Small Islands Create Big Disputes

The Japanese Government＇s move to ＂purchase＂ the disputed Diaoyu Islands fuels tensions between China and Japan

Research on sustainable development of small islands in China─taking 12 island counties for examples

Islands serve as the basis for marine exploitation,and the sustainable development of islands and that of marine exploitation are closely inter-connected. This article inquires into problems on the sustainable development of small islands by taking 12 island counties in China for examples.

Development Trend of Small Island District in Tropical Monsoon Region (Case Study: Ly Son and Phu Quy Island Districts, Vietnam)

Ly Son (Quang Ngai province) and Phu Quy (Binh Thuan province) are two island districts in Vietnam that have similar natural characteristics;both are facing the issues of sustainable economic development. This research applied Man-Kendall model to estimate the trend of some socio-economic elements in these two island districts that have been collected during the period of 2002-2018. In general, socio-economic factors showed a tendency to increase recently. Ly Son island district has faster growth rate than that of Phu Quy because Phu Quy is farther from the mainland, more difficult to access and this island district does not own distinct local products. However, with the current development speed, Ly Son is facing several consequences such as insufficient water sources to meet the water demand and security instability due to the increasing number of visitors to the island. This research also proposed that, in order to sustainably develop the two island districts, there should be a specific structure for economic development orientation among sectors based on phased schedule. More importantly, tourism development planning should take capacity into consideration. Fishing practices should pay attention to methods and fishing equipment. Infrastructure investment for environmental protection as well as advocacy program to minimize the use of plastic bags should be done on a regular basis.

Charting the Course for Sustainable Small Island Tourist Development

This article, Charting the Course for Sustainable Small Island Tourist Development, addresses sustainability criteria for small island tourist development drawing on the history of development in the last decade in the Bocas del Toro archipelago of the Republic of Panama in the Caribbean Sea near the border of Costa Rica. Tax deferments for the development of vacation and resort properties spurred a boom in this island locale since the late 1980’s. Tourist Law 8 of the Panamanian constitution is referenced. Sustainability criteria of water supply and availability are suggested and outer island projects are discussed. Lessons are outlined and recommendations are made for permit qualifications that promote sustainable small island tourist development.

Toward sustainable waste management in small islands developing states: integrated waste-to-energy solutions in Maldives context

Effective waste management is a major challenge for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) like Maldives due to limited land availability. Maldives exemplifies these issues as one of the most geographically dispersed countries, with a population unevenly distributed across numerous islands varying greatly in size and population density. This study provides an in-depth analysis of the unique waste management practices across different regions of Maldives in relation to its natural and socioeconomic context. Data shows Maldives has one of the highest population density and per capita waste generation among SIDS, despite its small land area and medium GDP per capita. Large disparities exist between the densely populated capital Male’ with only 5.8 km2 area generating 63% of waste and the ~194 scattered outer islands with ad hoc waste management practices. Given Male’s dense population and high calorific waste, incineration could generate up to ~30 GW/a energy and even increase Maldives’ renewable energy supply by 200%. In contrast, decentralized anaerobic digestion presents an optimal solution for outer islands to reduce waste volume while providing over 40%–100% energy supply for daily cooking in local families. This timely study delivers valuable insights into designing context-specific waste-to-energy systems and integrated waste policies tailored to Maldives’ distinct regions. The framework presented can also guide other SIDS facing similar challenges as Maldives in establishing sustainable, ecologically sound waste management strategies.

A Framework for Disaster Vulnerability in a Small Island in the Southwest Pacific: A Case Study of Emae Island, Vanuatu

The societal costs of disasters around the world are continuing to increase and Pacific Island countries are considered some of the most vulnerable. This is primarily due to a combination of high hazard exposure coupled with a range of social, economic, physical, and political vulnerabilities. This article contributes to the growing body of work that aims to understand the causal factors of disaster vulnerability, but with a specific focus on small island developing states. The article first develops a framework for understanding disaster vulnerability, drawing on extensive literature and the well-established Methods for the Improvement of Vulnerability in Europe(MOVE)framework, and second, applies this adapted framework using empirically-derived data from fieldwork on Emae Island, Vanuatu to provide a working understanding of the causal elements of disaster vulnerability. Drawn from a significant body of scholarship at the time, the MOVE framework was primarily developed as a heuristic tool in which disaster vulnerability is considered to be a function of exposure, susceptibility(socially, economically, physically, culturally, environmentally, institutionally), and a lack of resilience. We posit that this adapted framework for small islands should also include historical susceptibility,and we prefer livelihood resilience(as capabilities, social capital, knowledge, participation, and human rights) over lack of resilience. We maintain that understanding disaster vulnerability holistically, which is inclusive of both strengths and drawbacks, is crucial to ensure that limited resources can target the causal factors that produce vulnerability and help safeguard and improve livelihoods in both the short and long term.

