Climate Change

Agricultural production is under threat due to climate change in food insecure regions, especially in Asian countries. Various climate-driven extremes, i.e., drought, heat waves, erratic and intense rainfall patterns, storms, floods, and emerging insect pests have adversely affected the livelihood of the farmers. Future climatic predictions showed a significant increase in temperature, and erratic rainfall with higher intensity while variability exists in climatic patterns for climate extremes prediction. For mid-century (2040–2069), it is projected that there will be a rise of 2.8°C in maximum temperature and a 2.2°C in minimum temperature in Pakistan. To respond to the adverse effects of climate change scenarios, there is a need to optimize the climate-smart and resilient agricultural practices and technology for sustainable productivity. Therefore, a case study was carried out to quantify climate change effects on rice and wheat crops and to develop adaptation strategies for the ...

This report provides summary findings and conclusions from a set of five case studies examining the scaling up of pro-poor agricultural innovations through commercial pathways in developing countries. The E3 Analytics and Evaluation Project conducted the studies and prepared this synthesis report on behalf of the United States Agency for International Development's Bureau for Food Security (USAID/BFS), as part of the Bureau's efforts to scale up the impact of the Feed the Future (FTF) initiative. The study's findings also draw on the results of a one-day workshop at which the Project team presented the case studies and preliminary findings to a group of agriculture and scaling experts. USAID/BFS commissioned this study to produce lessons and, ultimately, guidance for the Agency including its country Missions about what types of innovations and which country contexts are best suited for scaling up through commercial pathways, and to identify the activities, strategies, and support necessary to facilitate successful scaling. The findings are timely as the U.S. Congress recently passed the Global Food Security Act, which will continue support for global food security, resilience, and nutrition. Findings on scaling are very relevant for informing the development of the Global Food Security strategy and implementation guidance moving forward. The Project team worked in collaboration with USAID/BFS to select the five case studies based on criteria designed to give significant variance in terms of types of innovations, country contexts, and scaling strategies used. Each case had to (1) have achieved significant scale, (2) have used a commercial pathway to reach scale, (3) be commercially sustainable, (4) offer clear opportunities for learning about innovations, context, and strategies, and (5) involve a USAID-supported activity in which the Agency had a pivotal role. Some of the cases turned out to be different than what had been expected based on information gathered through desk review and remote interviews. This was particularly true of the case of Kuroiler chickens in Uganda, which nevertheless provided important lessons as a counterpoint to the other cases.

The architectural heritage is considered the most important category of cultural heritage; therefore, it requires special attention in the current state of climate change. The heritage presented in this chapter includes a total of 26 wooden churches located in Lăpuș Land, framed by UNESCO to the national heritage A and B category. Built on the present grounds or relocated, these are between 200 and 400 years old. Their degradation/alteration has been imminent over the decades due to aging and the socio-political conditions of the times. Alteration is a common notion in relation to the passage of time. The changes in environmental physical parameters, however, raise issues of sustainability of the buildings due to degradation. This paper wants to bring to the readers’ attention the importance and vulnerability of murals in wooden churches of Lăpuș County, which are an invaluable treasure, in terms of constructions, objects and traditions that require a civic responsibility for future...

Climate adaptation planning requires new ways of thinking and approaching the analysis of risks. Such thinking needs to be systemic in nature and practice/action-oriented while respecting the complexity of the physical and social sciences. Through this chapter on climate tipping points in Botswana, it is proposed that a generic and practice-oriented analysis framework be applied with a mathematical foundation including modeling methods based on complex science. The objective is to promote a framework that privileges a worldview to avoid biased and partial explanations of risks. An Institutional-Socio-Earth-Economical-Technical systems (ISEET) approach is based on a systems science philosophy for risk governance analysis, with particular emphasis on tipping points and emergence which are some of the key elements that can support sound adaptation planning. Through the lens of the biodiversity sector in Botswana, the complex interrelationships of ISEET principles are explained. They pr...

Sea level rise has accelerated during recent decades, exceeding rates recorded during the previous two millennia, and as a result many coastal habitats and species around the globe are being impacted. This situation is expected to worsen due to anthropogenically induced climate change. However, the magnitude and relevance of expected increase in sea level rise (SLR) is uncertain for marine and terrestrial species that are reliant on coastal habitat for foraging, resting or breeding. To address this, we showcase the use of a low-cost approach to assess the impacts of SLR on sea turtles under various Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) SLR scenarios on different sea turtle nesting rookeries worldwide. The study considers seven sea turtle rookeries with five nesting species, categorized from vulnerable to critically endangered including leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), olive ridley...

