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The United Nations Economic Convention for Europe Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention) is a peremptory international treaty that enshrines the procedural public rights to access environmental information, to make decisions regarding the environment, and to protect the right to a healthy environment. However, the Russian Federation is still not a party to this Convention. The analysis of the legislation of the Russian Federation in the context of its compliance with the Aarhus Convention is carried out to identify the reasons for not ratifying this agreement. The article aims to: 1) argue the need to ratify the Aarhus Convention by the Russian Federation; 2) develop an effective legal mechanism to ensure the implementation of its provisions. By applying the conceptual method, the provisions of the Aarhus Convention were analysed, its key requirements were studied, and the fundamental role of this treaty in the field of harmonizing relations 'human-environment' was determined. Through the combined application of conceptual and comparative methods, an analysis of the environmental legislation of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Republic of Belarus was carried out. Through the combined application of statistical and comparative methods, the effectiveness of environmental policy in the studied states in the context of the Aarhus Convention was identified and compared. As a result of the study, the need for the ratification of the Aarhus Convention by the Russian Federation was stated along with measures proposed for Convention implementation. In addition, attention was focused on the need for a comprehensive approach to the implementation of the provisions of this Convention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to discuss the role of environmental taxes in reducing environmental pollution with special reference to Republic of Yemen, where there are system of legislation related to the environment through which Republic of Yemen tries to protect the environment from pollution and preserving the natural resources, and the study used the descriptive analytical approach and the comparative approach, and the study reached the most important results represented in the Yemeni legislation’s interest in protecting the environment, and giving tax exemptions towards natural and legal persons who use environmentally friendly technologies. Issuing legislation to impose an environmental tax on all establishments that may constitute a source of pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Brazilian environmental legislation can assist in the conservation of grassland ecosystems. • The presence of cattle in Permanent Preservation Areas of a rural matrix increases the diversity of species. • The presence of cattle in Permanent Preservation Areas increases the litter cycling, reducing dry cover and, consequently, the incidence of fires. • In this study, the Preservation Areas fulfill their objective of preserving grassland species. • The permanence of cattle in protected areas provides the preservation of the diversity and physiognomy of grasslands. The Pampa biome comprises a high species richness, but has been transformed by various human activities, threatening its inherent diversity. One of the mechanisms that contributes to conservation is the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA); however, studies related to the vegetation of these areas are scarce, especially regarding the herbaceous stratum, creating a gap in the evaluation of the conservation of the Pampa biome's grassland formations. The objective of this study was to characterize the structure of fragments of grasslands in PPA, with and without cattle grazing, inserted in a plantation of Eucalyptus saligna Sm. in the Pampa biome. The survey was conducted on 40 systematically distributed sample units in six grassland areas, three of which were occasionally exposed to grazing and three fenced off with no grazing. Cover and frequency values ​​(absolute and relative) and importance value index (IVI) were estimated for species, exposed soil and dry plant material. The difference between the areas was evaluated by the Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) and ANOSIM, complemented by SIMPER. Richness, dry plant material and exposed soil were evaluated using the Kruskall-Wallis test. A total of 210 species were registered, with the Poaceae family being the most numerous, followed by Asteraceae (41), Cyperaceae (19), Fabaceae (12) and Rubiaceae (9). The areas differed in relation to richness, with grazing showing more diversity. Enclosure Area 3 did not differ from open areas 2 and 3, possibly due to the greater proximity and low cattle interference. The exposed soil did not vary according to the enclosure; however, the dry plant material was higher in the enclosed areas. The distribution of species, as well as their cover and frequency were regulated according to grazing. The presence of animals in PPA has modified the dynamics and botanical composition of the areas, in which richness was promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Biodiversity offsets are a mechanism for allowing economic development to proceed while ensuring that this is not to the detriment of environmental and social values. In order to achieve this, biodiversity offsets need to include environmental, social and economic aspects in an equitable and effective way. Australian legislation and policy relating to biodiversity offsets was reviewed and rated according to the level of equity and effectiveness, in terms of transparency, measurability and enforceability, to achieve outcomes. In all jurisdictions, gaps were found in the transparency, measurability and enforceability of offset regulations. In particular, the Commonwealth, having the overarching responsibility for the protection of biodiversity, was found to be lacking in the ability to fill these gaps. These gaps could result in a loss of biodiversity and ecosystem function and services, as well as having economic repercussions for communities and developers. It also raises questions as to whether Australia is meeting its obligation as a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity and its ability to meet the corresponding Aichi Targets (and the subsequent Global Biodiversity Framework). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic and legal measures to stimulate rational environmental management and environmental protection on the basis of the current legislation of Russia are considered, their concept is given. The problems of calculating and collecting fees for negative environmental impacts are disclosed. The question of the necessity of dividing objects that have a negative impact on the environment into categories continues to remain debatable. The bill is analyzed on the introduction of the chapter “Environmental tax” in the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Considerable attention is paid to state support of economic and other activities carried out in order to protect the environment, as well as economic measures to stimulate the rational use of natural resources and environmental protection of the subjects of the Russian Federation. The Author comes to the conclusion environmental protection and rational nature management can be ensured only by taking a set of organizational, legal and economic measures aimed at reducing the level of negative impact of human activity.