Capacities in Facing Natural Hazards: A Small Island Perspective

Isolated communities on small islands are often characterized as vulnerable and marginalized. We studied the recent history of Laingpatehi, a village on Ruang Island off the north coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia to show that the marginalization-vulnerability nexus can be offset by capacity and social cohesion to enable sustainable livelihoods. The island has been impacted by volcanic eruptions,earthquakes, and competition for marine resources from mainland-based fishermen. The community has shown a remarkable ability to cope and prosper in the face of a series of external hazards. We used a sustainable livelihoods approach to identify the assets that enabled the villagers to cope. Strong social cohesion was central to the ability to organize the community and confront hazards. A diversified livelihood strategy drawing on the small island environment and its coastal and marine resources, income generating activities in a distant satellite village, and significant remittances from employment in other parts of Indonesia underpinned people’s capacities to face hazards.Government assistance played a supporting role. The case of Laingpatehi demonstrates how remoteness, rather than being a source of vulnerability, can provide access to existing resources and facilitate innovation. Disaster risk reduction strategies should focus more on reinforcing these existing capacities to deal with hazards and less on physical protection and postdisaster responses.

Heterogeneous sea-level rises along coastal zones and small islands

Coastal zones and many small islands are highly susceptible to sea-level rise(SLR). Coastal zones have a large exposed population and integrated high-value assets, and islands provide diverse ecosystem services to millions of people worldwide. The coastal zones and small islands affected by SLR are likely to suffer from submergence, flooding and erosion in the future. However, very few studies have addressed the heterogeneity in SLR changes and the potential risk to coastal zones and small islands. Here we used the mean sea level(MSL) derived from satellite altimetry data to analyse the trends and accelerations of SLRs along global coastal zones and small islands. We found that except for the Antarctic coastal zone, the annual MSL within 50 km of the coasts presented an increasing trend of 3.09 ± 0.13 mm a^-1 but a decreasing acceleration of -0.02 ± 0.02 mm a^-2 from 1993 to 2017. The highest coastal MSL trend of3.85 ± 0.60 mm a^-1 appeared in Oceania, and the lowest trend of 2.32 ± 0.37 mm a^-1 occured in North America. Africa, North America and South America showed acceleration trends, and Eurasia, Australia and Oceania had deceleration trends. Further, MSLs around global small islands reflected an increasing trend with a rate of 3.01 ± 0.16 mm a^-1 but a negative acceleration of -0.02 ± 0.02 mm a^-2. Regional heterogeneity in the trends and accelerations of MSLs along the coasts and small islands suggests that stakeholders should take discriminating precautions to cope with future disadvantageous impacts of the SLR.

Early Palaeozoic Evolution of the Zhen' an- Xichuan Block and the Small Qinling Multi-Island Ocean Basin

Based on studies of palaeogeography, palaeobiogeography, palaeomagnetism, geochemistry and volcanism, this paper proposes that the Zhen'an-Xichuan area was a small Early Palaeozoic block rifted away from South Qinling and suturing onto North Qinling earlier than the other parts of South Qinling. In the Early Palaeozoic Qinling was a small archipelagic ocean basin with 5 rows of islands including the Zhen'an-Xichuan block. The drifting of the Yangtze and North China plates and the islands between them in the same direction at different speeds caused their suturing process to be different from the classic plate collision, which is the major feature of the suturing of the multi-island Tethys ocean basin. This also explains the problem that the Caledonian collision did not result in orogeny in eastern Qinling.

Repairing small wounds around ankle by medial planta island flaps pedicled with anterior tibial artery perforator in front of inner malleolus

Objective To discuss the application of medial planta island flaps pedicled with anterior tibial artery perforator in front of inner malleolus for repairing small wounds around ankle Methods From Jan. 2005 to Jun. 2009,10 cases with small wounds around ankle

大国对小岛屿国家气候援助的实践及影响:以“澳图条约”为视角

气候变化已经成为小岛屿国家最关切的议题之一,但多数小岛屿国家受限于其发展程度,只能依赖他国援助和支持以应对气候变化产生的影响。近年以来,这种需求正在变得愈发迫切。在2023年11月签订的“澳—图睦邻联盟条约(Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union Treaty)”(以下简称“澳图条约”)中,图瓦卢以包括允许澳大利亚介入其外交和安全事务在内的高昂代价,换取澳大利亚的气候援助承诺。气候变化对小岛屿国家国际法人格和海洋权利的潜在影响,是理解双方合意缔结该条约真实动因的重要切入点。更为值得关注的是,“澳图条约”反映着部分大国以气候援助为支点,愈发深入地介入小岛屿国家内外事务的实践趋向。倘若类似“气候合作”由个例演变成固定的范式,大国将不断扩张在小岛屿国家的势力范围,其他小岛屿国家也将不得不为自身的生存而寻找大国的庇护,小岛屿国家为对抗大国控制而建立的区域组织也将被瓦解,进而彻底改变目前太平洋地区的地缘政治格局。大国与小岛屿国家应对气候变化的博弈,将对我国与小岛屿国家的深度合作产生潜在影响。有鉴于此,中国应从尊重国家主权和独立自主的基本立场出发,坚决抵制以气候合作为名干涉小岛屿国家内外事务的做法,并积极为小岛屿国家提供针对性的气候变化应对方案,推动前瞻性的“气候外交”布局。