Climate drives population dynamics through multiple mechanisms, which can lead to seemingly context-dependent effects of climate on natural populations. For climate-sensitive diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, climate appears to have opposing effects in different contexts. Here we show that a model, parameterized with laboratory measured climate-driven mosquito physiology, captures three key epidemic characteristics across ecologically and culturally distinct settings in Ecuador and Kenya: the number, timing, and duration of outbreaks. The model generates a range of disease dynamics consistent with observed Aedes aegypti abundances and laboratory-confirmed arboviral incidence with variable accuracy (28 – 85% for vectors, 44 – 88% for incidence). The model predicted vector dynamics better in sites with a smaller proportion of young children in the population, lower mean temperature, and homes with piped water and made of cement. Models with limited calibration that robus...

A late Quaternary, current-lain sediment drift deposit over 30 m in thickness has been discovered on the continental shelf of East Antarctica in an 850 m deep glacial trough off George Vth Land. Radiocarbon dating indicates that a period of rapid deposition on the drift (averaging 290 cm/kyr) occurred in the mid-Holocene, between about 3000 and 5000 yr before present (yr bp). Slower deposition rates of around 10 cm/kyr, during the past 0±3000 yr and from 5000 to about 13000 yr bp, coincides with the deposition of bioturbated, ice-rafted debris (IRD) rich, sandy mud under an energetic bottom current regime. In contrast, the mid-Holocene (3000±5000 yr bp) sediments are ®ne-grained, laminated to cross-laminated with minimal IRD content, and are contemporaneous with a period of warmer marine conditions with less sea ice production. This pattern suggests that bottom currents were weaker than present day in the mid-Holocene, and that the rate of dense bottom water production was reduced at that time. This scenario is consistent with the hypothesis of non-steady state rates of Antarctic bottom water production through the Holocene as recently proposed by Broecker and his colleagues.

Disclaimer This report contains the findings of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. The findings represent the independent views of the authors and should not be interpreted as the views of their institutions or their funders, nor of the CGIAR or the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development.

To adapt to climate change and ensure food security, major interventions are required to transform current patterns and practices of food production, distribution and consumption. The scientific community has an essential role to play in informing concurrent, strategic investments to establish climate-resilient agricultural production systems, minimize greenhouse gas emissions, make efficient use of resources, develop low-waste supply chains, ensure adequate nutrition, encourage healthy eating choices and develop a global knowledge system for sustainability. This paper outlines scientific contributions that will be essential to the seven policy recommendations for achieving food security in the context of climate change put forward by the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. These include improved understanding of agriculture’s vulnerability to climate change, food price dynamics, food waste and consumption patterns and monitoring technologies as well as multidi...

Disclaimer This report contains the findings of the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. The findings represent the independent views of the authors and should not be interpreted as the views of their institutions or their funders, nor of the CGIAR or the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development.

This article reviews critical linkages between land-use transition and human health in the Himalayan region by applying ecosystem approaches to human health (or EcoHealth). Land-use transition in the Himalayan and similar regions includes sedentarization, agricultural intensification, habitat modification, migration, change of livelihoods and lifestyles, biodiversity loss, and increasing flash floods. These transitions, which can have impacts on human health, are driven by state policies, a market economy, and climate change. Human health is dependent on access to ecosystem services for food, nutrition, medicine, fiber and shelter, fresh water, and clear air. Ecosystem management has been a key means of controlling disease vectors and creating suitable habitats for human well-being. The paper identifies the web of environmental factors that influence human health. Institutional and policy issues for land-use and health transitions are also discussed.

BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Climate change will continue to have a largely detrimental impact on the agricultural sector worldwide because of predicted rising temperatures, variable rainfall, and an increase in extreme weather events. Reduced crop yields will lead to higher food prices and increased hardship for low income populations, especially in urban areas. Action on climate change is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 13) and is linked to the Paris Climate Agreement. The research challenge posed by climate change is so complex that a trans-disciplinary response is required, one that brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers in networks where the lines between “research” and “development” become deliberately blurred. Fostering such networks will require researchers, throughout the world, not only to work across disciplines but also to pursue new South–North and South–South partnerships incorporating policy-makers and practitioners. We use our diverse research experiences to ...

BackgroundThe Nature Step to Respiratory Healthwas the overarching theme of the 12th General Meeting of the Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD) in Helsinki, August 2018. New approaches are needed to improve respiratory health and reduce premature mortality of chronic diseases by 30% till 2030 (UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs). Planetary health is defined as the health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends. Planetary health and human health are interconnected, and both need to be considered by individuals and governments while addressing several SDGs.ResultsThe concept of the Nature Step has evolved from innovative research indicating, how changed lifestyle in urban surroundings reduces contact with biodiverse environments, impoverishes microbiota, affects immune regulation and increases risk of NCDs. The Nature Step calls for strengthening connections to nature. Physical activity in natural environments should b...

