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1 – 10 of 348A nature reserve set up in a disaster-stricken area can have various functions, e.g. as a place where biodiversity is favored and sometimes as a memory of a traumatic event. This…
Abstract
Purpose
A nature reserve set up in a disaster-stricken area can have various functions, e.g. as a place where biodiversity is favored and sometimes as a memory of a traumatic event. This study presents four different record-breaking disasters during 1992–2014 in Sweden, where the idea of setting up reserves has been advanced in the aftermath, but with slightly different results in relation to attitudes about nature conservation and modes of remembering. The phenomenon is primarily discussed against theory formation around disaster memorials and window of opportunity for change.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a comparative case study approach. The cases are described through narratives on the basis of “grey” literature, i.e. documents from Swedish authorities in the form of evaluations, summaries from experience seminars, political decisions on the establishment of nature conservation or information material addressed to the public, and also media reporting.
Findings
The nature reserves will be reminiscent of the disasters since the natural regrowth will take decades but may also be accompanied by exhibitions in visitor centers, arts and plays, monuments and bureaucratic documents, all of which contribute to the memory. In all but one case, such artifacts are secondary in relation to the explicit goal of forest conservation. The local population's attitude to the reserve formation plays a big role for the plans to be implemented.
Originality/value
Foundation of nature reserves in the immediate aftermath of a disaster may have different functions for actors, affected people and interested public; some are exemplified and discussed here.
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Shaikh Shamim Hasan, Yue Zhang, Xi Chu and Yanmin Teng
Forest as a vital natural resource in China plays an irreplaceable important role in safeguarding ecological security and human survival and development. Due to the vast…
Abstract
Purpose
Forest as a vital natural resource in China plays an irreplaceable important role in safeguarding ecological security and human survival and development. Due to the vast territory, huge population and widespread forest landscape of China, forest management is a complex system involving massive data and various management activities. To effectively implement sustainable forest management, the big data technology has been utilized to analyze China’s forestry resources. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of big data technology in China’s forest management.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors revisited the roles of big data in forest ecosystem monitoring, forestry management system development, and forest policy implementation.
Findings
It demonstrates that big data technology has a great potential in forest ecosystem protection and management, as well as the government’s determination for forest ecosystem protection. However, to deepen the application of big data in forest management, several challenges still need to be tackled.
Originality/value
Thus, enhancing modern science and technology to improve big data, cloud computing, and information technologies and their combinations will contribute to tackle the challenges and achieve wisdom of forest management.
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Boyao Song, Bingxin Liu and Chao He
The main objectives of collective forest tenure reform in China are to stimulate rural households to invest in forestry management, protect the ecosystem and improve their…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objectives of collective forest tenure reform in China are to stimulate rural households to invest in forestry management, protect the ecosystem and improve their livelihood. By constructing the unbalanced panel data of household investment, this study discusses the dynamic changes and influencing factors of household investment, which will lay a foundation for further research and provide a reference for decision-making.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on 3,500 samples from rural households in the provinces of Fujian, Hunan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Gansu, and Liaoning collected during field investigations from 2010 to 2015, this study conducts an empirical analysis of the household investment in forestry management and its factors with nonbalanced panels.
Findings
According to the analysis, the average investment in forestry management per household from 2010 to 2015 fluctuates greatly; the age of the householder, increased forestry area, subsidies, joining professional cooperatives, and forest tenure mortgage show positive effects on achieving the objectives.
Originality/value
The discussions are drawn from the study that supporting policies such as the forest tenure transfer system, professional cooperatives, financial services and subsidies should be further improved to sustain a positive in the forestry industry.
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Longzhen Ni, Liang Fang and Wenhui Chen
The aim of this study is to depict the spatial pattern of the development level of China's state-owned forest farms, thereby providing theoretical reference and empirical evidence…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to depict the spatial pattern of the development level of China's state-owned forest farms, thereby providing theoretical reference and empirical evidence for the improvement of the corresponding development policies.
Design/methodology/approach
A development evaluation index system was established in this paper to comprehensively measure the development level of China's state-owned forest farms based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model analysis framework and the actual situation of state-owned forest farms by using the entropy weight - technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (entropy weight TOPSIS) evaluation method and exploratory spatial analysis method.
