Introduction: In Malaysia, excessive nutrients from livestock waste management systems are currently released to the environment. Particularly, large amounts of manure from intensive pig production areas are being excreted daily and are not being fully utilised. Alternatively, the excess manure can be applied as an organic fertiliser source in neighbouring cropping systems on the small landholdings of the pig farms to improve soil fertility so that its nutrients will be available for crop uptake instead of being discharged into water streams. Thus, there is a need for better tools to analyse the present situation, to evaluate and monitor alternative livestock production systems and manure management scenarios, and to support farmers in the proper management of manure and fertiliser application. Such tools are essential to quantify, and assess nutrient fluxes, manure quality and content, manure storage and application rate to the land as well as its environmental effects. Several computer models of animal waste management systems to assist producers and authorities are now available. However, it is felt that more development is needed to adopt such models to the humid tropics and conditions of Malaysia and other developing countries in the region. Objectives: The aim is to develop a novel model to evaluate nutrient emission scenarios and the impact of livestock waste at the landscape or regional level in humid tropics. The study will link and improve existing models to evaluate emission of N to the atmosphere, and leaching of nutrients to groundwater and surface water. The simulation outputs of the models will be integrated with a GIS spatial analysis to model the distribution of nutrient emission, leaching and appropriate manure application on neighbouring crop lands and as an information and decision support tool for the relevant users.
In Fragebogen-Untersuchungen zur Lärmwirkung wurden bisher sehr unterschiedliche Operationalisierungen von Wirkungsvariablen (wie z.B. Belästigung, Störung von Aktivitäten) und außer-akustischen Faktoren (sog. Moderatoren wie z.B. Lärmempfindlichkeit, misfeasance) verwendet. Deshalb hat sich die Arbeitsgruppe community response der International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN, Team No. 6) als langfristiges Ziel die Entwicklung von Fragebogen-Guidelines und die Formulierung eines Muster-Fragebogens für die Lärmwirkungsforschung gesetzt. D.h. es soll ein Vorschlag erarbeitet werden, in welcher Form globale und spezifische Lärmwirkungen in Befragungen erhoben werden sollten. Um dieses Vorhaben zu unterstützen, hat der Arbeitskreis Ökologische Lärmforschung die Erstellung einer systematischen Übersicht über vorhandene Fragebögen aus Lärmwirkungsstudien auf internationaler Ebene in Angriff genommen. Diese Übersicht soll es u.a. ermöglichen, die Struktur von verschiedenen Fragebögen sowie die in ihnen verwendeten Operationalisierungen für Lärmwirkungs- und Moderatorvariablen (hinsichtlich Art der Frageformulierung sowie der Antwortformate) zu vergleichen. Für den/die einzelne/n Lärmforscher/in bietet diese Übersicht die Möglichkeit, sich auf sehr effiziente Art und Weise darüber zu informieren, wie bestimmte Konstrukte in bisherigen Untersuchungen operationalisiert worden sind bzw. welche Alternativen zu den bereits selbst angewandten Operationalisierungen bestehen. Nach einer systematischen Ermittlung von Namen und Adressen einschlägiger Lärmforscher/innen, wurden diese um die Zusendung von Fragebögen sowie ergänzender Materialien aus eigenen Lärmwirkungsstudien gebeten. Die zugesandten Fragebögen werden gegebenenfalls übersetzt und mit der Methode der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Hierbei werden die Fragebögen im Hinblick auf formelle Aspekte (z.B. Jahr der Erhebung, Sprache, Art der Befragungsmethode) wie auch im Hinblick auf strukturelle Aspekte (z.B. Umfang des Fragebogens, abgefragte Variablengruppen, Antwortformate) ausgewertet. Hauptgegenstand der Auswertung ist aber insbesondere die Auswertung der Lärmwirkungsvariablen (z.B. die Abfrage der globalen Lärmbelästigung, Aktivitätenstörungen, Kommunikationsstörungen) sowie der Moderatorvariablen (z.B. Lärmempfindlichkeit, Lärmbewältigungsvermögen, misfeasance). Parallel dazu wurde eine Datenbank entwickelt, in der die Ergebnisse der Analysen dargestellt und verwaltet werden. Diese Datenbank wird ab November 2001 im Internet unter http://www.eco.psy.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/nqd für jede/n interessierte/n Forscher/in zugänglich und nutzbar sein. Langfristig ist darüber hinaus geplant, ein Archiv mit den Original-Fragebögen aufzubauen, in dem einzelne Fragebögen auf Wunsch eingesehen werden können.