Carbon sequestrated in marine ecosystems has been termed “blue carbon”, and seagrass meadows are one of the most dominant blue carbon stocks. Globally, one of the major distribution sites of seagrass meadows is coral reef flat. Recent studies have revealed that the amount of sedimentary organic matter in tropical and subtropical coasts is comparable to that in temperate coasts. However, these estimations are based on a few data and have wide range. Since quantifying organic carbon in the carbonate sediment is technically difficult and costly, easier methods for estimating the amount of organic carbon in seagrass meadows are strongly needed to assess the global blue carbon stocks for mitigation of global warming. Seagrass biomass is suggested to have responsible for the variability of seagrass carbon sink capacity, but the models have not been presented yet. To identify the relationship between seagrass biomass and blue carbon stocks, we developed a new box corer which can facilitate...

Blue Carbon', which is carbon captured by marine living organisms, has recently been highlighted as a new option for climate change mitigation initiatives. In particular, coastal ecosystems have been recognized as significant carbon stocks because of their high burial rates and long-term sequestration of carbon. However, the direct contribution of Blue Carbon to the uptake of atmospheric CO 2 through air-sea gas exchange remains unclear. We performed in situ measurements of carbon flows, including air-sea CO 2 fluxes, dissolved inorganic carbon changes, net ecosystem production, and carbon burial rates in the boreal (Furen), temperate (Kurihama), and subtropical (Fukido) seagrass meadows of Japan from 2010 to 2013. In particular, the air-sea CO 2 flux was measured using three methods: the bulk formula method, the floating chamber method, and the eddy covariance method. Our empirical results show that submerged autotrophic vegetation in shallow coastal waters can be functionally a sink for atmospheric CO 2. This finding is contrary to the conventional perception that most near-shore ecosystems are sources of atmospheric CO 2 . The key factor determining whether or not coastal ecosystems directly decrease the concentration of atmospheric CO 2 may be net ecosystem production. This study thus identifies a new ecosystem function of coastal vegetated systems; they are direct sinks of atmospheric CO 2 .

Climate change is an increasingly politicized issue in the United States, with many members of the American public, especially those who identify as politically conservative, skeptical about this dangerous phenomenon. A host of social and psychological processes have been investigated in an attempt to understand skepticism and resistance to responding to the threat of climate change, including motivated reasoning, system justification theory, social dominance orientation, belief in a just world, the cultural cognition thesis, and solution aversion. In this article, we review recent research into these processes and their implications for understanding the political divide in responding to climate change. We also highlight efforts to test communications interventions aimed at ameliorating these processes underlying climate change skepticism, including framing and scientific consensus. This literature review may be informative for climate change focused communicators, policymakers, practitioners, and academics who directly or indirectly interact with the public, or who design communication campaigns, policy, initiatives, or programs for the public.

It has been proposed that emission of anthropogenic carbon dioxide to the atmosphere will lead to increased concentrations of CO 2 in sea water corresponding to a decrease of pH of several tenths of pH units. An experiment was performed to test the effects of increased sea water concentrations of CO 2 on shell growth of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. The experiment was performed in aquaria continuously flushed with sea water spiked with CO 2 to provide five different levels of pH between 6.7 and control sea water with a pH of 8.1. The shell length of the mussels was measured at the start and end of the 44 days experimental period. No mortality was observed during the first 23 days of the experiment. The growth increment in mm was much larger for small mussels than for large mussels, but relative growth profile as function of pH was more similar in the two size groups; observed differences may be random variation between samples. The experiments showed that CO 2 induced reduction of pH affects the growth of M. edulis negatively. There was a strong and statistically significant decrease in growth at the lowest pH values, with virtually no growth at pH = 6.7 and reduced growth at pH = 7.1. The effect seems to set in between pH 7.4 and 7.1; at mean pH levels 7.4 and 7.6 the growth increments were not significantly different from growth at normal pH 8.1.