Air quality is an issue of general, global interest, which requires the implementation of appropriate environmental policies, taking into account the essential connection between the world economy and the environment. Air is an important natural element of the environment, vital for human life and health, as well as for fauna and flora, and it needs to be protected by all means, including legal methods.

Cooperation with China plays an increasingly important role in the foreign policy of the Russian Federation. The article deals with the joint activities of the two States in the field of natural resources extraction and environmental protection. The purpose of the research is to study the legal framework in the field of environmental cooperation, as well as to measure the possible consequences of joint economic activities for the Russian Federation. For achieving this goal it is necessary to carry out the following tasks:• to analyze the most important regulatory documents of the Russian Federation and China in the field of ecology;• identify the main China’s and Russia’s aids of economic and political cooperation China and Russia;• to highlight the most controversial agreements between the two states, as well as to find the causes of discontent among the population;• to predict the possible consequences and results of the Russian-Chinese partnership in the environmental sphere.Research methods: comparative analysis of regulations, analytical study of scientific articles on the subject of research, interpretation of factual information and opinions covered in the press.The practical significance of this work lies in the fact that this article can be used to analyze the existing problems of Russian-Chinese environmental and economic cooperation, as well as to adjust the policy of environmental agencies.Scientific novelty: the main emphasis of the article is made on the negative consequences of Russia's policy towards Chinese production, the actions of the Russian and Chinese governments that can potentially destabilize the situation in the region.Results of the study: during the writing of the article, the most important normative documents of the Russian Federation and China in the field of ecology were analyzed, the main objectives of economic and political cooperation on the part of China and Russia were identified, the most controversial agreements between the two States were highlighted, as well as the causes of discontent among the population, in addition, the possible consequences and results of the Russian-Chinese partnership in the environmental sphere were predicted.Conclusions: according to the data obtained, the domestic and bilateral environmental legislation of the Russian Federation and China has a number of shortcomings that impede cooperation between the two States, as well as hindering the protection of the environment; the joint economic activity of the two countries contributes to the development of the Far East, and is also beneficial for Chinese business, but there is a threat of development and appropriation by China of part of the Russian territories.

In the last time, some factors and especially the environmental protection requirements have forced to add the ecological criterion for design of electric equipment, within a new Eco-design concept. The essence of this concept consists in the integration of environmental aspects at project phase, taking into account full life cycle of product. The work presents some theoretical and practical aspects of eco-design for electric equipment. The actual eco-design conception combines Qualitative Assessment of Life Cycle Criteria with a quantitative method based on the Product Carbon Footprint. The calculation of the last indicator means the quantification of the greenhouse gases emissions (kgCO2 equivalent) during the life cycle of products and services. From the study of the technical literature and its own practical work, the author has found that "maintenance", one of the phases of the life cycle of electric equipment, is not sufficiently analyzed and quantified in terms of negative impacts on the environment, including CO2 emissions involved in the service performed. As a result, it has achieved himself and in collaboration with other specialists studies and research, with the ultimate objective of establishing environmental performance indicators in this field. Thus, the main objective of this paper refers to the original contribution of the author who has established two such indicators, namely: 1. Absolute indicator "CO2 emissions involved in service (Es) [kg CO2]" and 2. Relative indicator "Specific CO2 emissions involved in service (es) (kg CO2 / euro)".

Environmental taxation contributes to the development of relations between the state and taxpayers. Trends in the development of the environment taxation confirm and justify its role in ensuring environmental safety and strategic development of the Russian Federation as one of the economic methods of the state regulation. By methods of comparative analysis, synthesis, grouping of data, problems in the field of effective use of tax instruments to improve the environmental situation have been revealed, as well as priority areas for the development of environmental taxation in Russia have been determined.

Accumulation of household waste on specialized and unauthorized landfills is an important problem in the Arctic and the Far North. The solid waste disposal system in the country, based on burying (dumping), burning, recycling, does not fully meet the climatic and socio-economic features of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. . The article presents a study of the improvement of legislative measures in the field of solid municipal waste management with respect to the specifics of the northern regions of the country.