The PATCA Project will help Kyrgyzstan (KG) and Tajikistan (TJ) to meet the requirements of a number of ratified international conventions, most importantly the Biodiversity Convention as well as the respective Biodiversity Action Plans of KG and TJ and the national Environment Action Plans of KG and TJ through the establishment of the PATCA. Overall Objective: The primary goals of PATCA are not only the preservation of the biodiversity of the region but also the improvement of the livelihood of the local population whilst at the same time protecting and safeguarding the traditions and unique historical-cultural heritage developed over centuries of survival in this harsh environment. Purpose: To assist the Governments of KG & TJ in establishment and management of PATCA through: - Technical Assistance (TA) to: national park system in KG (State Agency on Environment Protection & Forestry) & TJ (State Committee for Environment & Forestry); and, Tajik (Pamir) National Park (TJ) & Alai National Park (KG) - Production of PATCA Management Plan (MP). Project Expected Outputs: - the legal establishment and practical operation of PATCA (within PNP and ANP) including development and official approval of PATCA interstate cooperation agreement between KG and TJ - PATCA management plan development, approval and commencement of implementation - Identification of necessary equipment and training in use of an appropriate equipment. Target Groups: The project is expected to result in a wide variety of beneficiaries, especially when taking into account the long-term implications for sustainable development of communities in the PATCA area. In more direct terms the main beneficiaries of the project are as follows: - The State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry under Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the State Committee of Environment Conservation and Forestry of Tajikistan through establishment of the PATCA and in more broad terms, support with development, equipment and establishment of the PATCA management plan; - Local Governments - Villages and local population in the two countries - Tour operators - Environmental NGOs - Teachers, educational establishments and major stakeholder groups - Scientists through research possibilities in a poor researched area and training of new methods, establishment of data base - The public at large through increased awareness on and improved protection and safeguarding of the regions biological heritage. The end-beneficiaries of this project will be the population in and around the PATCA, and all concerned with biodiversity conservation in this and the surrounding area. Prime Contractor: AGRECO G.E.I.E., Bruxelles, BE.
Die Reduzierung von Bewirtschaftungskosten sowie die Steigerung von Energieeffizienz und Nutzerkomfort sind selbstverständliche Ziele im Planungsprozess von Bürogebäuden. Aus diesem Grundsatz heraus werden seit Mitte der neunziger Jahre in Deutschland immer mehr Bürogebäude mit Energiepfahl-, Erdwärmesonden- oder Fundamentabsorber-Anlagen zur Wärme- und Kälteversorgung realisiert. An das Erdreich gekoppelte Wärmepumpen entziehen dem Untergrund im Winter Wärme und stellen diese dem Gebäude zu Heizzwecken zur Verfügung. Das Erdreich kühlt sich ab und kann während des Sommerhalbjahres als Wärmesenke für die Gebäudekühlung genutzt werden. Die Entwicklung der Systemkonzepte erfolgt jeweils angepasst an die geologischen Verhältnisse, die Baukonstruktion sowie den Wärme- und Kältebedarf des Gebäudes. Bis heute kommt in der Planung hochkomplexe Simulationssoftware zum Einsatz. Einfache Planungsbausteine stehen für eine breite Nutzung derzeit nicht zur Verfügung. Hierzu fehlen systematische Untersuchungen von ausgeführten Anlagen. Das vom BMWi geförderte Forschungs- und Entwicklungsprojekt WKSP - Wärme- und Kältespeicherung im Gründungsbereich energieeffizienter Bürogebäude versucht diese Lücke mit Hilfe eines großen Feldversuchs zu schließen. Erste Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Analyse des Betriebsverhaltens und der Energieeffizienz sowie Erkenntnisse und Erfahrungen von Planern, Bauherren und Betreibern zeigen, dass die generelle Funktionsfähigkeit dieser Anlagen gegeben ist. Geringe Erfahrungen bei Planung, Ausführung und Betrieb führen in der Praxis jedoch häufig zu Problemen. Entscheidend für den erfolgreichen Betrieb ist in der Regel nicht die Anlage zur Wärme- und Kältespeicherung an sich, sondern die sinnvolle technische und betriebliche Einbindung der Anlage in das komplexe Gesamtsystem aus Untergrund, technischen Anlagen, Gebäude und Nutzer. Entsprechend der Temperaturen im Erdreich bietet sich die Kombination mit Flächensysteme als Niedertemperaturheiz- und Hochtemperaturkühlsysteme an. Betriebsfehler haben bei Erdwärmesystemen