Synergetic pathways of water-energy-carbon in ecologically vulnerable regions aiming for carbon neutrality:a case study of Shaanxi,China

Synergetic energy-water-carbon pathways are key issues to be tackled under carbon-neutral target and high-quality development worldwide,especially in ecologically vulnerable regions(EVRs).In this study,to explore the synergistic pathways in an EVR,a water-energy-carbon assessment(WECA)model was built,and the synergistic effects of water-energy-carbon were comprehensively and quantitatively analyzed under various scenarios of regional transition.Shaanxi Province was chosen as the representative EVR,and Lower challenge(LEC)and Greater challenge(GER)scenarios of zerocarbon transition were set considering the technological maturity and regional energy characteristics.The results showed that there were limited effects under the zero-carbon transition of the entire region on reducing water withdrawals and improving the water quality.In the LEC scenario,the energy demand and CO_(2) emissions of Shaanxi in 2060 will decrease by 70.9%and 99.4%,respectively,whereas the water withdrawal and freshwater aquatic ecotoxicity potential(FAETP)will only decrease by 8.9%and 1.6%,respectively.This could be attributed to the stronger demand for electricity in the energy demand sector caused by industrial transition measures.The GER scenario showed significant growth in water withdrawals(16.0%)and FAETP(36.0%)because of additional biomass demand.To promote the synergetic development of regional transition,EVRs should urgently promote zero-carbon technologies(especially solar and wind power technologies)between 2020 and 2060 and dry cooling technology for power generation before 2030.In particular,a cautious attitude toward the biomass energy with carbon capture and storage technology in EVRs is strongly recommended.

Ecological Rehabilitation Measures in Civil Airport Construction Projects in Different Ecologically Vulnerable Regions in China

Numerous airports have been constructed based on the Twelfth Five-Year Plan for Civil Aviation Development of China. We collected relevant data on the number and distribution of civil airports, the construction of which had started or that had been assessed and approved. Based on a comparative analysis of the limits of ecological restoration in different ecologically vulnerable areas from the perspective of space, as well as an examination of ecological sensitivity factors in the ecosystems surrounding airport construction projects, suggestions concerning key ecological control techniques to be employed in airport construction projects in different ecologically vulnerable areas are put forward. The results showed that the airport construction projects recently approved by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency are mainly distributed in the ecologically vulnerable areas of the Red Soil Hilly Area in southern China, the Karst Rocky Desertification Area in southwest China, the Agro-pastoral Ecotone in the southwestern mountain region, and the Desert-Oasis Connecting Belt in northwest China. The airport construction projects in the southwest mountain area, the hilly areas of southern China, and in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are mainly based on the ecological technologies of slope protection, interception and drainage management, and vegetation restoration, respectively. In the arid and semi-arid areas, the ecological control technology employed in airport construction is mainly the rational utilization of water resources and reduction or mitigation of the effects of sandstorms. This study aims to serve as basis for soil and water conservation plans in airport construction projects and accelerate ecosystem restoration within the vicinity of airport construction sites.

The Evolution of Desertification Control and Restoration Technology in Typical Ecologically Vulnerable Regions

Global economic development and increasing human activities have brought great challenges to fragile ecosystems.In order to avoid,reduce,and reverse desertification,Chinese and foreign scientists and ecological governance institutions have developed a series of ecological restoration technologies(ERTs)and models in the past few decades.These technologies can improve residents’livelihoods,strengthen disaster resilience,and launch a comprehensive review of degraded ecosystems in desertification regions.However,some studies and practices have limited the selection and promotion of good technologies and the assessments of these technologies,resulting in the waste and loss of funds and manpower.The objective of this study is to identify desertification control and restoration technologies and models,summarize the evolutionary features and trends of these technologies under different natural conditions,and evaluate the various ERTs that are now available.The data sources of this study include the databases of international organizations,CNKI,related literature and reports,and questionnaires from institutions and experts.First,the three stages of ERTs evolution were summarized,and the key events and social-economic developments were identified as the driving forces of evolution.Then,the four categories of ERTs were identified as biological,engineering,agricultural,and management ERTs.Finally,the key ERTs were evaluated in the five dimensions of the degree of difficulty,the degree of maturity,effectiveness,suitability,and potential for transfer.The management ERTs scores for the degree of difficulty,the degree of maturity,and potential for transfer are higher.This study provides a reference for adapting to local conditions,the comprehensive management,rational development,and utilization of dryland resources,improving the application of ecological technologies,and promoting the export and import of the excellent technologies.