This article provides a comparative analysis of the features of the national legislation of the BRICS countries that regulates the issues of legal responsibility for environmental offenses. The authors consider aspects of the normative consolidation of the rights and obligations of citizens in the field of environmental protection, the types of legal liability and the applicable sanctions for violations of environmental standards provided for by the national legislation of all BRICS countries. The study of the environmental legislation of the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) reveals a number of general and specific directions in environmental policy with the aim of enriching the said countries with positive experience, overcoming difficulties in the organization of environmental management and environmental protection, the prevention of possible errors in the context of global economic and environmental crises, and making recommendations for environmental improvement. Improving the legislation of the BRICS countries in the field of legal liability for environmental offenses by taking into account the positive experience of these countries will help increase the effectiveness of prevention and rectification of negative consequences for the environment in both the Russian Federation and the BRICS association as a whole. Consequently, a comparative legal analysis of national environmental legislation of BRICS countries suggests that the general principles of responsibility for environmental offenses are inherent in all these countries, despite their fundamental differences in history, culture and geographical location.

The agricultural conversion of natural habitats is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. In the ∼2 million km2 Brazilian cerrado biome, a global biodiversity hotspot, vast areas have been converted into croplands and cattle pastures. Because the cerrado biome is overwhelmingly contained within private lands, Brazil's environmental legislation should serve as a decisive instrument in protecting these natural ecosystems. We assessed the role of Legal Reserves (LRs), legally defined as the minimum proportion of private landholdings set aside to protect natural vegetation, in the conservation of the cerrado biome. We assume that the property-scale allocation of LRs is primarily based on economic decision-making, creating a bias against cerrado protection. We therefore assessed the area ratio between forest vegetation (FV) and grassland vegetation (GV) areas across LRs within 48,762 landholdings, 9 formal protected areas (PAs) and 34 Indigenous Lands (ILs) within the cerrado (sensu lato) of the 903,357-km2 state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. We show that there are 7.26 ha of forest lands for each hectare of native grasslands within private RLs of the cerrado biome within Mato Grosso, a ratio almost three-fold larger than that found in formal PAs and ILs. ILs protect in absolute values (hectares) six-fold more native grassland vegetation than PAs. We discuss the policy relevance of this severe land-use bias in maintaining the heterogeneity of cerrado habitats for biodiversity conservation within private properties, which account for 90% of the entire cerrado biome.

This paper aims to present the Special Areas of Touristic Interest and Places of Touristic Interest, provided for Brazilian environmental legislation, as useful for the institution and operation of spaces for conservation. These legal instruments are conceptualized, characterized, and correlated to the management goals of protection and touristic enjoyment of the Brazilian geological diversity.