It has been proposed that emission of anthropogenic carbon dioxide to the atmosphere will lead to increased concentrations of CO 2 in sea water corresponding to a decrease of pH of several tenths of pH units. An experiment was performed to test the effects of increased sea water concentrations of CO 2 on shell growth of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. The experiment was performed in aquaria continuously flushed with sea water spiked with CO 2 to provide five different levels of pH between 6.7 and control sea water with a pH of 8.1. The shell length of the mussels was measured at the start and end of the 44 days experimental period. No mortality was observed during the first 23 days of the experiment. The growth increment in mm was much larger for small mussels than for large mussels, but relative growth profile as function of pH was more similar in the two size groups; observed differences may be random variation between samples. The experiments showed that CO 2 induced reduction of pH affects the growth of M. edulis negatively. There was a strong and statistically significant decrease in growth at the lowest pH values, with virtually no growth at pH = 6.7 and reduced growth at pH = 7.1. The effect seems to set in between pH 7.4 and 7.1; at mean pH levels 7.4 and 7.6 the growth increments were not significantly different from growth at normal pH 8.1.

An integrated modelling framework is used to simulate crop productivity for current and future climate scenarios. Two crop models, Decision Support Systems for Agro-Technological Transfer (DSSAT) and the Agricultural Productions Systems sIMulator (APSIM), were calibrated and evaluated for the study site in Koutiala, Mali, simulating yields of maize, millet, and peanut for 123 households. These crop models are fed by weather data from baseline climate (1980-2009) from observed weather and future climate (2040-2069) from 5 Global Circulation Models (GCMs) were used as inputs to crop models. The models' results differ according to the crop considered. For maize, there is a decrease of grain yield across all GCMs and crop models. For sorghum, there is a slight decrease across GCMs with DSSAT, but the grain yield remains constant on average with APSIM. For peanut and millet, the results are more optimistic and grain yield increases across all cases. These outputs will then be linked ...

Introduction: The global community is faced with some problems such as the climate crisis. The coastal area is one of the areas that are at risk of abrasion and the impact of the climate crisis. Sedari Village is one of the areas in the coastal area that has the risk of abrasion and climate change. This study aims to analyze coastal area development through mangrove planting and tree foster parents (otap) as climate change restoration and mitigation efforts. Methods: The community empowerment program in Sedari Village consists of several stages, namely institutional. formation, institutional training, and biophysical development through mangrove planting. Result: PT Pertamina Patraniaga Fuel Terminal Cikampek conducts a coastal area development program through mangrove planting and tree foster parents. Community empowerment activities aim to map the activities needed for environmental restoration. The Biodiversity and Community Empowerment Program are carried out through many pre-ac...

Current knowledge of phenological shifts in Palearctic bird migration is largely based on data collected on migrants at their breeding grounds; little is known about the phenology of these birds at their nonbreeding grounds, and even less about that of intra-African migrants. Because climate change patterns are not uniform across the globe, we can expect regional disparities in bird phenological responses. It is also likely that they vary across species, as species show differences in the strength of affinities they have with particular habitats and environments. Here, we examine the arrival and departure of nine Palearctic and seven intra-African migratory species in the central Highveld of South Africa, where the former spend their nonbreeding season and the latter their breeding season. Using novel analytical methods based on bird atlas data, we show phenological shifts in migration of five species - red-backed shrike, spotted flycatcher, common sandpiper, white-winged tern (Pale...

This study examined four Regional Climate Models (RCMs) from Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment-Africa which are widely used in Africa researches, to select the best performing model against gridded observational dataset over the Kpong Irrigation Scheme area with data from 1964 to 2005. Statistical tools such as correlation coefficient (r), RMSE, and standardized deviations (r), and Mann-Kendall trend analysis were used to determine model performance. The capability of the models to reproduce measured yearly cycles and inter-annual variability for both precipitation and temperature were also assessed. The average precipitation and temperature biases for all the models are located in the ± 0.8 mm range with temporal correlations below 0.3. The Mann-Kendall trend analysis revealed the existence of predominant decreasing trends. On the other hand, all the models were able to reproduce the inter-annual variability, but were unable to capture the long and short rainfall range and deviations accurately. In general, the RCA4-CanESM2 of the four RCMs reproduces the precipitation and temperature climatology with reasonable skill and suggested as the most efficient for climate impact assessment researches over the study area. Overall, our results provide a systematic diagnosis of the strengths and weaknesses of the four models over a wide range of temporal scale.

This paper introduces G-Impact, an agent-based model that combines modelling of household consumption and belief diffusion. Household decisions integrate personal impacts (quality, cost), perceived consequences (climate change, human responsibility), and social norms. The evaluation of these different criteria relies on household beliefs, which can be exchanged during social interactions. These beliefs can be used to explain household decisions on a macro and micro scale, and thus to target information or incentive policies. The model is applied to dietary choice in France, among the omnivorous diet (INCA3), the flexitarian diet and the vegetarian diet. The costs and greenhouse gases emissions of the different diets are initialized from real data. The initial beliefs of households are derived from opinion surveys. In the control simulation, we observe a significant increase in the proportion of flexitarians, and a slight increase in the proportion of vegetarians. We also illustrate the need to properly inform households with the emergence of fake news.