Findings
Studies show that the state-owned forest farms in China are generally not well developed. The pressure system that represents the input level displays an apparent restrictive effect on provinces whose comprehensive score <0.15. The response system, which represents development dynamism, has an apparent restrictive function on the provinces whose comprehensive score is 0.35. In terms of the specific spatial characteristics, the V-shape displayed by southwest–northwest and southeast–northwest has an inward trend of gradual reduction, with high-low agglomeration and low-low agglomeration correlation effects as well as apparent basin characteristics.
Originality/value
In this paper, the development level and spatial pattern of state-owned forest farms in China were accurately depicted, and the development path support and decision-making basis were provided for improving the overall development level of state-owned forest farms in China.
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Juliette I. Franqueville, James G. Scott and Ofodike A. Ezekoye
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected the fire service: stay-at-home orders and potential exposure hazards disrupted standard fire service operations and incident patterns…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically affected the fire service: stay-at-home orders and potential exposure hazards disrupted standard fire service operations and incident patterns. The ability to predict incident volume during such disruptions is crucial for dynamic and efficient staff allocation planning. This work proposes a model to quantify the relationship between the increase in “residential mobility” (i.e. time spent at home) due to COVID-19 and fire and emergency medical services (EMS) call volume at the onset of the pandemic (February – May 2020). Understanding this relationship is beneficial should mobility disruptions of this scale occur again.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis was run on 56 fire departments that subscribe to the National Fire Operations Reporting System (NFORS). This platform enables fire departments to report and visualize operational data. The model consists of a Bayesian hierarchical model. Text comments reported by first responders were also analyzed to provide additional context for the types of incidents that drive the model’s results.
Findings
Overall, a 1% increase in residential mobility (i.e. time spent at home) was associated with a 1.43% and 0.46% drop in EMS and fire call volume, respectively. Around 89% and 21% of departments had a significant decrease in EMS and fire call volume, respectively, as time spent at home increased.
Originality/value
A few papers have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on fire incidents in a few locations, but none have covered an extensive number of fire departments. Additionally, no studies have investigated the relationship between mobility and fire department call volumes.
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Haotian Wu, Jiancheng Chen, Wanting Bai and Yiliang Fang
The aim of this article is to research on forestry green total factor productivity and explore the impact of financial support on forestry green total factor productivity.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to research on forestry green total factor productivity and explore the impact of financial support on forestry green total factor productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
The methods used in this study are super efficiency SBM model of undesired output and empirical model. SBM model is a kind of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The SBM model with non-expected outputs (slacks-based measure) can be used to deal with the problem of efficiency measurement with multiple input and output variables and can be used to analyze the efficiency of green development of forestry economy.
Findings
First, the overall green total factor productivity of the authors’ country's forestry has shown a trend of first decline and then an increase from 2008 to 2018, and there are significant spatiotemporal differences; second, financial support has a significant positive impact on forestry green total factor productivity; third, environmental regulation has a significant threshold effect in the process of financial support on forestry green total factor productivity, and the role of financial support shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.
Originality/value
Secondly, taking the data of 30 provinces and cities in the authors’ country from 2008 to 2018 as the research object, using the super-efficiency SBM-Malmquist index to measure the country's forestry green total factor productivity and analyze its temporal and spatial changes; finally, a dynamic panel model was established to explore the impact of financial support on forestry green total factors quantitative impact on productivity, and adding environmental regulation as a threshold variable to establish a dynamic threshold regression, and found that financial support has a nonlinear impact on forestry green total factor productivity.
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This paper aims to explore the links between climate change and tourism and explores the connections between these themes.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the links between climate change and tourism and explores the connections between these themes.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an analysis based on the literature and evidences from recent studies.
Findings
The tourism sector was already severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and whereas it is now on a slow pathway to recover, climate change is adding an additional pressure to it.
Social implications
Knock-on effects could also trigger disruptions in various other sectors. This includes not only local agriculture but also important sources of income for people in tourist destinations such as service providers (e.g. drivers, tourism guides), local handicraft industries and many other small businesses, which rely on tourism as source of employment or of direct income.
Originality/value
The paper points out to the fact that, whereas adaptation to climate change is a long-term process, a strategic approach to handle its immediate impacts to the tourism sector are important.
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