Daniel Suman - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Daniel Suman

Yearbook of International Environmental Law, 1999

Yearbook of International Environmental Law, 2011

npj Ocean Sustainability

How can ocean governance and science be made more equitable and effective? The majority of the wo... more How can ocean governance and science be made more equitable and effective? The majority of the world's ocean-dependent people live in low to middle-income countries in the tropics (i.e., the 'tropical majority'). Yet the ocean governance agenda is set largely on the basis of scientific knowledge, funding, and institutions from high-income nations in temperate zones. These externally driven approaches undermine the equity and effectiveness of current solutions and hinder leadership by the tropical majority, who are well positioned to activate evidence-based and context-specific solutions to ocean-sustainability challenges. Here, we draw together diverse perspectives from the tropics to propose four actions for transformational change that are grounded in perspectives, experiences, and knowledge from the tropics: 1. Center equity in ocean governance, 2. Reconnect people and the ocean, 3. Redefine ocean literacy, and 4. Decolonize ocean research. These actions are critical to ensuring a leading role for the tropical majority in maintaining thriving ocean societies and ecosystems.

Frontiers in Marine Science

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a key tool for achieving goals for biodiversity conservation an... more Marine protected areas (MPAs) are a key tool for achieving goals for biodiversity conservation and human well-being, including improving climate resilience and equitable access to nature. At a national level, they are central components in the U.S. commitment to conserve at least 30% of U.S. waters by 2030. By definition, the primary goal of an MPA is the long-term conservation of nature; however, not all MPAs provide the same ecological and social benefits. A U.S. system of MPAs that is equitable, well-managed, representative and connected, and includes areas at a level of protection that can deliver desired outcomes is best positioned to support national goals. We used a new MPA framework, The MPA Guide, to assess the level of protection and stage of establishment of the 50 largest U.S. MPAs, which make up 99.7% of the total U.S. MPA area (3.19 million km2). Over 96% of this area, including 99% of that which is fully or highly protected against extractive or destructive human acti...

This manuscript assesses whether biomass burning in North Africa could affect the heat budget of ... more This manuscript assesses whether biomass burning in North Africa could affect the heat budget of the Mediterranean region. The principal biomass burning activities in North Africa are forest and maquis fires, burning of agricultural wastes, and the domestic use of firewood. In the Mediterranean zones of the five North African nations, forest fires emit 1.33 Gg yr−1 of black carbon to the atmosphere; burning of agricultural wastes, 7.27 Gg yr−1, and burning of fuelwood, 5.16 Gg ye−1. The working model calculates maximum atmospheric black carbon emissions during August, September, and October as a result of forest fires and burning of agricultural residues. The atmospheric loading of North African black carbon from the estimated burning activities ranges between 0.01 and 0.05 µg BC m−3. This estimated black carbon loading is low compared to observations of the western Mediterranean aerosol, which suggests that the European continent, rather than North Africa, is the likely source regi...

