我国土壤侵蚀状况与主要影响因素分析

我国土壤侵蚀面积达 492万km2 ,占国土总面积的 5 1 .2 % ,已严重影响和制约着国民经济的发展和社会的安定。 1 998年洪灾便是土壤侵蚀对大自然的最大惩罚 ,现已引起社会各界的重视。为了从中吸取经验教训 ,对土壤侵蚀与降雨 ,土壤侵蚀与坡长、坡度 ,土壤侵蚀与植被建设三个大的方面作了系统分析 ,研究土壤侵蚀产生的原因和发展规律 ,从中可以知道这三个方面是影响土壤侵蚀的最为关键因子 ,并找出其对生态环境的危害性 ,提出最佳的综合防治对策 ,将土壤侵蚀的危害降低到最低程度

对渭北地区集雨灌溉的思考——以富平县底店乡“窖灌农业”示范区为例

合理高效地利用雨水资源对西北干旱半干旱地区尤其是地表水缺乏地下水不易利用地区的经济发展具有十分重要的意义。基于此 ,我们在陕西省“窖灌农业”试验示范基地对蓄水设施的修筑、运行、维护及水质、雨水利用现状等进行了调研和考察 ,指出了其存在的问题、解决措施及进一步发展的思路 ,为该地及整个渭北地区雨水集流灌溉的进一步发展提供指导和参考

黄土丘陵沟壑区山坡道路防蚀措施初步研究

山坡道路连接农田、果园 ,对山区经济发展有重要作用。黄土高原山坡道路存在严重的水土流失 ,侵蚀方式主要有沟蚀、泻溜、崩塌、陷穴、悬沟侵蚀与滑坡等。山坡道路网应按照小流域综合治理规划合理布置 ,其主要防护措施 :①修筑梯田 ,防止坡面径流冲刷道路 ;②将路面整修成拱形以分散径流 ;③在道路内侧修蓄水窑窖 ,拦蓄径流 ;④路面及边坡栽植草灌 ,防止雨水冲刷

Spatial patterns and driving forces of land use change in China during the early 21st century

Land use and land cover change as the core of coupled human-environment systems has become a potential field of land change science (LCS) in the study of global environmental change. Based on remotely sensed data of land use change with a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km on national scale among every 5 years, this paper designed a new dynamic regionalization according to the comprehensive characteristics of land use change including regional differentiation, physical, economic, and macro-policy factors as well. Spatial pattern of land use change and its driving forces were investigated in China in the early 21st century. To sum up, land use change pattern of this period was characterized by rapid changes in the whole country. Over the agricultural zones, e.g., Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the southeast coastal areas and Sichuan Basin, a great proportion of fine arable land were engrossed owing to considerable expansion of the built-up and residential areas, resulting in decrease of paddy land area in southern China. The development of oasis agriculture in Northwest China and the reclamation in Northeast China led to a slight increase in arable land area in northern China. Due to the "Grain for Green" policy, forest area was significantly increased in the middle and western developing regions, where the vegetation coverage was substantially enlarged, likewise. This paper argued the main driving forces as the implementation of the strategy on land use and regional development, such as policies of "Western Development", "Revitalization of Northeast", coupled with rapidly economic development during this period.