Annually, the EU produces more than 100 million tonnes of urban biowaste, which is largely under-valorized and in some cases even still landfilled without any energy or material recovery. If Europe wants to be ready for the future, it will need to make better use of this large biomass potential within a circular economy approach. The research project funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme entitled 'VOLATILE—Biowaste derived volatile fatty acid platform for biopolymers, bioactive compounds and chemical building blocks' aimed to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs) from biowaste for reprocessing into products, materials or substances to close the material loop. During the project, the partners were able to obtain average volatile fatty acid yields of 627 g COD/kg organic matter (OM) for food waste, 448 g COD/kg OM for separately collected vegetable, garden and fruit waste (VGF) and 384 g COD/kg OM for the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OF-MSW) at concentrations ranging from 12 to 48 g/L, 6 to 40 g/L and 13 to 26 g/L, respectively. A membrane filtration cascade consisting of micro-, ultra- and nano-filtration followed by reverse osmosis was identified as a feasible way to purify and concentrate the VFA effluent, making them a suitable carbon source for further fermentation processes. Besides technical optimization, socio-economic and legal aspects associated with this platform technology were also studied and show that although this technology is still in development, it is providing an answer to changing societal and market expectations both regarding organic waste treatment and bio-based production strategies. Based on the current technological, economic and market evolutions, it is expected that the VFAP will play an important role in organic waste treatment in the coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human exposure to infrasound is increasing due to man-made factors, such as occupational conditions, wind farms and transportation. The concern among the public regarding the safety of infrasound exposure is growing.Aims: To evaluate whether exposure to infrasound interferes directly with human cardiac function and contributes to pathological processes.Setting: The University Hospital of Mainz, Germany.Methods: Human myocardial tissues, obtained from patients undergoing cardiac surgery, were prepared in small muscle samples and stimulated electrically in-vitro for a period of almost two hours under physiological conditions to induce continuous pulsatile contractions and simulating a working human heart. Two samples were obtained from each donor: one was subjected to infrasound for 60 min and the other served as a control. Their contraction forces (CF) and durations (CD) were measured before and after each testing period and their relative changes (CF% and CD%) were calculated and introduced in a multilinear regression model. The following three infrasound levels of exposure were used in this study: 100, 110 and 120 dBz.Results: The measured CF% corresponded negatively with the infrasound level measured in dBz (R2 = 0.631; P = 0.018). The decrease measured almost -11% at 110 dBz and -18% at 120 dBz, after correction for control. The CD on the other hand remained unchanged.Conclusions: Exposure to high levels of infrasound (more than 100 dBz) interferes with cardiac muscle contractile ability, as early as one hour after exposure. There are numerous additional studies which support this conclusion. These results should be taken into account when considering environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effects of Fe-mining tailings of the Fundão dam on water quality, concerning physical and chemical parameters, aiming to infer the recovery process of the affected areas, and prospects of water quality in the coming years. Water quality data from the Gualaxo do Norte and Carmo rivers were evaluated in three moments: (i) before the dam rupture (1999–2000), (ii) 1 year after the rupture of the Fundão dam (2016), and (iii) after the implementation of recover mitigation activities (2017–2019). Concerning the variables evaluated, the mean concentrations of Fe and Mn were higher in the dry period, and increasing turbidity was detected in the rainy season. The turbidity, even after the recovery measures, peaked at 300 and 400 NTU in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The concentrations of dissolved Fe, Mn, and Cr, closely related to the tailings, decreased with rainfall by a dilution mechanism. Conversely, the concentrations of Cd, Al, Zn, and Cu increased in the rainy season, probably by greater erosion. The implementation of the recovery actions at the Gualaxo do Norte headwaters are helping to reduce the Mn and Fe concentrations and turbidity downriver, all associated with the Fe-mining tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to determine the ratio of the legislative mechanisms of administrative and criminal liability for violation of environmental legislation in the legal system of the European Union. Using the methods of political and legal analysis, the comparative legal method and the structure designmethod, the study examines the features of the formation and structure of EU legislative mechanisms in the field of legal regulation of liability for violations of environmental legislation. At the same time, existing problems faced by legislators from the point of view of law enforcement practice in different countries of the European Union are also considered. In the EU, considerable attention is paid to the vector of environmental protection at the supranational level, as well as to the implementation of the acquis communautaire of the environmental legislation into national legislative norms. Nevertheless, the institutions of the European Union have not yet been able to fully achieve complete uniformity with regard to the established environmental liability regime and, accordingly, overcome the difficulties associated with the effective interaction of EU legislation and the realities of national legal systems. At the same time, in European law enforcement practice, administrative measures in matters of environmental responsibility are given preference over measures of criminal responsibility. To date, as evidenced by the study, EU legislators adhere to the position regarding the assignment of criminal prosecution obligations to the national authorities, which is due to the flexibility of law enforcement measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there are two main trends in the field of corporate environmental management regarding the role of environmental regulations in corporate environmental and economic performance. The first trend examines environmental regulations such as barriers or risks of corporate operations since they increase the adaptation and compliance costs which negatively influence their competitive advantage. The second trend examines the potential positive effects of environmental regulations on firms' operations like reduction in operational costs, creation of intellectual capital and enhancement of economic performance. In this debate, this paper examines a set of hypotheses to analyze the relationships between environmental regulations and various aspects of corporate performance. Hypotheses are tested by utilizing information disclosed in a sample of 100 sustainability reports published by 25 firms in the metal products sector over a four-year period. To collect all the necessary non-financial information a methodological framework was used which is based on a scoring system and a set of indicators derived from GRI guidelines and the relevant literature, while well-known financial indicators were used to assess firms' economic performance. The findings show positive relationships between the environmental performance and the level of corporate compliance with environmental legislation as well as between corporate environmental innovation and environmental performance. There is also a positive correlation between the level of corporate compliance with environmental legislation and components of green intellectual capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual and corporate responsibility is the basis for sustainable development of society and the world. Environmental responsibility of business entities is a prerequisite for the survival of people, which is why it is an important aspect of corporate responsibility. The purpose of the paper is to determine the content of corporate and social responsibility of business entities in the field of environmental protection in terms of its interaction with the state on the basis of public-private partnership. The general scientific method of comparison made it possible to compare the Ukrainian legislative base on environmental protection with the legal framework of regulation and practice in foreign countries. Through the structural and functional analysis, it was possible to consider the features of the interaction between the state and business structures and between other institutions the activities of which are related to environmental protection. The analysis revealed the necessity to consider and include elements of environmental and social responsibility of business in the mechanisms of public-private partnership. The study shows that public-private partnership is an imperative element in the composition of social responsibility. The author proposes a definition of environmental responsibility that encompasses three factors: legal, economic and social. In the future, this research area will be of interest as a comparison of the legislative support of the types of responsibility for foreign and international standards in the context of implementing the relevant standards in the Ukrainian legislative framework and their implementation on practice.

