Persistently Biased: The Devil Shift in Water Privatization in Jakarta

This article operationalizes an underinvestigated element of the Advocacy Coalition Framework—the “devil shift”—on the controversial issue of water privatization. In doing so, it offers a methodological premise for investigating intractable opposition to policies that are politically salient and high in technical content. It uses the Q methodology on the case of Jakarta, Indonesia to uncover seven discourse coalitions within the anti‐privatization groups. They confirm two key hypotheses within the devil shift, namely the underestimation of a coalition's resources compared with their opponents and the exaggeration of opponents’ unreasonableness. Intriguingly, it finds that the “devil” is constructed in three different ways by this coalition—the profiteer, the Goliath, and the ineffectual governor. The narrative strength of the combination of these beliefs answers an apparent paradox in the devil shift viz that of rational actors persisting in unreasonable beliefs concerning their opponents. It also offers some specific solutions on how to deal with public hostility in water privatization in Jakarta.     

The cost efficiency of water utilities: when does public ownership matter?

This study explores the impact of different ownership types on the efficiency of water utilities. Theories and evidence have shown a puzzling relationship between ownership and performance. Moreover, relatively recent contributions (Andrews et al. 2011) have argued that this relationship can be further convoluted by the effect of organisational and environmental variables. The current study aims to contribute to this literature by providing some empirical evidence for Italy, by proposing a methodology that combines non-parametric efficiency estimation and cluster analysis. Our main findings indicate that privately owned utilities indirectly controlled by a public organisation reach the highest level of efficiency but, when size and geographical location enter the analysis, ownership has a stronger significant effect on efficiency, and mixed utilities gain higher cost efficiency. Therefore, we may conclude that administrative reforms about privatisation and the institutional setting should consider a set of variables that characterise each individual organisation.     

The Rebirth of Water as a Weapon: IS in Syria and Iraq

The so-called Islamic State (IS) has increasingly used water as a weapon in order to further its political and military aims in Syria and Iraq. In this water-scarce region, IS has retained water and cut off crucial supplies, flooded large areas as well as contaminated resources. The capture of large dams in the Euphrates and Tigris basin has made it possible to deploy the water weapon even more effectively and in a frequent, systematic, consistent and flexible manner. Measures to counter this weaponisation effectively have been limited to military means. However, several internal constraints create a dilemma for IS as its state-building ambitions conflict with the consequences of the weaponisation of water. The rebirth of using the water weapon in Syria and Iraq raises questions about protecting water infrastructures in conflict and post-conflict settings.     

我国水资源刑法保护现状及完善路径

当前,我国水资源污染严重,已对公民生命和身体健康构成潜在的巨大威胁。我国水资源刑法保护存在较大缺陷与困惑,可尝试通过制定司法解释、适用投放危险物质罪和颁布指导性案例等方式完善现有刑法规定,或者通过修改刑法路径寻求解决之道,具体涉及分设水资源犯罪、确立水资源犯罪的危险犯、规定水资源犯罪举证责任倒置原则、提高水资源犯罪法定刑和完善附加刑设置、加大水污染犯罪渎职行为惩处力度。     

浅谈水文化在旅游开发中的重要性

目前人们在进行旅游规划过程当中,对于水资源的自然属性利用的比较充分,对于水资源的文化属性的挖掘不是很深。充分挖掘水体的文化属性,并将其与水域旅游资源的自然属性相结合,进而运用到旅游活动当中,对于旅游业的发展以及水文化的传播都将起到重要的作用。本文充分论述了中华文明中深厚的水文化积淀,由此展开了挖掘水域旅游资源文化属性的重要意义的探讨。     

The technology study of drinking water safeguard replies to the pollution of radioactive, biological and chemical substances

Facing the rigorous safe situation of radioactive, biological and chemical weapon day by day, the safeguard of drinking water, which is the important resource that the survival and development of mankind depend on, will not only face the pollution of traditional pollutant, but also probably suffer the arriving pollution of the non-traditional pollutant in the future. Therefore, in order to improve the ability of drinking water safeguard to reply to the risk of arriving non-traditional pollution caused by suffering the terror or war, it is necessary to develop the removal technique of radioactive substances, biological and chemistry war agent. The category and harm of radioactive, biological and chemical substances which the drinking water may suffer are introduced firstly in the paper. Then the removal techniques of radioactive substances, biological and chemistry war agent are brought. On the basis of analyzing the removal techniques, the combination drinking water decontamination craft of pretreatment--membrane separate--handle behind is designed. Following the craft, the experiment of purging the radioactive substances simulation, biological and chemistry war agent is done. The experiment shows that the removal rates of ten kinds of radioactive nuclide can reach 99.9% and of biological war agent approach 100%. The quality of water which is polluted by chemistry war agent can reach some standard＇s require. Therefore, the fruit of research can provide the practical technique for drinking water safeguard in the future.     

美国水资源保护法的新发展及其启示

美国水资源保护法在20世纪90年代以来呈现出一系列新发展，传统的河岸权开始转向行政许可：积极稳健地推行水市场改革；采取一系列财政经济手段消除或减少非点源污染；努力提高公众参与和公众意识。这对于完善我国水资源保护的立法和执法提供了有益的经验和启示。     

绿色奥运与北京环境法律实施对策研究

绿色奥运,是2008年北京奥运会的重要指导方针,是北京奥运三大理念之一,环境保护已是奥运计划中一个不可缺少的主要部分.本文从分析北京市有关环境保护方面的法律实施中的问题入手,结合环境保护法律制度及奥运规则的要求,结合北京目前的环境现状,探讨解决环境问题的对策.主要就环境保护中的大气污染和水资源问题进行初步探讨.     

环渤海地区水权法律问题初探

环渤海地区水资源分布不均衡，水权法律制度的缺失成为桎梏环渤海区域经济发展不平衡的因素之一。水权是一个综合性概念，水权法律制度的建构是一个综合性立法过程。因此，通过原有的取水许可制度向水权初始分配制的转换，实现水资源国家所有权分离,从“转化式”向“授予式”过渡是水权法律制度建构的重要途径。同时，《反垄断法》与《环境保护法》相关制度的配套建设，也是环渤海地区水权法律制度综合建构的一部分。     

论水土保持法的执法障碍及对策思考

《中华人民共和国水土保持法》实施以来,水土保持执法工作取得了很大的成绩,但目前我国水土保持执法中还存在一些问题,这在一定程度上影响了水土保持工作的进程,降低了水土保持部门行政执法的能力。强化水土保持执法工作的对策有:修改现行的水土保持法、加大水土保持法制宣传力度,强化水土保持执法责任制、赋予执法主体更多的权利,加强水土保持执法的民主性等等。