STUDY ON THE SPATIAL PATTERNS OF LAND-USE CHANGE AND ANALYSES OF DRIVING FORCES IN NORTHEASTERN CHINA DURING 1990-2000

Land-use change is an important aspect of global environment change. It is, in a sense, the direct result of human activities influencing our physical environment. Supported by the dynamic serving system of national resources, including both the environment database and GIS technology, this paper analyzed the land-use change in northeastern China in the past ten years (1990 - 2000). It divides northeastern China into five land-use zones based on the dynamic degree (DD) of land-use: woodland/grassland - arable land conversion zone, dry land - paddy field conversion zone, urban expansion zone, interlocked zone of farming and pasturing, and reclamation and abandoned zone. In the past ten years, land-use change of northeastern China can be generalized as follows: increase of cropland area was obvious, paddy field and dry land increased by 74. 9 and 276. 0 thousand ha respectively; urban area expanded rapidly, area of town and rural residence increased by 76. 8 thousand ha; area of forest and grassland decreased sharply with the amount of 1399. 0 and 1521. 3 thousand ha respectively; area of water body and unused land increased by 148. 4 and 513. 9 thousand ha respectively. Besides a comprehensive analysis of the spatial patterns of land use, this paper also discusses the driving forces in each land-use dynamic zones. The study shows that some key biophysical factors affect conspicuously the conversion of different land- use types. In this paper, the relationships between land- use conversion and DEM, accnmlated temperature(>= 10 degrees C) and precipitation were analysed and represented. We conclude that the land- use changes in northeast China resulted from the change of macro social and economic factors and local physical elements. Rapid population growth and management changes, in some sense, can explain the shaping of woodland/grassland - cropland conversion zone. The conversion from dry land to paddy field in the dry land - paddy field conversion zone, apart from the physical elements change promoting the expansion of paddy field, results from two reasons: one is that the implementation of market-economy in China has given farmers the right to decide what they plant and how they plant their crops, the other factor is originated partially from the change of dietary habit with the social and economic development. The conversion from paddy field to dry land is caused primarily by the shortfall of irrigation water, which in turn is caused by poor water allocation managed by local governments. The shaping of the reclamation and abandoned zone is partially due to the lack of environment protection consciousness among pioneer settlers. The reason for the conversion from grassland to cropland is the relatively higher profits of fanning than that of pasturing in the interlocked zone of farming and pasturing. In northeastern China, the rapid expansion of built-up areas results from two factors: the first is its small number of towns; the second comes from the huge potential for expansion of existing towns and cities. It is noticeable that urban expansion in the northeastern China is characterized by gentle topographic relief and low population density. Physiognomy, transportation and economy exert great influences on the urban expansion.

三峡库区巴东组泥灰岩溶蚀作用与岩体力学性质弱化研究