EVOLVEMENT AND CONTROL OF VULNERABLE ECOLOGICAL REGION—A Case Study in Ongniud Banner and Aohan Banner,Inner Mongolia

The evolvement of a vulnerable ecological region is a dynamic process, which is affected by various factors. During the evolvement process, human activities have a decisive effect. The purpose of studying vulnerable ecological region is to control human economic activities and to develop a negative feedback modulation mechanism.This paper established a model of vulnerable ecological region's evolvement by considering four synthetic variables.These synthetic variables are ecological carrying capacity, ecological resilience, economic development intensity, and economic development velocity. Finally, Ongniud Banner and Aohan Banner in North China were taken as study cases to simulate the evolvement processes of vulnerable ecological regions under different conditions of economic development. The results show that human activities have an important influence on the evolvement trend of vulnerable ecological region.

Measuring Social Vulnerability to Natural Hazards in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region,China

Social vulnerability in this study represents the differences between the capacity to cope with natural hazards and disaster losses suffered within and between places.The assessment of social vulnerability has been recognized as a critical step in understanding natural hazard risks and enhancing effective response capabilities.This article presents an initial study of the social vulnerability of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(B-T-H) Region in China.The goal is to replicate and test the applicability of the United States Social Vulnerability Index(So VI) method in a Chinese cultural context.Thirty-nine variables adapted from the So VI were collected in relation to two aspects:socioeconomic vulnerability and built environment vulnerability.Using factor analysis,seven factors were extracted from the variable set:the structure of social development,the level of economic and government financial strength,social justice and poverty,family structure,the intensity of space development,the status of residential housing and transportation,and building structure.Factor scores were summed to get the final So VI scores and the most and least vulnerable units were identified and mapped.The highest social vulnerability is concentrated in the northwest of the study area.The least socially vulnerable areas are mainly distributed in the Beijing,Tianjin and Shijiazhuang core urban peripheral and central city areas of the prefecture-level cities.The results show that this method is a useful tool for revealing places that have a high level of vulnerability,in other words,areas which are more likely to face significant challenges in coping with a large-scale event.These findings could provide a scientific basis for policy making and the implementation of disaster prevention and mitigation in China.

Overview of Ecological Restoration Technologies and Evaluation Systems

Ecological degradation is a global problem, and ecological restoration technologies have played and will continue to play an important role in its mitigation. However, the lack of systematic research and evaluations of ecological technologies has thus far affected their effective application in vulnerable ecological regions. This study therefore provides an overview of the main technologies for remediating soil and water erosion, desertification, and rock desertification in China and throughout the world. It addresses key issues and recommends approaches for evaluating ecological restoration technologies. Restoration technology emerged as early as 1800. Over the years such technology has changed from single objective applications to multi-purpose, multi-objective applications employing strategies that take into account ecosystem rehabilitation and integrated ecological and socioeconomic development. Along with this technological evolution, different countries have taken pertinent actions as part of their restoration initiatives. However, key issues remain, including the lack of location-specific restoration technologies and a methodological strategy to assess and prioritize existing technologies. This study proposes a four-level analytical hierarchical framework in conjunction with an indicator system that highlights the establishment and adaptation of associative indicators, while also recommending a three-phase evaluation method（The Mert）, targeting The Mert to qualitative（quick and extensive） and quantitative（detailed） evaluations in order to select the most appropriate restoration technologies available. This study can also be used as a basis for understanding the evaluation and prioritization of restoration technologies, while increasing the awareness of decision makers and the public on the role of technology in restoring degraded ecosystems.