Produced water (PW) is the largest volume of wastewater generated during oil and gas recovery operations. It is a complex mixture of dissolved and particulate inorganic and organic matters ranging from near freshwater quality to concentrated saline brine. The management of PW has been the main focus of oil and gas industry in view of the stringent legislations on the discharge of oil and gas PW into the environment and the potential of PW as a source of fresh water, which hitherto comes from surface water, groundwater or municipal water, for water deficient oil producing countries. This article reviews current technologies for the management of oil and gas PW with a view of not only for more efficient removal and recovery of oils and other toxic agents, but also for environmental sustainability and fit-for-purpose reuse. The purpose of this article is to present some of the main technologies including primary treatment, secondary treatment including biological and membrane treatment and tertiary treatment especially advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that have been used for the treatment of PW from oil and gas extraction; and to provide an overview of treatment technologies. The future developmental research needs for management of PW is also discussed.

Individual and corporate responsibility is the basis for sustainable development of society and the world. Environmental responsibility of business entities is a prerequisite for the survival of people, which is why it is an important aspect of corporate responsibility. The purpose of the paper is to determine the content of corporate and social responsibility of business entities in the field of environmental protection in terms of its interaction with the state on the basis of public-private partnership. The general scientific method of comparison made it possible to compare the Ukrainian legislative base on environmental protection with the legal framework of regulation and practice in foreign countries. Through the structural and functional analysis, it was possible to consider the features of the interaction between the state and business structures and between other institutions the activities of which are related to environmental protection. The analysis revealed the necessity to consider and include elements of environmental and social responsibility of business in the mechanisms of public-private partnership. The study shows that public-private partnership is an imperative element in the composition of social responsibility. The author proposes a definition of environmental responsibility that encompasses three factors: legal, economic and social. In the future, this research area will be of interest as a comparison of the legislative support of the types of responsibility for foreign and international standards in the context of implementing the relevant standards in the Ukrainian legislative framework and their implementation on practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Inciso is the property of Universidad La Gran Colombia, Seccional Armenia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Pesquisa em Educação Ambiental is the property of Pesquisa em Educacao Ambiental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Integrating decarbonisation strategies for road transport and electricity is vital to minimise the overall cost of meeting the carbon target. This integration maximises the synergy across different energy sectors to improve the value and utilisation of investment, especially in low‐carbon technologies across all sectors. This study presents an integrated multi‐energy optimisation model to evaluate the economic performance and system implications of different road‐transport decarbonisation strategies and analyse the synergy with the power sector decarbonisation. The large‐scale optimisation model is formulated to consider the interactions across electricity, hydrogen, and transport sectors and used to determine the optimal solutions for investment and sector‐coupling operation in the system. The proposed model is tested using a range of transport decarbonisation scenarios considering the deployment of electric or hydrogen vehicles or their combination and the integration with the power system. The studies analyse the economic performance and optimal energy system portfolios across different scenarios. The results demonstrate the importance of road‐transport and power‐to‐gas integration in Great Britain's future energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Espacios is the property of Talleres de Impresos Oma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT This study aimed to diagnose the environmental infractions that occurred in the northern region of Santa Catarina State (Southern Brazil). The environmental infractions were classified by category and by violation activities concerning the hydrographic regions of Canoinhas Plateau and Baixada Norte from 2014 to 2018 to assess the growth and causes of a diagnosis regarding the environmental damages occurrences. Results indicated that the major illegal environmental practices registered in both region are related to environmental violations regarding the damage caused in native vegetation, and these damages are caused without authorization of the competent environmental authority. In addition, it was also important to note the activity of maintaining birds in captivity and of functioning of potentially pollutant activities or establishments that do not have a license of the competent regional environmental agencies. Therefore, efforts from the Environmental Policy should be directed to implement a forest monitoring system using remote sensing technology apart from starting a stronger cooperation with municipal authorities from Santa Catarina State by promoting Environmental Monitoring Programs (EMP).

The protection of environmental factors, of the environment as a whole, is a major and ever more pressing issue, which should be of interest to all mankind, to all the states, and to all political and governmental decision factors. In this sense, at the level of the Member States of the European Union, it was necessary to draw and adopt coherent environmental policies and strategies, which would insure an effective protection of the natural and anthropological factors, on the medium and long term.

Pond systems perform a myriad of ecosystem services and make unique contributions to aquatic biodiversity conservation at the landscape scale. Despite their high conservation value, in Brazil, natural ponds have been lost and degraded at alarming rates. The remaining have become exceptionally vulnerable after the enactment of the recent Native Vegetation Protection Law (NVPL), whose unsustainable policies threatens to collapse these ecosystems. Although in force since 2012, the regulation of the NVPL is still in course at the state level, offering a unique opportunity to reduce the gap between science and policy. Here, we show why the NVPL threatens ponds and how its inadequacies can be overcome. Finally, we emphasize the need to create a national policy specifically focusing on wetland conservation.