Abstract The karsrt erosion engineering geology became a highlight problem in recent years, in particularly, the karst erosion of marlite of Badong formation made the rock mechanics weaken in Three Gorges Reservoir area, which reduces the safety of slope. During the immigrant construction, many high slopes have been formed, whose instabilities problems pose serious threats to the safety of the people and properties. The accidents of the slope failure take place now and then. By testing, it has been found that the karst erosion pattern and dissolution rate of marlite are not weaker than that of the pure limestone. Furthermore, owning to the weathering and unloading, the karst erosion of the marlite will reach certain depth of the slope, which is named infiltrated karst erosion. The karst erosion made the rock mass quality of slope or foundation worse in a large scale. The karst erosion geological disasters, taken place or not, has become the main restrictive factors to the social stability and economic development. Thus the karst erosion process and mechanism of marlite of Badong formation are studied as the main content of this dissertation. The weakening characteristic of rock mass mechanics parameters are studied along with the rock mass structure deformation and failure processes in the course of the karst erosion. At first, the conditions and influencing factors of the karst erosion are analyzed in the investigative region, on the basis of different karst erosion phenomenon of the marlite and different failure modes of slope. Then via indoor the karst erosion tests, it is analyzed that the karst erosion will change the rock mass composition and its structure. Through test, the different karst erosion phenomena between micro and macro have been observed, and the karst erosion mechanism of the marlite has been summarized. Damage theory is introduced to explain the feature of dissolution pore and the law of crack propagation in the marlite. By microscope and the references data, it can be concluded that the karst erosion process can be divided into rock minerals damage and rock structural damage. And the percent of karst erosion volume is named damage factor, which can be used to describe the quantify karst erosion degree of marlite. Through test, the rock mechanical properties in the different period of karst erosion are studied. Based on the damage mechanics theory and the test result, the relation between the karst erosion degree of marlite and weakening degree of mechanical properties is summarized. By numerical simulations, the karst erosive rock mass mechanics is verified. The conclusion is drawn as below: to the rock mass of marlite, the karst erosion damage made mechanics parameters variation, the deformation modulus, cohesion, and inter friction angle reduce as the negative exponent with the increasing of the karst erosion volume, however, the Poisson ratio increases as the positive exponent with the karst erosion volume increasing. It should be noticed that the deduced formulations are limited to the test data and certain conditions. It is suitable to the rock mass parametric weakening process after the karst erosion of marlite in Three Gorges Reservoir area. Based on the failure types of marlite slope in the field, the karst erosion and weathering process of rock mass are analyzed. And the evolution law of deformation and failure of the marlite mass is studied. The main failure feature of the marlite slope is the karst erosive structure subsidence mode in Three Gorges Reservoir area. The karst erosive structure subsidence mode is explained as follows: the rock mass undergoes the synthetic influence, such as weathering, unloading, corrosion, and so on, many pores and cavities have been formed in the rock mass interior, the rock mass quality is worsen and the rock mass structure is changed, and then the inherent structure of rock mass is collapsed under its gravity, therefore, the failure mode of compaction and subsidence take place. Finally, two examples are used to verify the rock mass parameters in Three Gorges Reservoir area, and the relationship between the marlite slope stability and the time of karst erosion is proposed.

