings and highlights realized from this activity. A statistical evaluation of the data compiled in the 1st phase of the comprehensive study was conducted along with the literature review. The Study Team used logistic regressions[1,2] to identify factors that increase or decrease the likelihood that cracking is present. The trends that were identified relate to coating type, pipe grade, pipeline age, diameter, thickness, metal loss, cathodic protection (CP) level, slope, and pipe type. The Study Team used the findings to profile crack susceptibility in the pipelines found with SCC and for the Saudi Aramco pipeline network as a whole to identify pipelines susceptible to cracking to include in the future ILI runs.

Abstract In view of serious environmental problems occurring around the world and in particular climate change caused significantly by dangerous CO2 emissions into the biosphere in the developmental process, it has become imperative to identify alternative and cleaner sources of energy. It is now indisputable that there cannot be sustained development or meaningful growth without a commitment to preserve the environment. Compressed hydrogen is being considered as a potential fuel for heavy-duty applications because it will possibly substantially reduce toxic greenhouse gas emissions. The cost of hydrogen will be a main element in the acceptance of compressed hydrogen internal combustion vehicles in the marketplace since of its effect on the levelized cost of driving. The cost of hydrogen at the pump is determined by its production cost, which is mainly a function of the feedstock and process utilised, the distribution cost and the refuelling station cost. This paper investigates the feasibility of implementing a nationwide network of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in order to accommodate a conversion of Canada’s long-haul, heavy-duty truck fleet from diesel fuel to hydrogen. This initiative is taken in order to reduce vehicle emissions and support Canada’s commitments to the climate plans supporting active transportation infrastructure, together with new transit infrastructure, and zero emission vehicles. Two methods, Constant Traffic and Variable Traffic, along with data about hydrogen infrastructure and vehicles, were developed to estimate fuelling requirements for Canada’s long-haul, heavy-duty truck fleet. Furthermore, a thorough economic study was conducted on various test cases to evaluate how diverse variables affects the final selling price of hydrogen. This provided insight with the understanding of what factors go into pricing hydrogen and if it can compete against diesel in the trucking market. Results revealed that the cost to purchase hydrogen is the greatest factor in the pump price of hydrogen. Due to the variability in hydrogen production, however, there is no precise cost, which makes predictions difficult. Moreover, it was found that the pump price of hydrogen is, on average, 239% more expensive than diesel fuel. Future work should concentrate on the costs and logistics of high-capacity hydrogen refuelling stations, which is required to deliver fuel to a fleet of long-haul, heavy-duty trucks. A breakdown of hydrogen production costs, with regard to the Canadian landscape and the requirements of a long-haul, heavy-duty truck fleet, may possibly give further accurate predictions of those made in this study.

Abstract Fossil fuel energy dominate the world energy mix and plays a fundamental role in our economy and lifestyle. Drilling of wellbore is the only proven method to extract the hydrocarbon reserves, an operation which is both highly hazardous and capital intensive. To optimize the drilling operations, developing a high fidelity autonomous downhole drilling system that is self-optimizing using real-time drilling parameters and able to precisely predict the optimal rate of penetration is essential. Optimizing the input parameters; surface weight on bit (WOB), and rotary speed (RPM) which in turns improves drilling performance and reduces well delivery cost is not trivial due to the complexity of the non-linear bit-rock interactions and changing formation characteristics. However, application of derived variables shows potential to predict rate of penetration and determine the most influential parameters in a drilling process. In this study the use of derived controllable variables calculated from the drilling inputs parameters were evaluated for potential applicability in predicting penetration rate in autonomous downhole drilling system using the artificial neutral network and compared with predictions of actual input drilling parameters; (WOB, RPM). First, a detailed analysis of actual rock drilling data was performed and applied in understanding the relationship between these derived variables and penetration rate enabling the identification of patterns which predicts the occurrence of phenomena that affects the drilling process. Second, the physical law of conservation of energy using drilling mechanical specific energy (DMSE) defined as energy required to remove a unit volume of rock was applied to measure the efficiency of input energy in the drilling system, in combination with penetration rate per unit revolution and penetration rate per unit weight applied (feed thrust) are used to effective predict optimum penetration rate, enabling an adaptive strategize which optimize drilling rate whilst suppressing stick-slip. The derived controllable variable included mechanical specific energy, depth of cut and feed thrust are calculated from the real- time drilling parameters. Artificial Neutral Networks (ANNs) was used to predict ROP using both input drilling parameters (WOB, RPM) and derived controllable variables (MSE, FET) using same network functionality and model results compared. Results showed that derived controllable variable gave higher prediction accuracy when compared with the model performance assessment criteria commonly used in engineering analysis including the correlation coefficient (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE). The key contribution of this study when compared to the previous researches is that it introduced the concept of derived controllable variables with established relationship with both ROP and stick-slip which has an advantage of optimizing the drilling parameters by predicting optimal penetration rate at reduced stick-slip which is essential in achieving an autonomous drilling system. :