A principal challenge currently facing biologists is how to connect the complete DNA sequence of an organism to its development and behaviour. Large-scale targeted-deletions have been successful in defining gene functions in the single-celled yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but comparable analyses have yet to be performed in an animal. Here we describe the use of RNA interference to inhibit the function of ,86% of the 19,427 predicted genes of C. elegans. We identified mutant phenotypes for 1,722 genes, about two-thirds of which were not previously associated with a phenotype. We find that genes of similar functions are clustered in distinct, multi-megabase regions of individual chromosomes; genes in these regions tend to share transcriptional profiles. Our resulting data set and reusable RNAi library of 16,757 bacterial clones will facilitate systematic analyses of the connections among gene sequence, chromosomal location and gene function in C. elegans. The ability to inactivate a target gene transiently by RNAi 1 has greatly accelerated the analysis of loss-of-function phenotypes in C. elegans and other organisms. Although several large-scale RNAibased screens have been used to study gene function in C. elegans 2-4 , in total only about a third of the predicted genes have been analysed so far. Genome-wide RNAi analyses would not only provide a key resource for studying gene function in C. elegans but should also address important issues in functional genomics, such as the global organization of gene functions in a metazoan genome. In addition, because more than half of the genes in C. elegans have a human homologue, this kind of functional analysis in the worm should provide insights into human gene function.

Perubahan iklim dan degradasi ekologi merupakan dua fenomena global yang menjadi perhatian serius di Indonesia. Untuk mengatasi masalah tersebut, perdagangan karbon menjadi salah satu startegi yang digunakan dalam upaya mengurangi emisi gas rumah kaca. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis pengaruh perdagangan karbon terhadap kondisi ekologi di Indonesia. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah model kajian literatur dengan teknik analisis data kualitatif deskriptif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perdagangan karbon memiliki pengaruh positif dalam menjaga keberlanjutan ekologi di Indonesia melalui pengurangan emisi gas rumah kaca dan penerapan praktik-praktik keberlanjutan. Kesimpulannya, perdagangan karbon memainkan peran penting dalam mempengaruhi kondisi ekologi di Indonesia dengan memberikan kontribusi yang signifikan dalam mengurangi emisi gas rumah kaca dan meningkatkan praktik keberlanjutan.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the concept of smart globalization and identify links with the Rockefeller Foundation's philanthropic activities in a number of areas, including health, climate change, urbanization, economic insecurities, and basic survival needs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper addresses how a new conceptualization of globalization intersects with the field of foresight by describing the Rockefeller Foundation's approach to addressing complex issues of human development.FindingsA forward looking research component is a valuable organizational structure that can add value by tracking and monitoring current and emerging trends relevant to the Foundation's strategic framework, operational initiatives, and areas of work.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests a closer interaction of foresight and development experts and practitioners by suggesting that individuals in both disciplines need to work more closely together to coherently addres...

The expansion of llama caravans and the dispersal of domesticated camelids to extra-Andean regions is one of the
key topics in South American archaeology. One of the main indicators of both processes is the presence of
domesticated camelids in the archaeological record, particularly the llama (Lama glama). Based primarily on
historical sources subject to interpretation, it has been suggested that llama caravans may have reached the
southeast of South America during Pre-Columbian times, particularly to the northern Pampean region and the
Paran´a River valley. While the archaeological assemblages in these two areas include camelid bones that have
thus far been identified as guanaco (Lama guanicoe), the possibility of misidentification due to the osteometric
similarity between the latter and L. glama could mask the presence of domestic camelids in the record, undermining
evidence of this potential major expansion of Andean caravans and domestic camelids. To clarify this
issue, we applied a multidisciplinary approach combining archaeological, isotopic, and paleogenomic analyses to
determine the taxonomic status of camelids recovered from archaeological sites in northern Pampean region and
the valley of the Paran´a River. Our findings demonstrate that all the individuals analyzed correspond to guanacos,
whose survival extended into early historical times. Additionally, the archaeological record from both
areas contemporaneous with the maximum pre-Columbian expansion of the Andean caravans, provides no evidence
of direct trade with the Andean world.

BackgroundIn Argentina, the burden of COVID-19 on health systems and physicians was substantial with difficulties on daily triage decisions which have to be made in the context of grave shortages of basic equipment and consumables.Purposethis study was performed to understand what physicians were experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic in La Plata (capital city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina).MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed; a questionnaire was sent by e-mail to physicians who work in this city during November 2020. The questionnaire was made based on Medscape US and International Physicians’ COVID-19 Experience Report: Risk, Burnout, Loneliness.Statistical analysistest for normality was performed employing the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test while Chi-square test of independence to examine the relationship between sex and workplace with nominal variables. For categorical variables, Kendall’s tau correlation was performed to test for independence. ANOVA was developed to ...