环渤海花岗岩体地下油库建设的工程地质力学研究

As a kind of strategic resource，petroleum play an very important role in current social stability, economic development and state safety. Since 1993 China has turned from a net oil exporter into a net oil importer, the figure of imported oil increased from then on. In 2004 China's total energy consumption exceeded Japan’s, and ranked in the second place, just inferior to America. Today China is the world’s third-largest importing nation, accounting for 6% of world imports and 8% of world consumption. Comparing with other strategic petroleum reserve schemes, underground oil storage possess many advantages, such as security, economy, less pollution, save land, suited for strategic reserve and so on, so it is the most ideal form for strategic petroleum reserve. In the background of China Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program started just now, this paper choose Circum-Bo sea region as a study area, and do some system study on the underground oil storage caverns constructed in inter-large granite rock masses in Circum-Bo sea region. On the foundation of a great amount of information come from both home and abroad, firstly this paper analysed the principle, economy, cavern shape, profile dimension, and gain some cognizances and logos, as follows: ①Hard rock mass such as granite is the major rock, in which underground oil storage are constructed; ②Unlined underground oil storage caverns had been wide spread used as a sort of oil storage form abroad, there already exist a suit of skilled experience and technologies to prevent oil product from leaking; ③Compared with surface tanks, underground oil storage cavern possess predominance in economy clearly. In general, it will be more economical when the storage capacity exceed 50000m3. The quality of rock mass is the most important factor for underground storage cost, however such as hydrogeology, storage capacity, the number of storage galleries, the length, storage product, mechanical equipments, geographic location also influent the cost. In designed depth of the underground storage, the rock mass of Jinzhou mainly belong to class Ⅱ, but parts with dykes, clayization alteration, and dense joints are Ⅲ, Ⅳ; ④Now, there are few underground oil storages span more than 25m in both abroad and home. The examples of some ancient underground works and modern underground excavation with wide span surely give us many precious elicitations to construct more great unlined storage caverns, when the rock mass quality is good, cavern shape and construction method also are proper, it is quite possible to construct underground oil storage cavern with span more than 30m . The main axis orientation of Jinzhou underground oil storage cavern is NW direction, the cavern's elevation locate between -53msl and -76msl. The storage's total volume is about 3×106m3, composed of 8 parallel galleries with 950m length, the pillars between them are 45m, and every two of galleries form one unit, which can deposit 75×104m3 for each unit. The product will be stored are Saudi light and Saudi medium crude oil, the main cavern's section is 411.5m2, with 23m height and 19m width. According to the principle and technique of engineering geomechanics, this study supply a sort of system scientific thinking and method for sitting location of underground oil storage in granite region: ① On the foundation of the earth crust stability sub-zone appraise of Circum-Bo sea region, farther research concerning granite distribution, genesis, geological period and fault structure are conducted in stable areas, generally, this paper select Liaoxi, east shore of Liaotung peninsula and Jiaotung peninsula as target areas for underground oil storage regions, where Mesozoic granite is magnitude; ②After roundly comparison in facts of geologic structure, engineering geology, hydrogeology, topography, transportation and so on of three granite distributed areas, at last, selecting Jingzhou granite zone in Liaoxi out as an ideal construction area; ③ Detailed investigation is conducted in the southeast of Baimashi in Jingzhou development district, the final field. Ultrasonic Borehole Television, as a major way to collect original information of borehole rock mass were used, which is very effective to appraise the quality of deep rock mass; ④ According to the field data of tectonic stress, rock mass quality, the spatial distribution of fracture water, some optimum designs in cross section, axial direction and cavern span have been designed for the underground oil storage cavern layout in Jinzhou. To understand the characteristics of swelling alteration rock in Jinzhou granite mass, collected abundant swelling alteration rock engineering examples in granite, which study them in detail, concluded the swelling alteration rock distribute nearly everywhere in China, intruded medium-basic dykes alteration, along discontinuities and mineral hydrothermal alteration with genesis of granite are three main forms clayization alteration rock in granite rock mass. In Jinzhou field, from macro to micro studied the swelling rock which induced by mid-basic dyke intrusion, with weak swelling. In conclusion, this paper conclude the distribution rule and features of expansion alteration rock in filed, and advise some technical suggestions for excavation at swelling alteration rock part. The main features of this paper: ①In the process of site selection, investigation and design, a suit of technique and method of engineering geomechanics metasynthesis were formed, which is significative to guide the large scale underground oil storage cavern sitting location, investigation and design in granite rock mass; ②The detailed discussion on the engineering geology problems in granite mass, such as weathering crust, faults, dykes and clayization alteration rock, are useful for other projects in aspects of site selection, engineering geology evaluation and stability estimation; ③The summary and integration of the genesis, type, countermeasure relate to swelling alteration rock, also is likely to be used for other underground oil storage caverns constructed in swelling alteration granite. In conclusion, this study is meaningful for guiding the large scale underground oil storage for site selection, investigation and design in granite rock mass.