The objective of this article is to evaluate the spatial distribution and quantify the Permanent Preservation Areas in the outfall estuarine of the Apodi-Mossoró River, in Rio Grande do Norte (Northeastern Brazil), for the years 1965 and 2012 according to the environmental legislation. In this way, it was possible to compare projected zoning changes on land use/landcover, as well as implications for wetlands. The methodology involved the reconstruction of scenarios based on norms and evaluation of thematic maps generated from remote sensing products. Digital Image Processing techniques were used to map land use/land cover categories and to identify the boundaries of protected areas in each period. The largest change observed indicates loss of 1,907.09 ha of flooded areas of the fluvial-marine plain, almost totally occupied by salt evaporation tanks. In 1965, three categories of PPA were observed, accounting for 455.17 ha, but for law limitations only 83.45 ha were protected. In relation to 2012, six categories of PPA were detected, totaling 1,051.96 ha, as a consequence of the expansion of protective areas, but the previously consolidated areas reduced to 787.57 ha the size of protected areas in the last period. The brazilian estuarine environment is remarked by the lack of more specific legislation that best protects wetlands. Permanent Preservation Areas are unsufficient to guarantee environmental quality of the coastal region, especially in study area, where there´s flood risks and degraded ecosystems.

The preservation of natural resources is essential to the balance of Environmental systems. Water is an indispensable natural resource for life. In order to implement the environmental management of this resource, the National Water Resources Policy was created based on some principles, such as the adoption of the watershed as a planning unit. The use of geotechnologies constitutes an important tool for this work, since it allows evaluating the area to be studied, to visualize the situation of the vegetation cover and the soil, besides attaching them to georeferenced databases. The objective of this work is the environmental analysis of the Olho D’Água River Watershed, located in the Municipality of Jardim, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. For the delimitation of this watershed, SRTM data were used and with the objective of evaluating the quality of the coverage of this area, the NDVI was calculated based on the scenes of Landstat TM sensor. Subsequently, the classes of Permanent Preservation Area were analyzed. It was concluded that the conservation status of Permanent Preservation Area is in compliance with environmental legislation, fulfilling its role in maintaining biodiversity and the quality of water resources. The use of geotechnologies allowed the integration of various levels of information, generating maps, characterizing the environment and producing information that helps in the planning and management of Cabeceira do Prata Farm.

En este artículo se diserta sobre la pluralidad y las lagunas jurídicas en las áreas naturales protegidas en México, por considerarlas un instrumento de conservación clave para cientos de especies y ecosistemas. El estudio se realizó a escala nacional con base en la legislación vigente hasta finales de 2015, con el objetivo de identificar las lagunas legales relacionadas con dichas áreas; primero se presenta el estado del arte y el enfoque teórico-conceptual que guió al estudio, y luego se describe la metodología empleada, basada principalmente en análisis de contenido. También se muestran los resultados y las discusiones sobre la pluralidad de las leyes en la materia, y además las lagunas existentes en ellas. Entre los primeros destaca que, a pesar de que en casi todos los estados hay áreas naturales protegidas, la mayoría no cuenta con leyes para su regulación, y también sobresale que muchas autorizan el autoconsumo, aunque no lo definen.

The Decree on Climate 2019 focuses on reforestation campaigns and silviculture actions applied to existing forests of Italian metropolitan cities, incurring a total expenditure of €30 million in the next two years. By supporting urban and peri-urban forestry programmes, the decree represents an innovative scheme within the framework of environmental legislation on climate actions. The decision appears strategic as it depicts new scenarios for the cities of tomorrow involving sequence design, implementation and management of urban forests as key components to challenge climate change effects on the urban environment. Italian research in the field of urban forestry and related issues is well prepared to tackle the challenge thanks to 25 years of experience in “planting, growing, and caring for” ideas, knowledge, and methods applied to the ecology and functioning of urban and peri-urban forests. This wealth of experience is at the service of the community and of stakeholders who will be directly or indirectly involved in the implementation of the Decree on Climate 2019.