aufgrund der im Vergleich zu konventionellen Systemen recht kleinen Temperaturspanne der Erdwärmeanlagen und der thermischen Systemträgheit häufig erhebliche und langfristige Folgen. Grundvoraussetzung für eine ausgeglichene saisonale Energiebilanz im Erdreich und somit einen dauerhaften Betrieb der Anlagen ist eine messtechnische Dokumentation der tatsächlichen Funktion von Gebäude und Anlagen zur Wärme- und Kältespeicherung im Gründungsbereich. Nur so können Abweichungen zu Planungsannahmen sowie Fehler Schritt für Schritt aufgedeckt, der Betrieb optimiert und die Einregulierungsphase verkürzt werden. Ziel ist es, die Erfahrungen des Projekts WKSP für zukünftige Projekte zu bündeln, Planungswerkzeuge zu optimieren sowie Betriebsregeln zu entwickeln. Das Projekt ist Teil des Annex 20 Projektes der International Energy Agency (IEA).
The overall aim of the SCOREPP project is to develop comprehensive and appropriate source control strategies that authorities, cities, water utilities and chemical industry can employ to reduce emissions of priority pollutants (PPs) from urban areas into the receiving water environment. The SCOREPP project focuses on the 33 priority substances identified in the Water Framework Directive (WFD), and specifically on the 11 priority hazardous substances. However, this list may be expanded to include emerging pollutants or reduced if appropriate model compounds can be identified, depending on the local context. The specific scientific objectives of the SCOREPP project are to identify the sources of PPs in urban areas, to identify and assess appropriate strategies for limiting the release of PPs from urban sources and for treating PPs on a variety of spatial scales. Furthermore to develop GIS-based spatial decision support tools for identification of appropriate emission control measures, to develop integrated dynamic urban scale source-and-flux models that can be used to assess the effect of source control options on PP-emissions and to optimise monitoring programmes, and to assess the direct and indirect costs, the cost-effectiveness and the wider societal implications of source control strategies. The developed approaches, models and assessments will be used to formulate a set of appropriate PP-emission reducing strategies, and a multi-criteria approach will be used to compare and evaluate these strategies in relation to their economic, societal and environmental impacts. The SCOREPP project will interact with the European chemical industry and water utility trade associations together with representatives from ministerial, regional, municipal and community organisations to ensure that these key urban stakeholders can provide input to framing the scope of the project, adapting the project outcomes and communicating the results of the project to a wide audience.
The scale of influence of global change and the added value of co-ordinating the scientific activities of the EU and North American countries to assess, predict and mitigate the effects on marine ecosystems of the North Atlantic and their services is the justification for the development of the BASIN SSA. An important step towards such a co-ordinated approach is the development of an implementation plan where by jointly funded international projects can be supported. The development of such a plan is the first key goal of BASIN. The second goal of BASIN is to develop an integrated basin-scale North Atlantic research program, for submission to the EU 7th framework program, US NSF and Canadian NSERC for joint funding. Programmatic goals will be achieved in working groups including experts from both the EU and North America as well as delegates from funding organisations. As a prerequisite for the development of the research proposal, this SSA will (1) assess the status of climate related ecosystem research in the North Atlantic basin and associated shelf seas, (2) identify gaps in systematic observations and process understanding of atmospheric and oceanic parameters, (3) identify the potential for consolidation of long-term observations from EU and international databases for modelling and prediction. The BASIN research program will focus on: Resolving the natural variability, potential impacts and feedbacks of global change on the structure, function and dynamics of ecosystems; Improving the understanding of marine ecosystem functioning; Developing ecosystem based management strategies. Hence, BASIN will contribute significantly to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 10-Year Implementation Plan via the development of comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained observations of the Earth System, improved monitoring of the state of the Earth, increased understanding of Earth processes, and enhanced prediction.