滑坡和泥石流致灾条件叠合技术及风险分析-以川藏公路然乌至鲁朗段为例

As one part of national road No. 318, Sichuan-Tibet (Chengdu-Lasha) Highway is one of traffic life lines connecting Tibet municipality to the inland, which is very important to the economic development of Tibet. In addition, it is still an important national defence routeway, with extremely important strategic position on maintaining the stability and solidarity of Tibet municipality and consolidating national defence. Particular geological condition, terrain and landform condition and hydrometeorological condition induce large-scale debris flows and landslides (including landslips) and the like geological hazards frequently occur along the highway. High frequency geological hazards not only result in high casualties and a great property loss, but also block traffic at every turn, obstructing the Sichuan-Tibet highway seriously. On the basis of considerable engineering geological investigation and analysis to the relative studying achievements of predecessors, it is found that one of the dominating reason incurring landslides or debris flows again and again in a place is that abundant loose materials are accumulated in valleys and slopes along the highway. Taking landslides' and debris flows along Ranwu-Lulang section of Sichuan-Tibet highway as studying objects, the sources and cause of formation of loose accumulation materials in the studying area are analyzed in detail, the major hazard-inducing conditions, hazard, dynamic risk, prediction of susceptibility degree of landslides and debris flows, and the relations between landslides and debris flows and various hazard-inducing conditions are systematically researched in this paper. All of these will provide scientific foundation for the future highway renovating and reducing and preventing geological hazards. For the purpose of quantitatively analyzing landslide and debris flow hazards, the conception of entropy and information entropy are extended, the conception of geological hazard entropy is brought forward, and relevant mathematics model is built. Additionally, a new approach for the dynamic risk analysis of landslide and debris flow is put forward based on the dynamic characteristics of the hazard of hazard-inducings and the vulnerability of hazard-bearings. The formation of landslide and debris flow is a non-linear process, which is synthetically affected by various factors, and whose formation mechanics is extremely complex. Aiming at this question, a muli-factors classifying and overlapping technique is brought forward on the basis of engineering geomechanics meta-synthesis (EGMS) thought and approach, and relevant mathematics model is also built to predict the susceptibility degree of landslide or debris flow. The example analysis result proves the validity of this thought and approach. To studying the problem that whether the formation and space distribution of landslides and debris flows are controlled by one or several hazard-inducing conditions, the theme graphics of landslides and debris flows hazard and various hazard-inducing conditions are overlapped to determine the relationship between hazard and hazard-inducing conditions. On this basis, the semi-quantitative engineering zonation of the studying area is carried out. In addition, the overlapping analysis method of the hazard-indue ing conditions of landslides and debris flows based on "digital graphics system" is advanced to orderly organize and effectively manage the spatial and attributive data of hazard and hazard-inducing conditions theme graphics, and to realize the effectively combination of graphics, images and figures.

中国粮食生产的区域演进研究

Grain is one of the primary material conditions of the human survival and the grain production concerns the stability and development of the society directly. The regional patterns influence greatly on the grain production and the rational production distribution the regional comparative advantages and promotes grain production. This thesis starts with summarizing of the characteristics of changes and the overall trend of regional pattern of grain production of our country since 1949. Then it carries on network analyses to the factors, which influences the evolvement of regional grain production patterns of our country. And finally it gives some proposals to the grain production distribution in the future. The main content includes: Firstly, Reviewing the regional evolvement of grain production in our country, and analyzing the changes of the regional pattern of grain production of our country on the provincial scale and county scale separately, since 1949, especially since the reform and opening up policy. The main grain production areas are acting an important position in ensuring the national grain security, so this thesis analyses the main matter of the main grain production areas, forecasts the grain production situation in the future, and selects the Northeastern main grain production areas as the typical area to carry on the positive research. Secondly, this thesis analyzes the origin causes from two respects of natural and social economy of the regional evolvement pattern of grain production in China. Thirdly, based on the summarizing to the status of the regional pattern of the grain production, this thesis proposes the precept of the grain production distribution in the future in our country. Therefore, the areas of three major cereal crops, rice, wheat and corn, are confirmed on the basis of the comparative advantages. Finally, this thesis puts forward the security system of guaranteeing the grain production progressing steady in China. According to the above analysis, some conclusions have been achieved as follows: (1) The grain gross production gets on extricating itself from awkward position frequently while fluctuating greatly annually since 1949 in China. (2) Since the reform, its traditional regional pattern of grain production, the most of which was concentrated in the south area, has changed rapidly. China's center of gravity of grain production has shifted from the south to the north, and on the belts of latitude, the grain production has represented a trend of focusing to the middle area in China. (3) The main grain production areas play a very important role in ensuring China's food security. With their relative severe situation of the problems of agriculture, rural area and peasant, China has carried out a series of measures, which aim at improving the food-producing conditions of the main grain production areas, and enhancing the grain yields there. Under this condition, a forecast of the producing amount of the main grain production areas under the nation's self-supplying rate of over 95% shows that the increasing provision production in these areas can meet the demand of the country. (4) The natural and social economic factors influence together on the changes of the grain production regional pattern. Along with the state system transition and progress of agricultural science and technology, the regional pattern of grain production is affected heavier by the agricultural policy and technological elements. (5) The grain production will be concentrated to the middle province in the future, which economic development level being medium-sized; According to crop allocation, although the rice superiority production area located in the South, its comparative advantage index is little in some degree. Meanwhile, the wheat and corn superiority production areas are in the North mainly and its scale superiority and production level advantage are all comparatively obviously.