Increasingly severe environmental issues, especially those in developing countries such as China, drive the evolution of the environmental protection institution (EPI) to its strictest levels. However, the implementation of the strictest EPI still confronts various challenges and barriers, and the multi-stakeholder features of EPI determine these barriers are not independent of one another but rather present complex interactive relationships. This paper identifies the barriers to implementing China's EPI from four aspects of environmental legal, economic, regulatory, and public participation institutions. A variable precision rough DEMATEL approach is proposed to visualize the causal relationships and intensities among barriers from the similarities and differences in perspectives of stakeholders from the government, company, and public levels. The obtained causal interactive mechanism among barriers highlights the need to prioritize the improvement of environmental policy assessment, and the concrete measures in policies or plans should be integrated into legislation to ensure they are mutually supportive early. The non-substantive contributions achieved by China's public participation in environmental protection reveal prejudices that the public is often regarded as a supporter or spectator by both government and company groups, which makes the transparent environmental information disclosure, transfer and feedback into an effective mediation among stakeholders. Comprehensive coordination and feedback mechanisms including source prevention, process control, and severe punishment for consequences while enhancing linkages among stakeholders are put forward to overcome barriers and help implement the strictest EPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veredas environments play a critical role on the perennialization of streams in the Cerrado Biome, but alterations to their physiognomies are becoming increasingly more common, which directly affects abiotic variation and the structure of biological communities. Our study evaluates the effect of abiotic variations and environmental alterations upon the abundance, richness, and composition of species of semiaquatic bugs, where we test whether there are significant differences in conserved and altered veredas. Species richness was higher on altered veredas and there was no difference in abundance between altered and preserved veredas. The composition of conserved veredas was more homogeneous. Five species were associated with altered veredas and one to conserved areas. There were abiotic changes in the veredas that affected the abundance, richness, and/or composition of Gerromorpha. Ease of access to soil usage and to water for farming activities and pasture might be the main factors contributing to the alteration of veredas in this region. Gerromorpha community structure was modified by the environmental passive in areas of veredas, thus allowing to measure the degree of alterations to these systems, being a useful tool for monitoring and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A fallacious narrative could trigger unprecedent devastation. • Niobium deposits in well conserved biodiverse area in Amazon are investigated. • Scenarios reveals large extent of deforestation caused by new projects. • Cumulative impact assessment is necessary to better appraise mining projects. • Risk of making ill-informed decisions without a comprehensive assessment of adverse impacts. Political pressure to expand mining to protected areas in near-pristine regions urges strategic-level anticipation of the impacts of infrastructure provision necessary to support mining development. Undeveloped niobium deposits in Northwestern Amazon were broadcasted as of primary interest of Brazilian politicians, what called attention to the risks to ecosystem conservation and indigenous people in this key biodiversity area. Given this current threat, we investigated different scenarios of mining expansion in the region and found that it would entail significant cumulative forest loss, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem services. If conciliation of niobium exploitation and conservation is possible, it would require strengthening the assessment of cumulative impacts under the current environmental impact assessment process by: (i) providing terms of reference with straightforward requirements and criteria; (ii) produce a public database and standardize procedures for data acquisition; (iii) use and development of retrospective and prospective investigative protocols. These ingredients are lacking in the current political trend of weakening environmental legislation and governance, therefore Amazon niobium should be kept in the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the interrelations between environmental variables (proxies for water availability and soil physico-chemical properties) and tree community patterns (diversity, composition and structure) along pond-upland topographic gradients within depressional watersheds in the upper Uruguay River basin in southern Brazil. Sampling plots were allocated in four topographic habitats: (1) inside ponds (wetland sites) and (2) immediately outside them, and in areas with (3) 60 cm and (4) 120 cm of elevation in relation to their limits (upland sites). Environmental conditions and forest composition varied along pond-upland gradients, but the diversity and structure of tree communities did not. Species turnover was associated with changes in topography-driven environmental conditions, notably water availability. Depressional watersheds show regionally unique abiotic and biotic features but are virtually unprotected by Brazilian private land legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of the art of the legal framework for the protection of wetlands against climate change was constructed based on a bibliometric and network analysis using the Scopus® database as an instrument for the search of scientific documents. The most important subject areas come from environmental science. The most relevant research trends in this review regarding climate change were: a) the importance of wetlands and their impact; b) the environmental protection and conservation of wetlands and their effects on biodiversity; c) environmental management policies (restoration, conservation, protection of wetlands) and sustainable development. Other important aspects were identified, such as regional trends and territorial planning, carbon management, methane production, landscape indicators and effective participation as elements for environmental policies for the management, restoration, protection and conservation of these ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the results of a study of environmental problems that intensely limit socioeconomic development in Central Asia. The authors analyse the current environmental problems as follows. The loss of biodiversity and the complexity of the network of protected natural areas. Insufficient level of municipal solid waste processing, energy efficiency problems, in particular, the deterioration of the energy system. There are as well the imbalance between hydropower, irrigated agriculture and the environment, problems of the Aral Sea. The article proposes solution methods, including amendments to the legislation, i.e. the adoption of managerial decisions, as well as strengthening judicial