考虑构网型和跟网型变流器的孤岛微电网小信号稳定性分析

由电力电子设备主导的孤岛微电网面临系统惯量小、无频率支持而导致的稳定性问题,恒功率负荷的渗透也加剧了系统的失稳风险。研究了由构网型变流器和跟网型变流器为主导的,计及恒功率负荷的孤岛微电网稳定性。首先,建立了孤岛微电网系统的全阶小信号模型,通过特征值分析法研究了构网型变流器控制中下垂系数对稳定性的影响并得到了下垂系数的数值上界;其次,通过参与因子法揭示了系统参数和控制参数对小信号稳定性的影响;最后,在Matlab Simulink中建立了该孤岛微电网的开关模型,仿真验证了小信号分析结果的准确性。

基于GIS和RS的中小城市热岛特征分析——以漯河市为例

随着现代化生活水平的提高,中小城市产业结构的调整以及人们衣食住行翻天覆地的变化,中小城市的城市热岛问题日益突出,为了引起对中小城市热岛效应的重视撰写本文。本文以中小城市漯河市为例,融合GIS、RS和气象数据,采用气象热岛计算方法、分裂窗遥感温度反演算法、地表热岛强度指数法(UHII)和热岛比例指数(UHPI)等计算方法进行城市热岛特征分析,结果表明:6、7、8三个月随着夏季温度的升高,下垫面水体无热岛效应,林地和耕地热岛面积比例较低,说明农林草绿色植被缓解地表温度增长作用明显,其中以高覆盖度的树林缓解效果更大;中小城市热岛效应显著地问题在城市规划和政府决策时应得到足够重视。

中国对小岛屿国家的旅游贸易效率、潜力及影响因素

以2006—2018年我国入境旅游的8个小岛屿国家数据为样本,运用时变随机前沿引力模型对中国对小岛屿国家的旅游贸易效率及贸易潜力进行实证分析。结果发现:(1)双方经济水平、人口规模正向促进中国对小岛屿国家的旅游贸易水平,地理距离在中国对小岛屿国家开展旅游贸易时影响不显著。(2)小岛屿国家的国际航空运输能力、突发事件与旅游贸易非效率正相关,小岛屿国家服务业就业人数占比、旅游外汇收入占比、中国对其直接投资存量以及两国之间的签证与旅游贸易非效率负相关。(3)中国对小岛屿国家的旅游贸易效率在逐渐提升,且潜力很大。因此,应该依托现有旅游贸易基础实行差异化合作策略、通过第三方合作等形式深化旅游领域合作、发展数字经济提高小岛屿国家旅游产业的信息化水平、提高投资过程中的社区参与度和民众获得感,进一步提升中国对小岛屿国家的旅游贸易效率和潜力。

Movement Patterns of the Eastern Chipmunk (<i>Tamias striatus</i>) in Four Fragmented Landscapes of Prince Edward Island, Canada

The analysis of animal movement patterns can provide important information on animals’ responses to habitat features. In this study, the movement paths of eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) were examined in four landscapes, with different levels of habitat fragmentation, using either fluorescent powdering or spool-and-line tracking. Descriptions of the tree and ground vegetation communities were performed in the vicinity of the trail to obtain information on habitat use and habitat selection. Several key movement variables were calculated, including the total path length, net distance, fractal dimension, and radius of gyration. Despite statistically significant differences in some of the movement metrics between the four landscapes, the overall movement patterns were generically the same for all of chipmunk paths examined in this study. The data were compared to trends expected based on random or correlated random walks, as well as Lévy-walk models. The mean squared net displacement did not support the correlated random walk predictions, except at smaller spatial scales, but overall demonstrated Lévy-like super diffusive behaviour. Lévy-like patterns were also confirmed from the move-length distributions that demonstrated truncated-tail power-law behaviour. Although this would suggest invariance of the movement patterns at all spatial scales studied, fractal analysis revealed at least two transitions in movement patterns at scales of around 2 and 5 m. The transition point at 2 m was negatively correlated with the density of small trees, while the transition at ~5 m was positively correlated with the spatial distribution of large trees. As the habitat-preference data showed that small trees are among the least preferred habitat component, while large trees were among the most preferred habitat, chipmunks are likely to alter their movement behaviour to avoid small trees, and attracted towards large trees possibly to avoid predators. Overall, we determined three principal domains of movement: at smaller spatio-temporal scales, foraging activities dominate and the movement is highly correlated but also random;at intermediate spatial scales, chipmunks may be moving to avoid predators, using different environmental cues, and the movement is more directed (but still influenced by vegetation patterns at intermediate scales);at larger spatio-temporal scales, the movement is dominated by long-range/long-term memory and homing to burrows and other key habitat features, such as food caches, drives more directed movement. The fact that scale-dependent movement mechanisms could give rise to LW patterns is consistent with recent studies.