Podstawy ekonomiczne powstawania średniowiecznych ośrodków miejskich na Pomorzu w świetle badań archeologicznych

Wydział Historyczny: Instytut Prahistorii

Geomorfologiczne uwarunkowania rozwoju sieci komunikacyjnej na obszarze młodoglacjalnym (zlewnia Perznicy, Pojezierze Drawskie

The aim of the studies in the Perznica River catchment were relief changes caused by the development of transportation infrastructure. This type of transformation is dependable on the state of economy and the settlements. The development of transportation network in the last two hundred years was examined through the analysis of archival cartographic materials – maps from the years 1789, 1855, 1877, 1935 – and the comparison with the situation from mid 1980s. The Perznica River catchment has an area of 249 km2 and it is located in north-western Poland in the central part of the Drawskie Lakeland macroregion, which belongs to the West Pomeranian Lakeland. The heterogeneous Perznica River catchment relief has a denivelation of 159 m and is within 60 and 219 m a.s.l. The study area is within the Parsęta River lobe. A number of subzones, whose morphological diversity and diversity of sediments lithofacies is mainly a reflection of areal deglaciation of the continental ice-sheet marginal zone, has been distinguished and these are: • subzone of the internal kame moraine – the undulated moraine upland, diversified by kame forms and kettle holes, • subzone of ice-free space forms – the uplands of kame plateaux, • subzone of melt-out lake basins – Lake Wielatowo basin with a characteristic collar ridge, • morphological levels of the northern Pomeranian sloping surface – mainly flat moraine uplands and small outwashes. The economic development of the Perznica River catchment advanced in close connection with the physical and geographical context, mainly with the relief, soils and hydrological conditions. As a result, the flat moraine uplands and marginal outflow plains, which were easiest to cultivate, have been developed and populated faster than any other. Since the early medieval period, large, compact villages, often centered around big estates, were emerging in those areas. In areas with a high relief energy–kame-melt moraines, ice-free space forms and ridges around melt-out lake basins–farming entered on a larger scale from the eighteenth century. Scattered settlements in those areas forced the creation of a dense access road network to farms and fields. In the case of anthropogenic forms of transportation with denivelation exceeding 1 m in the study area, road excavations are present for 37.3 km, road undercuttings for 43.8 km and road embankments for 38.7 km in total length. That gives a high ratio of density of such forms, equal to 2.1 km per km–2.

Participation by place-based community organisations in local development: case studies from East Cork

The past two decades have witnessed concerted efforts by theorists and policy-makers to place civil society at the centre of social, economic and environmental development processes. To this end, policies grounded in a Third Way approach have sought to forge stronger linkages between the state and voluntary community-based organisations. Concepts such as active citizenship, social capital, partnership and sustainability have underpinned this political philosophy, which reflects a movement in development theory and political science away from notions of state-led development and unfettered neo-liberalism. In the Irish context, a series of initiatives have given expression to this new policy agenda, the foremost amongst them the publication of a White Paper in 2000. New local governance structures and development schemes have multiplied since the early 1990s, while the physical planning system has also been modified. All this has taken place against the backdrop of unprecedented economic development and social change precipitated by the ‘Celtic Tiger’.This thesis examines the interaction between community organisations, state institutions and other actors in development processes in East Cork. It focuses upon place-based community organisations, who seek to represent the interests of their particular localities. A case study approach is employed to explore the realpolitik of local development and to gauge the extent to which grassroots community organisations wield influence in determining the development of their communities. The study concludes that the transfer of decision-making power to community organisations has been more illusory than real and that, in practical terms, such groups remain marginal in the circuits of power. However, the situation of community organisations operating in different geographical locales cannot be reduced to an overarching theoretical logic. The case studies show that the modus operandi of community groups varies considerably and can be influenced by specific local geographies, events and personalities.