Coastal Wetlands

Prologue: Law and the Fumba Mangroves For centuries, communities on the Fumba peninsula of Zanzib... more Prologue: Law and the Fumba Mangroves For centuries, communities on the Fumba peninsula of Zanzibar have depended on mangroves. Mangrove poles have provided a critical supply of building material for homes and boats. The rich mangrove ecosystems have supported an abundant supply of fish and other marine resources. Today, as elsewhere in the world, the mangroves of Fumba are disappearing at a tremendous rate. Alarmed by this state of affairs, in the early 1990s the residents of Kisakasaka village, in collaboration with Zanzibar's small Sub-commission for Forestry, took some modest steps to address this problem at the community level. Villagers and foresters agreed that the crux of the problem was the wanton fashion in which the mangroves were being exploited. People from other parts of Zanzibar and mainland Tanzania were coming to the area and destroying large areas of the mangrove forest. The villagers conceded that their own use of the mangroves was increasingly out of control and showed little respect for past local management practices. No one, in short, was taking responsibility for the management of Kisakasaka's mangroves. With the encouragement of government foresters, the villagers of Kisakasaka responded to this situation by designing a new approach to local mangrove management. They formed a conservation committee, and they worked out a set of rules or by-laws which they felt would help stabilize the situation, and allow the mangroves a chance to regenerate. Cutting periods were established, closed areas were identified, and harvesting limits were set. The by-laws created a simple system of penalties for violations, and a rotation system of monitoring by committee members. Finally, access to the area by outsiders was to be limited, allowed only under certain conditions and subject to an entrance fee and permit. Zanzibar's beleaguered Sub-commission for Forestry, understaffed and underfunded, has increasingly come to recognize the essential role of communities in forest management. Similar experiments are springing up elsewhere on the islands, and a newly adopted National Forest Policy proclaims the need for more (Silima et al. 1994). There are, of course, great uncertainties. Immense economic and demographic pressures are bearing down on the new arrangement in Kisakasaka, and it remains to be seen if these can be resisted. No one knows for sure if the incentives for participation will be sufficient to overcome the costs of organization and forbearance. It is too early to tell if the adopted rules are environmentally sound, but in view of the alternatives, these seemed like risks worth taking, to villagers and foresters alike. There is, however, another important issue, one that has hovered in the background throughout the short history of the Kisakasaka effort: are such initiatives legally sustainable? Will the experiment work under Zanzibar law? Questions like these arose from time to time during the process of mapping out the Kisakasaka plan, but in the end this aspect received little systematic attention. The failure to examine legal implications is not surprising. It is human nature to wish away legal complications when things seem to be going well. But had careful attention been paid to these matters, a number of softspots in the legal foundations of the experiment might have become apparent. Consider the following: AR mangroves, including those in Kisakasaka, were "forest reserves" under Zanzibar's forest law. In reserves, all decisions regarding management were to be made by the government, and all forest resources belonged to the government. While the Sub-commission for Forestry agreed to village use of the mangroves in accordance with an approved plan, nothing in the law or in the Sub-commission's informal agreement with the community could prevent it from unilaterally changing its mind. Result: the rights of the community to manage the mangroves and to benefit from its management could be easily terminated, and were therefore legally insecure. Zanzibar's forest law had been written in an era when the main objective was to keep people out of the forests, not to involve them in management. Under a loose reading of the law, the government might be able to delegate substantial powers and responsibilities to communities in forest reserves. Many officials, however, did not read the law in this spirit, and instead pointed out that there was nothing in the law that gave them the explicit right to grant such powers to communities. Result: the legal authority of the Sub-commission for Forestry to allow community initiatives in mangroves was perceived as

University of Miami Inter-American law review, 2007

CONCERNS FOR THE DARItN GAP 553 was largely tropical rainforest. 1 0 The eastern half of Dari6n t... more CONCERNS FOR THE DARItN GAP 553 was largely tropical rainforest. 1 0 The eastern half of Dari6n that borders Colombia and forms Dari6n National Park still is covered with tropical forests. 11 One of the major geographic features in Darien is the Gulf of San Miguel, Panama's largest estuary (1,760 km 2) surrounded by extensive mangrove forests. 2 Over ten major rivers flow into this estuary, including two of Panama's largest, the Chucunaque and Tuira. 13 Choc6 Department (46,530 km 2 in area) in Colombia shares the biogeographcial region with Darien Province, Panama. 14 The 700 km long Atrato River, draining northward into the Gulf of Urabd (Caribbean Sea), largely defines Choc6.' 5 At the complex Atrato Delta lies a major wetland system, called the Tumarad6 Wetlands, which forms a natural obstacle to road transportation across the Atrato. 6 Precipitation in Choc6 is even higher than in Darien and generally ranges between three and six m/yr. 17 Natural vegetation includes primarily tropical rainforest and swamp forests (cativales). s However, extensive deforestation has