小岛屿国家联盟在国际气候谈判中的“逆向领导力”成因分析

后巴黎时代全球气候治理难题的核心问题之一是如何协调各个国际行为体之间的利益诉求与国际、国内目标之间的矛盾。学界关于国际气候谈判领导力问题的研究通常从结构现实主义理论出发,大多聚焦在守成国集团或新兴大国,比较强调大国以及主要温室气体排放国家在主导国际气候治理进程中的作用,而较少关注小国集团通过制度设计、知识塑造、话语建构来强化领导力的内在逻辑。小岛屿国家联盟(AOSIS)在同欧盟、伞形集团、基础四国、七十七国集团(G77)和中国各主要国家集团的互动博弈中,竭力维护《联合国气候变化框架公约》(UNFCCC)下的多边谈判机制,通过外交斡旋、联盟强化等方式推进对自身有利的议程,同时不断扩大小岛屿国家基于历史修正和道德关怀的道义话语权,充分发挥小国在国际气候制度设计和知识塑造方面的优势,实现小国联盟在国际气候谈判中独特的“逆向领导力”。

离与合:爱彼迎化实践模式研究——以斐济和瓦努阿图华侨民宿为例

运用质性研究方法,以斐济和瓦努阿图的华侨民宿为例,对太平洋小岛屿发展中国家的爱彼迎化实践模式进行探索性研究,研究发现:1)爱彼迎化形成了偏离型、游离型、磨合型和契合型4种实践模式的连续轴,在群体属性、行为意向和短租实践方面呈现异质性;2)跨国民宿主利用资产的所有权或使用权,维持中产阶层地位甚至实现阶层的向上跃迁,展现了基于数字平台支持的资产经济民主化进程,在此进程中没有引致直接最后居民失所;3)短租平台在一定程度上实现共享经济,并逐渐转向非标准在线住宿代理商。

华阳一矿小煤柱孤岛工作面回采巷道围岩支护优化研究

以华阳一矿12062下巷围岩为研究对象,针对小煤柱孤岛工作面回采巷道受采动影响显著、围岩应力集中、裂隙发育、煤柱承载能力差等因素影响,导致巷道围岩变形量较大的问题,提出采用锚索补强(充分发挥锚索主动支护效果)、架棚(单体柱+π型钢、一梁三柱)进行支护,并具体给出支护方案。经现场应用后,12062下巷顶底板、巷帮变形量最大为378 mm、460 mm,围岩变形量可满足12062综采工作面安全回采要求,优化支护围岩控制效果显著。

小煤柱孤岛工作面回采巷道围岩支护优化研究

以山西某矿12062下巷围岩为研究对象,针对小煤柱孤岛工作面回采巷道受采动影响显著、围岩应力集中、裂隙发育、煤柱承载能力差等因素影响,巷道围岩变形量较大问题,提出采用锚索补强(充分发挥锚索主动支护效果)、架棚(单体+π型钢、一梁三柱)进行支护,并具体给出支护方案。经现场应用后,12062下巷顶底板、巷帮变形量最大为378 mm、460 mm,围岩变形量可满足12062综采工作面回采需要,现场取得较为显著的围岩控制效果。

小岛屿国家在BBNJ国际造法中的作用及前景

关于国家管辖范围以外区域海洋生物多样性(BBNJ)养护和可持续利用的国际造法是全球海洋治理法治化历程的重要里程碑,也是BBNJ国际法律秩序在主要国家行为体利益博弈中逐渐构建和完善的过程。小岛屿国家作为全球海洋治理中的新兴力量,积极参与BBNJ国际造法并发挥了超出其实力基础的作用。BBNJ协定为小岛屿国家提升其国际行为体地位和制度性话语权提供了国际法支持和重要发展机遇。在面临诸多能力差距、认知局限和不确定性挑战的背景下,通过多元化渠道促进BBNJ领域国家利益与国际利益的融合,加强从参与度到影响力的转化,是小岛屿国家进一步深度参与和推动BBNJ国际规则构建进程的可行路径。