control over compliance with the law. Gaps in the legislative regulation of environmental safety are examined. Along with policies at the national, regional and international levels. As well as future trends in the distribution of global resources that will be effective in protecting the environment, including the activities of The Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (hereinafter - CAREC). The article analyses the basic environmental rights of citizens as well as cases and consequences of violation of such rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Al Bashaer Economic Journal is the property of Al Bashaer Economic Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Protected area systems include sites preserved by various institutions and mechanisms, but the benefits to biodiversity provided by different types of sites are poorly understood. Protected areas established by local communities for various reasons may provide complementary benefits to those established by large-scale agencies and organizations. Local communities are geographically constrained, however, and it remains unclear how effectively they protect biodiversity. We explored this issue by focusing on protected areas established through direct democracy via local ballot initiatives whereby communities vote to tax themselves for open space preservation. We compared the effectiveness of local ballot-protected areas to areas protected by a large-scale conservation actor, The Nature Conservancy (TNC). We evaluated how well the two protected area types correspond with amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and special status elements of natural diversity. Local ballot-protected areas differed from those of TNC in terms of size, location, proximity to urban areas and habitat diversity. In terms of potential habitat coverage, local ballot-protected areas outperformed TNC sites for all species groups with the exception of special status elements of natural diversity. While not necessarily targeting wildlife and habitats, we conclude that locally established protected areas can make an important contribution to biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, companies in the clothing industry have adopted principles and criteria of environmental and social sustainability. The most innovative companies form a business hub called green fashion, sustainable fashion, eco-fashion, bio-fashion, ethical fashion, environmental fashion, ecological clothing or "slow fashion". So, is this a passing trend or a structural change? Using the hypothetico-deductive method, bibliographic and statistical analyses and studies of published cases, this study investigates the environmental behavior of the main social sectors or stakeholders involved in the operation of the fashion industry. The results reveal that the change toward the greening of the clothing industry is in fact structural and is led by the most advanced countries. Contributions to this structural change come from public administrations via environmental, commercial and consumer legislation, from international NGOs by means of alert campaigns that raise consumers' environmental awareness, from researchers identifying chemical risks, and from designers and companies using ecologically friendly materials in fabrics and incorporating ethical practices in manufacturing processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the results of a study of environmental problems that intensely limit socio-economic development in Central Asia. In the authors' analysis, the most pressing current environmental problems are the loss of biodiversity and the complexity of the network of protected natural areas; insufficient levels of municipal solid waste processing; energy efficiency problems, in particular, the deterioration of the energy production and supply system; the imbalance between hydropower, irrigated agriculture and the environment; and problems of the Aral Sea. The article proposes solutions, including amendments to the legislation, the adoption of managerial decisions, and strengthening judicial control over compliance with the law. This article examines gaps in the legislative regulation of environmental safety and in policies at the national, regional and international levels. It also identifies future trends in the distribution of global resources that will be effective in protecting the environment, including the activities of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). It also analyses the basic environmental rights of citizens as well as cases and consequences of violation of such rights, focusing on the need to inform citizens about the state of the environment and existing environmental problems, which is now the aim of the regional environmental remediation programme, led by the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarises the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discussion on the issue of promotion energy-efficient innovations by marketing, management and law supporting. The innovative development is considered to be an essential condition to provide a high level of social and economic development. Thus, energy-efficient innovations are considered to be among the most critical drivers of qualitative economic growth and increasing the country's competitiveness in the world market. Systematisation literary sources and approaches for solving the problem of promoting energy-efficient innovations indicated that government and scientists give the powerful punch in energyefficient development. In view of this, it is appropriate to do the bibliometric research on publication activity on energyefficient innovation from law aspect. The primary purpose of the study is to analyse the structure and dynamic of scientific publications in the field of energy-efficient legislation in the economic subject areas. The object of study is the chosen publications indexed in the Scopus database by keywords such as: «energy-efficient innovations», «energy law», «environmental legislation», «energy-efficient policy» in the category «title, abstract, keywords». The current study involved data from 1913 papers published on 13 languages in the subject area «Business. Management and Accounting» and «Economics, Econometrics, and Finance» from 2000 to 2019. Using VOSviewer, bibliometric analysis of publications on the issue of energy-efficient legislation was conducted from the view of the publication activity dynamic, considering the most impact articles, and countries in the issues of energy-efficient legislation researches. According to the obtained results, the increasing dynamic of publication activity from 2000 to 2019 was detected. Furthermore, it was visualised four clusters of countries' collaborations by co-authorship as follows: 1) between the USA, the EU countries (including the United Kingdom) and China; 2) the EU countries, as well as South American such as Brazil and Chile; 3) African countries and the EU countries; 4) between Asian and African countries. Furthermore, the authors highlighted the most influencing articles in the field of energy-efficient innovations that could be the basis for future investigations promoting innovative activity in the field of energy-efficient development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ambiência is the property of Revista Ambiencia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)