constituyen un importante fenómeno ecológico. Durante este período, más del 10% de la superficie ... more constituyen un importante fenómeno ecológico. Durante este período, más del 10% de la superficie terres tre sufre los efectos de las quemas dando lugar a la producción de _grandes cantidades de carbón. La mayoría permanece en la tierra, pero el 5% es transportada por los ríos y vientos hacia los sedimen tos del Golfo de Panamá. El transporte de las partículas de carbón por los vientos alisios .que soplan del NE fue medido por colectores de deposición seca y , de aerosol. Las concentraciones de carbón en el medio rural de Pa namá durante la época de las quemas, se aproximan a las de las zonas urbanas de Norte América y Europa. Más del 60% de la masa de carbón en el aerosol aparece en forma de partículas finas (< 2 µm-de diámetro) lo cual sugiere que es posible que se transporten a _grandes distancias. Los flujos de deposición seca, correlacionados directamente con la eXtensión de superficie quemada, son más de una orden de mag nitud menor que los flujos de carbón a los sedimentos costeros ma rinos del Golfo de Panamá. Esto implica que el transporte eólico no es el mecanismo prlincipal de movilización del carbón de las que mas a los sedimentos costeros. Los altos valores de desagüe por .unidad de área, en la vertiente del Golfo, sugieren que éste es el mecanismo principal[ de transporte. Por otra parte, el carbón puede servir como indicador de las quemas históricas. En 1979 se obtu�ieron núcleos de sedimentos del Golfo de Panamá. Para determinar las velocidades de sedimentación ,en la región, se sometieron los núcleos a análisis de radioplomo *Manuscrito aprobado en marzo de 1985.

Title: A five-century sedimentary geochronology of biomass burning in Nicaragua and Central Ameri... more Title: A five-century sedimentary geochronology of biomass burning in Nicaragua and Central America. Authors: Suman, Daniel O. Affiliation: AA(Miami, University, FL). Publication: IN: Global biomass burning - Atmospheric, climatic ...

Ecology Law Quarterly, 1991

Introduction ................................................... 560 I. Ocean Dumping and Ocean I... more Introduction ................................................... 560 I. Ocean Dumping and Ocean Incineration Practices in Waters Adjacent to Western Europe ....................... 561 A. Ocean Dumping ..................................... 561 B. Ocean Incineration ................................... 562 II. International Conventions ................................. 564 A. Oslo Convention ..................................... 564 B. London Dumping Convention ........................ 566 C. Barcelona Convention .............................. .. 569 D. Helsinki Convention .................................. 571 E. Caribbean Convention ................................ 572 F. Summary of Conventions ............................. 573 III. European Economic Community (EEC) Governance and its Experience with Regulation of Ocean Dumping ............ 573 A. EEC Governance ..................................... 573 1. G oals ............................................ 573 2. EEC Institutions an...

The low-lying subtropical Florida Peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the sea, is highly vuln... more The low-lying subtropical Florida Peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the sea, is highly vulnerable to the manifestations of climate change. Rising sea levels are already responsable for significant coastal erosion that threatens infrastructure, real estate, and Florida’s subtropical habitats. The State lies in the path of hurricanes whose winds and storm surges pose great threats to life and property. Rising temperatures are likely to impact the most vulnerable sectors of the population, adversely impact agriculture, and threaten the health of Florida’s coral reef ecosystems. Some local governments are beginning to address the threats. However, the State of Florida irresponsibly continues to take a “business-as-usual” path.

Insects, 2020

About 10% of the Earth’s butterfly species inhabit the highly diverse ecosystems of China. Import... more About 10% of the Earth’s butterfly species inhabit the highly diverse ecosystems of China. Important for the ecological, economic, and cultural services they provide, many butterfly species experience threats from land use shifts and climate change. China has recently adopted policies to protect the nation’s biodiversity resources. This essay examines the current management of butterflies in China and suggests various easily implementable actions that could improve these conservation efforts. Our recommendations are based on the observations of a transdisciplinary group of entomologists and environmental policy specialists. Our analysis draws on other successful examples around the world that China may wish to consider. China needs to modify its scientific methodologies behind butterfly conservation management: revising the criteria for listing protected species, focusing on umbrella species for broader protection, identifying high priority areas and refugia for conservation, among ...