Persistent pressures that relate to nonstationary climate variations and land use/cover changes (LULCC) keep affecting water resources and their associated environmental services with increasing impact trends worldwide. Lake Marmara, located in Gediz River Basin in Western Turkey, is already considered among the environmentally degraded water resources while counted with a priority wetland due to historical habitats and ecosystem functions. The region is remarkably threatened to its extinction under the combined impacts of both climate and LULCC related concerns. While intensive agricultural practices around the region deplete the lake's inflow sources, low levels of the lake water provide breeding ground for various algae types and cause eutrophication and related massive fish population decreases, in a way restricting local communities' access to fundamental ecosystem services for their survivability. The study investigates the effects of LULCC in the example of Lake Marma...

Irrigated agriculture is a key activity for the long-term survival of humanenvironmental systems and the assessment of agricultural sustainability has been gaining increasing relevance. In spite of several proposals developed, there is not a holistic approach that can be generally applied to assess sustainability of irrigated agricultural areas. In this paper we present a framework and associated indicators for the assessment of sustainability of irrigated agricultural systems in different contexts and locations. The framework covers four main sustainability dimensions: environmental integrity, economic resilience and profitability, social wellbeing and good governance. This approach was tested in 10 agricultural areas in eight different countries that represent a wide variety of situations in terms of agricultural development, environmental conditions, socio-economic settings and political contexts, but that share the fact that water use is a critical aspect for agricultural development. The obtained results illustrate the usefulness of the proposed framework to obtain a holistic picture of sustainability in irrigated agriculture areas, even in situations

Introduction and aim: Ensuring the protection and restoration of forest ecosystems is vital to maintaining and restoring ecological balance in deforested or degraded landscapes. However, sustainable development faces challenges from high human impacts on natural forest ecosystems, insufficient advanced conservation measures, and limited engagement of local communities in developing nations. The aim of this study was to explore the utility of spatial remote sensing datasets in examining the landscape pattern changes within the transboundary Nyungwe-Kibira Forest from 2000 to 2019. This aimed to emphasize the necessity of understanding the intricate dynamics of this ecosystem and its susceptibility to human activities in order to bolster diverse restoration initiatives throughout the region. The landscape pattern change in the Nyungwe-Kibira between 2000 and 2019 was analysed using high-resolution Landsat data. This analysis encompassed an evaluation of the dynamics of changes in built-up, cropland, and forest areas within the region. Especially, primary data derived from the Landsat dataset and secondary data from reports such as the Outlook Report were employed to elucidate the ongoing landscape transformation within and surrounding the transboundary forest. Results and discussion: The analysis revealed a net change of +62.3% and +18.07% in built-up and cropland areas, resulting in a gross change of 14,133 ha and 6,322 ha in built-up and cropland areas, respectively. Furthermore, the forest experienced an overall gain of 9.11%, corresponding to a net loss of 6.92% due to deforestation, estimated at -14,764 ha. The analysis also indicated that built-up areas accounted for approximately 33.02% of the net forest loss, primarily affecting the northern edge of the Rwanda region, while cropland expansion contributed to a net loss of forest (-9.48%), predominantly impacting the southeast portion of the forest in Burundi. Additionally, the forest is predicted to decrease by 0.74% by 2030, with current findings showing aggregated forest and cropland at 66% and 7%, dissected rangeland at 24%, and created built-up areas at 3%. The findings indicate that the Nyungwe-Kibira Forest is undergoing notable transformations, highlighting the necessity of land-based projects and mitigation plans to facilitate the restoration of the forest from its historical changes. Without proactive measures, an ongoing decrease in forest area by 2030 is anticipated.

The carbon dioxide capture is a more and more important issue in the design and operation of boilers and/or power stations because of increasing environmental considerations. Such capture processes, absorber desorber systems, should be able to cope, however with different flue gases resulted from the use of different fossil primary energy sources applied to guarantee flexible and stable secure energy supply operation. The changing flue gases have significant influence on the optimal operation of the capture process, that is, where the required heating of the desorber is the minimal. Therefore special considerations are devoted to the proper design and control of such boiler and/or power stations equipped with CO 2 capture process.