The Entrepreneurial Facets as Precursor to Vietnam’s Economic Renovation in 1986

In this research, we aim to develop a conceptual framework to assess the entrepreneurial properties of the Vietnamese reform, known as Doi Moi, even before the kickoff of Doi Moi policy itself. We argued that unlike many other scholars’ assertion, economic crisis and harsh realities were neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for the reform to take place, but the entrepreurial elements and undertaking were, at least for case of Vietnam’s reform. Entrepreneurial process on the one hand sought for structural changes, kicked off innovation, and on the other its induced outcome further invited changes and associated opportunities. The paper also concludes that an assessment of possibility for the next stage of Doi Moi in should take into account the entrepreneurial factors of the economy, and by predicting the emergence of new entrepreneurial facets in the next phase of economic development.

Are immigrant remittance flows a source of capital for development?

There is a general presumption in the literature and among policymakers that immigrant remittances play the same role in economic development as foreign direct investment and other capital flows, but this is an open question. We develop a model of remittances based on the economics of the family that implies that remittances are not profit-driven, but are compensatory transfers, and should have a negative correlation with GDP growth. This is in contrast to the positive correlation of profit-driven capital flows with GDP growth. We test this implication of our model using a new panel data set on remittances and find a robust negative correlation between remittances and GDP growth. This indicates that remittances may not be intended to serve as a source of capital for economic development. © 2005 International Monetary Fund.

NAFTA and uneven development in the North American apparel industry

The various contributions to this book have documented how NAFTA-inspired firm strategies are changing the geography of apparel production in North America. The authors show in myriad ways how companies at different positions along the apparel commodity chain are responding to the new institutional and regulatory environment that NAFTA creates. By making it easier for U.S. companies to take advantage of Mexico as a nearby low-cost site for export-oriented apparel production, NAFTA is deepening the regional division of labor within North America, and this process has consequences for firms and workers in each of the signatory countries. In the introduction to this book we alluded to the obvious implications of shifting investment and trade patterns in the North American apparel industry for employment in the different countries. In this concluding chapter we focus on Mexico in the NAFTA era, specifically the extent to which Mexico's role in the North American economy facilitates or inhibits its economic development. W e begin with a discussion of the contemporary debate about Mexico's development, which turns on the question of how to assess the implications of Mexico's rapid and pro-found process of economic reform. Second, we focus on the textile and apparel industries as sectors that have been significantly affected by changes in regulatory environments at both the global and regional levels. Third, we examine the evidence regarding Mexico's NAFTA-era export dynamism, and in particular we emphasize the importance of interfirm networks, both for making sense of Mexico's meteoric rise among apparel exporters and for evaluating the implications of this dynamism for development. Fourth, we turn to a consideration of the national political-economic environment that shapes developmental outcomes for all Mexicans. Although regional disparities within Mexico are profound, aspects of government policy, such as management of the national currency, and characteristics of the institutional environment, such as industrial relations, have nationwide effects, and critics of NAFTA charge that these factors are contributing to a process of economic and social polarization that is ever more evident (Morales 1999; Dussel Peters 2000). Finally, we suggest that the mixed consequences of Mexico's NAFTA-era growth can be taken as emblematic of the contradictions that the process of globalization poses for economic and social development. The anti-sweatshop campaign in North America is one example of transnational or crossborder movements that are emerging to address the negative consequences of this process. In bringing attention to the problem of sweatshop production in North America, activists are developing strategies that rely on a network logic that is not dissimilar to the approaches reflected in the various chapters of this book. © 2009 by Temple University Press. All rights reserved.