Population dynamics and environmental linkages

The research was conducted in two regencies in Indonesia: Indramayu, West Java and Kupang Timur, Nusa Tenggara Timur. It is intended to give a description of how the Climate Field School for Climate Change was set-up from the beginning to the way it was finally running. Factoring in the choice of the location, the attendees, the syllabus, and other important matters. This paper also hopes to be able to tie the poverty issue with the climate change. The research found that the Climate Field School for Climate Change not only gave additional knowledge to farmers, but it also helped bring back the farmers recollections about very relevant local knowledge that they may have forgotten, such as the ability to predict the weather patterns that the next season brings. This had given farmers confidence and knowledge that had translated into high productivity in recent years. Unfortunately this year, the season pattern was extremely different from the past. The farmers had to suffer incredible losses due to crop failure. This was not only impacted materially, but also brought to question the credibility of the knowledge the farmers gained from the Climate Field School.

The negative association between air pollution and human life expectancy is well established. Short episodes as well as continued exposure to high concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2) or nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are connected with increased mortality mainly from circulatory and respiratory diseases. East Germans before reunifcation suffered from consistently high levels of air pollution which dropped dramatically after the fall of the iron curtain. At the same time mortality declined and eventually converged to the West German level. This study seeks to quantify the impact of dropping SO2 and NO2 concentrations on all-cause, circulatory and respiratory mortality as well as mortality from neoplasms and its contribution to converging life expectancy between East and West Germany.

Background and Object: The degradation area of grassland was severe in the end of 20th century, this research will evaluate the impact of urbanization on grassland changing. Data and Methods: This study included 87 counties of Inner Mongolia, and three- period images
of autumn-seasonal Landsat Thematic Mapper (T M) data set consisting of 3 images. Descriptive method and multiple linear regression models were used. Results: Amount of rainfall, highway construction and urbanization rate were statistically significant (p<0.05) to CQI in model of 1989 and 1996. GDP per capita, amount of husbandry, and urbanization rate were significant to CQI in model of 2000 (p<0.05). Conclusion: (i) Severe physical geographic and natural environment would keep on affecting grassland changing, especially amount of rainfall; (ii) Economic development would lead to the deterioration of grassland; (iii) Acceleration of urbanization process and development of highway construction had a positive impact on CQI.