The battle against climate change has placed decarbonised capitalism on the economic, political and social agenda. But the shift towards a regime of accumulation compatible with measures to mitigate climate change raises major issues regarding prosperity and power, on a human and political scale never previously entertained. The paper places climate change in the context of the dynamics of the system which caused that change, namely capitalism. The ecological crisis is one manifestation of the crisis gripping the present regime of accumulation, which has reached a financialised, globalised stage. This being the case, any attempt to halt climate change, far from being an environmental issue, must be seen as a problem for the development model of both North and South.

Bajo el marco de las Environmental Humanities, este artículo se centra en el estudio de los fenómenos meteorológicos adversos recogidos en el tratado Curiosa y oculta filosofía (1649) de Juan Eusebio Nieremberg. Indagamos sobre las interpretaciones que su autor realiza de ellos apoyándose en un discurso de corte providencialista, como arma de propaganda contrarreformista. Con ello contribuye a difundir la idea de que solo la liturgia católica puede aplacar el poder destructor de la naturaleza, protegiendo al hombre de estos cataclismos y constatando la incapacidad de la magia para controlar estas situaciones. Nos planteamos si este miedo a las inclemencias climáticas comporta una manipulación ideológica que afecte a diversos órdenes sociales. En definitiva, nuestra intención última es la de dar respuesta a cuestiones medioambientales que la sociedad actual plantea, a través del conocimiento y la reflexión sobre hechos semejantes acontecidos en el pasado.

This article focuses on the adverse meteorological phenomena outlined in Juan Eusebio Nieremberg's treatise, Curiosa y oculta filosofía (1649). Using an environmental humanities approach, I explore his providentialist interpretation of the weather as a weapon of Counter-Reformation propaganda. Nieremberg in essence argued that only Catholic liturgy could calm nature's destructive powers and protect humans from disaster, a reading that assumed the incapacity of magic to control such situations. The article asks if fear of bad weather entails ideological arguments affecting various social orders. The objective, in short, is to respond to present-day environmental challenges by reflecting on similar situations in the past.

Dans le cadre des Humanités environnementales, cet article se concentre sur l’étude des phénomènes météorologiques défavorables inclus dans le traité Curiosa y oculta filosofía (1649) de Juan Eusebio Nieremberg. Nous y étudions les interprétations que l’auteur en fait, sur la base d’un discours providentialiste, en tant qu’arme de propagande contre-réformiste. Ce faisant, il contribue à répandre l’idée que seule la liturgie catholique peut apaiser le pouvoir destructeur de la nature, protégeant l’homme de ces cataclysmes et confirmant l’incapacité de la magie à contrôler ces situations. Nous nous demandons si cette peur de l’inclémence climatique ne relève pas d’une manipulation idéologique qui affecte les différents ordres sociaux. En définitive, notre intention ultime est d’apporter des réponses aux questions environnementales posées par la société actuelle, à travers la connaissance et la réflexion sur des événements similaires survenus dans le passé.

Mudansa klimátika sai hanesan dezafiu boot ida, ba umanidade no ekosistema globál iha sékulu ida-ne’e. Nasaun ki’ik hanesan Timor-Leste, ne’ebé iha ekosistema úniku no biodiversidade barak, la sai esepsaun ba impaktu grave hosi mudansa klimátika.

The EU cross-compliance (CC) instrument implies that farmers receive payments subject to meeting Statutory Management Requirements (SMRs) related to environment, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare, as well as standards of good agricultural and environmental conditions (GAECs). This report describes the approach and application methodology of an environmental impact tool to evaluate cross compliance measures on environmental effect indicators. It consists of a selection of the effect indicators to be applied and assessment tools to be used with a review of the CC measures to be evaluated in assessing the environmental impacts. Furthermore, it includes an evaluation of CC measures related to the Nitrates Directive and selected GAECs with the coupled CAPRI-MITERRA model for the prototype of the environmental impact tool.

A comprehensive assessment of policy impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural soils requires careful consideration of both socio-economic aspects and the environmental heterogeneity of the landscape. We developed a modelling framework that links the large-scale economic model for agriculture CAPRI (Common Agricultural Policy Regional Impact assessment) with the biogeochemistry model DNDC (DeNitrification DeComposition) to simulate GHG fluxes, carbon stock changes and the nitrogen budget of agricultural soils in Europe. The framework allows the ex-ante simulation of agricultural or agri-environmental policy impacts on a wide range of environmental problems such as climate change (GHG emissions), air pollution and groundwater pollution. Those environmental impacts can be analyzed in the context of economic and social indicators as calculated by the economic model. The methodology consists of four steps: (i) definition of appropriate calculation units that can be considered as homogeneous in terms of economic behaviour and environmental response; (ii) downscaling of regional agricultural statistics and farm management information from a CAPRI simulation run into the spatial calculation units; (iii) designing environmental model scenarios and model runs; and finally (iv) aggregating results for interpretation. We show the first results of the nitrogen budget in croplands in fourteen countries of the European Union and discuss possibilities to improve the detailed assessment of nitrogen and carbon fluxes from European arable soils.