Both Venice and Miami are highly vulnerable to sea level rise and climate change. We examine the ... more Both Venice and Miami are highly vulnerable to sea level rise and climate change. We examine the two cities´ biophysical environments, their socioeconomic bases, the legal and administrative structures, and their vulnerabilities and responses to sea level rise and flooding. Based on this information we critically compare the different adaptive responses of Venice and Miami and suggest what each city may learn from the other, as well as offer lessons for other vulnerable coastal cities.

Sustainability, 2019

Irrigation systems are critical for food security and drought adaptation in mountainous areas. Ho... more Irrigation systems are critical for food security and drought adaptation in mountainous areas. However, lack of funding and low efficacy of government-funded irrigation projects hinders irrigation infrastructure development. A public–private partnership (PPP) model is recommended for irrigation development, but its application in mountainous areas has not been well-documented and analyzed. Based on a case study of pumping station projects in the Lujiang Flatland in the Nujiang River Valley of Southwestern China, this paper aims to reveal the critical success factors of the PPP model in the development of agricultural irrigation infrastructure in mountainous areas. Results showed that the basic models of PPP projects in the study area can be described as follows: (1) private companies invested in and constructed pumping stations; (2) communities operated the stations; (3) farmers paid for the services; and (4) private companies profited from charging water fees, obtaining policy supp...

Environmental Management, 2019

Both Venice and Miami are high-density coastal cities that are extremely vulnerable to rising sea... more Both Venice and Miami are high-density coastal cities that are extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels and climate change. Aside from their sea-level location, they are both characterized by large populations, valuable infrastructure and real estate, and economic dependence on tourism, as well as the availability of advanced scientific data and technological expertise. Yet their responses have been quite different. We examine the biophysical environments of the two cities, as well as their socioeconomic features, administrative arrangements vulnerabilities and responses to sea level rise and flooding. Our study uses a qualitative approach to illustrate how adaptation policies have emerged in these two coastal cities. Based on this information, we critically compare the different adaptive responses of Venice and Miami and suggest what each city may learn from the other, as well as offer lessons for other vulnerable coastal cities. In the two cases presented here it would seem that adaptation to SLR has not yet led to a reformulation of the problem or a structural transformation of the relevant institutions. Decision-makers must address the complex issue of rising seas with a combination of scientific knowledge, socioeconomic expertise and good governance. In this regard, the "hitech" approach of Venice has generated problems of its own (as did the flood control projects in South Florida over half a century ago), while the increasing public mobilization in Miami appears more promising. The importance of continued long-term adaptation measures is essential in both cities.

Chinese Geographical Science, 2019

The Lancang-Mekong River has attracted much attention from researchers, but the cooperation on wa... more The Lancang-Mekong River has attracted much attention from researchers, but the cooperation on water issues in this river basin has been limited, even after the establishment of the Mekong River Commission (MRC). Cooperation on water resources has been determined as one of the key priority areas in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Mechanism, but there are no details of targets. In order to establish the priorities of water cooperation under the mechanism, we adopted nine categories to classify the objectives of 87 water cooperation events based on the 'Lancang-Mekong Water Cooperative Events Database' from 1995 to 2015. Based on the occurrence of cooperative events, cooperative objectives, cooperative scales, and approaches to cooperation, we conducted statistical, correlation, and text analyses. Our analyses indicated the following results: under the impact of economic conditions inside and outside the river basin, full cooperation appeared more difficult than bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Each of the partners adopted different preferences for cooperation targets. Cooperation with more definite objectives was easier to establish than cooperation with broader and more complex objectives. The potential objectives for water cooperation were navigation, hydropower, joint management, data sharing, flood control and water use. Because hydropower development is controversial, and because water cooperation is avoided by most existing regional cooperation mechanisms due to its complexity, we suggest the following priority areas for water cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin. 1) Navigation and flood control/drought relief are attractive objectives for all the riparian countries across the whole watershed. 2) Data sharing should be a priority for cooperation in the watershed due to its laying the foundation for the equitable and reasonable utilization of transboundary waters. 3) Hydropower is an objective best implemented mainly through bilateral cooperation, and on tributaries.