Changes in climatic conditions, land use practices and soil and sediment pollution have large scale adverse impacts on water quantity and quality. The current knowledge base in river basin management is not adequate to deal with these impacts. AquaTerra is both integrating and developing knowledge to resolve this and disseminating it to stakeholders. In the water cycle, soil is a key element affecting groundwater recharge and the chemical composition of both subsurface and surface waters (the latter is additionally affected by sediments). The proper functioning of the river-sediment-soilgroundwater system is linked to key biogeochemical processes determining the filter, buffer and transformation capacity of soils and sediments. AquaTerra aims at a better understanding of the system as a whole by identifying relevant processes, quantifying the associated parameters and developing numerical models of the groundwater-soil-sediment-river system to identify adverse trends in soil functioning, water quantity and quality. The modelling addresses all relevant scales starting from micro-scale water/solid interactions, the transport of dissolved species, pollutants as well as suspended matter in soil and groundwater systems at the catchment scale, and finally the regional scale, with case studies located in major river basins in Europe. With this integrated modelling system, AquaTerra provides the basis for improved river basin management, enhanced soil and groundwater monitoring programs and the early identification and forecasting of impacts on water quantity and quality during this century. AquaTerra is committed to the dissemination and exploitation of project results through structured workshops, dedicated short courses, and the active participation of consortium partners in national and international conferences. The quality and direction of the project is supervised by a peer review panel.
This Network of Excellence (Noel) will create a European long-term inter-disciplinary research facility for research on the complex relationship between ecosystems, biodiversity and society. It will provide research support for policy assessment and development on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the European Union, and a stable facility for information retrieval and reporting on biodiversity-related issues. It will achieve this by implementing research, management and cultural changes within and between its component organisations, and through the development of integrated research agendas that will focus the research activities of its members on priority policy issues. The result will be a unique inter-disciplinary network linking a variety of stakeholders including research scientists, science communicators, policy makers and the public. In order to ensure durable integration of 24 partners from 17 countries, this Noël will build on 4 existing co-operative programmes that deal with complementary aspects of biodiversity research. These are PEER/CONNECTJLTER, ECSITE and ECNC.A novel approach to integration of ecological and socio-environmental methodologies will be developed, recognising the fact that biodiversity research should be done only in the context of ecosystems and their long-term dynamics. To achieve this, the core research undertaken by the Noël will be structured around a common framework based on the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model. This framework will ensure that research contributes directly to our understanding of the inter-relationship between biodiversity and the services it provides to society, and vice versa. The framework, and the research it supports, will also facilitate the long-term institutional changes that will be necessary to accomplish the ALTER-net objectives for durable integration. Prime Contractor: Natural Environment Research Council, Swindon, UK.
The project 'RIVERTWIN' aims in adjusting, testing and implementing an integrated regional model for the strategic planning of water resources management in twinned river basins under contrasting ecological, social and economic conditions. The regional model will take into account the impacts of demographic trends, economic and technological development, the effects of global climate and land use changes on the availability and quality of water bodies in humid temperate, subhumid tropical as well as semiarid regions. The existing integration framework will be first tested in a European river basin with high data availability and data density. The Transferability of the model to other regions with different economic level, ecological standards and with low data availability will be jointly tested by the project team and river basin organisations in two river basins in Westafrica and Uzbekistan. Here, the problem of adequate human resources and the uncertainties of input data for the implementation of computer based decision suppport tools will be addressed. Capacity building through training of end users supports the transfer of the research results into application. In cooperation with stakeholders and potential users integrated scenarios of economic growth, land use and climate change will be developed and the model will be used to assess the implications for water management under the respective scenario assumptions. The twinning of river basins will promote mutual transfer of know-how and technology between European and Third countries. Based on the results, river basin management plans can be prepared. Through its holistic basin wide approach, the project contributes to the EU water directive, the Millennium Goals defined by the WSSD and the EU water initiative for Africa and Newly Independent States.
| Organisation | Count |
|---|---|
| Bund | 43 |
| Europa | 32 |
| Wissenschaft | 20 |
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Förderprogramm | 43 |
| License | Count |
|---|---|
| Offen | 43 |
| Language | Count |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | 5 |
| Englisch | 43 |
| Resource type | Count |
|---|---|
| Keine | 31 |
| Webseite | 12 |
| Topic | Count |
|---|---|
| Boden | 41 |
| Lebewesen und Lebensräume | 41 |
| Luft | 30 |
| Mensch und Umwelt | 43 |
| Wasser | 33 |
| Weitere | 43 |