El presente articulo describe el desglose del marco metodologico y conceptual del abordaje cualitativo sobre percepcion de la variabilidad climatica y el cambio de uso del suelo en el marco del cambio climatico en la subcuenca del rio Panajachel, Solola. Tiene como premisa inicial que el espacio y territorio no son una cuestion fisica ni biofisica, sino una produccion social, en donde hay interacciones de la sociedad con la naturaleza, generando fuerzas productivas y relaciones de produccion, en el marco de un modo de produccion alrededor de una estructura y superestructura. Intenta ser una propuesta de investigacion exploratoria tomando en cuenta la complejidad y subjetivo que es poder describir, analizar, interpretar y estructurar en un orden logico la opinion a obtenerse a partir de entrevistas semiestructuradas propuestas a realizarse.

This paper presents the Livelihoods-Based Risk Profiling Framework (LRPF) to support rural livelihoods adaptation in Western Province, Solomon Islands. Our framework addresses narrow disciplinary perspectives to provide a more comprehensive understanding of risks to rural livelihoods. We expand previous climate-focused frameworks by incorporating non-climatic hazards and key socioeconomic factors that influence vulnerability. We employed a participatory mixed-methods approach using focus group workshops and household surveys to assess risk across three rural communities. The data were analysed to produce decision support tools including livelihood risk profiles, vulnerability index tables, and risk interaction diagrams. These tools identified priority adaptation initiatives targeting key risk drivers, demonstrating the LRPF's capacity to support communities in addressing complex risks and aiding external stakeholders to better align their interventions with local realities. By adopting a holistic perspective, the LRPF can enhance the robustness of adaptation planning, leading to more effective and sustainable adaptation outcomes for rural livelihoods.

The nexus between climate change, instability and conflicts finds Africa, and specifically the Central Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger), a fertile field for its operationalisation. In this sub-region where there is already a very high potential for instability and conflict, climate change will intensify this situation by acting as a threat multiplier. This article tries to explore this link, explaining that climate change is not a grassroots cause of this instability, but will act as an exacerbator, causing an increase in the spread and appeal of radicalism, migratory waves and social and political instability, embodied in coups d'état and a threat to the traditional French and Western presence, which is being overtaken by new international players such as Russia – Wagner Group (Africa Corps) or China.

We measured the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of a managed humid grassland in southwest Ireland from 2002 to 2004 with an eddy covariance (EC) system. In addition, a process‐based biogeochemical model (PaSim) incorporating land management practices such as grazing and grass harvesting was used to simulate the carbon dynamics. The modeled NEE of 2.6, 2.7 and 3.4 t C ha−1 (uptake) for 2002, 2003 and 2004 compares well with the measured NEE of 1.9, 2.6 and 2.9 t C ha−1. There is good agreement between the model output and the EC observations in the growing season but not so good in the winter period. The year‐on‐year increase in measured NEE is partly attributed to a circa 4% year‐on‐year increase in annual photosynthetic photon flux density (QPPFD). The year of lowest NEE (2002) was associated with highest rainfall (1785 mm) and lowest QPPFD. In the wettest year, grass harvesting was delayed by a month, resulting in a reduced NEE. The management of grassland in regions of high rainfall...

The Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) mission will provide a calibration laboratory in orbit for the purpose of accurately measuring and attributing climate change. CLARREO measurements establish new climate change benchmarks with high absolute radiometric accuracy and high statistical confidence across a wide range of essential climate variables. CLARREO's inherently high absolute accuracy will be verified and traceable on orbit to Système Internationale (SI) units. The benchmarks established by CLARREO will be critical for assessing changes in the Earth system and climate model predictive capabilities for decades into the future as society works to meet the challenge of optimizing strategies for mitigating and adapting to climate change. The CLARREO benchmarks are derived from measurements of the Earth's thermal infrared spectrum (5–50 μm), the spectrum of solar radiation reflected by the Earth and its atmosphere (320–2300 nm), and radio occu...

Description/Abstract A critical aspect of climate change decision-making is uncertainties in current understanding of the socioeconomic, climatic and biogeochemical processes involved. Decision-making processes are much better informed if these uncertainties are characterized and their implications understood. Quantitative analysis of these uncertainties serve to inform decision makers about the likely outcome of policy initiatives, and help set priorities for research so that outcome ambiguities faced by the decision-makers are ...