No-strings-attached lending is anathema to the serious commercial banker, who sees only a wafer-thin line between such ‘lending’ and the un-bank-like practice of giving (non-returnable) grants. Such doubts, indeed, are not confined to the banking industry. In the face of home grown problems of unemployment or health-care, for instance, democratically elected governments of donor countries are finding themselves under increasing pressure from their voters to cut back on bilateral assistance to hopelessly indebted taker-states. Multilateral lending and development institutions are facing an uncertain future, trapped in the vicious circle of bad debts that are all-too-steadily increasing, capital and funding quotas that are failing to materialize (eyes are currently on the US Congress), and borrowing that is becoming ever-more expensive. The African Development Bank is faltering; a Middle East Development Bank is in danger of being stillborn. The World Bank has recently been trying bravely to redress the balance: it has created a ‘multilateral debt facility’ for the most severely-indebted countries, and devised a numerical scale of national well-being that is more appropriate for the measurement of ecologically sustainable development than GNP per head of population. While these initiatives should not be belittled, good ideas are too often murdered by gangs of ugly facts.

The Republic of Singapore, a small island state lying at the southern extremity of Peninsular Malaysia has, along with other ASEAN nations, stated its commitment to the principle of ‘sustainable development’ and ecological sustainability. This paper presents an assessment of the impact of post-World War II development on the extent and quality of intertidal coastal ecosystems and ecocomplexes in Singapore — specifically on coral reefs, mangroves, and intertidal sand- and mud-flats — and hence an evaluation of Singapore's commitment to maintaining coastal ecosystems and coastal biodiversity. The extent of these habitats was mapped from topographic and hydrographic maps, and estimates of their future area was derived from the Singapore Concept Plan for the year ‘x’ (AD c. 2030).

Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) have influenced a sown pioneer grassland on limestone quarry spoil from its outset. They have been responsible for middens characterized by a distinct microspatial assemblage of plant species, in which common mesic species are favoured. They have benefited conservation through producing spatial heterogeneity of the spoil surface — thus increasing the number of available ecological niches. They have also mediated an importation of plant nutrients so gradual that competitive ruderal species have (with the exception of Ragwort, Senecio jacobaea) not been encouraged, whilst some desirable ‘rabbit-resistant’ species have become established particularly on the middens.

‘Normal grazing’ is a behavioural pattern which can maintain a sward, even when potentially dominating mesic species become established. However, ‘casual grazing’, and browsing, of conspicuous or rare plants, is likely to be disadvantageous. Manipulation of intrinsically unpredictable seral quarry floras through interference by Rabbit populations, or with Rabbit-access, may be an option on such sites.

This paper describes the short-term responses of tundra vegetation and soils to aeolian sand and dust emanating from anthropogenically-bared surfaces in the low-arctic region of northwestern Siberia. Such surfaces, including roads and quarries, are increasing substantially each year as the region undergoes massive gas- and oil-producing development. Data are presented which emphasize the ‘cumulative’ impacts of corridor construction, namely those effects which are measurable laterally, at some distance from the actual surfaces of roads and quarries, four years after their creation. In particular, changes in plant communities are documented, in addition to the chemistry and macronutrient status of mineral soils and dominant vascular plants and mosses, respectively, as affected by road-dust.

Dramatic changes in plant community composition and cover were evident up to 200 m downwind from a ‘typical’ sand quarry. Although a few species appeared to respond favourably to rapid sand deposition, the great majority that were beset with it have declined in status or disappeared altogether. The exceptions were those growth-forms having the ability to keep perennating buds at or above the surface of the deepening sand (e.g. Betula nana, Salix spp., and Polytrichum spp.). The most pronounced decreases recorded were among lichens, hepatics, Sphagnum spp., and pleurocarpous mosses. The decline in Sphagnum spp., which dominate the moss layer and contribute much of the hummock-hollow microtopography, is already having a profound impact on community structure by virtually eliminating surface heterogeneity.

A survey of dead Dalmatian Pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) at Kerkini Lake, Greece, the major wintering site in Europe of this world-endangered species, was undertaken to investigate the causes of high mortality that occurred during 1991–93. In February 1991, 30% of the population wintering on the Lake (30 individuals) were found dead, the majority (85%) having died of natural causes. A loss of this magnitude does not reflect only locally or on the genetic stock of the species but is also a matter of grave concern relative to its conservation world-wide.

Most mortality of the Pelicans coincided with subzero temperatures and the Lake freezing over — conditions that direct fish to deep waters, and make them unavailable to the Pelicans. Necropsies were carried out on the carcasses of 13 Pelicans, including stomach and gizzard, etc., contents' analysis, and gross pathological, bacteriological, toxicological, and parasitological, examinations. All the carcasses found at Lake Kerkini were dehydrated and emaciated. No food was found in the digestive system of the Pelicans, but there was a heavy parasite burden. Species of seven helminth genera were detected in the carcasses, three of them (Bolbophorus, Contracaecum, and Synhimantus) being reported for the first time in Greece. Contracaecum spp. in large numbers (up to 875 worms per bird), were found in the digestive system of all the carcasses. Most parasites were observed to penetrate the wall of the gizzard, causing haemorrhages and ulcers. No evidence of chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination or bacterial infection was found. Mycotic lesions were detected in the air-sacs of one Dalmatian Pelican, which may have contributed to the death of that particular individual in connection with the parasite burden.

The impacts of hydropower developments on local environment, ecology, and socio-economics, has influenced, and will continue to influence, the efficacy in decisionmaking and planning/design processes. Big dams have several disadvantages: (a) high costs, (b) possible collapse, (c) evaporation loss, (d) flooding of prime agricultural land, (e) siltation of reservoir, (f) salt-water intrusion in coastal areas, (g) deforestation and ‘greenhouse’ effect, and (h) destruction of habitat for rare species. We must refine our environmental understanding of how hydropower development affects species, both individually and in their interactions with each other. The utter dependence of organisms on appropriate environments is what frustrates most attempts to proceed with development and still protect ecosystems and wider ecocomplexes. Conservation objectives must be integrated with other objectives in formulating national and other policies, before they crystallize into projects and programmes. When ecological factors are considered only at the end of the process, they are liable to be viewed as obstructing development, which can be disastrously wrong. But if integrated at the basic level of decision-making, they can positively guide development most propitiously and beneficially. Translated to the global context, this is best served by holistic thinking.